The Happy Hippie Tree

Phee-yoo! I just got back from a serious shopping trip, the majority of which was done at the Unitarian Church Christmas fair in Cambridge. A word to the wise: When it comes to holiday shopping, you just cannot beat those Unitarians. Not only do the often have great white elephant sales and tables of interesting used books, they have wonderful handmade, reasonably-priced gifts. And since this is Cambridge, where the even the blood of the bleeding heart liberals bleeds, there were tables of gifts you could buy that were made by various and sundry disadvantaged folks.

Hence my HHT. The first hippie thing about it would be that I got it for free from a friend who has a real tree. It's a tabletop, maybe two feet high, and it's fake, but again, is essentially recycled. It came with lights. And now it has:

1. One palm garland woven by a craft society of women in India, who gain financial freedom and emotional support from making them.

2. One origami Santa folded by a fourth grader from a Cambridge public school that is right up the street from a housing project.

3. One stamped muslin bag of balsam fir made by members of a local day program for adults with developmental disabilities.

4. One painted tin ornament purchased from a Haiti-based convent, made by a Haitian, in support of disadvantaged Haitians.

I also donated 25 dollars to a handicapped dog rescue society, for my little brother, who's also getting some shaving products whose proceeds went to AIDS research. The woman who took my check was so overjoyed that I went back and looked at my carbon because I was worried I'd accidentally donated 2500 dollars instead. I mean, she shrieked.

I also got a wreath for 10 dollars and was accosted by several other wacky well-meaning Unitarians with gifts in support of this or that cause. My, they are a persistent lot!