Communication challenge

Recently, a young man came into our store with a request for a new yo yo string. I checked inventory and learned that we do not have any in stock. 'A friend told me that he got some really cool colored string for free' he insisted. ' I don't know about that' I replied and he left. He was disappointed.

This morning, while looking for a paperclip, I came across a stack of - you guessed it- yo yo strings to be given away to yo yo enthusiasts.

My apologies to you! If you happen to read this and still need a string, come on by!

Roland

Olympiad

Did you know that every year, seven (?) fifth grade classes from Waldorf schools all around the Pacific Northwest gather to experience what it may have been like to participate and compete in the Olympiad in ancient Greece. I didn’t know either. And by the way, this is not limited to our region. This event takes place all around the world.
Dressed in tunics, decorated with color coordinated cloth, led by kings and queens, hosts carrying flags, the children spent the day throwing the javelin, the discus, wrestling, sprinting and jumping under the watchful eyes of the high priests, who judged them by strength, willingness, grace, and beauty.
There is no a way that we grown-ups can experience what it may have been like for these children. It must have been awesome!

Daffodil

We send out a newsletter once a month to about 1600 e-mail addresses. We can see how many people receive it, open it, even click a link, etc But we don't know if anyone reads any of it. Not so with the latest one!
We challenged our readers to send us a missing line to a children's poem:

Spring is here said the bumblebee,
how do you know said the old oak tree,
.................missing line..........................
dancing with the fairies on the windy hill.

To my surprise, the e-mails began coming in almost instantly. We currently have 40 responses!
So - not only are our friends reading the monthly e-mail, but they also take the time to respond!
Thank you
Roland

Writers block

The notion of writer block has been on my mind as of late. How long has writer block in existence? How many a writer has been plagued by the void of non-creativity that forms in the mind? Did Ovid stop and say, "I have no idea how I am going to make this work!" while he was constructing Metamorphosis? Was Dante's vision of the Inferno or Purgatory or Paradise tainted by the absence of a vision all together? As the ancient author of the Epic of Gilgamesh chiseled his words into stone, was his hammer stayed by the lack of anything more to say? I can only hope so. That way there will at least be some hope for me. If this discussion of not being able to think of anything to say is any indication, you should be able to tell that I have writers block. So, for lack of anything else to write, I decided to write about how I have nothing to write about. Except I am now writing about something, thus creating a paradox of epic proportions: writers block was the solution to writers block.

Happy Birthday

It has been a busy week at the Fairhaven Toy Garden: A field trip, a felting work shop, and finally a birthday party!

Amazing how five seven year old children can brighten the day for so many: all the pedestrians, dreading the rain, surprised by the laughter and joy of the group running through Fairhaven on their treasure hunt; the customers and shop owners wondering what they are looking for; the customers at the Fairhaven Toy Garden noticing the patience and focus of the children while they strung the carefully chosen beads into a necklace; and us, the grown ups, keeping an eye on the girls as they celebrate and share in freedom and peace!

Happy Birthday Lillian

The Incantation

Get up, give rise, must open your eyes.
Three of a kind must make your mind
This evening dawns to spawn surprise.

Beneath your surfaces cunning lies
Make friends or foes, what will you find
Get up, give rise, must open your eyes

In your minds curiosity cries
Never forget to always be kind
This evening dawns to spawn surprise

Do make your mischief but tell no lies
Even when a step ahead or a step behind
Get up, give rise, must open your eyes

As lands rise up and their water dries
You have your gears now make them grind
The evening dawns to spawn surprise

Living and giving is an ultimate prize
If you trouble a friend be sure they don’t mind
Get up, give rise, must open your eyes
The evening dawns to spawn surprise.

Field Trip to our store

I never thought that we would host twenty five second graders on a field trip! But sure enough, right on time, they filed into our store single line, with wide open eyes, full of excitement about what they might encounter on their journey to the Fairhaven Toy Garden.
They have learned about spinning, rolling, and balancing and that many toys use those motions. The children presented to us three toys that they made: a car that rolls, a top that spins, and a sculpture that balances.
Wonderful!
After a short demo of some spinning, rolling, and balancing toys that we carry, they engaged in some focused research work: Trying out a top, rearranging the train set, asking many great questions...
And off they went, back to school.
What a great way to start a day for all of us!
Thanks for coming
Roland