In an effort to keep blog posts somewhat coherent and cohesive, I’m breaking my randomness up into separate posts today. Plus it makes me look even more productive!

Last Wednesday night I had my first of three Community College Continuing Education classes that I signed up for in preparation for venturing into the wild world of Small Business ownership. This class was entitled, “Doing Business on the Internet.” It was informative and thought provoking. Much of it was stuff I already knew on one level or another but much of it was either a different perspective that I hadn’t considered before or totally new and eye-opening.

For one thing, I learned something that I had suspected would be true. Starting an online retail business is as expensive and time consuming as starting a brick and mortar store. The idea of starting small online and using capital raised in that manner to fund the b&m endeavor is ridiculously naive. So that means a change of plans is in order.

As my true dream and passion is to have a real “place” to call my own and to work toward, I’m going to put my big online plans on hold for now. I need to focus my time and energy on getting the real thing started and running first. There is just so much to do logistically for either venture that if I divided my attentions, I would most likely fail at both. I also have to honestly evaluate my strengths and weaknesses and I know that I’m much more likely to put more work and effort into something more tangible than a “virtual” job.

I do feel that there will continue to be some online presence in connection to My Eclectic Mess LLC; be it this blog, an etsy shop, or other retail set-up. Time will tell.

Our new baby. Currently his name is “Ozzie.”
Cute doesn’t even begin to describe this little guy.

We have a clump of what I’m presuming to be “Nikko Blue” hydrangeas next to our driveway. They came with the house. Up until last fall they never blossomed. I did some research and decided that they just weren’t suited for our climate zone. Every year they would grow up nice and tall but never quite reach the bud to blossom stage. Blame it on global warming or just dumb luck, but last fall they bloomed in a beautiful bounty of blue blossoms. I had a garage sale during their best weeks and I had customers asking me about them and offering to buy cuttings from the plants.

So far this year I only have one blossom. It however makes up for the lack of shrub-mates. It is the most perfect shade of blue with just a hint of purple. It is so striking against the green and ever increasing brown of the late summer garden it stops me in my tracks every time I drive in the yard.

There are signs that we may be blessed with more of its kind.

Less than 3 yards away I find this:

This type of hydrangea’s blossoms are either pink or blue depending on the acidity of the soil they grow in. You can amend the soil to help determine what color blossoms you get. I don’t do any amending or fertilizing. Oddly, within 10 feet of garden space I evidently have two very different types of soil. Pretty cool actually.

I have a thing for hydrangeas.

This little one is in a bed by my living room window. It is of the “Endless Summer” variety. I had to move this one last fall because it wasn’t doing well under our big Hickory tree. I was worried it wouldn’t make it but it finally perked up and mustered up one blossom this summer.

This one is over under a dining room window. I’m not sure of the variety. But its blossoms start out with a slight hint of pink and quickly fade to white.

I also have an Oak Leaf variety and the big Snowball type in the back yard.

But my favorite Hydrangea is this one:

Of the “Bernese Mountain Dog” variety.