We started printing catalogs by hand-mimeographing pages, then offset printed newsprint, graduated to almost full color and since 1999 we've been on the world wide web. In 2002 we stopped printing the no-longer-affordable paper catalogue, saving scores of trees and hundreds of thousands of dollars in printing, mailing lists and postage. Some might say it's well overdue, but a small few still don't like the use of this fast-paced technology. We are in many ways a couple of Luddites; Clay still types address labels and invoices on a funky old office style manual typewriter he bought at a flea market. (In 2005, he finally got his first real computer and can now efficiently do custom printing orders for you by email, from anywhere there's a wi-fi connection, at work, home and on the road.) But we also understand the enormous waste of resources printing hundreds of thousands of catalogs was. So here we are on the web, we hope you enjoy our site, if you want to know more about us read on, or explore.

Clay and I have been involved in many movements for social change over the past years. I still fundamentally believe in the basic tenet that grass roots, local action is what brings about social change.

It is very easy to feel disempowered by the lack of a progressive mass movement. But selling these materials, all these years, we see that action is indeed taking place, locally in communities throughout the country. Daily we receive orders, not only from older activists and organizations, but also from youth, on and off campuses around the country. They tell us about actions against war, racism, sexual harassment, against sweat shops, for fair trade, against corporate globalization, for women’s, people of color and LGBTQ and immigrants rights, promoting justice around the world, against the war on students and the poor, and in favor of talks not troops, around the world. We receive letters, calls and email from young people, thanking us for not only providing the products we carry, but for the acknowledgment that they are not alone in their beliefs.

After all these years, the day-to-day operations of this business can be somewhat boring. How many creative ways can we figure out to say the same message, pay the bills, fill the orders, meet deadlines, and do the paperwork? What keeps us going is you, our customers, not people who just buy from us, but people who are actively working to create justice in the world. It can feel lonely out there, we're here to tell you, there is a mass movement for social change. Each seemingly small action is multiplied many-fold by others organizing around the world.

The challenges are how to fit our work into our daily lives, and how to support each other's work. Over the years, my social change work has evolved from organizing protests and preparing people to participate in nonviolent civil disobedience actions, to doing conflict resolution and diversity work in my children's schools to becoming First Selectman (sic) of my small town and working as an energy efficiency organizer. As a parent, I feel the most important part of my life, was raising our three children to be happy, self-confident, compassionate people. Having this business allowed Clay and I to be here for them when they needed us. It's also allowed me to integrate my social activism with my parenting. I believe it's been the most effective peace and justice work I've done to date. Let's face it, without intelligent compassionate youth there's not much hope for our planet, never mind our "movement."

I spent a lot of time in schools, training kids to become peer mediators, talking about diversity and anti-bias, teaching conflict resolution skills, talking about being an activist. Having students reveal that they had never before believed that there was a way to resolve problems without violence or that they've never before considered anyone else's point of view in a conflict, or that teasing a gay student is not OK, makes the work worthwhile.

My stint as the First Selectman of my small town was a good experience in getting things accomplished and frustrating in how our divisions prevent progress. I was able to put my environmental beliefs into action by installing insulation, upgrading furnaces and lighting, etc. in town buildings. We were able to install solar photovoltaic systems on three (out of four) town buildings as well as a solar thermal installation on our elementary school. But it is not easy to hear the wrath of those who spend their lives tearing things apart instead of working to make things better.  

Clay goes to various events and conferences, to bring our resources to more activists. The feedback he gets at events is a vital reminder of the importance of our work. He sells at conferences for early childhood educators, social studies teachers, gay and lesbian activists, college events, music festivals and a lot more. Clay describes his experience doing tables this way; "it's with heartfelt gratitude that I do this work. Meeting people and hearing of their actions, I know the truth to the slogan 'one person can make a difference.' Like everything else, activism has its cycles. I admire your struggle to resist, protest, grow, and continue to renew and restore your hope and commitment to a better world."

Our kids are doing well, they were all peer mediators in high school teaching conflict resolution skills to other students and were involved in the diversity club. Andrew (b.1982) graduated from Oberlin College in 2004 where he majored in geology. Since then, he has hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2005 . In 2010 he finished graduate school at Colorado State University. Andrew lived in West Haven, CT for 6 years, where he took care of his grandma at her home. She passed away in 2014 at 96. In 2015 he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from the California/Mexico border to the Washington/Canada border in 4 and-a-half months. Cal (b.1984) graduated from Oberlin in 2006, studying art and Spanish. He also cared for his Grandmother for many years and in 2014 he finished nursing school at Northeastern, and is an R.N. at a hospital in Boston. Zoe (b.1990) graduated from Bennington College in 2012 as a dance major. She lives in Oakland, CA and teaches dance and joined a dance company in San Francisco. In the summer she is co-director of the Senior High Summer Camp at Rowe Camp & Conference Center in Rowe, Mass. They are all a continual joy and inspiration, as are their friends and their whole generation.