City Views, Country Dreams

Good morning from New York.

Our springtime here continues to be on the chilly side, but that has helped to extend the flowering season in nearby Central Park. We have had lots of April and May showers and the still new leaves on the trees are very green and very heavy, really weighing down some of this year's fresh branches.

On a recent Park walk after recent rain, I took this photo which give you a little idea of the mood of that overcast day.

I regret that I have not had more time to take such walks in the Park due to having the usual busy times at the shop. Despite media reports of our being in a recession (or maybe just on the edge) our shop has had its busiest spring ever.

How wonderful that I was able to add another staff member, and that she is terrific. We all just work together, enjoying each others' company, and trying to keep our customer service skills high. Many evenings when 7 p.m. (the posted closing hour) arrives, we still have customers in the fitting rooms, trying on clothes, making their decisions. The two or three of us who are still there as the "closing shift" are by then so, so tired, but we do try to remain poised and gracious until that last customer has left the shop.

This results in great sales figures, but also in very tired folks, who have been working a physically and mentally challenging job for over eight hours. Still, we laugh and compliment and complement each other, and get up the next day to do it again!

This past Sunday was Mother's Day here in the States, and I was able to let all but one of the mothers on my staff have the day off. The four of us who were to work on Sunday wondered just how busy we would be. The answer was ... very. As a gesture on that day we had purchased lots of deep red and pale coral roses, so that we could present one long stem to each lady who visited us that day. It was a simple thing to do, but seemed to be quite popular.

Yesterday was super rainy and windy, and not an ideal day for a celebration, or maybe it was. Scheduled months ago, it was the day of my employer's annual service awards luncheon, which honors folks reaching milestone anniversaries with the company ... five, ten, fifteen years and more. I attended to support two members of my staff who were being so honored. We traveled via a chartered shuttle bus from the company's Garment District showroom to a beautiful site overlooking the Hudson River. The building was once the home of Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain.

As always, the luncheon was beautifully catered, and it was great fun to get re-acquainted with old friends, and to meet new ones. The event is usually somewhat emotional as well, because we all really do believe that our company is just a bit different in that we do care about each other.

Afterwards, the shuttle bus took us back to the City. Of course, many folks attending the event drove their own cars or used other transportation. We do have many locations in the metropolitan suburbs and anyone living in those areas cannot rely, as I do, on public transportation.

I also wanted to thank all the folks who have been posting words and comments about their beautiful gardens, and the exercise and delight that those gardens ensure. I have mentioned before that my apartment is not at all plant friendly, and thought that I would share with you a little photo that proves my words true.

These two scraggly survivors are too stubborn to totally give up. This view is from my living room and, as you can see, has a vista facing across an air space to other apartments. Thank goodness that the view from my bedroom is much more open and lets me see sky, trees, interesting architecture.

Perhaps you now know more of why I do have country dreams.