Mac. And Eritrea.

We were totally surprised today to walk in PJP from running a few errands earlier today and find our beloved Mac standing at the front counter.  Back from eight weeks or so in Europe for his graduate program, we've seriously missed him this summer.  While we have a strong and amazing team working, Mac brings a little bit of familiarity to what we do each day because he's been with us for the past two years.  And when we are growing quickly and working to adapt to the changes needed in us to grow, familiarity is SO SWEET.  (Also, Mac is fluent in Parks and Rec quotes.  He's the Ron Swanson to my Leslie Knope...)

Mac couldn't have come back at a better time.  Everyone's change in schedule for the fall semester has been an adjustment.  (Most of the time, Jeanne asks me who is coming in to work and then I can't remember and I have to consult a tattered piece of paper where we mapped it all out a few weeks ago.)  We have a new member of Team PJP who has taken Gunnar's old 8-2 daily shift.  Her name is Emily and well, she's completely amazing.  In her spare time, she is working to get her floral design business off the ground.  Check out her work on Instagram @sugarberryblooms.  AMAZING STUFF.

And in a total random turn of events, we are welcoming a new employee tomorrow who is actually new to America.  She and her husband are refugees from Eritrea and a local organization has sponsored their travel to America, arranged their current living situation, and are helping to place them in jobs that suit their skill sets.  All I know is that she seems completely delightful, she speaks limited English, and despite that, she seemed like she wasn't fazed by the amount of crazy going on at PJP when she stopped by to meet us.  I think she will be a great addition to our team and maybe we can be a great new family to her as she starts a new life in America.  (In full disclosure, I had to Google Eritrea.  It's in Africa.  I feel like I should have known that.)

If we add any more new employees, we are seriously going to need a flow chart to figure it all out.  I'd say we are staffed pretty well...now, just bring on the fall baking season.