Episode 354 || Surviving the Pandemic
Hello and Happy New Year! We hope you had a great Holiday and are having a great start to your 2022. We are taking a much needed break at the beginning of January. To keep From the Front Porch on track with weekly releases, our team wanted to put together some special episodes over the next three weeks. In this episode of From the Front Porch, we are going to take a look back at 2020 and 2021.
Every Tuesday, Olivia and Annie gave an update on how they were doing and on how the Bookshelf was surviving the pandemic. This episode is a compilation of those updates.
From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf’s daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today’s episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.
A full transcript of today’s episode can be found below.
Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
Thank you again to this week’s sponsor, Visit Thomasville. Whether you live close by or are passing through, I hope you'll visit beautiful Thomasville, Georgia: www.thomasvillega.com.
If you liked what you heard in today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch.
We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.
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episode transcript:
Annie [00:00:01] [squeaky porch swing] Welcome to From the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business and life in the South. [as music plays out].
[00:00:43] Hello, and happy New Year to everybody. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that you're having a joy-filled and rest-filled start to 2022. I am, as of this recording, taking a much needed break at the beginning of January. So to keep From the Front Porch on track with weekly releases, our team wanted to put together some special episodes over the next three weeks until I'm back with a brand new episode on January 27th, where I'll be talking to Hunter about our 2022 reading resolutions.
[00:01:18] This episode, we decided to take a look back at 2020 and 2021. A scary, scary, feat. Every Tuesday, during 2020 and the first few months of 2021, Olivia and I would record new release Tuesday episodes for our Patreon supporters. We would talk about newly released titles out that week, but what it quickly became was a time capsule of running a business during a pandemic. And I would never have noticed this were it not for a Patreon supporter whose name I cannot remember. I have dug through my DMs and I cannot find. Maybe it was a Megan. Not sure, but someone pointed out to me that listening to those back episodes, those back new released Tuesday episodes on Patreon, was getting a glimpse at what it was like to live through a pandemic and to be running a small business.
[00:02:12] So at the start of this new release Tuesday episodes, Olivia and I would give these little updates on how we were doing, how the store was doing. It wasn't even intentional. It was just Olivia and I were mostly working alone at that point, especially early in 2020, and so we would kind of check in with each other. And you can probably tell by the end that we were exhausted. So the first new released Tuesday episode that addresses the pandemic is from March 17th, 2020. And then as the episodes progress, we become more and more tired as we're trying to keep The Bookshelf afloat. And we're also realizing, like at first, we're keeping track of how many weeks in a pandemic we've survived. And by spring of 2021, we're no longer keeping track.
[00:03:00] And it's becoming apparent to us that these weekly episodes are things that are no longer sustainable in the life of the store. Now, here we are at the start of 2022. 2021 was a financially successful year for The Bookshelf. We were able to grow and hire new employees and expand our team. We were able to continue to serve long distance and online customers through shipping, through shelf subscriptions, through Patreon. I'm really pleased with and proud of how we were able to function in a year that looked a whole lot like the previous one. I think we all had these really high hopes for 2021, and instead it was a lot of pivoting and making hard decisions and canceling things. I remember when we hosted our first in-person author events, just a Saturday afternoon signing in the fall of 2021. So just a few months ago, and at that moment, we were all wearing masks, but we were so excited to have this author, a dear friend of ours, come and do a signing.
[00:04:09] And then the next day we found out someone -- not one of our staff, but someone who had attended that event had COVID. And so just so much scrambling and so many hard decisions. And 2021 just wound up looking a lot like 2020. But here we are, the start of another new year, and I am feeling extraordinarily hopeful and extraordinarily grateful because a lot of other small businesses didn't survive. Maybe they couldn't survive the pandemic. They couldn't survive the burnout and exhaustion that comes with running a business through a crisis. And The Bookshelf thanks to so many of you, The Bookshelf is still here and that feels like a real win. And so we're no longer recording weekly check ins or weekly new release Tuesday episodes.
[00:05:02] But I hope you'll enjoy hearing what those months were like in real time as we try to become a totally different kind of business and as we try to handle new information every day, just like you all were handling new information every day and how that affected our staff and our planning and what we were doing in store. So special thanks to Patreon supporter maybe Meghan for this wonderful idea, for giving me the opportunity to go back and listen to these episodes. I had not listened to them since recording them, and turns out this Patreon supporter in front of the store was absolutely right. It's really a time capsule, these episodes are really a time capsule of what life was like through much of 2020 and through much of 2021. And I hope you enjoy getting this behind the scenes look at what we were doing. Hi, everybody.
Olivia [00:06:13] It's just me. [laughs] Oh, are you saying hi to them?
Annie [00:06:17] Yes.
Olivia [00:06:17] Oh! Hi. I never realized that until right now.
Annie [00:06:23] Yeah, I'm talking to the listeners. I'm talking to the people who have basically kept our business in business for the past two days. Hey, before we get started, we should just say a massive thank you to all the online orders. We're sitting at a table literally covered in --
Olivia [00:06:39] These are bottom boxes right here.
Annie [00:06:40] Yeah, stuff to make up bottom boxes, stuff to go in shipping containers. We are getting packages out as soon as we can. We are noticing perhaps a slight delay in the Postal Service. I don't know if that's everywhere. I have not seen that covered in the news.
Olivia [00:06:56] Neither have I. But I really do think it's a thing.
Annie [00:06:59] Yeah, we think too, because probably online orders across the board have picked up. Like for Amazon and stuff like that that we are just noticing a slower delivery rate. But rest assured, if you have placed an order with us, we are doing our darndest to get it out to you. And we are just so grateful because we, like you, do not know how long this is going to last. We don't know what the future holds for our business, so every online order you place is extremely important to our business. And so we're so grateful and thank you for supporting us during this super weird time. Yeah.
Olivia [00:07:35] Yeah.
Annie [00:07:36] We're going to bring you some books, though, so it's still New Release Tuesday. It's a weird day. This is we're going to function, kind of, sort of, business as usual, but it's pretty much dead in downtown Thomasville. So these are weird days. Gosh, when did this chaos start for us?
Olivia [00:07:55] I'm going to say, last Monday.
Annie [00:07:58] Yeah. So obviously Corona, COVID, that has been happening a long time, but it's starting to affect The Bookshelf, personally, and our business, and our town, probably a week ago. It has been bonkers. Olivia and I are kind of running the shop alone right now for the safety of staff and for the safety of our community. We're officially not seeing in-store customers, we're doing pickups, and online orders, and phone orders. And speaking of all that, I just feel like it's important that we tell you thank you because we have seen an outpouring of support in the form of online orders, kind messages, DMs, sweet emails, nice phone calls. It's Saturday of the longest week I ever remember in my whole life.[laughs] I am so tired.
Olivia [00:08:45] Same.
Annie [00:08:47] We're recording this on Saturday afternoon. Why?
Olivia [00:08:51] Because Tuesday was nuts.
Annie [00:08:54] We recorded one last Tuesday, though.
Olivia [00:08:55] Oh, did we? [laughs].
Annie [00:08:59] This is for next Tuesday.
Olivia [00:09:00] Tuesday will be nuts.
Annie [00:09:01] Yeah. I think we're planning to be closed Sunday and Monday to the public. And so Olivia and I can please for the love take a nap. [laughs] I hope everybody got some rest this weekend, got some good reading done, I actually did for the first time in years.
Olivia [00:09:18] I did, too.
Annie [00:09:21] So, yeah, we're continuing on with our new normal at The Bookshelf. So it's just me and Olivia surrounded by piles and boxes.
Olivia [00:09:36] Shredded kraft paper.
Annie [00:09:36] Shredded kraft paper. Bubble wrap.
Olivia [00:09:38] Bubble wrap.
Annie [00:09:41] It's weird. These are weird -- it is feeling slightly normal to me now. I feel like [crosstalk].
Olivia [00:09:47] I mean, this is going on third week, right?
Annie [00:09:49] This is week three.
Olivia [00:09:50] Yeah.
Annie [00:09:52] We are close to the public. Open for phone and online orders. Thank you to all of you who have placed phone and online orders. Online orders are going out as quickly as we can. We are experiencing some delay distribution. Like weirdly, we got all of our boxes, I felt like, on Friday.
Olivia [00:10:08] On one day.
Annie [00:10:09] And they finally arrived, but at the very end of the week.
Olivia [00:10:14] Did we? We did.
Annie [00:10:17] We are doing it. I got to work this morning and realize I didn't go to the Post Office yesterday. Got out of my car saw packages and went right back into my car and to the Post Office. So I'm so sorry if your packages were prepped on Saturday and meant to be put into the roll on Monday. That was my bad.
Olivia [00:10:36] It's been a weekend.
Annie [00:10:37] It has. And I had it good. Like our Easter was weird, but quiet and nice. There is something about starting the week back, though, where I'm like, okay --
Olivia [00:10:49] Here we go.
Annie [00:10:49] Here we go.Yeah.
Olivia [00:10:50] Yeah. But I do feel better about this week.
Annie [00:10:53] Okay. Good.
Olivia [00:10:53] I don't feel like we're just like have packages falling from the ceiling anymore.
Annie [00:10:59] And I think we have a plan to some extent like we know we're going to do some customizable book boxes. [laughs].
Olivia [00:11:12] What comes after that?
Annie [00:11:13] Hi everyone. We are getting ready to start our week. We've been taking Sundays and Mondays off.
Olivia [00:11:25] I think we're on week four.
Annie [00:11:26] Is this week four? I was trying to think if it was week four or five.
Olivia [00:11:29] Oh, wait. I feel like we've done a full month.
Annie [00:11:32] Yeah, I thought this might be week five.
Olivia [00:11:34] Maybe six months.
Annie [00:11:35] Six months. [laughs] It feels like it.
Olivia [00:11:38] Has a year happened?
Annie [00:11:39] I mean, Olivia and I have talked about this a lot, but I do feel like when we go back to "normal" whatever that looks like, and I'm sure it'll look different, I truly don't know that I will know how to function.
Olivia [00:11:50] Yeah, it's going to be a weird transition.
Annie [00:11:55] Yeah. That's what I wanted to know, what week is this?
Olivia [00:11:57] I think I was going to say seven, but that feels drastic.
Annie [00:12:02] I was thinking maybe six.
Olivia [00:12:04] Okay.
Annie [00:12:06] When did we start?
Olivia [00:12:06] One, two, three, four, five, six. It's week seven.
Annie [00:12:11] Oh, this is Week seven. That's crazy. [laughs] It really is. I walked in this morning and Tuesdays are hard.
Olivia [00:12:24] Tuesdays are hard
Annie [00:12:25] Because they are our Monday. We've been gone a couple of days. It feels like there's a lot to catch up on.
Olivia [00:12:31] Yeah.
Annie [00:12:33] But I walked in feeling pretty good and I still feel -- I would like to be clear. I still feel good, but I walked in the store -- I mean...
Olivia [00:12:41] It is what it is.
Annie [00:12:43] There is a lot happening because we're getting ready for Shelf Subscriptions.
Olivia [00:12:50] That's happening again.
Annie [00:12:52] Yeah. Mother's Day. Then also orders to ship out, orders came in. Caroline texted us yesterday, I don't want anybody to panic, but 28 boxes came today. And I want to be like, "Don't worry, 36 came last Thursday. It's fine." This is week Eight.
Olivia [00:13:12] Eight.
Annie [00:13:13] Eight.
Olivia [00:13:14] Yeah.
Annie [00:13:17] Yeah. We will have news, I think, later this week because I worked on some things yesterday. We will have news later this week regarding future plans. But for now, for this week, it's "everywhere". Business as usual. Meaning business as it has been the past seven or eight weeks where we're closed to foot traffic, but we are processing online orders. We're doing phone, online, pick up, curbside delivery, all the things and we're so grateful to be able to do it. Also, it's beautiful here.
Olivia [00:13:54] It is.
Annie [00:13:55] Beautiful weather. So we'll be outside most of the weekend. Feels good. I feel great. I don't feel -- even mostly great. I feel great with the fog.
Olivia [00:14:06] That's accurate. That feels very accurate, actually, because I came in here like, "All right, let's get this week." But there feels like there's a couple of pieces of Saran wrap in front of my view. You know what I mean?
Annie [00:14:17] Which if you're at the Townsville Post Office, that's true.
Olivia [00:14:19] I took a picture, they updated it. Have you seen?
Annie [00:14:22] No.
Olivia [00:14:22] Okay. So now they just have plastic like semi clear plastic, just sheets of it. And then they cut out holes where you can put your package through.
Annie [00:14:33] I keep telling Jordan, I keep thinking each week I'll feel-- like week nine, it's normal. Like you and I are doing the same thing we've been doing for nine weeks, but there's something that throws a wrench in that or we're, kind of, prepping for reopening two appointments. And so like that requires a different... So it's like you can't even really get settled into the new normal because it changes every week.
Olivia [00:14:58] Uh-huh.
Annie [00:14:59] It was weird.
Olivia [00:15:02] But I can just talk about that other one.
Annie [00:15:04] Okay. All right, we're back.
Olivia [00:15:06] Here we go.
Annie [00:15:09] Okay. So, also, this is the week -- so we're welcoming customers back by appointment next week. So if you're listening to this and you're from Thomasville or Tallahassee or, I don't know, Valdosta and you need to get out of your house, feel free.
Olivia [00:15:27] Bainbridge.
Annie [00:15:27] Yeah. Bainbridge. We drove through Bainbridge. Actually, we had an interesting Sunday adventure, but I'll say that later. So you can go bookshelfthomasville.com and at the top of the page, there's a banner. You can click that and make your appointment via Google Form. Then Michelle will shoot you a confirmation email as soon as she's got you on the calendar. And it is week 11. We are open by appointment today.
Olivia [00:15:57] Yup.
Annie [00:15:58] I wrote down three goals for today.
Olivia [00:16:01] Okay.
Annie [00:16:02] Process online orders, recorder two podcast episodes -- I have to go home and record another one, and serve our customers. Those are the only three goals today.
Olivia [00:16:12] Okay.
Annie [00:16:13] Yeah.
Olivia [00:16:13] It seems doable.
Annie [00:16:17] These will be our first in-store customers in 11 weeks.
Olivia [00:16:20] Yeah. Except for those people who just lost rating. [laughs]
Annie [00:16:28] Who just literally stepped over the chalkboard saying we're closed and came in. Saturday was a weird time.
Olivia [00:16:36] It was a weird day.
Annie [00:16:38] There's a lot happening in the world and so -- I don't know. I don't know what to say. There's a lot happening in the world. We hope that you are resting and listening and reading and --
Olivia [00:16:58] Staying safe.
Annie [00:17:00] Staying safe.
Olivia [00:17:02] Healthy.
Annie [00:17:06] Healthy. There's so many --
Olivia [00:17:07] There's so many, yeah.
Annie [00:17:09] Crisis happening. We hope you're well.
Olivia [00:17:13] Mm-hmm.
Annie [00:17:14] Today, we are going to talk about new released books, but do not think that we aren't affected mentally by what is happening in the world because we are. It's a lot to think about and a lot to process. And the best thing I know how to do is read and try to --
Olivia [00:17:39] To better yourself to help others.
Annie [00:17:41] That's right. Try to make a difference the best way as we can, particularly in your communities. I think we can sometimes forget our own local communities. So, anyway, my point being, I felt we were farther along in June than we are.
Olivia [00:17:57] I know.
Annie [00:17:58] But also, I mean, truly, time is so confusing to me right now.
Olivia [00:18:01] I think we're on week 13, but also I don't think I acknowledged what week it was last week. And now I'm confused.
Annie [00:18:07] I think this is week 13.
Olivia [00:18:09] Okay.
Annie [00:18:09] I think. it is hard to know because also quarantine has changed. Like the definition of quarantine has changed. But yet I'm still pretty much sure it's the same thing.
Olivia [00:18:17] For everyone else the definition of quarantine has changed. This is still operating normally for us.
Annie [00:18:22] And so it's just because this will be week three of appointments. I think we started that --
Olivia [00:18:29] On week 10.
Annie [00:18:30] Yeah. I think. Whatever. Anyway. Because I did want to mention that because I think that's a great idea. So if anybody has seen the New York Times bestseller list, the nonfiction list, and we could guess this based on our own -- I mean, we're a New York Times reporting store.
Olivia [00:18:46] I think it's the paperback nonfiction list, right?
Annie [00:18:49] It is. Paperback Nonfiction is covered in like How to Be an anti-racist.
Olivia [00:18:58] White Fragility.
Annie [00:18:58] Yes, White fragility. Just Mercy. I'm Still Here, although I think that's hardback.
Olivia [00:19:04] I want to see Me and White Supremacy.
Annie [00:19:06] Yes.
Olivia [00:19:07] Stamped From the Beginning,
Annie [00:19:09] Stamped From the Beginning. Anyway. It is full. Like it is heartening to see the bestseller list. Of course, we hope it goes beyond reading books and goes into changing hearts and minds. But --
Olivia [00:19:20] And that it continues.
Annie [00:19:22] Yes, but it's is not a phase.
Olivia [00:19:23] Yeah.
Annie [00:19:28] We're back its week -- now I have lost track.
Olivia [00:19:31] I have.
Annie [00:19:32] 14 or 15.
Olivia [00:19:32] I think it might be 15.
Annie [00:19:34] 15. For a while, it made sense to keep track of the weeks, and now I'm not sure it does.
Olivia [00:19:41] No, I don't know if we want to know what number we're on anymore. [laughs]
Annie [00:19:45] Week something of not operating normally. Although, if it's been 15 weeks it now feels kind of normal.
Olivia [00:19:52] That's what I was wondering three months in. I was like, when do we consider this normal life, you know?
Annie [00:19:58] Right. I woke up this morning and looked at Jordan, and I was like, I said, "Every day I wake up unsettled." He was like, "That doesn't sound good." It does not feel normal to me. It just feels like, yeah, week 15 of having to do this.
Olivia [00:20:19] Yeah.
Annie [00:20:23] Happy News Day Tuesday.
Olivia [00:20:24] Happy News Day Tuesday.
Annie [00:20:26] Came in, and the chocolate counter not working.Got an air conditioning unit upstairs to fix.
Olivia [00:20:33] It's the summer.
Annie [00:20:34] It's great. It does feel like that only happens in the summer.
Olivia [00:20:37] It does.
Annie [00:20:37] I was working upstairs Saturday and when I went up there it was 84 degrees. And I bumped it down and I was like, "Okay I'm not going to panic. Maybe we bumped it up. And just during the summer, it gets so hot."
Olivia [00:20:49] Yeah.
Annie [00:20:52] But I worked up there Saturday morning some and by the time I left, it was 85 degrees, so --
Olivia [00:20:58] I can't believe you were able to work up there like that.
Annie [00:21:01] That's what Nancy said. I was like, "Nancy, can you go upstairs and see if you think the air conditioning isn't it working." Because sometimes you just wonder. I was like, I don't think it's blowing cold air, but maybe I'm imagining. No, it was not blowing cold air. Yeah, it's 85 degrees. It's fine. Yeah, I think maybe people should understand behind the scenes. Things are...
Olivia [00:21:26] One fire a day. [laughs].
Annie [00:21:29] What are things? Things are tough. Things are tough. I feel like that is a --
Olivia [00:21:37] Tough in a deep voice.
Annie [00:21:38] Yeah. We're on month --
Olivia [00:21:44] Four.
Annie [00:21:44] That's it?
Olivia [00:21:45] Five. Wait, it was halfway through March. One, two, three, four.
Annie [00:21:53] Wait. March to April. April to May. June to July. Yeah. Four.
Olivia [00:21:58] Four.
Annie [00:21:59] Feels worse somehow. [laughs] Feels somehow longer. Okay. And today is like I think a back to --
Olivia [00:22:09] This feels normal.
Annie [00:22:10] It does. Back to normal release date. Like there's not a lot of activity.
Olivia [00:22:13] I've only read like one book today, you know,
Annie [00:22:17] Yeah. I'm assuming we got all our boxes, although it's hard to say.
Olivia [00:22:23] I too would assume
Annie [00:22:26] There's not a lot out today. I don't think.
Olivia [00:22:27] No.
Annie [00:22:27] The new Trump book is out. Mary...
Olivia [00:22:30] Oh, Mary Trump's.
Annie [00:22:32] Mary Trump's book.
Olivia [00:22:33] Yeah. What is that called?
Annie [00:22:35] Tell me more. No. I wish I was more. Not enough. I wish I was enough. Always more.
Olivia [00:22:44] Not enough, but too much.
Annie [00:22:46] Too much and never enough. [laughs] Should we say?
Olivia [00:22:53] I think so.I mean, prep them.
Annie [00:22:55] Okay. Happy News Day Tuesday. That sounded so sad. I'm going to send out a little note to all of you. I think it'll probably be tomorrow. But this is our last News Day Tuesday Weekly. Nobody panic.
Olivia [00:23:13] Yeah.
Annie [00:23:14] No sweaty palms.
Olivia [00:23:15] No sweaty palms.
Annie [00:23:16] This is our last weekly edition of News Day Tuesday. We are moving to a monthly that will be posted in your regular feed. You don't have to pay for, it will be on the regular From the Front Porch feed. It will be new release roundup and it will be me Olivia and Lucy.
Olivia [00:23:35] Bringing her back in.
Annie [00:23:35] Bringing her back in. So it's going to be very fun and we're going to recap monthly new releases for you. Every weekend feels like an accomplishment.
Olivia [00:23:46] It really does. We made it to a work day.
Annie [00:23:49] We survived. And then I feel the same way at the end of every week. I went home Saturday feeling like cool.
Olivia [00:23:56] I know, and then I came back today being like, "I needed this. I'm so glad to be here."
Annie [00:24:01] Yeah, it's all weird. I don't know. And I don't even want to say it because I feel like it just keep saying it. Like, nothing has changed.
Olivia [00:24:09] Yeah.
Annie [00:24:10] Everything is still weird. Still hard.
Olivia [00:24:13] When I feel like I get through the week and I'm like, "Man, I could use like a week at home." And then I get through two days at home and I'm like, "Man, I can really go back to work right now.".
Annie [00:24:24] Got to get back to work. Got to get my mind off this or whatever this is.
Olivia [00:24:27] Yeah.
Annie [00:24:30] What a gloomy day.
Olivia [00:24:31] Yeah, I hear it's going to be like that all week.
Annie [00:24:33] I hear that too, because of Sally just chilling out in the Gulf before she decides which way she's going to go. I think people don't realize, I mean, we were farther inland than even Tallahassee or something, but we still definitely get the effects of tropical weather.
Olivia [00:24:50] Yeah. Just the mild rain all day.
Annie [00:24:58] Yeah, like all day long which I do prefer to what was going on. I feel like yesterday where -- I don't know at your house, but at my house it would rain for five minutes and then be done.
Olivia [00:25:06] Walt was super frustrated because he couldn't golf.
Annie [00:25:11] Jordan got frustrated because he couldn't mow our lawn.
Olivia [00:25:14] Happy News Day Tuesday.
Annie [00:25:16] It's the first day of fall.
Olivia [00:25:17] Oh, that's fun. It feels like it.
Annie [00:25:18] Yeah. And it feels like fall.
Olivia [00:25:20] Yeah, I wore my flannel and a sweater today. [laughs].
Annie [00:25:23] You know, I don't know if it's that's cold, but it is for you.
Olivia [00:25:26] I tried to convince Walt to turn on the heat this weekend, it didn't work. But I really tried because it was chilly in our house.
Annie [00:25:32] It was cold. I feel like the mornings were chilly because it was 60 degrees when I went for my walk this morning.It was just cold. That feels cold to me.
Olivia [00:25:44] That's chilly. That's like a jacket, maybe even a hat and scarf.
Annie [00:25:46] I wore a hat. We're just sitting in this table surrounded by books. So many books out today.
Olivia [00:25:57] We got so many booked.
Annie [00:25:57] There's a lot of books out today and we're --
Olivia [00:26:00] Or maybe it's just that it's all right in front of us.
Annie [00:26:02] Maybe.
Olivia [00:26:04] Because I actually feel like this almost was normal.
Annie [00:26:07] Maybe it's just it's the new normal. What do you think winter 2021 is going to look like? Do you think it will look [inaudible].
Olivia [00:26:15] Are we in winter 2020?
Annie [00:26:18] No. Like technically the winter catalog, it's like December through February of publishing. This is Fall. Do you mean when you ordered these or what you're shopping for right now?
Olivia [00:26:35] [laughs] Well, now I'm too confused to answer.
Annie [00:26:38] We are currently looking at Winter 2021 and Spring 2021 catalogs. At least that's what's in my inbox.
Olivia [00:26:46] Okay. I have been doing spring 2021 catalogs.
Annie [00:26:49] Yeah, that's right. This, though, was part of the Fall order.
Olivia [00:26:52] Okay.
Annie [00:26:55] Happy News Day Tuesday.
Olivia [00:26:57] Happy News Day Tuesday.
Annie [00:26:58] Oh! Boy. Do you realize it's the last week of October?
Olivia [00:27:03] It feels like the last week of October. I took two stress gummies today.
Annie [00:27:07] I think you're already ready to go.
Olivia [00:27:10] It's shelf sub-week everyone.
Annie [00:27:12] It's shelf sub-week and I did yesterday. I had an outdoor dinner with a couple of friends and it was Monday and I got to the dinner dragging and I was like, "Guys, it's Monday. Yesterday was my day off and I was so tired." I also have woken up both Monday morning and Tuesday morning, like covered in lines. Do you know what I mean? From like shits.
Olivia [00:27:36] Oh, from sleeping.
Annie [00:27:37] Like, I've slept hard.
Olivia [00:27:39] Like on your belly?
Annie [00:27:42] Yeah. Like I don't know what's going on. I sleep on my side, and I did. Like my whole face was like Scarface. I just had lines everywhere. And I was like, "Oh, somebody." But like you, I did not take stress gummies this morning, but I did rub essential oils all over my forehead. I'm not even a huge essential oils person, but I was like, "This feels like a good data. Try it.
Olivia [00:28:03] A good way to start.
Annie [00:28:08] Happy Election Day, everyone.
Olivia [00:28:11] Yes, you're the only one who sound super excited about that.
Annie [00:28:14] Look, I understand that there is a lot of anxiety about this week and today, and rightfully so. But there is something about voting that does fill me with like a Leslie Knope passion that I just get so excited about. And I did wait to vote in person today because I knew we lived in a small town and I felt safe and like I could do that. My only disappointment is that I didn't work the polls. Like I really wanted to be a poll worker this year, and...
Olivia [00:28:41] The Bookshelf is really grateful you're here.
Annie [00:28:42] Yeah. COVID 19 prevented me. Actually Susie Butterworth, who was like, "You've been so careful. Why would you do that?"
Olivia [00:28:49] Yeah.
Annie [00:28:51] But just some fun facts. First of all, I obviously wore a mask and everybody in there was wearing masks. Not a line because Thomasville -- like, I thought this might be the year, but no line. But it was super sanitized up in there. Like I voted with a glove. Like I did the touch screen with the glove.
Olivia [00:29:11] Did the state of Georgia send you an Election Day prep kit? Because they sent me one, even though I voted absentee ballot like a month ago.
Annie [00:29:19] Oh, and we get all kinds of --
Olivia [00:29:20] We got gloves. There was like a little sanitizer wipe and like a mask in there.
Annie [00:29:25] What? No!
Olivia [00:29:25] Yeah.
Annie [00:29:27] Go Georgia.
Olivia [00:29:28] Yeah.
Annie [00:29:28] That's impressive. I did not get one of those.
Olivia [00:29:30] Except funny that they send it to the person who...
Annie [00:29:33] Who already voted.
Olivia [00:29:33] Yeah.
Annie [00:29:34] Was it really from the state of Georgia?
Olivia [00:29:36] Yeah.
Annie [00:29:36] Okay, interesting. Oh, that's wonderful. Good job.
Olivia [00:29:42] Yeah.
Annie [00:29:42] It's December.
Olivia [00:29:43] It is. The first.
Annie [00:29:44] It's your birth day month. It's the start of Christmas Eve stuff.
Olivia [00:29:51] Yeah, it's finally cold outside.
Annie [00:29:53] It's freezing here. Like literary freezing.
Olivia [00:29:54] I got the below freezing notice on my car this morning.
Annie [00:29:58] Me too.
Olivia [00:29:59] And then I was like, You silly Volkswagen.
Annie [00:30:02] Mine said there might be ice on the roads. And I was like, "Oh, please."
Olivia [00:30:06] Do you know where you are?
Annie [00:30:09] I'm still smarter than you car. It was very funny, but I love it. I know you do you too.
Olivia [00:30:16] Oh, yeah.
Annie [00:30:16] I love it.
Olivia [00:30:17] I wore my hat in today. I've been waiting to do that for so long.
Annie [00:30:20] Yeah. I wanted to feel cold. If it's going to be December, it should be cold outside. I will tell you something happy. Jordan and I were like, "Wow, the bar is so low," but nothing happened at the Florida Capitol yesterday or Sunday.
Olivia [00:30:36] That's really good. That stuff is really good.
Annie [00:30:39] We were so relieved. And Jordan went back to work today because they, I mean, knock on wood question mark, but they do not anticipate any issues in the coming days. So he went back to work today. And that's happy?
Olivia [00:30:55] Yeah.
Annie [00:30:58] We said it last night. Jordan was like -- he got a text from his boss and he was like, "Okay, nothing happened this weekend." And then we like paused because at first we were like, "Oh, great." And then we paused. We looked at each other. We were like, "Wow, the bar is so low." No one broke into our -- I guess it's not my state anymore, but it's at stake.
Olivia [00:31:21] Yeah, but still the state capital.
Annie [00:31:22] Yeah. Anyway, so that's good.
Olivia [00:31:25] We hope that for every other state out there.
Annie [00:31:27] We do. And we hope and pray for tomorrow to be peaceful and quiet. But you're right. I think as a result, everything feels a little foggy. We were also talking off air that soon we will -- your vaccination has taken effect now.
Olivia [00:31:46] Yeah, I'm all set.
Annie [00:31:47] You're good.
Olivia [00:31:48] Yeah.
Annie [00:31:49] I've got until Friday, and so I'm hopeful that maybe the next one of these we can be maskless. We went maskless for a long time and then I think we were like, "Oh, better not. Better wise up.".
Olivia [00:32:02] Playing a risky game.
Annie [00:32:03] Yeah.
Olivia [00:32:03] I think we realized.
Annie [00:32:04] I think, for so long too it was just me and you. So it was kind of like, well... It was a super tiny ecosystem. And then both our ecosystems just, you know, grew as the year changed. And so anyway, we're masked while recording this, but I'm very hopeful the next time we won't have to be and it'll be amazing.
Olivia [00:32:24] It'll be so different.
Annie [00:32:25] It'll be weird. I'll see your face. Erin, saw you're -- must have been your -- did she tell you this? She saw your Instagram like 10 second book review and she was like, "I got to see Olivia smile."
Olivia [00:32:39] I saw Erin without a mask one day. I don't even know why this was. Oh, because I had to take her picture for Hunter to draw. And I was like, "I didn't realize that's what your face looks like." [crosstalk]. It's going to be so weird.
Annie [00:32:53] Oh, so anyway. Happy News Day Tuesday.
Olivia [00:32:59] Happy News Day Tuesday. I didn't [inauadible] a chair over yet. He was like panicked almost fell off the chair.
Annie [00:33:06] Yeah. Then wheels rolling across the floor. It's Tuesday. We're fine.
Olivia [00:33:14] Totally fine.
Annie [00:33:16] We're fine. Olivia gets to go visit her family for the first time in --
Olivia [00:33:22] Like a year and a half I want to say, maybe.
Annie [00:33:23] Are you going by yourself or is Walt going?
Olivia [00:33:25] No, I'm going by myself. It's a short trip.
Annie [00:33:32] Yeah. Long time. It is a short trip. That's happening. That's fun and exciting. I'm hopeful, but I'm nervous because I'm like, I've already read some really good things, but also my brain has been in a -- I feel like my 2021 reading is way different from 2020.
Olivia [00:33:48] Yeah.
Annie [00:33:48] I feel weirdly in 2020, maybe it's because you and I were leaving the store every day at 4:00, I felt like I had way more reading time. I'm feeling very discombobulated.
Olivia [00:33:56] When I get home from work, and I'm just like, I don't know if I can read. And if I do, it's like a half an hour. Like all my reading is on the weekends right now.
Annie [00:34:03] Yeah. Because it's all -- yeah, I don't know. I don't know how else we're supposed to do it. That's it from us. I'm trying to think what this week is. I think this week is pretty normal. Yeah. So that's it. Thank you guys so much. We'll see you next week. Bye.
Olivia [00:34:16] Bye.
Annie [00:34:24] From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf daily happenings on Instagram @thebookshelftville.
[00:34:35] And all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through our store website: bookshelfthomasville.com.
[00:34:44] A full transcript of today's episode can be found at:.
[00:34:47] Fromthefrontporchpodcast.com.
[00:34:50] Special thanks to Studio D Podcast Production for production of From the Front Porch and for our theme music, which sets the perfect, warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.
[00:35:04] This week, what I'm reading is brought to you by Visit Thomasville. At the tail end of last year, I attended a Victorian Christmas wrap up meeting with fellow merchants and members of the city of Thomasville, so we could kind of do pros and cons, do a check in to find out how Victorian Christmas went. That meeting was held at our city's municipal auditorium, or municipal building, which is right next door to our Visitor Center. So I poked my head into the Visitor Center and turns out, there's a lot of cool stuff in there and I feel like I don't hear about it very often. So I want to tell you the listener that if you're looking for Thomasville, Georgia items; we're talking mugs, cups, T-shirts, sweatshirts, stickers, et cetera, there are lots of merchants in downtown Thomasville that I'm sure stock listings. But I did not know that the city of Thomasville Visitor Center had those things, and so I am currently, while I'm recording this, wearing a new long sleeve T-shirt I purchased.
[00:36:05] I would say this is not an ad, but it is an ad. But I paid for thisT-shirt with my own money. I'm wearing a long sleeve T-shirt from the city of Thomasville. It's really cute and a great advertisement for Thomasville. So if you are visiting or if you're local and you're looking for Thomasville, Georgia merch, don't forget about the Visitor Center because I had. And so when you pay a visit to downtown Thomasville, make sure you stop at the Thomasville Visitor Center. You can get all sorts of information about different activities and things happening in our city, and you can also buy a really neat souvenir like this great T-shirt I'm wearing. So if you are nearby or far away, I think Thomasville would make a perfect visit for an upcoming trip to find out more about how you can visit Thomasville, go to Thomasvillega.com.
[00:36:52] This week I'm reading Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow. If you'd like to support From the Front Porch, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the show even better and reach new listeners. All you have to do is open up the podcast app on your phone, look up From the Front Porch, scroll until you see, write a review and tell us what you think.
[00:37:15] Or if you're so inclined, support us for $5 a month on Patreon where you can follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic and as I participate in live video Q&A is in our monthly lunch break sessions.
[00:37:28] Just go to Patreon.com /fromthefrontporch. We're so grateful for you and we look forward to meeting back here next week.