The stained glass store

On this trip Jo wanted her small lesson studio organized. Even though the room was small I removed 131 lbs/59 kg of scrap glass from the room and brought it all home with me. She had kept trying to get me to take home glass last month but I didn’t until this time. I weighed it as I brought it in my house as I know she will get a kick out of knowing how much I pulled out of that one small room.

There is literally thousands of pounds of scrap glass in the warehouse.

She loves that room now. Out of 12 four foot fluorescent lamps lighting up that room, 7 were burned out so taking care of that lit things back up. She uses that room for cutting large sheets of glass and pricing it before it goes out into one of the four glass room.

In two of the glass rooms I installed new bright white LED light bulbs and dropped all of the bulbs down 4” with extensions so the light would spread instead of being up inside the recessed can lights. She loved it. I didn’t tell her I was going to do it until I did it. Everyone else is also loving what I have been accomplishing in the store.

In addition to the 4 glass rooms there are many other rooms plus a large warehouse. I had organized much of the warehouse last month.

Still to do is the big showroom, small showroom, long room, office, large personal studio & her favorite space, the hot shop where she does torch work. I changed out her light bulbs with bright white LED’s plus added a new 4’ LED fixture over the work bench she uses when she gives lessons. She now loves the lights in the hot shop.

Everything I do in her store makes her so happy.

All of her friends have been trying for years to get her to do what I am doing but none of them see the place as I do. All they see is the mess.

What I see is the most wonderful 30 year history of the store she first opened when she was 60 years old. Thousands of lessons given. The incredible skills of her husband in building and wiring everything in that entire building.

I told her that she has the most incredible and beautiful mess I have ever been able to help organize and I love doing it and seeing how happy it makes her with every little thing that gets done.

I consult with her constantly, ask questions and tell her where I put certain things so she can find everything. She never wanted anyone to clean things up until she got to know my sister and how my sister does things.

Between this trip and the last one I was looking for a piece of light green waterglass. Jo found me one. She had a full crate of it.

Above is the long room where she gives lessons.

When I was cleaning out the small studio I had been taking all pieces of glass 6” x 6” and larger out to Jo so she could price it and put it out on the floor. Of that glass she set aside all of the pieces of waterglass which she gave to me when we left.

What was unusual about that was that she is constantly trying to give me everything all the time. I knew something was up. This morning when it was time for me to come home my sister tells me that she wants us to stop by the store and see Jo before we go.

Before we left my sisters house I went to her and told her that I smell a conspiracy between her and Jo. I was right too. Jo wanted me to go shopping as a thank you.

When we got there I told Jo I figured out the conspiracy. Soooo…

I went on a 3 1/2 hour shopping spree going through every crate of glass in the place looking for every color of waterglass except for black since I already had a bunch of that at home. The only color I couldn’t find in the store was orange. I finally found one piece of it in the very last crate I went through in the warehouse.

The majority of what I got was all the colors of waterglass but I did grab a large piece of clear glue chip and one good sized piece of a green and blue transparent wispy.

I had asked if she had any rings to make small light shades for my fireplace wall sconces. I needed two, she said take three. Then I spotted a small styrofoam lamp form with patterns. Got that. She knew my copper foil tape was about 7 years old so she gave me more of it as if she didn’t give me some last time for the same reason.

She’s a hoot. I told her I didn’t grab any of the iridized waterglass because I have never done iridized anything before so so she makes me grab some anyway.

So Jo is finally happy that I got glass. I’m just happy helping her at the right time when she needs it. The OCD in me loves organizing things for people. I am very much the talk of the town in that glass circle of all of her friends that have all offered to help for years. She needed me and it brings me much happiness to bring her this happiness.

I click with very few people but when it comes to good people we click immediately. Jo and I click. It’s a rare experience and is so much fun. Lot’s of blood involved handling that much glass that quickly.

Jo needed an angel so she got to know my sister and found one in her. Then she kept hearing about me. Now she has two. Just thinking about how happy she is with the progress makes me smile.

Before I left I told her to think about what area she wants me to do next month. Whatever her priority is, that will be what I transform next.

Since I was 28 years old my play land was the biggest music store in town. Designing and installing the stores and getting to play with all of the equipment that I loved playing with. Now at 60 years old my new play land is a stained glass store. Loving what you do makes a huge difference. It isn’t working, it’s playing.