28 Apr News from Experienced Goods May 2021

by Jennie Reichman

Well, we survived the cruel month of April with its teasing lure of 70 degree days followed by an epic mud season followed by punishing snow and cold. Time to welcome the darling buds of May and the astonishing return of leaves to the trees, time to think about buying shorts (yes, we have them!) and maybe (gasp!) a sundress. Ok, hands up, who still hasn’t taken the snow tires off their car? I am guilty. I also still have flannel sheets on my bed, but I live in Marlboro. Experienced Goods has been busier than ever as donors tackle spring cleaning and shoppers refresh their wardrobes and households with lighter, more colorful clothes and décor. Even the book department is boasting record sales, thanks to the discerning eye of our book maven, Ruth.

Speaking of literature, we were delighted to participate in the Poems Around Town project organized by Write Action to celebrate National Poetry Month. Poems by local poets were posted in the windows of downtown businesses for the month of April, and I for one hope this becomes an annual tradition. Poetry is the literary equivalent of a shot of espresso, words that go for the jugular and leave you feeling raw, unexpected emotions. One morning as I walked up Main Street on my daily trip to the bank, I made a point of reading every poem in each window along the way. Some made me cry, others made me think, all of them moved me in some way and reminded me how many talented writers reside in our little corner of the world. I got to the bank feeling like my heart had been scrubbed clean and was wide open, that my mind had been cleared of some of its pandemic-induced fog. Thank you to Arlene Distler and the folks at Write Action for inviting us to be a part of this wonderful event.

As many of you know, Brattleboro Area Hospice has also been participating in the Neighbor 2 Neighbor program, a collaboration between Hospice, Big Brothers Big Sisters Of Vermont, Groundworks Collaborative, the Women’s Freedom Center and Experienced Goods. Participants can make a designated online donation to the Neighbor 2 Neighbor Fund and indicate which of the three nonprofits they would like to benefit. The fund will then purchase gift certificates from Experienced Goods which will be distributed to the nonprofit for use by its clients. In this way donors support both Brattleboro Area Hospice and another nonprofit that assists people in need in our community. This fabulous brainchild of Connie Baxter and Greg Moschetti is sure to be an ongoing way for community members and nonprofit organizations to work together to serve our area. Click here if you’d like to donate to the Neighbor 2 Neighbor Fund.

We all know that it’s still incredibly important to continue to follow recommended COVID-19 safety protocols like wearing a mask and maintaining physical distance from other people. That said, the welcome renewal of spring is bringing with it an easing of restrictions and the return of some beloved local traditions. The Brattleboro Farmers Market is opening at its Western Avenue location on May 1, complete with live music and in person shopping. Gallery Walk is returning for the first time in a year on May 7. At Experienced Goods, even though we have been open for business since last July, we have noticed a kind of joyful buoyancy in our shoppers, and more and more “first timers”, people who have not entered the shop since the lockdown a year ago and are coming back for the first time. Their excitement is palpable, like the giddiness of reuniting with a long lost friend. We still require that masks be worn in the store, and we ask that shoppers try to maintain distance between themselves and others. We know that this virus is not vanquished by a long shot (pun intended), and that outbreaks result when people ignore precautions. Several of us who work here have been fully vaccinated though, and we are hoping that we will all be in that camp by June.

So welcome back spring, welcome back green leaves and warmer temperatures, welcome back shoppers and donors we haven’t seen for a year! By next month there will be gardens to plant and lawns to mow, and we might just be complaining about the heat instead of the cold. After this incredibly strange and stressful year, we all deserve some spring and summer joy and relaxation!