it's all about diversification

This -- http://www.goshennews.com/local/local_story_091102014.html -- is my second favorite story of the week (see below, re: Obama and the iPod). This company supplied quilts, pillows, etc. for RVs, an industry that has hit rock bottom. So, as you will read in the story, with over a million dollars worth of fabric, the company started making bags.

The thing is, a lot of people still expect their old manufacturing jobs will be there when the economy is on the upside again. And some of them very well may get their jobs back. But for the most part, I don't believe those jobs are coming back. I really respect those people who are now unemployed who have decided to go back to school, or to get a certification, or whatever it is ... something that will help them become more marketable in the future. And, I really respect this company for diversifying. Yes, maybe the RV industry will rebound someday and they can go back to the usual, but maybe they'll find this will hit an entirely different demographic and will be even more profitable.

I can't make a three-hour trip north for a bag, so I'm hoping the company will start to sell online. I think some of the bags are cute, and besides, I'd pay a little bit more for an Indiana product. That's how I justify my Vera Bradley purchases.

Speaking of, does Vera Bradley have to come out with new patterns all the time? Just when I find one I like and start to collect, I find three new patterns I love even more. We really ought to put a line item in our budget...