Cobblestone & Arbor

Recently I have been thinking of the worst case scenario. In my life, the worst case scenario would involve my husband being deported to India. This is not something I want to dwell on, but I have to.

Preparing for the worst is practical and necessary, but it is scary because there is the fear that thinking about the negative outcome is going to invite it into my life. You often hear life coaches telling you to imagine the positive--don't think about the negative. Just believe that the best is going to occur in your life and it will. If you focus on the negative you invite it to materialize.

I wish life was that simple. All you have to do is think positive thoughts and nothing bad will ever happen to you. Humanity can conquer all evils in the world by just thinking positive thoughts. Strife, death, and illness will simply vanish. Sigh......

I have spent a lot of time recently going over how Khalid's absence will affect my life. In addition to substantial spiritual and emotional strife, there will also be serious monetary concerns. Under certain conditions-- I should be able to cover most of my monthly expenditures, with about four dollars leftover.

This will mean I will be living from paycheck to paycheck, and if any large expenses pop up; such as car repairs or medical expenses I will be in financial trouble.

With that in mind I have to consider getting a second job. This fills me with trepidation because jobs are hard to come by, and the only ones that are available around here are retail. I hate retail jobs for several reasons. They don't pay well, require substantial extroverted skills that I don't possess and involve consumerism. Ick!!

So, I have decided to finally listen to some of my friends who have encouraged me (for years!) to use my artistic abilities to make extra money. With this in mind, I have decided to create watercolor paintings of beautiful houses, particularly old historic homes and B & B's. I have already started a series of colonial houses in Salem, Massachusetts. When the first one is completed I will officially open my new business called Cobblestone & Arbor.

Of course, this would still be a capitalistic enterprise..but it would be my own handmade goods I would be selling and not some manufactured, plastic commodity made by some far away factory workers who are paid 30 cents an hour!

Taking a cue from those life coaches, I will visualize my business as a huge success. Maybe positive thinking will work this time!