OK…I don’t want to get moopy on what should be a happy occasion, but after all, tomorrow IS our 6th anniversay in Carmel and there are LIFE CHANGES happening here and what the hey. If I can’t tell it here where can I tell it?

Kathy is leaving and Mitsuko’s opened her own store. The gang is breaking up. And frankly, I’m sadder than they know. In 1996 we were opening The Grove. Our step-mother Claude had just died from Breast Cancer and we were a mess. She’d been our original business partner and the motivation behind the whole project and though we’d really tried to finish construction in time, she died before The Grove opened and we were kind of shell-shocked.

And as we were slogging on, Kathy showed up after her normal money-paying job EVERY DAY and helped us free of charge as we set the garden shop up. Sally came next with her love of Pacific Grove and art. And then Leland, Kathy’s then 15 year old son.

Mitsuko dropped off a resume when the late-great Michael Weidner operated the flower shop in The Grove and, much to her surprise, we called her a few months later and asked her to join us. And then Edward came. Those of you who know Edward may be surprised by the next sentence. Edward admired Michael’s work so much that he asked us to let him work at The Grove for FREE. But of course, we couldn’t do that…talent deserves compensation and Edward has always been very talented.

And then the gang was set. Through thick, thin and drama that we tried to keep under the radar, we went about building business at The Grove and then, later, as that died, Homescapes, Carmel.

Keri joined us in 2004 with her art, talent and humor and a well-oiled machine was born. Beau and I are very thankful for all of them and I can say, personally, that I wouldn’t/couldn’t have been able to do my part of the business without them.

Kathy’s leaving to retire in Arkansas to be near her daughter and grand-daughter and she will be SO missed that I hope it warms her heart to know. And Mitsuko’s opened her own shop and as her friend I’m so happy for her. So it’s like the end of American Graffitti where we learn everyone’s fate and feel sad but glad we had the previous two hours of levity to get to know them. Like that.