Family dynamics possess their own set of demands, and with them come responsibilities you sometimes never think about having to fulfill. So it has been since my last post, last year.
Along with the life changes that Mother has experienced came the realization that the frame shop she loved so much was sitting idle, and I began going in to the store to maintain a presence. Not one to sit still for very long, I started
going through things and cleaning up a little, here and there. Before long, lots of little piles were cropping up all around the store.
The little shop isn’t all that big anyway and walking room quickly became an issue. There were boxes of records from the many years that Mom and Dad ran the shop and they were put aside for future shredding. Lots of interesting memorabilia was sifted from the shelves and drawers, some packed for later review, some placed on now empty shelves for display and to stimulate conversations.
Friends dropped by to chat from time-to-time, and some jumped in to help with the cleanup. Potential picture framing customers were stopping in quite often, only to be referred to another framer. Finally, on one such occasion in April, I let it out that I would be reopening Carey’s Frame Shop on May the 4th. Where that came from I still don’t know! But there it was, in front of the customers…and witnesses…I had made a commitment. Now I would have to dust off my picture frame academy diploma, dig out my equipment, and put my training and experience back into practice.
The past two months have been very fast-paced, sometimes a little stressful, but totally fun and rewarding. I didn’t realize just how much I needed to get out from behind my computer and get back in front of people. Along with the visitors and customers, a couple of newspaper reporters even stopped in for a chat.
Come by when you get a chance and we can blow the dust off some of those old treasures.
[see High Tide article]
[see News Journal article]
photo: donotfaint.com
