The Traveling Saleswoman

One of the most fascinating aspects of this job is that I get to go into such a wide assortment of homes. From cramped apartments with ratty old furniture to gorgeous but sterile McMansions, I’ve seen it all - and everything in between.

Last night’s party fell into the latter camp. It wasn’t so much the size of the house; it was that the whole place was immaculately staged, as if it would be imminently featuring in a photo shoot for “Country Sampler” magazine. I’m talking old-fashioned washboards leaning artistically against antique desks, tons of embroidered sayings on pictures and pillows, all the sage greens and cranberry reds and beiges on the walls. It was gorgeous and perfect and barely looked lived in. How in the world do they live like that with a 4 year old child and both parents working full time?! Where are they hiding the piles of mail, the household clutter, the discarded sneakers and the random toy pieces that litter my house?

The thing that cracked me up the most? There was no trashcan in the kitchen. It was many feet away, down the hallway, hidden in an artistically designed wooden box in order to blend in with the furniture. The hostess “has a thing about trash near food”. OK, that’s where practicality would trump aesthetics for me….

We were unable to process your credit card transaction with the supplied card. Please try another card.

My hostess’s debit card was just declined. She didn’t have enough in her checking account to cover the shipping and tax on her free items until payday. The total was less than $14.

I guess this is the sobering reality for many of my hostesses and customers. Gas (at $3.65 a gallon as of today) takes precedence over my products when money is tight - and rightly so. I’m fortunate enough to have a husband who earns a good income, and I can’t imagine having that little in the bank. This was a wake-up call as to what many people are facing.