Buy Nothing Day & Other Bits
** We violated the mandate for BND: we bought local pottery during the 16 Hands open-studio weekend, purchasing objects that are both creative and functional as well as locally produced by hand. BND is now celebrated in more than 65 countries full of people who refuse to suffer post-Thanksgiving Galleria.
** It has been nice to have some visitors come from the New River Valley Current section of the Roanoke Times, where Fragments has been the featured blog this week. It was there that I learned of a new local history, self-published by a Christiansburg man. I became interested in C'burg history a few years back when researching the Wilderness Road; both Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone have ties to Christiansburg, which I'm sure is addressed in the book.
** If you see me on the streets (heck, there's only one) of Floyd today, you might notice a limp. The house was still dark when I pulled a button-up flannel shirt from the hallway rack, not realizing that one sleeve was caught behind the very heavy middle panel for the table that we'd tucked out of the way there. I pulled and it came crashing down on my foot. Fortunately, I was wearing my puffy bedroom shoes and the floor under my great toe was cushioned and carpeted. The crash did get the dog thoroughly riled up, though wifey only weakly called from between the covers: "Did you fall down?" and promptly went back to sleep before I could answer.
** I think I have found our way to fame and fortune: we can become a regional source for Pathetic Trees. This is the very tree we find up behind the house every year for Christmas. Now, we find that we could charge $24 a piece for them (I wonder if this cost includes the red glass ball ornament and wire hanger?) We'll be heading up the hillside soon for our Charlie Brown tree. Can we put your name on one of them? (Shipping and handling $49.99, offer void where prohibited by good sense.)
** And finally (for now)...from our Don't Miss the Water Til The Well's Gone Dry department: take a look at some of the zany designs and colors from nature (my choice: the Arctiidae--the Lichen Moths and other favorites.) Page is full of images, takes a while to load, but worth the wait. And remember: we won't be seeing these colorful critters or anything like them now for many months. Feast your eyes, wait for spring.
Comments
Hmmm. I guess that I do a modified BND. I refuse to go to any of *those* stores...and really only buy something if it is absolutely necessary, like the first "chestnuts roasted over an open fire" of the season and hot chocolate to drink whilst we stroll the bricked streets of downtown. (see: http://www.stcharleschristmas.com/ for explanation) I did get a container of rosemary, but it was on the shopping list and I was already downtown and near the Spice Shoppe.
Posted by: Jane | November 26, 2005 9:34 AM
I forgot, Dan'l Boone is a BMOC around these parts, too.
Posted by: Jane | November 26, 2005 9:41 AM
Your pathetic tree comment reminded me...
You met my grandmother, and she seems like a nice little old lady, but read on. One year just before Christmas my grandmother awoke around 3am. She looked out of the bathroom window and noticed headlights down in the meadow where her Christmas trees were planted. Yes, someone was "collecting" her trees in the middle of the night.
By the time the truck made its way back to her pasture gate to exit, there was grandmother standing there with flashlight and a Browning Sweet 16 shotgun. The driver got out of the truck and said, "You know I was going to pay you, Mrs. X." Grandmother replied, "Yes, I know you were." She made the men count the trees and pay her for their take. No, I won't be messing with anyone's trees, especially grandmother's.
BTW - Floyd was the first in the country to offer mail-order Christmas trees.
Posted by: Jim | November 26, 2005 9:58 AM
Ah Fred,
Forget the Charlie Brown pathetic tree. For a real nutso-spending Christmas, visit our neighbors down at Biltmore.com and order a genuine estate grown tree delivered to your door on the day you select. Sucha deal! I love that place, but they seem to think my income is a great deal more than it really is.
Posted by: Ken | November 27, 2005 10:52 AM
Loved the moth picture link. Man I can't believe how many striking moths there are. I've got to start paying more attention up here.
By the way, I'll take one of your pathetic trees. It'll be a deal compared to what they offer here....
http://kiggavik.typepad.com/the_house_other_arctic_mu/2005/09/what_im_going_t.html
Posted by: Clare | November 27, 2005 12:58 PM
The moth link was great. I was astounded by them all. I guess my favorite was the Parthenice tiger moth.
Posted by: Kathy | November 27, 2005 10:09 PM