On October 28th I vacated my Annie Mame boutique along with all the other shop keepers as an emergency order came down that anyone south of Route One in Madison, Connecticut should go! Hurricane Sandy was on her way and the bulls eye would be Atlantic City, New Jersey. The storm was 900 miles wide and would cause billions in damage.  Everybody brought in trucks and vans and whatever they could find to get all the items out of “Dodge” which in this case was Domestic Possessions, I have never seen so many people move so fast.

The forecast would turn out to be dead on, what was predicted, happened. Power is out for millions and there is unprecedented damage to the tri-state area. Beaches are eroded and it will be some time before lives are back in order.

Because we are New Englanders we roll up the shirt sleeves and get going again and that’s exactly what is happening in my little store and everyone else’s. We’re moving back one week later and the place will be beautiful once again after a beating and major flooding. Once again the store will look much different as people rearrange their wares and take a different approach to their vacant spaces rebuilding them again for shoppers.

So let’s see, I started into retail at the start of 2012 in Westbrook, Connecticut, moved out because the store I was in closed, moved to Madison in August, moved the contents out in October because of a hurricane and am now moving back into the same space….I’d say this is trial by fire.

I welcome you all back very soon!