For the Love of Shine-ola

Alive and Well

 
  
  
After having spent the last 10 years catering to every decadent holiday desire of thousands of office Christmas party-goers, this year I am savoring every extra minute I have to spend with my now 12 year old daughter.   No more late nights whipping up our famous baked chops, festive cherry cheesecakes, packing to-go-boxes of every last morsel, watching the minutes slowly pass on the cafe kitchen clock while waiting to get home to my girl.  (Inevitably, what followed was collapsing into a chair next to my overlooked Christmas tree, while my daughter was already fast asleep.)  Following a brief but whirlwind love affair earlier this year with an old high school acquaintance, I was re-introduced to my love of country music.  Yes, I know, I know....country?!  You?! Yes, I love it!  Well, on my daily three minute commute to work this morning, I cranked up Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews singing  their popular duet.  As I listened I was reminded for what seems like the millionth time since selling my cafe last September, how Alive and Well I truly am.  This particular holiday season has it become glaringly apparent.  

Yesterday, my mother introduced our favorite place in the world to eat to two of her Trenton friends.  They were embarking on a true "day lady" day.  Symphony in the morning, lunch at Andre's, shopping in Brookside, and an afternoon meeting for lovers of the Arts.  (Aside from Johnny Cash, my mother still doesn't know what to make of my reclaimed love of country music.) Anyway, this morning she brought me the most wonderful box of mouthwatering swiss pastries from our favorite place in the world to eat! She told me last night she was bringing it, and my mouth watered like before my little doggie Sally's does before I give her a treat.  Years ago, on a "day lady" day of my own I introduced a friend of mine to the very same eatery.  Recently, we talked with glazed over eyes and enthusiasm about going together, once again.  I can hardly wait to surprise her with a Chocolate Matterhorn at her courthouse office after finishing this paragraph!  This year, instead of just being thankful ...I intend to share my thankfulness with gusto!  I'm going to say yes, reach out, share and show my gratitude outwardly...some little something, every single day.  Seriously, there ain't no Matterhorn high enough!

Catching Snowflakes

Cooler broke down today. Frozen water in the flower bucket is never a good sign. Thermostat is shot, so says the electrical fix-it man. It will be up and running in a couple days. So, I took all the flowers out of the cooler, saved the one's I could and chucked the rest. I don't really mind. Instead of the cooler, I turned down the temp in the building, put on a sweater, and surrounded myself with flowers in my work room. Of course, had this happened last week during the Valentine's mania, I would have had a nervous breakdown! I have busied myself with putting the shop back in order. Doing a little spring cleaning. Finally, I let go of the thought that I actually needed a kitchen here at the shop, and turned the kitchen into a second work-space. All very mundane little tasks that I welcome, gladly. Days like these I LOVE. I spent so many years hurrying as fast as I could at the cafe...taking time to do silly little stuff is crazy wonderful. Like standing in the snow catching snowflakes on my tongue. What I'm really looking forward to is spring.....then I'm going to stop and smell the roses.

Simple Truth

I love this.  Sometimes the thing about happiness is simply making the decision to change.  I choose happy!

You don't have much to say....

So here I am, two months to the day since opening my little flower shop, and on the heels of the re-opening of the little cafe I ran for nearly ten years, and recently sold.  I received a call today from a long time, former cafe customer who also happens to work for the local radio station that handles my advertising.  She is also, incidentally, a lover of food an very nice person.  For years, updating the cafe website was part of my weekly regimen, along with a never ending list of other tasks.  I've been rejoicing in the freedoms of no longer having those chores related to the cafe, that I didn't realize anyone else might notice.  In addition to updating the specials, monthly coupons and upcoming events, I also wrote a little now and again blurb on the News Page of the website.( www.thewildonioncafe.com)   My friend on the phone told me of her recent trip to the "new" cafe.  After a brief run down of her lunch experience, (ok, it was actually in great detail and I waited for every word of the report) she says "Uh, I checked your web-site.  Lately, (pause) you don't have much to say."  Wow!  You mean someone was actually looking?  Just last week I started to sign up for the free trial of typepad.....Na!  I thought to myself, maybe not.  Well!  How quickly things change when you come into the knowledge you have an audience of one!  Maybe more!  Maybe, I am meant to write.  Maybe, my thoughts really are something to share.  Maybe, in my down time at the flower shop I will finally write that book. Go figure.