Journal Entries

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Still at the Market


It’s called The Day After Tomorrow. Doesn’t matter what time of year, the code word for Holiday Market is The Day After Tomorrow. That’s because the time span in between the Saturday Market moving from the Park blocks to inside the fairground feels like it gets shorter every year. In fact, during load-in, the vendors all look around and comment to each other, weren’t we just here? Hence, even in June, the Holiday Market feels like it’s The Day After Tomorrow.






Every year, it all starts very early on a day in November (photo #1). Three hundred and twelve vendors drag in their booth parts and turn the exhibition hall into 37,000 square feet of magic (photo #2).

But before we can construct our mini store fronts in the village, Kimmmm must do the math, dividing 37,000 square feet into 312 eight-feet wide by eight-feet deep spaces and marking each one with a number on masking tape on the floor. I look forward each load-in day to see what sweet little message she leaves on mine (photo #3). Can’t read it? Well, simply double-click on any photo to enlarge and then hit the back button to return to the blog.

And speaking of Kimmm, I snapped photo #4 of her. Turns out the photo she was taking was of me in a mirror and I had no idea in that moment. Haven’t seen it yet, but it would be a perfect fit here.

Kimmm’s husband, Dean Still, is featured this week in The New Yorker magazine dated December 21 and 28, 2009. It starts on page 84 and is titled Hearth Surgery - the quest for a stove that can save the world written by Burkhard Bilger. It’s about the wonderful work the Aprovecho Research Center in Cottage Grove is doing worldwide. I mentioned Aprovecho in an earlier entry this summer when Dean and Kimmmm went to London to receive the Ashden Award from Prince Charles.











Transitioning from Dean and his philanthropic work back to the Market, it may not be the turf war of the Jets and the Sharks, but in our version of Westside Story, we have the Fridas running amok in the main auditorium and the Barbies ruling Holiday Hall (Photos 6-9).









I’m sure you’re getting the impression we’re all flying our freak flags just a little, but the Holiday Market is a fantastic place to people watch (if you’ve been enlarging, you’ll notice that the eyeball is on someone’s coat) and see local color, such as our resident Dr. Seussian character (photo #12). You can read the joy on these faces, whether it’s on a baby reaching for a rainbow, a half-pint Buccaneer giving me a hearty “aaaargh,” or a grown-up elf.


























The Holiday Market sells natural hemp products, woven clothing, handmade soaps, candles and chocolates, turned wood, whimsical stamp jewelry and many, many other crafted items under one roof with a delectable food court and local musicians.


While all beliefs are welcome, it looks like we have testifying that He’s got the Whole World in His Hands.











By the end of Christmas Eve, I might be a little tired, but not too exhausted to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Much love.


3 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas to you too!

    All my Love. Hope to see you soon.

    ReplyDelete
  2. P.S. WOW! WOW! WOW! You covered all 52 weeks with this fantastic blog and I think I may be it's most dedicated and grateful fan. I was so excited last week when it was posted BEFORE I went to work! I look forward to Wednesdays for my blog fix. It is the ONLY blog I keep up with in this anticipatory way. I have enjoyed them all and thank you for writing them. I hope you plan to continue. Thanks again, it has been a delightful read each week.

    ReplyDelete
  3. At long last I am getting caught up on my blog! Here's that photo of you taking a picture of me taking a picture of you...

    http://doublexplosure.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/122009-518-pm

    ReplyDelete