“Due to the recession, pending war, ferry increases and gas prices, people are buying products that make them feel good,” said Linda Allen, owner of the Fox Paw in Winslow on Bainbridge Island.

Although Allen said that she sells everything but food and gasoline, the big sellers now are cards, books, music, body products and lingerie.

“People are staying home with their families, connecting to tradition,” Allen said. “Life as we knew it changed on Sept. 11.”

Allen has owned the Fox Paw for 26 years, initially located at the south end of the island for seven years. She had no retail experience but decided to open the store, after a divorce, for self-support. The store became her passion.

“I have always had the passion,” she said. “I sold fabrics, window dressing, cards and small art prints in a dental waiting room in the early 1970s.”

“My biggest challenge has been city government and its lack of support of the retail community,” she said. “One of the biggest issues is the intentional restriction of available parking. People have not been allowed to add parking in Winslow.”

Allen said that her business and the issues that surround it are consuming. She has no balance between her work and personal life.

“Every small business owner works 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week,” she said. “It is difficult to find a balance. We eat it, sleep it, breathe it and live it. It is difficult to find balance. There’s always the mail, telephone and orders. It’s like having a child.”

“In spite of the challenges, retailers are a tough lot,” she said. “They figure out way to meet challenges. I have the best customers in the entire world.”.