One of our vendors at Mixie's is leaving. She has had her shop for about 12 years and we have been friends for a long time. B. is 93 years old!
B. was a doll maker long before I met her. Some of her dolls were in her showcases at her shop, directly across from mine. She was so good at making dolls that she won Blue Ribbons at the State Fair. But those days are gone and her family is helping her to close her shop.
B. also sold jewelry. She had nice rings reasonably priced that she bought from a jeweler she knew. She also had lots of costume jewelry to sell. But those days are gone. The jewelry she wanted to keep has been taken home and the rest has been bought in bulk by several of us vendors who sell costume jewelry.
B. also sold glassware and collectibles. But those days are gone too. Lots of figurines like clowns and animals passed through her shop and into the hands of vendors who bought what she didn't want to keep. Lots of things were packed into boxes and will probably end up at Goodwill.
Her many showcases have been sold to vendors who have already resold them or have them up for sale in their own areas. Other furniture, like bookcases that held the figurines are gone. The place is almost empty.
Through all this, B. has sat in her chair and mourned. She has been very angry at how quickly her family has acted in closing her shop and I have heard some harsh words spoken. Because B. had become forgetful, she doesn't understand or remember why she has to leave. Even with all the thoughtfulness her family used in trying to prepare her, their explanations counted for nothing as she watched her shop being dismantled and her inventory sold right out from under her.
B. wanted to hold on. B. wanted to fight to keep her shop. "This is the worst day of my life" I heard her say.
Although B. had spoken the last few years about giving up her shop, when the time came, she wasn't ready. She feels betrayed by family and friends. Next week she will be at home and a new shop owner will take over her space.
