Yesterday was my allotted day to visit the local businesses up and down US 29 in Ruckersville and ask them to post flyers for the Woman’s Club of Greene’s annual “Helping Hands” Holiday Craft Bazaar. As I left the house I was a little uneasy about the task because I really hate to ask for favors but the WCOG Scholarship Fund is a cause dear to my heart and the bazaar is our main venue to raise funds, so I didn’t have a choice.
My first stop was at “29 Consign”. When I arrived Cassandra, the owner was busy with a customer so I browsed around the shop until she was free. In those few short minutes I found a really nice suede jacket and a couple of prints that will look great in my bathroom. Having items to purchase, I didn’t feel too badly about asking her to post my flyer but I know she would have been happy to do so without my buying anything. We had a nice conversation about life in general and it occurred to me that for the most part, the people I would be meeting on my planned circuit were already friends and acquaintances and it wouldn’t really be such a chore to ask for a favor after all.
From Cassandra’s shop I continued on to the Holiday Inn, Lord Hardwicks, and then Fabio’s where I Elena greeted me when I walked in. Elena is one of my registered vendors for the bazaar. She happily took two flyers and put them where anyone coming or going would be sure to see them. I was really tempted to pick up a slice of pizza while I was there; it smelled so good, but in the end decided to “save the points” and when scurried out the door with a quick goodbye when a customer came in.
I bought a couple of pounds of local Rome apples and a pint of honey at the Corner Store when I dropped off my flyer. Romes are among my favorite kind of apple. They aren’t easy to find and don’t keep well, so when I can get a couple of them fresh picked, it is heaven. At my next stop, the Dutch Pantry, I found some gluten-free muesli, hand-made egg noodles and some homemade caramels. I also scoped out all the different kinds of flavorings and spices to tuck in the back of my mind for my holiday baking shopping.
Down the road at the Woolylam, I was surprised to find another one of my vendors, Mary sitting at the desk. She was more than happy to help promote our event. I never seem to have the time to really look around the Woolylam, with its many vendor stalls of antiques, collectibles and crafts, there is so much to see. Maybe when the bazaar has passed and more of my time becomes my own, I will get the chance.
My last stop of the day was at the Greene County Visitor’s Center where I found Michelle holding down the fort. She not only took the flyer but had me send her a copy in a PDF format so she could post it on the Explore Greene Community Calendar. The Visitor’s Center is such a warm and friendly place to stop and is a trove of information on the various things to do, places to see and history of this area of Virginia. Within the cheery yellow building, Michelle, Alan, Diana and their volunteer staff do so much to share the richness of our community, it’s a shame the place isn’t always packed with people.
From there I headed home. I’d spent a couple of hours with some of my favorite people in a community that I have come to love in my five years here. At first glance, drivers heading south to Charlottesville or north to DC might dismiss us as a sad place because of the unpolished and sometimes shabby store fronts, abandoned businesses and countless signs that blight the frontage of the highway through our town. I know I used to wonder about places like this when we drove Maggie to and from college and drove through little towns along 460. What kind of people could live in a place like this? Now I know.
I’ve learned that like books, you can’t judge a town by its cover. You have to stop look inside to see the true character(s).