Pondering.

I drive down Post Road often enough. The health food store is there. The Post Office (surprisingly ;) ) is down there. There are shops, ice cream windows, restaurants, pharmacies, retail stores, etc. It's just your typical "get-anything-there" city street (though RI has so few of them).

And every day that I drive down Post Road, I look over to see the empty space where Blockbuster used to be. I've always wondered what it will be next. Though judging by how long it has been vacant, it still could be a bit longer. After all, it *is* Post Road. Rent is probably expensive. The one thought that usually crosses my mind is: "That would make a great scrapbook store location. I wish somebody would open one there. That would just be neat."

There was nothing that special about yesterday's drive down Post Road. Just another Tuesday. I had gone to TJ Maxx with a friend. She needed new bedsheets. We took along her elderly grandmother and her younger (teen-aged) sister. I will be pushing the irrelevent button now. Who I was with has nothing (that I know of) to do with my story. So we parted, hoping to meet for dinner later on that evening. Leaving them always leaves me with a smile on my face. I have never met a family that makes me feel so happy and welcome.

So... as I was saying, there was nothing particularly special about yesterday's drive down Post Road. Just another Tuesday. I passed the Blockbuster as I always had... thinking, "That would make a great scrapbook store!" And then... it hit me. Hey, I could open a scrapbook store of my own! It doesn't necessarily have to be right there in that space, but that would be a wonderful challenge to open a scrapbook store.

Yes, a lot of work. I already have one skeptic. A friend of mine said she had already written up a business plan for one in our area. She said, "You'd have to sell a lot of buttons." Hmmm... not exactly the mentality *I* have. I consider my daily time at sb.com to be "research" for my business. I've been studying buying habits, likes and dislikes of the clientele. And visiting other scrapbook stores (over an hour away) is just a perk of the "research."

We currently have one scrapbook store in Rhode Island. I'm not impressed by it. There are several in Massachusetts, however, that are fabulous. But the one in Rhode Island? The people are very nice and helpful, but I just feel like the selection is much like our local AC Moore. Not many name brands or things that make it stand out. It's a bit cluttered and difficult to walk through.

I have so much on my mind about this. There are so many ideas I have. Hopes I have. We'll see. I mean, I'm just *thinking* about it. It's something to do. And I think it would be wonderful. Yes, it's a big risk. But I think I would rather take that risk knowing that it's something I'm really passionate about, rather than staying at this job that is just mediocre. That thought makes me feel good inside. Like it's a good idea to pursue a dream. After all, my mom is opening up her first bakery at age 54. That's risk! ;)

I'll keep you posted...