Puppet Planet Has Moved!

I have always been a very private person and don’t like to share details about myself but I would not be doing my customers or the people who have helped me any justice if I didn’t provide an explanation for delays in responding or reveal the generosity shown by business and people in my previous Florida community that have helped my family when we were in need.

I have never really recovered financially from the long term illness I had earlier this year and my family and I have recently lost our home to foreclosure. We were so financially bottomed out, that we lost some necessary services required to run my business such as phone and internet and at times we would have lost electric, water, etc. if it weren’t for the help of people in my community that went out of their way to provide food, money, and opportunities for my family to earn funds to pay the bills that kept our lights on and water running.

I have tried for so long to keep things under cover, not even telling my own parents or closer relatives how bad things have been for us. I’m just not someone that talks about these things and prefer to make my own way by my own means without asking for help or handouts. Things just got to be too much for me to handle and I was forced to reach out to my community anonymously via Craig’s list, still too embarrassed to ask my family or friends for help…. especially since my parents are on limited income, disability, etc and much of my family aren’t doing much better than we are.

I want to take a moment to thank the following companies and people for all of the help and support that you have extended to my family. We are forever grateful and have been blessed by your generosity! Without these people we would have surely ended up in some kind of shelter and my business would have been lost :

First and foremost: Stephanie, Nada, & Crystal at My Pets Dream in Clearwater, FL. Such genuine down to earth loving (and LOTS of fun) people who provided me with a temporary job to earn funds for my utilities and moving expenses. Thank you so much!

Tyson at Medusa's World of Stone in Tampa, FL was the first person to respond to my Craig’s list post and extend a hand to help by writing my family a check to help with some much needed groceries. Refusing to accept a handout, I brought him some small handmade puppets and some kids clothes for his children in exchange.

Bob and his wife at Bargain Signs in Clearwater, FL. Brought me several bags of groceries. I practically had to force them to accept puppets for their two little ones sitting in the back seat. =)

Kirk and his wife at Phil's Hobby Shop in Pinellas Park, FL raided their own cupbards for lots of goodies to give us, and also provided a little bit of gas funds to help me out for the week.

There were also local individuals, whom were also struggling with their own finances in this economic crunch yet still lent out a helping hand:

A generation of teachers in Tampa, FL who let me barter some of my puppets and a box of boys clothes for food right from their cubbards, THANK YOU!

The nice couple from Clearwater, FL who not only brought me bags of groceries, but also took me shopping in trade for my lawn mower. THANK YOU!

The lady in Clearwater, FL who let me bathe & groom her dog for loads of canned goods from her cabinets... and the pumpkin off her front porch for my kids. =) THANK YOU!

The retired fireman in St. Petersburg, FL that brought us bags of chicken & hamburger and refusing to accept anything in return. THANK YOU!

The family in Tampa, FL that left me a check… (I left a few puppets on your porch in exchange). THANK YOU!


Our family has now relocated to North Carolina. The move took much longer than anticipated because one of our vehicles broke down in South Carolina. Lucky for me, I have a friend from High School that rescued us, providing a tow to her place 2 hours away and opened her home to us. Shelly & Jamey, you guys are the best!

I am just now starting to get settled in my new place, new workshop, and new small town living. The weather has been one of the obstacles along the way, as we have received record snow fall in many years for this area. We are loving it, especially the kids, but it has proven difficult to get services and the necessary errands completed so that I can get my business up and running again. The icy roads have been an adventure to say the least! =)

I do have internet, but there is some kind of issue with getting the email to work for my new account and setting up the server for my old account (Michele@puppet-planet.com) which will still be my contact email address once things are sorted out. Hopefully I will be up and running with that address by this evening (Monday the 8th), so I’m told by my internet provider. Once I am up and running, I will be sending individual emails to all of my customers currently waiting for their orders to be completed.

I do not yet have a Post Office Box set up for my business address, but my new phone number will be updated as follows: 828-406-6405 This is currently the only way to reach me (personal, or business) because I do not yet have home phone service.

To everyone that has been affected by my circumstances, I am so very sorry for the inconvenience that this has caused you. Please know that I am doing everything I can to get things in order and running smoothly again. All projects currently over due on my schedule will be completed by the end of the month.

Thank You,- Michele Acquin & Family