It’s been awhile since you’ve heard from me, and I want to take the time to let you all in on our very joyful news. Mark and I are now the proud parents of a beautiful, bright, and cheerful little boy named Ezra. Many of you have given us such warm encouragement and support over these long months we’ve spent waiting for our son, and I want to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. The outpouring of love for this little guy from everyone we meet has really blown me away. It’s amazing to experience the power of community first-hand, in particular the power of this community: our friends and neighbors who gather daily, weekly, year-after-year at Anthology and The Coffee Tree. It feels like our family has grown, not by one special little boy, but by the hundreds of happy faces and open hearts we meet each day in the bookstore.

I’d also like to convey a huge amount of gratitude to the bookstore staff, led by our manager Teresa, who carried the bookstore through the pre-holiday, Christmas, and end-of-year seasons with grace and fortitude. Their courage and hard work made it possible for me to spend precious time away with my son.

To be honest, times have never been tougher for us at Anthology — as is the case in countless bookstores and small business everywhere. Face with the ever-rising costs of doing business, and ever-declining readership, we endeavor to evolve and adapt. This past holiday season was strong with people deliberately supporting their local businesses and I am so appreciative of the value you place on what Anthology has to offer. We hope you will continue to let us know how best to meet your needs as we continue to chart our course in these rocky waters.

As always, thank you for letting us be part of your lives.

All the best,

Stephanie