I've been going to a wonderful little gift shop in the village for many years, called Erica's Place. As a matter of fact, I was one of the first customers to enter the door. The owner Joanne and her mother were very excited about finally owning their own business and graciously welcomed me. We instantly bonded as friends and they shared a little about themselves and how they had wanted to do this for quite some time. It seems the mother, when much younger, was close friends with Jackie Kennedy Onassis. They had shopped the world together, and many of the items in the shop were personal items belonging to Joanne's mother. The shop was full of gorgeous vintage collectibles, beautiful pieces of art and fine linen she had purchased in her travels. Needless to say, these ladies had impeccable taste. I had that feeling you get when you've made a grand discovery and my home has a few nice pieces purchased there from time to time. I stopped in to see my dear friends this past weekend, glad to see the shop full of customers, knowing business was good. We exchanged warm greetings and asked about one another. I stayed a short time enjoying each moment as we shared in genuine, caring for one another, conversation. My purchase was the beautiful candles shown in the photo. As I embraced my friends, and wished them Merry Christmas, I realized I was walking out the door with something so valuable, given to me freely by them....it was the gift of their friendship. A beautiful thing....
