~The Importance Of Being Kind~

Nastiness; cattiness: malevolence by virtue of being malicious or spiteful or nasty; the quality of being unpleasant.....

…..is it ever really necessary? OH…I’m sure the person being nasty certainly believes it is…But I ask you…IS IT?

How could there possibly be a point to purposely being mean…....there are so many people out there...wasting precious time...in the pursuit of being nasty to others.... and what really throws me is when someone writes something nasty somewhere.... be it Face Book…a Blog or Forum….it takes only minutes and there are fifteen people agreeing with the nastiness..saying things like “I love it”….”OMG..that’s so funny” ..or even adding their own nasty spin on the quote or passive aggressive statement or complaint………….. I’m sorry but I JUSTdon’t get it….

Nastiness has been around since the beginning of time…no matter the people, no matter the circumstance there is always hate..it’s a sad sad truth..but it’s there. We are all guilty of it on some level at some point in our lives….we are human and all of us make mistakes from time to time…… we can not go through life without having been nasty to someone, somewhere along the way. Thankfully..the majority of us learn from our mistakes and realize the error of our ways. Unfortunately..there are those that don’t…..there are people out there that think being mean and nasty is somehow funny..people that seem to get a kick out of making fun of or hurting others and just plain being nasty….

I ask you this; the next time you encounter someone being nasty……whether it be in a conversation… ….posted on Face Book, a forum or when you are out and about in your daily lives…….before commenting…going along with or becoming a part of the nastiness…….stop for a second …take just one moment…..and ask yourself…”how would I feel if this nastiness….this…..comment…quote…statement…etc…...was aimed at…meant for…or being said to………. ME”

We have to start somewhere…it’s time we stopped and realized…..The Importance Of Being Kind…………..

Kindness; the act or the state of being kind and marked by charitable behavior, marked by mild disposition, pleasantness, tenderness and concern for others.

Kindness…..now isn’ that a much nicer word……………..:)

I’m sorry if this sounds like I’m preaching..but I saw a comment on facebook this morning…a nasty “quote”..that many folks found very funny and it’s been bothering me all day……

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I’m off now to put another log on the fire & enjoy a bowl of homemade soup on this beautiful snowy afternoon. I wish all of you a wonderful day. :) Doreen

~For The Love Of Real Books & Book Stores~

A good book on your shelf is a friend that turns its back on you and remains a friend. ~Author Unknown.

Call me old fashioned but I have absolutely no desire to own one of those small electronic book devices which holds hundred and hundreds of books yet has absolutely no character whatsoever..... it's just not for me. I like turning real pages, using bookmarks, enjoying a well thought of and artfully done book jacket and holding the heft of a good old fashioned novel in my hands..............

I know every book of mine by its smell, and I have but to put my nose between the pages to be reminded of all sorts of things. ~George Robert Gissing



I like to walk past my beloved books and smile at the familiar titles, remembering fondly how each one came to reside in our home...perhaps it was a gift or a wonderful flea market find or a favorite beloved treasure since childhood or purchased during a library sale or on one of my various trips to a favorite book store.

Speaking of favorite book stores....On Friday afternoon my Sister-in-law, Mom-in-law and Aunt took a little trip to Manchester, Vt for a bit of shopping & lunch and stopped at my favorite book store~ Northshire Bookstore..oh what a wonderful place. This is not a chain store...it's independently family owned and absolutely wonderful. Cozy, warm, relaxing, soft music playing, huge comfy leather chairs and couches, very knowledgeable and friendly staff and a fantastic little sandwich & coffee shop with amazing lunches.
I could spend hours in this store..and on occasion do..Steph (my sister-in-law) and I go here as often as we can, grab ourselves a nice hot cup of coffee and a snack and while away the hours... always leaving relaxed, happy & with something special to read and add to our growing collection of books.

During lunch we got to talking about how book stores are struggling due in part to those small little electronic devices I mentioned above and ....it's very sad.....we live in a fast paced world of quicker is better..get in get out and go about your business...the large grocery stores and department stores have forced the small mom & pop shops..tiny little boutiques and independently owned shops to close their doors..many after generations of family's running them...are book stores next? I certainly HOPE NOT!

So..you will not find a hand held electronic book in my hand...you will however find a real BOOK!
Wishing you a wonderful day, :)Doreen

~A Bit Late....Please Meet Young Marshfiled~

A bit late..yes..that does seem to be the theme that is trying to force itself upon me over the past week. I'm not sure how this kind of thing happens.... I started 2011 ahead of the game..all caught up and ...with a great game plan ...now, here we are, a mere 17 days in..and I feel myself starting to fall a bit behind schedule...OH I WILL NOT LET THIS HAPPEN...I know how this kind of thing goes....first you fall a little bit behind and then it's just a matter of time before everything is a mess and the evil being that is "lateness" takes over your life...I won't stand for it I tell you...I WON'T!!

SO...on to getting caught up an staying caught up.....

Please meet Young Marshfield...I had every intention of posting him here on my blog Saturday but the day just got away from me. So... here he is finally.

Young Marshfield

He has been sold and will be traveling to his new home first thing tomorrow morning~he originally had travel plans set for today~however, silly me, I had forgotten there was no "train" today.... what with it being a holiday and all.
Look at that little face..gosh he's cute...I swear to you I have no idea how they get so darn sweet...It just seems to happen that way...My theory is........after they are all finished and I've set them on the dining room table and headed off to bed for the night ....a tiny little fairy comes along, gives her little wand a wave, taps their little heads and BOOM.....personality!!!! :)

Okay..I must be going now if I'm to keep on schedule..I have orders to finish so that on Wednesday I can dig into this luscious mohair.
Wishing you a lovely day and stay warm..it's bitter cold out there.
:)Doreen

~The Magic Of Ordinary Days~

It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth ~ and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up ~ that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had. ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

I have a book called Simple Abundance~A Day Book of Comfort & Joy which I purchased at a yard sale years ago. It truly has been a source of Comfort & Joy. It is written by Sarah Ban Breathnach who I find to be a gifted writer. The book is about discovering your "Authentic Self"....allowing you, through journaling, drawing & other fun exercises to figure out who you "truly" are. The book also has an accompanying workbook /journal which I also purchased at a yard sale.

Like many of the books I own..to which there are MANY....they are in every room in this house, lining several book shelves, dressers and decoratively stacked here and there...I will go months and not open them, then one day a little voice in my head will prompt me to take one out of it's "home" and breeze through it. Such is the case with this particular book this morning. I took it out, leafed through it until I found today's date, and happened upon the quote above and was very comforted in knowing...I do actually understand and live this way. What I took from the journal entry that accompanied the quote was that we should recognize the "magic" in our every day lives....the "ordinary" days which we all experience yet usually take for granted. We should delight & enjoy the small things in the every day that make us happy and truly make us who we are.
(hot cocoa this afternoon in my favorite mug~a Christmas gift from my sweet husband)

The last two lines in the journal entry say "We can no longer afford to throw away even one "unimportant" day by not noticing the wonder of it all. We have to be willing to discover and then appreciate the authentic moments of happiness available to all of us every day."

It felt good to read this particular entry and realize...wow..that's exactly who I am...I delight in the magic of my "ordinary" days; the regular routine of my humble little life...rising before dawn..coffee...news...answering emails...bundling up to fill the bird feeders just after the sun rises...coming in and tidying up the house...feeding our pets...then myself...showering and then heading into the studio for the day.....most days I get in a walk in the fresh air or do a bit of yoga before I shower...every day is very similar however they are each vastly different than the other. They do not always go as planned and there are usually some unscheduled events thrown into each one..... but they each have the "magic" of an "ordinary" day.
(Orange Chocolate Chip Shortbread)

I write this post because I often wonder..."geesh, do people really care if I say good morning to them on "face book" or what I'm having for dinner tonight ..... what I'm baking today..whether i've fed the birds..tended the fire.....drinking a cup of coffee on a snowy afternoon...what I'm working on in my studio...whether I ran to the post office or not....or whether it's snowing here in Vermont.....
(A recent wonderful and oh so snowy day..PERFECT)

These are all things I post here on my blog...on my website and face book on a daily basis and I often think to myself..gosh people must get so sick of what i'm saying as it's pretty much the same thing day after day..but then something like this happens..I open up this book, which I've had for years, and find a "validation" of sorts..that if...for no other reason..my daily "greetings" "post" and "good mornings" serve in allowing me to recognize what brings me "comfort & joy" and know "who I am."

The picture below is a little "sneak peek" of my newest bear...it is also a picture of the "magic" of MY "ordinary" day..............

I'm off now to put another log on the fire, make a batch of pumpkin scones, a cup of cocoa and then finish this wee little moppet.


Wishing all of you a "MAGICAL ORDINARY DAY. :)

hugs,
Doreen

~New Offerings On Early Work Mercantile & Joyous New Year To Thee~

Happy New Year My Friends. I hope this blog post finds you well and happily exhausted from your Holiday Festivities. I am feeling just that way today....Happily Exhausted..it's quiet here right now after a very busy and wonderful Christmas. Jenna & Ben have left to embark on their new journey in Florida (where they will be living for a time) & Kurt is on a 3 week long college trip to Guatemala & Belize. Mark is at the Sugar house with his cohorts cutting this years sugar making wood (it's hard to believe it's almost sugaring time again) and I am sitting here with a nice big mug of hot cocoa in hand, dressed in a fresh new pair of flannel Christmas PJ's and have no plans, whatsoever, of stepping outside my door today :). When this blog post is done, I shall wander into the kitchen and make a batch of Spaghetti & Meatballs for our dinner and that will be the extent of my "work" for the day...PERFECT!

Today...being the first of the month, as well as the start of a fresh New Year...I have a new offering available~The Blackened Beeswax Heart that you see in the pictures here. I really love how it came out & hope you do too :)
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In the New Year ahead I wish you all much joy & happiness for a safe, healthy and prosperous 2011. I thank you all SO very, very much for your continued support of my work and thus, of me.....words can not express how very grateful I am to each and every one of you. Much love to all of you. Doreen