Friday 23 January 2009

Fruit of Labours

I've always wondered how other small business owners who work from home organise their lives. The private life from the business life. Is there a distinction, or does one simply flow into the other? Does the whole family work in the business as ours do?

For years, we've had a home & productive food garden, a home-school and an engineering workshop with an office enclosed - all on the same piece of land in the country. Three separate entities to manage and coordinate. Nowadays, we still have the home and semi-productive food garden, (Homelife / Garden) the home-school room has been turned into an office / studio, and the engineering workshop (Machine Shop) has expanded. We have also purchased an old petrol station / roadhouse (the Shop) - just up the road from our home - which will one day become a retail outlet for metal creations (Metalsmithery) and have it's own coffee shop (The Daily Pie) enclosed. Later, there will also be a pie bakery (The Daily Pie) in the same building. At the rear of the old petrol station / roadhouse (Shop) we have practically rebuilt a three bedroom cottage (Grands Cottage), where my parents now live.

Big plans and dedication. Lots of work. Enormous amounts of motivation. Many sacrifices.

You know how you go through life sometimes and wonder what you've actually done - especially on non productive days? As I write all this out and think about the enormity of it all, I can only wonder how we've done what we have, and know - truly know - whence cometh our blessings and am truly grateful and thankful.

May God give us the strength, patience, tenacity and all the rest we need to continue with these graciously granted dreams - now reality.

Amen.

1 comment:

Housewife Savant said...

I've been meaning to email with questions about the plan for the shop. I was unclear.
Finally searched "Shop" on your blog to get to the earliest posts.
I knew there was metal arts coming.
I knew there'd be a cafe-ish area.
I wondered; who on earth are The Grands?
Aha! Savant knows all now.
Some people can't handle knowing everything. They lose humility. That'd never happen to me. If I was going ot have issues with pride; it'd be over my incredible wit, charming personality and/or movie-star good looks. I'm strong enough in character to handle knowing absolutely everything without braggin' over it.
Do you have a target date for launching the business?
How exciting! I won't take my EYES off your posts!

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