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     Our Dad has done some amazing things over the past forty years. Ever the adventurer (he is an entrepreneur after all!) we are never quite sure what he’s going to do next. As a young man, he was fearless and as he becomes wiser (that’s a euphemism for, “now that he’s getting older”) you would think he would slow down and do more grandfatherly things. But no. While many more ‘experienced men’ might be fishing or golfing, our Dad is always up to something dangerous.
     A few weeks ago, I was driving into work and as I traveled down Main Street, I noticed there was a crane next to the Old Bulfinch Church at the Town Common in Lancaster, MA. There was quite a group of people standing on the green, looking up into the sky. Curious, I pulled over and joined the group. “What’s going on up there?” The man next to me said, “There’s a restorer who is trying to repair the steeple but there’s a huge beehive, so some guy is up there with him trying to collect the bees.” “Oh, no,” I thought, “It can’t be.”
     Sure enough, it was our Dad. Dad began cultivating honey and caring for bees about five years ago when he and our mom built a new home in the middle of an apple orchard.  He loves everything about beekeeping. We often go by and see him in his beekeeping outfit, getting ready to harvest the honey. There was no way he was going to let them destroy that hive. He was going to collect the bees and that’s exactly what he did.
     Bees are truly an amazing species. They live together in a community, they share their resources and they protect one another (Honey bees have also become the primary source of pollination for one-fourth of all crops in the United States to include: apples, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, cotton and many, many more). The Queen Bee is supported by the worker bees, which collect the nectar, create the honey and feed the baby bees. It all works so beautifully. And yet, the honey bee is under attack from pesticides and disease. This attack worries many biologists and beekeepers.
     Sometimes, when we have our own business we feel like we’re under attack. The poor economy, high health care costs, increased taxes – the list goes on and on. What’s a store owner or manufacturer to do? I think we need to work together like the honey bee. We need to be there for one another, protect one another and communicate with our government representatives and each other. We also need to keep positive and remember to smile. Whatever buyers we may have, they want to visit stores and showrooms where they leave feeling good. So, even though things are tough right now, make the best displays ever. Welcome every customer with a smile and reach out to the manufacturers you can trust. Working together, we’re going to get through this.
     Ever the optimists, we are having the Grand Opening of our first Corporate Showroom in Atlanta. So, come on by and help us celebrate! Tell us what you think of our new products, new artists and new themes. We want to hear what you have to say. And if you feel like it, communicate with us like the honey bee. They dance!
     Happy Buying! ~ Mary Pat