We’re about a month away from the official beginning of summer here in eastern Montana. The weather today is beautiful — blue sky, no wind, moderate temperatures in the 60s and 70s. There is hope in the air throughout the community. When I came home from Idaho several weeks ago, it was a quite different scene — cold freezing rain and snow, bitter wind, grey skies. I’d been planning my Flashback Garage business all winter, with ideas of taking the plunge into shipping my gift baskets rather than limiting purchases for local pickup or delivery; celebrating a bricks-and-mortar soft opening; and moving my crafting workshop over to the garage building. And, some day, transforming it into a maker’s studio for local artisans who might like a friendly space to gather, work, and sell their creations. The model for the store and studio interior — in my mind’s eye — has always been a very popular indoor vintage marketplace in Coeur d’Alene where individual sellers display their unique collections of recycled, re-purposed, upcycled, and handcrafted items in an eclectic array that somehow manages to be both jumbled and orderly. I like to re-imagine my Flashback garage interior in a similar style — organized chaos that delights the senses. With plants, art, nostalgic décor. Light, bright, airy. White with accents of living greenery. Twinkling lights. Mini re-creations of yesteryear and shared childhood memories. Kombucha on tap. Homemade scones.
Well. I got back, unpacked my 5×8 cargo trailer holding dozens of treasures great and small, craft supplies, and a few furniture pieces for the workshop. Except, there were big water puddles from dripping ceilings along the back side of the entire building. The roof is approximately 75 feet long. Fortunately, there was enough room on the south side to stack my boxes of baskets and gift items away from the leaks, but my dreams were seriously dampened by this not-unexpected wet reality.
On that blustery day, I became quite discouraged. Maybe I should sell the building, sell my house, move, and walk away from my vision. The next day, Monday, I set out to find roofers who would even consider coming out to the property and give me a bid. I also decided to locate my craft workshop to a little guest house next to my home. That didn’t quite work out, so I rearranged my home office and living room into one big workspace instead. I unboxed my new Cricut® and Epson® 2760 color printer, and got two quotes to repair the leaking seams on the roof. The good news was that I did not need a whole new roof. For the moment, I was back on track. Hope has reappeared.
There are some, probably many, who would question my reasons for this undertaking. Fortune or folly? I choose fortune. My reason? My “why”? I believe in a circular economy model to reduce waste and energy. Our consumerist throwaway culture isn’t sustainable any more. Actually, it never was, but it had a good long run. The amount of trash in our landfills is horrifying. From buildings to everyday items, we can choose to save and revive, or remake and transform our immense, and burdensome, stuff with new functionality and purpose. And in my mind’s eye, add beauty and hope for the future.
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