When I was in my early thirties there was a community center in the town near where I lived, the community center was in the center of what  would have been considered an *at risk* area today, with most black and hispanic children participating.

I worked as a volunteer for the American Red Cross in those days as a Chairwoman for youth programs...the majoritiy of my kids were at at risk kids, that the community did not know existed in those days...this was over 30 years ago in a town that was in deep denial of problems in the inner city.

My job was to create oppotunities for these kids to stay busy, have fun and serve their community, it  should not duplicate any other youth program ongoing in the community, so it was always a challenge. Most of the time I let the kids figure out what they wanted to do to make things better or to contribute their time....I mostly directed.

During this time I received a phone call from the Marshall White Center, they  had a boxing team that was going to be traveling on the road, they had been invited to participate in some other communities.  I really did not know all of the details, just that they wanted me to come and talk to them...when I set a time to go, I was offered a police escort, which I turned down...... thinking how would these kids beleive in me if I did not believe in them.

When I arrived, and we began our meeting, the problem was that these young men had never been anywhere, they did not kow how to dress or how to eat in a nice public setting, were not ever sure about greeting others in a respectable manner. 

 At first glance this does not look like it would be a big problem...but, as we worked through the issues, sitting at a dining table, using the right utensils, ordering off of a menue, learning the proper way to greet others, it turned out to be so much fun...and most of these guys already knew more than they realized and could have most likely bluffed their way though most of it.  The only problem came in their confidence and their belief that they could do this...without a doubt all of them had become great boxes and had an ability to win...but this was different.  After several meetings we all came to the conclusion that they would be fine...they knew how to dress, sit at dining table with complicaed utensils and order from a menu....

In this case perception was everything, the community did not know they existed, the  police had a fear of something that was not fearful and these young men knew more than they realized and had the where with all to realize that they wanted help...

I had an opportunity to meet some fine young men and hoped that they realized, that there was a  big open world out there for all of them...just take that step...

Just before the boycott, I added some items to my inventory that I knew pretty much for sure would have a great chance of  selling and they were more expensive items. I added my inkwell collection  to my listings, and it worked, the inkwell collection has sold some of the more expensive pieces.

 For a couple years now, many of my items are in the under $10 price point range, so  adding this collection  would not only attract that colletible buyer, but it would also give me more money per sale.

Of course my concern was that the boycott would slow sales down  and that   would be an issue, but I remembered one of the things that my first boss told me more that 30 years ago.

I had been working for some time, selling a lower end product for the company, and struggling with my sales. 

One day he called me in and asked if he could help me in anyway.  My aswer was *Find me a customer with money* he laughed and told me something that I have used for many years, and  the only time I struggle with sales is when I forget what he said. 

LEARN TO SELL TO THE 3% OF THE WORLD THAT HAS MONEY AND YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE SALES. IF YOU CONSTANTLY TRY TO  SELL TO PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO GET UP $10 YOU WILL FAIL.

 He went on to explain that when you are marketing to a clientele that has the money, they are not  going to have all of the issues that a clientele will have, that has to scrape together $10.

They pay on time,  THEY ACTUALY PAY,  they are easier to please, they remain clients not just a customer. You are also selling to an intellectual level that will resolve problems with you.

He went on to say it is easier to sell to someone a $1000 item than it is to sell a $10 and that does not sound reasonable, but it is true.  Many times I have put an item up that would sell of $1000 or more and almost consistantly, each and every time they sold first time around. 

Why have I not been doing this for the last three - four years? Well my situation changed, my  packing space is smaller, so I no longer do that high end furniture, and most of the really expensive things I have sold in this past year were very  portable and easy to pack and I am stubborn, was determined to get rid of all of the inventory that is in boxes around here from my old business.

Now, I am changing my base line items to some more things that are in the $40-$100 range...because the time has come to move in that direction again. I still have hundreds of items that are low end...but they will continue to move with this higher price point item.

The added advantage to doing a higher prices  product is this.....people also look a the rest of your inventory, they may come to look at the $1400 Bernina sewing  machine,  but they will shop, and they may not buy the machine...but you will attract many other potential bidders. 

The very same boss that taught me this, later hired me to be the sales manager for his office to train other sales people, it was a golden opportunity in my life that taught me about the basics of sales and teaching others to sell for a living. 

((((hugs)))) and blessings

When my children were young we had four horses, both of my childern were trained in western sadle and English sadle. If I were to pick any one discipline in life that would prepare you for the world, competition, long term development, it would be learning to be a good rider of horses. 

These horses belonged to the kids, thier responsiblity, to feed, groom, clean the tact and sadle, and exercise, and even help with getting the hay off the ground from local farmers and get it into the loft in the pole barn. We had an acre in alfalpha that had to be nurtured as well.

Since we lived in Utah even in the dead of winter the horses had to be cared for.  All of this occurred, before they were in high school so football and cheerleading had not come into play. 

Form early spring until almost Christmas each year the horses were trained and gotten ready for shows, so there was a constant demand on two young children that really never complained or felt that they had too much expected form them, in addition they shared household chores along with homework, scouting, 4H and church.

At some point we decided to get a yearling, something that we knew nothing about, but I wanted to experience the beginning of training a horse and see what was possible.  Since there was an element of danger involved with a yearling, this was my job, and when she became old enough and more predictable this job was going to my daughter who eventually would jump this horse. 

We named this horse SALTY'S SUSANNAH , Sukey for short, she came from champion stock and was expected that she would be a great jumper and showhorse.

I worked with Sukey for a long time, daily calling her in and rubbing her down, so she would be ok with the human touch, taking sacks of gravel, or tin cans and banging the around her so she would be use to things that might be a  problem in trail class.  Working her on a lunge line, teaching her voice commands, and finally putting her on driver lines and working reins from the ground, just like you would a plow horse, and she  loved it all.  Stong willed, we knew there were going to be issues down the road.  At last we worked her from the ground with a saddle on her back. When my daughter finally stepped into the sadle, it was as though she always had a rider on her back, there were moments of concern, but over all she did very well. 

As time went buy life began to change, my son became a great baseball and football player in highschool and my daughter was a cheer leader then in the dance line and in her last two years of high school taught the dance line. Both of them became consumed with thier lives and one day I woke up and realized that I was riding four horses and keeping them up, because the demands on my children's lives were too strong. 

One by  one I sold the horses with great sadness, Sukey being the last to go, she sensed that things were amiss and as each horse went she threw fits as they were hauled away with thier new proud owner.  Finally we sold Sukey, she went to a home of a family that wanted to move up in the rankings of the horse world and she was a beauty.  We showed them how she rode, taught them all that we knew about her....and with some concern I watched the beautiful animal leave my home. 

A couple of years later I ran into to some folks that bought Sukey from the family we sold her to and they were telling me what a wonderful horse she was and that she was soon to have a colt and they could hardly wait. 

Of course I wanted to know how she was developing as a show horse, and was so surprised to hear that she would not allow anyone to ride her...that her temperment was fine as long as she was not ridden.  The first family that bought her first did not try any of the methods we taught them and they soon lost interest and sold her to this family, soon after they got her, she threw one of the new owners, breaking her arm.  I explained that Sukey has been trained and even understood the simplest of voice commands....and they were amazed, but said they would love her as she was and were looking forward to her colts. 

I have often wondered about that horse, and my relationship with her, how she worked for me and loved me and later would  work for  my daughter, only to go on to other families,  refusing to be tame enough to ride again or be safe enough.  We spent hours, a total of 18 months of daily workouts and training......it will always be a mystery to me.

(((hugs))) and blessings

A special prayer and thoughts to my friend Crazyjeans.

I have received many kind notes and much encouragement about my decision, not to openly blog, while I am still on the bloggs,  it has been only for rss feed and an occasional  photograph  of my world or a (((hug))).

I have thought long and hard about this, and cannot come to a compromise, maybe in time I will think differently, but that has not come in to my mind in such a way that makes any sense.

One thing I noticed is that many of the folks that were sliding in at me from diffrent angles were not regulars on the blogs, the  ones that would not stand up on thier blogs for the rights of others being attacked were not regulars.

I noticed that many times I was the target, and on one occasion my lifestyle,  my retirement and my purpose in life, was burried in a long dissertation about the boycott. I am not so stupid, that I did not realize who they were speaking of, and if they were not speaking of me, then they should never have said it about anyone that has worked for years,  getting to a place in thier life to retire.  

With this said, this is not a discussion about anything else except that my leaving was a personal decision, not to continue to make myself a target.  A side of me was coming to the surface that I did not like and it is not how I want to live my life, being here is a choice. Unfortunatley, I have had to make a choice to leave. For now I will have to continue to think that my choice was right for me....

I am blessed to have met so many wonderful people that are caring and loving, so many that are willing to help others and thank you so much for you notes of encouragement and your kind thoughts.

Do not think for a minute that my heart has not ached and grieved about this decision, it hurts me deeply.

(((((hugs))))) and blessings

OF THE FOREST AGAINST THE DAWNING OF THE DAY 

6:AM TODAY