 Stranded at The Beadinâ Path!! ICE STORM 2008
December 11th- 12th 2008 By Debra Ward
I guess itâs every bead personâs dream to be stranded overnight in a bead store! (Not to mention our store!) Yupâ¦itâs happened!
Driving an hour to work each day may be an issue for some, but for me itâs a beautiful drive from Turner to Freeport. Mostly back roads, they twist through Lewiston/Auburn, through Durham, and then finally to Freeport. The route is winding and follows the Androscoggin River. Maine is noted for its unpredictable weather. One day itâs bright and sunny and then by afternoon the weather can changeâ¦.and at times unforgiving and dangerous. Living here in Maine for most of my life you get use to it somewhat. There have been many times when Iâve been reminded storms can come up without warning and living here you need to be prepared!
 Yesterdayâs weather came with all the warnings from all the news stations and weather bureaus, especially after our infamous ice storm of 98â which left thousands without power for several weeks! There was nothing simple about this new storm now in the forecast. Rain, then ice, then snow, then rain and ice again. Depending on the area of Maine you live in usually depends on what you get and how long it lasts. A lot of definite no-way-to-predict information! Beginning with a little bit of rain/sleet in the morning, by afternoon it was snow/rain/freezing rain and very slippery walking, let alone driving. I made the decision to stay put instead of driving the hour home not knowing what Iâd be driving into once I got there!
(smile) How fun is it to be in the store alone during a storm? A blast! Working upstairs at my desk for most of the day, I seldom have the chance to just browse through the store and see all the new bead goodies on display. For me to be able to really take my time anyway.
 Coming down the stairs from the officesâ¦there they are!! Stone is my favorite! Beautiful semi precious strands all silently hanging there in the dark wanting to be designed into a wonderful piece for someoneâs Christmas gift! Every shape you can imagine. Tourmaline, Amethyst, way too many to mention! As you walk through the store then you arrive at Swarovski Crystal. The vintage crystal is displayed, and then contemporary crystals on the adjoining wall. I could look at them for days! New cuts and colors can make you dizzy trying to decide the perfect color to accent a special pendent. Cool clasps and findings, then special artist beads on display in glass or clay from creative imagination and patience. Iâm getting light headed just thinking about it! And the books! Books are one of those things that always retain their value. Education only grows, so books about anything are fabulous! Beading books detail design ideas for the new beader showing step by step projects for any age and taste. Then other books with more difficult projects for more advanced beaders to tackle. There are even some great books out with just pictures of different artists work and what inspired them! The new Masters Beadweaving book is a new favorite of mine. There are Christmas trees with beady ornaments, beady decorations, and bead kits just waiting for the customers who will come and shop in the morning after the storm passes. Storm or no storm, the bead people will come ready to shop!
I took my time wandering through the store in the quiet to make sure I didnât miss anything. Smiling to myself at how fortunate I was to be spending the night in such a special place. This store was Jan & Heatherâs dream at one time 15+ years ago. Now years and hard work later The Beadinâ Path is a world wide business with impeccable customer service, and dedicated staff who are more like family. A special gift in itselfâ¦.
I finally went back upstairs to finish up some work from the day. I then pulled out the beads for a special project to finish up for one of the owners to give as a gift, and listened to the storm updates from time to time before going to sleep on the futon saved for just this kind of occasion. In the morning the store will open after the power is back on and the shoppers will be back hunting for that one special beady treasure they braved the messy driving to find.
I wish you all a special Christmas wish from The Beadinâ Path!
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