Keeping it Local...

Dear readers, yesterday I was on a mission!

I acquired a used and rather dejected electric spinning wheel that needed parts repaired or replaced. So, living in a smallish regional town, I decided to keep to local shops as much as I could. Essentially I was trying to stay away from the larger one-stop-shop warehouse style stores.

The result? I got everything I needed, which was fantastic. Granted I had to go to eight different stores (including the big impersonal hardware monster store, I'm afraid, but only as last resort!), but it was actually kinda fun. Every person in a local store that I dealt with was extremely helpful. Where they couldn't provide me with a product they knew which other stores in the local area may be able to. The communal spirit was really great to see. But when I went to the big monster store the help I got was from a nice 'rep' from a hardware company that was checking stock in his section. The usual staff member was 'in the middle of something' - no, not helping another customer but doing electronic stock take. I hate to stereotype, but today I really could. The service was crap!!

Despite my successful hunt for parts I managed to misplace a segment of what's called a 'nitty noddy' somewhere on my journey. Luckily I found it outside one of the shops! Completely salvageable! Here's a picture of an electric spinning wheel that looks kind of like mine...

I haven't taken photos of mine as yet. But last night I gave spinning wool on it a go and it wasn't easy to adjust to! No foot brake to start with and the tension vs speed juggling was rather difficult. Will take some getting used to before I consider spinning anything precious on it.

At the end of the day, my goal was to support local business. I'm glad I could, as being in a regional area there are a lot fewer choices for sourcing products or services. So, where you can, support local businesses. It's good for the communal soul.

Hugs

Dayle

Ritual Burnings

Yes, this is what hubby and I did this weekend past. And it felt GOOD!!

Simon (darling husband o' mine) and I were involved in a budding community organisation for about 3 years. We helped with various roles, decision making, brain storming, policy writing, minute taking, publicity and membership drives, and strategic manoevres to navigate through bureaucracy and egos to help build a new community development. All sounds very rewarding and hard work - shed a tear, have a group hug n all that. BUT!!...

By the end of the long haul to help set up the organisation's new development we were so sick of the project, the people and the bullshit that we departed from any positions we held on committees (by retiring at end of term) and have since not had anything to do with the organisation. Don't get me wrong, we wish them well, but after such a hard slog, all the love and devotion had leaked away and left dry, bitter memories.

So, last Saturday night Simon and I gathered up all the paperwork we had on the organisation - old minutes, invites to openings, envelopes with messages about the group on them, notices of meetings, copies of policy documents: we gathered it all up and threw it all into a fire in our back yard.

We threw it in as crumpled balls with a sense of satisfaction each time one hit the flames and caught alight. "That's for taking the fun out of community organisations", I growled. "That's for the huge pressure it put on our marriage" Simon yelled, throwing his pieces into the fire. "That's for all the questioning of our faith, abilities and dedication towards the group", I added, hurling bits and pieces of ripped envelopes and paper that weren't even worthy of scrap note paper, or even recycling.

Our final goodbye to a lot of hard work that left us exhausted and jaded. But we're very happy we got to do this ritual burning. Wonderfully cathartic! I can definitely recommend it as a way to exorcise the proverbial demons and say goodbye to bad energy.

Big hugs from me.

Dayle