Reader Mail

I wish I could express in words how much Country Sampler means to my son Braeden. Because of his chronic lung and liver disease and developmental disabilities, finding particular things that he likes has been a challenge. My mom, Julie, has been collecting Country Sampler for years, and on our visits to her home, Braeden fell in love with looking at the magazines. Since he was 8 years old, we have used Country Sampler as a life skills teaching tool. The best gift he’s ever received has been a subscription to the magazine as a Christmas gift from my mom. He gets extremely excited when he recognizes Country Sampler and points to the lights, the doors, the beds, and all the pretty colors. I just want you all to know you’re doing a wonderful job, and it really means the world to one boy. He will be so excited to see himself in his favorite magazine. Thank you.

Cheri Chapman, McCook, Nebraska

At the age of 11, I fell in love with country decorating after I visited my aunt’s house in Texas. By the age of 23, I had my own home, but it was difficult to find country stuff in Puerto Rico. After the insurance company where I worked closed, I decided to reinvent myself and open a country store. I traveled to the United States to buy merchandise at a wholesale show and soon opened the doors to The Country Shop—the first country store in Puerto Rico. I bought my first Country Sampler magazine in 1993 in Atlanta, and it has been a source of inspiration since then. My store started in a 10 × 10 space, but it soon grew as it became known throughout Puerto Rico. We continued to grow and became the manufacturer representative for 23 lines of country products. People started asking me to help them open their own businesses throughout the island.

When Hurricane Maria passed through Puerto Rico in September 2017, we suffered serious damage in our home, and the store was a total loss. We spent more than 80 days without water or electric power, but I want to thank you, because at night, with tears in my eyes, I used a flashlight to look through Country Sampler and became determined to start again. My many clients were very sad because they had lost many of their things. As soon as I had access to the internet, I wrote to my suppliers and they started sending me merchandise. I was able to present our Christmas Bazaar 2017, and I started to restore my house.

I thank God first and then Country Sampler, the magazine that has accompanied me since 1993 until the present. Twenty-five years have passed, and we still keep country, primitive and now farmhouse style alive in the hearts of our customers.

Ivonne Grant, Puerto Rico

Letters may be edited for length and clarity.