What Makes Me Sad In My Shop

The happiest place in the world should be a candy shop.  Kids come in, they get candy, eat it, smile, gone.  What about the kids that come in with friends that have the money and they have nothing?  Or the kids that find a quarter.  Yesterday a couple of boys came in.  They had some change.  Not much.  I gave them a deal on some candy.  They were thrilled.  The downside........they were back in no time at all wanting more.  I explained I cannot give free candy ALL the time.  Today they came back in.  One boy had $5.00.  One boy had $.25, the other two nothing.  The two with no money were trying to get money from their friends.  They were asking me for money.  I had some brownies that were getting stale.  I told them if they would water all the planters on my little block, they could each have a brownie and share a pop.  No freak out, I gave them glasses, and split it for them.  They were thrilled.  The flowers were thrilled.  I also told the boys they need to learn how to count money.  They will have change in their hand and ask me how much it is.  I said from now on, they have to tell me.  Kids need to understand money!
They sat down to eat their snack.  I explained I cannot give them free candy everyday.  I explained they cannot tell all their friends they got free candy.  I also explained if I ever catch them stealing from me, or with friends stealing from me, they would not get special treatment anymore.  They ate their treats, cleaned up their messes and went on their way.  When I was filling their water bottles they saw my backroom.  They said do you own this place?  I said yes.  They said, you are so lucky.  Are you rich?  Not at all.  As a matter of fact I am doing my best to put my family in financial ruin, thanks for asking.  Did all this candy cost millions?  No, but it sure feels like it sometimes.  So all the candy is this store is yours?  Yes, but I would rather share it with everyone else that has money to buy it.  One boy said, when I grow up, I want to work here.  Sweetie the chances of this place existing when you grow up is very slim. 
Here is something ironic, my Dad used to own a grocery store/butcher shop.  I can remember him talking about helping kids in need.  Giving them soda, some lunch meat, buying them shoes.  When I was talking to the boys I remembered the stories he would tell.  He told the boys if they needed something, just ask.  If they ever took anything from him without asking, they would be banned from his store.  He caught one boy stealing.  It made my Dad so sad.  He could not understand it.  He said he never told the boy no. 
I meet many nice kids in here.  There is only one that I thought stole from me.  Later a little boy told the kid stole from me.  When he is in my shop, I stand right next to him now.  He has not been in since the day he picked something up and I ripped it from his hand and asked him if he had money.  Gulp!  He did that day.  He has not been back in.  Think he figured out I'm on to him.  I grew up poor.  I did not steal.  My friends did not steal.  Kids need to be taught to earn their money.
Here is more irony, I'm a sucker in a candy store.
The End

Her Name Was Selena

I have not had a busy summer.  Does not put me in a positive frame of mind for blogging.  Today I had a pleasant visit.  Her name was Selena.  She was young.  I will guess low 20's.  She was taking pictures of our adorable store fronts.  When she came in she said it was her first time in our little village.  I asked her where she was from, up North.  She is on her way to California.  Near Los Angeles.  She is taking Route 66.  She is traveling alone.  I asked her if it made her nervous to drive all that way.  She said, No, God will protect me.  He wants me to do this.
We chatted.  She asked me about the candy shop.  I explained I felt that I was meant to open the shop.  (Been questioning, why lately.)  We talked more about her move.  She is a Speech Pathologist.  She will work mainly with Hispanics.  She said in  California it is a law that she has to do their treatment in English.  She said it makes her sad.  The families won't understand their language.  We talked about how in America people look down on citizens who still speak their home language.  It was just a casual conversation.
She told me she had not planned to come in my shop.  She felt like she was nudged to come in.  She said God wanted her to tell me that I am very brave.  That I am a strong person that does brave things.  I thanked her.  I said opening this shop was the first brave thing I had done.  Most days it feels like maybe it was not brave at all.  She said God wanted her to remind me that I am doing important things for my community.  Selena asked what I would like for her to pray for me.  I said for my shop to succeed. 
We hugged.  I pointed out some things she should look at in town.  She was on her way.  Nice little story.  Would have ended here.  Except while I was writing this a lady came into my shop.  She writes children's books.  She has written a couple of books about touring Route 66.  She stops at shops on Route 66 and sells her books.  Might have ignored her.  Felt like it was a sign.  Had to buy a few of her books.  Will see what happens.

The Bell

The Bell

I know I blogged about my bell when I received it as a congratulations on opening my shop. Arizona likes to make sure she stays firmly planted in people's hearts. When I got the bell she told me every time it rings I can think of her.  I do not hear the bell every time it rings. There are times I do not notice. There could even be days that I do not hear the bell and think of Arizona. When I do it makes me smile and my heart feel good. This morning a customer said she loved my bell. There are times The Kid says, Hi Arizona in an exasperated voice. She still wins. He thought of her. This will make her smile. 

Hubby automatically grabs it to silence. This will make her smile too! Some kids shake the door until their Mom's yell STOP! One little girl that might share the name of my shop loves to slam the door. That makes it super annoying. 

Sometimes I tell people my bell story. Now the bell is part of the sweet shop. Part of children's memories. Part of all the love and support that made my dream come true. This would be a great time for the bell to ring and end this story.....waiting.........

His Name Is Gary

When someone says, "can I tell you a story," is it bad that I think about this blog?  When it is a great story like the one I heard today, I am ready to push the person out the door and get to my computer.  Unfortunately, I had some work to finish up before I could write.  There are days I work hard in the candy shop.  I know, you don't care.  You want the story.
Gary comes in.  He is excited about coming to the shop for the first time.  That is not unusual for a child.  For an adult it is.  He started looking around.  Mentioned what a great addition this is to our town.  I'm thinking, well if people like you never come in, not sure how great it is.  Gary said, "I used to be blind."  Maybe you saw me walking around with my dog.  I said I had not.  I asked if he had surgery to correct his blindness.  He did not.  Gary has multiple sclerosis.  He has overcome many obstacles with his disease.  There was a time he was in a wheelchair.  He had feeding tubes.  He had several trachea tubes.  It is not uncommon for people with MS to lose their vision.  The optical nerves in their eyes can slowly die off.  That is what happened to Gary.  For two years he was in total darkness.  On a Good Friday he woke up and could see.  Clearly see.  He said he had never seen his dog.  It scared him and he screamed.  Scared the dog into the other room.  His vision is now 20-15.  The doctors consider it a miracle.  He regenerated new optical nerves.  He said they can still see the dead nerves.  Now people can get some of their optical nerves back.  The miracle is he got all of his back.  The doctors said normally when it happens people still wear coke bottle glasses.  Not Gary.  He has a very mile prescription.
He got to keep his dog.  Her name is Hoosier.  They still walk 4 miles a day.  Gary said each night he makes a plan of something he wants to do the next day.  Today the plan was to come to my shop.  He said he likes to make people smile, tell his story.  He was able to start driving again.  No restrictions.  He can do his own grocery shopping.  Gary still has MS.  He is not sitting around wondering how it is going to hit him next.  He is out there enjoying life.  Today he walked into Coco's and told me his story.  He made me laugh, smile, and have goose bumps.  Glad he stopped by.

Did I Mention I Bought A Baseball Team?

I was asked to sponsor a baseball team.  The cost was just a little bit less than a professional team.  My little Coco is on the team.  This is her on picture day.  She came to Coco's before the game.  If kids come into the shop on game day wearing their shirts, they get a free gumball or tootsie pop.  There are some perks that come with being on a sweet shop team.  Tru Stories and Coach love seeing their kids in eye black.  I would rather see her adorable face.  But...I get it, baseball season.  She looks like Tink in this picture.  By the way, baseball season means there are now three Tru Stories children playing at the same time.  It is wild!!

School Trip To Coco's

Normally, I am closed on Monday.  Yesterday, I came into work and opened for two fourth grade classes.  I met them outside and talked about my building history and about my shop. They could barely contain themselves for more than a few minutes.  Most of them had $3.00 to spend and were ready to go.  They took turns coming into the shop.  Thank goodness!!  It was wild!!!!  While kids were inside, outside chalk drawings were going on.  Our sidewalk is filled with messages down most of the block.  I really love that.  It means the warm weather has arrived. 
Some of the kids had not been in Coco's.  Too many!!  Some did not know there was a candy store in Dwight.  They do now Parents.  No more hiding that dirty little secret. 
As always, I am reminded there are still so many great children.  There were children that only had a little money, there were children that had more than they were to bring.  I helped out some of the kids that were just a little short.  One little girl that is a regular here, came up to pay with her friend.  They each had a candy bar.  I said, are you paying for both of you, she said yes.  I told each of them to go get a free water.  I thanked the girl for being so kind.  Her Mom works at the bank next door.  I will be sure to tell her she has a daughter to be proud of.  I think I already know why her daughter is kind.  This year, unfortunately, some kids have found my shop that are not sweet.  They leave garbage out front.  They have done some damage to the yoga studio steps. They pulled the yoga studio sign done.  Makes me sad.  Fingers crossed they do not destroy our flowers.  All the stores on our little block have petunias planted this year.  What a happy street we are!
Fingers crossed all these kids start showing up to Coco's on a regular basis.  I sure do need it!

Have A Little Faith

Warm weather is back.  Maybe it will even stay around this visit.  I can open the front door of my shop.  There are chalk drawings back on the front sidewalk.  Kids are out and about again.  More junior high kids have discovered Coco's.  That is good and bad.  I am used to my regulars.  They are good kids who enjoy having their place.  I can and do trust them.  If they are short a few cents, they will pay me back the next time they come in.  Without my asking.  They always remember.  With more kids coming around, there are bound to be a few thrown in the bunch that I can't trust.  Some that I will have to watch more closely.  Some that will not have credit with the shop.  They are going to throw their candy wrappers on the ground.  They will be destructive.  They will not draw cute flowers with the chalk.  I can take it.  If they are too rotten, they will be banned.  Not going to spend too much time stressing about wild children.
Yesterday an eighth grade girl discovered my shop.  She was SUPER excited.  She has not lived in our town very long.  She lived in Detroit before.  Imagine what a great change for her.  She was in a bad area of Detroit.  Now she is in our quaint village.  She likes bubble gum.  She came in several times and kept buying gum.  This afternoon she came in again.  I was doing something at the time.  Not give her 100% of my attention.  She sat down, started coloring, and talking.  She likes to talk.  She rambled on for a bit about her family.  Out of nowhere she says.  People think there are only two kids in my family.  There are really five.  Two brothers still live in Michigan.  My one sister is crazy.   Really, crazy.  She threatened to kill me a few times.  She got sent to a mental hospital.  I said, I'm sorry.  That is sad.  She said her sister was sent away two years ago.  She is bi-polar and will not take her medications.  She does not know where she is now.  (My worst nightmare.)  Her parents do not talk about her.
Her friend showed up about that time.  They got their candy and were on their way.  She said she wants to use Coco's as her meeting place.  I am good with that. 
I am working on fliers for the shop.  My new friend that works at The Paper is doing the actual graphic design part of it.  She showed me samples.  I showed her pictures I want to use.  Today she came back with the first draft.  I am VERY happy.  A couple of tweeks and it will go to print.  I will put them at some businesses around town.  I hope that will bring more tourists in.
My word for the year is trust.  I think Faith goes along with that as a nice companion word. 
Happy Easter My Friends!