Opening Day

Today was our official opening day.

Rob and I straggled out of bed this morning to have our own coffee, accompanied by treats for the kitties. Kitty waits all night for this ritual. Cora enjoys the treats too, but with considerably more dignity and significantly less obsession.

Coffee in hand, we settled in with our New York Times puzzles. No, we do not do the crossword. We have limits.

Thankfully, we had a bit of practice from last week's soft opening and our subsequent "flexible hours" experiment. We learned a lot about the espresso machine, the flow of traffic, the visibility of our signs, and whether a menu is actually necessary.

(The answer appears to be yes.)

As a result, this morning felt a little less like opening a business and a little more like showing up for work.

Almost.

While Rob tackled coffee and signs, I stocked the shelves with new handmade goods. This latest adventure has led me into skincare.

Years ago, I discovered that making my own moisturizer was considerably more economical than buying it. Plus, I found myself wondering if I actually knew what was in the products I was using.

From there, things escalated.

There is now eye cream. After one day of use, I am convinced I see a difference. Whether this is science or optimism remains unclear.

I also made sunscreen.

Now, before anyone gets too excited, I should mention that I have not conducted formal studies, double-blind trials, or recruited volunteers willing to stand in a field for six hours to test its effectiveness. It does contain zinc oxide and several oils with natural SPF properties, so I am cautiously optimistic.

Again, time will tell.

Meanwhile, Rob and I continue to work out the kinks, listen to feedback, and engage in the important business of adjusting signs approximately seventeen times in search of the perfect placement.

We're not entirely convinced such a thing exists.

What does exist is gratitude.

A huge thank you to everyone who has stopped by, whether for coffee, conversation, curiosity, or because you happened to make a wrong turn and found us by accident.

We're glad you're here.

We'll be open tomorrow morning and from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

And yes, I'm working on a menu.

Hope to see you soon.