Meet The Newest Member of the Whittle Bird Family!
While some may think naming "objects" is silly I believe that anything of importance should have a name. I knew when we decided to order our coffee trailer that she needed a really good name, a name with meaning and importance. The same thought went in to our business name. The name “Whittle Bird” holds such a special place in my husbands heart and to us serves as a reminder of how important our heritage is. In our fast-paced world, we often overlook the wisdom passed down by previous generations. I've been guilty of this myself. Life can get crazy and busy but we hope that Whittle Bird Coffee Co can serve as a reminder to reconnect with our roots, cherish life, and learn from history.
There is so much nostalgia that is tied to things like coffee and food. Each of us has powerful food memories that shaped and changed our lives. Craving a return to those moments is only natural. When we create our menus and recipes it is with that in mind. For example our “Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies” were born out of the memory of all the times I made molasses cookies with my mom. Rolling each one in sugar was my very favorite thing to do! We even had a special bowl that was designed for the sugar rolling that my sister still has today. I recently asked my mom where her recipe came from and she said “it was from her first job as a young adult”. She was hired as a part time nanny and her job on Monday’s was to make these cookies for the little girl. I was thinking today when I made them what a gift it is to be able to do something so special to me and to my mom as well as be able to share it through the Whittle Bird Kitchen! This brings us to why we chose the name “Doris” for our beautiful new “vintage” coffee trailer.
The meaning behind the name Doris
Doris was my grandmother on my moms side. Unfortunately she passed away many years before I was born so I never had the opportunity to get to know her. My mom has shared many pictures with me lately and stories that I feel so blessed to have. Doris was born in Canada but later attained citizenship in the United States. Doris was ahead of her time as a working woman, excelling in various fields. My mom remembers that Doris was "good at everything she did". She was highly educated and worked in Washington DC for the treasury department.
When you think of the busy world today with both parents working and raising a family you think of convenience foods and drive thru meals. That was not Doris, my mom told me she loved to cook and was very good at it. She said when it was her “snack” day at school Doris would make her cream puffs or eclairs from scratch while the other children brought packaged items. She passed this passion on to my mom who passed it on to me. I remember so many times with my own children staying up late making things for their snack day. This may show my age but this was when you could still actually bring homemade things to school! I sometimes felt like it wasn't appreciated at the time and that they would have much rather had processed garbage like their friends but looking back I am so grateful that I took the time to do this.
Rooted in History
I have seen several things written by Doris and she was very talented at calligraphy which these days seems to be a lost art. There is so much nostalgia and meaning in putting a pen to paper and writing someone a handwritten note, which probably explains my love of stationery!
I also recently learned that my grandmother was very sarcastic and witty. She had a comeback for everything. This describes my daughter exactly! I never knew before where her personality came from but it appears it is deeply rooted in her history. I could go on about all the cool things I have learned from talking to people who came before me like my mom and dad. But the point of this and the meaning behind the name Doris is a reminder to slow down. Take the time to get to know your past and keep your heritage alive. Talk with elder family members, save old family photos even if it was not someone you ever had the joy of meeting.
This is on a side note but the name “Doris” also happens to mean “gift” and that is truly what this coffee trailer has been for Chris and I. We started our family very young and dedicated many years to raising our children. Now we are at a season in our life where we can do something small for the two of us. A combination of our passions... we can not think of a better way to do that than traveling around the beautiful state of Maine serving up delicious coffee and baked items!
***Doris will be at the pop up shop today from 7am-2pm parked in the front. If you get a chance come by and get a sneak peek! We plan to have her on the road as soon as the weather warms up! We would like to thank the Dover Foxcroft community for all of the support we have received in our temporary spot and look forward to serving all of you on the road soon! ***
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