Saturday, April 30, 2011

Back to blogging

First off I want to thank all of you who have left me comments, emailed me and personally made sure I knew that you read my blog and have missed me. From the bottom of my heart I am humbled and warmed by your kind words.

Yes, I do have a new computer. After gathering lots of advice, recommendations and information Mr. Scottie Dog and I went shopping. At the 2nd store we found an HP with 1 1/2 Terabytes (he says that's a lot of bytes!), a nice big monitor and new keyboard. It's kind of slow going because my camera doesn't want to work with it...(Skype with the Grandchildren is a MUST for me!), as of yet I don't have a compatible mail program so the newsletter from our store will have to be put off until I buy a program. I don't understand all the ins and outs but Mr. Scottie Dog does and he is a sweetie to help me out.

Today was the local Rhododendron Parade in Eureka. We've spent the last several years watching it with Sydney, but this year she was in MN visiting Uncle Jason and Auntie Beka & her cousins. I worked in the store. As I left for work I told Mr. Scottie Dog that it would either be dead all day or it would be a zoo after the parade was over. There are lots of other activities associated with the Rhododendron Festival too. At 9:45 am I put the OPEN sign out. No customers by 11 am. That was OK by me....I had lots of things to keep me busy. A Quilt Shop always has work to do. We had gotten in new Batiks and I cut fat quarters and rolled them. I started work on the newsletter. I opened the mail and recorded some of the inventory into the computer. 11:30 am and not a customer but several phone calls from customers and then I did some ordering online.....Sure enough at 12:04 pm the store was swamped. I couldn't cut fast enough. I helped people pick out patterns, fabrics...I helped them choose borders, backings & bindings. I showed and demonstrated Pfaff sewing machines. At 2:30 I put my lunch (leftovers) into the microwave and hurried to answer the phone. More customers. At 3:15 I nuked my lunch a second time. I poured a Diet Coke and gobbled my lunch in time to greet a mother & daughter traveling through our area and help them, meantime several regulars came to browse and shop and a gal from a town over the mountains showed up to buy for a retreat she was going to. She had one FQ she wanted to build her quilt around. I got her all rung up, she left and then returned 10 minutes with another Fat Quarter...."maybe she should be prepared with a second set of fabrics in case the first set wasn't exactly what was needed." This meant choosing 4 more fabrics for a total of 7 yards for EACH quilt. We close on Sat. at 4 pm. At 3:50 a regular gal came in looking for a pattern she had seen somewhere. We had the pattern. "Did we have the fabrics pictured on the front?" Well, no since the pattern was about 2 years old and the fabric line had long ago sold out. But $266 later we had made a good effort. By now it was after 5 pm. I vacuumed the store as our faithful store cleaner is on vacation and made my way home. It was a good day. I know it sounds hectic and long, but actually the time flew by.

Today was the Rhododendron Festival and parade. Here are two of the many Rhodies growing in our own garden.I shall be glad this summer as the old fireplace chimney gets a facelift!

And that was the glamorous day in the life of a Quilt Shop owner.



1 comment:

Andrea Becket said...

Thank you for writing thiss