The Day After...

Today was rather anticlimactic after yesterday's devastating news. I called Dr. Norwood's office only to find that he was indisposed and giving minimal messages to his receptionists for them to relay, anything to avoid talking to me. Just how long does he really think that will work? Gwen, the office manager told me that he was in with a patient and that he had them back to back and after his last patient he had to leave. Yes, hiding from the problem will solve everything...NOT! I may have to get out that chicken picture again if that continues, LOL.

Distemper doesn't stop, so neither can we. Sometimes I run out of ideas but there is always the next day, and the day after that, and I always think of something. A good night's sleep can make things look alot more hopeful the next morning.

My definition of failure is when you stop trying. OK so you didn't make your financial goal today, then set it again for tomorrow. You didn't locate the right briolettes for a pair of earrings. Do you just say, "It's hopeless. I just can't make my earrings. I failed, so just forget it"? No, you just look someplace else, ask somebody, look on the internet, call bead shops, ask other artists. Do you divorce your husband after the first time he comes home late and say, "Oh well, I guess marrying you was a big mistake but it's nothing a quickie divorce won't fix"? No. You talk to him and see if you can work something out.

A friend and I were discussing earlier on the phone that our society has become one of avoidance of pain and work, and people's tolerance for a little bit of hassle has become zero.

People complain if they have to sit in traffic more than 5 minutes, it's a "major" inconvenience if God forbid someone has to take time off from work to take somebody to a doctor's appointment, and almost everyone these days seems to feel depleted to the point that they can't see beyond their own self-preservation. Desicions are made based on liability rather than because they're the right thing to do, and there are those that have an absolute anxiety attack if they don't take their cell phone everywhere with them. They practically have an accident because they're so riveted to their latest techno-gadget they lose touch with their surroundings. If somebody else's ordeal makes them uncomfortable they just "change the channel" and disconnect from their own feelings, stick their fingers in their ears and sing loudly, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" as if they can make all the world's problems go away with a giant dose of denial.

I don't operate that way. I couldn't knowing that a serious problem still sits there unsolved. There is only so long one can kid themselves into believing a problem will solve itself without action. The problem at hand mainly exists because too many people just passed the buck, each one making it someone else's ball to pick up; a ball they dropped. Each time it happens it puts a little more inertia out there into the universe. Instead why don't they do the opposite for a change; add more action to the universe. A single brick by itself cannot make anything recognizable, but when bricks are put together and they fit just where they should, big, strong buildings are the result. Take them out one by one, and the structure collapses.

Like your primary care doctor, the primaary care vet is an important building block in your pet's healthcare. In times of crisis he/she is the one whose action or lack of action may ultimately determine whether your pet lives or dies. He/she is the first line advocate (aside from the owner), a liason between you and specialists whose cooperation is all-important in getting what the pet needs. If he/she hides their head in the sand then who is there to communicate your animal's need, only you, and that's not a good position to be in. Vets tend to listen better to other vets than to owners. It is just a fact of life. If your primary care vet caves at a crucial time then other vets are going to be asking "Where is he? Why isn't he or she calling instead of you?" all questions you cannot answer yourself, not being inside your vet's mind.

In some crass way, Dr. Norwood may have been bathing himself in the anesthesic rationalization that he would spend today serving pets he "can" help. "Triage", God I hate that word. This is an inside look at Social Darwinism at its worst. Carmella deserves better. She did not do this to herself, nor did I do it to her. I'm trying like hell to save her and the ones who need to back me up most just aren't there! Lord knows I've spent enough money at that vet's office not to be given the bum's rush. He could have taken 5 minutes to call me between patients, but instead he decided to dodge and weave while Carmella sits and jerks.

I e-mailed him (this time to the correct e-mail address), sent him the 13 studies to read over that I'd sent to Dr. Brantly, and an update on Carmella, asking that he not give up on her and that he call me before the weekend to give me the details of his conversation with the vets at UGA. Knowing the reason she was turned down does matter because it will help me prepare our defense in case the same objection comes up again.

Dr. Brantley's receptionist took my message and said she'd have him check his e-mail and his voicemail and had me leave him another message there. He hadn't returned my call by the end of the day. Tomorrow I have one last name to check in Perry, Georgia. Maybe he will have mercy on Carmella and do what these others have neglected to do.

If you are a vet in or near Atlanta, you know one, or have one in your family, please contact me if you think you might have a prospect. Sometimes the solution is right under your nose.

On my blog there are also three financial support options provided with which you can help with Carmella's vet bill; advertising here on my blog, donating (links in the sidebar on the right), and if you enjoy art jewelry check out my Etsy store for a variety of unique designs.

Soon I plan to do an all-out media blitz. Perhaps that will reach enough vets and somebody will respond and step up to the plate. I'll go on the TV news if I have to and approach the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. I'm setting an intention today to bring out those who will be of most help to Carmella. If she does not make it I know it will be man's will; not God's. Who could deny such a lovely creature?

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

90 Features in 90 Days-Press Release

Get your art or fine craft featured 90 times in 90 days! Want to know how? Here’s the deal; post on Etsy’s messageboard on this thread; http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5276160&page=1 (if you don’t have an account you can easily open a free buyer or seller account at http://etsy.com in order to post there), and agree to swap features with me and however many others also post on that thread there as you want. If you have either a blog or a website that you can use to post pictures and 1-2 paragraphs complete with link to that person’s online store on each feature you swap, you can do this! If not, and you would like to participate, you can easily start a simple and user-friendly blog by going to; https://www.blogger.com/start and set one up in a matter of just a few minutes. I was well into my 40’s before I ever knew what a blog was and I picked it up very quickly.

For those readers who don’t know me, my name is Pippit Carlington, owner and jewelry artist of Giftbearer, and Street Team Leader of The Art Jewelry Collective, a group of jewelry artists from Etsy who collaborate in our marketing efforts with the goal of educating the public about the value of art jewelry, supporting a living wage for jewelry artists, and upholding standards of high quality and innovation in the jewelry industry.

The 90 Features in 90 Days Challenge came about as a way to increase sales in my own business, but it occurred to me that the group and even others outside the AJC could utilize the same method to increase their number of sales, based on the law of averages. Just imagine being front page news every day until Christmas, the biggest gift-buying time of the year!

I figured if I could swap features with 90 people and do one feature per day between the time I get 90 participants and Christmas, that should create a large enough internet splash to have a noticeable impact on number of sales. The results of many blogs reciprocating, when combined, would be like advertising in a much bigger venue. The impact of such a marketing challenge will make whichever sellers do this extremely visible all over the web; the more people you swap with, the more visible both you and they are. You can also increase this exposure two-fold by linking to your feature stories.

The end result should eventually be increased sales because you have reached a larger number of potential buyers of your work, and because not all the participants are working in the same medium, there is great potential for cross-promotion, such as handbags with jewelry, or clothing with jewelry, and with only about 10 minutes a day invested in posting your features. So this holiday season not only raise a glass, why not raise your odds, and maybe even… your income!