The Doctor

The apothecary idea comes from the old style apothecary, general store, country store, pharmacy....that used to sell everything, not just the necessary medicines, but the tinctures and remedies (often herbal) that served to better the lives of the community that they served. Growing up in Vermont, we were surrounded by stores like these that served as the heart of the community (a place for folks to gather and swap stories, connect and re-connect with their neighbours). For me, I can connect with this concept as the center of the community, people converging to look for remedies to many things, often to gain social interaction that can ease their burden and lighten their day. For the Fox Family the J.J. Hapgood Store was one such place. Hanging out by the pickle barrel, warming our hands by the stove, stepping over the town's dog Blueberry to get to the candy counter.

Image courtesy of redjar.org

On a more serious note, these institutions would be dying off but for the efforts of those involved in organisations such as the Vermont Alliance of Independent Country Stores.
When I was a child we used to go to the Mother of all country stores, still a vibrant and booming business for the Orton Family, The Vermont Country Store, stuffed full of hard to find products for the home, kitchen, beautification and clothing (flannel of course). My father, the country Doctor, was even quoted in the little hand written tags that were used to describe products, as recommending the goat's milk soap for anyone with sensitive skin. "Dr. Fox highly recommends...". Used to give us kids a kick..!
My brother was recently asked to write about my Dad (Pops) for another blogger at AllPlaidOut
on the subject of fathers for Father's Day. The archetypal Country Doctor, you will get every sense of the man if you read this article.

The Doctor Fox