You mentioned earlier that you use your spare bedroom to groom your dogs. Dog grooming is a booming business - I was shocked at the amount of business a family friend does in it, right after she opened. Could you start grooming professionally?
Cindy, I tried to e mail you and it bounced back. I had written:
THANK YOU !! I had no idea anything like that existed, and it is perfect. I can draw any dog with a photograph, and I will definitely be posting that I do commissions there. That is JUST the kind of thing I have been looking for !
Anna
Excellent! There are way too many dog owners in the world who need training. Just don’t forget to check into what sorts of liability you might have/insurance you might need.
Good luck!
My best wishes are with you too papsett.
I don’t have any better advice than has already been given, I wish I had. Just keep at it, preserverence will pay off. It’s so inspiring to see everyone here come out and help, what a wonderful communitty.
Let us know every few weeks or so what has come up or what new problems you are facing. I’m sure someone has good advice no matter what it is that is coming up or that you’re contemplating.
So how are things going??
/mpsims-type check-in 
Thanks for asking.
I have good days and bad. I made some good sales on eBay this week, if I don’t have a string of non-payers, I made over $800.
Last Wed. I went to a councelor that works on a sliding scale, so it only cost me $1. I go back to see him tomorrow. He is encouraging me to get my art work business up & running, and said that I should be able to get a small loan (under $20,000) against my house for capitol. It is a very scary thought for me, since if I can’t repay for any reason, I will lose my home. But, I do feel confident enough in my talent that I thinkI could make a confortable living if I can just get my start.
Any input on if I should or shoudn’t borrow against my house? I trust you guys !
Had a little setback yesterday, when I got the bill for my homeowner’s insurance, $700 due by the first week of March. Not sure where that is going to come from.
I went to the job fair Saturday, there were not really all that many jobs offered that I am qualified for. I put in a half dozen applications, so we’ll see. The wife of a friend of mine is trying to help me get on at our local gas & electric company, where she works, in customer service. I have to write a cover letter to them for my resume’ , will be doing that tonight to mail in tomorrow.
All in all… I am not nearly so depressed as I was last week. Not cheerful by any means… but not as low. At least I am seeing options.
Anna
You might want to check into SCORE: http://www.sba.gov/il/ilscore.html
It is retired businesspeople who provide advice to self-employed and small-business people; they might be able to tell you how much you would realistically need to borrow, and they would know of other resources like small-business loans or microenterprise programs (mini-loans to get folks started) as alternatives to borrowing against your house.
Congrats on the eBay success! Good for you for going to the job fair; it seems intimidating to me.
I’ve read most of the thread, and I’d like to offer advice as well.
I’ve been to dog shows (Obedience winnner, English Springer/Border mix), and I’ve seen tons of stuff like the items you’re offering (I do think they’re very solid artistically, honest!).
Whoever said (earlier in the thread) you could do custom portraits was very smart. I woudl combine it with something else, too…other items.
I was recently thinking of items I’d like to buy from a dog show, and I think most woudl look great with a custom-painted picture of their dog!
[ol]
[li]“Big Box”. Think like a toy chest. You could put this in your “dog room” and place backup food, unused toys, blankets, etc. Paint the lucky dog’s picture on the lid![/li][li]Night Screen. When people crate their puppies, it’s nice to have a cardboard (heavy type) screen to place over the crate to darken the area so puppy can sleep. Again, a custom picture woudl work.[/li][li]Food bowls with puppy’s picture on the bottom. Ditto water bowls. you’d need some other sort of paint, but you’re the artistic one![/li][/ol]
The “Big Box” might be pricey, raw material-wise, but I have to think the night-shade woudl be cheap to find/make. I haven’t seen those, and it appeals to what a human thinks the dog needs. you can have these ideas for free! (caveat…they may be worth slightly less than “free”.).
Unless you’ve already applied for SSI Disability, don’t hold your breath. Over 75% of applicants are turned down initially, and it takes an average of two years to see a check. And…they’re very strict about a disability.
Reverse Mortgage…great idea. It sounds like you may need a change of scenery. Chicago has cheap housing available, MANY jobs at all levels, and it’s a relatively dog-friendly town. Pull up stakes, bring the dogs, and start a new life. When I was in college, and I was looking for jobs in the summer, It was all I could do to answer the Temp agency calls. They were all for semi-skilled warehouse work and nonintensive factory labor.
If you need depression meds, go to a clinic…they may have samples, or may offer discounts/freebies.
Good Luck, and don’t let anything get you down.
-Cem
And, I don’t want to volunteer anyone for this, but I’m sure someone on the board might be able to review your resume to make it appealing.
Thank you. I know of someone who has been very successful doing this. Clever ideas for portrait surfaces, CS. Of course wall paintings are popular too.
So what’s the latest??
Here you go. Things are looking up!
StG
I’ve been pet sitting for a living for eight years now. It’s a pretty easy and cheap business to go into. If you love animals, don’t care about getting rich and don’t mind all kinds of strange and irregular hours, I’d be happy to help you look into getting started. If I can do it, anybody can.
Good luck with everything.
Anna, I hate to suggest this–I know you still have your pride–but… have you considered doing some telemarketing work? I don’t have any concrete resources to refer you to, but if there is a telemarketing firm here (Lafayette) then there must be at least one in Evansville. I think some firms even let you work from your own phone in your own house.
If you do become a telemarketer, we will all promise not to pit you… 
But, she got a job!
Grats PapSett.
It is still so touching to me to see how much you guys care ! sniff
I actually have thought about doing pet sitting , and it is something I may look into at a later time . Right now, I am just thoroughly enjoying my new job at Adorable Pooches Palace.
I have been grooming an average of 3 dogs a day, which I think will pick up as word gets out that they have a groomer now. I am actually on call today, as there were no groomings scheduled, and only 4 boarders/day care, but if someone calls to have their dog groomed, they will call me in.
The worst dog I have groomed so far was MY BOSSES’ DOG! A nasty tempered , fat Cocker Spaniel that wanted a bite out of me in the worst possible way. And all while I was grooming, her mama was hovering over her, not correcting her for trying to bite, but crooning, “That’s OK, that’s OK…” Oh, how I wanted to say “It’s NOT OK to bite!”… but waddayagonnado?
Once again… you guys are wonderful !
Anna
Ha, sort of like the mechanic’s car never running right…
A friend of mine used to be a groomer. She made quite a bit of side income at dog shows with a Beardie club.
That is great you got a dog job!
bite yourself. maybe you taste good?
perhaps you’re kibble flavored.
It’s great to hear that things have picked up. I’ve been there, w.r.t. being unemployed, broke, and sans family, and it’s a crappy place to be, but as others have said, it’s a temporary problem that doesn’t beg a permanent solution.
As far as the grooming problem; one groomer I know used to tie a wide ribbon or colorful bandanna around the dog’s muzzle and explain to owners that it was to “calm the dog”, which seemed to be more acceptible than popping on a muzzle. Cockers are some of the worst-tempered dogs in my experience (I owe my lop-sided smile to one which attempted to rip my lip off) and of course are a mess to groom.
I hope things continue to go well, and count me in with the people who think your artwork is damn good; good enough, methinks, to make a profitable sideline if not your primary source of income.
Good luck.
Stranger