Busy, busy, busy and a poem

Absolutely gorgeous day here in Lovettsville. Blue skies, mildly warm, birds singing. And I'm delighted to be able to spend most of the day at the store. The door is propped open and I love the fresh spring air.

So much I want to get done in the next couple of hours. Prepping for Earth Day promotions, need to get the newsletter out, finalize a jewelry order. [Mother's Day is just around the corner.] And I want to draft a substantive (or at least helpful or insightful or meaningful) blog post as part of our Earth Day/Anniversary Count Down. And then there's the really fun stuff: I have a large order from one of our favorite fair trade suppliers to unpack and get on the sales floor. Three large boxes filled with baskets, bird houses, jewelry and home decor. Here's hoping some customers actually walk through the door as well! So much to do! Better get on with it.

Oh. I almost forgot. April is also National Poetry Month. In honor of this glorious spring day, then, I found this to share:

Now that the winter's gone, the earth hath lost
Her snow-white robes, and now no more the frost
Candies the grass, or casts an icy cream
Upon the silver lake or crystal stream;
But the warm sun thaws the benumbed earth,
And makes it tender; gives a sacred birth
To the dead swallow; wakes in hollow tree
The drowsy cuckoo and the humble-bee.
Now do a choir of chirping minstrels bring
In triumph to the world the youthful spring.

Thomas Carew, The Spring, 1630

Well ... off to work!

This week's goals, revisited.

Wednesday evening. The week is half over already! [This time-change is really kickin' my rear -- I feel like I've been in a fog since Monday am.]

So, I thought I would take a peek at what I said I wanted to get done this week. I did get the e-mail out to local folks, spreading the word about the seed sale and store-wide sale. I still haven't designed or produced any fliers. And I did zilch in terms of bookkeeping. Well, not exactly zilch. I did contact Dee and we have a meeting scheduled for Monday night. In any case, it's clear what I should be spending my time on this evening at the store and tomorrow during the day while I am here.

Okay then ... I'm off to design a new flier!

Sat afternoon ...

Ah... the worst of the thunderstorms seemed to have abated and signs of life return to South Loudoun Street. I'm staffing the store until 7:00ish and then I will head out to meet John [Greater Goods' major investor and my husband] for dinner in Frederick.

My goal this evening: Send an e-mail out to local friends letting them know about this blog, the sale, and the opportunity to pre-order seeds at a discount.

Other near term goals for this week:

• Put together a small flier and distribute at other local businesses. It's silly for me not to try to court the folks that do run errands in town. I am certain that many customers at Beauty on Broadway and the Talk of the Town still don't know about Greater Goods, right around the corner. [In the midst of writing this I had a lovely conversation with a woman who was staying at the B&B up the street. I really need to get fliers up there too!]
• Finish reviewing the bank and credit card statements from 2007 so when I meet with Dee [my wonderful new bookkeeper, referred to me by the great women-owners of The Book Crossing] I have more to give her.

As a side note, the last couple of sales I've made today and yesterday all included merchadise that we just ordered and received this week. It's so gratifying when people end up liking what we choose.

Also, I think I get even more pleasure out of selling a $5.00 wooden bangle bracelet, or a $12 beaded necklace than a $50 piece of art. When someone buys a lower-ticket item from me, it means they didn't spend that money at Target or Wal-Mart or TJ Maxx. I certainly don't mean to besmirch those retailers -- I shop at them myself. It's just that the bracelet or necklace in my shop was crafted by an artisan in an impoverished community who got paid a fair wage for their work. So you know that your little impulse purchase is really putting your dollars to the best use. It's not like Target -- or the manufacturers of mass produced goodies -- necessarily need another $10.

Okay -- off to send some e-mails...

later luvies...