The Financial Pipeline

 So it has taken more than a month to get this problem solved, and there are still a couple kinks to be worked out, but I have gotten my first payments from China through the newly constructed pipeline. What a huge pain it was! 

Hopefully things will flow more smoothly from here on out, and I can focus on other things that have been put off. So much more to do in order to get this business up and running. We have another teacher lined up to help us out, so that should take some pressure off my partner, Scotty, but it puts pressure on me to get things prepped for her.

I have been making good progress in the workshop on the workbench conversion. I think it will turn out well. Ordered the hardware yesterday online - going to the store sure is a lot easier. The girls have been adjusting to the new routine and they have done better this week. One more week to go, and then primary schools will open again. Yahoo!

A white and a grey heron by the pond at the castle.

The girls were helping Naomi go through her mom's clothes.

Naomi made her first tajine dinner.

Somehow the gardens think it is spring!

New Students

 I started teaching two new students this week, at the same time. Nice to have a team lesson. Much more interesting for me and for the students than the solo lessons. Looks like things are shutting down in Beijing again, so we might be able to pick up more students. I am looking into finding another teacher to help us out as both of our schedules are full. Things are moving faster than I expected! Hopefully the financial pipeline is finished in the next couple days...

The girls have been fighting a lot lately. The lockdown is becoming a bit difficult for them. At first it was a much needed break, but now they are spending too much time together. We decided to put Amélie in the guest room temporarily, and that seems to be helping. They just really need some time apart!

I have been making progress in the workshop. Got the top done for the cabinet. I will work on the inside shelving next. Moving along quickly and looking good!

Amélie's drawing of an aquarium. 

New Business

 This week I was able to get our new business registered officially - Worldwide ESL Scholars. It was easier than I had expected. Hopefully this coming week the contract will be approved by the financial company and then we can start receiving payments from China. That is much more complicated than I expected. Hopefully that will come on time, as I have a demo lesson with two boys on Wednesday. 

The girls made it through another week. They are starting to put up some resistance to doing their schoolwork. We will send them to school for an extra day as I have extra work, so we shall see how that goes. They sure had a lot of fun with the little bit of snow we got last night! Amélie was so excited she had trouble sleeping, but by the time they got up in the morning, most of it was gone. All they could make was the slushy feet of a snowman. 

My motivation is slipping. Getting tired here. Sure am glad the lockdown has been extended, but I wish they would just push it back to a realistic date instead of two and three extra weeks at a time. It just annoys everyone and makes planning difficult. 

Still not finished with the cutting boards. 

Amélie made this for Mommy.

Our new business!

Celebration. Haven't ordered pizza in a loooong time. 

Abigail having fun at Helene's house.

Sad attempt at a snowman. Happy girls.

New Project

 I picked up a new client for the woodshop this week. The lady who watches our girls has an old workbench from her father that she wants turned into a cabinet for their living room. Lots of sentimental value. Should a great project to work on, and it is nice to have some business again. Just need to finish up those cutting boards first...

It also looks like I am getting another Chinese student. The financial pipeline is, hopefully, entering the stages of completion. I plan to sign a contract with a financial company this week that will help to accept payments in China and transfer the money here. Hopefully that will work out. 

Finally had a little bit of sunshine yesterday, so Naomi and I went on a long walk in the morning and she also took Amélie rollerblading in the afternoon. Sure wish we could get some snow though - they got quite a bit in the southern part of the country. Still seems strange that we need to travel South if we want to see snow...

Everything glued up; time for the sanding marathon.

A New Year

 It has been really nice to stick with computer work in the mornings and get back into the shop during the afternoons. I remade the handles on our bathroom sink cabinet and that was a pain, but a big improvement. I have also been busy with more cutting boards. For some reason, I really like to make cutting boards. 

I have also been really busy with this China business. Figuring out how to get money out of that country is a big problem. I had 200 euro transferred to me, but only received 122 because of the banking fees. Ridiculous. Hopefully I can find a better way. Chinese citizens also have a cap on how much they can spend abroad every year, so that will add an extra challenge on top of the culture that simply wants to keep things local. 

The girls have enjoyed staying home, and none of us are ready to go back to school tomorrow. Luckily, we don't have to! Teaching from home is not much fun, but it is a lot less work. I can really use the time to focus on all these other projects! 

I know that 2020 was a rough year for a lot of people, but apart from not being able to travel, we have had a really good year. Grateful for that. Not sure what sort of travel will be possible this year, but it is likely our last chance to 'vacation' in the States before the permanent move happens, so we sure hope it works out. 

New handles.

We discovered 'how to draw' videos on Youtube this week.

The girls cooked our New Years dinner. It was delicous!

Progress on the cutting boards.