A Weekend Away

Tomorrow morning we are leaving town to go to my 25th high school reunion in Rumson, NJ. I have little reason to get back to my hometown. No one in my immediate family lives there but I am excited to get back and see friends I rarely see. I am imagining I will have many people asking me what I have been up. So I have been reflecting on the past 6 months to a year quite a bit. Monkitree has now been open for six months...which is a bit hard to believe. It seems like yesterday. Am I where I want to be after six months...no. Am I where I expected to be after six months...yes.

Starting a business is a process and we are building as we go. Right now I am in the midst of selecting works for a "Local Artist Show" to open November 19th. It is amazing to me the amount of talent here in Maine. I am excited to offer people the opportunity to show their work and grateful that the artists want to show in my gallery. This show is a unique opportunity for me to meet the many talented artists living nearby and for me to share their work during the busy Holiday Season.

I have no doubt people will be asking about my life this weekend. Am I rich? No. Am I successful? I'm still working on it. Am I happy? Absolutely. Peter and I made a great decision taking this journey together.

It's Not The Coffee, It's The Cup!

I have always been drawn to handmade pottery- the way it feels in your hand, the mark of the makers hands in the design. Today I met a local potter who I had only talked to on the phone. We ran into each other at a store here on Water Street. This being small town Maine, I concluded this must be the person I had talked to on the phone upon hearing a first name and the word pottery. I was right, fortunately. I told her how much I love handmade pottery and mentioned the many mugs I have and she replied, "It's not the coffee, it's the cup." I couldn't agree more. She invited me out to her studio to look at work for Monkitree. I can't wait!

Too Much To Do

The sheer volume of tasks to complete is staggering. One of the largest tasks to complete is painting the space- ceiling, walls, floor, trim. Every inch of the space needs to be painted. Of course first there needs to be cleaning, taping and tarping. I know I should just leap up and begin but instead I am drinking a cup of coffee with my dog sleeping with his head on my lap. I am thinking about painting and that is a start. Today we will do the shopping- ladder, tape, paint, etc... Then I will put on loud music and get to it.