Finding Joy Matters - A Message About Rees Harps and COVID-19
I have been posting updates about our response to COVID-19 elsewhere on the site but decided to move all of it here, into the blog framework, so I could open for comments. Please know that , as the post describes, the few of us still working are all stretched thin but if you ask a question, you will absolutely receive a response…it just may take a couple of days. I will continue posting updates to Blog-ish as the need arises. - Many Blessings, Pamela
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Finding joy has never been more important.
24 March 2020
Just as a general update - I am sure you have heard about all the airlines parking up to ninety-five percent of their fleets in storage. This is problematic for shipping freight as well. Freight-only shippers, like UPS and FedEx have their own fleets, and those are all still flying (to the best of my knowledge) but those companies also normally put an enormous amount of their freight onto commercial airlines. This means that normal freight, like harps and accessories, is fighting for freight space with things like medical supplies, food and toilet paper. Obviously, shipping companies are prioritizing critical shipments. We will keep shipping out as quickly as we can but how quickly things move once they are in the hands of the freight companies is unknown. I have heard rumor that the freight companies may work out a deal with airlines to put some of the parked airline inventory into freight-only rotation but that is just a rumor and I have not been able to confirm it.
As I said yesterday, all we can do is what we can do and we are going to keep shipping. If you would be so kind as to let us know when you receive a shipment, that will be helpful.
Many blessings to you and, as my office bunnies say, “many carrots!” - Pamela
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23 March 2020
Despite the fact that Indiana is under a stay-at-home order, a few of us at Rees Harps are still working. We are a family business, literally. During this crisis William and his son, Garen, will still be making harps. My daughter-in-law, Garen’s wife, Melissa, will be on phones and email and helping with shipping. William’s daughter, Rebecca and Melissa’s mom, Joann, will be in here and there to help. Melissa Lund Ziegler, our social media coordinator, has always worked from her home so she is good to go. My office has been in our home for many years so I’m all set.
We will be slow but we will persevere. We remain here to support you and it is our great joy to do so.
Be good to yourselves. This will get much worse before it gets better. Much will continue to be asked of everyone everywhere. All each of us can do is what we can do. We, at Rees Harps, are choosing to do what we can to help those we can for as long as we can.
Be well, my friends - Pamela Rees
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19 March 2020
Each of us is trying to make sure we are safe and our kitchens are stocked and we are up to date on the latest news and on and on and on. I feel like one of the things that never quite makes it onto the lists of Recommended Quarantine Supplies is “joy.” Sure, finding tufts of joy floating about is certainly more difficult now than it has been at other times in our lives but these moments pure delight have never been more essential to who we are as humans.
At Rees Harps we know that, for many of you, your harp is bound to your joy. We want to be able to continue to provide support as much as possible for the time being.
For at least the next couple of weeks, we will be running with a very small crew. We'll have lots and lots of space between each of us and mountains of cleaning and sanitization supplies to do what we can to stay safe. We are wiping down harps and using gloves when we package anything we ship. We wear masks the whole time we are at work so we can’t touch our own faces but also so that we won’t accidentally sneeze on that accessory you just ordered.
We would ask that you please be patient when you place an order or contact us. We are doing all we can, without being stressed, to keep building harps and supporting our harp family as quickly as we can under current conditions.
We will also be sending out some new things. I think of them as “whispers of joy.”
Starting tomorrow (Friday), we are launching our “14-Days of #HarpsicleTunes" enterprise.” Learn 20 seconds of a new tune, post a video or photo of you playing the tune of the day and use the hashtag #HarpsicleTunes so we can see it! (More information on our Harpsicle® Harps Facebook page.) Best of all, participate in the community of folks all around the world doing the same thing from their own self-distancing locales. An ever-growing number of us are quarantined and isolated and this is something quick and fun and different. We have purposely picked very few tunes associated with the harp and have drawn heavily from modern genres. You can meet the enterprise any way you like, as simply or with as much complexity as you like. You can sing. You can invite others to participate. You can use other instruments. You can use pedals and electronics. Your dog can howl along. Anything that works for you and gives you that pop of joy is just great! This enterprise will be on Harpsicle® Harps social media. The next one will be on our Rees Harps social media streams (and it’s going to be different and SO much fun!)
We are also going to increase the frequency of our newsletter and include in it things which have nothing to do with harps but that give us joy - just little tufts here and there.
Please know that we are thinking of all of you and wishing each and every one of you good health and, like a dandelion, many tufts of joy floating through your days.
Pamela Rees and All at Rees Harps