17 Comments
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Emma's avatar

It’s Emma the psychology student here! I’m really enjoying reading your posts every week. I didn’t end up practicing psychology, but I did end up a vegetarian! I always think of your deconstructed puy lentil dhal when I cook with puy lentils now. My tastes and culinary skills have come a long way since the cheese sandwich days!

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Vanilla Black's avatar

Ahhh, Emma. Lovely to hear from you and pleased to hear that we inspired you.

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Caroline Osella's avatar

My heart is ripped open.

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Vanilla Black's avatar

But wait…..

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Jenn Sharp's avatar

Beautiful. I opened my dream business in Dec 2007…yeah wish I’d known what was coming…an Organic Grocery with Cafe…in the historic downtown of my small Louisiana town..lines around the corner the day we opened. But sadly only lasted a few years with the struggles 2008 brought. I had poured two years of planning, networking, love and dreams into opening it. Historic Brick building, 20 foot ceilings, exposed beams, stained concrete floors..built in 1919, the old Ford Dealership. 😊

But life teaches us lessons…I am grateful. My then 14 year old son (working for free in moms store) became a super health nut when lots of kids go a different path. And he still is. And his younger siblings followed him (their icon).

My view…dreams are bittersweet. But we must have them to be whole.

Thank you for reminding me. It was the most thrilling, and stressful, time of my life. But I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

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Vanilla Black's avatar

Thank you for sharing this. Your business sounds like it was a special place, that building must have been amazing.

But yes, imagine if you hadn’t done it, you’d walk past still to this day and wonder.

I remember 2008, I can’t spoil our story in here but it was brutal for business.

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Jenn Sharp's avatar

I’m with you friend.😊

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Felicity Jones's avatar

I’m with your Mam about rocket.

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Vanilla Black's avatar

OK. Made any steam recently?

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Felicity Jones's avatar

A rare serious comment from me! I think you capture perfectly that intensity of working together and everything being preserved in a time and place, and the specific loss that comes when you have been the ones holding the stuff together and then you stop. Looking forward to reading about the London years …

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Vanilla Black's avatar

Thank you Felicity, honestly, that’s much appreciated.

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Sue Magee's avatar

What a tear jerker 😢

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Vanilla Black's avatar

But wait…

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James's avatar

Now I think of it, some chopped rocket would have gone down a treat in that sandwich

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Vanilla Black's avatar

Watevs.

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Andy Lynes's avatar

I'm feeling sad now. Great song though.

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Vanilla Black's avatar

We’ll soon perk you up.

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