Welcome to December, little Christmas package. I totally forgot to take pictures during the Holiday Stroll on Thursday night.  Also known as “Ladies Night”, the stroll took place along Main Street in the historic downtown area of Wakefield.   Harley Chick’s family was arriving from Massachusetts to join in the fun and I was invited to tag along.

I was very happy to do so.  Especially since that meant being reunited with Harley Chick’s “Aunt Pat”, a special friend I hadn’t seen since before Covid.

Here we are in 2017, taking a lunch break after quilt shop hopping.

This time there were seven of us, including Harley Chick’s daughter Jackie and granddaughter Kayla.  Kayla is a lot bigger than when she was joining us at quilt shows and riding in her stroller.

In fact, she’s a freshman in high school.

I feel old.

The Massachusetts cousins were great fun and Hot Rod Russ bought us all ice cream at the Apothecary shop down the street from the Thai restaurant.  I did buy a couple of Christmas gifts at the Purple Cow, plus some Turmeric Cinnamon tea for Banjo Man at a new spa shop.

We haven’t tried it yet.

Next up? The Charlestown Holiday Stroll on Friday night.  This time Banjo Man and friends Barb and Rod joined me, though Banjo Man was grumbling a bit too much.

“How are you supposed to stroll in Charlestown?”

He had a point.  There’s no real Main Street, just the Old Post Road.  No sidewalks or streetlights.  Not that many stores, even.  Maybe two?  But Barbara and I were determined, despite the event being more of a “park and drive” kind of thing.  First stop was a little bakery/cafe serving free muffins and coffee.

Upstairs featured a handful of craft tables and free beer.  The husbands immediately perked up and declared the “Stroll” a great success.  We eventually ended up at the General Stanton Inn for dinner…along with complimentary spiked apple cider and some Italian appetizers.

We came home with sourdough bread and a box of pear muffins.  And one more Christmas gift I bought from a sweet young woman selling her art.

I realized I’d missed this, the shopping for gifts that I could see and touch and admire.  The music.  Helpful store owners.  Pretty lights and decorations galore.  Friends to laugh with.  Small town chatter.

Shopping online has become so ingrained, especially since Covid, but I’d been an online shopper for many years before that.  I’d taken advantage of Black Friday online sales and Cyber Monday discounts after Thanksgiving, as always, but I didn’t know what I was missing until a few days ago.  Hitting “click” with the mouse is just not as much fun as it used to be.

Tomorrow I’m going to another locally-owned gift shop (Simple Pleasures, my favorite store in RI) and browse through the rooms filled with many, many lovely things.  I know I will find something I–or a loved one–can’t live without.

Let’s call it a Mini Stroll!  There will be music and decorations and Christmas spirit galore.

I can’t wait.

The world needs more joy, even in such tiny doses.   And we’ve never needed our small businesses more than now, don’t you think?