The Palmer empty chair and extra plate

This is a Palmer Thanksgiving tradition which is simple but meaningful. We always set a symbolic empty chair and place-setting for those who are not with us at the Palmer dinner table. It’s hard to feel joy and gratitude when you are feeling the loss of a missing friend or family member. So by offering an empty chair and extra plate, we remember this person as a welcome guest. This isn’t ghostly hocus-pocus. It means that this person is always invited, remembered and welcomed; that personal recognition is an honor. The guest may not have have a lot to offer in the way of conversation, but by giving them a space, you are giving those loved ones both a silent voice and recognized presence. The empty chair is a significant placeholder and a gratifying memory of folks who have been dearly loved, but are now unavailable because of death, illness, domestic violence, drugs, strife, service, or distance. Give them a chair and serve them up.

Palmer Happy Thanksgiving—It’s food and abundance time. Hopefully for everyone. Palmer has many generous souls who have been working hard to create feasts for those incapable of providing. Most families are stretching out their arms to include at their Thanksgiving table both the strays and the forgotten. This is the best holiday of the year because it focuses on friendship, community and family and not on candy, gifts, hearts or fireworks.

Turkey in Your Car?—More than one vehicle has a frozen turkey defrosting in a tub on the back seat. Again, this is a totally Valley tradition.

Small Business Saturday—This week is the biggie local shop fest. Nearly every local shop is doing it and there will be specials, sales, refreshments and activities. Think about how much further your dollars go when they are spent local.

Here is an incomplete list—but its a darn good start: Peak Boutique will have gift bags and coupons to first 25 customers plus drawings and give-aways during the day; Raven Hair Studio has a whole new look, products and art and next door, Palmer Downtown Deli will give you a cookie just for shopping downtown Palmer! They will also have a new art show hung with lots of new originals by local artists; Stamp Cache will have product demonstrations and sales; Fireside Bookstore is having a local author; homemade fudge will be at the U-Haul building; Foxy Bear Designs will be at Level 7; Just Sew Quilt shop will have canvas totes; Misfit Consignment will have a drawing for a world-class basket of goodies; Corvine Piano Care and Ak Frayed Knot will have tables near the Palmer Downtown Deli; NonEssentials will have chocolates and coffee drawing; Wood & Wire Guitars and Music, a very new shop, will have discounts—they are in the Pizza Delphi building; Paradise Tanning will have a sale on tanning; UPS store will have hot cider and cookies; Whimsey will have a complimentary chocolate fountain; Refine 49, another new boutique next to Silva Insurance, will have special women’s items on sale plus a drawing; Turkey Red will have 10% off baked goods; Hitchcock Piano Studio is having an open house; Benders of Hair will have complimentary hot paraffin wax hand treatments; Just Botanicals, located inside NonEssentials will have Small Saturday specials; Musk Ox Farm will be offering 30% off quiviut yarns and garments plus there will be tours of the farm; Active Soles will have all shoes 30% off between 7 and 8 am; The Garden Gate has coffee and cookies and a 25% discount on one item; Alder Architecture and Design will be giving away balloons and chocolates; Buckle Up Buttercup will be at the depot; all the Palmer Restaurants will be buzzing, including the brand new Sunshine Grill. There will be fireworks and live music at the borough gym to finish up Small Business Saturday.

Palmer Alaska Buzz Suggestion—Just go into Palmer town on Saturday. Start at the end of one block and walk to the other end. Don’t be destination oriented. Wander. Explore. You will find many new things, places and meet many great people. This is a pedestrian place and very few towns have this lovely walkable townscape. Check out businesses on the side streets as well. And if you can’t find it in Palmer, chances are you really don’t need it!

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff on the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net