As I prepare this column, my weatherman is talking about the possibility of bad weather by the middle of the week. By the time you read this column you may be experiencing icy conditions, or it may all have passed us by.

I don't know about you, but I kinda welcome some true winter weather for a change. It seems that for the past several years we have not really had any real winters. We have had a little snow almost every year, but for the most part, the winters have been rather mild.

I will admit that if we are going to have winter weather, I much prefer cold, clear weather, and I always enjoy a good snow. I don't really like cold, rainy, icy weather like the weatherman is predicting. Sleet and ice create much more hazardous driving conditions than does snow, and sleet and ice often do a lot of damage to trees and power lines. If we have an ice or sleet storm, many times we will lose our electricity for a day or so.

One of the reasons I enjoy snows in the south is that you often get an unexpected and unplanned holiday or vacation day without the consequences. When you take a vacation day or holiday, everything at the office seems to go on as normal. Other people are working and are piling your desk with stuff for you to handle when you return. When you do return to work, you have to work extra hard just to catch up.

But when you have a snow day, everything and everybody stops. There is no one in the office to pile things on your desk. Most times the snowy conditions are so widely spread there is no one in Raleigh or anywhere else to send E-mails or call on the telephone. So when the snow melts and everyone returns to work, you have had a little rest and are no further behind than before the snow.

Even if we have some bad weather, the weatherman is saying that by Friday the storm system will be far past us. He is indicating that it will still be cold, but the skies will be clear. So let me invite you to stop by the O. P. Owens Agriculture Center on Friday and take advantage of the Extension Homemaker's Annual Christmas Crafts Show and Sale. This is your opportunity to do some more Christmas shopping by purchasing authentic, local, homemade items.

The Robeson County Extension Homemakers have been conducting this Crafts Show and Sale for many years, and there have always been a large number of quality craftsmen displaying their products at this show. This year will be no exception. Every available booth has been rented, and it appears that there will be a tremendous variety of crafts available.

The doors will open to the public at 9:00 Friday morning, and this building will be bubbling with activity until mid-afternoon. By mid-afternoon, most of the vendors will be sold out, although some of the vendors will take orders for delivery of items in time for you to give as Christmas gifts.

Although one of the reasons for this show is to allow local people the opportunity to generate additional income for their families for the holidays, the major objective is to demonstrate the opportunity to develop crafts skills and to add value to products for the possibility to generate additional family income throughout the year.

We are very fortunate that we have a major interstate highway that comes right through the middle of our county. It has been determined that every day more than 40,000 tourist pass through our county. Most of these tourists will be spending a considerable amount of money as they travel. If we give them the opportunity, they will stop in St. Pauls, Lumberton, or Rowland and spend some of their money with us.

Our area may never become as famous for local, homemade items as the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania area, but we sure have a golden opportunity to do a much better job than we are currently doing.

Virtually everyone reading this column either has some special skills for creating homemade items or could easily develop those skills. If not, they surely could develop skills for taking items that others may have created or grown and add value to them by packaging, displaying, or marketing. This is not always an easy process, but it is a skill that can be developed if there is a will to do so.

Most individuals do not realize the resources they have available to them to start the process of generating additional income for their family. Robeson Community College provides a lot of classes to help people develop a great variety of skills. They also offer classes in marketing, advertising, and small business management. Most of these courses are very affordable; others are absolutely free.

Many members of the Robeson County Extension staff are trained to provide assistance in a variety of ways. They don't actually teach things like crafts classes, but they can help with marketing plans, production training, and networking.

Plan now to attend the Annual Christmas Crafts Show and Sale this coming Friday at the Extension Center. While doing so, consider how you may be able to generate additional income for your family. As you develop these ideas, get in touch with me for more information about how my staff may be able to help or for referrals to agencies or individuals who can provide the resources, training, and assistance that you may need.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 1/03/02