From our hearts to yours

Image found here: http://pictureperfectgallery.net/holidays-wallpaers/real-christmas-tree-in-snow.html

Did you ever hear the story of the Christmas tree
Who just didn't want to change the show?
He liked living in the woods and playing with squirrels,
He liked icicles and snow.

He liked wolves and eagles and grizzly bears,
And critters and creatures that crawled
Why, bugs were some of his very best friends!
(Spiders and ants and all).

Now that's not to say that he ever looked down
On a vision of twinkled lights
Or on mirrored bubbles and peppermint canes
And a thousand other delights

And he often had dreams of tiny reindeer
And a jolly old man in a sleigh
Full of toys and presents and wonderful things
And a story of Christmas day

Oh, Alfie believed in Christmas alright!
He was full of Christmas cheer!
All of each and every day,
And all throughout the year!

To him it was more than a special time,
Much more than a special day
It was more than a special story, it was more than a beautiful story
It was a special kind of way.

You see, some folks have never heard a jingle bell ring
And they've never heard of Santa Claus;
They've never heard the story of the son of god
That made Alfie pause.

Did that mean that they'd never know of peace on earth
Or the brotherhood of man?
Or know how to love, or know how to give?
If they can't, no one can.

You see, life is a very special kind of thing,
Not just for a chosen few,
But for each and every living, breathing thing
Not just me and you.

So when you're at Christmas prayers this year
Alfie asked me if I'd ask you
Say a prayer for the wind and the water and the wood
And those who live there too.

A very merry Christmas from my heart to yours, Readers! 

Musings of a former grocery store clerk during Christmas

I always get a little bit nostalgic, Readers, when I do my grocery shopping at Quality Food Centers (who, Readers, I promise, did not pay me to write the following post).

I worked part time at a QFC for about two years. It's amazing what skills and personality quirks one can pick up from working in a food/retail environment; during my stint as a bakery clerk I learned how to use a multi-line phone, how to make little roses out of icing, got into the habit of wiping down every surface of my kitchen after cooking, and had developed a working knowledge of the phonetic alphabet ("Sure, Ma'am, I'd be happy to write on that cake! Now, the birthday girl's name is Mary spelled M as in Mike, A as in Alpha, R as in Romeo, Y as in Yankee?").

During a recent shopping trip, I was reminded of another little "quirk" I developed during my years behind the bakery counter: I almost always instinctively roll my eyes whenever anyone mentions the so-called "War on Christmas".

'I WANT TO SEE YOUR MANAGER! MY RELIGIOUS RIGHTS ARE BEING REPRESSED!' Image found here: 

http://www.wingwire.com/comments/kquinn/null/73323

It seems as if mentioning Christmas is a bit less taboo lately than it was in years past; Target, Wal-Mart, and other retail establishments seem to be abandoning the "Happy Holiday" blanket greeting. Not all establishments are getting rid of the dreaded H words, and as we all know from FOX news, there are a few Angry Shreiking Christmas Crusaders out there who are NOT happy about it. Unfortunately for me and my former co-workers, QFC was one of those companies that encouraged the "Happy Holidays" greeting and still does, as far as I know.

I have to give my (former) managers a lot of credit here: they anticipated that this might bring some problems with customers and were able to deal with those problems quickly and gracefully. In addition, they did a fairly good job of nipping any potential tension in the bud:  for example, employees at our store were allowed to say "Merry Christmas" to a customer IF THE CUSTOMER SAID "MERRY CHRISTMAS" FIRST. That practice alone diffused most of the potential Angry Shreiking Christmas Crusaders; although if a HARDCORE  Angry Shreiking Christmas Crusader (which we got every now and again) wished to make their presence known, they'd throw a fit no matter WHAT we said.

I did get a few ASCCs while I was working at the bakery counter. Mostly, this was not because of me saying the dreaded "H.H." words but because the music we were playing in the store didn't include any religious Christmas carols (why anyone would think complaining to the bakery clerk would make "Joy To the World" play over the PA system is beyond me). I learned VERY quickly to just smile apologetically and nod as the ASCC would aimlessly rant about how corporations are stealing their "right to be faithful" (as one memorable customer put it). Even then, I knew that it would be MUCH easier for me and for everyone else in the store if I just let these trolls have their moment of deluded self-righteousness and get on with my duties.

A very wise person once said that silence is the best response to a fool.

I believe Rachel Held Evans says it best: When somebody decides to throw a tantrum because some overworked temp working the cash register at *insert retail establishment* says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas", they are doing nothing to bring Christ's message to the world. In reality, they are just making themselves look like a spoiled toddler who had their favorite toy taken away.

Readers, God has given us the greatest gift that any of us could ever hope to receive. We have been given our ETERNAL SALVATION. We have been given the gift of our GOD INCARNATE. But, for so many of my Christian brothers and sisters, it isn't enough. Rachel Held Evans puts it beautifully:

Suddenly it’s not enough that Americans spend millions of dollars each year marking the birth of Jesus. Now we’ve got to have a “Merry Christmas” banner in front of every parade and an inflatable manger scene outside of every courthouse... or else we’ll make a big stink about it in the name of Jesus.  Having opened the gift of the incarnation—of God with us—we’ve peered inside and shrieked, “This is not enough!  Where are the accessories? We want more!” 

When our Lord and Savior said, "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven", I don't think he had religious music playing at the supermarket in mind.

People saying "Happy Holidays" is not taking Christ out of Christmas. You want to know what is taking our Lord and Savior out of Christmas more than anything else, Readers?

Being a dick.

So don't be a dick this Christmas, Readers. When you're out doing your shopping, be mindful of those who are working to help you. We are not actively trying to destroy Christianity, we're just trying to do our jobs without getting complaints from corporate.

Be nice to retail employees during this time of year, Readers. They have to put up with a LOT of abuse and overt stupidity.

Americans spend millions and millions of dollars marking the birth of Jesus every year, Readers.

Perhaps we should focus less on Christ's birth, and focus more on what Christ taught us:

Love your neighbor.
Love your enemies.
Turn the other cheek.
Blessed are the Meek and Humble.


In short, Don't be a Dick.

It's that time of year again!

Readers, it's that time of year again!

http://www.pikemarketseniorcenter.org/figgy-pudding

Tomorrow is the Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition! 

I am yet again directing a group of singing lawyers/administrative staff, and we will be caroling at the Westlake Center tomorrow starting at 6:15! We are raising funds for the Pike Place Market Senior Center and Food Bank! If you are in the Seattle area, please, come on down and immerse yourselves in Christmas Cheer! 

Image found here: http://www.pikemarketseniorcenter.org/figgy-pudding

Readers, if you find yourselves unable to attend the contest, please, PLEASE consider donating. The need for assistance and resources for seniors is now greater than ever, and financial support has been diminishing with the uncertain economic climate. Please, PLEASE support your local senior citizens! 

While I'm on the topic of charitable giving, I  wanted to give a shameless plug to one of my favorite charities, World Vision: 

http://www.wvi.org/wvi/wviweb.nsf

My husband and I have been giving gifts to friends and family through the World Vision gift catalog for the past two years! Last year, we bought my parents a goat (that was sent to a needy family). It came with an adorable plushie. It was pretty awesome. 

In addition to getting gifts for friends and family from the World Vision gift catalog (This year, we're probably going to split our donation between providing vaccinations and small business loans), the hubs and I are going to sponsor a child. We are very excited! 

The need for financial assistance is greater than ever, Readers, but there is also a great need for time and talent! If you are unable to give a financial gift to those less fortunate, please consider giving your time! Volunteer! 

http://www.flashvolunteer.org/neighborhoods

Now more than ever, Readers, the world needs our three "T's"; our Time, our Talent, and our Treasure! 

Until next time! 

Haiku Friday

I am seduced by
the warm blankets and sweet dreams.
My bed, my haven.

I'll Be Seeing You!

Image found here: http://www.doctormacro.com/Movie%20Summaries/I/I'll%20Be%20Seeing%20You.htm

Well, Readers, now that it's official, I guess I can finally share the good news:

I have been invited to perform with the Seattle Radio Theatre. I will be singing with this amazing group of actors on December 21st! The radio play will be broadcast over AM 1090 KPTK at 8 pm!

http://townhallseattle.org/seattle-radio-theatre-ill-be-seeing-you/

The jury's still out on whether or not my contribution to the show (I will be singing before the radio play starts) will be broadcast over the radio. All the same, this is a tremendous honor!

There is a veritable MOUNTAIN of things I need to prepare for; I need to practice, update my headshots (my last semi-professional headshot was taken when I was 17), practice, drag out my old keyboard, practice, meet with the director and accompanist, practice, pick up a black evening gown, and oh yes, practice.

In all seriousness, I find that my mental state is fluctuating between pure euphoria and sheer terror. I haven't sung in front of a paying audience since I was 19, and even then, I was singing in a choir, not as a soloist. It's true, I constantly worry about making a fool of myself. However, I've come to accept that worrying about something is just about as effective as trying to do my laundry by playing Words with Friends.

Wish me luck, Readers! And tune in!

Craft Fair version 2.0!

This was my table's set up at the beginning of the fair...

...and I mixed it up a bit in the middle of the fair when about a good third of the snowflakes were sold. 

Good morning, Readers!

I would like to apologize for the distinct lack of crochet patterns as of late; at the insistence of my husband and friends, I've put myself on a  crochet pattern "sabbatical" until after Thanksgiving. I've got a few things in the creative crock-pot stewing away though, so you guys can look forward to lots of new stuff in December!

Plus, I just got some very, VERY exciting news and an unbelievable opportunity! I'll give details when I can, but for now, it's taking every ounce of my self control to not start squealing and jumping up and down like a two year old.

Well, another annual holiday craft show has come and gone. Boy howdy, Readers, WHAT an improvement compared to last year's sad result!

I ended up selling about half, that's right, HALF of my merchandise. Friggin awesome.

Even though (compared to last year's disaster) this year was quite a success, I still learned quite a bit throughout the whole thing:

1. Presentation, presentation, presentation. As I'm sure my regular readers are aware, my "doitatthelastpossibleminute" strategy had given me disastrous results last year. This year, I took the time to scour the discount and secondhand stores for various decorative items; I found a nice chocolate brown tablecloth (that I could use for myself after the craft fair was over), a couple of FABULOUS golden poinsettia place mats, and an earring holder that rotated, all for about twenty dollars.  I commandeered our dining room table for an evening and played with different "layouts" until I was satisfied, and on the morning of the fair my booth was up and ready to go within ten minutes.

Plus, you guys, look at this price tag. Look.

I made my own price tags by cutting out tag shapes from a blank manilla folder and stamping them. So cute, fun to make, and in my humble opinion, much nicer looking than the store-bought ones.

You'd think that presentation would be obvious to a gal who sells her things at craft fairs, but making my flakes stand out and look their best is something I really struggle with. I'm sure that some of you who follow my "Lace Doodle Thursdays" have noticed my lack of photography skills; I find that white crochet snowflakes are VERY hard to take pictures of! Granted, taking pictures of my snowflakes is an entirely different animal than setting up a craft fair booth, but making things look good (in pictures AND in person) is a skill I am continuing to develop. The best way to learn these things (in my case) is to fall flat on my face a few times; but as the proverb goes, from last year's mistakes come this year's wisdom. My booth looked SO much better than it did last year, and all the effort I put into the presentation of my flakes really showed itself in the increased sales!

2. Pricing. My prices this year came down quite a bit, mostly due to the fact that I worked really hard to silence my inner yarn snob. The vast majority of my flakes were made with DMC's "Cebelia" (which goes for about five dollars per ball; I ended up using one ball to make around 40 snowflakes. On average, the cost of materials was about twelve cents per flake. Given that I paid about fifty cents per snowflake last year, this is an amazing improvement) and a few were made with some inexpensive beads. The most expensive snowflake was about five dollars (it didn't sell, but I kind of wanted to keep that one anyway).

Most of the snowflakes sold were priced between $2-$3.50 each. It was interesting; the customers gravitated toward the medium sized flakes instead of the itty-bitty ones (priced at a dollar) or the lager and more complicated ones (priced between $4-$5). I like having a variety of shapes/sizes to sell, but knowing what the customers usually buy is always good to keep in mind.

3. My attitude. The fabulous legal secretary who runs the craft fair (and who was been running it for the past ten years) gave me some really solid advice after she witnessed my little "craft sale fail" last year: to RELAX! Nobody sells all of their items, nobody gets it right the first time. Customers are able to detect desperation like a rabbit can detect a ravenous wolf, and potential buyers will high-tail it in the opposite direction as soon as they hear an over-enthusiastic "OH, HI!!! WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN SOME HANDMADE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS???"

I made it a point to avoid the craft fair as it was going on, with the exception of my noon break (where I went to re-arrange the booth and put out more merchandise). I know myself enough to anticipate my tendency to come off as a bit high-strung when I'm stressed out, so for the majority of the day, I stayed in my office. I will say that it was hard, SO hard, but the end result made it all worth it.


 Because, you know, it's a really good idea to NOT circle around potential customers like a shark.

With that, I'm out, Readers! I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Haiku Friday

Repose is breathing
Deep, when my Soul has been freed
From the tightn'ing vice