In this month’s newsletter my web designer added a nice graphic of a U turn sign to my column entitled, “It’s a Woman’s Prerogative to Change her Mind.”  I was explaining why there’s no longer chocolate bark on my website and how I’m returning to my original premise of making only fruitcakes.

And now, another U turn, as you’ll recall I wasn’t going to sell wholesale but instead drive people to my website.  However, I’ve decided I’m going to allow some stores to carry the Okanagan Harvest cake during the year.  This is mainly due to small Okanagan stores asking me about it, and so I thought why not?

So next week I’m going to deliver some to Sue Baldwin, the owner of Indie Lulu on Main Street, Osoyoos.  I’ve never been to her store, so I’m looking forward to it.  I’m also going to stock Terwilliger’s Gifts on Main Street, Penticton again, as that’s another logical place for my product. 

As you know, Luke left for the oil rigs a while ago.  The other day the electricity bill came and I nearly wept as it was double what it usually is.  I went downstairs to show it to Nicky, the person who must have every light and electronic device in the house on at all times.

He said, “I think it was because Luke left the space heater on in the garage.  I discovered it the other day when I went in to get the oil for your car.”  I simply don’t know if that much adrenalin coursing through a person’s veins can be good for them, but I just replied, “Well he’ll have to repay me for that.”

A day or two later as I was walking down the driveway I looked at Nicky’s bedroom window and saw the screen was torn.  Once again, I went downstairs and told him.  He replied,  “I think I might have torn that the other time I forgot my key and had to break in.”

I just stood there saying nothing, looking at him, and then he added, “I’ll buy a new one.”  I said, “Good” and walked upstairs.  I think I made myself either a Manhattan or a Cosmopolitan, but I’m not sure which.

The thrift shopping’s getting out of hand, as now I’m ending up with things I neither need nor even really want.  The other week I’d seen a nice porcelain statue of a rearing horse that I liked, made in Bavaria, but I balked a the $10 price tag.  On Saturday when I returned to the Mennonite Thrift store I noticed it was $7.

At the till I said to the cashier I really liked the horse, but as one ear’s chipped, I didn’t want to pay $7.  She said would you take it for $2.50 and I said sure.  However I was actually there for their silent art auction, as if you’ve ever been here and seen my 50 original paintings you know I need even more.

The painting I wanted was an oil by an Okanagan artist named Betty Howe.  The minimum bid was $35 so I wrote down $50 and then felt sick.  I drove away praying someone would out-bid me. The auction ended at 5:00 and they’re closed Sundays, but on Monday morning I received the call that the painting was mine.

But once I got it home and found the perfect spot for it I realized I’d felt sick for nothing, as it’s really lovely. So once again, I had to do a U turn and change my mind.