December is the month I wish the store to be a thousand feet bigger than it is…it is the month when goods arrive, by the truck load, and I wonder…  did I buy the right mix, will it all sell, why didn’t I buy more, why didn’t I buy less and was I smoking my shorts when I bought this!  It is the time when the slightest insecurity (not that I have any insecurity!) comes charging forth.  But then my wonderful clients come in and we laugh and talk, they buy, I thank them for their support of this wacky little store.  At night, when the lights go out and the alarm comes on I think to myself…this is great fun and then I think why not open another store, heck…get a whole franchise going, why stop at one store!  I can only tell you that December does silly things to those of us brave enough to be merchants…we navigate the month with joy and self doubt, we wonder about our choices!  Some of us wonder why we didn’t stay married or even get married…or become folks with a tiny bit more security.  Most of us love the joy of it all, the people who believe in our stores, those who shop locally.  We are a lucky bunch…talk to me in January!