Promise #44: Dine with legends

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I’m very excited for Thanksgiving. Not because it’s my favorite holiday (it is). Not because I’ll spend the morning snuggled on a couch with my kids watching the Macy’s parade (I will). Not because I get to show up at my mom’s house empty-handed (I do). Those are all great things, don’t get me wrong.

The reason I’m so excited is because I get to dine with five legends. That’s right: five.

Let me say: I’m not having dinner with Kevin Bacon, Nelson Mandela, Cher, Barack or Jesus; nor will I ever type those five names in one sentence again.

I’m having dinner with my family. All of whom are, by definition, legends to me. They inspire stories (whether fact or fiction) and pass them on, year after year after year.

There’s the legend of the leaf-raker. He will tell us all how many bags of leaves he raked this year. It will be waaaaaaaaaay more than last year. We will all shake our head in astonishment. Someone will ask, “Really?” Yes, we will find out, it is SO.

There’s the legend of the boy who refuses to eat green vegetables and orange and white. Again.

There’s the legend of the cook. She will grin and gloat (rightly so) as we devour the best turkey on earth.When we ask her how much butter is on the bird, the beans and everything in between, she will change the subject. Immediately.

There’s the legend of the boy who eats canned cranberries. He will rub his belly and lick his lips the moment he lays eyes on the plate.

And there’s the legend of the man with the hearty laugh. He will start the conversation about the leaves the minute our butts hit the chair. I love him, just the same.

These are the legends in my life.  I’ll quickly add, one legend is missing this year. It’s his turn to deliver little turkeys at the hospital. And while that may not seem like a big deal to you, we have no idea who’s going to carve the bird. After all, he is the legend who carves the bird and cleans the wishbone and teases the children to tears.

I have a feeling the leaf-raker will step up to the plate. We’ll see. I’m just going to sit back and take comfort in the way I know it will all unfold. That is, until the tryptophan takes me down.

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Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving if you’re in the states celebrating…and, if not, a beautiful Thursday filled with comfort and joy.

And the winner is…

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It’s official, my son Jake just drew the 4 gratitude giveaway winners: Kathleen, Carrie, Jenn and Renee. Each of you will receive the holiday cards of your choice from Angie Allen, owner, designer, guru of Jumping Jack Designs.

Many thanks to all of you who participated, and a big thank you to Angie for sharing her wares with our world.

I’ll see you back here soon with Promise #41.

Promise #40: Giveaway gratitude

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Just four days in and I’m already digging November.

I haven’t felt this warm and fuzzy love for the pre-holiday rush in at least nine years. That’s because I was part of the gotta-have-it-for-the-holiday-hurricane. I ran a custom greeting card business. By the time November rolled around, I was in the eye of the storm.

Legend has it the eye is the calmest place to be, but that’s hardly the case.

My eyes were bloodshot by November from retouching photos and drafting custom designs. By Thanksgiving my hands would start aching from assembling bows and buttons, strings and things to more than a thousand cards. It was work. Hard work. Over the course of nine years, as the market continued to evolve and change, I lacked the passion to compete with Hallmark. It just wasn’t paying off. And with so much time and attention on cards, I wasn’t able to effectively run my advertising business.

I started shutting down in January, literally and figuratively.

I felt like my decision to close was a failure to succeed. I was embarrassed to discuss it with family and friends. I was nauseated over the notion of selling supplies and moving on. So for a month I just disconnected myself. I didn’t turn on my computer. I didn’t check email. I stopped answering my business phone.

Then I started breathing.

I started reading again. I started taking pictures. I went for walks, cooked great dinners, cleaned out closets. I reached out to my team of greeting card cronies on Etsy, told them my story and offered my supplies at cost. Many of them purchased supplies. Others encouraged me to open a store and destash on Etsy, which I did and will probably be doing for the next nine years. It’s shameless, but you can find stuff here.

By March I decided that I was tired of my own epic fail. Tired of thinking that I didn’t succeed. Tired of being embarrassed. Tired of wanting to cry every time I saw a piece of paper and an envelope.

Then I started writing, again.

I’m thankful for the family and friends who told me to quit whining and start writing. You were all so very patient and kind, really. I don’t know how you weren’t frustrated listening to me talk in circles, but I thank you for not showing it and just pouring me another glass of wine.

I’m thankful for the cyber support from pure strangers who bought my stuff and, without knowing me at all, echoed the encouragement of my clan. Hearing so many people from so many places tell me to quit whining and start writing really made me think that I should.

I’m thankful for all of you who subscribe to Twisted Pinky. On days when I suffer from writer’s ridiculosum- a nasty affliction that makes you believe you can’t write even though you can and you shouldn’t write, even though you should-I think of your smiling faces and the way some of you sometimes email me and ask, “where the hell is this week’s promise?” and really, it gets me to my keyboard.

I’m thankful for the facebook fans who chime in on the daily promise and sometimes share their own. And the twitteratzi that share promises with their world.

One way or another you have all given me the confidence to buck up. In just six months I’ve turned my boo-hooing into 40 promises,  a fresh look for ink (my ten- year-old ad business) and an outlet for my generally awesome card designs (more about that later and, no, I won’t be making any cards).

Now I want to giveaway a little gratitude.

Honestly, if you’re still reading you deserve a little something. I never wax on for this long.

One of the many Etsy artists who absorbed my supplies and reminded me there are still a few rainbows and unicorns in the world has willingly teamed up for a twisted giveaway of, you guessed it, holiday cards.

Angie Allen, of Jumping Jack Design fame, is offering 2 Twisted Pinky subscribers 1 set of holiday cards. Sweet. I’m offering to buy 2 more sets for 2 more subscribers just because I’m so freaking grateful a/that you’re here and b/I don’t have to make any cards this year.

That’s a total of 4 winners, even though you’re all winners in my book.

Here’s what you need to do to have your name entered to ONCE:

1. Subscribe to Twisted Pinky, if you haven’t already.

2. Check out these lovely holiday cards.

3. Tell me what your favorite card design is in the comments.

If you want your name entered THREE TIMES you also need to:

4. Retweet this post OR

5. Follow Twisted Pinky on facebook

I’ll select a winner bright and early Monday morning and send a quick subscriber email to let you all know who won. Good luck. And, from the bottom of my heart, thanks for being here.