Good morning on this dreary day
First, a call of urgency, my friends, if I may ask again...and I am very sorry to have to but we are completely playing catch-up with our financial situation since I didn't receive any money at all from the government aid I usually get this past summer and I will not be getting much each month starting now from them until next year when I re-apply for it (and then who knows?). Yes, I have work coming in as you have read plus Gilles is working but he has a financial problem that he is in the process of dealing with that has put a halt on our grocery spending this week plus helping me get my back account back in the black. If you find yourself in a position that you can help us in any way you can, (this is if, as you know, I don't like putting people on the spot) we would greatly appreciate it.
Ways you can help:
-purchase some of my handcrafted jewelry - www.atbbijoux.com
-purchase a copy of my autobiography from my photo site or if you are a collector and would like to purchase a print of one of my images, contact me for pricing - www.annmarietornabene.net
-or if you are wanting to just make a simple donation - PayPal
I will not be announcing this on my FB or IG accounts simply because I have never really received any support (even emotionally) from these platforms but I know some very kind people in my little circle here. As I said, no pressure if you can not help, but I ask out of a desperate plea..thank you so much. xxx
Now back to the posting: I am usually a fan of dreary days - gray, cool..but as it is now beginning to get darker a bit earlier (and I am waking up in the dark), I do a "meh". I am working a long day in Paris today for one of my regulars, Paris Ateliers. It's 2 drawing sessions in the same place with an hour break in between. The first session starts at 2pm and I am done at 9pm so I will be coming back with the rush hour trains which means I am taking my cane in order to get a seat. It's sad that it comes to that but I know I will be in agony and exhausted after work so, I don't feel bad. Last Thursday was my first job of the year and just for you to understand - it was a 3 hour drawing session....but with the transport, from the minute I left my apartment to the minute I got back, it was 8 hours. Why? The round-trip transport, especially going in or through Paris is always a nightmare - timings are always messed up with lateness and having to physically navigate through crowds of people at the train hubs.
Over the summer, I did a lot of walking, doing my photo shoots, etc. by myself and without a cane and I didn't have the same exhaustion or pain as I did last Thursday...Every year, I say I need to stop modeling...after 27 years, enough is enough especially because of the transportation but I am a 55 year old artist who has paid her dues working too many years in retail and will NOT do that again plus being my own boss is what I can only handle now...what other kind of job could I possibly want to do that will give me regular income? Granted, the modeling is based on the school calendar where I only get anywhere from 4 - 10 days of work per month so I am not making a "classic" income anyway but I don't see ever going back to a 5-day week conventional work week...and doing what? This is something I have struggled with for years and coming to live in France with my limited French doesn't make it any easier...so I have to keep doing this until I retire. And the ultimate joke is that because of all the work I did in the US plus the work I am doing here (I am talking on the books), I will have MORE money per month in retirement funds that what I make now. So...I have to hold on 10 more years but I don't think I really can, physically. I think I just have to keep going until something else presents itself or until my body gives out completely.
In other news, I have spent a lot of time going through my jewelry inventory, updating my datasheet and website. I have taken apart old pendants and earrings and re-doing them as I am more experienced now with my wire-wrapping techniques plus I am using better wire than I did at the very beginning and in November, I will get my site ready for the holiday sale. I will do a Secret Santa this year - orders over 50€ will choose from 3 gifts that I will not share the contents of except for photos of the packages. Orders over 75 will get different gift options and orders over 100 will get others. Obviously the quality of the gift will get better as the purchase price goes up. The gifts will either be other pendants, earrings, rings or maybe all 3 (for the higher amount purchases)...I will see.
I am also starting to get ready for a photo exhibit I will be in also in November. 6 images from 2 different series so I am excited about that. I have not been in too many physical exhibits here in France - this will be my third and the night of the reception, I will have copies of my autobiography to sell and I may make a few cheap books of selected images of the 2 recent series as well...will special price them if someone buys my autobiography as well...Anyway, I am looking forward to this.
And lastly, I will be doing a new vlog this week for my YouTube channel...seems the interest has waned a little in the views which I find funny because if the headline doesn't say "warning, contains nudity", I get less views. Go figure.....pfft Anyway, this week will include nude images so :P