My Little Orange Kitchen

Show Us Your Wares

I can't believe I haven't posted in five days! We've got lots going on here and more on that soon, but in the meantime...The On Broadway Farmer's Market kicked off tonight and in spite of threatening to rain and it being the first one of the season, it was busy and a lot of fun.

I was super stressed because my stock was low, but no one seemed the least concerned and the wallets got a great response from people passing by. The booth rental is fairly inexpensive, but guess what? Sales weren't even super high, but as of tonight, the booth is paid for completely! For the whole season! Woo-Hoo!

Some really fun things happened. A young woman walked by and I recognized her from the Urban Frog.  We chatted because she's a big wallet fan and already owns three!  Then, I noticed what she was carrying! It turns out that the Frida wallet was a gift for her! I had no clue when I made it that it was a birthday present for sweet Carly!

Carly was extra nice and let me take her picture holding Frida...actually...she let me take three. I believe in "safety" shots just in case the first one doesn't turn out.

It was nice because many of the women who stopped by the booth already had one...some had purchased them at Arti-Gras and some had received them as gifts from other women friends!  I loved seeing wallets I made in the winter being pulled out of bags now!

Then, I was blown away when this friend stopped by.

When I owned Mico Femina I had a large female staff and one guy. Pete.

I used to call my staff Pete & The Girls as if they were some sort of 50's band!  When many of my female customers learned through the grapevine that I'd hired a guy, they were concerned. They liked the women and the store was so feminine in nature that they feared a man would throw it off balance. I knew he'd be perfect. Besides, I was an equal opportunity employer!  It worked out. Everyone loved him.

Pete was a great match for the shop. Women came up to me over and over and said that they just couldn't believe how perfect Pete was. Soft spoken, gentle, a tad nervous, a little hesitant and a very good sport. The girls and I were relentless when it came to teasing Pete (kindly).  He was so nervous his first few weeks that we took great delight in pretending he'd made "serious" mistakes and seeing him get his trademark worried look! Agahahahaaha! 

He has a very dry sense of humor and doesn't say much, but when he speaks you have to listen and usually laugh...he's so funny.   He and I had a lot of fun because I'm so animated and he isn't (AT ALL) that we got a kick out of one another.   

I haven't seen Pete in a long time and when he came up to my booth I was overcome with joy! Hugs all around!  I could go on and on with Pete stories and of how he had to deal with his prankster female boss (me!) and seven female co-workers during the holiday season, but I won't...it would make me look like a terribly unprofessional boss!  Good to see you Pete! 

My mom swung by and watched my booth so I could take a break to go see the beautiful Liz.

Her work is amazing and so reasonably priced!  Look at her magnets!

If you're local, please stop on by (she's near Sassy Girl).  It was fun to meet a fellow blogger and Etsian.  She has pendants, hair clips, magnets and her prints on wood and earrings. If you aren't local, head on over to Etsy to see her.

My pictures  of her booth came out with a big glare, so you'll have to take my word about the beauty of her colorful artwork.

All and all it was a nice night and my EZ-UP canopy worked well, but let's just say that for a canopy called EZ-UP....well, it isn't all that easy...at least for me. Though, I think it just takes getting used to.

I have many good things to blog about including great mail from Kai and Emiko as well as a tag from Racheal, but I promised myself that I wouldn't post again until I can get over to your blogs tomorrow. I'm so behind on my blog reading. 

Hey....I was late in getting the give-aways out, but finally did on Monday...though, I'm still waiting for addresses from some of you.  Please shoot me your address to receive your consolation prize!

Oh...bad news. I just learned that the phrase I use regularly ...  "For all intensive purposes" is really supposed to be "For all intents and purposes".  Lovely. Just lovely. I feel pretty dumb because I say it a lot.  I use it in the right context at least, but somehow the right words alluded me for 39 years.

Good news. My new hearing aids are keepers! I was able to hear almost everyone at the market tonight even though it was super loud and the music was playing (great singer by the way).  It feels so good to finally hear people even when they are looking away from me as they talk!

Sweet dreams all!  I'll post as soon as I do some blog reading tomorrow!    

If You Only Buy One Book This Year

We're back and we had a great time on our whirlwind trip to Arizona (Sorry Michele M., but it was too whirlwind to plan even a lunch!). I have pictures to edit and then I'll do an Arizona post, but for today, the news is about Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

When I read one of Barbara's earlier books, The Poisonwood Bible, I was in a state of deep depression for at least a week. Not because it was a sad book, but because it was such a complex and well written story with character development surpassing anything I'd ever read before. I felt like throwing in the towel on my own writing aspirations.

It seemed that nothing I'd ever write could be so compelling and I knew I wouldn't have the patience to do the kind of research necessary to write a novel with the parallels between history and story the way she did.  It made for some blue days over here folks! I eventually rose up from the pits of despair and settled into happily (and without envy)...admiring her writing.

When I saw she'd written a non-fiction book about her family's experience eating only locally grown foods for a year (and now a lifetime), I was interested, and used the vacation as an excuse to take a break from BBB 2008. 

It was worth my weakness. 

This book is a must for anyone intrigued with the concept of eating local or with the Slow Food movement in general.

I must confess that I only recently learned what the Slow Food movement actually is.

Because it started in Italy and has been embraced by Europeans, I assumed it literally meant eating your food more slowly, savoring every bite and spending more time relaxing over long slow meals (the way they tend to in Europe anyway)! AGHAHAAHAHA!  I was wrong (mostly) and you can laugh, but I know I can't be the only one! 

The Slow Food movement has certain objectives (here are a few):

• Forming and sustaining seed banks to preserve heirloom varieties in cooperation with local food    systems
• Developing an "ark of taste" for each eco-region, where local culinary traditions and foods are celebrated
• Preserving and promoting local and traditional food products, along with their lore and preparation
• Educating citizens about the drawbacks of commercial agribusiness and factory farms
• Educating citizens about the risks of mono-culture and reliance on too few genomes or varieties
• Developing various political programs to preserve family farms
• Lobbying against government funding of genetic engineering
• Lobbying against the use of pesticides
• Encouraging ethical buying in  local marketplaces

Basically ... Slow Food is not fast food by any stretch.

Barbara, her husband and their two daughters left Arizona and moved to rural Southwest Virginia to live full-time on the farm they usually just spent summer vacations at. They decided to only eat locally grown food (including their own) and the book is about how they handled the difficulties of finding and existing only on local fare. They made very few exceptions, but each family member got to pick a "must have" item that could come from somewhere else and unfortunately they couldn't get their wheat for bread baking locally, but they did a great job with everything else (including meat). They made their own cheese and the easy recipe is included...Michelle over at Vanilla Icing....I can so see you doing this!  Mary Ellen...you'd love the canning and harvest descriptions.

I was totally enchanted by the family. Oldest daughter Camille gives us short essays with recipes throughout the book and youngest daughter Lily blew me away with her chicken raising entrepreneurial spirit. No news for any moms out there, but Lily's own family ranked low on the priority customer list!

The Slow Food movement gets a hard knock now and again from people who claim that eating organic and locally grown foods is elitist and not financially feasible for the average family.  Barbara totally debunks this and shows that even in a big city the cost can be less, but the planning is obviously more complex than heading over to Burger King when you're tired on a Friday night after work. 

Not everyone (my condo-living self included) can go as far as this family did, but the book inspired me to make some hard and fast decisions.  Really. If I want strawberries in the middle of winter in Wisconsin, then I'd better stock up and freeze them when I see them at Farmer's Market this year (Hey, it should be easy since I'll be selling wallets at the Wednesday night market anyway!).  I can do this. I can make a small difference by growing a few things, buying from local growers and by making some of foods I'd incorrectly assumed would be too "involved" like mozzarella cheese. 

Barbara is as thorough with her non-fiction as she is with her fiction.  In addition to humor, recipes, great family exchanges (Lily dramatically realizing that she has to sell an awful lot of her eggs to get a horse), fun information about plants and canning you'll find some hefty statistical information and lots about the history of family farming. 

Let me emphasize the fact that this book is not preachy at all...not one iota....but, it does make you think. When one of eighteen year-old Camille's girlfriends visits and asks for bananas, it's gently explained that the resources used to get to them to Virginia make them an environmentally costly purchase. Good news...she was totally cool with the fresh blackberries they had on hand.

The book is about Barbara's family's total conversion, but it isn't about converting anyone who doesn't want to or who can't go 100%.  It shows you how exciting small steps can be.

For example, I went to the grocery store here (Copps East) and asked the produce manager to point me in the direction of all produce that's locally grown. 

Guess what?

Potatoes. 

That's all.

In a huge grocery store during asparagus, rhubarb and green onion season. 

I decided that from this point forward I'm going to ask every time and when the check-out person half heartedly asks me if I found everything I needed...I'm going to say, "Actually, I didn't. I was looking for locally grown produce and you don't have any." 

I know how this makes me sound, but so what? Normally, I usually just say yes...and not because I did find what I needed, but because it's a habit and answered in the same half paying attention attitude as it's usually asked.  Maybe I'm not ready to give up bananas or mandarin oranges just yet...but, step by step...we shall see!

WHEW! So...in a nutshell....I like this book. :)

In other news:

• Red Belt: A good movie with a few holes, but I love David Mamet.
• The Breadsmith has begun selling fresh baked gluten-free bread on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. If you have them in your state...check to see if they are offering gluten-free too.
  
• My newest set of hearing aids are being "worked on" and I hope to have them next week.  Say hello to my little friends (mine are black to blend in with my dark brown hair).

• I'm horrified that I thought my one year-blog anniversary was at the end of the month...but was last week!!!!!!!  Give-aways and events coming soon!!!          

Arizona Post Preview:

Slow Food Info:

http://www.slowfood.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_Food

      

Mother Goose Swap

First, I want to thank Karen over at Popsicles & Lollipops for hosting this swap.  I had fun with it even though I ended up getting my package out late...which is OK, because my Canadian partner Kate totally understood and sent hers at the same time too. It was nice to be matched up with someone who has a blog that I'd not been to before. I spent a lot of time reading her blog and dying from envy at the garden shots! 

Part of the theme of the swap was to single out a favorite Mother Goose Rhyme and make something centered around it. I have a confession to make.  I like the pictures better than the rhymes.  I know, sad.  However, it fits because there's an award for new picture book illustrators called the Mother Goose Award.

Most true Mother Goose associated rhymes (as opposed to just children's poems) are sort of tragic...you've got kids breaking their crowns, knaves stealing tarts and being beaten, an egg smashed beyond repair...Jeez, it's not always fun being in Mother Goose's world.

Speaking of Mother Goose, there are many towns that claim to have had the original Mother Goose as a resident (local women who told stories or who wrote rhymes for children), but there isn't much factual support for this.  The neat thing is that "The Mother Goose" is basically an archetype for a female story teller.  Kind of like the Native American tradition of storyteller dolls.   The story teller doll almost always depicts a female (womam, bear or wolf) telling a story or passing down tribal history in the form of story to the children or cubs sitting on or around her.  Her mouth is usually forms an "O"  shape representing her singing the story.

I have a few storyteller dolls, one I inherited from my grandmother and the other I picked up at a flea market.  Mine are women, but I've always been intrigued by the bear images...I've wondered if there is some connection between teddy bears/bedtime stories and the storyteller bear tradition. Bears represent the creative feminine and as my mother reminded me today...they grow their babies in hibernation. Creating/gestating while dreaming...the symbolism is too rich to ignore.   

Which, in a way, makes it odd that the first person to compile a book of Mother Goose rhymes was actually a man.  Though, given the year (1695) I suppose it wasn't so odd that a man would be the one doing the book.

I've very aware that like folktales, old nursery rhymes are full of symbolism and practically begging for interpretation, but that task has never held the same draw for me...though learning about the link of Hey Diddle Diddle to the constellations might make me rethink the matter.

Hey Diddle Diddle is probably one of the rhymes I like most (if slammed against a wall and made to state one)...but it's still the imagery that gets me.

I made this tag and box of hostess matches for Kate because both vintage images give me a kick.

More hostess matches with vintage images...I love how different artists interpret the same rhyme. 

Here we have the Queen of Hearts, Humpty Dumpty, Hey Diddle Diddle, and Polly putting her kettle on (in a lovely dress I might add). 

Humpty Dumpty and Old King Cole magnets will soon be gracing a metal appliance in Canada.

And my favorite...I decided to make Kate a wallet using the index of first lines from  a Mother Goose book I found while out thrifting.

I added some seed packets because Kate is a gardening queen and maybe as a tribute to Mary Mary Quite Contrary too...

I have to thank Karen again for hosting such a fun swap and Kate for being so patient!

The storytelling theme carried on tonight as Kelly and I went to hear Jean Feraca read from her new book at the Reader's Loft. I love Jean and she said something tonight that made me tear up. You know that my hearing aids were supposed to be taken on their maiden voyage in December right? 

Well, I dropped the ball on myself big time because of vanity issues and overall reluctance to commit...and my relationships suffer because I miss a lot. Christine brought it up the other day while we were on the phone (I have the volume at the highest level) and naturally we laughed when she said,"So, what's going on with your hearing aids?" and I didn't hear her and asked, "What?" Aghaahahaahaahaaha!! I'm liking my owl energy and have been taking my time. Christine gently, but firmly told me told me, as only a true friend could, that enough is enough. It's time.

She reminded me that I've always been a detail lover and have never wanted to miss a thing. It's true. I have the classic little kid who fights sleep as long as possible because something good might happen and I'll miss it!!! syndrome, so it makes no sense for me to delay this.  She made me realize that I'm missing things now...every day. True. Very True.

OK...so I was sold on next week being the week to begin and because the Universe likes to drive home  points with me, as Jean began to speak, she said this about listening to the radio..."The ears are so important...what is heard through the ears goes straight to the heart."

At first, as my eyes filled with tears, I was thinking, "Yeah and this fucking hearing loss is happening to me and I'm going fucking deaf and now I'll never hear anyone speak to my fucking heart!" Of course, I know she meant it both literally and symbolically... and just before I could really sink into my self indulgent pity pit (canyon), I realized that my hearing aids are actually a gift...I'm not totally deaf and am extremely lucky to both have and be able to afford this option. Plus, while there are many ways to get a message sent straight to your heart...the fact that I heard her say this in a crowded room without a microphone was an example of how in this case she was absolutely right. 

Patchwork

Hello Kitchenettes! Today has been super busy. I decided to try to get into Arti-Gras one of our area's biggest art shows. It takes place in February and while the odds of getting in are not that great, I still felt it was worth a shot with the wallets. 

I had to get slides made to submit with my application and this turned out to be a major headache, but thanks to Melanie over at Photodynamix, the day was saved. I'll have slides tomorrow and then zip over to the Post Office to get my application in on time!

Speaking of the Post Office, I forgot that it was closed on Monday for Veteran's Day and I couldn't get there yesterday, so I mailed all the consolation prizes today.  They truly are tiny little things, but I hope you enjoy yours! I put a note in each one about why I'm making them and you can see the picture above for a preview!

OK. Big news on the Little Orange Kitchen front:

I quit my job. My last day is November 30th.

WAIT!!!

Before anyone thinks I'm suffering from delusions of grandeur with my wallets and am planning a multi-million dollar empire...let me explain. 

A few weeks ago I learned about some changes happening at work that I feel are a huge step in the wrong direction. Huge.  Working for a short-term lender has had its challenges, but overall they've been good to me and I've been willing to put up with the gasps of horror from some friends and family about how I work for crooks...Until recently.  I'm not in with the new policies and so that's that. I had planned to look for a job right away, but have decided to work through November and then be off in December.   

As you regulars know, I am losing my hearing at an alarming rate and December is the month that I get hearing aids for both ears. There's quite a process involved with the "set up" to make sure they're digitally set to best accommodate me.  Working without them has been terrible and very embarrassing as I struggle more and more to hear people.  It's embarrassing to have people assume that I'm not listening and become annoyed.  I think the timing works well and December will be my get used to the "little helpers" month.  I'll be back in action doing something else in January and hopefully I'll be hearing everyone too! This is still something I'm getting used to even saying or writing about.   

Things will be tight as this was unplanned, so it's a good thing I like making handmade gifts! Have any of you taken the "Handmade Pledge" yet?  Over 5600 people so far! I can't take it, because in all honesty Mark isn't into my body scrubs, wallets, potholders or ornaments, but as soon as I learn how to make my own Playstation games, I'll be on board!!!

OK all...I hope you have a great night!

Speaking Of Owls

(Crafty Alien at etsy)

A few weeks ago I posted about my hearing loss and of the wonder I felt when I heard the owls by our house.  This got me to thinking about how owls have been popping up a lot lately. I'm not really a bird person (Though, I still have a post to write about some of the bird experiences on Rock Island), but appreciate them the way most people do for their colors and sounds etc.  I've always liked owls, but I've never sought them out the way some do when they're interested in a particular animal or bird.

Over the past few months I've begun noticing more owl appearances on blogs and on Etsy. After I had my own owl experience a few weeks ago, I looked them up in Animal Speak. Apparently, owls represent hearing and not just hearing what is spoken, but what is unspoken as well. They symbolize clairaudience too.

I find this interesting because of how I heard them in our woods (finally) and because all my life I've picked up on the unsaid and unspoken things happening in a room and this has made for lots of confusion. I've often commented on how something was obviously wrong with someone or what I think a person really meant to say only to be met with completely blank looks from the other people in the room.

When I was a kid this was especially frustrating because it always seemed like no one was saying what was really going on. I sensed when couples were pretending to be happy, when someone wasn't being honest, when someone was depressed or keeping a secret and could never back these feelings up.  I think my mom found it a little unnerving at time.

The owl is also known as an extractor of secrets...but is a good secret keeper too. I hope many of my friends would agree that while I really like to pull out the goods, I'm fairly good at keeping a secret. I'm content to be the only one in the know, but I've got to know!!!   

I've decided I like having the owl as a symbol of hope for dealing with my hearing loss and indeed, the last time I posted about it, I was contacted by Samantha Roddy over at The Hear Daily. She asked if she could interview me for her new website/forum for people who have hearing issues. She made it sound (Ha! No pun intended) as if I had written it, but it's really a re-write of the paper interview I did.

With her encouragement, I finally decided to go ahead and schedule an appointment with my audiologist to get the hearing aids that I need. Feel free to jump over and visit her site and read the interview. I love not only that she found me, but that she's started something like this. One in twelve people have significant hearing loss and don't do anything about it (me included).      

So, now that the owl is my special friend, I've really been paying attention and even remembered that I went to kindergarten at Owl's Head Elementary in Maine.

Today, I decided to showcase some owl loving Etsy artists as a tribute!

The picture above is from Crafty Alien and it makes me laugh. He looks bewildered, but I think he fancies himself as important! As if he suddenly got promoted and it's his first day on the job. Like he could wobble of the branch at any moment, but is determined to keep looking distinguished no matter what!   

This little purse over at  Simbiosis by Julia Bravo cracks me up! I love the fabric coming out of Japan these days.   

This pendant by Imogen is a favorite because of the green.
 

I'm drawn to these tags by Tag You're It:

 

And last, but not least check out the awesome vinyl wall art by Holly .  It blows me off the branch in a big big way! People are just so damned clever!!! Look at the little guy in the upper right corner of the living room too!

 

My camera mystery is solved. Someone is working too much and forgot she dropped the camera on the floor at work and the battery fell under her desk. It's recharging and will be back in action soon!