Tonight husband Jim left with the dog and brought along a bag of balloons, as he just started balloon twisting last weekend to have something with which to entertain the kids who belong to his colleagues and staff.
Canary on a Ring
After an hour when dinner was done he was no-where to be found. Oh, he learned the Canary this afternoon. I called to make sure the dog was OK and getting water and his explanation of where he was, well I didn’t understand it. En route to finding them I came upon some fast pitch softball kids who are visiting and gave them an alien baseball cap with eyeballs (balloon eyeballs) and a flower. Then I came across another softball family we’d met who is leaving tomorrow and gave us a ton of fruit salad. Then Jim and Zoe arrived.
They’d been at the town square, it’s not a town and not a square but that’s the best description I have. When I called he said he had a number of orders for space guns and as soon as he was finished, he’d be home with our dog, who was probably panting away by then for lack of water.
A Simple Flower
He came home with $14 in his pocket, about what he spent on balloons, and no-where near what his professional time is worth, for that outing. He didn’t see the first dollars come in, then kids started giving him a dollar, thinking him an itinerant and intermediate level talent. He let them do so as otherwise their parents would have been upset.
One kid asked for his business card. He gave it to him. Lead Software Engineer, Major Company. It amused him to think what the kid and especially parents thought of that! Please know he’s practicing so he can have a few balloons in his desk so when kids come to visit the office he can do something other than give them a piece of candy. He’s not in it to make money! That $14 will be put back into balloons to delight other children.
In the meantime we thank the local kids and all the visitors from the fast-pitch softball championships for letting Jim practice making baseball caps from balloons. Oh, a busker is someone who plays an instrument, sings or recites or does something on the street that passers-by pay to hear/see.
When it comes to money, “earning” $7/hour busking would not allow us to live here or anywhere without a land grant and cabin and vegetable garden and a couple of cows and goats. Let’s just say Jim should keep his day job. Cheers, Dee
