Blue Moon Bookstore

Independent bookstores have a hard time staying open when the economy is good, but an even harder time when things are tough. The latest casualty is Blue Moon in Spruce Pine. My writers' group held our monthly meeting here, as did the local women's poetry group, Eve's Night Out. The building used to be a pharmacy complete with soda fountain I'm told, and it has such great historic charm. Hopefully it won't stay empty for long. (There's even talk of someone wanting to try their hand at the bookstore thing, with maybe art classes and such as well.)


This is my friend Sharon Huskey. She bought the bookstore (building is rented) a few years ago and has been a downtown fixture ever since. She held on as long as she could, but it just wasn't meant to be. But Sharon has come out the other side with a bushel of friends at her side and a strength only a woman, especially a red-headed woman, can have. ;-)


Judith Smith, a member of my writers' group, organized a pot luck at the store on Tuesday evening, the last day of business. Lots of people came to offer Sharon support and she really seemed to be enjoying the company. Great people hang out at bookstores.



Sharon gave me one of the bookstore's chairs since my recliner was falling apart, and she knew I couldn't afford a new one right now. I love this chair...it's like my own piece of the store, and it's bigger than it looks. I can even curl my feet up under me when I sit in it (a big deal when you're a large person like I am). But, I don't actually get to sit in it as much as I'd like to. For some reason, Face has adopted it as her own. She has never done that, usually stays in our bedroom or in her own little bed in the living room. She likes smells so maybe it's the "new" smells she gets on the chair: Sharon's late dog (Bascom), her cat (Freda), the various customers, the store itself. Whatever it is, The Empress, as Face insists on being called, has claimed it and will not give it up. Sometimes she lets one or both of her brothers cuddle up in the chair with her, but not often.


As long as I have this chair, I will look at it and think of Blue Moon...and smile.