Working in Salado

I just took a “barely above minimum wage” job one day a week at a home decor shop here (Charlotte’s of Salado). After ten years of self-employment, I felt like it would be good to try being an employee again and to learn something new. I chose Charlotte’s because I think the world of Charlotte Douglass and am looking forward to being around her and getting to know her.

Terry’s high end handyman business takes him out into the community and into people’s homes so he has quickly developed close relationships that have been hard with my travel schedule and work from home or in Austin. I’m hoping to develop some of those kinds of relationships by working at Charlotte’s. Besides, it’s great fun hanging out with Charlotte, Manuela, and Becky and the other fringe benefits – employee discounts, delicious coffee and a cheerful atmosphere – make it worth my while.

It’s interesting how quickly it has made me a “member of the club.” I learned more about my community in the one day I worked than I had in the past year. Well, that may be an exaggeration, but the social invitations ARE rolling in! Go figure.

Charlotte’s is a great little store packed with beautiful home decorations – lamps, table runners, candles, flower arrangements, throw pillows, table scarves and wall hangings. Since it’s fall, we have (ooh, I like being able to say “we”) table runners in oranges and browns, and fall food art. Of course we have plenty of my favorite coffee, Seasons of Salado. (It’s available online if you can’t make it to Salado.) I wish blogs and smellovision or scratch and sniff so you could experience the heavenly aromas I get to smell at work! Most of my paycheck is going for coffee so I can honestly say that I’m working for beans.

I’m also hoping that I will be able to learn how to create those wonderful flower arrangements and wreaths that Charlotte is so famous for. On my first day on the job, I sold a wreath leaving a bare space on the wall. When I asked Charlotte what I should do to fill it, she said, “you say to me, ‘Charlotte, make another wreath!’” So I did and in no time, she appeared with this majestic fall wreath…

…complete with a full-sized pumpkin (I think it’s made of suet, but you wouldn’t want the squirrels to get to it).

A day later, it was sold!

the Struggles With Distance

As I write this, my fiance’ is packing for a business trip. Taylor will be flying to Illinois to work at the college where she teaches. She will have a very hectic schedule and I worry she will put in many long days and nights without much time for rest. She will then fly to Washington, D.C. for more meetings and work. She is nearly inexhaustible when she is working. I envy that but I also worry that she is trying to do too much. She reassures me that this is not even close to her limits. Still, it is my job to care enough and to trust her in knowing her limits, to give her the backing (she doesn’t require), but I can share. It is a small part I play in making sure she knows I love her and believe in all that she is doing.   While she is away, I will remain in Michigan and continue on with my everyday doings. I will hope and pray for the right buyer to come see my house. I will continue to work and do my best to keep busy and not think solely about how much I miss being with Taylor.  After all, she is very good at her work and I am very proud of her ands all of her accomplishments. She is not only beautiful, she is also very smart and caring. She has the passion for her work that makes her an asset to the numerous companies she works for and with.

One of my projects while she is gone is to start on a novelette that I have been contemplating. I want to tell a story, based partially on the time Taylor and I shared in High School. I’ll post later as to how that turns out.  Well, I had better get this finished so I have time to talk with Taylor prior to her trip.

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