Stop in here, at Wild Thyme. It’s a shop full of awesome.
Check out their website, sign up for a newsletter, and befriend Wild Thyme on Facebook. Better yet, stop in at her shop on Oregon Street in Redding across from Tapas and the Oregon Street Antique Mall. Say hi to Eileen.
Wild Thyme local gifts and goodness. It’s Really Redding.
Buy your holiday gifts now at the KIXE auction
Where can you get screaming deals on local items and gifts from the comfort of your livingroom? At the auction held on KIXE TV, starting at 7 pm every evening and running through the 19th. You can score some real bargains, and also help keep our local educational TV station alive and kicking. Plus, it’s just fun to watch. Local presenters ham it up, and you can learn a thing or two about local services and products too. Highly recommended!
Bob Moore and his mill provide bountiful whole grain goodness
Redding wouldn’t be complete without our grain mill. All great civilizations throughout history have relied on gristmills to provide the staff of life, going back to the Old Testament. Our terrific local mill is Moores Mill, founded by miller Bob Moore.I recall when they originally opened shop, in a quonset style building on Highway 273. Acceptance of the new venture was not guaranteed. Some local opinions I recall were that white, so called “enriched” flour was the modern wonder food. Whole grains, coarsely ground, seemed an anachronistic, outdated idea to many.
Not for me. I’ve been a regular customer and raving fan since their inception. For me, Redding’s (and my) quality of life would be diminished greatly without Moores Mill.
They have subsequently expanded into other related human-friendly foods. Spices. Teas. Specialty beans. Creative pasta I have not seen anywhere else. And amazing bread mixes for bread machines. The Cranberry Walnut bread is sublime. Recipes, and books. Juices and local honey. I could go on and on.
We actually buy Grains and Nut Granola there in 25 lb bags(!), and eat it for breakfast. Mixed with plain yougurt, it’s the true breakfast of champions. Throw in some sunflower seeds, and chop some fresh almonds in.
Is it health food or desert? No need to choose. It’s both.
There has probably never been a single day that something from Moores was not in my kitchen, since 1975. The staff of life. Mills have always played an important role in Shasta County (see Millville). Thanks Bob.
Moores Mill proves the wisdom: 23 Jeremiah 1–19 As Ye Sow, So Shall Ye Reap.
A harvest of goodness.
SJ Denham body shop utilizes the net to deliver service
A recent fender bender type accident on Lake Boulevard left my little Miata somewhat worse for wear. I took it to fellow Chamber of Commerce member and longtime Redding automobile dealer SJ Denham on North Market Street for repair. I discovered that they have a website that lets you follow along with images as their shop performs the repairs. Neat stuff!
I knew my little car would be in good hands at the Denham’s place. But I thought it extraordinary that you can see exactly what’s happening from your desk. A welcome innovation from the forward thinking Denhams.
My fuel sipping Miata is 21 years old now. Of legal age to drink alcohol, instead of gasoline. Maybe it’s cheaper! Thanks SJ Denham, for keeping the economical Mazda on the road and looking sharp.
Local beer and winemaking store set to re-open
The onset of cooler weather lately had me thinking about brewing a batch of handcrafted beer. I went by the local beer and winemakers supply store, only to find it closed. But wait, there’s a sign in the window. Hooray! They are re-opening the store on Sept 11 at “11:00 am Sharp.” Across from the Redding Library. See you there.
Watch the growth of WalMart
This one is making the rounds, but in case you haven’t yet seen it. It is interesting and thought provoking. Watch the explosive growth of WalMart over the years since inception. I can’t embed the video here, but you can witness the spectacle at the link below. Well worth viewing:
http://projects.flowingdata.com/walmart/
What does it remind you of?
Shop local. The job you save may be your own.
My parents tell me the newly expanded China Mart in Redding on Dana Drive dwarfs their huge Anderson store. I haven’t been in it. But I was looking for a new camera recently. I shopped online, did my research and found one I liked. I wandered into Costco and saw a big stack of the exact model camera I had researched online. It was priced very attractively. I was tempted. But I didn’t buy it. I called Frank at Crown Camera and told him about the deal I’d seen at Costco.
“I hate to do this to you Frank, but money’s tight. Can you match the Costco deal?”
“Yeah we can do that,” said Frank, “plus, we’ll do it better. We’ll throw in a free camera class, and a year of free prints.”
Now that’s a real bargain! Not only is it a great deal for me, but the money I spent stays in my town. If I hadn’t checked, I might have missed it. The camera is awesome. Thanks Frank!
Fellow Chamber of Commerce member Crown Camera is just one store of many I would dearly miss if they were gone. Their business is continually pressured from the big chain stores, and squeezed by economy strangling online sales, but they survive. They do so by giving stellar service. You can’t find that at the alternatives. But it’s important to remember those local merchants who struggle to win your shopping dollars. There is a movement you may have heard about called the 3/50 Project. They say it better than I can. Check it out by clicking on the image below.
Best photo of the fashion show
Sunday, I ran several photos I took of last Saturday’s benefit fashion show titled “The Collage.” I got some OK shots. But ultimately the most beautiful photo I saw was this, captured by my evening companion, the lovely Karry, using a Nikon S570. This is Kim, of Kimberly Nicole Boutique. The full size shot is really nice, with poetic depth and grace, and a good balanced composition. It’s a shot I wish I could say I took! I hope you enjoy this web version. Our thanks to the model, and again to all the models and show participants.
Ringing the bell for the Salvation Army
A familiar looking woman and a couple of kids from her school were seen ringing the bell for the Salvation Army this weekend in front of Raleys Supermarket. It was mighty cold outside, and we need to give a shout-out to the manager of Lake Blvd Raleys for sending out some hot chocolate without even being asked. I’m told it really hit the spot, and made bell ringing much cheerier for everyone. Thanks Raleys! Thanks Ringers!
Shop outside the box. ShopHop tomorrow!
These 12 intrepid entrepreneurs want you to consider shopping their local establishments. Click on the image below for more.
Shop all 12 to enter their drawing for a Grand Prize. These local shops are your friends and neighbors. They are not the faceless executives at the big box stores that so often characterize our town. When you shop local, you support and enhance your own community. Plus, these are some way cool shops. A couple of our favorites, Kimberly Nicole’s, and Wild Thyme.