MATT STOUDT!

Tonight was the benefit for a friend of mine here in town. He was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer, which spread to his brain. He is terminal. He was sent home a week or so ago for his hospice care. He is turning 21 tomorrow. His life has been cut way too short for someone who is so gentile. I feel badly that I couldn't get to know him better. We spent some time at Cathy's at night, playing cards, or chess. Coffee at Cathy's at night is like, pretty much the only thing to do if you don't drink in town.

So tonight we celebrated his life. It was a really awesome benefit. I got to go around and sell raffle tickets for a few hours. I raised about $300 for him, and then they announced the 50/50 raffle winner, and the winner decided to donate the winnings back to the benefit fund. How amazing is that??? I am just back home for the night, looking at my emails and catching up on missed twitter messages.

I'm really looking forward to the "PETUNIA FESTIVAL" this year. I know it sounds cheesy! But it is the town celebration for a week long here in Dixon. There is a bit of a carnival on the park lawn along the river. And hopefully we can set up a food booth selling soda, chips, nachos, hot dogs, polish sausage and NIKOS' t-shirts and hats! Not to mention our first annual HOT DOG EATING CONTEST! All in all, if the weather is cooperative, I think the whole week long event will help us out with some much needed income that we missed out on last summer because of our late start.

I don't doubt that we will make it this summer. I just wish it was faster, coming. I know it is still the last week in March, and summer is just around the corner, I just wish I could speed through spring! Time to take a breath and just enjoy the seasons. I am nervous about the whole mortgage thing. I know I need make that happen this year to take advantage of the whole 10% thing from the government. But whether I will qualify for the mortgage is another thing. So that is my focus and my only prayer right now.

It's a long way away from the goals I have set. So, I need to keep working and keep my head out of the clouds. I was looking this week at another building, and it was really great looking at the possibilities! It had MORE SPACE, MORE PARKING, MORE TRAFFIC, MORE POTENTIAL, and MORE EVERYTHING, but it was about 10 times the amount of the building I am in now, and it would probably be 10 times bigger! But I just am not ready yet. We'll get there, but in time. Little by little, we will get our ducks in a row and be ready for that expansion someday. I can't look beyond this year for now. So that means, summer, fall with the trailer and school season, and winter with the slowest point of the year before next spring rolls around again and we do it all over again! If I can see one trailer this fall and next spring, and the following summer, then we can pay down some of our debt next summer and have an even BETTER 2011!

2010 is our year to hold back the reigns and work in a strict budget. In the next couple years we can let go a little more each year, but this year has got to be disciplined.

Keep me in your prayers for the mortgage. If I need to come up with any significant down payment, I will be really desperate for that to get it done in time for the federal rebate. I don't want to throw away $6,750 in free money! Have a great new week! We are going on week number 31! That is amazing! Thanks for all your well wishes and prayers!