( Cut because this isn't the point of this post... )

All this is to illustrate that something has gone terribly terribly wrong with our expectations. FREE TWO-DAY SHIPPING! has led to us expecting mail order items to show up almost before our cards get charged.

Yeah, of course we all want instant gratification. But there is a price for this. If you want to place your order any time of day or night, you'll either have to deal with the website or talk to an anonymous person in a third-world country. Want to ask a question about your order before you buy? They don't know about their product. They only know how to take your order. They'll have to transfer you to another department. And now you have to wait on hold, listening to some ridiculous music. And customer service still may not know the answer to your question because they are outsourced too and have never actually used to products.

I'm not always here. I'm here a lot, but every once in a while, I leave the house for an hour or two. Sometimes I even go away for a weekend! When I come back, the first thing I do is check my email and voice mail. Then I write or call you back. When I do, you can ask me all the questions you want. And you can be certain that your order will be handled by me personally.

But I am only one woman. I cannot do things instantaneously. And I don't do a high enough volume for FedEx to give me free two-day shipping. So I have to charge you for shipping. I'm sorry. I wouldn't if I could afford not to.

This is customer service. This is a real person helping you with your order. We don't have a call center. Your call won't be answered by a person who's never seen our products. You'll be taken care of as a real person by a real person.

And when you call again, I'll remember you. I'll ask how you liked the last product you purchased. I'll suggest new purchases that will match the style of the things I know you've bought before. You see, after an order or three, I get an idea of what you like and I can steer you towards new items that you might like. I'm not an algorythm like "recommendations" on amazon.com. I'm real. And I really do get to know you after a few purchases.

That, my darlings, is worth 7-10 business days.

My message: SLOW DOWN! Why are you so crazy about having everything NOW NOW NOW!!!

I have a better idea. And this is really what this post is about.

( Draw near as I share my secret with you... )

It's becoming Spring. Take your lunch outside. Sit on a bench with a book. Or sit at a window and just be still for an hour.

Enjoy!