Back in beautiful St. Augustine, FL!

July 28, 2011

I am back in St. Augustine, FL and mighty glad to be out of podunk Moultrie, GA!  I have been here 8 days and am getting settled in reasonably well.

I had sort of made a game plan for when I got here as far as finding work goes.  First I wanted to try to get on at Michael's Craft store, maybe even instruct weaving classes.  Then maybe try Hobby Lobby, also a craft store.  I also wanted to look into the Historic Spanish Quarter where they do reenactments and have things like a blacksmith, spinners, weavers and such.  I think that may even be a state job, wouldn't it be great to get into that.  The only drawback there is that they dress (of course) in period costume and they are outside.  Which means they are in LONG skirts, usually wool, hair bonnets, long sleeves and it gets over 100 degree heat index here on a regular basis.  Then of course I wanted to get in touch with the St. Augustine Textile guild.  They had asked me to participate in the reenactments a couple of years ago, and even asked me to teach tapestry.  

I have also been asked by Weavolution.com to give on line classes.  (I actually think I would indeed have more students that way than I ever would in FL.)  At the time I didn't feel particularly qualified to teach any kind of weaving and actually said as much to the lady that approached me.  Her reply was "You know more than we do, you do it every day and most of us have never done it."  I still wasn't convinced.

Now, however, I believe that I am.  After having instructed at the Art Center in Moultrie, and being closely involved with the on line weaving/spinning community, I have come much further with my skill set.

I went into Michael's day before yesterday while spending a wonderful day out and about with my LONG time friend KraftyMax and her daughter.  We also had lunch at my favorite marina and I got to see the ocean again.  Smell those oyster beds!!!!!  That means I am home.  But I digress...It turns out that our Michael's is actually hiring permanent, not just for the holiday season.  We have also have two retail outlet malls here and this is when most of the stores start putting on the holiday help.  I left a business card with my web sites listed on it, and found out that you have to apply to work for them on line.  So I came home straight away and filled out the application.  I was told that it takes 24 hrs. for it to be visible to them, so I will be giving them a call...or maybe even a visit today.  I also want to hand them a resume so they have my personal references since I haven't worked in so long.  

So please talk to the job gods, or whoever it is you talk to and cross your fingers, toes, legs and anything else you can think of.  I need to work and this is the exact place I want to work.

I also found out that we now have a small Bus service here in St. Augustine called the Sunshine bus!  Picks up 1/2 a block from my house!  Starts around 6 a.m. and ends around 7:30 p.m.  The only hitch there is that Michaels stays open from 9 to 9...BUT, we do have taxi cab's also.  First I have to actually get hired!

This is the historic Bridge of Lions in downtown St. Augustine.  I had forgotten how beautiful it is.

During the holiday season the bridge and the entire downtown area is lit up with white, and only white, lights!  It is truly gorgeous!