Christmas has crept up yet again. It seems to get earlier and earlier every year. But my Christmas shopping is done! And this year, it was a pleasant experience, devoid of the hassle and frazzle of mall and big box shopping because I did almost all of my shopping locally. I bought my Christmas cards from Echo Letterpress in Jeffersonville. (See card at left). Echo is a wonderful craft print shop that hand prints everything using old fashioned letterpresses and type. I bought a number of lovely gifts at Duke Pottery, west of Roscoe. (Sorry, I can't reveal what I bought because my friends sometimes read this blog, and I don't want to tip them off.) It was was so pleasant visiting with Carolyn Duke and talking about her work. I also made visits to the Holiday Market in Callicoon and the Outside Gallery in Livingston Manor. Almost every gift I'm giving this year is handmade, and if I didn't make it, I know the person who did.
The whole experience has been, to mirror the Echo card, "100% Pure Joy", and such a sharp contrast to the two quick trips I've made to a mall, or jostling the shopping crowds in Manhattan. Whether its buying a piece of pottery at Christmas, perennials to plant in the spring, or the first summer tomato at the farmer's market, its very special to know where things come from (no, Virginia, everything doesn't come from the UPS man). And one of the main reasons I cherish living here.
By the way, David, I've taken the liberty of doing something I've been whining about for some time, and set up an actual bona-fide Sullivan County bulletin board! http://sullivancountybbs.proboards.com
I found out by accident the other day that one can set up a bulletin board free of charge. Whoda thunk it.
However, my premise in doing so is that there are no pre-existing boards. If there are, please let me know and I'll take that one down. No point in having more than one.
Posted by: bix | December 16, 2008 at 12:37 PM