Somebody is a birthday boy...

On the occasion of my dear husband I made sure to have lived by my words and bought gifts in places that I recommended in earlier posts:

• Delicious loaf of freshly baked, generously sprinkled with sesame seeds Spelt loaf ($6.50) from nearby True Loaf Bakery.

• This was accompanied a gorgeous book of the symbolist prints of Edvard Munch, used ($20.00) from also nearby Black Squirrel Bookstore.

Supper consisted of goods also locally procured, although I am afraid coming from far away...

My husband often comes a tad late to the table - the privilege of age, his aching body and repute...
Norka (ca 3 years old, female, "locally found") made a dash for a nicely warmed dinner plate, I am serious:

I am a patriot - part II

There was a discussion on the CBC Radio on that very subject.
The issue was simple - would you buy a BlackBerry or and iPhone.

I am a patriot and I use iPhone.
But my shirts are made in 中华人民共和国. (Ch...)
I am a patriot and I vacation in Canada.
And I compost.

"Buy local" corporate gift

Original, useful, local, beautiful, unusual corporate gift ideas:

• Native-made object from the Manitobah Mukluks - an array of hand-made accessories, moccasins, gloves, you name it. If it doesn't fit the person who had received he will give it to his daughter of a neighbour, or maybe it will fit him like glove... It will not end up in a garage.
  Items costing as little as $15.00 to the hundreds. Look: http://store.manitobah.ca/collections/accessories/products/mitt

Disclaimer: I do not work for this company and I do not get paid to advertize, I do not own their product but as soon as I have some disposable funds I may... I would surely like to have their moccasins or winter gloves!!!

• Set of Limited Edition prints by local artists - prints on archival paper, nicely packaged, described, certified and ready for display.
  Cost starting at, say, $120.00 depending on the number of prints and size.
  Link to the proposal coming soon...

Disclaimer: I DO produce such Limited Edition, I make them totally professionally and beautifully.

I am a patriot!

I do appreciate the inexpensiveness of some common goods and I do understand that they mostly come from far away. Perhaps buying some things from Asia is OK because the world is our home too and people in China or India deserve being able to export their products.

However, in more specific cases I always promoted and sought local product and local talent.
In my professional life I emphasized in the contract bidding that my largest graphic display units are made in Canada, right down to Chicoutimi-generated aluminium parts.
I was surprised how little weight this particular this position had - even though the displays were not more expensive than the imports.