Helena said it well...
Well, it's here! Our twenty-five-year anniversary has already officially arrived, but we will be celebrating at our shop this Friday and Saturday. I'm not sure how twenty-five years buzz by, but I'm appreciative of each and every year. The ups and the downs, the mistakes, and the lessons, the rewards, and the gratification have forged this small business into a dream of sorts. I sometimes need to pinch myself to let me know it's all been real because it's such a marvelous ride. Mostly I'm reminded of my blessings through my customers. You bring joy to my heart and soul. Each of us is on a journey of sorts. Helena said it best, life is art! Thank you!
Today marks the start of what will fast become a fast-moving couple of seasons in the months ahead. Our events seem to bump up right next to each other. Our anniversary celebration, May Day event, and then I'm seriously thinking of having another shop sale the first week of June. The shop has a surplus of pillows and a variety of what I call lonely merchandise. Means we have only one or two of something. This translates into one or two of some things just sitting in our backroom, and our back room is small. It's hard to merchandise one item. We had so much fun at our sale last summer! I'll keep you posted with the date. We're looking at the first Friday and Saturday in June which is the same time we had our sale last year.
The golden morel is back! I've heard through the mushroom grapevine that they are finding them left and right. The tall and proud morel picture was shot a few years ago at the shop. There's more to the story than what meets the mushroom eye. You see in what I refer to as the olden days, once there was talk about finding the foraging treat I'd put on my boots and head to the woods. I'd hunt all day long or until I found a bag or two. Most of the time I'd come home with pounds upon pounds and sometimes I'd have to get clever on how to transport my foraging friends home. I'll let you run with that! Anyway, back to the story... That day that the mushroom was found I was yearning to go mushroom hunting because the old-timers were talking about how they were finding them like crazy. You probably won't get it unless you're a mushroom hunter. It was a busy spring as it often is, and I knew that I just didn't have time to go hunting. Low and behold the tall golden morel had popped up next to the trashcans at the shop! Let me first say, this is highly unusual for a mushroom to pop up in such a way that this one did. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it! Given its location and the habitat, I'm convinced that the mushroom was a gift from God. I picked it, took it home, and ate it! It was probably the best-tasting mushroom I've ever had! Little things.
The green meadow picture is from our Arkansas trip last summer. This area is adjacent to Blue Spring in Eureka Springs Arkansas. The meadow is part of the Trail of Tears. Every time I visit this enchanting place a feeling of melancholy overcomes my mood as I gaze over the meadow. I can almost see the men, women, and children walking this trail and sadness overcomes me. Is it possible that remnants of their sadness are woven into the earth? I kind of think so. I've had this feeling before at burial sites and battle sites. It's always the same sad feeling so I have to believe there's more to the story. It's ironic how we as humans, don't learn from our mistakes. We seem to repeat the same mistakes over and over.
On a happier note...
In an impromptu moment, I constructed thirty goody bags to be handed out during our twenty-five-year anniversary celebration. They're a delightful little token of appreciation that includes a new summer perfume, our favorite orange-vanilla bath salt, lip balm, and soap. I rushed to get the bags filled and managed to finish construction right before closing yesterday in between customers. We will be handing out fifteen bags on Friday and the other fifteen on Saturday.
I've been on the hunt for cookbook props for the cover. The wooden spoons were a recent discovery that I think will be the perfect touch to the cover. We also have them available at the shop.
The redbuds are in full bloom! One of the reasons I love our yard is that we have planted every tree, bush, or flower and when they start to bloom or pop up, memories do too! Years ago I traveled to the country and dug up a carload of flowers from an old farm. Peonies, Iris, and Bridal Spirea. All our old-fashioned plants, but nothing compares to their beauty in the spring.
We received our shipment of One Day at A time T-shirts, but I'm afraid we sold out of most of our inventory this week. The good news is that I've re-ordered more and they should be arriving any day. I love the wording on this t-shirt! They are organic cotton and oh so soft and comfy to wear.
Wood Sorrels, the mere name is intriguing. They are also an old-fashioned flower.
Two new lip balms hit the shelves last week! The cherry vanilla was inspired by a memory of sipping cherry coke. Not the kind you buy in a can, but the one that you'd get at an old-time drugstore where they'd add the cherry and vanilla syrup to the beverage. Oh my! Honestly, someone should bring that back!
We look forward to seeing your smiling faces at our birthday and mayday celebration on Friday and Saturday!
Jill
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