Hey Heartful Reader,
I hope you're doing well and staying warm as we move deeper into this very unusual winter.
Necco, the maker of Sweethearts, those little pastel hearts with messages like "be mine," shut down this week, creating a shortage just before Valentine's Day. Apparently, this candy I left behind in grade school was still popular and had even been updated with messages like "text me". I've got to come out from under my rock sometimes. What I found most interesting in this story, though, is that Necco was the oldest continuously operating candy company in the U.S. They started selling Necco Wafers during the Civil War. That's an impressive history.
But the history of individual artisans creating the things we need covers most of human history. And today's technology has increased their presence in the modern world. The internet lets an artisan reach a worldwide market from practically anywhere. Good handmade products are more plentiful today than anytime in the past. And my job is to help you find them.
Peace.
