Salute – noun – A gesture of respect, homage, or polite recognition or acknowledgment, especially one made to or by a person (in this case season) when arriving or departing. So, “hey Spring, Salute!”
The snow days are gone and it is now time to make plans to be “gone” fishin’. If I had to say which part of the year I like the most as far as the weather is concerned it would be now. Spring has a voice that starts out as a whisper that inspires us to plant a seed and wait. As the hillsides turn from a burgundy hue to pink and white dogwood blossoms, pull up a chair and wait for the curtain to go up. All of the brown leaves of last fall will disappear in to the earth and green will color in all of the hillsides and valleys. I can just feel the anticipation of everyone around me as we get ready to greet one of the first warm weekends that we have had in a long time.
We will be turning off the furnace, sweeping dust off the porches, moving the trash cans to the back of the house, picking up the sticks in the yard and checking the buds on the forsythia and lilacs. I just love how a warm burst of air can turn a quiet three or four months in to six months of outside picnics, hikes and water and skipping stones. We are finally moving around in ways that we haven’t moved since last summer. There will be warm sunrises and aching backs. It is that time to and take a deep breath and savor the scent and colors of spring.
After almost twelve years in business, The Stillroom has turned the sign in the door. I have gone fishin’ and I am now out playing. I might be at The Strip enjoying the shops and energy of everybody as they leisurely stroll from stand to stand, squeezing fruit and oohing over the scent of garlic and onions from the food carts. You might find me in Mellon Park with my camera snapping away at what ever moves me in that moment. I have gone fishin’.
The latest update on our town is this. After twelve years of living here, we have been waiting patiently for our Main Street improvements to happen and boy are they ever! If you come in to our Main Street, you will not recognize it. The old sidewalks and trees are gone, the street is lined with orange cones and ditches, and machinery. It is simply a disaster area. The upswing, and there is a great one in all of this, is that our diamond in the rough is going to be polished in a wonderful way. We will be seeing all new brick walkways, benches, turn of the century lighting, (the way it was when John Roebling founded our village), wider streets and all new tree plantings! Talk about a major overhaul! I could not be more excited or thrilled about these great changes in our part of the world.
This is one of many reasons that our shop no longer keeps regular hours. I’m in partial “retirement”. I put the flag out and am here when ever I am able to. So I tell anyone who wants to know, “if you see the flag out, the doctor is in.” My hours are random until life settles down during all of this construction. My husband and I are very blessed to have our parents and we are at the point where we want to make ourselves available to them when they need us. We are at the age where we still have a son in college and parents who still live in their homes at the ripe ages of lets just say ‘eightyish.’
If you want to come and visit The Stillroom Gift & Tea Shop, please give me a call and I will make sure that I am here. We are the original Saxonburg Tea Shop so don’t hesitate to call if you would like to peruse the many shelves of tea, tea pots and accessories. I am also still taking orders for customized gift baskets and am stocking the shelves with new tea flavors. So, again, don’t hesitate to call and let me know when you are rolling through town!
Warmest wishes and hugs to you all. In the words of the late John Denver, “sunshine on my shoulders makes me smile”. I hope it does the same for all y’all!
PS
One quick update to all of my facebook friends and family or to anybody out there that stumbles on to my website, if you take a minute to read my ramblings and you find them interesting, amusing, or you just enjoy being nebbish like me, please “like” & /or “share”. Oh God, I can’t even believe I am asking this. lol I want to track my stats to see how many hits I can get without have to do paper ads. Cosmic media.
My blog is usually about tea, coffee, general observations, sometimes my struggle with being a foodie complete with recipes, and most assuredly updates on the progress of our long awaited Main Street improvements.
Please note that I have removed our Saxonburg Shopping Guide temporarily. Along with the changes on our Main Street, there have also been changes in operating hours for some of the shops. When the dust settles, (literally) we will update and put it back up.
What is here? Pangea Street, C. Matus Co., Mimi’s Memories, The Artist Co-op, all on Main, The Grey Wolf Gallery on Butler Street and last but not least, The Stillroom Gift and Tea Shop on State Street. For your sweet tooth, visit A Taste of Heaven bakery for your “take home” treats!
Who is gone? Curves of Saxonburg, The Second Time Around and Beaker’s Cafe. The Chandlery is going out of business and is still liquidating stock. Pop in and wish Paula well in her next adventure in life!
What’s new? Randita’s Organic Vegan Cafe on Main and a new vitamin/health store on Pittsburgh St. by the post office.
I highly recommend that you call individual shops for hours. Thanks!