I'd like to introduce myself and explain my situation. My name is Scott and I have been unemployed since 1 September 2013. I do get some summer work but thats about it.

Selfie from 2008

I am in dire straits right now. My wife is sick and is not going to last much longer. We'll both be surprised if she's still here at break up. I'll tell you about her in a bit.

As I said, I'm unemployed. That means no money coming in. To make an income since this roller coaster ride began, we sell on eBay for world market and Facebook for local. I make things for people and am getting good at it. It used to be 'we' make things but my wife cannot help anymore. It used to be that we could make ends meet through the winter until I was able to get back to summer work. Not so anymore.

Denali

Besides trying to make ends meet, I take care of my wife. Everything she used to do that I took for granted, I now do...not nearly as well as her but I try. She says she is a burden to me...I feel honored to be with her.

Right now, I am in a desperate situation. As was said, nothing is selling anymore, locally or globally. We are now out of the all important resource...cash. It's gone. Zero left.  I am now facing complete financial collapse.  My entire adult life, I maintained a credit score of 780-800. I didn't miss payments. I took care of my debt.

I recently made this coffee and end table set for a gentleman in Anderson. I delivered and he and his wife were extremely happy with my work. He paid me enough to cover our rent coming up. I ended up having to use that rent money to cover the first ever debt payment that I had to miss the prior month. Of course, rent is still due.

We have about 30 gallons of heating oil left and are just now heading into the coldest 60 days of winter. The company I work for during the summer issued me a credit card last year that is still active. I had to inform my employer that I used their card for 20 gallons of heating oil and would try to repay them with my income tax return. I still haven't heard back from them to know if I still have a job for the summer due to this.

We used up the last of our emergency food boxes for the year from the Food Bank a couple of weeks ago. Food is running thin also. My wife doesn't eat much anymore but that's beside the point. I haven't done our laundry in over a month now. I can't afford to do it and we are just about out of everything to wear.

Our rent and electric is due the first week of January. I'm not going to make it. We will very possibly be facing eviction and living in a tent. She won't make it a week if that happens. She's in pain, but still pushes on. I'm not ready to lose her. We are on the doorstep of being just another homeless statistic. Homelessness is a crisis in this country now. Nearly two decades of war and a bad economy have taken their toll on all. I don't care what happens to me after she's gone but I'm not ready for us to be just another statistic.

My wife has always done the right thing and helped others. I didn't understand it at first and I didn't like it when she would bring soldiers, veterans, and wayward souls into our home. It took me a long time to understand what she was doing and why she did it. She always helped, always at great detriment to herself. I learned from her and understand why she did what she did but its now too late for that.

She is a domestic violence survivor. She was killed by her marine husband shortly after Desert Storm...Iraq 1. Yes, she has died once already. She has lived in pain every day of her life since then.

My wife is a Gold Star Momma. She met the first plane and received the first folded flag in Alaska for Iraq 2. He wasn't her biological son. He was another kid she took in and became his adoptive mother. He had requested that she receive his flag should he go down. My wife knows the horrors of war all too well.

My wife was one of the original members of Soldiers Angels back in the day. She didn't just send a box to a soldier in the field once in a while. She did whatever it took to take care of any soldier, airman, or sailor that crossed her path. She was Soldiers Angels Alaska. Patty Patton-Bader caller her the Rogue Angel. She had to retire from that role a few years back. She helped a lot of kids before and after we met. The first time I saw her shed a tear was when the box came back marked undeliverable. I didn't understand what that meant at the time.

My wife has a bucket list of things she wants to do before she goes. As hard as I've tried, I can't get her bucket list done. I'll be lucky to keep a roof over her head until she passes.

I'm not here writing this for you to feel sorry for us. I'm not here to ask you for a handout.

I am here to beg for your help.

Burns, Oregon Fire Season 2016

The bazaar season was not good this year. I scraped together enough money to display our creations at one bazaar. Two dozen people came through the door. Most of those two dozen people were guys with beards going to see the beard guy. Imagine that! I made one sale and actually lost money. I couldn't afford to try any more bazaars.

As a country, we recently spent seven billion...yes, I said billion dollars on Cyber Monday with Amazon. It's a trend now, cheap overpriced stuff with free shipping. I couldn't even sell 30 dollars worth of stuff to break even for quality hand crafted Made in Alaska treasures.

All of our eBay items that didn't sell are going to be listed locally on Facebook, through the many different sale groups. I know I'm asking a lot, but I am asking you to buy from me. My wife has always been into antiques and she still has enough left to hopefully make our bills for a while, at least until deep winter is done. Here's how bad the eBay market is. This is a 100 year old sterling silver sheer mesh hand bag, made by Ernst Bek. He was German and this bag dates to WWI or before. The high end retail for this bag in a store setting is 500$. This bag appears as new. It surpasses high end quality. We couldn't even sell it for 50 bucks. Nobody is buying in the antique world these days. All of our stuff is like this bag. The things we have been able to sell locally, people are demanding we cut our prices and give away. 

 

I've learned how to can and preserve our foods during this roller coaster ride. We have some of the best tasting jams and jellies you will ever try. I couldn't get anyone to even look at them at the bazaar. What can I say, I'm a big, high functioning autistic guy that doesn't smile naturally. People tend to be afraid to step into my space. That's just life for me. Unfortunately, I'm used to it.

I am into photography. I've been told I take good pictures. I also custom make my own frames. Wasn't able to sell one of them this go around. If you would like an example of my work, please go to (link)

https://arcticartique.com

I made this web site during summer to try and increase my online presence. This site shows our past work and creativity. I'm going to have to shut it down as I don't have the time to operate it or the ability to pay for it any longer. I can no longer afford it. I would be interested in being critiqued on its quality and content for the next time around. 

I'm willing to work although the hours I am available are now varied and hodge-podged for obvious reasons. I have no issue these days with cleaning an outhouse at 40 below. I am an arrogant man that has been humbled.

As was said, I need help. I don't want a hand out. I want to give a return. I also don't want you to feel sorry for me. Yes, these are very hard times and I will recover after my wife is gone. I am honored to be with her now. She has taught me so much. Because of my wife, I am finally the man I am supposed to be.

Thank you for your time.

Scott Thompson

ArcticArtique.BlogSpot.Com

  I invite you to explore my blog. This is a work in progress for three years now. If it wasn't for my wife's urging and encouragement, it would have never become reality.