Take two, a-a-and...ACTION!!!

I issued a blogging challenge to myself about 6 months ago: write a blog post every week.  I wrote 4 posts in 6 months.  :(

Life is all about second chances though, right?  None of us are perfect and very (VERY) few people (if any at all) get anything done perfectly the first time.  So now that the Christmas rush is over, and the kittens mentioned in previous posts have healed from their spays and been adopted, I have a little more free time.  In fact, this time of year, which I call "the post-Christmas blahs", I have a lot more free time than I'd like.  Oh, sure, there is always something to do at the store: paperwork, ordering, restocking, rearranging, dusting...I miss the hustle and bustle of the Christmas shoppers though...and not because the store makes more money at Christmas time (although I appreciate that too; like most retail shops, the busy Christmas season keeps me in business), but also because I like the excitement and energy of the season.  This time of year, it's easier for a sensitive person like myself to feel a little more "down" and pessimistic and stressed: Did I make enough during the busy season to actually stay in business until sales pick up in the Spring?  How much can I spend on replenishing stock and how much should I set aside in case business is slow to improve?  Will the Canadian dollar ever recover enough so that I can reorder items from my few American suppliers without taking a 30% hit?  See?  Stress!

And then there are the rescue cats.  I certainly didn't intend to get into rescue; it's hard on the heart and on the wallet!  Yeah, taking in a stray off the street is completely "free", but having them tested, vaccinated, treated for fleas and worms, and spayed or neutered certainly is not!  We also tend to take in a lot of the "special cases" who've had illnesses or injuries, which requires more vetting than usual before they're able to be adopted, if at all, as we've also taken on a few "long term" rescues who have various chronic issues (one that will likely require a leg amputation at some point, another that just had his third surgery, another with a chronic allergy, an unadoptable feral...).  Vetting our foster cats costs money of course, which means continued fundraising, which takes my focus off of my retail business.  But fundraising is only part of rescue; getting the adoptable ones into the right home is another, and we are full at present.  More stress!

One thing I'm not going to stress about, however, is blogging.  Yes, I like to write, but I don't have a lot of time to get into a good "writing groove" (I started this post three days ago...that should tell you something), so I'm just going to write when I can, no matter how sporadically that may be.

Thanks for "listening".

~ Leesa

*Waves a white flag!*

Okay, so the "blog post a week" challenge I issued to myself is NOT working out so well...it's been nearly a MONTH since my last blog post!!  Foster kittens, health issues (my own), foster kittens with health issues (we have one lil' rescue kitty who is the "runt" of the litter, and she's having a hard time gaining weight)...I've been a busy gal lately!  Oh well, to use a timeworn phrase, "it is what it is", right?  I've learned not to get so "bent out of shape" over such things as intentions that somehow didn't turn out as I'd planned.  Imagine that!  Me...the anxiety Queen...learning to let things go!  Whether it's because I'm tired, or getting old, or tired (yeah, I know I've already mentioned that one!), learning to say "Whatever!" more often (instead of hitting the panic button!) has been good for me.

Besides, it's really easy to take a more relaxed attitude, when the reason I'm slacking on blogging is because of things like THIS:

Miss Cleo, rescue kitty mentioned above.

Ha ha ha ha ha!!

There's an old Yiddish proverb that goes, "Man plans and God laughs."  Ain't that the truth?!?  I set a goal of writting a blog post every week...then I agreed to foster a litter of kittens, so I fell behind by a week.  I'm now fostering TWO litters of kittens, and another 4 month old kitten!!  Add this to my already-full-house of cats and I barely have time to blink, never mind blog, so now I'm behind by a couple of weeks!  All of those kennels to clean, boxes to scoop, spay incisions to check, medications to administer, bowls to fill, cuddles to give...I don't mind though, what else am I going to do with my time?

Kittens!! 'Nuff said!!

Okay, so I've been neglecting my blog lately, and recently posted about challenging myself to write more often.  My goal was a post every week...that's managable, right?  And then I had the bright idea to foster a litter of kittens!!  It sounded like a good idea; my "foster room" at home wasn't being used much, and I know from experience that you should get outdoor-born kittens inside and socialized while they're very young, otherwise they can remain skittish and aren't as adoptable as friendly kittens.  A foster home was needed for some kittens; I had a foster room...made sense to me!

But I'd forgotten how energetic kittens are!!

Don't get me wrong, they are sweet and adorable, and make me laugh with their antics, but I think I'm too old for kittens!  I'm used to rescuing sick, injured, or old cats; they're quiet and tired...like me!!

So.  This counts as a blog post.  Can I take a nap now?

I am a terrible blogger!

I started a blog because I love to write.  Sadly, I don't have a lot of time to write, so I've been slacking -- big time!  I thought of challenging myself to write a blogpost every day (week??), but I know I'd feel "schmucky" if I failed at my own challenge, and who wants to feel "schmucky"...especially when they did it to themselves?!  Besides, this blog is (was supposed to be) about my store, and while, yes, things change quite often around here and I'm sure I could write about a different product every week, I decided a while back that blogging about particular products is not ideal, since some are seasonal or one-of-a-kind (especially when it comes to consignment crafts), and I don't want someone to read an old blog post about a product and come in looking for it, only to discover that it sold out months ago.  

Hmmm...

Still...

Perhaps a challenge is just what I need...potential "schmucky-ness" or not!

Fine.  You've talked me into it!  <winky face>

Let's Talk

Wednesday, January 28, 2015 is Bell Let's Talk Day, a day to encourage people to share their stories, raise awareness, and help end the stigma surrounding mental health issues.  As a business owner who tries to give back to my community (both my local and global community), I support many efforts to make the world a better place.  As someone whom others seem to find it easy to open up to, I've seen the difference it makes to a struggling person when I'm able to provide an open mind, a listening ear, and a shoulder to lean on.  And as a person who has struggled with health issues and depression most of my adult life, I know how important it is to be able to talk, to put a face to this subject, and to bring the topic of mental health out of the closet and into the light.

So, let's talk.  Don't be scared, embarrassed, or ashamed; you're not alone.  Talk to each other, talk to a health professional, talk to someone who can help you find support.

~ Leesa

Where's my &%$! magic wand?!?

 "I  have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers." ~ Khalil Gibran

It's sometimes so easy to get drawn into negativity, isn't it?  Sadness, anger, frustration...these emotions can often seem contagious, especially for highly sensitive people like myself.  If you're like me, knowing how easily you can get overwhelmed and how terrible that feels, you might attempt to diffuse negative situations by trying to explain, rationalize, or calm people...which sometimes does not go well!  I've gotten caught in a few "negativity sinkholes" myself recently, and it's been rather demoralizing and depressing. 

So what are we to do?  I wish I knew the "magic-wand answer" for that question, but I don't.  The best I feel I can do is to try to encourage, promote, and inspire positivity around me and hope it spreads!  As with most things, we can't expect perfection, and I try not to be too hard on myself when my efforts don't work as well as I'd planned.  It's hard to not take it personally when someone insults or rejects your attempts to be a good person, but it doesn't mean your efforts were not worthwhile; it just means that negative person was too wrapped up in their own issues to appreciate your attempts to be kind.  Try not to get discouraged, and don't give up!  Keep showing kindness to others, until you find people who will honour your efforts by not only reciprocating, but also by "paying it forward" and spreading kindness themselves.  And if you "slip up" and find yourself responding to negativity with even more negativity, be kind to yourself as well; realize you're not perfect, forgive yourself, and then get back to the business of trying to make the world a better place...one act of kindness at a time!

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." ~ Aesop

You can say that again...

"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans." ~ John Lennon

My husband was at a conference in California recently and was discussing social media and networking.  To make a point, he used his laptop to access some of my business pages (facebook, twitter, etc), one of which was this blog.  He thought something was wrong with his computer when he saw that it only loaded my old blog posts!  Umm, that's because there haven't been any new posts, Honey!  Ooops!

This blog used to be about my business and what was happening at my store: new products, new features, new causes, etc....but my posts "expired" rather quickly and I started deleting most of them...I mean, what's the point of keeping a blog post about the new colours and patterns of fall scarves when it's now July and all the scarves sold out months ago, right?  I don't want someone to see something on the blog, come in to get one, only to be disappointed when they discover that I no longer have any of them.  So now most of my online business time is spent promoting products on my other pages, where descriptions consist of just a few words or a couple of sentences, rather than complete paragraphs, and where it's easier to add and delete things as they come and go.

I've also been a bit busier than usual lately.  This will come as a complete surprise, I'm sure (sarcasm!), but we rescued two more homeless cats last December...they were hardly more than kittens, really...and it turns out that one of them has special needs.  If you haven't already heard about her via my fundraising efforts at the store, please let me introduce you to Ivy:

Miss Ivy was born outside to an abandoned and unspayed (obviously!) mother cat.  Because they were homeless, they didn't get enough to eat or enough nutrition from what little they did eat.  Because Ivy was severely malnourished, she developed some health issues as a kitten, the most serious being osteoporosis (brittle bones), which resulted in a broken pelvis and two leg fractures quite early during her time living outside, and before we were alerted to her situation and able to capture her.  Ivy's broken pelvis made it difficult and uncomfortable for her to walk, and being sedentary caused atrophy in the muscles of her back legs.  Rather than improving with better nutrition now that she has a home with us, Ivy's condition has gotten increasingly worse; Ivy can barely walk or even stand now, and we have to help her with things like using the litterbox, since she can't stand in the litterbox on her own.  Our Veterinarians referred Ivy to an Orthopedic specialist, and we're currently waiting for the report from Radiologists at the Veterinary College in P.E.I., although the Orthopedist's preliminary diagnosis is not good, as he is quite certain Ivy has a degenerative disease called Osteogenesis imperfecta, given the worsening condition of her bones.

So I'm sure you can understand how my time has been occupied lately...but in a wonderful (although sad!) warm and fuzzy way.

"You can really only enjoy life when you're extremely busy." ~ Josephine de La Baume

UPDATE: Our dear Miss Ivy did indeed have Osteogenisis imperfecta.  Her rapidly softening bones meant more greenstick fractures, and sadly, the inevitable serious fracture that we knew would mean the end of her life, as we promised we would "do the right thing" for her as soon as she began to suffer.  Miss Ivy left our life, but not our hearts, on August 14, 2014.

Photo courtesy of Rainbow Bridge ~ Celebration of our beloved pets lives

Never say never!

"Life never goes according to plan.  That's okay, because often our plans are much smaller than life intends.  Probably EASIER, but smaller." ~ Stacey T. Hunt

Aside from the three foster cats we'd "showcased" at the store (one at a time...not all at once!) for a local rescue group, we've taken in another six homeless cats on our own over the last year and a bit, doing the fund-raising ourselves to pay for their vetting (testing, vaccinating, spaying or neutering...and anything else they needed treatment for), before finding adoptive homes for them.  We certainly hadn't planned to become involved in fostering cats on our own, but then we ended up with a poor little abandoned cat that none of the rescue groups I'd contacted could take in at that particular time (sadly, many rescues are short of space and funding), and that's how it began.

Although we obviously love cats (we have several of our own, plus a store cat), I find it very stressful to charge sometimes several hundreds of dollars to my credit card for Vet care for our fosters, while hoping to be able to raise enough money to pay for it...which doesn't always happen.  Despite collecting donations, putting on auctions, etc, I have come up short a time or two after fund-raising for a particular foster; but I just focus on the fact that the dear kitty is off the streets, and hope that Karma will remember me later.  After having three foster cats at one time this past Spring, and suffering from what I refer to as "fund-raising overload" (FRO), I swore I'd never do it again!  No, it's okay, you can laugh.

I also swore I'd never have more than one foster at a time again...*pause for more laughter*...and here we are with two more, and a possible third "waiting in the wings".  *Sigh!*  So, what's my point?  No, I'm not looking for "a pat on the back", but just to make the point that we should "Never say never", because you don't know what's around the corner, and sadly, when it comes to homeless cats, there are always so many of them around the corner.  While I can't personally take them all in, I do what I can.  I know there will be a time...probably lots of times...when I'll swear I'll never do it again, and there have already been situations (like during my recent surgery) when I can't do it at that particular time, but I promise to TRY to "Never say never"...and I also promise that you can all laugh at me when I do!  :)

~ Leesa

Cats, cats everywhere...has made us stop and think...

To date, Our Mother's Keepers has collected over $1,300.00 for 21 different "Featured Causes", plus other things like: food for the food bank, cat food and litter for two local cat rescue groups, and soap for our "Soap Drive for Haiti" at the height of the Cholera epidemic in 2011.  We've sometimes taken a break from our usual Featured Causes to collect donations for the six "street rescue" cats we've vetted and adopted out from the store, and although we're unable to foster any cats at the store at this time (due to my upcoming surgery), we're currently taking donations to help vet two more "street rescues", which we hope to assist before the weather gets very cold.  

In our hurry to collect enough funds to be able to help with vetting and finding these latest two a home before it gets cold, we started to think about fundraising BEFORE rather than AFTER we agree to help any others, so that we will already have the funds immediately available to have them vetted when they come along.  Therefore, we've decided to "test drive" having our "Street Rescue" fund as our permanent "Featured Cause".  This doesn't mean we won't occasionally put out a donation box or jar on the counter for another worthy cause at their request, it just means that we won't be choosing different causes ourselves every month or two to promote as our featured cause.  

Sammie, the store cat. and former "street rescue"

Having a store cat, Sammie, who is a former "street rescue" himself, makes this decision a great fit for the store, as he can be our ambassador to help others like him find homes.  [Note: we are still unable to foster any cats at the store until after my surgery, and we will still NOT take "drop offs" (ie. unwanted cats) at the store; there is a protocol for any cats we agree to assist.  We are still NOT a cat rescue, but we want to continue to help some of those cats who don't seem to have other options.]  We hope all of our wonderful customers support us in this decision, and we assure you that we will still carry various products that benefit and support a variety of causes and groups from around the world.

Good ol' Gratitude!

Gratitude..seems like a simple concept...easily understood...hardly worth mentioning, right??  Well, Gratitude is a truly powerful force, and a motivating factor in my own life, so I feel it needs mentioning...and mentioning often...'cuz if you're like me, and the trials of life sometime get you down, it really REALLY helps to think of all the things you have to be grateful for instead.

I tried to impart that bit of wisdom to a couple of people lately, with differing results: one just kind of snorted, kept adding things to the long list of "Life Grievances" he was compiling, and became even more miserable; the other paused to think about what I'd said, then her attitude changed, she started focusing on the good in her life rather than the bad, and we were soon swapping jokes rather than sharing a "gripe session".  See?  It DOES work to focus on the positive rather than the negative.  

Has this ever happened to you: something goes wrong, you start thinking, "So, it's going to be one of THOSE days, is it?", you start fretting about all the negatives in life (current problems...perhaps past concerns...maybe even future worries), then "wham!", "Wham!!", "WHAM!!!", now everything seems to be going wrong and it turns into a really bad day?  I've been there myself...but I find it happens less and less when I stop and take the time to focus on the good, rather than the bad.  

Not that life is perfect, or ever will be...for anyone...but I truly believe that you attract what you project, and if you're giving the majority of your attention to the negatives in your life by focusing on and fretting about them, then life often seems to respond by throwing more of the same negativity at you.  Does that mean that good, positive, happy people don't have bad things happen in their lives?  No, of course not.  We'll all have challenges to deal with, it's a part of life that we simply cannot change, but I think it's how we respond to the difficulties that makes the difference.  

If something happens that you can't control, (like having a chronic illness, for instance) will being depressed or angry make it go away?  Nope.  In fact, all that stress might make the condition even worse.  So do what you can to deal with it, and be grateful for all that you do have; it won't make the difficulties go away, but it will make dealing with them more pleasant for you and everyone around you.

Just my little thought for the day...thanks for listening...

~ Leesa

"Thank you!" is just not enough!

Our Mother's Keepers will be celebrating its third anniversary soon!  I can hardly believe it...it seems like just yesterday we were painting the store (the first time, that is!), commissioning our mural, and ordering our opening stock.  In the past three years we've achieved so many of the things we set out to do...like collecting and donating over $1,200.00 and other goods to worthy causes around the world through our "Featured Cause" program...and we've even accomplished some things we didn't originally plan to do...like foster (sometimes also have tested, vaccinated, and spayed/neutered) and adopt out 9 homeless cats!  For these achievements and the ongoing success of our business, we thank our customers, supporters, mentors, friends, and family...yet, merely saying "Thank you!" doesn't seem adequate to express my gratitude.

I truly feel blessed to be part of this community; to meet, serve, support, share with, and learn from all the people I interact with each day.  I enjoy hosting events at the store, so that I may continue expanding my own knowledge, while helping others learn along with me.  I'm happy to feature items from local crafts-people as well as diverse groups of crafters from around the world.  I'm honoured when people come to our shop for the thoughtfully selected products and services we offer, whether it's an eco-friendly reusable produce bag, a natural locally-made soap, or a sage stick and smudging instructions.  Again, "Thank you!" doesn't seem enough.

I've written before of my desire to "do good" (see my "Mother's Musings" post in this blog), but I don't think I've mentioned that I was inspired by daughter and the selfless deeds she's performed from a young age...from her generous acts of charity, to her concern for the environment, to her compassion for animals.  Like any mother, I hope I've been somewhat responsible for helping guide my daughter to be the loving, caring person she is, but I'm also grateful to her, for making me want to be more and do more myself.  She is the reason I want to help make the world a better, happier place, and why the focus of our store is to promote peace, nurture the soul, care for the planet, and show compassion to all who inhabit the earth.  "Thank you!" is definitely not enough there.

~ Leesa

Got the "Winter Blahs"??

Well, we had a busy Christmas season here at Our Mother's Keepers; Sammie (the store cat) and I are grateful to each and every one of our customers who help keep us in business and allow us to do what we love.  Now that the hectic shopping season is over, things have slowed down a bit, but luckily Sam and I have lots of things to keep us busy: counting inventory, end of year accounting, restocking the merchandise and supplies, and we're always on the lookout for new product lines.

I talk about the store cat, Sammie, as if he was as much a part of the running of the business as I am, and that's because...well...he IS.  Sam's become a real fixture here, and has generated quite a following.  He loves people and usually runs to greet most of the shoppers who come into the store...in fact, Sammie goes into a bit of a depression when traffic naturally drops off after Christmas; he misses all of the people and the attention they give him.  There's a good way to beat the "Winter Blahs"...stop in and give Sam a little rub...he'll love it, and I hear petting an animal is good for lifting moods and lowering blood pressure!

While you're in the store, making Sam's day, feel free to help yourself to one of OMK's new "Inspiration Cookies"...okay, they're not really cookies, we only call them that because they remind us of "fortune cookies"...without the cookie part, that is!  They're just little inspirational quotes, which we hope will give a little "pick me up" to anyone who could use one.  The best part about our Inspiration Cookie (other than being calorie-free!) is that you can pass it along: place it on the desk of a co-worker, slip it in the pocket of a friend, leave it on the table with your tip when dining out...just share the positivity.  You never know when a seemingly small gesture will make a very big difference in someone's day...now there's a great way to beat the Winter Blahs!

If you need another idea for beating the Winter Blahs, how about donating to our "You Choose" Featured Cause?  The OMK family knows from experience that it feels good to give!  To date, Our Mother's Keepers has collected at least $1,164.00 for 16 different Featured Causes.  Plus, we've also collected food for the food bank as well as a local outreach centre, hand-knit winter accessories for children and adults in need, 600 bars of soap in our "Soap Drive for Haiti" during the cholera epidemic, and cat food and litter for two local rescue groups.  This time, when you put money in our donation jar, you also get to write the name of your favourite charity on a ballot; at the end of the promotion, all of the money collected will go to the charity written on the winning ballot, which will be drawn at random.  I think that knowing your ballot was the one responsible for a worthy cause recieving a much needed donation would be a pretty blah-busting feeling!  What do you say...feeling lucky?

UPDATE: the winning ballot and the recipient of the donations collected for the "You Choose" Featured Cause was The Canadian Breast Cancer Society.  Thank you for your support!

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." ~ Aesop

Handsome Sam!

Almost a year ago, after fostering a couple of cats here at the store, I decided to take in Sammie.  Sammie was a stray who was being fed by some very kind people who couldn't take him themselves, but wanted to find him a home since the cold weather was setting in.  I'd hoped Sammie would be happy enough at the store to make it his permanent home, but was willing to at least foster him if he wasn't content to live here.  Perish the thought!

I had Sam tested, vaccinated, and "fixed", then took him to my home after his fixin', so that I could keep an eye on him during his recovery.  He wouldn't settle down at home however, and after much "complaining" by Sam, I brought him back to the store, willing to sleep here on the floor if I had to, in order to make him happy and keep an eye on him.  Nuthin' doin'!  He immediately stopped crying, found a comfy spot to lay down, and proceeded to fall asleep.  He was home!

From the beginning, Sammie has been perfectly happy at the store.  He loves attention from our customers and even has a "following" of people who stop in just to say, "Hi" to Sam and get a cuddle or two.  Sam is also one of the most patient, gentle, and pliable cats I have ever met.  He loves children, but even if one of the really young ones gets a little rough, simply because they're a little rambunctous, Sammie takes it in stride and has never raised a paw to any of them.  I've dressed him in a bowtie, and a pumpkin costume, and he is happy to let me do it!  Sammie even enjoys going out for walks on a leash (does he ever!!), all you have to do is shake the leash and harness and he runs over and waits to have his harness fastened on!  Despite his eagerness to go out for a walk however, he never tries to venture farther than the sidewalk in front of the store; he strolls down to one corner of our block, back past the store to the other corner, perhaps down to the first one again, then trots back into the store as if he's fulfilled his security detail for the day.

At first, I'd been a bit concerned about having a cat at the store (permanently, that is, as opposed to the foster cats we've had here), as I know some people have allergies, phobias, or just plain don't like cats, but Sam has had WAY more positive attention, than negative.  Sammie is as much a part of Our Mother's Keepers as I am...besides, I think I'd be run out of town if some members of his fan club came to visit and he wasn't here!



Mother's Musings...

Okay, so I'm not the "Mother" in the title of my store (do you know who is??), but I am a mother, I'm musing, and I like alliteration.

I've been in a musing mood lately, thinking about the business: what products to keep and/or add, what to let go, what to focus on more, what to do less, how to better build community and connections in my town...and beyond.  One of the things I decided to do was to host events here at the store, events of the informative, healing, spiritual, or soulful nature.  A recent healing event I hosted at the store inspired me to refocus and revisit my thoughts and intentions, including my professional ones.  I wrote and posted the following on the store's Facebook page, and I think it sums up these thoughts and intentions fairly well:

"I opened this store nearly two years ago with the desire to do good.  To support both local and other deserving artisans and craftspeople around the world.  To provide products that are good for the soul and the planet.  To encourage and help maintain peace and good health in body and mind.  To promote awareness of important issues and support worthy causes near and far.  To assist in creating and sustaining a sense of true community within my community, regardless of the various personal, cultural, and spiritual demographics that reside within said community.  Right now, in front of me, there is a display of walking sticks; one features a Celtic cross, another has an eagle totem.  To my right are Buddhist prayer malas, next to some rainbow pride bracelets.  To my left is a shelf, upon which sits a wooden box adorned with a cross, near another box decorated with a five pointed star.  In order to stay in business, of course, I must sell these (and many other) products, but in order to promote this sense of universal community that I feel compelled to do, I draw on ideologies and strengths from many corners of the globe, much like the varied nature of my merchandise."

If you add to that statement my desire to help show compassion, give care, and a new life to some of society's abandoned, abused, unwanted, or unloved animals, then I think it would be a great synopsis of my intentions.  Sure, some may (and have) state(d) their belief that I shouldn't have a "store cat" or "showcase" the occasional cat or kitten for other organizations at my place of business, but as an animal lover, I feel compelled to do what I can to comfort these creatures and give them or help guide them to a better life.  It's just all part of my desire to make this world a better place...to improve and sustain ("keep", if you will...) our nurturing Earth (much like a "Mother" to us all)...

...because we are all Our Mother's Keepers.

~ Leesa

Back to "normal"...whatever THAT is!!

Sigh!  It's all over...the stockings are no longer hung by the chimney with care...just the ugly winter vinyl now hung on the store windows to keep out the chilly air...UGH!!  Note to self: when I finally win that lottery, have insulated double-glazed energy-efficient windows installed at the store...THEN spend the rest saving the planet!!  Hmm, I wonder what the landlord would say if I asked him what he thought about replacing those three giant windows??  Probably something like, "I think your rent is going up...WA-A-AY UP!!!"...perhaps I'll stick to the original plan: lottery, windows, planet.

SIGH!!  So now what do Sammie and I do here at the store to wile away the weary winter days?  He already misses all the Christmas shoppers; he had great fun greeting people and following them around to collect his kitty-rubs as if it was an entrance fee!  Now he sits and stares at the door and sighs (seriously, the cat actually sighs!), as if to say, "Hey, where did everyone go?  It's okay, you can come back; she already scooped my litter box!".  There's only so much trouble the two of us can think up together, and my mind is already busy enough thinking of excuses for not starting the quarterly taxes...like blogging...c'mon, taxes or blogging?  I think we all know which takes priority!  Or a nap...perhaps Sammie and I could take a nice long nap...until Spring...

Sammie...the store "greeter"!

Sammie is, what I and the people who were looking after him figure, an abandoned housecat. He showed up in the countryside a couple of months ago, half-starved, but incredibly friendly and affectionate. He loves to cuddle, purr, and generally rub around everyone. The folks who named him Sammie were feeding him and allowing him to "crash" in their shed at night (they even put in a heater for him when it got cold), while they put up posters and online ads trying to find where he belonged. They grew quite attached to him, but were unfortunately unable to take him in. I was already fostering another orange kitty at the store, Jack, but wee Jack was being adopted soon, so I agreed (once Jack went to his new home) to keep Sammie at the store. He'd at least have a warm and safe place to stay, and with all the attention Jack received, I figured I'd have no difficulty finding a good home for Sammie if he wasn't truly happy here. He settled in right away, however, as if he'd always lived in the store! He loves people and enjoys greeting customers (when he's not on a break!), so until I can afford to hire staff, I'm not seeing a reason to hasten his departure; customer service is customer service, whether it comes on two legs or four!

Think WARM!!!

Do you feel that new chill in the air too?  The days are still nice, but first thing in the morning, and at night, we're starting to get a hint of what's on the way!  Which reminds me...

It's time to put out Our Mother's Keepers' donation bin to collect new knitted (and crocheted) winter accessories (hats, mittens, scarves, winter socks, etc.) to be distributed to children and adults in our community who need them.  Last year Our Mother's Keepers donated 24 hats, 7 pairs of mitts, 2 pairs of socks, and 2 beautifully knit baby blankets to our local Family Resource Centre.  Thanks to everyone who donated last year, and we look forward to the generous support of our wonderful customers again this year.  If you're not a knitter or crocheter, you can still help keep someone warm this winter by purchasing these items at your local department store or craft sale instead; as long as they're new, it doesn't matter if they're handcrafted or not.  Share some warmth; it will give you a warm feeling inside!

Thank you!
~ Leesa

Morning (and into the afternoon) Musings...

Okay, so if you know me, you should know that I like to "crack wise"!  Yup, I love to make jokes and play pranks (especially on my long-suffering husband...but if I can still "get him" after all these years, then it's really HIS fault, isn't it??  Yeeaahh...), and I've got a repertoire of sayings and "voices" that crack my family up.  Life is not always easy, so I like to try to keep things lighthearted and fun.

If you read my last post (Horn of Africa Crisis) however, you'll know that I can also be very serious and feel deeply the disasters that strike our beloved planet and the beings (human and non-) who inhabit her.  That is why I do a "Featured Cause" that changes every month or two.  Sure, the money (or sometimes food for the Food Bank, or soap for Haiti) I collect for these causes may not amount to much (well, the 600 bars of soap for Haiti was pretty darn awesome!) in the grand scheme of things; but I have a hard time enjoying all of my personal (although modest) comforts when so many others in the world are suffering great hardships, so I like to help where I can.

Some have criticized me for including foreign causes, rather than focusing only on local ones.  Yes, I agree that there is a lot of need in our own backyards, and I certainly DO feature local charities and organizations, but when I get an email like the one I received last night (from the lovely woman who brings the jewelry to me from the women of the collective in Bobong, Kenya), and I hear how there are not only hundreds of thousands of people starving because of the drought, but as many livestock and wild animals desperately searching for food and water as well...well, it affects me deeply!

Human or animal, none of us are able to choose when or where we are born, and there are so many things (like this devastating drought) that are beyond our control (please don't start a "but-humans-ARE-responsible-for-climate-change" discussion with me here...I happen to agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Al Gore...but that's fodder for another post), therefore I try to do what I can (no matter how little it may seem) to ease the suffering of those less fortunate...near or far.  That's also why, initially inspired by the compassionate works of my own amazing daughter (also fodder for another post), my store is full of not only goods crafted by local artisans, but also various products that benefit numerous disadvantaged groups around the world.

Here's a quote I stole off a friend's facebook page:
"In seeking happiness for others, you find it for yourself." ~ Anonymous

Peace.
~ Leesa

Horn of Africa Crisis

'The head of the UN refugee agency has called the situation in drought-ridden Somalia the "worst human disaster" in the world". (CBC News)

Since I've (apparently) become known for my "Featured Causes", I've had a few customers stop in wanting to know if I'm collecting for this disaster.  I already have two causes "on the counter", and don't want to have too many going at once (for propriety's sake), but wanted to let people know where they can donate, if they so choose.

You can donate online to a number of agencies through the CBC News website:
http://www.cbc.ca/thenational/indepthanalysis/story/2011/07/13/national-somaliadrought.html
and, since some have expressed the wish to mail a donation, my personal suggestion would be UNICEF, since they are already "boots on the ground" in this crisis.  See info below.

UNICEF Canada

UNICEF is on the ground in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia to meet the immediate needs of vulnerable children and families.  Their life-saving interventions and expertise for nutrition, immunization, water and sanitation, education and child protection are delivered on a mass scale, in coordination with the UNHCR and WFP.

Make cheques payable to: "UNICEF Canada" and write: "Horn of Africa Crisis" on the front of the cheque.  Mail cheques to: UNICEF Canada, 2200 Yonge Street, Suite 1100, Toronto, Ontario, M4S 2C6