Community Christmas

I’m thinking about the season, and the ways we draw near to each other. Cups of tea shared, pots of soup for the table, sweets in the hot oven laced with warming spices. I love coming in from a walk in the frosty almond orchards, and throwing logs in the fireplace at my girlfriend’s house. I love snuggling up to read books under a blanket on the couch while potatoes slowly crisp golden under an herb encrusted roasting chicken with sage leaves from the garden.

Mornings spent drawing snowmen with my son, and doing coloring pages of cocoa cups. I love watching the Modesto Symphony play Christmas songs a few blocks away from home, and having dinner out at our local Pho restaurant for giant steaming bowls of broth.

We enjoyed driving up to Indegeny cidery to taste all the seasonal ciders, walking the apple orchards with views of the mountains, and heading into Sonora’s historical downtown to shop for some gifts at the local toy shop. We’ll ice skate at the downtown rink, bake gingerbread cookies, admire the victorian holiday decor at McHenry Mansion, and get old world ornaments at the museum store. We’ll borrow wintery movies on dvd and themed picture books at the library, and enjoy the beautiful winter window paintings and garlands at Penny University with a spiced hot chocolate.

For us it’s not an opulent holiday full of many new gadgets and trinkets, but I do notice that it’s a celebration of the local institutions that brings us so much joy and togetherness. Remembering your local businesses and shopping them first isn’t just the obviously altruistic option.

The support you show local businesses (like mine!) affords real hard working families the simple pleasures of the season. I appreciate you signing up for January bread, and giving it as a gift! January is a notoriously tough time for tiny businesses as budgets contract after the holidays and cold weather shrinks foot traffic. Making your local spots part of your holiday spending can mean the difference in keeping them around for another year, and keeping our communities thriving and unique.