PAINT LICK —
I’m sure that I have done stories similar to this one over the 33 years that I’ve been writing my Points East column, so bear with me.
I’m in a rather affable Christmas mood, just now, and I have decided that this is one of the years that I’m really going to enjoy the season instead of emulating Mr. Scrooge. Part of the reason for my current, amiable state of mind has to do with the fact that I have all my shopping done and paid for without ever having left the house.
I’ve done it all online. And yes, you can and should buy local stuff on the Internet.
For instance, my good friend and hunting/fishing buddy, ever since we ran together at Letcher High 45 years ago, Terry Fields, owns Top Drawer Gallery in Berea, which I consider the best, top-quality, authentic, central Appalachian handcrafts outlet under one roof in the region. You may find more stuff at some other places, but you will seldom find better.
Visit the website, www.topdrawergallery.com. Browse around, hit the contact-us button, then talk to Jerilu (Terry’s wife, and oh so much prettier than the male species of the family).
Jerilu will tell you how to have it sent to your door or to your daughter in Texas in plenty time for Christmas, and she’ll also tell you about hundreds of other items not shown on the site.
The point is, you ought to try an Internet search on any retail outlet in your community or any other place, for that matter.
A good place to start would be the chamber of commerce or retail stores in name that town.
Be prepared to be amazed.
On line shopping is doubly attractive to me.
In the first place, I absolutely hate standing in line, elbowing my way through crowded aisles, never being able to find someone to tell me where something is, body odor and forgetting where I parked.
Invariably, if I am in a long line and finally get up almost to the front, an argument will start between a customer and the check-out clerk over whether a pair of pantyhose is $3.29 or $3.49, and this can go on for like five minutes before the clerk says she’s gonna have to call a manager.
I have, on more than one occasion, tossed a dollar to the clerk and told her to let me pay the difference if she will just get this lady out of the way so that I can check out before the end of the decade. It works.
Of course the second reason I find online shopping so appealing has to do with the physical limitations that Mr. Parkinson and a stroke have laid on me.
I couldn’t fight store traffic now if I wanted to. But, I can still wobble to the door when the UPS lady or the mailman honk to get my attention to take delivery of my online purchases.
What could be simpler and more expedient than that?
I suppose the drivers could come in, help me open the packages, inspect the goods and take back anything that was damaged. But so far, everything I’ve ordered has been in perfect condition and I’ve made roughly 25 purchases.
Poor Loretta has made just one online purchase, and it has been a total disaster.
She ordered a big name-brand, state-of-the-art, computerized, slow-cooker from one of the oldest and best known retailers in the world and put it on her credit card.
Two days later she met the UPS lady at the door. The package was addressed to her. It was from Sears, but Lo took one glance and knew it couldn’t possibly be the item she had ordered. It was way too small. The UPS lady said she could send it back, and that’s what she did.
But here’s betting that this incident will not be satisfactorily resolved until well after Christmas.
And here’s knowing that my sweet wife will be driving many, many miles and standing in line for many, many hours over the next three weeks.
Not me. I’ll be at home curled up with a good book because I’ve already done all my shopping and never once lost my temper.
Farewell Kristiana
My cousin, Kristiana Banks, in Letcher County, for whom so many readers have been praying and sending cards, went to be with the Lord very early Thursday morning.
Readers may rest assured that the hugeoutpouring of wellwishes they sent to her were received with joy and delight.
Kristina worsened late Wednesday night and was placed on a ventilator. She left this life a short time later.
Please pray now for her family, especially her parents, Ronnie and Fanny Banks, who never gave up hope until there was nothing left for which to hope.
Your cards and letters to Kristiana will always be a comfort to them, as they were to this sweet young woman.
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