Autumn Leaves, Pumpkin Pie, and … Shopping

Today is one of those clear, sunny, fresh autumn days that I love so much. The sunlight falling on the trees makes them glow-- red-orange maples, burgundy redbuds, and yellow poplars. My garden looks in disarray after a busy summer, with the rose bush climbing over the fence into the neighbor’s yard, the mums falling all over themselves in a profusion of blooms, and the unwatched grasses that snuck back in to form a green carpet under all.

Today is Thanksgiving Day, and despite a hectic summer and fall, I have a lot to be thankful for. We survived a move to a smaller home, my youngest son has settled into life in a new school, our house has finally sold after months on the market. We are all healthy and our bills are paid.

It has been a busy autumn at StillMadeinUSA.com as well! Newspaper stories, including a story in the New York Times, and a guest spot on NPR’s On Point helped spread the word about StillMadeinUSA.com to new audiences. The number of visitors to the site continues to grow, and I have received hundreds of suggestions for companies or products to check out and list.

The recent toy recalls have been an alarming wake-up call for many parents, and shoppers searching for “toys made in USA” have been burning up my bandwidth! I hope the interest in American-made toys will spill over into other product categories and that shoppers will rediscover the many wonderful things that are still made in USA.

As in past years, I have posted a Virtual Holiday Catalog to get you started, but please don’t shop today! I hate the idea the Thanksgiving is just “the start of the holiday shopping season.” Enjoy the day for itself, take a deep breath, eat some turkey and stuffing, and share a glass of wine with family and friends, save room for the pumpkin pie. Be thankful for what you have, and think of a small thing that you can do to make someone else’s life happier.

Stephanie, Webmaster
StillMadeinUSA.com