The title of this lens is based on a poem called "Story," by Judy Nolan.

In the beginning, ideas battle like storm-belted waves,
like earth winds crossing swords with Poseidon.
The storyteller, challenged, hoists pen to the skies.

Seaweed crochets his fisherman's net,
tendrils snagging the unwary stray
while characters intersect, separate, surprise.

A midnight cavern gives way, inch by inch,
to his diver's lantern scissoring its depths,
revealing theme, plot and scene at dawn's early rise.

Finally, an oyster's pearl emerges smooth, luminescent,
maws releasing a shape-shifted pebble--
the story parades full-grown before the reader's eyes.

©2002 Judy Nolan. All rights reserved. First published in Lyrical Iowa 2002 by the Iowa Poetry Association, Sutherland Companies: Montezuma, IA.

The handmade goods marketplace known as Etsy features "street teams" that promote team members and their products. As an Etsy seller, I belong to the Boomers and Beyond Etsy Street Team (BBEST). In case you're wondering what it is like to be a street team member and sell handmade goods, here's a snapshot. This list originated in the discussion forums of Etsy.com with only five stages, but--with the contributions of fellow Boomers--grew (somewhat). 'Tis the nature of the group...enjoy!

(1) Dream it up.
(1a) Consult with fellow Boomers.
(2) Dawdle.
(3) Gather supplies.
(3a) Pull things from boxes, shelves, drawers, closets, and all flat surfaces.
(3b) Touch everything.
(3c) Rearrange everything. (Categorize, shuffle, toss, rearrange, stack, reposition.)
(3d) Despair over colors, shapes, and not having enough variety. (Grumble, mumble, snort, harumph, sigh.)
(4) Dawdle.
(4a) Doodle.
(4b) Chat with Boomers.
(4c) Have a cup of tea, a glass of Pepsi, a smoothie, latte or ?
(4d) Eat chocolate.
(4e) Weigh thyself.
(5) Fret.
(5a) Fret about product idea.
(5b) Fret about weight.
(5c) Seek diet partner among Boomers.
(6) Go back to piles of stuff.
(6a) Rearrange stuff.
(6b) Put stuff back the way you found it.
(6c) Put stuff on the wall, on the floor, on the dining room table, or anywhere that's in the way of anything else.
(6d) Post photo of stuff on Flickr to share with Boomers.
(6e) Take stuff down because you're sick of looking at it.
(6f) Re-discover stuff 10 months later, when you think "This looks pretty good, after all."
(6g) Finish item quickly before you change your mind.
(6h) Chat with Boomers.
(7) Procrastinate before photographing item. (Look for the camera that's buried under the unused stuff.)
(7a) Consult with Beth (fellow Boomer photography expert) for photography tips.
(7b) Ponder tips while unwrapping chocolate bar.
(7c) Look for props that you can use to "frame" item for photo.
(7d) Arrange and re-arrange props.
(7e) Look for more props.
(7f) Chat with Boomers.
(8) Photograph your item.
(8a) Fret about photos.
(8b) Re-photograph.
(8c) Chat with Boomers.
(9) Fret about description.
(9a) Write rough draft of description.
(9b) Wake up in the middle of the night, sweating.
(9c) Write final draft of description.
(10) Dawdle some more.
(10a) Chat with Boomers.
(11) Look up shipping prices.
(11a) Weigh item.
(11b) Look up postage.
(11c) Blink in disbelief.
(11d) Halve postage to ship overseas.
(11e) Commiserate with Boomers about the price of shipping.
(12) Think about pricing.
(12a) Fill out pricing worksheet, then toss.
(12b) Surf Etsy shops for similar items.
(12c) Consult with Boomers.
(12d) Throw dice and announce, "Whatever."
(13) Have a drink (whatever works for you).
(13a) Chat with Boomers.
(14) List the item.
(14a) Dash to home page of Etsy to watch photo of item display for 15 seconds of fame.
(14b) Dash to shop to see resulting views.
(14c) Dash to promotions forum to consider asking "Why is nobody looking at my stuff?"
(14d) Look at all other posters in forum with same question, and re-consider.
(14e) Fret.
(14f) Dash to BBEST discussion thread for support (with chocolate).
(14g) Refresh your discussion forums screen after each step in every stage because you don't want to miss anything.
(15) Promote item.
(15a) On BBEST promotions thread.
(15b) In blog, lens, e-mail and/or other Web site.
(15c) At the grocery store, while paying for the bill.
(15d) At the doctor's office, while paying for the bill.
(15e) At the post office, while buying stamps for packages of unsold items.
(16) Pray for sales (before the pocketbook is emptied).
(16) Re-list when item does not sell.
(17) Chat with Boomers during every stage.
(17a) Go back to 14-17 for as long as it takes!

ETSYBOOMERS

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