Worst 4 miles on a bike.... EVER!!

Spending the day at the beach with my sister and her 2 children was just what I needed; a day of fun in the sun while sitting and watching the kids make sand castles. Oh, and ice cream after all the sand was washed from our sun kissed and sun-screened skin. We had a great time. THIS is what summer is supposed to be. Family. Fun. Sun. Water. Ice cream.

Then I had to go and ruin a perfectly good day by going on the bike ride from hell. I wanted to work off the ice cream, so a ride on the rail trail would be just the way to do it. Well it was nice until I entered the beginning of a 3 mile trail, 2 miles from the house. I felt a bite on my back and figured a horse fly had bitten me. Then I felt another. When I turned around, there was a swarm of bees following very close behind me. There must have been 50 or 60 of the wretched flying aircraft's. I had no choice but to speed up in hopes of losing them.

No such luck. I was pedaling as fast as I could, on loose dirt, about 10 mph. I knew the end of the trail was 3 miles ahead and there was no way I could keep up the pace. My heart and lungs were working hard and felt as if they were going to explode in a violent exit from my chest. My only option was to make a u-turn for the open road a half mile back and hope the flying brigade of stingers would keep going in the other direction.

Again, no such luck. I tried to swat at them, but each time I did, I lost speed and they got closer. Once I was back on pavement I thought for sure I would be able to out pace them. At 15 MPH, they were still on my ass!! I kept going and so did the mutant robotic bees. After another mile and a half they finally fell back.

I have never ridden that fast for that long. Total exhaustion!

Fun with Mary

Wow, how can I say this? WOW! WOW! WOW! I just left Mary Fenders frame shop "Frame Nation." Not even 4 WOWS can express how much I loved her shop and her! Frame Nation is another shop, along with Rob Markoffs, that should be a destination for all framers. Mary thinks outside the box on just about everything. Creativity is so common in all she does that I imagine it comes as easy to her as breathing. Oh, and by the way, her personality is just as WOW! if not more so.

If I have not conveyed well enough that I was more than impressed, then let me say I was blown away. For all her ideas and time spent updating facebook and twitter as well as her website, newsletter and live web-cam, she should have customers lining up at the door. I will be sending business her way, too.

I would like to tell you about all the cool stuff she has in her shop, but I love her uniqueness and would hate to see it randomly copied. So if you want to know, you will have to go see for yourself. She does have a knack for frugality in her shop design, but with her charm and creativity in dressing it up, one might think differently. There is a tangible hip and fun theme throughout.

I will tell you about one of the competition pieces she did for the PPFA in 2009. It is the same necklace I framed and mentioned in a previous blog entry. Mary took this framing to new level and placed the necklace around the neck of a cut out of Marilyn Monroe. The funny thing is that upon looking at the framed piece, it was not the necklace I was noticing. As a picture framer I am always looking at the framing first. This framing was spectacular because it was done in a manner I had not seen before and probably never would have thought to do myself. Mary placed a wood frame around the base of a deep metal shadowbox frame in which Marilyn and the necklace was housed. The cool part is that the metal frame is removable to allow access to the necklace! Awesome! I apologize for the bad photo, but at least you can see the necklace.

Many of you know that Mary Fender had an article written in Decor Magazine about her talents of networking and social media. If you have not read the article, you can do so here. She has the cyber world at her fingertips. And people are watching and getting it. While Mary and I were chatting Mary decided to do an impromptu interview with me on her live shop web-cam. FUN! The idea of a shop web-cam is terrific. I had actually thought of this before and am very happy to see it working at Frame Nation. Marys web cam is also interactive. Her viewers can watch and chat along. You can watch our chat here.

If every frame shop I visited was this much fun, I would have to find a way to make a living by visiting them all. It is addictive. Thanks Mary!

-Becky

Battery Re-Charge

Chatting it up with other framers seems to re-charge my batteries. This cross country frame shop adventure has had its ups and downs, but the visits have remained a source of joy. Even when I am feeling down about one thing or another, a shop visit can turn me around.

I was feeling discouraged today as the first shop I went to visit was closed due to illness. I had anticipated this visit since last night when I did a google search for frame shops in the Richmond area and found the shop whose owner graced the cover of last months Decor Magazine. For those of you who are not familiar with Decor, it is one of two picture framing trade magazines. I had not yet read the article about Mary Fender and her shop, but I did remember a post on the grumble about it. Had I read the article, I would have known her shop was in Richmond. I was pleasantly surprised to find out! Her website indicated she was open on Mondays, so I was excited to go meet her. But then disappointment set in when the sign on the door read "closed due to illness." I hope it was not too serious and that she feels better soon.

The next shop on the google map was closed as well. So this day was going to be bust. That is until I found the Crossroads Art Center (http://www.crossroadsartcenter.com/). The center exhibits art from local and regional artists, as well as an offering of art classes and seminars. What a fun place. There is almost too much art to see. I enjoyed strolling through the booths and seeing the different types of art represented such as paintings, photography, sculpture, pottery, jewelry and more. Also, checkout "Bustin’ Out for Cancer" and look at the creative art bras that are up for auction to benefit Breast Cancer Awareness . There is one bra made from small hard hats and tape measures. Very Cool! I would love to bid on it!

With a little more time to spend, I looked up a few other shops on the google list. The one I chose to see next was chosen because the owner had a good website with the PPFA logo displayed. Done; that was my next stop. But before I continue with my visit to Beveled Edge Framing, I want to say to any frame shop owners who are reading this now and don't have a shop website, GET ONE NOW!! What are you waiting for? Come on, really?! While looking on google for shops in the area, I was very surprised to see how few shops had a website. It is a criteria of mine in choosing which shops to visit. I imagine many potential customers do the same thing. With out a website, you are missing customers. No doubt about it.

Steven Price, owner of Beveled Edge Framing was nice enough to chat with an unexpected visitor. As it turned out we had a nice conversation about classes at WCAF, the instructors and framing in general. I enjoy it when I speak with another framer and talk about other framers and know from personal experience who they are speaking of. It validates my experiences. It was not long in our conversation when he asked *me* if I Grumble!! Ha! I love it!!

One comment that Steven made, which made me stop and think was the fact that we, as framers, are in a visual industry and our shops should reflect that. I have witness on more than one occasion where some shop owners have forgotten that. Steven has a great shop with everything in the right place. Thanks for the chat, Steven, hope to see you at the next convention.

-Becky

Turning Corners

The other day I crossed the line. Today I turned the corner. The feelings of regret, lost love and missed opportunity in Napa have subsided with my arrival on the East Coast. I am still 600 miles from my destination of Deerfield, New Hampshire. But it’s the East Coast and I am now in the same time zone as my family. I feel a sudden urge to hurry up and get home. I want to be there right now. Even though I am staying with good friends in Richmond, Virginia the call from home is being heard, like a little lost lamb finally hearing its mothers call. But I can’t leave here now. I want to see more grumblers and frame shops.

I have been traveling for four weeks and the lack of exercise and good nutrition has taken a toll. My brain is fried. I’m tired and emotionally drained. The last few blog entries have lacked anything good to read. It has all been boring. I couldn’t find the creativity needed to highlight HannaFate and Mikki’s visits the way I should have. I almost want to skip more shop visits. It would be a shame to show up and be half there.

Also, I need to find a stable home for the kitty. The poor cat has been such a good boy during all this. It is very likely it has been harder on me by just thinking he is not happy, than it actually has been for him. But if *I* think he’s not happy, then, he’s not happy. Can a cat be happy? Maybe? I do things for him because it makes me feel better. If you have ever truly loved an animal, then you understand.

Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened.
-Anatole France

Crossing the Line

I crossed the line yesterday; the imaginary line of no return. Before I left Amarillo Texas, I believed if I wanted to return to Napa, I still could. But after yesterday I felt I had traveled too far to go back. I am not sure why the line was where it was, it was very tangible to me. It has been difficult to move forward emotionally even while my physical body moved onward. I am having more trouble keeping thoughts of Mike and our life together out of my mind. There are too many triggers. I think it is the boredom. I have been visiting fewer frame shops and putting in more miles on the road which leaves too much time to think. For hours on end my brain is busy thinking of things to write about in this blog or remembering good times with Mike. I have been trying to focus on the end of this journey when I am reunited with my family and friends. I feel bad because I can’t do that. I don’t want them to think I don’t want to be with them because all I can do is think about how much I want to go back to California. Why is it so difficult sometimes to only see the negative? Negativity is one of the reasons my relationship with Mike didn’t work out. It was too easy for him to see the negative even when the positive was more attractive and standing in front of him.

Something has happened to the freedom I was feeling. It seems to dwindle along with my bank account. Money equals freedom. Of course, some would argue just the opposite. But it is money that is getting me across the country. The pressure to get to New Hampshire quickly is gripping me. I need to have money in my pocket when I arrive. After all, I still have bills to pay. And no job.

Although, I may stay in the Richmond, Virginia area for a while to see if there are any job opportunities. This will also give me a chance to meet more Grumblers. The past week has been a bit lonely as my car and the road have been my company. I did stop to see one Grumbler, though, HannaFate in Albuquerque. As it turned out, Hanna is a very nice lady. I wasn’t sure what to expect as she forewarned me she was “weirder than advertised”. I knew her art work was unusual, but that did not say much. So some of her artwork is not the kind to be sold at the local farmers market, but it is cool nonetheless! I got to take a couple of Hanna’s buttons that she makes to sell at events. I already have a spot picked out for one of the buttons, and the other is going to a friend in Napa….. She will appreciate the Bush bash. Check out Hanna’s website here.

Thanks again, Hanna, for your generosity. The breakfast burrito was fabulous. And so was the ride in your very cool car!

One of the draw backs of stopping to visit grumblers, is they are all such nice people. I find myself liking them enough to want to stay around and get to know them better; like being friends for real, not just on the grumble or facebook. So was the case with Grumbler, Mikki, from Crossville, Tennessee. I wish I had more time to spend with her. There must be some common traits among most framers that make us compatible.

Mikki has one of the cutest frame shops I’ve seen. See her website here. Her shop is filled with many nice gift items and several framed pieces she designed which shows off her creative talent. I don’t know what happened to my brain while I was there; I left my camera in the car and never thought to get some pictures! I also can’t remember the name of Mikki’s friend who stopped in to say hello while I was there. Between the two of them and their Southern accents, I had a hard time NOT speaking with an accent myself. The urge was so strong! When I was about 7 years old my cousins from Savannah, Georgia came to live with us for a few months. I managed to pick up their accents and got teased for it at school! The accent felt natural to me.

Thanks Mikki, for taking the time out of your busy day to talk with me. If you ever want to sell that beautiful Chronomat mat cutter, call me first!

I am looking forward to visiting more grumblers in the Richmond and DC areas.

-Becky

San Diego and Arizona II

I am still in Arizona with Shelly and Karl. The mornings here are slow and peaceful, as we sit on the patio sipping coffee in the warm sun. Sammy and Gizmo, the family dogs, are playing around with their toys. They are fun to watch. Sammy is a 13 year old German Shepard and is as sweet as can be. Gizmo, pictured to the left, is a little hyper Maltee-Poo who is so freakin cute! I love how animals can make the world around me seem insignificant just by being cute. I can't imagine my world without them.

It is day five and now, and after a few days of indecision to stay for a while longer or to head out, I have decided to leave here on Sunday. I enjoy the company of my sister-in-law and her husband but not having anything to do is driving me nuts. I have visited several frame shops and I could visit more, but I feel the need to be more productive or at the very least earn my keep here. I have asked repeatedly if there is anything I can do around the house and the answer is always the same, to just take it easy and to clean up after myself. Well, that is too easy. I need more. When I am on the road I don't feel this way. I believe it has to do with freedom. I can't feel free in any one Else's home. Silly I know, and Shelly has done so much to make me feel at home, too. The road is calling me again.

The ache in my heart is re-awakening after being dormant for a last several days. I keep finding places to go to knowing that the last time I was there was with Mike. Yesterday I drove by a Sonic restaurant and pulled in for a burger. I knew the last burger I had from this place was while I was in Napa with Mike. Just before I placed my order a few tears began to roll. I have been good about not letting this happen, but sometimes I just need to go to that place of mourning. My body craves it like a smoker needs that first morning drag. I get so angry sometimes as a vision of our life together pops into my brain. We were meant to be, I just know it. So why didn't it work out the way I thought it would? What the hell went so wrong? Did my gypsy spirit feel so trapped to the point of self destruction and eventual preservation? Possibly. This sucks.

OK, I am going back to NH to be with my family. I can hardly wait to be with them. No doubt I will be able to heal the emotional scars quicker when I am with my mother, sister and my best friend, Barbara. But California has such a strong hold on me. It fits my life style. Hmm, Conundrum.

Speaking of California, I loved San Diego. I would have liked to stay longer to look for a job, but my finances were dictating my moves. And I knew I had a place to stay in Arizona. If the timing had been a bit better, I would have been able to spend a night with Rob and Barbara Markoff. As I had arrived in San Diego, so did a few guests of the Markoffs. I very much appreciated Rob saying I would have been welcomed to the guest room, otherwise. Now that I think about it, I really missed a great opportunity. If I had stayed a night and been able to talk more with Barbara, and pick her brain a bit, I would have come away from San Diego much richer in knowledge. Crap, I really missed out.

My visit with Rob at his business Artagoeus! was fabulous. If there is ever a frame shop that is a destination, it is Rob and Barbara Markoffs place. So, if you are in the area call and arrange a visit. You will not regret it, you will take a way many great ideas on shop design and organization, as well as a lesson or two on successful business practices. One of the things I liked the most was how they have arranged the liners and fillets behind the design counter using what I would describe as a low wall of book shelves and drawers. Finding a particular fillet or liner would be quite easy. I have always valued good organization in a frame shop, as that is how I am most productive and happy, and Artrageous takes it to a new level. By the way, there is not only a design counter, but also a few free standing design tables with chairs. Very nice.

One thing stood out far above all of the business and that was Rob himself. I can't imagine a nicer or more accommodating person. He was very gracious in showing me around and made me feel as though I was a visiting friend, not just a framer stopping by to say hello. It was a very nice feeling.

Then there is Robs vast knowledge of framing, building and installing art. I am waiting for some one to invent a way to download a human brain into another. I here by put my request in to be first in line for a copy of both Rob and Barbara's knowledge.

Rob was kind enough to buy me lunch. I wish I could remember the name of the burger joint we went to. It was one of the best burgers I have had in while! It was just Rob and I at lunch. I hope it wasn't too obvious that I was nervous. In a previous blog entery I mentioned how I felt I was in the presence of celebrity when among the instructors at WCAF and the PPFA convention. Well, Rob is among them. So yeah, I was nervous, at first. Though it wasn't but a few minutes before he made me comfortable again. What a NICE guy!

So, thanks again, Rob. Your kindness was very much appreciated.

Last Monday (I think it was Monday, all the days seems to run together now), I visited the Fast Frame in Chandler, Arizona owned by Tracy Morse www.fastframe109.com. I am, once again, very glad I stopped in to say hi. Tracy was welcoming of a traveling framer and very willing to take time to talk. I was very happy to learn that Tracy has been busy. Her shop has been progressively better with each passing year. Yes, that means she had a great 2009! It was so refreshing to hear a frame shop owner who could say business has been good. For that alone was well worth my time to stop in. I left her shop feeling good knowing that if one person can do it, so can many more. The business is there, it just takes more effort to get it.

A good part of Tracy's success is due to the corporate art market. She is a disciple of Barbara Markoff and actually had a pre-press copy of Barbara's soon to be available book "Becoming A Corporate Art Consultant". To read more click here. The funny part of this was that we had been talking for a while before I mentioned my visit with Rob Markoff. It was then that Tracy said she needed to show me something. It was the book! I love how one visit to a frame shop can tie to another. The framing community seems so small at times.

So Tracy had taken a class of Barbara's on corporate art and then applied the things she learned to go out and successfully get the business. How awesome is that?! Before I had met Tracy, I was very anxious to read the book, because Baer Charlton told me at WCAF that I MUST read it, and now, after seeing Tracy put the knowledge to good use, I am even more excited. Thanks Tracy, I enjoyed our visit and hope to catch up you with again sometime.

San Diego and Arizona

I am not sure where the time goes. It has been 5 days since my last blog entry and I have been on the road for two weeks now. The hotels are getting harder to stay in. Packing up my stuff along with Sabastians food and litter box every morning is getting tiresome. But I do love the freedom of not being tied to anything or anyone. The gypsy spirit is evident even through my desire to end the lonely stretch of hotel stays. I have been fortunate though, for the past 3 nights I have stayed with friends or relatives. Saturday was a special treat as I visited and spent the night with a friend from what seems another lifetime ago. We were very close 21 years ago before she moved from New Hampshire to Tuscon, Arizona. When Missy and her partner Carolyn opened the door to welcome me, it felt like the previous 21 years had been only 2. I believe there are souls out there that when they meet, they are bonded for good. I feel that way with Miss. Reconnecting and sharing memories was good medicine for my lonely soul. Thank you Missy and Carolyn for your hospitality and generosity. You are loved.

Sunday I arrived in Maricopa, Arizona to stay a few nights with my Sister-in-law Shelly and her husband Carl. Shelly is my brothers former wife, so I guess the in-law part is not legally accurate, but the sentiment is. They have welcomed me into their home for as long as I would like to stay. It felt wonderful this morning to know I was not going to have pack up and leave, that I could be lazy and take my time getting out of bed.

Yesterday I visited a few frame shops in Chandler and Tempe Arizona. But before I mention more about them, there are two other frame shops I visited last week that will no doubt be the highlight of this trip.

Last Thursday I visited grumbler John Baker (JRB) in San Diego. John posts regularly on the grumble and it is apparent he knows what he is talking about when it comes to framing, but I was often unable to understand his humor. Meaning I did not always know if his post was being humorous, or if he was just being a curmudgeon. Well, it only took about 3 minutes of being around John before I discovered his wickedly funny sense of humor. He told me, in a serious tone of voice, to be careful in his shop, as he was anal about neatness. It was visually obvious he was no curmudgeon!

John also has a soft spot for injured and homeless animals. The shop dog, Murph, was homeless and then rescued by John as was the shop pigeon. Yes, I said pigeon! John rescued an injured pigeon and gave her a home and an opportunity to get better. There is also a shop cat, Bucket, pictured above. John's little pet menagerie was fun and that alone was worth the stop, but there is more, much more. While John, Murph and myself went for a walk along the ocean cliff side, I told John of my plans to move back East and look for a job in framing. He then told me about how he started his framing business with nothing and made a successful shop with just the determination to not starve. It is amazing how the need for food can fuel a man to find people who want something framed. Canvasing neighborhoods with fliers without skipping the run down homes and talking to people is how he started. Johns first shop sign was written on plain brown craft paper. John wasn't just telling me "I did it, so can you". It was more than that. It was encouragement. According to John, all I need is a simple mat cutter and a vise for slip joints. Along with the desire to work hard and not be afraid to ask someone to pay $5 for a custom framing job just to eat a burger.

My visit with John will not be forgotten. I left his place with some new confidence and excitement for returning home and beginning a new chapter in framing. Weather or not I start a business out of the garage, as he suggested, will remain an unknown for now, but the important thing that came from this is the belief that I can do it, if I want to. Thanks John, for all the encouragement, ideas and the time you gave so freely.

As it turns out writing is therapeutic, but also very time consuming. I'll save my visit with Rob Markoff and the shops I visited yesterday for the next entry. Stay tuned..... one of the shops in Arizona actually had a great 2009!

-Becky