The Stockings (Some of the problems some customers have)

The Stockings
by Judith Owston

The Shopkeeper has annex a framing business along side her gift shop incorporating the poor long suffering husband to do the actual framing The Shopkeeper does assist in the framing, husband measures and makes all the parts such as frames, mounts, cut’s glass, or anything else that’s needed, The Shopkeeper cleans the glass, assembles, inserts points to hold together, and seals up with tape and stretches embroidery to be framed.
A customer who has had many of her favourite prints and pictures framed at The Shopkeepers emporium came to collect her latest pieces of artwork. The Framing Customer fetch an Elderly Friend with her, before collecting the framed pictures the two browsed, rummaging through the shop looking for that must have necessity as women do. Women are so gifted at shopping, men on the other hand are useless, they look either bored or bemused when shopping with these expertly knowledgeable shoppers, they usually shop when they realise there’s no food in the house, or the beer stocks are low. The Shopkeeper pondering on these thought as she observed the two ladies, was suddenly jolted out of her reverie by The Elderly Friend complaining her legs were tired. The Shopkeeper quickly produced her chair which parks at the end of the ice cream counter. A chair is a very useful piece of furniture to have in a shop, certainly the sort of shop The Shopkeeper owns. The Shopkeeper tentatively inquired about her legs
The Elderly Friend sat down with some relief and immediately remonstrated about the state of her swollen and aching lower limbs at some length. She leaned down and pulled up her trousers and exposed her legs, revealing crinkly thick, slipping down, knee stockings on skinny legs with ankles wider than her calves
“These are meant to be those elastic stockings from the doctors, them that hold ye legs in and look at them” they did appear to be rather slack The Shopkeeper thought.
The Shopkeeper likewise to the surprise of all the shoppers exhibited her legs and said “mm’ mine look to be a different make, they seem to be finer and tighter” then looking at the Elderly Friend “ask the doctor if you can have the make by ‘Dr Scholl they are better and tighter”
This advice the Elderly Friend took on board with much candour. A determined expression crossed her face; sort of serious with lips pursed an expression which told the onlooker she meant business.
“Right I am, as this is no good” she announced to all around.
The Framing Customer face had a smile on as she perused round the shop listening to the interjection between the two.
The Shopkeeper parcelled up the framed prints for the Framing Customer who was delighted with the results. A little smile broke across The Shopkeeper’s face enjoying the praise of a satisfied customer.
Eventually done with all their purchases they left the shop both happy and deep in thought; The Elderly Friend appearing taller, a woman with a mission. The Framing Customer planning her décor carried a faraway expression on her face. Both satisfied customers with different needs.
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A week or two later; The Shopkeeper doing her usual early morning walk with her dog before work, on the home ward stretch spied a group of people waiting at the bus stop. Thinking her dog would be jumping up and down to say hello as dogs do she crossed the road. A voice called “hello” The Shopkeeper looked round to find one of the people by the bus stop crossing the road to way lay her. The rather breathless Elderly Friend accosted her “I went to the doctors and I got those stockings you advised I didn’t land you in it I just said my sister-in-law has different ones and they are better, hers are called Dr Scholl so can I have them and they said yes, I’ve got them on they stay up better” pulling up her trousers to reveal her leg to all and sundries in the street “but look at the colour they are awful and that is suppose to be sand”
“Yes but they do go lighter when you wash them” The Shopkeeper said with a smile on her face
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A few weeks later The Framing customer came in went straight to the chair at the end of the ice cream counter crashing her heavy bulk down on the chair. She smiled at The Shopkeeper “I have decorated my bedroom and hung up the pictures” rummaging in her bag she displayed the pillow case “this is what the new bed covers are like” the pillow case was satin in pale blue design. Rather elegant and posh The Shopkeeper thought, then thinking of her own ordinary bed cover’s, had another more sensible thought running through her head, “not very practicable”.
“So you are pleased with your new decor'” The Shopkeeper interjected with a wise comment
“Oh yes its lovely” The Framing Customer replied beaming a satisfied smile on her face.

TEA. The Shopkeeper's favourite drink

Tea
How tea the simple beverage
Has shaped our very lives
The tea-break so essential
A break to helps us thrive
The steaming beverage waits,
As workers to the canteens rush,
The workers grab their steaming mugs
The canteen soon fills with hush

Afternoon tea a delicacy,
Toasted tea cakes, scones, jam and bread
Table-cloths, pretty china tea-sets
Help’s to make this lovely spread
A gathering of gentle ladies
Refined, polite and very posh
Stretch delicately out their little fingers,
Sipping from their china cup

Along some tiny street it hides
The little tea shop we long to find
So we can rest our weary legs
And then at last we see the tea pot sign
To sit down for that longed for rest
By tables, with white cloths so starched
No better joy can we impart
To quench a thirst that’s now so parched

©Judith Owston

The Shopkeeper: The Snow

The Shopkeeper: The Snow

The Snow

Snow

So much snow, to run a gift shop in a remote village in the winter does have its problems and one of the problems for our shopkeeper this year, is travelling to her small emporium. But stoically The Shopkeeper valiantly makes the journey on the unaccustomed snowy roads, recent winters have been very mild so mild the media have dwelt much on global warming but this winter a complete contrast developed in December with snow falling carpeting the countryside glistening white. When the first snow arrived it took everyone by surprise The Shopkeeper bravely set out on roads that were very snowy and icy; the snow plough had not been round the conditions were quite arctic she gingerly travelled at 20mph. Her heart pounding she arrived in the village of Middleton-in-Teesdale very relieved to be in one piece.
The first job was to clear a pathway through the snow from her car to the back door of the shop. Then out in the front of her shop the same problem arose snow everywhere, out came her strong brush and she set to work clearing the whole pavement in front of the shop. This is not technically her job but she knew if she left it would travel into her shop making a fine old mess.
Each day running up to Christmas snow everywhere The Shopkeeper did find people were more in the Christmas spirit of things and were purchasing for Christmas as she cleared the pavement outside her shop of snow and slush she mused on these thoughts Christmas shopping had been slow to start; but with the white powder falling everywhere people had certainly got into the Christmassy spirit. So busy with the snow clearing The Shopkeeper was neglecting her shop glancing in she could see people waiting at the counter, she called “sorry I’m just clearing the snow” as she headed to her counter, “that’s not your job” the customer said her hands full of various items soft toys, Christmas paper, and many other goodies, she plonked them down on the small area of The Shopkeepers reserved piece of counter. The rest of her counter full of things various, as her sales reps’ ever increasing demands must be ‘at point of sale’ consequently the counter resembling a picturesque flower bed of plants tumbling over encroaching ever more of the trading area.

After the Christmas break the snow continued building up higher the countryside resembling more the traditional Christmas card. Snow ploughs valiantly keeping the roads open, The Shopkeeper cautiously journeying to her shop. Trade very much slumped due to the inclement conditions people were very cautious only making necessary journeys to the village and tourist who ventured out to the dale were also fewer. So The Shopkeeper had little to do except clear snow as it piled up in front of her small emporium. Lots of days she found herself keeping an eagle eye on the weather making a quick retreat up to the hill village of her home. On one particular day The Shopkeeper seeing the snow falling some what heavier with bigger flakes decided it was time to flee. The harrowing journey home wards through the blizzard conditions was quite hair-raising with the howling wind blowing from the snow clad moor forming drifts on the road fortunately a tractor loomed up in front. The Shopkeeper tense behind the wheel of her car felt somewhat relieved to see through the fog of drifting snow the sign of life if rather remote as her car skidded along. Not daring to stop as she knew her two wheeled drive car would skid and stick as she tried to resume. Then through the car mirror she spied another tractor behind, now feeling much more secure she plunge on keeping the momentum going driving from one side of the road to the other as she manoeuvred her car round the forming drifts. The journey seemed to take an age her hands sweating on the steering wheel while her body aching with tension as she peered through the windscreen, the wipers valiantly moving from side to side clearing snow with their steady reliable motion. At last her village then to The Shopkeeper’s relief her home, pulling in to the deep, piling up snow in the house gateway The Shopkeeper slumped down in her car seat only to be aware of the pounding of her heart, as relief washed over her, to be home at last.
Yes winter trading in her small gift shop does have problems most town shops could never envisage. The hazards of keeping a small country shop going are far removed from the imaginations of the masses.

Another Poem

Cat and Molly

The Cat tugged, chewed, pulled at the string
Molly playfully dangling, the string in the air
Rolling on his back, he clutched the string tightly
Pulling tight to his chest, with all his might and care
Molly pulled back tautly, then back with a snap
Cat bounded on all fours, as string freed from his grasp




























Molly now high, dangling string to the ground
Cat pounced and chased, as the string dangled around
Molly trailed the string, ‘snake like’ slithering round the floor
Cat watched eagle-eyed, while hiding behind the door
Crouching, tense, alert, Cat darted out, then pounced
Loud laugh from Molly as she circled in gleeful dance

©Judith Owston