Alright...let me start this off by saying I am usually patient with solicitors. I feel for them. Until they won't take no for an answer, or they keep calling back even when you tell them you are not interested and to please "Put you on the DO NOT CALL LIST"...so here's where this story comes in...
For the past couple months The Mixing Bowl has been getting calls from a certain company trying to sell us something we are not interested in. I have asked them over and over again to please remove our name from their list....they keep calling. As some of you may know I have a lady who helps me out at the store who is from the Philippines. One day the solicitor called and we were laughing and said the next time they called since they won't give up, that we would just let our little Cathy talk to them in her language and confuse them and they would maybe give up calling on us. I know, sounds mean...but she was up for it...and hey, they won't quit calling.
So today the phone rings...I see the 855 number that has been calling and I hand the phone to Cathy...all of us are grinning thinking we are going to show them....lol. Cathy starts speaking...and she pauses....and looks confused...and she starts speaking again (in her Philippine language) and the rest of us are looking at each other thinking NO WAY...the person on the other end is speaking back to Cathy in Philippino and they are carrying on a conversation...back and forth....We were all dying laughing and couldn't believe it. We still couldn't get away from the solicitor! haha. It was just too coincidental and what were the odds of that? We laughed about that all day today!
Showing posts with label Mixing Bowl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mixing Bowl. Show all posts
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Mr. Leon (a favorite customer)
Well, here goes "Blog" number 2. I promise, I will figure this all out in time...I look at people with nice background and pictures and everything I WANT to learn to do...and I will:)
We have several customers that we call friends here at The Mixing Bowl. There really isn't a week that goes by lately that I don't get a hug and an "I love you" from a customer that 9 months ago, I may not of known. You don't know what that means to me. It tells me that not only are we filling a need of providing a good meal to lot's of families...we are also providing an ear to listen...and you all are doing the same! And these moments of "coming to pick up supper" are turning into visits that I cherish.
I know I don't always have the time to come out and visit, because we may have lot's of orders to fill and I have to have my hands in something in the kitchen...but our sweet Little Red Head takes good care of you when I can't...I do try to poke my head around the corner and give a wave when I can't come out...I just want you all to know I appreciate each and every one of you. One customer who I want to share a story about first in this series of stories is Mr. Leon..(.his daughter told me I could talk about him on here):)
Mr. Leon is 92 years old. He was one of my very first customers I ever had when I opened The Mixing Bowl. I mean, he was here like the first week. He is this small, thin, kind, elderly man. And when he saw a new place opening up for food a few blocks from where he lives..he being the kind of man he is, just had to check us out. Mr. Leon is not your typical 92 year old man, he drives...every day to Wal-Mart...still has a sharp mind...and can tell you stories of when he was in the war and was in the Phillipines. He can re-count more at his age than I can at mine! He comes every Wed. to see us and pick up dinner for him and his daughter...rain or shine, I know I will see Mr. Leon. Whenever he comes in...I always go out to greet him, for one, I just love him to death and look foward to what story he is going to tell me this week:) and for two...I just want to give him my attention so he knows how important I think he is....
Well, last week he came in with his picture of himself and his two Veteran brothers that got selected to go on a trip to Washington DC a few years back...they had taken this picture with Bob Dole and Mr. Leon was beaming proud telling me about this honor that he and his brothers had been given. Did I mention I just love this little man?:) I had 5 or 6 customers walk in while he was there, and he just sat back in his chair and said "take care of them"...he wanted to wait, cause he wasn't done telling his stories:) I don't really know what it is about this little man, but I have just kind of took up with him. He had a heart attack a few months back and when he started coming back in the store...he told me he felt a little weak, so I would send him home with a banana pudding, or a container of chicken noodle soup...just something. And those little gestures must of meant more to them than I realized, because last week when he got ready to leave (I told him I better get back to work before the girls tried to fire me. lol) he gave me a hug and said "I love you" and I looked at him and said "Well, I love you too"...and I do. He said "I know I haven't known you for a long time, but I feel it here (and he touched his heart with his hand)...well, that about brought tears to my eyes.
I went back in the kitchen and thought about how taking just a few minutes every week with this little old man had made my life a little sweeter, and I think it has for him too. His daughter told me she would show him this when I wrote it...so Mr. Leon...we love you at The Mixing Bowl. We feel it in our hearts too!
We have several customers that we call friends here at The Mixing Bowl. There really isn't a week that goes by lately that I don't get a hug and an "I love you" from a customer that 9 months ago, I may not of known. You don't know what that means to me. It tells me that not only are we filling a need of providing a good meal to lot's of families...we are also providing an ear to listen...and you all are doing the same! And these moments of "coming to pick up supper" are turning into visits that I cherish.
I know I don't always have the time to come out and visit, because we may have lot's of orders to fill and I have to have my hands in something in the kitchen...but our sweet Little Red Head takes good care of you when I can't...I do try to poke my head around the corner and give a wave when I can't come out...I just want you all to know I appreciate each and every one of you. One customer who I want to share a story about first in this series of stories is Mr. Leon..(.his daughter told me I could talk about him on here):)
Mr. Leon is 92 years old. He was one of my very first customers I ever had when I opened The Mixing Bowl. I mean, he was here like the first week. He is this small, thin, kind, elderly man. And when he saw a new place opening up for food a few blocks from where he lives..he being the kind of man he is, just had to check us out. Mr. Leon is not your typical 92 year old man, he drives...every day to Wal-Mart...still has a sharp mind...and can tell you stories of when he was in the war and was in the Phillipines. He can re-count more at his age than I can at mine! He comes every Wed. to see us and pick up dinner for him and his daughter...rain or shine, I know I will see Mr. Leon. Whenever he comes in...I always go out to greet him, for one, I just love him to death and look foward to what story he is going to tell me this week:) and for two...I just want to give him my attention so he knows how important I think he is....
Well, last week he came in with his picture of himself and his two Veteran brothers that got selected to go on a trip to Washington DC a few years back...they had taken this picture with Bob Dole and Mr. Leon was beaming proud telling me about this honor that he and his brothers had been given. Did I mention I just love this little man?:) I had 5 or 6 customers walk in while he was there, and he just sat back in his chair and said "take care of them"...he wanted to wait, cause he wasn't done telling his stories:) I don't really know what it is about this little man, but I have just kind of took up with him. He had a heart attack a few months back and when he started coming back in the store...he told me he felt a little weak, so I would send him home with a banana pudding, or a container of chicken noodle soup...just something. And those little gestures must of meant more to them than I realized, because last week when he got ready to leave (I told him I better get back to work before the girls tried to fire me. lol) he gave me a hug and said "I love you" and I looked at him and said "Well, I love you too"...and I do. He said "I know I haven't known you for a long time, but I feel it here (and he touched his heart with his hand)...well, that about brought tears to my eyes.
I went back in the kitchen and thought about how taking just a few minutes every week with this little old man had made my life a little sweeter, and I think it has for him too. His daughter told me she would show him this when I wrote it...so Mr. Leon...we love you at The Mixing Bowl. We feel it in our hearts too!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
From there to here....
Well, I have decided to try my hand at this whole "blogging" thing. It is something I have wanted to do for a while, but wasn't sure what to do. Still am not, But with the help of Nicki (my sweet little red-headed helper at The Mixing Bowl) I am at least this far.:)
I want you all to get to know us...as more than just a place that you come to buy good food...but get to know us. Many of you do, many of you have went from strangers in this past nine months, to being very near and dear to me. I want this to be a place I share stories about that. About what you all mean to me...to the girls who work with me...to my family. Of course, I want to throw in some good recipes here and there, and funny stories...but every week we have something that touches our heart happen at our store.
When I started on this adventure last year, (opening the Mixing Bowl) I had no idea what this would really entail...I had visions of me leisurely preparing delicious meals, and making everything taste and look beautiful...all by myself...ha! After about 8 weeks of no sleep cranking out more meals than I could count praying that this would work....I realized any "leisurely" thought I had was completely absurd! I would literally come home some nights at midnight or after, climb in bed smelling like whatever I had cooked for the day...get up a few hours later...hop in the shower and start it all over again. I would dream of chopping and cooking....I guess I was ate up with it!
But, I couldn't go on like that forever...and finally felt like we were getting established enough for me to hire someone...so I did...and from there...we have just been growing. I am so thankful for the girls who help me. I may be the one telling them what to cook and trying to make sure everything is to my tasting...but without them, we wouldn't be growing like we are....They are the peelers, the choppers, the pudding mixers...etc and I for one minute don't forget that!
We also couldn't do this without YOU...our customers...You have no idea how much I appreciate you all. I know without you, I would not be able to do what I truly feel I was meant to do. I love cooking. I love creating. I love family. I love friends! This is so much more to me than making a meal for you...I have gotten to be part of some seriously special occasion meals and it has truly touched my heart. Retirements, anniversaries, baptisms, birthdays, your family holidays...then to hear the stories from you afterwards and to really feel a bond with you all...That's what this is all about for me...that's what this has turned into.
So, that's what I want to do here...share those stories...and oh...I have so many already. This journey has been therapeutic for me. After being married for 18 years, and having 4 children...then going through a divorce and wondering what life held for me...how would I survive? Where was my identity? The things I did the best in life were nurture and take care of others...that was my "element" (I have been told:) This was a dream of mineI had had for a long time,but in my marraige, it probably would of never happened. So as sad as a divorce was, (and it didn't happen because of this dream!) I turned that into an opportunity for growth.
I have gotten more out of this experience in doing this than I might of gotten sitting in the best counselors chair. Until you do what YOU love, until you take RESPONSIBILITY for YOU, until you HELP others in doing it....I don't know if you can truly be happy. I have days where I wonder and worry and think "what have I gotten myself into"...but even on my hardest days...it is better than before I started this. I love what I do. I hope you do too...and never forget how thankful I am for the opportunity to do it!
I want you all to get to know us...as more than just a place that you come to buy good food...but get to know us. Many of you do, many of you have went from strangers in this past nine months, to being very near and dear to me. I want this to be a place I share stories about that. About what you all mean to me...to the girls who work with me...to my family. Of course, I want to throw in some good recipes here and there, and funny stories...but every week we have something that touches our heart happen at our store.
When I started on this adventure last year, (opening the Mixing Bowl) I had no idea what this would really entail...I had visions of me leisurely preparing delicious meals, and making everything taste and look beautiful...all by myself...ha! After about 8 weeks of no sleep cranking out more meals than I could count praying that this would work....I realized any "leisurely" thought I had was completely absurd! I would literally come home some nights at midnight or after, climb in bed smelling like whatever I had cooked for the day...get up a few hours later...hop in the shower and start it all over again. I would dream of chopping and cooking....I guess I was ate up with it!
But, I couldn't go on like that forever...and finally felt like we were getting established enough for me to hire someone...so I did...and from there...we have just been growing. I am so thankful for the girls who help me. I may be the one telling them what to cook and trying to make sure everything is to my tasting...but without them, we wouldn't be growing like we are....They are the peelers, the choppers, the pudding mixers...etc and I for one minute don't forget that!
We also couldn't do this without YOU...our customers...You have no idea how much I appreciate you all. I know without you, I would not be able to do what I truly feel I was meant to do. I love cooking. I love creating. I love family. I love friends! This is so much more to me than making a meal for you...I have gotten to be part of some seriously special occasion meals and it has truly touched my heart. Retirements, anniversaries, baptisms, birthdays, your family holidays...then to hear the stories from you afterwards and to really feel a bond with you all...That's what this is all about for me...that's what this has turned into.
So, that's what I want to do here...share those stories...and oh...I have so many already. This journey has been therapeutic for me. After being married for 18 years, and having 4 children...then going through a divorce and wondering what life held for me...how would I survive? Where was my identity? The things I did the best in life were nurture and take care of others...that was my "element" (I have been told:) This was a dream of mineI had had for a long time,but in my marraige, it probably would of never happened. So as sad as a divorce was, (and it didn't happen because of this dream!) I turned that into an opportunity for growth.
I have gotten more out of this experience in doing this than I might of gotten sitting in the best counselors chair. Until you do what YOU love, until you take RESPONSIBILITY for YOU, until you HELP others in doing it....I don't know if you can truly be happy. I have days where I wonder and worry and think "what have I gotten myself into"...but even on my hardest days...it is better than before I started this. I love what I do. I hope you do too...and never forget how thankful I am for the opportunity to do it!
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