A Parade, A Tradition, A Community
I know everybody says "Jesus is the Reason for the Season," especially in this little country town. And don’t get me wrong; I love the baby Jesus. But for me there’s a little more to the story. For me a powerful reason for the season is
the town itself, the home that holds and supports little families, neighborhoods, friend groups, classes full of teachers and students, work teams, hospital staff, small businesses, bars, restaurants, grocery stores: in other words various social hubs, the places where we find ourselves most part of community.
Since I believe in love and togetherness I think community is the reason for the season.
And so I enjoy taking the girls down to the traditional Christmas parade in Placerville immensely. This year, maybe because our Festival of Lights the night after Thanksgiving was rained out and had a pretty pathetic turn-out, the parade seemed more busy than ever. Then again, every year it seems busier than ever. I'm tempted to think that's because, in these distracted and often-isolated times, with our faces behind screens way too much of the time, we crave it. It feels good and even necessary to get out into a real community. To go to an event where you don't even shell out one ha'penny, and everyone is smiling and waving and greeting each other merrily, and every. single. organization of the town represents itself, merrily rumbling past.
One plus in 2018 is that it is actually fun to walk with my girls to town now. We have a pretty long stretch of road to traverse before the sidewalk starts, which can be scary without a stroller, but they're finally cognizant enough to be careful, to enjoy the walk and not complain, and to know when they have to hold my hand. At first as we headed down our hill, Polly slipped about fifty times in her cowboy boots, but once her knees were duly scraped up, she held my hand tightly so I could support her. Both girls also brought dolls in their backpacks this year.
Beautiful friends that I am so lucky to call community.
Our parade is full of old-timey goodness and that's what I love best.
The girls got to meet Madeline!
Of course the Grinch makes several appearances, which is fine by us. The Grinch hype this year could almost be annoying to true vintage aficionados like ourselves, not to brag or anything ;) but we have hope that the actual message takes hold. Fah who foraze!
Lucy got so excited when she saw the schoolbus and her school mascot, Sparky the Dragon, coming down the road.
Sparky love!
Polly's favorites of late are the Shetland ponies. Darin and I are pretty smitten with them too. We want to own one someday.
Most ingenius merging of seemingly disparate interests: Christianity and Four Wheeling.
"On Christ the Solid Rock We Crawl."
Parade cousin love!
Somebody gave Scouty an American flag to proudly wave.
While still others kept randomly filling Joey's hands with candy, like huge handfuls at a time!
It's so fun to meet up with the family downtown. This year we hung out in front of Addie's shop. I had a swollen cheek from a tooth extraction Friday afternoon, so I couldn't smile as big as my heart felt. But I still had fun and tried not to be embarrassed about how weird my face looked!
Nana was the only one who could get Polly to smile for the camera.
Love my beautiful elves beyond all the treasures of this world.
We visited with Addie a little while in her shop, and Tootie tried on this gorgeous Mermaid crown made of sea glass.
I recently read an article in our local paper about the importance of supporting small local businesses during the holidays. The columnist happens to own a popular restaurant and bar in El Dorado Hills called Milestone, which is right next door to the lovely bookstore there, Face in a Book, where he witnesses a woman ask for help with titles popular for teenagers, and then proceed to order them all on Amazon where she could get the paperbacks for a couple bucks less.
He writes:
"I’m sad that I cannot remember the days when a general store, the butcher, your jewelry store, a cobbler, your banker and the like serviced a community. Providing the thin but robust threads that would knit together the Main Street where we live. Healthy communities have been replaced by chains and big boxes where people drive down the street looking at their phones and shopping for better deals as they consume more and more stuff. Main Streets have been replaced by freeway interchanges and folks make weekend vacations to small mountain towns where they can visit small boutique operations."
He goes on to mention that the seemingly small act of using these businesses for ideas and inspiration and then turning to big online sources for actual purchases ultimately contributes to the folding of said small businesses over time, and something so vital is lost in this transaction: the warmth and real life experience that we find on our Main Streets and in our local communities.
"As our economy booms and our homes flourish it is wise for us all to remember that the entrepreneurial spirit of these businesses enrich our lives directly and indirectly. They supply first-hand expertise. They feature various versions of “the American dream” for the next generation to aspire toward. They offer a unique perspective and respite from the cattle-like nature of our growing American consumerism. They supply hospitality, warmth and a local connection that no chain or corporation can ever supply, no matter how hard they try."
I hope to live in a world where a downtown like ours in Placerville continues to flourish for generations! And I'll meet up with my own grandkids every year at the Christmas parade.
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