Making a List...

Years (and years) ago, my husband and I decided that we would not buy each other anniversary gifts. It was an unnecessary expense, we decided, and a dinner out would be our treat. I have always been fine with that decision, because I really have everything I need. My husband, however, feels the need to break the rule every few years.

As evidence, I have a beautiful pearl ring, a diamond anniversary ring, and a bracelet with sapphires. They all sit in my jewelry box because I don't wear jewelry except for the rare special evening out. My husband maybe thought I wasn't wearing jewelry because I didn't have any.

Well, twenty-three years into our marriage I think the man has finally figured me out. I am a practical woman, and jewelry, as lovely as it is, is not practical. This year, his break-the-rules gift was a perfectly practical, beautiful bench.




And it is so practical that it goes from being a pretty little sit and put your shoes on bench in the front hall, to three leaves added and five little bottoms sitting at the dinner table bench. It's a very nice gift, and even though I broke the rules and bought him a token, he said he was going to take my token back and the bench was for both of us (it was a little more expensive than jewelry).



Anyway, the bench brings me to the reason for this post. After my honey "surprised" me with his break the rules gift, he said he had forgotten that the owners of the shop were Catholic (it's the same little furniture store where I bought my bookcase). They are a nice, local furniture manufacturer with a shop in our uptown. And in their shop they display a crucifix on the wall. It's nice to see a sacramental display of faith in a business, especially in a town that is not a "Catholic town."

And I had just been thinking that I would like to put together a list of Catholic businesses with which I can do more business. There are not many local Catholic businesses, but I do a fair amount of online shopping (mostly because I don't really like shopping) and would love to limit my purchases (especially in light of my new plan to take a closer look at where I spend our money) to Catholic businesses.

I have a few favorites of my own, like the sisters who make caramels, or the Catholic t-shirt guy, but I know I could put an awesome list together, especially for Christmas shopping, with the help of my internet friends.

If you purchase from a Catholic business and you'd like to share, leave the name and web address in the comment box, and tell me, if you'd like, what you buy. You don't have to be specific, but you can give me an idea, like Christmas cars, or music, or books. We may not live in the same small town, but we can make the world a little smaller by building an online Catholic community of our own.

I'll give it a few days and then I'll post what I have, along with my own favorites.




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