visually challenged

Upon taking framing orders, putting together framing orders and calling about framing orders I have to do framing recovery. This means that around 7:30 when the store is nearing emptiness I start walking the floor and tidying up the frame isles. I usually start with the fine arts, which is usually kind of a big job because it involves pulling paint tubes forward and rearranging kits of paint and brushes and all that so as to make it look all presentable again. The frames are often misplaced as people have lifted and placed them along side their original spot, searching for their choice frame among the frame that they like. Does that make sense? For example. You like the barnwood frame. But which of the 3 barnwood frames on the shelf is going to be the best? So you take it and place them beside themselves, trying to decide. And when you decide and realize the mess you have made you think to yourself, 'oh, it's cool. It's someone's job to put these back.' and you take your choicest frame up to the front the check out, never looking back.

Which is fine, 'cause I know those frames like the hair on my legs that I regularly shave off and I know when something is misplaced. It's just annoying. So, this particular Wednesday I am walking doing the isles, doing my special, 'which one does not look like the other' dance and I come across the Hurricane Katerina of the visually challenged.

My memory went racing, trying to find the the writing on the barometer that would have signaled something like this. And there he was. An old man, white hair... a little unsure as to what would please his wife on this mission he was on. He was looking for a collection of frames. He had asked me if we had any pre-made sets of frames with different sizes available. I showed him our table-top frames that usually come in your standard three sizes, 4x6, 5x7, and the 8x10s. All the same design that you could get together in those three sizes. A collection set.

Well, grandpa man had made quite the effort to mix things up the best he could while still maintaining a theme. There were frames moved from the other side of the isle, placed in groups of 3 or 4, testing out what kind of frame pieces looked good together and in which way. This was no simple, place one frame beside the other kind of deal though. This was an arrangement.

We're getting ready for a reset, which means that right now the shelves are kind of empty because a lot of frames are waiting to be clearanced out to make more room for some fresher varieties and designs. Which means lots of room for Van Gogh to design his frame arrangements. There were at least four different arrangements with select styles all jumbled together. It looked like someone had been dusting their coffee table and had arranged the frames just so, so that when they went to put them back after cleaning they would be in the exact same way.

Poor man couldn't imagine which frames would look good together, he had to see it. Had to touch and feel each one, putting them not only in a straight row, but grouping them together in a little display.