The Frame Shop

Today I had lunch with my friend, Sue. Her birthday was yesterday, so I took her out to lunch today.

We were destined to be friends. She grew up in South Alabama, and her best friend in high school was one of my closest friends in college. During College I only heard about "Mary Sue" in stories about their high school days, told by Debbie, our friend. Life went on and Mary Sue married Gerald and he went to law school. Meanwhile, Charlie was in law school also. Well, Charlie and Gerald landed in the same town. Gerald as a defense attorney. Charlie as a Prosecutor. We were all very young back then. I soon learned that Mary Sue was now called Sue. Sue and Gerald joined the First Methodist Church. Charlie and I joined Calvary Baptist Church. Because of zoning, their 2 boys attended a different elementary school than my 4 girls. We communicated at Bar functions, and soon saw one another at Jr High events, and then High School events. Their 2 boys were about the age of my 2 oldest girls. Our lives were somewhat parallel, but they were in the "boy world" and we were in the "girl world". Then our children graduated from high school, except I still had two in high school.

4 years ago I ran into Sue at the K-Mart parking lot. We did our "catch up" talk. She was moving her dear mom, 90, the next day to our hometown. The conversation went down avenues, and before I knew it, she was asking me if I would like to work for her, should she actually open up the frame shop she and Gerald had been discussing. I said, "Maybe", with fear and trepidation. I had not worked since 1980. She hadn't held a fulltime job since about then, but had done some office work for Gerald. (Her major was in office administration). (Speaking of which, she knew my sister-in-law, Charlie's sister, before I did. They were in the same major and met in classes there.)

In June of 2005, Sue opened up her Frame Shop. It was called Sue's Custom Framing and Cards. I had learned the basics of mat cutting and matting, in college, and I had that inclination to "frame" and do projects, but I didn't officially know how to frame. Sue and I, in that year of research, prior to the shop's opening, went to a 2 or 3 day Explo thing where all the framers and frame vendors get together in Atlanta at the World Congress Center. It was overwhelming, but inticing. That's a whole other world, the world of framing. It was fun and left us each with our brains swooning. Again, it was Sue's doing. I couldn't have, or wouldn't have known how, to pursue it any further. But Sue did and she opened up her shop, after having gone to a week of classes to learn the basics of framing. She taught me, in the week prior to opening up her shop, what she had learned in her classes. She had bought all this lucious equipment, had wonderful work tables and storage pieces built. It was a dream for one who enjoys that sort of thing. I do. It was a miracle for me to be able to do it. I am much the homebody. I could almost be a hermit, except that I really, really like people. A LOT! We are all fascinating to me - all the varieties.

In the 3 years since she opened the shop, she and I have worked through some of life's biggest events: For me, the marriage of one daughter; the birth of 3 grandchildren; 2 daughters graduating from high school and beginning college; and the death of my mom. For Sue, her youngest son graduating from college, spending a summer hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, and beginning a ministry at SIFAT in Lineville, AL; her oldest son completing and graduating with honors from law school and beginning his career; and the death of her mom. That doesn't touch the daily stuff of life that comes up when one is involved in relationships with family and friends.

Sue closed her shop on May 31. For me I prayerfully made the decision to return home fulltime,for maternal reasons. I feel a need to be at home again. For Sue, retail is a tougher row to hoe than she and I realized, and the economy certainly doesn't help. A really good profit is great incentive to actually keep a shop open. But we had the opportunity to do some great framing projects. We were told that we did a really good job, and I know we welcomed everyone with open arms. It didn't matter if they spent money or not, although it sure was exciting when they did. I've been told by Sue that I'm user friendly. She is super duper user friendly. She is wide open to everybody, and I have never met a more positive, hopeful person. She has a tremendous faith in God, through Christ, and loves people.

I am grateful for the opportunity, at this age, to learn a new skill. Just to know that I can.

Another huge thing...remember the wonderful work tables I told you about? Well, in dissolving the business, liquidating, etc., Sue and Gerald were left with 3 work tables. I dreamed of how I could buy one in particular. I figured and figured, but told myself , NO. We still have 2 girls in college, remember? Gerald called me on the first day of my first week at home, not working. He was giving me that work table. I still can't believe it, and don't yet know what I'll do "on it". It's so big and so perfect. I want to do projects, but am not sure yet which ones. It was such a generous gift, and it blessed my heart greatly. Still does.

So, that's my story for the day.

Before I had lunch with Sue, I bought some good dirt for one more container tomato plant, (we have 3 already) plus 3 herbs to plant - rosemary, sage, and sweet basil. Also some plant food. I'm going outside now to play in the dirt.