Last week a yellow Caterpillar bulldozer arrived at 515 Sunderland Road and knocked down the building that formerly housed Annie’s Garden and Gift Store. A friend told me about it, and I went to see for myself.
It was a sunny, warm day. The buds on the crabapple tree were swelling. A large toad jumped out of the weeds into the full water garden. Redwings whistled in the field. The sounds of cars hummed in the background.
I stood on the brick entrance way, then I stepped onto the maroon painted slab. It was in pieces, but I found a small bit and put it in my pocket.
As I stood there, the CAT disappeared and I was standing in a room full of flowers, dried and fresh. Diana Krall was singing on the stereo. Women’s laughter was coming from the greenhouse. The sound of flowing water came from nearby fountains. Books, cards, colorful pottery, statuary, linens, candles, the smell of spring sprang full blown in my mind.
When I turned around to leave, I leaned down to dig some soil. It was black and stony. I never gave up the dream of re-opening Annie’s until that day. Every time I drove by, I thought, “I could, want to do it again.” Then, “Don’t be silly. It’s too late.”
Still, the next time I passed, the dream hatched again. The CAT put an end to the dream.
So this is a farewell letter to thank all of you Recorder readers for your love and support all of the years we had Annie’s. We still have our pots, our poems, our water fountains, our dried wreaths, our t-shirts, our earrings and our memories now. It won’t happen again, but oh my, wasn’t it a wonderful time? Thank you, friends.
Annie Cheatham
Conway