Pink Boots

From time to time I write about my friend Ruthie, or as Riley calls her, "RuFie"! I got an email yesterday with the picture above attached. Ruthie just got hired to decorate a cottage style restaurant where she now lives, in Clearwater, Florida. I know she hasn't been too happy at a little antique place she has been in. What is so cool about this opportunity for Ruthie is that she gets to pick out paint color, decorate and accessorize and sell her merchandise as well! I'm so excited for her, and can "hear" the excitement in her words as she writes me. And the woman that hired Ruthie, must be a pretty good business woman herself because she hired the perfect person for the job! What was so special about this picture of the pink boots is because it reminds me of the little pair of children's rain boots above. There is no need in dragging up the past and a not so good time for my sweet friend, so I won't go into details. Ruthie use to live with her daughter, Susan, here in Old Towne Orange. Ruthie was an awesome dealer in my store and I KNOW many of you remember her "Back Door Cottage" part of Country Roads. The last building by the back door. She was there for years, and when she left, I understood why, but wow, I hated to see her go and it just left such a void in my life if that makes sense. Back to the little boots above. Ruthie and her daughter had a falling out, and Ruthie went to live in her condo in Florida, never realizing she would never return to the house she shared with her daughter. Susan ended up selling the house, and had an estate sale. I couldn't bring myself to go to the estate sale, too many memories of my friend Ruthie were there. But one of dealers went, and bought the pair of little green boots, which in turn I bought from her. Why? Because we use to have "Operation Sell" meetings at Ruthie's house. We would get together and talk about different marketing ideas and at each and every meeting, Ruthie would have those little boots above on her dining table with fresh cut flowers. So, I know you can see why those little boots are now AT my house!
I love Ruthie's wisdom and knowledge. We send each other little quotes we come across that we know are good and are appreciated. I've never met someone with such a good head on their shoulders. And I'm so, so happy that when she made her permanent home in Florida she learned to email, send photos, and even set up her own Facebook page! Ruthie rocks! There are days I'll come home tired, and dragging from working so hard. And when I go to get the mail, there will randomly be a little book she has sent me, or a book mark with the word "HOPE" on it. You see "hope" is a word Ruthie and I are both very fond of. This is a picture of my Ruthie! Her and her daughter Susan have made amends which makes me happy. Susan moved to Ohio, and had her mom come out and help her decorate her new home. It's kind of bittersweet in that when Susan sold her home in Old Towne, but the couple that bought it shop at Country Roads. I can't think of their names right now, but the husband LOVES to garden, and Ruthie had a killer garden at the little cottage on Harwood. The wife, Sherry comes in to shop and the last time I saw her she told me that if Ruthie ever comes to visit, it would be her honor to meet her. That is the kind of woman my Ruthie is. The picture above is of Ruthie and her three grown kids. They had a family reunion not too long ago at Susan's house. I know that made my friend very happy, especially to get time to spend with her grandchildren. I don't know why, but today I really miss Ruthie. I miss seeing her at Country Roads and being a part of all that goes on there. In November my Ruthie will be 80 years old! Let me tell you, those are just numbers because she is one of the wisest, creative and strong women I know. I can only dream of growing into the kind of person "RuFie" is! She is the best, trust me on that one.