On
the weekend I spent an enjoyable day with two friends
at “Christmas in Paris”—an event we had never attended before.
I’d heard about it and decided it would
make a good day trip. Doris and Amanda’s schedules were free and so we set out
Saturday morning for Paris (Ontario, that is). Driving country roads instead of
main highways, we watched the panorama of trees with coloured leaves, many
still on the tree and the ground carpeted with more.
We’d done our research before setting
out. For a toonie, paid
at any location, we gained admission to all six locations, the proceeds
going to the “non-profit organization (Kindred Spirits Artisans) and help fund
these wonderful events the public enjoys every year.”
Our vibrant community shares the joy
of the holiday season by opening our homes and hearts! Participate in a unique
shopping experience and select your gifts from the work of our artist and
artisans!
Kindred Spirits Artisans of Paris began
as an incorporated organization of people who share common interests in raising
“the profile of the arts in the local community.” Founded in 1990, local
newspapers announced the initiative of people “from a variety of artistic
disciplines as a cultural renaissance,” an event that has continued over the
past twenty-three years.
We arrived under heavy skies and the
likelihood of rain, but at first it was just chilly. We’d be indoors and out
so rain did not much matter, for the spirit was bright and the houses and
buildings hosting the events were decorated gaily, reminding us that Christmas
is indeed coming. For those who wanted to do Christmas shopping, it was a
perfect opportunity to purchase handmade crafts from the artisans. Having been a craftsperson myself, I'm always interested in seeing how artists combine materials to pleasing effect.
I
hear it coming—Christmas is so commercialized. And it is, but for us that day, it was simply an
opportunity to go somewhere together, see the works of wonderfully creative people
who live in the community and surrounding area. We were not disappointed,
although too many scented items precluded me from wandering and looking inside one large venue at the golf
course, but I invited my friends to see what they could find
while I enjoyed the outdoor scenery from the raised verandah.
Over all the six sites,
we saw glasswork and creative stitchery, beadwork, wreaths, metalwork,
ornaments, silk scarves, and so much more. I marvelled at the ingenuity of many of those artisans—the pictures made with wool roving, felted and embroidered to make a natural scene; and gourds that had been dried and made into ornaments. Among all those items, I found some special treasures—ornaments, a winter wreath and art card—to bring home.
In the middle of our
tour, we sat talking over lunch in the main part of town, and then looking around in the stores, and by
this time it had begun to rain.
Thinking on the array of beautiful
things made by those artisans reminds me that God invested the same creative
expression in us that he himself did in creating us. Our creative gifts are meant to be used,
whether with words or artistic forms. Celebrate that creativity this season and all year long and share it with others as a gift from our creator.
Carolyn R. Wilker, editor, storyteller and author of Once Upon a Sandbox
