64 days of gratitude on the wall...

on you mark...

i have

been

thankfully

busily preparing

it's the holiday season

just beginning

to understand

the holiday rush

six months ago

newly layed-off

i never

would have imagined

people would

come to me

for my work

on a break

i dropped in to the

local

florist

for a birthday bouquet

and got the

most exqusite arrangement

beautiful simple modern vase

purple ornamental cabbage

giant lilies

berries

ranunculus

for a song

when i asked

why?

the proprietess

who opened her shop

a few months ago

giving wings to her dream

said

nobody's buying

my heart sank

and

ever since

i have not been able

to get her

out of my mind

the present attention

to my work

so very much due

to the support

of neighbors

both of the stores

carrying my art

pointed toward me by

neighbors

this day before

the true

holiday rush begins

i want to pose to you

a challenge

get set...

this year

instead of finding gifts

online

or at target

or walmart

find your local craft market

or the independent store

still family owned

buy there

shop online

then find your

local supplier

buy there

shop on etsy

find a hundred things you love

that'll be easy!

then edit your list down

to the artists who

live down the way

buy from your

neighbor

get you

veggies

at the

farmer's market

they say

every dollar spent

locally

circulates

seven more times

before leaving the neighborhood

keeping

local people employed

would

loosen the

stranglehold

this recession has on the

nation

how joyful

or peaceful

will the holiday be

when you step out

to see

the family-owned

market

pharmacy

printer's

has closed?

what kind of

holiday

will it be if

i step out

and see a

for rent

sign on the florist shop window?

spend your

hard earned money

locally

it will come back to you

i promise

it may save

the roof

over your head

tomorrow

as you sit down to sup

with family

tell them to

try

post about it

or

share this post

we all know someone

who has

closed a business

lost a job

lost a home

reign in

your resources

support your neighbors

and

better your own chances

at continuing to live

with the

luxuries with which we

are blessed

you up for the

challenge?

put on you running shoes

get in a good

pre-game stretch

and

go!