There is something so intriguing about being on the edge of the United States. The difference between the Atlantic coast of Florida and the Atlantic coast of Maine is vast and intriguing.
Am I in a time warp? Did I just turn 70 years old in Maine? Reflecting and to name a few undeniable and poignant facts, I do have a 45-year-old daughter, a 78-year-old brother, an 18-year-old granddaughter, and a 90+ year old father-n-law, so I guess it is all true …
The Democrat Party seems to be bringing the American flag back into favor with the left. As a person in the flag business, this makes me happy. But selfish capitalism is not the only reason. I’m also glad because that is what the flag of the United States is supposed to do; Unite US.
This story is not mine, but it is so worth sharing. Not only because it is heartfelt and well written, but also because it is full of hope and could save someone’s life.
I am not sure I would know how to go about starting a flag business today. 50 years ago (yes, next year we celebrate 50 years), business was simpler. You identified a need, then filled the need by either door-to-door sales or a store front. And advertising was simpler, too, with only 3 mediums to choose from: radio, tv, or newspaper. All that seems archaic by today’s standards.
A fun thing about being in the flag business is seeing our customers’ found flags and helping them decipher their origination.
It is hard to believe I have lived in my house for almost 30 years. When first moving in with a budding family, it didn’t seem big enough. Now, it’s too big.
At this stage of my life, I find many of my friends are downsizing . I too have contemplated a smaller place, but with my still-nagging ambition, and possible fallacy to believe “bigger is better,” I just can’t pull the trigger and move into a condo.
As I once said, “writing a weekly blog is both burdensome and cathartic.”
As I sit in the Miami international airport awaiting my nonstop flight (yes American has a Saturday non-stop flight) to home, I think back over my past 3 weeks in Miami (cathartic).
Last Independence Day happened to fall on Sunday, a day of worship for many Americans and, as usual, I was at ushering at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral that morning. Because of our country’s deep tension between worship and patriotism, I felt sorry for our dean who, in her sermon that day, had to find the balance between celebrating the gospel and nationalism. She found the common ground in the word “Freedom.”
It is not every day you hear “Help! Help! Help!” screamed from your basement by a workman. But that is what happened this week.
In 2007, I turned 50. For my mid-life crisis, I pondered a facelift, a boyfriend, or a new car. I opted for a used, 5-speed, convertible Mini Cooper. Driving it, with the wind blowing in my hair, it checked all the boxes: fast, fun, and dangerous.
Why is New Year’s Day so full of optimism? It’s just another day on the calendar; or is it?
On New Year’s Day we close the books on business, Christmas, and the Winter Solstice. Though the days from January through March are often cold and snowy, they are also getting longer and brighter, so it feels better; like a time for self-improvement, a time to plan for springing into action.
In business, there is more to making a sale than just making the sell. First and foremost, there is the connection between the buyer and the seller: Can the buyer and seller communicate well, instill trust, and meet the customer’s needs in a timely and affordably fashion?
Anyone will tell you, to get the best return on marketing money…
It is that time of year again: when you find me hot, dirty and breaking my nails in our shipping department.


