I was born in Philadelphia on December 6, 1935. At the age of eleven I was placed in the Methodist Episcopal Home for Children in Philadelphia, where I spent six happy years. I graduated from Overbrook High School in 1953 and I attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia on scholarship and I received a B.S. in Nursing in 1957. I married my husband, Larry Bustle, a Naval Academy graduate and a native of Bradenton, Florida, on Thanksgiving day in 1957 in his home church, Samoset Baptist Church, Samoset, Florida, now known as East Bradenton.

A new stage of my life had begun. I enjoyed military life as an Air Force wife, (Larry had the opportunity to enter the Air Force after graduation) and I truly enjoyed all the moving around, the different Air Force bases in the States, England, Spain, Germany, and of course, Turkey. I enjoyed the differences in customs, food, the history, and most of all, the people. And that is how I became involved with Turkish rugs and kilims. My partner is Safak Civici, a rug broker in Kayseri, Turkey. She is a perfect example of the Turkish woman, vibrant, hard-working and energetic. She speaks five different languages and is a real go-getter and if she doesn't know the answer, she'll find out. We have been in business together since the fall of 1997 and together we have a great partnership because we are friends as well. My learning curve regarding rugs has been steep and I have even studied rug repairing as an apprentice in Turkey for two summers. It was a rewarding experience for me as it helped me to understand rug construction. I am now able to do minor repairs but the experience helped me realize that I do not want to make a living as a rug repairer.

I have a rug shop in the loft of our garage, where I see clients by appointment. At the present time I have approximately 500 plus rugs and kilims, of all ages and sizes.

BREAKING NEWS!!! I've decided to close down my rug business. Age, arthritis and altitude (of my rug loft) have combined to convince me that I need to make a change. I'm discounting my rugs by 30% so now's a good opportunity to get a real bargain. I'm also looking for someone to buy my inventory. If you want a rug or kilim bargain, or if you might be interested in the entire inventory (approximately 400 rugs/kilims), give me a call at 941-729-5461.

Edie Bustle