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