Ten years

My friend Linda and I had lunch last week or the week before.  We went to Doug’s Dinner Bucket, up the street.  It’s where Carol and I go for breakfast.  We sit in the booth for two hours, catching up.  Pam, the owner, doesn’t care.    All the breakfast traffic is gone by eight in the morning.  Much of the lunch business is take out.  The phone just keeps ringing while Carol and I sit in our far corner.  It’s that kind of a diner, open from six in the morning until two in the afternoon.

Linda picked me up for lunch and we hung out in the studio for a bit before we went to Doug’s. Jan was working away on a custom quilt that was taking all week. As our lunch date was a Wednesday, there was a lot of quilting done and plenty of admiring to do before we left.

At lunch Linda told me about the shows she would do this year, and who would help her.  Her schedule is scaled way down; the first show is Broad Ripple in Indianapolis in May.  I helped her there last year and had fun selling rugs and feeding the ducks at the motel.  Her cousin will help set up and tear down.  I’m thinking of getting on the bus, but haven’t told her yet.  It’s fun, but it’s a hard four days for two old ladies.

Suddenly Linda said “It’s the ten years!  Ten years between Janice and us and there she is putting in another concentrated quilting day.”  Linda was absolutely right.  Ten years ago we were sixty.  Still on the road alone, although it was my last year.  We could handle our gear, build and stock our displays, sell with a smile for the two or three days of the show, tear down, pack up, stow it away and drive home.

Linda is still out there, but only selecting shows where she can find the muscle power to unload her van, set up her display; come back in two days and do it in reverse.  She’s out of stamina and I’m out of that and balance.  My cane and I simply stand back while the heavy lifting is occurring.

It’s all about something to do.  Work.  I’m going to talk to Linda about doing more with the internet and her magnificent customer base.  Change is not one of her favorite occurrences, but I’m going to present her with some internet ideas I’ve researched starting with a new, selling friendly web site.  My favorite so far is a platform/template called Shopify.  If any of you know of or use internet selling venues, feel free to hop in.  I would especially like to hear any opinion on Etsy vs. a dedicated internet shop.

Could be the plan for the next ten years.