Granby native Janet Anderson and New Jersey transplant Dana Carlson met by chance years ago in the florist department of the Granby Stop & Shop.
“Back then, I had a shop in Simsbury, Turning a Page Antiques, and every other week I went to Stop & Shop for balloons. I met Dana, who was working there, and over time, we became friends,” says Anderson.
Today, the two women, Anderson the CEO of a credit union, and Carlson, a hairdresser, are business partners. Last spring, they combined their interests, talents and finances to open finds by rural and roots at 10 Hartford Ave.
Roughly two decades apart in age, Anderson and Carlson are living proof that friends of any age enter our lives in serendipitous ways.
Carlson’s husband Robert G. (R.G.) Carlson III is a Granby native whose ancestors, like Anderson’s, came to Granby from Sweden. When Carlson’s mother decided to relocate from New Jersey, she chose Granby because of its schools and bought the home on Hartford Avenue where Anderson grew up. Both have two sons—Anderson’s are adults; Carlson’s are three and 12.
“We complement each other,” says Anderson who, as a teenager, delivered the Hartford Courant in the morning before school and the Hartford Times after school, picking up summer work in the tobacco fields to earn money for college. Carlson sold flowers and balloons at Stop & Shop.
“I love Dana’s youthfulness and her eye for what’s appealing to her generation,” Anderson says. “Our shop offers a curated eclectic mix of one-of-a-kind home décor and gifts, antiques, vintage and newer items, candles and cards.”
How, one might ask, did this business partnership happen?
“I had another shop in Simsbury, Thistle Bee Antiques, in the little blue house on Railroad Street from 2019 to 2021, during the height of COVID,” Anderson says. “During that time, I got the promotion to CEO, and that meant that I couldn’t give my passion all the attention that it needed. Thistle Bee was doing very well, but I had to close. Sometimes you must make hard choices in life.”
As Anderson’s friendship with Carlson grew, she realized that something was missing in her life. “I missed my creative outlet,” she says. One snowy Sunday last winter, she and Carlson took a drive to Old Wethersfield to poke around. “When we got back into town, we tried to stop in at Unique Antiques, but it had closed early because of the snow. We noticed the ‘For Rent’ sign across the street, went over to peek in the window, and a week later, we signed a lease.” finds by rural and roots opened on May 2.
The shop is Carlson’s first business venture. “Janet is my mentor,” she says. “She has good creative drive, and I let her know what appeals to me and my friends. It’s a good partnership.”
Anderson’s roots in Granby run deep. Her father’s family immigrated to Granby from Sweden because they had family here. “They lived in a tiny house on Bushy Hill Road and had seven children there,” she says. “In the late 1930s, my grandfather was caretaker of Granby Cemetery. But times were hard, so my grandfather moved them all back to Sweden. At age 19, my father returned with his 21-year-old brother because they still had family here. My grandmother’s sister’s family owned the dairy farm on Loomis Street. My uncle Olof was caretaker of property that’s now part of the Granby Land Trust.”
Anderson is thrilled to again have a creative outlet, this time right around the corner from where she lives. The shop, which opened with a summer seaside vibe, will change with the seasons and holidays.
“Our grand reopening will feature an eclectic mix of pumpkins and other fall-themed items, which will segue to a Halloween theme and then full-fledged Christmas,” she says. “It is truly humbling to have a shop right here in my hometown. This just feels so right!”
Grand Reopening
finds by rural and roots
Thurs.–Sat., Sept. 5–7
10 Hartford Ave., Granby
Special Event: Sat. Sept. 7, 10 a.m.
Granby-Simsbury Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting with coffee and Mrs. Murphy’s donuts
1–4 p.m. Music and refreshments
A purchase of any amount on any of the three days gives shoppers a chance to win a $25, $50, $75 or $100 gift certificate to the shop. Winners will be drawn at 4 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 7.