Hi there, been a while, hasn’t it? Well, here we are again, home from a great vacation and, as every year, scrambling to catch up with the holidays. Hannukah has thrown me for a loop this year, being so early, but luckily my Jewish friends like to embrace the idea of a month of gifts. Mine will be the later ones.

I’m heading out tomorrow to The Vermont Book Shop to get books for my niece (she’s two, so I can write that here without spoiling anything) and I got to thinking about how much shopping I could do locally. I mean REALLY locally, as in Shoreham. So I thought I’d make a list:

Red Sled Farm: Christmas tree

Vermont Trade Winds: Wreaths, maple candies, syrups and pies

Phenomenal Fudge: Fudge, obviously

Whistlepig Whiskey: Straight Rye Whiskey

Toot Sweet Bakery: Cookies, scones and cakes

Shoreham Upholstery: Have something upholstered – maybe an unusual gift, but I don’t know who you shop for, do I?

Platt Memorial Library: Donate to the Friends of the Platt in honor of someone and help a good cause

Joe Bolger: Paintings

Carillon Cruises: Gift certificate for a summer cruise on Lake Champlain

If I wanted to be really late with gifts, rumor has it we’ll have local wine soon (I know, WINE, in SHOREHAM! How lucky are we?!!?)

I think I could even go on from here…certainly if it were summer or fall I could add in the orchards and farms that produce locally. So, lesson to myself, stop, think and plan a little, and I could be done by tomorrow night! Off to the Shoreham Post Office on Wednesday, job done!