My stay in California so far.

Hello Everyone,

I am dedicating this blog to all my angels, but a special dedication to my son who never stopped believing in my ability to create.  Who pushed me, and still does everyday to follow my dreams and to never give up.

Well it's been one heck of a ride since moving to California.  I started out doing one of my hobbies (dog training), and am now onto my other hobby of jewelry making.
I have actually turned my hobby into my new career.  The recession kicked my butt!  I've been unemployed now for 2 years. I did have a job for a couple of months working for an online bead store as a jewelry designer. They didn't like the fact that I was making my own jewelry and trying to market it, so they fired me.

The thing I keep telling myself is I'm glad I don't have little kids anymore.  Although my daughter moved out here a few months after I did to seek a better life.  She ended finding a temp job and then got laid off just a few weeks after my job ended.  I have spoken with so many people who have lost everything like myself but who have little ones.  This is hard enough for an adult to go through, no less trying to take care of a family on little to no income.

So here I am in California, wondering what in the world am I going to do.  Fortunately I had a childhood friend (I found on Facebook when I first moved to Cali) who gave us a safe place to stay.

You know I've debated telling my story because it isn't fluffy, roses and sunshine.  Being homeless is the most humbling experience I've gone through in my 46 years here on this earth.  However, I learned many things over the last couple of months.  Mainly how grateful I am to just have the simplest things like food and clothing and shelter.  Maybe you think I am exaggerating my situation, I wished I was.  But here's the good of the bad situation.  I absolutely believe God sends you angels!  One such angel helped my daughter and I learn that you can truly, without a doubt, count on God.  He never lets you down and will always provide a way for you to exist.  When we just didn't have any way to pay for gas or buy food, he provided. I would get a check in the mail from a rebate I had forgotten about.  I would travel to Santa Monica and go from boutique to boutique to see if anyone wanted my jewelry.  Sure enough I nice shop owner fell in love with it and said to come back in a few weeks.  The day I returned, God sent me another angel, my new jewelry rep.  She happened to be at the boutique when I brought my jewelry back.  She also loved it and asked if she could be my rep.  God is GREAT!!! I would also meet a complete stranger in the parking lot of a grocery store (we had $8 left).  He saw my out of state license plate and welcomed me to California.  We started talking about kids and life and before I knew it he took every bit of money he had in his wallet, gave it to my daughter, and ran off so we couldn't hand it back.  I have another angel who allowed me to set up a small table in front of his little gas station and sell my jewelry, that day we literally had no food left.  I met another angel who fell in love with my jewelry and continued to by a couple of pieces a week. I still think she did it not just because she loved jewelry, but she wanted to help me and my daughter.  She'll say otherwise.  Ok, so I have one more.  A friend who introduced me to a woman who is starting a new online jewelry store that wants to feature me as a designer.  The store is based on giving back.  How things come around in a circle....just amazing!

And now we have a place to live because I met 2 more angels, a husband and wife who had a 40 ft R.V. just sitting in their yard.  They had rented out in the past for people in transition.  It sits on 2 and 1/2 acres with shade trees surrounded by horse ranches.  So peaceful and beautiful!

So because my jewelry is selling, I am little by little by little making it day to day.  All thanks to a stranger who took us in, allowed us to stay in a room above their barn and gave us hope.  Everyday the angel would leave a small index card with a scripture, or a copy of a story of faith, or just a little note of inspiration.  She didn't know how much it meant to us to get these things everyday and that my life will never be the same because of it.  Thank you Nancie, you saved my life.

I forgot to add one more angel.  I went to Chase Bank to see about opening a checking account with them.  The lady I spoke just loved my jewelry.  I had to explain a bit about my situation because my credit is now shot for the next few years.  Just before I left the bank she stopped me and said she would like to buy me my business cards....how bizarre!  She said she believes in me and loves to support women owned businesses.  Thank you God for bringing me all of these angels.