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Health & Fitness

I Started My Christmas Shopping

On Earth Day I was thinking about Christmas shopping. No, really!

Yes, you read that right. It isn't a typo. 

It's Earth Day as I am writing this, so a lot of people are posting about ways to help conserve the environment, large and small. Nobody can do all of them - I teach evening classes, often at Mercer's Henry County or Douglas County Centers, so taking public transportation to work simply isn't practical. But the old saw that "every little bit helps" is true, too. I figure making an effort to do what I can where I can helps.  

One of the things I do is to start buying my holiday presents early in the year, a little at a time, when craft show (and local farmers' market!) season starts. I usually stick with local artists, because the money then flows back into my community.  As a coppersmith and glass lampwork artist myself, I think that hand-made and unique items are (usually) more meaningful. Plus, I like having them around.

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My friend Julia and I set up at our third show this season, the Sandy Springs Artzapalooza (run by the wonderful Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces). Unlike some of the larger shows, AFFPS focuses on local artists. We had perfect weather, companionable neighbors, and interesting people to talk with. Since there are two of us, we can also go walk the festival one at a time without worrying about our booth. I usually take whatever foster dog I have at the time - the picture of our booth is not the best, but it's a great one of Marvel, my Great Pyrenees foster!

This time I found my Sister Ornament. After our mother died, my sister and I started a tradition. We remembered one year where, independently of each other, we had given our mother the same gift (a small replica of the Egyptian blue faience hippopotamus statue, popularly called William, had bought the same card for her (five cats on a fence), and had even labeled cats with names of the family cats, although we reversed two of the names. That's a sister connection for you!  

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In that spirit, every year since my sister and I have given each other a Christmas ornament, and kept one like it for ourselves. So we each have the same ornament, a sister connection. I found some nifty wooden plaques with slightly snarky sayings, perfect for my sister's offbeat sense of humor, from a local artist. I also found some wonderful lavender soap for me!

The ornaments will go in the Christmas / Hanukkah box, and I will add to them as I find the right thing for the right person. Small things  - none of us really want to have a lot of Stuff around. But meaningful things that fit each person,  that they couldn't find at the same Big Box Store, bought locally... it's a good start to Earth Day. Mind you, my sister lives in Texas, so I am sure I negate all my environmental savings by going to visit her every year. But every little bit helps.

Happy Earth Day, ya'll.

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