My treasured tidbit from last week was opening day at our local open air marketplace.

It’s a cross between a craft fair and a farmer’s market. It’s open from the first weekend in May to the first weekend in October each year. The sights, the smells, the sounds – oh my!!! What a joyful way to spend a fine spring day. The vendors at the market have things one cannot find at the “big box stores”: hand-carved jewelry, furniture from recycled pallets, fused glass jewelry, non-GMO starter plants and seeds for the garden, fresh locally-grown produce, hand-made doll furniture, hand-made soaps and lotions, hand-crocheted baby clothes and kitchen items and the list goes on.

It feels so good knowing that every penny spent supports the local growers, artisans and economy. I encourage everyone to check out your local markets whenever possible – buying local supports your community at its core.