Some Words Just Change Meaning

I've noticed in my lifetime that some words lose their meaning, while others change their meaning. Some words (and names) are retired forever. Hashtag -- you mean number? Hitler -- retired forever.

Campfire is another such word. I set out this evening to watch a movie. It was by Campfire Productions, a television production company founded in 2014. At the beginning of the movie an arrow crosses the screen, the word "campfire" is seen just above the arrow and a small campfire graphic displays just left of the word. The only noise is that of which a small campfire would make.

Having decided to donate all of my birthday and holiday money to the Camp Fire this year, I went to Paradise in late November. What I saw took my breath away. When I read the words across my screen "campfire" I was right back there, in Paradise. The sound of the campfire coming through my computer's speaker literally stopped me.

I realized that the word, campfire, has taken an entirely new meaning. And I didn't live in Paradise. I have a house, all my belongings, my dog, my car. But nonetheless, that word moved me. And the noise of a crackling campfire stopped me.

I met several people while in Paradise. The first person I met was an insurance adjuster. She was kind. She asked if I was an adjuster. I told her that I wasn't. I told her I was there to find out how and where to donate money to the victims of the fire.

I watched as crews began the arduous task of restoring utilities, removing trees, and cleaning up in the wake of the fire.

The trees were marked. One by one the marked trees were felled to the ground and cut into rounds. The rounds left behind, often the only thing on the property other than very large piles of rubble where once a house stood.

The burned houses were ghostly. I knew that many people lost their lives inside their homes. My mom told me she heard on the news that every vehicle with an "x" meant that the vehicle had been searched for missing persons. That only added to the sinking feeling in my gut.

Life once was in each of those houses. Birthday parties, white elephant gift exchanges. The rooms were decorated. Photographs hung on the walls. Secrets stored away in the closet. Friendships made. Lovers met.

The insurance adjuster said she had never seen anything like this before in her career. She said that no one could comprehend this without actually seeing it in person. I believe her.

I found what I was looking for and far more than I wanted. An emergency animal shelter was constructed from tents that are set up for weddings and large events. But, instead of parties, the tents had kennels with animals lost in the fire. Hundreds. One volunteer estimated 500 animals were lost in the fire, including dogs, cats, hamsters, bunnies, horses, and other farm animals.

I dropped off Theodore's old crate. I asked where to donate money and how to do that. I left.

My final stop was to drop off donations I'd gathered in Truckee, water bottles, sleeping bags, jackets, rain suits. I found the Oroville Hope Center's warehouse. The Hope Center rented two additional warehouses -- one for donations and one for victims of the fire to pick up boxes of supplies.

The warehouse was about half the size of a Costco and completely full. Tables stretched in rows from one end to the other with sorted clothing and supplies. Boxes were put together for families to pick up (at the other warehouse).

It was mechanical in nature. I drove up. Volunteers emptied my car. I drove away. The next car drove up. Meanwhile, inside, volunteers sorted the wares placing them on appropriately categorized tables. Oddly, the warehouse was so clean. It was a stark contrast from where I had just been.

After dropping off my donation I stopped to buy a bag of oranges. It seemed odd to buy oranges. I later juiced them and drank fresh squeezed orange juice for a week.

I would think of the Camp Fire every now and again as I heard from friends that lived in Paradise and the surrounding area.

But if I was being completely honest, the Camp Fire has shifted space from the front of my mind to occupy another part of my brain where I don't think about it. And then something like a production company will bring me back.

I know that people are still reeling in the aftermath of the largest, most destructive, and deadliest fires in our history. But for the rest of us that are not right there, it has begun to take a backseat. It's not something we hear about on the news anymore or read about in the paper. But it happened.

And what happened was a shift in the meaning of the word campfire. Things are a certain way and then, they're not. 

Recent Justification I'm a Decent Human Being

Recently I had to fill out paperwork justifying that I'm a decent human being. I answered questions about my moral aptitude, moral compass, volunteerism, and community spirit. I had to justify why I was -- or am -- a good person. Further along in the paperwork I had to provide four references. Individuals that would substantiate my morality, authenticity, and integrity.

I have to go down the references side road for a minute. References are absurd. Who is honestly going to provide a shitty reference? "Hey Bob, will you be my reference? I know I promised I'd water your plants and get your mail, neither of which I did. And that time you pissed me off, yeah it was me who keyed your car. But I was hoping you'd say something positive about me?" Really? Come on. You're only ever going to ask the people who'll vouch for your awesomeness.

Nonetheless, I had to ask four people to vouch for me. One told me to go public in the People's Court (social media) to expose the "ass for what she is" (I'm not the ass in this story). Another wrote: you didn't [bleep] her? To which I replied: that's not part of my rehabilitation. A third wanted to give someone a piece of their mind only for me to say "keep walking" to which he replied "if I'm called, I'm going to use this incident as an example." The fourth person has been a personal reference for my awesomeness for so long, I didn't even call her to ask.

Tonight I was cleaning out old files. For some reason I've kept every certificate I've ever received. Ever. I am awesome. I have certificates proving I'm a good citizen...from 1982! I have thank you cards and certificates of gratitude from far off places, like Nepal for donating 200 lbs (yes, pounds) of clothing. I have congratulation and thank you letters from the Bozeman City Commission for my appointment and work on affordable housing and neighborhood recognition. Along with this supporting documentation of my moral aptitude, I have several, maybe 20 or more, certificates of achievement for all sorts of weird stuff. I'm certified to use fire as a means of habitat rehabilitation in the State of Florida. I am certified to save your life should something befall you in the backcountry and dig you from the debris of an avalanche. Buried in the pile of certificates was my favorite:

Congratulations! You won our drawing contest. Unfortunately, we are unable to use your artwork for our cover as it does not fit the overall message we're hoping to convey. 

Love it. I'm a winner and a loser in the same paragraph!

Filed directly behind "Certificates" was "Credit". Since purging files was the task of the evening I continued. The credit file contained things like the payoff documents for my house in Montana and Colorado, an old speeding ticket I got in Utah. And one other ticket -- dog off leash from Boulder, Colorado marked "paid". I couldn't help but laugh at the irony in finding this gem. The reason I was filling out a form justifying my worthiness all started with a dog off leash. Only this time in California.

In the old west (Montana and Colorado) dogs off leash are handled quite differently. In Colorado it costs $50. But in California you have to prove you're a decent human being. Prove your moral compass hasn't gone haywire since your certificate of good citizenship in 1982. Find four people to justify that you're rehabilitated from the heinous crime of walking a dog off a leash.

And in Montana? Well, that's a funny story. I was in Ecuador climbing and my housemate was watching my dogs in our downtown Bozeman home. He opened the door and in a split second all three dogs (one his, two mine) ran out to the street where a man was walking by. One of the dogs bit the man. My housemate felt horrible. He helped the man and assured him that the dogs were all vaccinated and that if he wanted to have the wound checked out just bring the bill back to the house. The man, in his late 70's, early 80's, went to the care clinic. He came back to the house with a receipt and knocked on the door. The dogs, SAFELY INSIDE THE HOUSE, started barking. My housemate was not fast enough getting to the door so the man decided he would just leave the receipt behind. He opened the door and walked inside. Inside the house that contained the dog that actually bit the man just two days earlier. Inside a house that was not his, his friends, or his relatives. When he walked through the door, he called out, "Hello. I'm just dropping off the receipt from the care clinic for the dog bite."

My housemate came in from out back, paid the man the $30 or so for the care clinic bill. On the way out, the man patted each dog on the head. And my housemate shook his head at the ridiculousness of it all.

And that is how a dog off leash is handled in Montana.

(Connie Garrett aka Samaara Robbins -- apparently still running with dogs off leash!)

Today Things Are Amazing -- Check-in

I woke up this morning like most days “ah! Good morning Theo my snuggle bunny.”

It's been a month and I have yet to eat at a chain restaurant - including Starbucks, picked up a few things at a "big" supermarket, shopped at a store-in-the-box, or really even left my little community in Truckee, California.

What I've learned is that I can do without a lot of things that I used to have to have. And I have resources that I never knew I had.

I'm converting my fifth wheel to a tiny house. I need a table saw to rebuild my closet that I'm moving from one area to another. I was turned on to Truckee Roundhouse. It's a community "makerspace". They have everything I could ever imagine. And it's heated. Friday I attend an open house and tour the space. I'll be building my closet next week. My goal is to have my place ready to host my friends for the Olympics. Tic Toc. I recently confessed that if I still shopped at Lowe's I would have purchased a table saw. For one project. Really? Do I need a table saw? Maybe, but not right now.

When I began this journey, I shopped at Trader Joe's. I've since stopped. Trader Joe's has a horrible environmental track record. In 2016 it settled a case with the EPA for violations of the Clean Water Act. Trader Joe's will be required to pay a $500,000 fine and spend up to $2 million in repairs to refrigeration equipment. The grocery chain is constantly under fire for is overuse of plastic packaging and consumers are demanding (and receiving to some extent) better quality. However, the sustainable agricultural watchdog group, Cornucopia Institute, cautions consumers about organic store brands. Trader Joe's remains secretive about where it resources it's store brands. Earlier this month, a petition was launched by Crate Free Illinois urging Trader Joe's to stop buying pork that uses gestation crates in its supply chain. According to Chicago Tonight "sows kept in crates have lower bone strength and muscle weight and are more likely to exhibit abnormal behaviors, such as repetitive bar-biting." You might think, who cares? Remember that the food you buy comes from somewhere other than the shelf you found it on.

What makes a great photo - organic and cheese - two favorite things, is just that a great photo. There are so many other things I'll miss about Trader Joe's, but for now it's sayonara baby!

My special find: Natural Grocers. I've already spoken about Natural Grocers. I still love it! All organic produce. Always. I don't even have to think.

I'm also really loving New Moon in Truckee (don't hold their website against them, they're re-building). I also found an amazing company Urban Moonshine. I purchased, at New Moon, the Citrus Digestive Bitters. I'm a bitter freak (ha ha!). I am really enjoying this blend and look forward to trying some others.

I came across an Etsy store for Un-Paper Towels. Super environmental, super minimalistic. No waste, no storing rolls of paper towels. Mine are on the way! Here's a little tidbit about Etsy -- most of the stores are local, community based, hand-crafted. And there's a ton of stuff on Etsy.


Along the lines of environmental stewardship, what's with the junk mail! I've decided that should cancer come to claim my body, I'm going to reply to all of the credit card offers and charge to the max! I'm going to go out in style! In this pile of mail, I can literally charge over $200,000. Really? Not OK for so many reasons!

One bonus of living local and making my dollars count is that my credit card bills are decreasing rapidly. I don't have a lot of credit card debt, but I had a revolving balance at Lowes -- not anymore. I was the queen of "just one more camera lense" from Best Buy -- not anymore. I'd cruise the sale racks at Penny's, Macy's, and Nordstom Rack -- not anymore. I don't even like Penny's or Macy's. Sorry, I'm human and can't say the same for Nordstrom Rack. I love Nordstrom Rack! I traded Nordstrom Rack for REI. SUPER LOVIN' REI!

I find that I have a ton of time on my hands and time is amazing. Time is a commodity -- it's the only commodity we don't get back. Once your time is spent, it's gone forever. Leaving existential thought and belief about time out of this conversation, time is all we have to spend. Having sat at the helm of the chemotherapy brigade, I really value my time. Because my side project: 21 Days to Happiness includes daily exercise, I'm out everyday. Of course, my right foot is not a happy camper, but I'm out there. I've discovered there is no poop fairy. I've made a very conscious effort to pick up after my favorite four-legged friend Theodore -- even "off piste". This is in-line with my actual New Year's Resolution, which is to be the best version of myself.

I've found new snacks that I can make. They're super delish. Thanks to Trina at Big Water Studios for the great idea and to Kathi Keville for sharing some great recipe ideas for peanut butter (or almond butter) protein snacks. Here's a simple recipe: A blob of your favorite nut butter, 1 Tbps of protein powder, a little cinnamon, cardamon, and ginger. mix it up, adding more powdered ingredients until it shapes nicely into a ball and tastes good. Wrap in parchment paper to take with you.

Of course, I'm enjoying the tough days at the office...especially the commute. :) Practice "happy." It's a thing!

Sharing Ideas with Woody

A few weeks ago I started an experiment -- can we really shop completely local. Buying from CSAs, farmer's markets, family-owned, employee-owned, and co-ops. Since then I've dedicated my shopping to a bit of pre-planning research and re-con missions to, what I'm calling local, shops.

On December 27th I posted Commitment to Community outlining my "plan". Since then, I've been shopping for food, clothing, wool dryer balls, eateries, hardware-type items, and sunglasses. I've also researched some of my favorite addictions, namely climbing gear. I've done extensive pre-planning for grocery stores within 30 to 40 minutes of my house looking for ethical and responsible places to shop that meet the definition of "community" or "local".

Yesterday, I listened to a FB post of Woody Harrelson. Not only to I love Woody ("Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly..." and Natural Born Killers) I love his message. It's what my experiment is all about: making your dollars count.

A few days ago I learned some really cool things. Scheels is a HUGE general sporting goods store and it's employee-owned.

Natural Grocers, aka Vitamin Cottage, began in Colorado, similar to Whole Foods. Natural Grocers made conscious decisions about what to carry in their stores, how to grow, and what would drive their business. Unlike Whole Foods, Natural Grocers did not sell out. Instead they said "hey, we can do this." Natural Grocers only sells organic produce, hormone, GMO-free meat, nothing in their store has artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Before it was cool, they went bag-free. Natural Grocers was built on the foundation that a healthy lifestyle can be affordable for everyone. Natural Grocers is traded on the NYSE under the ticker NGVC. (More about voting with dollars in the stock market in another post.)

I've received some criticism that shopping at Natural Grocers or indulging in an In N Out burger and fries is not shopping local. I want to be perfectly clear that my experiment has nothing to do with income. I don't think any business should be limited in growth. Just know that the hamburger you're eating didn't come from the shelf you picked it up from. It came from an animal that lived somewhere and ate something. Community is a bigger picture than items on a shelf and number of stores.

Last night I walked the downtown Truckee strip. I stopped at Mellow Fellow for dinner. I had a glass of wine at Uncorked (visit Uncorked in Truckee, Squaw, and Northstar). The owners also own Soupa at the base of Squaw Valley where their ingredients come from the Food Hub, the soup is home made. It can take some time to get through the line at Soupa, but it's definitely my go-to, and has been for years, at Squaw. I finished at a little shop carrying all things local, including a much needed wool dryer ball. I also found a handmade silver ring to adorn my left hand.

Being committed to the community is taking time to mindfully shop, understanding that what is on the shelf came from somewhere, and being conscious that every dollar you spend is a vote for something.

Happy shopping!

#makeyourdollarscount

TED Talk - Happiness

Earlier today I posted a TED talk on FB about happiness, challenging anyone to join me for 21 days beginning this Wednesday, January 10th.

Several years ago I created a gratitude book to get through a very dark time in my life. When I was diagnosed with cancer I had a mentor, someone who walked in similar shoes. Sometimes we know our mentor or have some connection to our mentor. Sometimes we don't. And later, we become a mentor for another. I remember my mentors and thank them for their strength. The first time I was a mentor was to a beautiful woman. We chatted on the phone, via email, and social medial. We became friends and even met in person even though we lived a time zone apart. Then one day just before Thanksgiving she stepped in front of a train. I will never know why. The first few pages of my gratitude book was filled with simple things: Sampson, yoga, mountains, memories. I remember staring at the blank pages trying to come up with three words once the obvious things I was thankful for had been written. I wrote that I was grateful for snow in 20 different ways just to come up with three words a day. But as time passed, it got easier. And at some point I could fill a page with words and sentences and paragraphs. Eventually, I got through this time and have turned to my gratitude book several times since. I found this simple tool immensely helpful.

In this TED Talk, Shawn Anchor challenges us to be better humans. To live in a world of happiness. Beginning this Wednesday, I will share my 21-day journey. Please join, whether vicariously through me or on your own.

Here's the specifics:

• Each day write three words of gratitude for the day, either in the morning for the day ahead or in the evening for the things you were grateful for that day.
• Write one journal entry of a positive experience for the day.
• Find 10 to 20 minutes each day to exercise, whether that is a walk, yoga class, or all-out workout
• Meditate for 5 to 10 minutes a day, increasing to 20 to 30 minutes a day. Use an app on your cell phone or combine the meditation with a morning walk (exercise and meditation)
• Complete one random -- or conscious -- act of kindness everyday. Shawn Anchor proposes writing a thank you note via email or social media to someone in your social circle. I believe you can practice a random act of kindness almost anywhere. But, if it's easier, write a thank you to someone you know. 

What you'll need: 

• Journal
• Pen
• A list of people to thank in your social circle
• Install a meditation app on your phone

Spend tomorrow gathering supplies and let's get ready to find happiness in the simplicity and beauty of life. 

To happiness...

A Week into Project No Conglomerates

A week into my year-long project and I have to admit I'm struggling. I really want mozzarella cheese, but the kind I like I have not been able to find at a community grocery store. 

Since getting $9.80 back from Starbucks I've wanted to go to Coffee Bar, a Truckee gem. Apparently, everyone knows this. For the past four days I have been unable to find parking. Today, I parked on the street, determined to see the inside of the place. It was packed. The cinnamon rolls were over-iced. I like the frosting, but preferred the old un-frosted rolls best. Coffee Bar hasn't made them without frosting for more than a year now, despite my constant request. But today, they were particularly frosty so I opted for a blueberry bran muffin. Not wanting to leave my dog in my car parked on the street, I took my treats to go. Ultimately, I found this unrewarding and a waste of the $9.80 I secured from Starbucks.

Tonight, I'm eating noodles soaked in butter. I admit, this is the way I usually eat noodles. I just wish I had mozzarella cheese to go with them! Ugh!

Other notable items: paper towels are a fortune at community grocery stores. I think I will invest in cloth napkins. Wine is more interesting and the store clerks are much more knowledgeable about where the wine comes from, how its made, if it has sulfites. I've also found the prices of wine to be very reasonable.

I was told to buy a certain type of cream that I cannot find at my local mom and pop store, New Moon. I had planned to run an experiment using store bought cream vs. homemade cream. I was told the reason the store didn't carry those was because they had known carcinogens (see Kaori Oils for more). Wow! Safeway never looks out for me like that!

So aside from a moz-cheese melt down things are going.

Tomorrow I'm venturing out to another mom and pop in Kings Beach: Tahoe Community Market. They serve sandwiches. I intend to walk the dog and eat a sandwich. Maybe Theodore and I will share the sandwich :)

Commitment to Community

On December 23rd I posted on FB a "no conglomerates" challenge - mainly for myself, but open to anyone who wants to join me in shopping within the community, not avoiding the community. I realized after posting that challenge that so many things were left unsaid. This blog is long, but does my best to get the year started. 

First step: Cancel Amazon Prime membership. 

Second step: Remove all affiliate marketing to Amazon (and others, but I only have affiliate marketing with Amazon). I think I've done that, but if any of you notice I have not, please let me know :)

Third Step: Establish the definition of "conglomerate". It could be argued that this is the first step, but I needed to free myself from Amazon first. Can there be a distinction between privately held and publicly traded companies. No. There are huge stores that are not publicly traded. Forbes compiles lists of these and to make the list revenues must be greater than $2 billion (with a "b"). Companies that have made the list include: Albertson's, Toys R Us, PetSmart, and, until last year, Dell. To see Forbes 2017 list, click here.

I don't think it's fair to say that businesses cannot make money. That is the goal of any business. So what constitutes a small business? A community business? Suffice to say that Toy R Us would not open a shop in Truckee, California. It is a large corporation. A community business doesn't need to wait until the next board meeting to make decisions. A community business doesn't go into the business with the intention of putting other businesses out of business or cares if they do. Instead it is an asset to the community.

REI and Briar Patch are co-ops. REI is arguably a very large corporation. It is owned by its members. Members receive a dividend check every year. Mountain Hardware in Truckee is employee owned. These businesses give back to the people that shop (use), work, and/or benefit from the business.

In-N-Out Burger, admittedly an annual indulgence of mine, has 304 stores, all owned by the Snyder family, and worth over $1 billion. It is a very large family-owned business. In-N-Out's growth is dependent on the location of their distribution centers. None of the meat is ever frozen or microwaved.

This is an excellent segue way to supply chain. Where are the items in the store made? Look on the back of the packaging of most items sold at Toys R Us to learn they are not made in the United States. What about Patagonia? Most of their clothing is not made in the United States. Is Patagonia a conglomerate? A large corporation? What are their buying practices? Maybe there is a better choice for certain items, like Inner Waves Organics for yoga-style clothing. I certainly don't think purchasing Patagonia clothing is the same as purchasing WalMart clothing. I had a friend who worked fairly high up in the Patagonia company. She shared a lot of their business practices with me. I feel confident in spending money at Patagonia. 

Online small businesses are certainly prevalent in today's internet-centered economy. There are things that I will not be able to find in Truckee. But I have a choice to find a company that is not Amazon. Most online retailers are savvy and have figured out that letting people know about their business practices is important and does make a difference. 

Maybe it's easier to define a non-conglomerate. Employee-owned, family owned, independently owned, and member-owned (co-op) businesses. These are key words. Buying and/or supply chain practices that foster community development, offer safe working conditions, opportunities for growth, and do not employ under-aged workers. Companies that give a damn about carbon footprint and how long it takes to get strawberries from overseas to New York City in the middle of winter.

This is what I mean. This is where I want to shop this year.   

Fourth step: Ground rules.

I told my brother what I was doing and he brought up some interesting points. He asked what cellular company I use? Utilities, etc. Fortunately, where I live, my utilities are all local except for gas, however, I use propane, which is local. I am not advocating that anyone cut themselves off from power, water, and cellular service. While it is a personal goal of mine to live off the grid and I'm taking steps to do so (a different blog all together) this year is about living in the community and shopping at the stores my neighbors own.

Ground Rule #1: OK to use public utilities.
Goal: Turn off the cell phone 1 full day 1 day a week. Most likely that will be Monday's for me.

He then asked if I would buy Kraft Mac & Cheese. I don't actually buy Kraft Mac & Cheese, but for sake of argument, let's stick with that example. The answer is yes - if it is purchased from a community grocer. My community grocer buys wholesale, just like the big guys -- Safeway, Save Mart, and Costco. I'm still supporting my community grocer regardless of the products I buy. Incidentally, I went to Village Market in Incline Village, a family owned grocery store for 35 years. Village Market does not carry Kraft Mac & Cheese. I looked.

Ground Rule #2: OK to purchase any brand as long as it if from community supplier.
Goal: Purchase brand that use sustainable practices -- we still don't really know what's inside a Kraft Mac & Cheese box.

My brother then asked where I was going to buy my gas. It's been a long time since we've seen truly independent gas stations. I do remember them, when I first started driving over 30 years ago. However, most gas stations are independently owned. I met a gas station owner a few months ago. I was catching a plane to Bali and thought I'd walk from the train station to the airport. On my way, it started pouring rain that turned to hail. I took cover under the awning of an AM/PM. A gentleman pulled up in a worn out Ford Mustang from the late 80's. He seemed harmless so I asked him for a ride. Turns out he was a private pilot chartered by a major casino owner to run between Reno and Las Vegas. As a side project he bought an AM/PM in Reno. He no longer works as a private pilot, but his gas station is paid for -- as well as his Ford Mustang. (This man is a an incredible role model for building wealth -- again, a different blog.) The last time I got gas in Reno, I actually drove a bit out of the way to use his AM/PM. 

Ground Rule #3: Get gas from independently owned gas stations. Get to know the owner/operator
Goal: Park the car for at least 1 full day and walk or ride a bike.

About that time, my mom joined the conversation and bet that I'd go to Starbucks before the year is out. I looked at the balance on my Starbucks app: $9.80. I did go to Starbucks this year. I went earlier today. I requested a refund of the balance remaining on the app. Turns out in California if a gift card has a balance under $10 can be redeemed for cash. Apps are considered gift cards.

Ground Rule #4: Try to get refunds from balances left over from the past.
Goal: There is no perfect time to start something like this. This has been an ongoing shift over the past several years. Maybe my mom may be right that I will go to Starbucks before the end of the year. It's not about perfection. I hope I'm never perfect. I hope that I always continue to strive to be perfect.

The next topic was transportation, specifically, flying. Last year I was out of the country almost six months. I flew several major airlines and a few smaller airlines. I hope to fly to Iceland and South America this coming year. I know that my pocket book cannot afford to charter a private plane. I find myself completely stumped. I believe in my heart of hearts that the cultural experiences gained from traveling far exceed anything we can ever read in a book. While traveling, I have charted private planes and independently-owed airlines.

Ground Rule #5: Major airlines, train lines, etc. OK.
Goal: See if an alternative is available and within the budget.

Finally, for those that are still skeptical, the number one way we vote in this country is with our dollars. Don't be fooled by election years. We vote all year long, every day, everywhere we spend money. When we purchase something made overseas on Amazon, we just voted to receive items from overseas, at an easy-to-shop venue like Amazon. Likewise, when we visit Village Market in Incline Village, NV we vote to keep Village Market. Think of it as 1 point for Amazon. One point for Village Market. Then multiple that by all the various items one can purchase on Amazon vs. what one might be able to buy locally. That's a lot of points for Amazon. At the end of the day, who do you want to have all your points?

Follow me through this exploration of local (or loco) on Instagram at samaararobbins. Watch for my hashtags (still learning what that actually even means) #makeeverydollarcount, #outsidethebox, and #liveatthelake. Visit Facebook and this blog (www.killerliving.com). Comments welcome. :)