Territory unmarked in Well now

Background noise -

I run very close to the edge financially on a month to month basis.
The problems with my house, including major foundation work that had to be paid for on credit cards, have pushed me very close to tipping over. I squeak by from paycheck to paycheck, but one more disaster may cause drastic consequences.
Using a lot of credit trashed my credit score, though I am slowly clawing it back.
I had been paying forward on my mortgage since the date of my retirement is dependent upon being mortgage free. I had to stop that when my credit minimums began to eat me alive.

But that’s what I live with normally. I find ways to breathe around the fear and function.
It’s the end of year that looms frighteningly.
Property tax is due - a thousand dollars -
and my quarterly house insurance payment too - another five hundred.
I’ve been trying to put aside, knowing what comes, but, well…
What’s the saying about getting blood from a turnip?

So year’s end looming and I have managed to save just enough for the property tax.
I’ve got to scrape together the other five hundred somehow.
And that’s where the Christmas craft fair comes in.

I make jewelry - necklaces and bracelets and earrings and other such frivolities.
My stuff isn’t great, but it’s nice enough to sell.
The craft fair comes at just the right time.
Last year I made about $400, so this should all be good, right?
Right, except…
I made a mistake -
Donnal.

These things run so much easier with someone to help. Not just the set up and pull down and the running of the sales and such, but the simple fact is, a body needs a restroom break at least once during your average craft fair shift.

Donnal volunteered to help which is great. She’s more usually on the other side of the craft fair table, so she’s good help, has a great eye for display and knows pricing better than I. She helped me at another fair last year and, although I lost money on that particular one, she was good company. She really enjoyed the experience though and said she wanted to work this fair with me this year. So, great.
Except…

Donnal decided she wants to sell fabric wine carrier totes she just started making. Okay, fair enough. I paid for one table. She’s going to be helping me out so the least I can do is give her some acreage. I’ll either have to condense my inventory and displays or simply pull some items from the sale.
But it shouldn’t be too much problem. After all, how much space can wine carriers take?

Then Donnal called and asked whether Dani (her daughter, my niece)
could come help, oh, and bring some of the things she crafts to sell.
How could I say no?
Really, even though I desperately wanted to,
how could I say no?

So now I’m sharing my table with Donna and her wine carriers and
Dani and her ornaments and cards and bookmarks and whatevers.
If I get to use half my table I’ll be lucky.
(Suggesting they get their own table is not an option.
Besides the insult they would take, there aren’t any left.)

I need to do better this year than last.
I need to do well at this fair in an attempt to avert actual financial disaster.
And I’m having to give up half my table to two women who drive Lexus’s.

My life is exhausting.