Lisa and Leo Brenninkmeyer are the new owners of Owl & Turtle Bookshop Cafe in Camden, Maine. Midcoast Villager reported that the couple bought the store from Brad and Christin Madeira, who "have spent a lot of time helping them get up to speed on running the business," according to Lisa Brenninkmeyer. The business opened in 1970 and has changed both locations and owners over the years.
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| Leo and Lisa Brenninkmeyer | |
Lisa Brenninkmeyer founded the nonprofit Walking with Purpose, a Catholic ministry that builds community and provides materials for spiritual development for women. She and her husband are also parents to seven children. "Somehow, even with all of these other responsibilities, she finds time to write the little notes sticking up out of various books on the shelves, helping readers understand why they might find this or that volume interesting. It adds to the unique charm of the Bay View Street shop," Midcoast Villager noted.
Regarding time management, she said it is all a matter of setting priorities: "You have to choose who you're gonna cheat. The answer isn't, I'm gonna give everybody who wants something from me all that they want.... And I basically said it will never be my family that gets cheated."
The family started visiting Camden 20 years ago. "We bought a house up here and every Christmas and every summer we were here," Lisa Brenninkmeyer said. "And then we moved around quite a bit, but this is where the full family came together. So, our family time is here.... This is home to our kids. And so we decided a year and a half ago that we were going to make the move and just be here year-round.... I've never been happier."