Black Bear Clock Repair

09/21/2026

It is after 10pm at night ON A SUNDAY. I had a lady OK her estimate on her cuckoo clock last week. She was quoted early spring completion, which is only four months to do all the work on her clock, which is unheard of in the CLOCK world. She contacted me today, this morning, and said she wants to pick her CLOCK up next week if it’s not started. The clock is started. We were surprising her. It was going to be done very soon. I told her this . Now she contacts me tonight after 10 PM at night and tells me she wants to pick the clock back next weekend. I am not a miracle worker. I am not Jesus. I do my best, but sometimes I really feel like I’m being taken advantage of. It’s Sunday. I don’t want to think or talk Clocks. I’m with my family at church and people are still contacting me. Still being insistent. I just wrote her back and told her her clock was already started as I told her earlier this afternoon and if it could be done this weekend, I’ll call her. It may be the following weekend. People, a clock cannot be rushed. I don’t know how long it’s going to take to regulate this CLOCK. I can only make one adjustment every 24 hours. If I don’t run the clock long enough and check it for quality control then people are complaining that I’m not doing proper work. I can’t seem to win. Most CLOCK shops have Clocks over two years now. If the clock shop is fast, I’d run the other way. They don’t know what they’re doing. If you have a good reputation, it’s gonna take more than a month to fix your clock. In this case, The lady is giving me one .  I’m not trying to be mean or rude, but people need to be a little kinder and more realistic.  This lady has me all riled up and upset and near tears at 10:14 PM on a Sunday evening. What a way to end my day of rest. I’m sorry if I’m upsetting anybody. Customers tell me all the time when I tell them stories like this they say call the customer and tell them to come pick up their clock and find somebody else to fix it and good luck to them. I always say no I can’t do that. I need to be kind to my customers because I need my customers. My customers need me. But another customer told me if you do business with your heart you get heartburn, maybe that’s why I take so much omeprazole. Good night everyone and sweet dreams. This Clock Lady is done for the night. Please BE KIND to one another. XO


09/11/2026

Joanie is in the next phase of healing from the attack of the clock spring. I was not trying to be graphic, but as you can see in the x-ray, the bone under my thumb is gone and that was destroyed with the clock spring so they had to fill that spot with tendons and then put a sling into the top of my hand that goes down to assist the thumb to move.
I’m out of my second cast and in a hand brace pictured here and I started occupational hand therapy on Wednesday. Oh baby baby this CLOCK lady says this hand hurts after her first session but it is healing and the doctors all seem happy. I thank all my customers for their patience as it was an occupational hazard that caused it. I know some people have been calling upset because I have not called them back or spoken with them about the estimates. I’ve been trying to come to the market. Kenny is here all the time and the market is still open every Friday and Saturday from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM to bring your Clocks into and pick them up from. I’ve just fallen behind on my estimate phone calls. Many of the estimates are done. I just have not called them in yet so thank you for your patience and please stick with me. We’ll get through this. I’m still doing all the other work for other CLOCK shops as well because this is a dying trade, but I’m working away as much as I can with improvement in my hand every day, so thank you from the bottom of my heart and thank you all for your many prayers. XO Your Clock Lady

08/26/2026

Dolly Parton was just one of those people who wasn’t supposed to die. She was supposed to be here forever. Maybe because, for so many of us, Dolly represented something that feels increasingly rare in this world, simple, genuine goodness.

She was giving. She was kind. She was wickedly funny. She cared about the least among us. She believed children deserved books and opportunities, families deserved help when they were hurting, and people deserved to be loved for exactly who they were. She put books into the hands of millions of children, including children who might never otherwise have known what it felt like to have a book arrive with their own name on it.

She loved her community fiercely, but her compassion never stopped at the Tennessee state line. She welcomed people. She included people. She stood beside LGBTQ people when others wouldn’t. She had this remarkable way of making almost everyone feel like there was room for them at her table.

And somehow she did all of that while never losing her humor, her humility or that wonderful ability to laugh at herself.

So how do we move forward in a world without Dolly Parton? I really don’t know. Maybe the only thing we can do is try to be a little more like her. Give a little more. Judge those who are different a little less. Help somebody who needs it. Put a book in a child’s hands. Make somebody laugh. Stand beside the person who feels like nobody else will. Love people a little more freely.And every once in a while, wear something with rhinestones on it just because it makes you happy.

My heart hurts today. But I think if there is one thing worth carrying forward from Dolly’s life, it is this, We should all just try to be better. A little kinder. A little more generous. A little more accepting. A little more willing to take care of one another.

And maybe, for the rest of my life, every time I see a butterfly, I’ll think of her.
I think she’d be okay with that.

Rest well, Dolly. Thank you for leaving this world so much better than you found it.
———
I cannot take credit for these perfect words about someone as precious or more - our equivalent to Princess Diana - our Angel Dolly Parton. Lee Hostettler said these words.
Beautiful. Thank you
I think we all feel a little empty tonight
XO. Joanie

08/19/2026

THE CLOCK LADY UPDATE: without showing too many graphics…. The first cast is off. They cut the top and bottom of my hand. The new thumb joint and a spring to maneuver my thumb. The stitches removed. New cast is on. No problem. We can do this!!! This cast comes off August 31st and a hand/arm brace comes on. Nothing will stop this clock lady. Slow me down? Maybe but clock springs etc breaking is all part of the business. The drop off/pick up location at The Great Smoky Flea market is open. I was even there this past weekend. The clocks in the shop are being worked on. Status calls/Estimate calls have slowed but have no fear - we are here! We are doing the work for other clock shops too but bring them directly to us at The flea Market (booth E-15) and save a bunch of money cutting out the middle man - we are doing the work anyway….. love you all! Your Clock Lady Joanie. Thanks for your patience.

08/10/2026

A Clock Lady UPDATE: four days ago from surgery…. Joanie is in EXTREME PAIN to say the least. Hand is extremely swollen. Hitting insides of cast and pressing, very painful. Removing first cast on August 17th and removing stitches then putting new larger cast on which will be on for 10 weeks. Then I go into an arm/hand brace and start special hand therapy for my clock repair work. I’m attempting a tiny bit of stuff each day, it’s hard and I thank you all for your patients. The shop is open and the rest of the staff are working away putting out clocks. It has caused a slow down in my estimate calls and my grandfather clock service calls so thank you in advance for your patience.
Thank you all for your Prayers.
- Joanie

08/06/2026

Fun information from the clock lady. XO

19 Facts About Time That Actually Change How We See Time Itself 👇

08/06/2026

UPDATE: The Clock Lady is home. My new thumb joint and hand are hidden in ice in this blue foam tower. I feel like the Statue of Liberty. Ha Ha
Loads of pain, throbbing building through the evening. They said the first week will be tough. Healing is painful. The Great Smoky flea market pick up/drop off location will be open Friday and Saturday 9:30am to 4:30pm. Kenny will be there alone without me. Be kind to him, he’ll be handling it alone. Ha Ha. Hugs from me, Joanie, to all our legions of customers and friends. XO

08/05/2026

Joanie got attacked by a clock click spring again! My room for the day is at Parkwest hospital having surgery on my hand. Looks like we are replacing a thumb joint “again”. Kenny will be at the market this weekend but if Joanie doesn’t return phone calls for a few days, you will know why. XO. Your Clock Lady

07/15/2026

XO. From your Clock Lady, Joanie