Parchment Paths

I have two very different views on Christmas, one is in favor as the holiday as a whole, the spiritual significance, the gift giving, Santa, all of it. The second is my  view from a retail clerk's perspective, hence the HELP! in the title. Anyone who has worked any type of retail, particularity a major chain retailer knows what a horrendous experience it can be. Nasty, impatient customers, long hours, can all combine to leech all joy out of the holiday. However, I love Christmas and to quote Charlie Brown, "I'm not letting this commercial dog ruin my Christmas,"  As a long time retail worker I tend to be sympathetic to my fellows out there in stores large in small. That being said, here are some tips to how you as a shopper can make Christmas enjoyable for store clerks and casheirs. 1. If a store you frequent is open on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve do not complain to the clerks. They did not choose the hours and if it's a large chain neither did the individu

It's been awhile so I thought I'd just say, "Hello".  I had an excellent mini vacation the last weekend of last month.  I attended the last two days of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire's   2014 season. The season's end is always bitter sweet; it's wonderful and yet it's over until next August.  The  following Monday I visited with friends and did some exploring in Lancaster and Litiz. The Chocolate Cafe is wonderful as well as A Tea Affair . We also found two bookshop, one in Lancaster , Dogstar Books and one in Litiz, who's name I cannot recall though I loved it as well.  With all those adventures, I'm wondering what the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons will hold. Working in retail, it can be a challenge, but I am determined to enjoy them none the less. I'm still working on my writing, editing my Steampunk novella for possible e-publication and looking for an agent for my fantasy novel.