I am not the kind of person who makes New Year’s resolutions; instead I hope I can live up to my ideals every day without making a formal commitment to them.
One commitment I have been able to stick to since coming to Portland is to patronize local businesses whenever possible. I will admit to an occasional stop at a national retailer (Whole Foods comes to mind) or a traditional mall, but most of my shopping is done at locally owned groceries (New Seasons and the Portland Farmers Market get most of my food dollars), bookstores (Powell’s and Annie Bloom’s Books are my two current local favorites) and knitting stores (Knit Purl, Northwest Wools and Twisted are a few of the places I like here).
In addition to these places, I have really enjoyed exploring the many eclectic Portland shops that feature local products or handmade goods. One store that I have fallen in love with is The Meadow on North Mississippi Avenue.
This tiny (really tiny) shop features all kinds of wonderful treats for eaters and cooks. The first thing you might notice when you arrive (if you can focus on any one thing) are the floor to ceiling shelves packed with salts (and a few select other spices).
Once inside you will find a similar set of shelves stocked with chocolate from around the world,
a table crowded with local flowers ready to be arranged in one of the perfect vases displayed behind the counter, a small but carefully chosen collection of wines and a selection of local and imported bitters, perfect for augmenting that fancy cocktail or flavoring your San Pellegrino.
If you are in the mood for something more permanent, maybe a salt or pepper mill will fill the bill.
Places like this make shopping locally easy and fun.
knitting a life 