Each and every holiday this wonderful hedge dragon lights up to share the joy! It is across the street from the Moore Branch of the Tacoma Public Library (215 S 56th Ave Tacoma, WA 98408). I truly admire folks that go all out for the holidays! This holiday ledge dragon even has a Rudolph red nose! 🙂
When Santa needs a break I’m sure he heads to the Aloha Oasis Hawaiian Store at 3011 Sixth Avenue, Tacoma. I stopped into after being stuck in the house for two days with a rotten cold. The store isn’t huge, but it is filled to the brim with all things Hawaiian including Hawaiian shirts, Christmas tree ornaments, candy, lotions, beach towels, bags, leis and trinkets. I left with chocolate covered macadamia nuts, dear husband’s favorite. The business has been going for nine years which is a great success in today’s economy!
St. Leo’s at 1323 Yakima Ave., Tacoma, is having their annual Fair Trade Market this weekend (Friday 4-7pm, Saturday Nov 17, 1-7pm and Sunday Nov 18, 9am-2pm). There were plenty of vendors, both Fair Trade and local folks. The building was constructed in 1912 and the architect was C. Frank Mahon. I remember when we first moved to Tacoma, I would attend Tacoma Actor’s Guild plays in the theater here. I admire the social justice program and food bank at St. Leo’s
When I heard that Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium was featuring a scuba diving Santa on select days, I knew that we had to go! So, despite the fairly heavy rain, yesterday dear daughter, her dear friend and I went off to the zoo. It was really great! The rain mostly stopped and it was pretty temperate. I thought parking would be a snap, but the lot was almost full. Must be the pull of Scuba Santa! There was a short wait to see Santa, but when we got in we had a pretty good view and didn’t feel rushed. Everybody was having fun and the kids really got a kick out of it!
It’s that time of year and we spent more time then normal deciding on our tree. Did we want to go to a lot and if so which lot? Or a you cut farm? While I was up in the air, my husband called it – a You Cut called No-El Tree Farm. We had gone to a couple of years again. It is a family run farm in South Pierce County.
I stopped at Fred Meyers at 4504 South 19th Street, Tacoma for some carpet cleaning fluid that they sell. I was naively surprised to find an entire row of Christmas merchandise! Well, OK then.
The link for Zoolights is
http://www.pdza.org/page.php?id=435
And the link for the zoo is http://www.pdza.org/
I’d write more, but I want to go watch the eclipse!
Today dear daughter and I went to the Fair Trade Christmas Market at Bethany Presbyterian Church. The church has done this every year for a long time. The subtitle the event “a different way to Christmas shop”.
The Fair Trade Christmas Market Vendor List includes:
Church World Service – shares, miscellaneous goods
Dough for Doe [funds fight local domestic violence] – cookie dough
El Guetzal [Guatemala] – shirts, scarves, hats, bags
Fish Food Bank [help feed the local hungry] – (shares)
Grass Roots Uganda – inexpensive beaded jewelry & bags
Heifer [world wide] – give a hand up through living gifts
Hfj Community Services
Jubilee Traders [Nepal & India] – jewelry, tablecloths & runners, purses
Kilimanjaro [Kenya] – baskets, jewelry, pictures, musical rhythm instruments
L’arche Farm and Gardens [local community for developmentally disabled adults]– wreaths & cards from handmade paper
Nativity House [local homeless] – (shares)
Rwanda baskets
Serrv – fair trade products from 36 countries
Suradi Imports [Indonesia] – toys
Un Solo Pueblo – [Ecuador] – woolen caps, sweaters, scarves & purses
Zimbabwe Artists Project – art
If you are interested on being on their mailing list for next year, go to their website and email them your information.
http://bethanytacoma.org/default.aspx
Today’s new place of the day is the “JuNkTaStIc SuNdAyS” Market, which is held on Sundays through December 19th from 9am — 4pm. The market is located at the Studio 6 Ballroom, 2608 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA, 98406. There were plenty of interesting vendors and the owner told me that they switch out regularly, keeping the stock of available goods fresh. We were enchanted by the vendor selling Hex Bugs, delightful mini robots! We picked up two as stocking stuffers and a larger one as a holiday present. I need to go back after payday to pick up some of the fun jewelry!
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=103801409691637
Originally uploaded by Gexydaf
Dear daughter and I were tired of being stuck in the house and I offered her lunch out. She wanted to go to Panera Bread and while I prefer the Lakewood Panera Bread, the Tacoma Mall was closer and the roads still aren’t all that great. I’ve already used the Tacoma Panera Bread as a new place of the day, so I thought I’d venture into the Tacoma Mall a bit and use that. The mall is setting up for the holidays with a spot for Santa (see photo).
Instead of going back to the mall, I plan to shop at the Gritty City Gift Fair!
http://www.cityartsmagazine.com/blog/2010/11/gritty-city-gift-fair-relief-mall-shopping
