Making a Living in Ohio (It Ain't Pretty)

It's time to fess up about what I do.  You'll find out sooner or later.  In my above ground, respectable life, I'm a social worker.  That's what I tell people when I'm in my middle class disguise, but when the sun goes down, I become the "Scrub Lady."

No, I'm not some super heroine who scrubs people to death.  Hubby and I own a medical uniform business called Scrubs Direct.  We even have an on-line store...scrubsdirect.com.  It''s very entrepreneurish and American, fulfilling our dreams and all, but here comes the slightly off piece.  We have stores in flea markets.

I have become a carny, a discount queen, a wheelin' dealin' woman.  I eat corn dogs and greasy pizza by the slice.  I rub elbows with the tattooed, the camo wearing, and the peculiar.

These are my Ohio peeps.  God, I love them. I'm not ashamed to say it either.  I love my flea market peeps!

I have had a uniform store at Caesar Creek Markets, outside of Wilmington, Ohio, for a couple of years now.  It's been an interesting ride, to say the least.

Here's our store.  Bet you thought it was outside under a tent.  Actually, it's inside, and we occasionally get adequate heat and air conditioning.

We love it so much, we're opening another one in Cincinnati, Ohio, in August.  More about that later.

Never in a million years would I have thought that this would be a part of my life.  I should have known.  As hard as I have struggled to get away from my roots, I find myself the most comfortable with my hard working, struggling, Ohio folks.

Every weekend is a visual treat. 

Where else could you find this lamp?  Let me explain.  The shade rotates and the light makes the waterfall look "real."  It even has sound effects...birds chirping or something.

Come on.  You know you want one.  It could be yours for $25 so let me know lickety split because I was warned by the vendor that it's the only one they have left.

Big seller this summer.

There's a large assortment of these...costumes?  Appropriate for.....?   Don't want to know.  Don't want hubby to get any ideas.

Don't want to see any of the flea market women in one of them.

Let's move on.

Let's see.  The Cincinnati Bengals are popular in this part of Ohio, so the tiger in the back might find it's way onto a fan's porch.

I always find painted ceramics so realistic.

My pawn shop friends had these stylish Harley Davidson sandals.

Damn...not my size.  Wouldn't you know?

They also had this lovely painted chair with a mysterious hole at the top.

The pawn shop ladies have dubbed it "The Confessional Chair."  It seems that many customers have planted themselves in it and spilled the beans.

We're hoping no one buys it.  The stories are more valuable than whatever price it brings.

One last picture.

This is an aerial view of Caesar Creek Markets.  I'm there every weekend, surrounded by corn fields and the highway.

Of course, that describes about every other place here in Ohio. 

There will be more "Tales From the Flea."