Getting into the summer

It's been a while since I blogged. Now, it's summer and whole lot of things to happen.

We've been to NYC and back. We've suffered through "Streets Alive" in downtown Lee's Summit...(it wasn't really). We had a great galloping Lady's Nite Out, and wish we could do that weekly. It was like a Christmas rush day. I have Amy Robertson from Cameron's to thank for that. They plan and execute Lady's Nite Out. This is their event. The Tominia's are such generous people, I am honored to know them. Amy devised the evening so that the 500 ladies who shopped all day on Saturday had a form to fill out. At each of the participating stores, we had chosen a secret word. To get the word, you had to visit each store and write down the word next to the participating shop's name. (Like playing Password!) Once the form was completed, the 500 ladies had to return the form. Did Amy tell them to come back to her store? NO. She had them end the day at Doherty & Sullivan's to submit their form. They sure didn't have to do that, but they did. Amy's my pal! So are Sue & Steve. They can do no wrong as far as I am concerned.

So now that that's done, we need to spark interest in Lee's Summit thru the hot summer months. That will be tough, but like I always said, the hardest work comes after that last promotion. The party is the easiest. It's the clean-up that's tough to keep motivated for.

Irish Fest - I'm working on it. Having family over to plan our strategy. I will have a room at the Hyatt to keep everyone refreshed and also to sleep over in. Our tent size won't change. At least this year. Not happy about it, but there is no way to create space from nothing. But we'll have a blast anyway. It's gotten to be a tradition that I look forward to, Janet and me and brother Jay and sister Annette meet us at the Fest grounds and unload. They get us set up in time to open by 5:00 and we work that first night. I think that I enjoy that first nite the best. The excitement and anticipation of what is going to happen the next couple of days. Having Jay and Annette the first day, the folks who come out just to see US and the new folks who learn about us. It's Awesome. Hey, look for us. Don't know yet where we'll be, but we'll be there.

Post Market trip to New York

We had a great time in New York City again this year. We went up with expectations of looking for children's clothes, and we did find some great deals, but also we'll have some surprises built in for the rest of the year, at least up until Christmas time. Keep checking in.

We saw a fleeting glimpse of Pope Benedict. We were walking down Park Avenue, feeling really out of place, when Janet mentioned all of the policemen. We figured that it had to have something to do with the Pope's visit, but we couldn't be lucky enough to be in the right place and time. But we were.

A neat thing has begun to happen to us. We somehow have attracted the attention of folks outside of the metropolitan area. Love it! Check on the blog site, and you can tell where people sign in from. You'll see Dublin, Boston. Cork, wherever someone decides to check in, they leave me a footprint in my sand. Neat!

Well, be on the lookout next month for Downtown Days. I'm told that there will be 80,000 people Downtown Lee's Summit, here for shopping, music and food and drink. I hope that if you're one of them, that you'll drop by for a visit. And if you can't visit, pitch in and help!!!

Till next time....

Slainte
Chuck

Is it Spring yet?

I can't tell... We've come through March and now into the April showers bring May flowers thing and - well I think that I heard that it's gonna snow again out here Saturday. THAT figures! We're leaving Saturday to go to NYC for our shopping pilgrimage. THEN, it gets nice here and guess what it's doing in NYC (not counting Pope delays and detours)...no, not snow, but a ton of rain. This is what Irish luck is. It's not really luck, but the absence of it.

Oh well, at least we'll get to see some old friends and see some neat places. We're even going to try the subway all over town. I guess you don't TRY it, you do it or get off it. We're going to go to the Columbus Park Green Flea Market. It's a huge tented area where a lot of vendors sell just a lot of 'stuff' for nothing. That's just about what my budget is right now...nothing.





Then we'll take another subway crosstown to the East Side. On the east side is Bloomingdales, and we'll go there for a few minutes or so and then on further east to Serendippity's. That's the place where they make those Frrrozen Hot chocolate desserets. Yes, I am going to...



Then lastly, we're going to a place called McSorley's. Kerry Browne told me about it and I am going there for the experience of it. She called it an off boaters place. The phrase caught me ear, so I am going to go see what it is. I know that it's in a part of the City that is very old. Maybe either our Greman or Irish Great Grandpas stoppped there before taking the train to Kansas City Kansas and settling within a block of each other...Uh huh.


Anyway, we will have a good time, and Aunt Shirley and a good friend of mine, Mary Concklin will be working the shop Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, so if you're in the neighborhood, stop by to see them. They will be glad to see you. (And I gave them each a $200.00 daily sales goal).
JJJUUuuuuuuuuuussst kidding.


Sorry it's been so long since the last blog, but I've been busy with Irish season and tax time. Glad its over!



Anyhow -
Come see us - you know that I love our visits!


Chuck

Emerald Isle Parade 3-15-2008

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by Ziggie05

Don't know if this is going to work or not, but it's worth a try. These will be pics from the parade on Saturday, March 15, 2008. Hope it works.

Chuck

Regrets - Nah!

'Often regret is very false and displaced, and imagines the past to be totally other than it was.'
JOHN O'DONOHUE, Anam Cara

The best rule of thumb for having regrets is, just don't have em. Don't mislead yourself about the feelings that you have for someone. Realize them for what they are, deal with them by either changing your frame of mind, or be up front about them. DON"T HAVE REGRETS.

Sorry for the lapse - life goes on!

I've been working on the Emerald Isle parade AND ordering for the shop, and taxes, and getting ready for a buying trip...lots of things. I don't know how I kept up when I worked for Bell. I certainly FEEL busier, retired.

IF you are reading my blog, I hope that you remember our Emerald Isle parade on March 15. It will be a great Saturday, weather permitting. And if you'd like to be actually in the parade, just give me a call at 816 524-7151. We're looking for High School bands. None of the Lee's Summit Schools are interested in community events for some reason. We will have students from O'Hara, including their principal, Mr Bowman, who will serve as a judge for us, along with Mr. Dale Hartley, who was the Grand Marshall last year.

If you feel that the blog is of interest, feel free to let me know. You can reply from the blog screen. Buck - you have certainly been an uplift for me. Thanks for your encouraging comments!

Evereybody have a great day, and pray for no snow tomorrow.

The Gift of Self

If you could imagine the most incredible story ever, it would be less incredible than the story of being here. And the ironic thing is that story is not a story, it is true. It takes us so long to see where we are. It takes us even longer to see who we are. This is why the greatest gift you could ever dream is a gift that you can only receive from one person. And that person is you yourself.

-John O'Donohue

In the wake of Cathy's passing, there have been many many instances where we've seen how she touched so many lives in such unusual ways...for instance, in her work, she made routine calls all over the United States. Simple tasks that she made GRAND. Clerks in California, on hearing that she passed away, tell us that they are so depressed. (Cathy has never met these people...she's never been to California.)

Her hairdresser, Vicky has been out of the country for 2 weeks. She called this morning to learn that her client of 36 years has passed. There isn't any way to fill in that missed appointment with someone else.

I guess that what I am trying to do with this reflection of John O'Donohue's is that Cathy had to know herself pretty well in order to leave so much of herself with anyone that she came into contact with. She could give the gift of herself to herself, and also reach thousands of miles away and touch folks in such a way that they are devastated with the news of her loss. That's a strong validation of a pleasant life well lived.