tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.comments2023-07-26T02:51:48.897-04:00The Orange Swan ReviewOrange Swanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14882469292993325370noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-38303874161343832662023-07-26T02:51:48.897-04:002023-07-26T02:51:48.897-04:00A novel! How exciting. On a recent trip to England...A novel! How exciting. On a recent trip to England we went to Shibden Hall - it is a beautiful house. Anne Lister was certainly a fascinating character.Piphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03955482112276990466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-27101615824782263782023-05-21T20:33:00.162-04:002023-05-21T20:33:00.162-04:00Many thanks for mentioning the Montgomery and Gend...Many thanks for mentioning the Montgomery and Gender book, I hadn't known about it. Like you, I pretty much know her books by heart, have the journals and some other works. My local library doesn't have it - I so miss the Toronto Public Library. I'll see whether our county system can produce it for me.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16568215693665518362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-63121688379484165682023-04-21T17:19:11.685-04:002023-04-21T17:19:11.685-04:00Every Thomas Hardy novel I've ever read seemed...Every Thomas Hardy novel I've ever read seemed to involve people making fatefully foolish life choices. I do like his poetry. Hope your stressful situation will feel like something you can move on without too much distress.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16568215693665518362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-74753322844202970992021-11-01T07:36:48.302-04:002021-11-01T07:36:48.302-04:00Well said!Well said!Piphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03955482112276990466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-58249457134896504982021-08-22T01:38:43.819-04:002021-08-22T01:38:43.819-04:00I wish anti vaxxers were literate so they could re...I wish anti vaxxers were literate so they could read this, or better still, form these arguments themselves. Education is the key.Avfahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06423739094894385465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-80286631890664394972021-08-21T14:44:32.768-04:002021-08-21T14:44:32.768-04:00ExcellentExcellentRLanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15714857699468322687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-13606718581039495622020-11-05T17:16:41.920-05:002020-11-05T17:16:41.920-05:00Yes, I think I spent a lot of time reading that bo...Yes, I think I spent a lot of time reading that book, and similar others in that section of my local Toronto library. And covertly inspecting stylish women on public transit, trying to figure out how they pulled it off. Still pretty interesting but not out and about now, and retiring and moving outside the city makes it feel less important - is that a good statement about focussing on more important things, or a sad statement about giving up?<br />Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16568215693665518362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-25547534758562400702019-03-12T11:23:41.253-04:002019-03-12T11:23:41.253-04:00Great review - I have the book. This review and P...Great review - I have the book. This review and Pip’s comment above cover it all. I have also adopted this way of folding my clothes and it works like a charm and the rest is largely unpractical. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12081650658493698521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-43508568094447826822018-12-13T10:01:55.683-05:002018-12-13T10:01:55.683-05:00Thanks so much for your openness and honesty, Oran...Thanks so much for your openness and honesty, Orange Swan. This piece is so moving.<br /><br />It resonated with me for two reasons. One is that I am married, but I always felt from early childhood that I would never meet someone with whom I was compatible. The fact that I did get married shocked no one more than myself. So, oddly, I have always felt a kinship with singles. Every single thing you said is one I agree with and see around me. The inequity of some people pairing off but not others is just so unfair. And yeah, life is unfair, but that doesn't mean it's not heartbreaking. <br /><br />The other reason is that my beloved brother, truly one of the best men I have ever met, is single not by choice. Walking alongside him in his struggle to meet a spouse has been an exercise in (imperfectly, I'm sure) sharing someone else's pain and relinquishing one's own false sense of control. Singleness is like so many other challenges in life (disability, prejudice) in that one cannot assume what the experience is like when one has not gone through it oneself. And the pain of singleness is made worse by the fact that it still seems taboo to talk about it. So thank you again for, in fact, talking about it. I have no doubt that you've made a lot of people on the same path feel less alone. Hugs to you.Canby Hall fannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-32769240809892064842018-09-09T16:30:53.702-04:002018-09-09T16:30:53.702-04:00bwahahaha!!!bwahahaha!!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11355208668780544843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-59247250588448481472018-03-03T01:43:56.445-05:002018-03-03T01:43:56.445-05:00It makes sense that someone already good at keepin...It makes sense that someone already good at keeping their space neat and decluttered wouldn't get much out of reading Kondo's book. That's not her target audience. As a confirmed slob, I got quite a bit out of the book. Yes, the vertical folding and other organizational tips are helpful, but to me the idea of keeping only things that "spark joy", and the highly mindful approach to personal belongings, was a revelation.<br /><br />Yes, you could generate a lot of waste with her approach if you weren't careful. When getting rid of things, I do try to donate or recycle when I can - that's common sense. But sometimes I think it's better to be rid of the psychological burden of owning a thing as quickly as possible, even if that means creating some waste in the process. And I've gotten a lot more picky about what I buy and acquire, as well, because I know it'll just end up as clutter in the end.<br /><br />Still, I haven't found it to be quite as "life-changing" as the title promises. But this I can say: I've weeded out my personal library several times since buying the book, and it's made the cut each time.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04120998619178248641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-17530822893721879962018-01-30T18:04:14.155-05:002018-01-30T18:04:14.155-05:00I don't know many singles, but I'll keep t...I don't know many singles, but I'll keep these things in mind with those I do. I've been guilty of the "you'll find someone" line.Johnny Wallflowernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-28364523805897629382018-01-30T17:02:36.937-05:002018-01-30T17:02:36.937-05:00Wow, jenmoon, your anecdote about the matchmaker s...Wow, jenmoon, your anecdote about the matchmaker setting up her friend with a <i>currently married</i> guy is a jaw-dropper. That's something I didn't even think advise against. Orange Swanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01287919619057927733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-958942305881777562018-01-30T16:50:03.257-05:002018-01-30T16:50:03.257-05:00Don't blithely assure single people that they&...<i>Don't blithely assure single people that they're going to find someone.</i><br /><br />Hear, hear. (Also seconding this for "you'll find another job.") I know you don't know what to say to make someone feel better, but this doesn't actually make anyone feel better.<br /><br /><i>You're the equivalent of someone with a mouthful of food and a full plate in front of you telling someone who hasn't eaten in a few days that food isn't everything.</i><br /><br />Seconded, especially if you haven't eaten in years or decades. <br /><br /><i>I mean, if you were so happy when you were single, why didn't you say, "Oh, no thanks, I'm perfectly happy on my own!" when your current partner wanted the two of you to get together? If you think being single is so great, why don't you leave your partner and go be single for the next ten years? If you are not willing to give up what you have in order to be single yourself, you should not be loftily telling other people that they should be contented to be single.</i><br /><br />GOOD POINT. <br /><br /><i>I've had friends lecture me because I turned down a man who was ten to twenty years older than me, or had substance abuse issues, or was thrice divorced (and blamed everything on his ex-wives), and they were way out of line.</i><br /><br />Sounds like an experience a friend of mine had after being set up with a married guy whose wife had no idea he was looking for wife #2. Her "friend" who set her up was all, how dare you object, this guy is a prize! <br /><br /><i>I have noticed that the people I've known who were never single for long, who went easily from one partner to another until one worked long-term, weren't very selective. I'm not saying their standards were too low, but rather that their mindset was different, that they were willing to try a relationship on for size, that they were willing to live with certain things that I wouldn't, that perhaps they were the sort of people who meshed with others more easily and didn't need their partner to be as compatible as I do.</i><br /><br />Yup. And I am jealous of those people. I wish I was that easy/malleable/not picky. But I can't just take anyone. <br /><br /><i>However, if you are someone who always found it easy to find a significant other, you may need to realize that sometimes other people are "harder to fit" than you, </i><br /><br />In my experience, those people just do not comprehend it. When for them, another train will come into the station in 30 seconds if they miss one, I've been waiting for the next train for years and years and none have come. Sigh. If they've never missed or been hungry, they don't get it. <br /><br />This is an awesome essay, I relate, and thank you very much!jenmoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02647726303564119010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-23337575935404185642017-04-21T00:40:55.416-04:002017-04-21T00:40:55.416-04:00I thought the same thing - I have adopted the upri...I thought the same thing - I have adopted the upright in the drawer technique and I shuddered at the waste. And what about don't keep any books - if you must, then TEAR OUT THE PAGE YOU LIKE and keep that!<br />Horrible.Piphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03955482112276990466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-27728731600051458432016-06-22T07:09:58.299-04:002016-06-22T07:09:58.299-04:00What a post! Thank you for this!I too had a bad ex...What a post! Thank you for this!I too had a bad experience as a etsy seller. I had two shops with Etsy which were going well and had good reviews. But one day, I find both my shops suspended. I was shocked and mailed etsy. After quite a few mails, they sent a generic reply that my shop does not meet their criteria. After one and half years they suddenly remembered it! Neither they replied to my repeated mails thereafter nor did they refund my listing fees. Now I have reverted to itshandicraft.com and it is very fulfilling. My shop is going steady and I am planning my second shop with them. The first two months of listings are totally free. Try it out guys. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-5709847027011953452015-07-17T09:32:24.487-04:002015-07-17T09:32:24.487-04:00Excellent points. Thanks for a good article!Excellent points. Thanks for a good article!Heather Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12296786621907813568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-5141547622510277792014-11-11T22:14:18.147-05:002014-11-11T22:14:18.147-05:00If you like historical quests in this time period,...If you like historical quests in this time period, you might like The Ramsay Scallop.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-74863130433263169432014-04-04T01:02:04.660-04:002014-04-04T01:02:04.660-04:00thank god I found you!!!! I have been selling my a...thank god I found you!!!! I have been selling my assemblage jewelry on etsy a little less than a year. I knew that things just didn't seem right there. when I would go look for something I would have to peel thru hudreds of pages of junk jewelry from china!! I just stopped looking and shop on ebay for stuff, its just a lot easier. my real complaint is they removed 7 of my neg. fb from a seller who has a history of bait and switch gem selling without any contact or reason. they did it to another woman also about the same seller. they block free speech and I never got any real definitive answer from them. but I know why its because the gem seller has been on etsy for yrs. and brings in big bucks for them. well the same week I was trying to get an answer and told them the review policy was a big joke because they remove fb whenever they want and they don't even have a posted review policy for users to read!! then today coincidentally they removed 2 of my jewelry pieces that had prebanned ivory saying it was against policy! well there are literally 72 pages of people selling scrimshaw, prebanned ivory, even ivory tusk. and some long time well known jewelry sellers who have written jewelry assemblage books are selling now and have recently just sold ivory assemblage jewelry!! but because I was strongly disagreeing about them removing my neg. fb this week they decided to harass me about the ivory jewelry I was selling by getting there revenge and removing my listings!! I told them how childish and immature to single me out for this when it is plain to see etsy doesn't enforce there no bone or prebanned ivory from endangered species!! so many things about the site are just wrong, it seems like its run by some closed old mens group that wants to block free speech and have total control over everything!! which is not what a handmade artist colony type site should be about!!! and then when I read this site , OH MY GOD THE SITUATION ON ETSY IS EVEN WORSE THAN I THOUGHT OR THAN MY EXPERIENCE!! I will be looking for other sites to share with frustrated etsy folks that are listed here. I feel so much better knowing that my feelings weren't crazy about what was going on there, there are some serious problem issues with etsy!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-39129549505949370202013-10-21T22:43:22.609-04:002013-10-21T22:43:22.609-04:00Wish I had read this before I started using the si...Wish I had read this before I started using the site. After closing up shop after the New Guidelines went into effect, I am left sickened by what I now see so clearly.Kathijanehttp://www.rusetsy.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-61739929507603481832013-08-27T18:35:05.207-04:002013-08-27T18:35:05.207-04:00I was thinking about selling on etsy but the more ...I was thinking about selling on etsy but the more I looked at it, it seemed that the sellers were only selling lovie-dovie kitsch that was perhaps decorative but useless.<br />They may have been hand-made but seemed to be copies of Made in China junk that you can buy at any gift store.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-12529290776936559452013-06-25T01:02:43.532-04:002013-06-25T01:02:43.532-04:00Hi,
This comment was for your theknittingneedlean...Hi,<br /><br />This comment was for your theknittingneedleandthedamagedone blog, but I couldn't post it over there.<br /><br />I just wanted to say that I've just finished reading all the archives of this blog and it's great! Funny, informative, and definitely hilarious!<br /><br />I linked this to my sister (who doesn't knit) and she found it just as amusing, so it does seem to translate to non-knitters too.<br /><br />I love the reviews especially, they're great after a long day of slogging through university work.<br /><br />So thanks!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-21488849404179086932013-06-11T16:23:50.319-04:002013-06-11T16:23:50.319-04:00It is unfortunate to hear that you had some proble...It is unfortunate to hear that you had some problems with Etsy, have you looked into other shops such as <a href="http://www.thecraftstar.com" rel="nofollow">The Craft Star</a>?Jewelryhttp://thecraftstar.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-52129055041930367562013-04-15T09:12:24.650-04:002013-04-15T09:12:24.650-04:00I have a good following on etsy - with 1100 sales....I have a good following on etsy - with 1100 sales. I decided to try Artfire last fall, but got no traction whatsoever. I also tried luula.com and have had a few sales there.<br /><br />Peg Bowles<br />Initial Impressions<br />www.initial-impressions.net<br />etsy store - initialimpressionsInitial Impressionshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02100476423638744800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1297651501556062252.post-65933649596908546952013-04-15T08:53:05.332-04:002013-04-15T08:53:05.332-04:00You may want to check-out Storemate.com and artfir...You may want to check-out Storemate.com and artfire.com as good alternatives.<br />If you want something different try out storemate.com, I registered on storemate.com and seen some sharp increase in the traffice directed to my website. <br />Unlike easy and artfire they are not restricted to handmade, I get to promote to a bigger audience (all design buffs).<br />The best about storemate is, I get to help out my customers in real-time using their 'Talk-About' feature. Helping out with questions on custom options, shipping queries etc in realtime.<br />I even passed on exclusive discounts to them during these help-out sessions, which turned casual enquiries into quick sales and followers for me.<br />I have been Storemate's "Featured Designer" for 3 weeks, straight! ( My proud moment!) :D<br />swatihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11994125763389964686noreply@blogger.com