Farewell, 2008

Some people are afraid of endings and new beginnings. Not me. I welcome them. Perhaps this comes from having moved all over the country for so many years. I either had to learn to welcome change or I would be faced with year after year of misery. I hate being miserable, it's so draining, so I learned to embrace change.

For me, the new year represents new beginnings, a chance to look back at what didn't work and make it right. A clean slate. It's exciting, it's refreshing, it's the universes way of cleansing. Ok, that may sound a bit zen like, but think about it? If you can be honest with yourself the start of a new year can be very therapeutic, and the world, especially now, could use some therapy.

We did a lot of things right at The Scented Garden this past year. The way I bought last January paved the road for success. While I never jeopardize the quality of our products, I did keep the price points at a more reasonable dollar amount, focusing on many items at $40 and under. In addition, our blog was started, our monthly newsletter was born, we were able to donate almost $4,000 to local charities, we bought "green" and our bath and body lines are now all natural and we were voted Best Luxury Gifts on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Not bad, considering the retail industry had one of it's worse years in decades.

Mostly, we are successful because of our loyal customers. When I attend the gift shows I'm always aware of my customers needs. It is not uncommon for me to see a line and think "Karen will love this" or "this is the type of gift that Linda is always looking for". So to my customers a big Thank You! The Scented Garden is only as successful as you make us.

2009 will usher in many new changes and hopefully they will all be for the good. A new President and administration will be met with some of the most difficult times our nation has ever seen. Our economy has taken on much stress, mostly due to fear and panic and but also due to greed. If you've ever noticed the pigs I have on the cash register and wondered why, it is to remind me that "pig's get fat and hogs get slaughtered". There is over 4 trillion dollars just sitting on the sidelines. People are afraid to spend, and I understand that, but WE HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE OUR ECONOMY. We are not helpless. We, everyday people, hold the power to make the changes that we need most. If you go into 2009 with no other goal, please, remember we have the power. Main street will always hold more power then wall street, we simply have to utilize this power.

So with open arms and a blank slate, I welcome 2009!!