Monica Lloyd is thankful her store is sided with cinder block and not vinyl.

An unattended car rolled across Broad Street Road in Goochland County and rammed the front of Lloyd's store, The Willow Antiques, in February. No one was hurt in the accident.

"The car hit the front wall and moved the china cabinet a good 8 inches," Lloyd said. "It was full of glass, but nothing broke. It was amazing."

She did lose three plates, two vases and a lamp that were near the wall. As for the building, the two front windows are being replaced, as well as the front door. Inside, new drywall is going up, and painting will follow. Lloyd hopes to reopen May 1.

"This stressed me out at the beginning -- not knowing how long I'd be closed," she said. "But this has given me the chance to get things done at home."

She's using the down time to paint and finish her spring cleaning at the store at 2301 Broad Street Road, next to Hickory Notch Grill.

"I'm anxious to get back in," Lloyd said. "I love what I do."

She opened The Willow Antiques in December 1999 with her daughter, Michelle Walsh. The plan was for Lloyd to refinish furniture, something she has done for 28 years, and Walsh would run the store. But in March 2000, Walsh's husband was transferred to Florida, and the couple moved.

"I didn't refinish furniture anymore," Lloyd said. "There was no time."

She has been running the store since. She and her husband, Kenneth, purchase most of the antiques at auction. The store sells furniture, glassware, primitives, signs, home accessories and tools.

"I've really met the most wonderful people over the years," Lloyd said. "It's like having a second family."

She's not angry about the accident. The car that hit the store was parked at a feed store across the street and rolled across two lanes. Luckily, Lloyd said, no traffic was on the road, and her antiques shop was closed.

When Lloyd came to open about 30 minutes later, the car had already been moved.

"I tried to unlock the door, but the key didn't work," she said. "It's funny. You get in a habit. I was just going through the motions. Then I noticed the damage."

Her answering machine at the antiques shop informs customers of her plans to reopen soon.

"So many people have been calling asking what's going on," Lloyd said. "It was really nobody's fault. It was just an accident. I keep telling them, 'I'll be back.'"
Contact Janet Caggiano at (804) 649-6157 or jcaggiano@timesdispatch.com.