Once upon a time in a small city on the coast, a community struggled to make sense of all that was happening in their land and the lands beyond. The banks were threatening to repossess the Gingerbread House. The House That Jack Built had been on the market for over 365 days without an offer. The stock market had such a great fall that, even though there was a new President, no matter how hard they tried, all the King’s horses and all the King’s men were having a difficult time putting the economy back together again. The Ten O’clock Scholars showed up at quitting time, and couldn’t agree on neither cause nor solution.
Townspeople were frustrated at the news that, while things were so terrible for most, those who seemed to have caused the problems were still in their counting houses counting out their money. They decided to take matters into their own hands and do what they knew would help – shop. Shop locally. So, Wee Willie Winkle ran through the town asking all citizens to begin spending their sixpence at local businesses. It started slowly at first. The Dish and the Spoon began eating out again. Jack and Jill began fetching a latte as part of their morning routine. Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet at the local bookstore and ended up buying the entire Harry Potter series. All five Little Piggys went to market for some roast beef. Soon, the idea picked up steam like The Little Engine That Could. Little Boy Blue decided to invest in a brand new bedroom suite. Goldilocks bought a car from one of the “Big Three” Bear’s dealerships. The Three Little Pigs bought a home from B.B. Wolf Realty. The Man in the Moon saw from afar what was happening, and he spread the word over the river and through the woods. All over the country people began shopping again. So began their long journey toward happily ever after.
This month, to do our part to help put the local economy together again, we will be tasting wines from two local wineries – Sanctuary Vineyards and Martin Vineyards, both located on Knotts Island. Our Guest Pourers this month will be Susan Hinkle, Julie Papineau, and Amy Alcerer from Page After Page Bookstore.
