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As I was on my way to work the other morning, and entering the freeway, my eye was caught by something in the shoulder of the road. It was a big gray Canadian goose waddling along the road right where the shoulder met the grass. And clustered right against her were about six little yellow goslings! I could hardly believe it. At first, I felt worried for their safety, but realized that she had them in a tight group with her own body shielding them and keeping them from the cars whizzing past. I was reminded of that children's book Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey where a mother duck and her brood even stop traffic so they can be safely on their way.
I was impressed by the fact that the maternal instinct is so strong (forget the lack of wisdom in laying eggs so close to a freeway!) that a goose would gather her young so tightly and put herself in the most dangerous spot! And doesn't that reflect how mothers are? Some of their decisions may not be the wisest, but mostly those decisions are made with love, and the love of the child takes precedence over all else.
So in May we honor Mothers. We honor all mothers and those who have "mothered" us. It's hard not to hold up an idyllic picture for comparison - most of us would fall way short. But it's important to remember that, like Mama Goose, most of us have done our best, given the situation, which may have been less than ideal. What we honor is not perfection, but love. Because that is what is most important. As my own mom always said (and my sisters will testify to this) "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!" And everyone who knows my mom will tell you that she is the nicest, loveliest person you could ever hope to meet. So I learned from the best!
As our Mothers Day gift to you, see the coupon at the bottom for 20% off a Dana Herbert purse. Dana's choice of fabrics for her purses is great, giving you many options and making it hard to choose!
Mothers Day is Sunday May 9 - don't forget!
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Monday through Saturday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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Upcoming Events
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The Wallingford Farmers Market resumes on Wednesday May 19, from 3 - 7! Get your fresh flowers, veggies and more!
For those of you who have not been to the Center recently, we have welcomed three new stores!
Izilla Toys gave Wallingford Center a try for the holiday season and has decided to stay. Their brightly lit orange and green space is filled with all sorts of toys, both the familiar and unique.
Paron's Closet is a beautifully appointed Children's Clothing Store which features new and gently used clothing through size 6.
Fabric Crush is a new fabric store located in the southwest corner of the building. Stop in to see all the beautiful fabric to fall in love with!
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Things to Celebrate!
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May 1 - National Space Day
Kentucky Derby
May 3 -National Two Different-Colored Shoes Day - wouldn't that feel weird?!?
May 5 -Cinco de Mayo
Judy's Birthday (of 4 Your Eyes Only)
May 6 -Nurse's Day
National Day of Prayer
May 7 - No Pants Day - seriously! But not, I think within the dress code of many places!
Kodak Cameras first for Sale in 1888
May 8 -National Teachers' Day
No Socks Day - now that one I get!
Stay Up All Night Day - soooo, which night do you stay up? And why isn't it "Stay Up
All Night Night"???
May 9 -Mothers Day
May 11 -Twilight Zone Day - I can't even stand to hear the music - it creeps me out too
much!
Eat What You Want Day - Hmmmm
May 12 -Kite Day
May 13 -Root Canal Appreciation Day - I have never had to have one, knock on wood - but
from what I understand, there isn't too much to appreciate about them!?!?
May 14 -Buttermilk Biscuit Day - my son's first thing to bake on his own when he was little
Anniversary of Lewis and Clark Expedition
May 15 -Straw Hat Day
National Chocolate Chip Day
May 18 - Rooster Day
National Cheese Souffle Day - one day when I was in high school, I felt like trying
my hand at cooking something I hadn't tried before. So after reviewing what
was in the fridge, I decided to try a cheese souffle. It turned out beautifully. My
mother came home and couldn't believe I had made one and that it turned out
so well - she had always been too intimidated by stories of falling souffles to try
on. An example of ignorance truly being bliss!
May 19 - Bike to Work Day - my friend Patti bikes from Ravenna neighborhood downtown to
work almost every day - you go girl!
May 20 - Flower Day - Want some flowers that stick around for awhile? We just got some
great fused glass garden stake flowers by Glassworks Northwest!
They join Susanna Prince's window ornament flowers and Kim Groff-Harrington's
recycled tin flowers for some everlasting choices!
May 21 - Armed Forces Day
May 23- World Turtle Day - check our Newsletter Archives for some Turtle Tales - Nov. 2009
and Dec. 2009 at the very end of the newsletter.
Penny Day - Have you seen the new Lincoln Pennies? There's nothing quite as
appealing as a brand new shiny penny!
May 24 - National Escargot Day - NOT very appealing!
May 25 - National Tap Dance Day
May 27 -National Grape Popsicle Day -
Invented by a Kid, Loved by All
The
PopsicleŽ brand is an American Classic, with more than 30 creative
variations of the original PopsicleŽ product. And believe it or not, it
all started with an accident!
In 1905,
11-year-old Frank Epperson left a mixture of powdered soda, water, and
a stirring stick in a cup on his porch. It was a cold night, and
Epperson awoke the next morning to find a frozen pop. He called it the
"Epsicle."
It was a hit with his
friends at school, and later with his own kids. They constantly called
for "Pop's 'sicle." So in 1923, Epperson changed the name and applied
for a patent. A couple of years later, Epperson sold the rights to the
brand name PopsicleŽ to the Joe Lowe Company in New York. The rest is
history!
May 28 - National Hamburger Day - hamburgers, popsicles, it must be close to Memorial
Day
Whale Day
May 30 - Memorial Day - Waterloo, NY is the town credited with creating Memorial
Day back in 1866 to honor the Civil War dead by decorating their graves.
May 31 - Speak in Complete Sentences Day
Memorial Day Observed
May is Creative Beginnings MonthReading is Fun Week 9 - 15
National Etiquette Week 10 - 14
International Whistler's Week 20 - 26 - my grandmother lived with us when I was growing up, and would sit at the front dining room window to iron so she could see out and also catch any breeze. She was an inveterate whistler, as all the neighbors knew. So when they heard her melodic whistling, they knew she was hard at the ironing!
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It's Our Birthday!
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Our Birthday (Crackerjack's - I'm under no delusions of majesty!) is May 3, and it's our 24ht! I really can not believe it - it seems like just a few years in certain respects! Probably one of the most sobering reminders of time elapsed is when a woman comes in with two elementary aged kids and it is someone who worked in the store while in college! It seems no one grows as fast as someone else's kids - have you noticed? It's probably because you don't see them all the time.
It's the same with customers. There are so many of you who were wheeling strollers around Wallingford Center, and now those same babies are off to college, or beyond. Over the years we've shared parenting tips and woes, fads and fashions, celebrations and sorrows. This is something that makes what I do so interesting, and so rewarding on a personal level. I love that you like what we bring in to sell, that you care about supporting the local artists, and a local business. And maybe it is because of the individual relationships we have with all the artists, the fact that we in many cases know them directly, that our customers, too, connect with us and that creative process.
I have, and I know you have, seen a lot of businesses come and go over the years. Some went for good reasons - moving and retirement, on to something else, another project. Some just fell to the statistics - 75% of new businesses fail in the first five years, 50% of those remaining fail by the tenth year. Others have been lost to the recent economic situation. And some were intended to be short-lived.
I feel honored to be celebrating twenty-four years. Crackerjack has remained true to it's original mission - to bring a variety of American artist-made fine craft to the Seattle area, to support local and regional crafts artists and to keep American craft traditions alive. Over the years our merchandise has evolved to reflect changing tastes and fashions. But our search for original offerings, things not found in department stores, or up and down the block, never ceases. We scout new lines with an eye for quality and uniqueness, for special things that you can be proud to give. A customer the other day told me that Crackerjack was her "go to" place for gifts. What a nice compliment!
So here we are, at this milestone. And we couldn't have done it without you! So thank you, thank you, thank you for twenty-four years!
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Next Month: School's Out!
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Here's to Spring!
Enjoy a very happy Mothers Day, whether you spend it with family or friends or by yourself. And savor the flowers that only May can bring forth!
Kathleen Koch
Crackerjack Contemporary Crafts
Thank You for your continued patronage of a local independent business and for supporting American handmade!
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