A Tale of Two Attitudes ….

In one professional group, a member needed to get contact info for something about an upcoming trade show guide. She asked on Tuesday and got answers on Wednesday and by Thursday her situation was handled.

She asked “in the group” for two reasons, first out of consideration for the association staff – this week s one of their busiest times of the year and second, because that is Exactly what the group is for, providing association information to members of the Design community

In other words, she asked for information in exactly the proper place.

What was striking (well not if you know her) was that not only did she come back and thank those who had provided the info she needed, but to comment on the great service she had received AND named the individual who provided it.

It was also great that several people chimed in to comment about the employee of the association and their positive experiences with this person in the past.

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Contrast that with another incident

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Something happened recently to a member of the art community and it was pretty awful.

Bad enough, but then, as a result of a misunderstanding, there “seemed” to be an insurance problem. Instead of calling the agent who set up the policy, this person decided to go on a list of artisans and talk about how upset she was.

What followed was pretty much what happens – some chiming in with their own horror stories,
other talking about what they would do, like calling their lawyers, contacting attorney generals, and all sorts of what I would call – if all else fails type of suggestions.

Well the good news is that a person on the list, explained that it was not as it appeared. (Information a phone call to the agent would have gotten her sooner) – Rather, the insurance company was protecting itself – so it was more about good people having to take an extra step because of the wrong doings of others and there was a happy ending.

And the person with the problem also came back to let the list know that it was resolved.

The incidents seem the same, but what bothered me was that in one case great care was taken to praise the company employee who helped resolve the problem and in the second, it seems great pains was taken NOT to “name names”

And yes, it is great that a list member explained – including directing her back to the insurance agent who sold the polidy.

Yet, it sounds to me while the agent who sold the insurance may have not explained “how it works” but then, it also does not seem they were ever given the chance.

What that agent did do right, was make sure his client got the proper coverage to begin with.

If that had not happened, it would not have mattered how helpful the “fill in because your agent is out of the office today” guy had been, because he would not have been able to help.

If someone gives you good service, even if all that service is making sure you get what you need,

Why not be as quick to praise as we are to condemn when we don’t get good service.

Seems to me that when we fail to at least thank (even a “thank you to all”) those who have helped us, even it was “part of their job” – don’t we just make it easier for those who don’t to justify their failures because “no one cares”.

Is saying thank you really so hard.

So….

Thank you Marsha for your help to all the members of our trade association, you are part of an unfailling helpful team of folks and many of us do appreciate all you do.

Thank you Jackie and Fredrikka and others who took the extra time to make sure good service did not go unnoticed.

Thank You T-F for explaining how and why the seemingly unhappy situation existed and could be resolved.

Last but not least,

Thank you Unknown Insurance Agents At A Company I wish I knew more about for your service and caring during and after the sale.

And a special Thank you to all who have helped me and whom I may have neglected to properly thank at the time.

Just something to think about

Peace of the Season

Wheat

Plans Change – Decisions Don’t

About 1/2 way thru her sessions on Search Engine Optimization & Successful Website marketing, Cricket posts a link to the following essay
Plans Change – Decisions Don’t

It includes an essay from motivational speaker Zig Ziglar.

All of us have significant dates in our lives, I had written last November about how I view birthdays, but for a whole host of not always amuzing reasons, April 1st is another “significant” date each year.

After several months of struggling with “new to me” software, getting it to work “the way I want” it is time and past time to begin moving forward again

So here’s to Spring and New Beginnings, and maybe having some fun along the way, learning to love the detours, but always keeping my eyes on the “desired” destination.

Wheat

Is it reasonable to “borrow” an ebook?

And if so, how would one do that “Legitimately”

I am not talking about a DVD or Book On Tape from the Library,

I am saying for example, your friend purchases a How-to book of some kind on the Internet.

Now I KNOW, there are conditions where it is completely within the law to transfer the ownership of that book, just as I can with “licensed software”

AND for the moment, let’s just assume it is not a pattern or chart or other craft how-to books

It is a downloadable PDF –

Now I have to tell you, I borrow a lot of books from the Library – often with express purpose of deciding if I want to buy –

So, can I “borrow” an E-Book – and then “return” it to my friend

If so under what conditions would you think it reasonable for that to be done.

This is the sort of esoteric think that keeps me up at night,

So if you have a comment, concept or opinion, I really would love to hear it.

So I have been housebound. And I couldn’t find my notes, so I did a search on the Internet and came up with a copy of something I first wrote in the Compuserve Craft forums years earlier and apparently later shared on the original/before yahoo weaving list
Didn’t eve need a trip through the way back machine

Proving yet again that nothing every goes away once ‘published’ on line.

More importantly, I needed a lazy way to get some colors “in between” those included in Clovers selection – I know I could have blended the fiber, but I did mention lazy right?

My plan is to try it in the coming weeks with Each of Brown Sheep & Kraemer’s PFD (Prepared For Dyeing) wool yarn & roving.

From WHEATCARR Sun May 28 17:59:48 1995
Subject: Kool Aid Info

Mohair positively inhales and reverberates with whatever color you use. Wool can be very nice, but slightly less intense. Silk worked but only with very strong solutions, maybe 2-3 pkgs per 1/2 oz. Cotton, flax, etc, do not take the color very well unless it is a kid communion outfit (stains ).

Although it does work, I have not been pleased with the results when I used already spun yarns, either my own or some commercially done.

My best color and nicest KA yarns results were accomplished by:

* Washing fibers in Ivory Laundry Liquid
* Blending white wool/mohair approximately 50-50

Drum carded fibers took the color much more evenly, although drum carding or combing of locks before spinning will easily blend shadings.

Plan 1/2 oz blend per package of KA. More KA if darker color preferred.

After blending the fibers, pre-soak in plain water (some like to add 1/2 c vinegar) for at least 10-15 minutes.

Dissolve 1 package of Kool Aid into 1.5 quarts of water. Add presoaked fiber. Microwave on high for approximately 6 minutes or until all color has been absorbed and the water is clear. (Berry Blue and one other will not go clear; the water gets a milky white color.) Remove, and dry.

My color chart for KA includes the three new colors recently found; I would be interested in hearing of others.

You may very well become obsessed with the processes (I did last year) to be described. BUT your house will smell very nice if somewhat fruity.

Thus far I have discovered the following color names:

Just a last note of caution – DO NOT USE pre-sweetened KA or Jello – yes you get the colors and a yucky mess of nicely colored fibers. However, Korwyn Winde recently mentioned in the Textile Arts Forum of Delphi about using Jello both as a dye and warp sizing. I have not tried this.

If there are more, I would love to hear about it.

*** Berry Blue Kool Aid has been discontinued by the manufacturer, but is available in Jello.

Note added, April 8, 1998: As you can tell from the date, this information is several years old, and some of the color information is now obsolete.

Note added, got some started, and just had to mention, I had forgotten how good it makes your house smell

Now if the glacier in the driveway would just melt so I can get to the store, I could get more “dye” and see how the new colors work up.

If you’ve been experimenting, I’d love to hear your “results”.

One of the most commonly asked questions about Perle Cotton for use in Thread Crochet has to do with a size
“Cross-Reference”

Because Presencia threads are among my personal favorites I use them as the basis of my comparison/reference charts.

So many things can effect how a thread “measures” (Humidity, spinning, storage, how it is “put up”) that is next to Impossible – While not exact, since sizing differs between Perle & Crochet threads, the following is a “ROT-Rule Of Thumb”.

(added 2008)It is very important to know that there are DIFFERENT “standards” for Wool, Cotton, Linen & Silk. The chart below is specific to Cotton since that is the most common thread used by Crochets