“The RoseBouquet”

Joe, my good neighbour and friend who has blessed me many times, advised last year that I should buy a new computer for my office instead of fussing and fiddling over old cast-offs all the time. Well, that would be nice, but on my tight missionary budget, I felt I couldn’t afford one. However, before Christmas I got some nice gifts of money, and I began to hope and even to shop around for the best prices. I also received a gift card for Future Shop (electronics big box store), and I didn’t have time to drive out there, so I just set the card aside in my wallet. Joe also recommended waiting for the Boxing Day sales, and since I was busy painting, I decided to let the purchase wait until then.

In my heart I was watching for a good deal on a new, perhaps discounted, computer for $200 or less. So imagine my surprise when on Christmas Eve I looked at a fresh batch of flyers from my mailbox, and discovered one from Future Shop, with an eMachine computer for $199.

A man at OTV Tech, where I have sometimes bought computer parts, had explained that I could build a computer from new parts and since I had already done most of that work, I was seriously considering that. On Boxing Day morning I prayed about it, weight the options and decided the eMachine was the best bargain. I had got an eMachine a year ago in December when my old computer died, and it had served me well, but I thought they were discontinued.

There were tremendous Boxing Day crowds at Future Shop, but I managed to get an eMachine, plus, they were offering with such a purchase, an HP three-in-one printer for 19.99. I realized it was probably a loss leader, but I decided to take it, since my brother Tom had given me $20 for a Christmas gift just the day before.

The problem has been that I’ve been so busy with the painting project I have not had time to do more than plug the computer in on New Year’s Eve. I’m hoping now that this afternoon I can take time to set it up properly and load it with files from my home computer, and then have one good computer here that has the power and all it’s facilties, so nothing should hinder me on my new business agenda or plan.

As I mentioned in December, I’ve decided not to push for students to teach, but to focus on making my web businesses pay me a good living. I will still take time to take on one-on-one tutoring students for an afternoon or two at a time, just as happened last year, but rather than scatter myself too thinly I want to focus on making all that I have on my plate effective and productive. Then, it is easier to expect that students will come out of the woodwork looking for my advice.

There’s another plan. I hope to write up a lot of the lessons I would be teaching students and put them on my BouquetofEnterprises.biz site. That way, those who would like to learn and have the self-discipline to study those lessons can teach themselves.

My home and office renovations are crowding my business hours a bit yet, but as they wrap up, I expect to work a full and productive agenda. I’m full of fresh hope!