
I didn't get to chat with everyone as the phone kept ringing and non bus customers were in the shop as well. It was a good chaos for sure. That kind of stress I can handle! Charlene and Sue came by to lend a hand which was a great help and Shane and Glenna took care of the sales and coffee. I bought a couple of large boxes of Timbits although I had hoped to make homemade doughnuts but I was too dang tired as I fell into bed the night before. Maybe next time!
It seems the star of the day was Sue with her Women of Abundance designs. A couple had been preordered to be picked up that day; more of them flew off the racks and the ones not available were ordered to be shipped. Sue says she has more big boned women designs ready to go, just needs to get them to me so look forward to additions to her humorous line of ladies with extra padding. They do bring a smile!
I packed a burlap bag full of goodies as a door prize and tickets were handed out as the women entered the shop. Sylvia, the woman who won the draw was so sweet and told me she'd never won anything in her life, so it was perfect. I hope they all enjoyed visiting Mahone Bay and will take fond memories and stories back to Ontario.
What a great a way to enjoy the company of women, share a passion and see the country while not being burdened with driving or worrying about where to spend the night. The predetermined itinerary unrolled ahead of them like a red carpet with nothing to think about other than meals, fun and shopping. Sounds like a plan and so totally civilized!
They all attended a hook-in at the museum on Saturday and got the guided tour of the facility. Unfortunately the last leg of their trip was clouded with the sad news that Hugh Conrod passed away over the weekend. He was the co-founder of the North American Rug Hooking Museum. Our condolences go out to Suzanne, his wife, loosing not only a friend and husband, but her partner in this great venture they've brought to fruition.
After the bus gang left, I started to yawn. I didn't know what to do with myself. After working at full throttle for weeks all of a sudden a calm swept over me and I didn't know how to handle it. Shane suggested we close and go home but that wasn't an option. You never know who might be on they way to the shop from the valley or Halifax and how disappointing that would be. Luckily we stayed as it was busy all day long with many visitors from the US and across Canada. I just took it easy for a change and worked at a leisurely pace., although it felt as if I was in some else's shoes. I even walked up and down the stairs like a normal person instead of striding two or three steps in a rush to get things done. The panic was over, we were in the new room and had it arranged so that it didn't look too unput together. We still have big plans but that will come with time.
I made it to 5:00 without fading but the need to sleep was creeping up on me. Shane said go home and relax, put up my feet, I'd worked hard and deserved it, but I have to say it was done with guilt. After working pretty much every night, sitting and watching TV with the useless crap they offered as entertainment made me sort of angry. It felt like a big waste of time, time that I would never get back. I kept thinking I should just go to work and do something productive and the internal argument raged on until I fell asleep somewhere around 10:00. I awoke early morning on the sofa, with my shoes and glasses on, fully dressed with every light burning in the down stairs, the TV was blaring and the back door was unlocked. It was as if I was anesthetized for surgery, nothing but blackness; no dreams, no momentary consciousness. I was cold without covers, had four dogs snuggled against me and a dry mouth from snoring......but I felt refreshed!