Getting Ready

Nov 21, 2007 | This Life

Craving

Nov 20, 2007 | This Life

In Need of Bactine

Nov 14, 2007 | This Life

I know I’ve been trying to find the words to write on a subject matter close to my heart. I’m not succeeding. In part, I suffer from TMS syndrome: too much sermon. Every preacher makes this mistake on occasion—they preach a great sermon that should have been a sermon series. It’s as if we’re on speed and feel the need to cram a lifetime’s worth, or at least a month’s worth, of information into one 12 minute sermon afraid we might not get another chance at making our point. If preachers did speed, that is.

But, I’ve also been derailed in the past day. I’m finding it difficult to focus on writing about abundance when I’m reeling. The ugly side of the blogosphere reared its Cerberus head last night, and bit me in the ass. OUCH! I’m going to spare you the particulars—in part because it involves the crafting world and that crowd looks all lovely dovey on the surface but when one of their own is “threatened” (Or in this case called out for stealing!) they can slip into “group think” without a thought… and then the hate starts flying. I’m not so interested in being the subject of such vile, considering my backside is still smarting from the first bite!

The bottom line (oh, bad, bad pun Wende!) is that a blogger, uh, reproduced a design of mine and passed it off as her own on her blog. No, “Hey, saw this at evidently, thought I’d try it myself…” Nope! Instead, she presented the idea as her own and now has hundreds of comments from rabid fans telling her how smart and funny and wonderful and amazing… and now I’m hurling…and crafty she is. Hundreds of comments.

Obviously, this is no ordinary small time blogger. No, this is a member of the crafting pantheon. She has a book deal. An agent. A press person. I’m sure Julia Roberts will play her in the made for TV movie if Lifetime ever gets around to filming her halcyon days somewhere in pastoral America. I just wonder where her lawyer is? It is only a matter of time before she is selling my design. And laughably, she will sell out in a few hours charging 3 times what I do. The injustice of it doesn’t escape me. But I suspect it hasn’t occurred to her.

This is not the first time I’ve seen myself on her blog. In fact, I’ve had friends comment how much of what I do seems to show up, “elsewhere”. But this is the first time where it’s obvious. I even know where she got the info… I was stupid enough to comment about the project on a mutual friend’s blog. Oh. My. I don’t think it’s blatant plagiarism. I suspect she and I are on similar wavelengths. We possess a similar world view—so, it’s not all that unusual that we’d be talking about, creating, crafting, and blogging on similar plane once in awhile. There is just one difference, besides our geographical locations—I would never take her work and pass it off as my own.

It’s that simple.

To say that I’m stunned is to only begin to express my frustration. I’m wondering exactly how thin the ethical line is that most of these crafty bloggers tout. Trust me, I couldn’t get away with pulling the same stunt in my world. And the only conclusion I come to is this: “thou shalt not plagiarize” doesn’t apply if you’ve got an agent. Trees that are cut down in the forest do not make a sound if the lumberjack who fells them has a 3 volume book deal with Random House.

Anyhow, as you can imagine, I’ll need to simmer down a bit—gain a bit of composure before I start writing about those lovely November themes. A big thank you to IZ and Kathleen, who have patiently listened to me rant and cry and lament and make more of this than I probably should. Coffee, raspberry crumble bars, and good conversation have been balm for my soul. Thank you… and somebody pass the Bactine.

Share

Nov 13, 2007 | This Life

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. ~Buddha

Windy!

Nov 12, 2007 | This Life

Hi: 56° Strong damaging winds into early this afternoon. South wind 40 to 50 mph with gusts of 75 to 90 mph on coastal Headlands and beaches and to 65 mph coastal communities. Winds becoming southwest 15 to 30 mph by mid afternoon. Rain. Highs 50 to 55.

*———–*———–*———–*———–*———–*———–*———–*

Power just came up here, on our section of the hill. It went down sometime early this morning. However the winds are unpredictable, so it’s hard to say how long we’ll have access. We still have several more hours of dangerously strong winds and after that, 40 mph gusts through the evening.

I’m attempting to get to comments, but this is the extent of my blogging until tomorrow. I’ll be back then with some thoughts on gratitude and abundance. For now, we are stoking the fire and heating tea and munching on gingerbread cookies—thankful to be warm and dry.

Stay safe, all of you.