Sunday, November 18, 2018

happy anniversary to me

today marks one year that my bookstore has been open at its current location.  basically, today is my one-year anniversary because i couldn’t do this full-time until this last move so i consider november 18, 2017 my opening day.  it went by uncelebrated and that’s okay because i knew.  i didn’t want to plan anything or have an event since it’s a holiday week.  i felt sure it would be a slow day and that would just depress me and add to my anxiety and frustration.
i had a good day though.  i had gotten in several books as part of a donation that i knew a customer would want to look at.  i texted and she came by and made a sizeable purchase.  i love doing what i do.  i love knowing my customers wants and interests and contacting them when books surface that they will like.  i had that happen one other time this past week as well and it reinforced why i do what i do.
the used book business is really hard.  i’m in constant competition with big warehouse stores and thrift shops and goodwill but i offer so much more than that.  you can’t walk into one of those places and ask for recommendations or spend literally hours talking about literature or politics or family or music or film or God or anything else.  i do that all day.  i know my customers and i do what i do for them – not just for me.
i don’t know that i will see another anniversary in this business unless something changes.  lots of things are happening in the book world and lots of things are happening in nashville.  it’s a source of pride for me that the store sustains itself but i must pay myself as well and that’s proving to be much more difficult. 
if i’m able to hang on i hope on my 2nd anniversary then i can have a party!

grace and peace and books

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

these are the days

yesterday was a good sales day at the store and that always feels encouraging.  unfortunately those days are often followed by days like today - 35 degrees and pouring down rain.  it's dead.  i've had only a handful of customers and fewer buyers.  

i find it hard to reconcile the 2 realities. i'm elated on the good days and downright miserable on the bad days.  normal?  maybe.  exhausting? absolutely.

i love what i do.  i love owning my own business.  i don't love the stress though.  i don't love the uncertainty.  i don't handle the ups and downs with much grace.   

it's a trial by fire and sometimes i feel singed while other times i feel burned.  mostly today i feel tired.

headed out of here in a few minutes to my couch and my pug and my cat.  

grace and peace

Monday, November 5, 2018

vote!

tomorrow we vote.  we vote in 435 congressional races, 35 senate races, 36 gubernatorial races and innumerable state races.  the very future of our country is in OUR hands.  i cannot understand what would make someone choose to not vote.  don't feel like your opinion matters?  feel like they are all crooks?  feel like the decisions they make don't affect your life?  make your voice heard by voting for those you feel are most closely aligned to your values.

if you drive on roads, cross bridges, have your money in a bank, have a child in public school, are paying off a school loan, are working for minimum wage, are working in an "at will" state, are getting older, are hoping to retire, are hoping to travel, then the government affects your life.  HAVE A SAY IN IT...VOTE!

my grandfather died in defense of this country - how could i possibly stay home?  women died to secure my right (less than 100 years ago) - how could i possibly stay home?  people marched, fought, were lynched, were shipped to foreign shores, landed on beaches and buried family and friends for my privilege of VOTING - how could i possibly stay home?



VOTE!

grace and peace and VOTE!    

Saturday, November 3, 2018

lost and found

for the last 2 days i've been looking everywhere for a notebook with a good deal of research in it for a writing project i've started but have had neglected for a long while.  i'm really trying to get back to writing on a regular basis which is why you're hearing from me now.  

i've been in a panic about losing months of research when it finally occurred to me this morning while opening the store that the one place i've not looked is in the backseat of my car.  i never have anyone back there and my car is a wasteland for stuff i just can't bear to drag into the house.  don't judge me:  i've moved the store and the house a total of 6 times in the last 2 1/2 years and there're always those last couple of boxes of random stuff that i don't use everyday that i run out of energy to deal with.

when i got home from the store i opened the bag in the floorboard behind the driver's seat and there was the lost notebook with a surge protector and baseball cap.  crisis averted!

and the day was a good one in other ways too.  an unreal list of my friends came to visit today:  ellie, jonathan (my wonderful brother), pattie, rebecca, greta and katie.  what a lovely surprise.  the sales day was good but not great.  my daily need was surpassed but i'm still stressed about the slow overall sales (though the week has been a good one).

to top the day off i talked to my bff in florida and my football and hockey teams both won.  if i were a different person i would feel great but i honestly feel anxious about tomorrow because it's not possible to have 2 days like this in a row.  isn't that terrible?  i should count my blessings and let tomorrow come but i have anxiety and that's hard for me.  i always dread the other shoe dropping.  it's, no doubt, worse now that i own a business because i'm so aware of how everyday has to go in order to keep the business afloat.  ugh.  i'm gonna turn this gadget off, say my prayers and read a bit.  i'll face tomorrow if i'm blessed enough to get it.

grace and peace