Mike’s Handmade Wooden Blocks
We love to make our Christmas gifts by hand. I’ve been busy since September making gifts for family and friends and with 5 days left to go, I’m still sewing, and fusing glass and waking up in the middle of the night wondering if I’ve left anything out.
I can’t help noticing as I shop for Christmas, how many things we use are “made in China,”-from tools to fabric, and everything in between.
Even my feed store, my good old garden center and keep up the small homestead resource, has the labels. We have become very dependent as an economy.
Handmade Home
We worked very hard through the years to teach our family to work with their hands, to be self sufficient.
Cheaper isn’t always better. But how do you get away from it? I know to watch closely in the grocery store, reading the labels. The track record for pet foods and children’s toys coming from China hasn’t been good. I don’t trust them for items we ingest. But how do we deal with the onslaught of material goods and supplies? It’s everywhere-retail and mail order, local hardware and grocery store.
Fused Glass Amber Sink on Copper Pedestal by Mike Dumas Copper Designs
I know that Artisans and Craftsmen are conscientious about our handmade work, that it matters to us to be recognized as not selling out to mass production, touching each product we put out there with our own hands, but what about our tools and supplies?
My goal in the coming year is to wear my glasses each time I shop, and to take more time to read labels more closely- to make long lasting decisions about my purchases, and maybe just to put more things back on the shelf; reconsider my need for the items.
I really do care about supporting our nation’s economy, and keeping my family safe. Buy local doesn’t just mean my neighbor’s goods, but my nation’s future as well.
I know I’m just one person, and I can’t change this “fast- lane” frenzy of a world we live in, but I’d like to know I can make a small difference. I hope to see more labels reading “made in USA” as I set out to be more conscious. I really hope they are out there.
I don’t mean to be scolding or condescending, I know we all need to save a buck, but I just noticed a pretty obvious change in the things I buy. Do you feel the change in our commerce? Does it make any difference to you, or are you OK with the change?
