I went to the dentist yesterday for my quarterly cleaning and to have the old crown put back on. Bad news. There is decay under the crown and the dentist wants to replace it ASAP. He also looked at the other tooth that will be crowned and said the decay is getting worse there, too. If I don't have it crowned now, I'll have to at least get a filling. Getting a filling would be a waste, since I will have to get the crown eventually anyway. So I made an appointment to get both teeth done at once in mid-August. It's going to cost more than $2000 and I won't have the cash. I'll have to charge it. That breaks my heart. I never wanted to carry a credit card balance again, but now I see clearly why it happens.

At least I will get the whole thing over at once.

In other news, I sold an old diamond ring to the antique store for $130. The owner actually discouraged me, saying it was probably worth more in sentiment than value, but actually it is not a very sentimental piece for me. I already have my mother's diamond on a pendant and my own engagement ring will be reset for my son when he proposes. This particular ring was my great aunt's, to whom I was not close. It was small and in a very worn, old-fashioned setting. It was not particularly charming in appearance. So I was quite fine with letting it go for a little cash.

My sister sold $200 worth of jewelry and says she still has more. I shudder to think what she spent purchasing it, but at least she seems to be finally getting it that she has to raise some cash if she is going to stay in her house. She has to hide the money from her husband, though, or he will spend it. They are such a sad case.