Author's note:
Dear Reader,
Quitting, the column, is morphing. Kind of. The column has already changed once; the series began in late July and was originally dubbed Trying to Quit. This changed to Quitting for several reasons, none of which can clearly be recalled at the moment. The Quitting theme will not change and Suzanne will surely update you from time to time about how her struggle with butts is going (owing you at least that) but the Quitting focus is going to expand. We may need to talk about quitting habits other than smoking; quitting thoughts, things, traits or pastimes.
It will evolve as we go on together. Everything does.
Something is afoot this month of December, reader. Are you experiencing it, too? The axis has slipped. The calendar page alone tells me a holiday is nigh. The Long Night Moon, December's full moon, occurs on the 24th, and it is already reminding me of a cold bright moon of some years ago.
Hopefully your December is moving along a more predictable and cheerful trajectory. Whether it is or it isn't, in Quitting this week, I entreaty you to quit commercial buying for the holidays and, instead, buy local.
The mission may not be an easy one to accomplish. Big box stores and familiar logos litter the national landscape. The massive buying power associated with such mammoth size results in lower prices, to be sure, but that is paired part and parcel with compromised quality.
There is a political lyric writer in town, Charkee McGee, who penned the words to one of the Leftist Marching Band's wildly popular and most-oft requested songs. The song is a growl-y version of the 12 bar blues standard Night Train and it chronicles the myriad reasons why we should not shop at the big box retailer that begins with a W and ends with a Mart.
The economy of words required to write good lyrics eludes me, and so I will instead attempt to wax eloquent on the reasons why your dollars will do the most good and be most welcome if spent right here on local goods and services.
There are Twelve Days of Christmas, 24 tiny doors to open on the Advent Calendar, Three Kings of Orient and Three Entrepreneurs of Occident that we will highlight here as an alternative to big box commercial holiday buying. Our Seacoast entrepreneurs include a Peddler of Scribes, a Land Keeper and Invasive Species Avenger.
Our local Peddler of Scribes is Tom Holbrook over at the RiverRun Bookstore (www.riverrunbookstore.com). I can often be spotted downtown dragging bags or boxes of second hand books through Commercial Alley and into SecondRun bookstore. Most times, I drag more second-hand books back out to my car, but sometimes I take the credit option and I step giddily over to RiverRun for crisp new books and the knowledge that I am supporting a local independent bookstore.
My heart went fully to RiverRun this summer, when the ubiquitous wizard book was released at midnight in July of 2007. My niece was focused on acquiring the tome from a large book seller in Newington because of the market saturation hype for the midnight release. Weeks before the event, I found myself repeating the words "RiverRun" in one breath, followed by "independent local book seller" in the next. Because she is an adolescent, I was ignored.
On the appointed night, we arrived at said commercial bookseller at 10:30 p.m. to find madding crowds. I entreatied her to allow me to call RiverRun, Holbrook not only informed me that there were plenty of copies and no madding crowds, he assured me I would have my purchase in hand by 12:15 a.m. The implications of this were great: I could be home in bed by 12:30 a.m.
Along with getting a $5 credit as a thank you for purchasing local, that is exactly what happened.
Our local Land Keeper is Rebecca Emerson, proprietor of Creek Cottage Gardening, a landscape and decorating design outfit that puts the charm in charming (www.creekcottagegardening.com). You can spot Emerson around the region in an overlarge truck with "Garden" proudly proclaimed on the license plate.
Even better, you can be sure that the most fetchingly decorated houses in town are the handiwork of Creek Cottage Gardening. Should you pass a house festooned with live garland, trees dotted with red and gold ornaments and plentiful sprigs of holly lining the perimeter, chances are Emerson, along with her support staff, is the responsible artisan. Emerson is available not only for decorating, but clean up and pack up, as well as for winter garden design. Best of all, come spring, she will prepare your yard for the sublimity of the height of summer.
Our final entrepreneur is Invasive Species Avenger Dave Kellam, owner of Phragwrites (pronounced FRAG-right-ease). Phragmites (careful there, different word) is an invasive reed threatening the North American wetlands because of its tendency to choke out native plants and animals. Kellam collects the reeds by hand from infested local wetlands and returns home to fashion the tubes into writing instruments.
Check out the rhyming extravaganza on Kellam's Web site (www.phragwrites.com), and if you own a business, you must get the Lighty Phragwrite Gift Jar instead of those boring old corporate pens emblazoned with your logo. Do the environment a favor and Kellam will in turn donate a portion of annual profits toward the invasive species battle.
There are many other local business that could use your business this season. Make the commitment, it makes a difference.
Suzanne is back out in the western part of Massachusetts for the time being. You can write to her about time or being at suzanne.danforth@gmail.com.
