Made in America Christmas


We did not set out to have a totally Made in America Christmas, so it's not surprising we did not achieve it 100%, but we did come pretty darn close.

A smattering of Made in USA gifts

The picture above is some of the gifts from under our tree, all Made in America. Some of the items we bought for each other but many were given to us by family and friends.  Some are homemade, some were found at a craft fair, and some were bought at major retailers. Some were chosen because they were locally made and some were bought without any thought given to where they came from. To be honest, I didn't know how much was actually Made in America until I had the idea for this blog post and we started checking. Once we were looking we were totally surprised by the variety of goods there were.  Gift cards to local restaurants and stores, books, CD's and magazines. Soap, hand lotion, nail polish, jewelry and wool socks. Even a Tee shirt and Zumba set all Made in America. That's not counting the way cool Montana Wild Designs sign our friends made for Whitney, and the homemade goodies my sister sent.  Oh, and the baby shoes? No, we're not expecting, Whitney just couldn't resist the handmade in Montana, Honey Bee baby booties when she saw them "for our someday kids".
The point is without trying very hard we had a near completely Made in America Christmas, and in the process proved to ourselves it can be done and it's easier than you'd think. Thanks very much to our friends and family who made or purchased Made in America gifts for us this year and thanks to you all out there if you did for your family. Maybe 100% next year?
KJ

All I Want For Christmas

I don’t like to talk about politics. So instead, I’ll just tell you what I want for Christmas.


All I want for Christmas is for people to get along and work together to make our nation and world a better place. I want to see a resolution to the current financial debate in which everybody takes part and pulls their weight. I want to see the American public wake up and stop buying Made in China (Taiwan, Pakistan…) because it’s cheaper. I want to see development of domestic goods so we have good Made in America options. I want to see our country produce what we consume so that we can stop fighting wars over foreign oil interests, and get out of debt to foreign countries. I want it to be easier and cheaper to buy produce from across town than across the globe.

I want an end to political bickering and to see our country’s leaders get along, like you would expect school kids to do. I want to know that despite our ideological or religious differences we can all work together for the common good. I want to see people take responsibility for their actions and quit blaming each other, or the government for their problems. I want to see people admit when they are wrong, and get recognized when they are right.

I want a country where I am free to own the guns of my choice without threat of persecution, but where people who have no business having weapons cannot get them. I want to see people get help when it’s needed so that no person feels forced to violence as a last resort. I want to stop hearing about shootings and stabbings every day. I want to see people set aside their pride and prejudices and recognize when they or a loved one really does need help. I want to see able bodied people working and contributing to society, and meaningful and effective help for the ones that need it.

I want to see honesty and truth prevail. I want to see justice and decency. I want an end to hypocrisy. I want to see cooperation among people, no matter their walk of life. I want people to see that we are in this together. I want us all to be the change we want to see.

Am I asking for too much? Maybe, but its Christmas after all and it never hurt to ask.
KJ





Winter in the Thompson River State Forest