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A few stories, as I parse through the complexities of privilege & justice…

Growing Up Together

When I was in Bangladesh, we visited a village outside of Jashore (a city in which Basha has a production centre, where I visited a brothel) to call on some homes of women who sew blankets for Basha. 

We spent time visiting in Dhomina’s relatively large home. The space had been expanded to include a separate cooking space — built upon because of the income she earned making kantha for Basha, for us. Amazing!

I've shared my favourite reads in the past, and today I'm sharing some faves to cook.

This is not a cooking blog (obviously) and I haven't styled any plates or hired any food photographers. I am no expert, but I do cook great food. This assertion is not self-congratulatory! I have little (no) inherent skill and I attribute all of my good cooking to 1) other people's excellent recipes, 2) access to fresh, reliable, & varied food, and 3) time (ie. the time I currently have currently to cook AND the many years of practice).

What is happening with dignify?

How are the women in Bangladesh doing?

What impact has the coronavirus pandemic had on what you're doing?

These are all questions I have received over the last two months, so here are some updates.

It's too early to know, or comment on, the economic fallout from COVID-19.

Part of what I have personally found overwhelming is the cacophony of varied economic experiences:

Many people are jobless, have had income interrupted, or lost big in the market; others are flush with cash that they would have otherwise spent on restaurants, gym memberships, commuting, and travel. Some businesses and restaurants are shuttered or declaring bankruptcy; while trampolines, puzzles, & Peletons are back-ordered and meal-prep services can't keep up.

One truth that is indisputable: the economy local to our area is immensely valuable.

When the novel coronavirus COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, shopping habits changed dramatically and immediately. 

One of the headlines that made me cringe was something like “Amazon hires 100,000 new employees”. As many of my local businesses were closing for a week (and then, indefinitely), it grieved me that Amazon — the business with already so much of the market share, so much in the bank, the richest man in the world in charge, and which would surely fire everyone as soon as they weren't needed — would grow even more.

But, I also didn’t begrudge anyone from shopping there, either! Where do you buy educational workbooks or board games and the odds & ends you need when you are suddenly housebound?!

Dignify has grown over many years and stages, but much of it was built in the margin time of my life when my husband was working full time and I was caring full-time for a 2 & 3-year old. 

Isaac Newton worked on the early foundations of calculus & gravity during his isolation “annus mirabilis” (amazing year).

Do you need to start a side business or become a math whiz if you have any downtime? No! 

But, binge-watching wears out after a while... and there is absolutely a middle zone of creative, constructive ways 

In my recent reader survey, one reader shared this (remarkably prescient) comment:

“The world moves too quickly now and we are expected to keep the pace but in my opinion it is far from healthy and we need to realize that.” 

Here I am, in my home office, typing at my computer, surrounded by kantha blankets. This is nothing new; in fact, my work situation (and my husband, Wayne’s) is, on its best & most productive days, remarkably resemblant to “social isolation” or  “social distancing”. Some weeks (most weeks?), I barely leave my neighborhood.

But there's a difference...

Where does my kantha blanket come from?

I’ve written plenty about Bangladesh and how our blankets are made, and also some behind-the-scenes from the arrival of our shipments.

But, today, let’s join the journey with one kantha blanket, to give you a glimpse of the travels it takes from creation to enjoyment in your living room!



Today is our bonus day. The extra 24 hours we get every 4 years. 

But, like those months where you get extra paycheque, that bonus can be set aside for something intentional, or simply absorbed into the warp and weft of everyday life. 

Of course, I know that February 29th is not a day that exists outside of the calendar, outside of commitments or responsibilities. But, as an extra gift of time within the whole year, it is a reflective moment for me to ask myself, what is important to me in the time that I have? -

I was inspired by a goal that Elise Joy (goal-setter extraordinaire) set for herself for 2020: "Get dressed (in an outfit I feel good in) every day."

In Bangladesh, there are some cultural “rules” about what to wear that is appropriate. This amounts, basically, to covering your curves: two layers over your chest and rear. When I was there for a week, I essentially wore the same thing every day (a long, plain navy, cotton tunic, as well as a scarf). That had its own benefits (the ease of a "uniform"!), but I was also thrilled to come home and wear what I wanted to again.

But, with the freedom to wear whatever I wanted, the question came: what did I want to wear?

One subject I find really interesting is learning some behind-the-scenes of business and marketing. I've written before about how online brands use email subscriptions, discounts, and scarcity tactics to sell and grow. Some elements can be manipulative, but overall, I am just fascinated by how all of these hidden intricacies work.

In e-commerce businesses (retail stores that are all online) like mine, it is common to grow for the sake of growing. More sales, more staff, more products… isn’t that the definition of success?

Listen, I know that there are book lists for DAYS out there. This is another one, and I'm not pretending otherwise! It is completely biased and based on nothing other than what I have read recently. I love to read, I love to receive recommendations, and I love to share the books that I've enjoyed with others.

Every one of these books is my recommendation to YOU, but there are also ideas of other people in your life who might enjoy them. 😉 Comment below or fire me an email with your own best, recent reads!