wishing well

Tonight I saw a rainbow over our neighborhood. I took Dora out for a stroll after dinner, enjoying a cool breeze even though the sun still feels hot - a first tiny glimpse of fall. We went down the steep hill by our house, then slowly ambled back up towards Haywood Road. We were under a beautiful blue sky with huge white clouds, and in the distance was a cloudburst, just enough to create a beautiful rainbow at the top of the hill.


We took a break halfway through our walk at one of my favorite places in West Asheville, Two Spoons. I really love this place, and if they had a website I'd be giving you a link right now, but you just have to trust me that it's really fantastic. They serve Ultimate Ice Cream, handmade in Asheville, and they are located within walking distance of my house. You can't go wrong. They have a mini waffle cone with a kid-sized scoop for 2.70 called the Hot Mama, and that's what I always get, usually with coconut ice cream. Tonight, it was Very Cherry. Oh yeah.


Now, before you go thinking that all I ever feed my kid is ice cream, popsicles, and cake (which would be only natural to think since nearly all the photos of her I've used in this blog show her eating sweets), I just want to point out that I go to Two Spoons for a higher purpose than just indulging my favorite vice. I go there to support local business! I know, I know - the whole locavore thing is probably getting old for some people, but I really love following that philosophy, and I really love the idea of supporting someone else's dream. I mean, I know I support Ben and Jerry's dream when I eat their ice cream (which I also do quite regularly), but I actually know one of the women involved in the Two Spoons venture - and not just because I'm in there all the time. So I feel like my 2.70 is buying me something great, but it's also my little contribution to another regular gal's wishing well.

Strolling home in the sunshine, I thought about a phone conversation I had last night with one of my absolute best friends in the entire world. We were talking about wishing wells of our own - business ideas and creative ventures we both hope to pursue someday. It was so great to share ideas, and to wistfully imagine what it would be like to co-own some artsy little joint, with local photographs, muffins we bake ourselves, and a kitty in the window. If only we didn't live 700 miles apart.


OK, so maybe it is a little wishing-wellish to be talking about quitting our jobs to own our own businesses. I readily admit that owning your own business is overly romanticized, and from experiencing the ups and downs of it with my husband I can say from experience that it is definitely not easy. But, really, how absolutely fabulous would it be to get up in the morning, give my husband and baby a kiss goodbye, and start my morning commute walking down Haywood Road with a cup of coffee in my hand? (I don't drink coffee - can't handle the caffeine - but it goes so well with my little imaginary world I have to include it). Imagine - opening up the door of my shop - maybe the door's painted a nice bright red - turning around the sign in the window to "OPEN", pulling up the shades to let in the morning light. Hear the kitty purring in the window? Smell those oatmeal blueberry muffins I just set out? Perhaps my shop would have some handknits, some yarn and knitting supplies, a few books, photographs, hand-lettered cards, and whatever other artsy things I and my friends come up with. Oh, and of course, a collection of CDs by Brian and our other musical friends. On slow days maybe I'll sit at my laptop writing my blog - or my book!

It's such a perfectly sweet scene it's like something out of a movie - like the Shop Around the Corner only less annoying, or the bookstore in Notting Hill, only I'm the manager instead of Hugh Grant (sorry girls). I realize this is a little on the unrealistic side, but I also really, really love the fact that I'm still letting myself go there with a little glimmer of hope that I'll someday make it reality. I at least want to try something like this someday. And if I do, and if on the slow days I'm here on Nina writing something about missing my old office job, you can all kick me in the pants.

I know all about the grass and how green it can be on the other side, but I really think my little pipe dreams and those of my friends are more than just that. Here's to hoping we all get the chance to find out.