This year, I came by my Christmas presents from various sources: the internet, home kitchens, the Salvation Army, Seattle’s Pike Street Market and local retailers.

Though I strayed off Kodiak Island to shop, I plunked more than a few dollars into local cash drawers, influenced by the gentle but firm “shop locally” campaign that began immediately after the Thanksgiving dishes were dried and put away.

But as I unwrapped gifts on Christmas morning, a creeping unease washed over me. Christmas in Kodiak was really Christmas from China. It began with the solar-powered yard lights. The box was stamped with the words: Made in China. Kitchen tools, slippers, a wooden, back massager: All made in China.
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