Happy New Year 2025!

Happy New Year Friends!  Welcome to 2025!  Are you ready for the new year? 2024 is now just a memory, and it's time to begin a shiny new year full of possibilities.  2025 is a blank slate waiting for you to fill with your hopes and dreams.

I am not the kind of person that generally makes New Years resolutions but wanted to share something that recently happened to me that I found interesting.  As I was out shopping one day right before the new year, I was loading purchases in my car, and a man in a truck pulled up and parked beside me.  I said "Hello" and "Happy New Year" and he did the same.  Then unexpectedly he turned back and said, "What is your New Year's resolution?"  It caught me off guard and I had to think quickly, but I almost immediately blurted out "To be happy."  As I got in the car to drive away, I started pondering my response and what prompted it.  2024 was a difficult year for me in which I faced multiple challenges on a lot of fronts.  I always try to live each day with gratitude and thankfulness, but I think this past year made me realize that the only thing that really matters in life is to try to find ways to be happy and enjoy your life.  There will be times of smooth sailing as well as times of bumpy rides.  In the past I know I've spent way too much time worrying about things that literally don't matter that much in the scheme of things.  And in the end, what did all that worrying change?  Not a thing.  Life happens the way it happens and sometimes you can only hang on for the ride and do your best.

I've always heard that it's not the easy times in your life that make you grow as a person but how you face the challenges.  Well, I'm here to say that I experienced a lot of growth in 2024 and hope that 2025 provides a little less exuberant amount of "growing."  While I'm thankful for all the life lessons and that I made it through 2024, I need at least a little break to recuperate.  LOL.

As usual in January, I have tons of ideas for the store, but I'm not ready to share those just yet.  Check back here in the future for news and announcements regarding what's happening and new offerings.  The weekly sales events are back up and running and I offer my sincerest thanks for my new customers.

I hope 2025 is a wonderful year for all of you, and that we can all embrace hope, love and kindness as a priority in the new year.

Thank you so much for being here.  Happy New Year!