Creating New Holiday Traditions

BY KAREN COOPER

As creatures of habit, we find contentment in the repetition of traditions. Having something to look forward to offers us a sense of calm or excitement. As families grow older, things once counted on may begin to change. Traditional gatherings at holiday time may become less frequent or disappear altogether. There may be the loss of those you love, and family dynamics may change due to aging relatives, kids moving away or other circumstances that affect the holiday traditions you’ve always counted on. Losing these traditions can be hard, no doubt about it. For this reason, it’s important to hold tight to those you love and create new customs that may ultimately become new traditions. Think of wonderful ways to create new, lasting memories this holiday season and traditions you can look forward to for years to come. HERE ARE SOME IDEAS….

Give Back

Decide how you would like to donate this holiday season and find a church or organization that accepts that type of donation. There are angel trees, toy donation boxes, family-in-need sponsorships, food banks and more. If you search for a way to help others enjoy the holidays more, you will find it. And in doing so, you and your family will enjoy the season more, as well.

A Night In With Good Friends

Make hot cocoa with marshmallows, build a fire, and make s’mores, have everyone wear their favorite holiday PJs, play holiday songs and if you’re really feeling adventurous…let the kids bring their sleeping bags and camp out in the living room. Most of all, have a warm, wonderful time!

Plan a Special Holiday Meal

Make an elaborate charcuterie board with something for everyone, plan a meal to celebrate your family’s heritage, or cook everyone’s favorite foods all at once for one amazing, long, leisurely holiday meal that everyone will always remember. Put your creative touches on this special holiday meal idea and watch it be amazing!

See the Holiday Lights

Bundle up and pile into the car. Get in line early! Drive through a nearby, magnificent lights display or just drive through the neighborhoods, admiring the houses covered in holiday lights. Share the magic with the ones you love most.

Hang an Annual Ornament or Two

Purchase or let guests bring an ornament each year. You’ll be able to remember the years gone by when looking at the ornaments, and the tree will be filled with special heirlooms that can be passed on to your kids for their holiday trees.

Make it a Contest

There’s nothing like a little competition to bring people together. Whether it’s gingerbread house building, turkey drawing or a scavenger hunt…get competitive and make memories with your holiday guests!

Get Puzzled

Start a holiday puzzle together at the beginning of the season and work on it a little bit at a time to relax and rejuvenate through all the hustle and bustle.

Say what you’re Thankful for

Give everyone a note card and pen and have each person write down what he or she is thankful for, then drop all cards into a jar. At the end of the holiday meal, read the cards out loud around the table and try to guess who wrote each one.

Pick out your Tree

Choosing and decorating a tree for the holidays is a most treasured tradition. Take a trip to a tree farm to find just the right one for your home. Stop for hot chocolate along the way and make it a day to remember for your family.

Snap a Family Picture

Starting this year, find a great spot and take a picture of the family. In a few years, when you have a stack of treasured photos commemorating your family’s holidays, this will be one of the things you’re truly thankful for! You might set up an appointment and have a professional take a photo, or round everyone up and snap some less formal shots when everyone is together…either way, this will be a tradition you’ll be glad you started!

Life as a Farmer’s

Market Vendor

The Learning Curve

As presentation leads to the goal of sales, vendors invest in every aspect of their space. From the tent to the table to the signs is just one part. It’s more than the seeds and pots, fertilizers, trays, or five-to-ten bulk-rate, quality ingredients, containers with lids, and eye-catching labels; each product requires a financial decision. Short-cuts do not win return customers. The small-business vendor sits weekly in chilly to unbearably humid conditions, because of an unwavering belief in his or her products. When sales are made, it confirms the reason a vendor has accrued innumerable hours in a potting shed, greenhouse, garden, kitchen, living room, or in planning online for the future, another season, or expanding options, while reaching for the goal to improve someone’s day, health, or happiness.

Interacting with the Public

Sitting and awaiting an exchange comes naturally to a young child or adult in the form of a smile, wave, or raised arm. Curiosity brings a wide range of ages into my tent. All it takes is a humorous line like “Honey, it’s a sticky business” or “Soap-making isn’t exactly a clean endeavor,” to initiate a conversation, or at least, prompt a smile. I can recall a young boy, age five, who said with bright, wide eyes, “I love plants,” as his parents kept walking. Before he ran off, I whispered, “Me, too!” More than just an exchange of greetings, I love meeting people with a like-minded interest in beekeeping, gardening, or natural products. For those who linger, engaged, it’s tempting to ask, “Do you have time to sit down and talk?” Markets are mutually beneficial for exchanging ideas and learning about successful techniques, applications, best practices, and horror stories. As a result of Saturday’s interaction, the confirmation of this fact arrives in a phone call, text, e-mail, or customer return!

Setting and Packing Up

Arranged meticulously in my SUV are tables, a 12x12 tent, platforms, chalkboard signs of various sizes, numerous heavy, snappable containers, and sometimes coolers. Along with employment, a child at school, house responsibilities, and pets, the endeavor consumes hours of time ordering the ideal items and making the product.

• Soap, for instance, takes under two hours to make and four to six weeks to cure.

• Most salves and balms require two batches to ensure a solidified outcome.

• Inflation, or the lack of obtaining a product, drives the price up. Many vendors drive a great distance to save on hefty shipping costs.

BY LISA S.T. DOSS

From the outside, a farmer’s market is an appealing attraction, combining colors, wording, and an accurate display to showcase a vendor’s goods. You’ll find a tent, covered tables, a banner, baskets, and bags in an array of materials and colors, and some items presented on an elevated platform. The woman or couple standing behind the table appear enterprising, by selling homegrown, farm-raised, artistic, or handmade products as a business opportunity; yet, there’s plenty more behind the scenes!

Getting Started

More than 12 years ago, my husband and I dreamed of our property turning a profit one day. We planted an orchard, over 50 blueberry bushes, 30 grapes comprising three varieties, and had a daily supply of protein-enriched, multi-colored eggs. The garden produced fruits and vegetables across two and sometimes three seasons, while my husband canned. Since then, we’ve fed the wildlife hundreds of pounds of food. And our dreams continue to expand, now including an apiary, greenhouse, greater varieties of fruit trees, and a more extensive garden. With available plants, produce, fruit, fresh eggs, and jars of honey with and without the comb, I finally felt ready to embark on a new chapter, and tossed my hat into the ring in the role of a vendor.

Day One

A ten-minute drive offered the opportunity to sell my items locally at an established market. The school year had ended; recitals and sports seasons concluded. It was a Saturday morning in late May; I rose at 6:30 AM, intending to arrive by 9 AM with my table, honey products, produce, plants, lockbox, lunch, and bottle of water. The idea of taking 2.5 hours to arrive sounded possible, but, in reality, preparation required many hands and specific jobs. My husband and daughter joined me to pick vegetables and fruits, wash, pat dry, and place in large-to-small stainless-steel bowls. With pricing finalized, I arrived last at 10:30 AM. I was welcomed with smiles and introductions by the local men and women, who also saw the market as a chance to produce a worthy product and reap the rewards of a side-income. Think of your favorite farmer’s market vendors this holiday season! They’ll provide great deals for multiple items, while offering unique packaging. Reach out today!

Howdy Neighbor Navigating Neighbor Relationships

BY GENEVIEVE CONDON

Opening my front door ever so slightly, I glance around, seeing if anyone is outside.

The coast is clear.

I run to my mailbox, my hair bouncing precariously at the top of my head, my shoeless feet hitting the hot pavement.

“Howdy, neighbor!”

Cringing at the words, I put a smile on my face (my teeth that have yet to be brushed making their lovely appearance)

“Hey! Good Morning!”

I hope they don’t see how disheveled I look. Or notice that I haven’t even brushed my hair. Or teeth. Wait, am I wearing pants?!

They move closer and panic sets in.

This is it. I am going to be the talk of the neighborhood.

I’ve struggled with being a good neighbor. Heck, my whole family has. Coming from up north, friendly neighbors don’t happen too often, and most people keep to themselves. I lived in the same place for three years and only laid eyes on my neighbors twice, and the interactions didn’t leave me feeling warm and fuzzy by any means. Here, everyone is friendly, waves, chit-chats about various things. It’s warm. Welcoming. Family orientated.

When we bought our home, we were welcomed with a plant and a few knocks at the door, where I promptly yelled through the house at the dog who was attacking the door, not knowing who was there to greet us. Not exactly the first impression I had hoped for. But it was authentic and chaotic—just like some days are.

But now that we have settled in, the neighbors are used to seeing me not looking my best (there are no lovely, pressed dresses as I sit on my porch drinking freshly squeezed lemonade). It’s usually in leisure wear trying to keep my kiddo calm as he has a meltdown about something, while answering work e-mails and calls, and waving to the Grubhub driver who is delivering pizza for the third time that week. And there’s my husband, mowing the lawn in his sleeveless shirts that he made himself, really trying to embrace the country look. The beautiful thing is, it doesn’t matter what we look like when they see us, what time of day it is or what they are doing, they always stop, say “Hi” and ask how we are and if we need anything.

Their kindness and understanding are not lost on this city girl who is learning to slow down and appreciate the little things in life, like a front porch to people-watch, a friendly conversation with neighbors and a walk down the street with people who will come out to greet you. Nothing beats feeling safe, welcomed, and wanted in a home and neighborhood that you hope you will be in for a long time. One neighbor on the street has been in the home since she was four, it having been passed down to her and her family that she raised. Now, she gets to see her grandkids play in the same yard she once did. It’s just she and her husband now but the beauty in that story and longevity makes me want to be a better neighbor. To be more welcoming. To be more…well…neighborly.

There are still times I get self-conscious and look both ways before I exit the house, but those days are becoming less and less frequent. Sometimes I even catch myself looking for someone outside to say hello to and to check in.

From now on, I won’t hide in my house or run quickly to get the mail. I’ll take my time and give a loud “Howdy, neighbor!” before they do, because nothing beats a good neighbor and a great environment to settle down in and put down roots. I’ll always be a city girl, but this life, having friendly neighbors and engaging in relationships—it’s worth the effort!

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