Do YOU Support Your Community?

I was up not too early this morning.  I think it was about 5:30 am when I first looked at the clock, but one thing for certain it was still pitch black outside our windows.

Since our hydro had been out yesterday when we had arrived home in the afternoon, and I had been too tired by the time it had came back on, I never finished the Month end "Crabby Cabbie" billing on the computer.  At 6:30 a.m., yes I was doing billing for the "Crabby Cabbie".  That part is done and over for another month (not that I am not happy we have customers to bill by any means).

Everything looks so different when one is so tired, does it not?  Rob and I have both been stretched to our limits in the "tired" department this is a fact.  This is Life for us at this time, and this is what we need to deal with, so that is that.

Rob went down the road his way this morning, while I stayed back to do the usual domestic chores, one being a bedroom that had in dire need of being dusted before there was no longer furniture to be seen.  *Sigh*, I have yet to vacuum, but there is no writing in the dust to be found for hopefully at least the next 12 hours.

I also had to make a trip downtown to hand-deliver some bills, and do a trip quick into our bank.

Today I made the decision to go down to deliver Christmas gifts to the kids tomorrow, and the Retirement Gift to my BFF, Bob, since it had stormed two weeks ago cancelling my plans to attend the party.  My neighbour has graciously accepted my offer to go along for the ride with me to keep me company, so the driving should go not too bad there and back.

Rob will stay home to hold down the fort.  He is just way too busy and tired to make it down there with me for day trip, never mind "tired" too.  I just need to go before the weather changes into snowy stormy Winter weather, getting the gifts delivered to them before Christmas Day.  We will get together with them all after Christmas has passed, maybe at the first of the New Year.

The plan is to head over to Bob's first, who will drive us into Kitchener to the Costco Store so I can pickup some dog food and a few other items.  When done there I will head over to see Paul and Liz on my way back home.

Speaking of going to a Big Box Store to shop and not shop locally ... I can't get the quality of the Dog Food I want locally at the price I can buy it for at Costco, so that is why I go there.  I LOVE the Kirkland Brand dog food, as does our Aussies.  Buddy used to pick through the Pedigree kibble we used to feed, and only eat some of it, now with the Kirkland Brand Lamb & Rice he can not get out to his food first thing in the morning fast enough to gobble it up, NEVER leaving a morsel behind.

When I was researching "switching up" our dog food my blogger buddy, Karen of Living in My Valley also highly recommended the Kirkland Brand.  Thanks again, Karen, as our four LOVE it.

Do YOU shop locally in support of YOUR Community?

FACTS ABOUT SHOPPING LOCAL (Courtesy of kalast.com/blog):

It pays dividends to shop at small local business compared to online shopping and shopping at bigger corporations. The more money reinvested in the community, the better standard of living people will have!

Checkout the Comparisons on how you can make a better standard of living in YOUR Community, at this link:  

https://kalast.com/blog/23/#23

I normally do shop for things I need within my own Community where items are available, with the exception of a full grocery shop, which we do from time to time in Owen Sound, as our local Foodland Store can get a bit on the pricey side to buy ordinary staples at time.  For example we use Half & Half Creamer in our coffee, $3.69 locally to buy, $3.09 or less in the City where we buy 12 at a time.

Now Wiarton has a Source Store now where I can buy ink for our photocopier, which I will do rather then buy at the Staples Store in the City.  I am also buying a new Computer Mouse there this week as they are on sale this Friday.

Where my budget allows and there is the availability, I will also shop local first.

One thing I did this afternoon was get the remainder of "stuff" I had ready to go down to Paul and Liz's ....

.... the big box was already loaded by Rob and I 2 weeks ago, with me adding a couple of small packages to my van today.  I sure hope Paul has someone "strong" at the other end to help unload this box !

I still have one thing to add to a Christmas bag for Bob and Tim when I am done posting here.

I always leave home wondering if or what I have left something behind  It is not such a big thing any more if I have now that I am older.  It seemed like the "End of the World" at times when I left something behind when I was younger, which was not that long ago, right ????

Dang, dang, triple dang, our Dinner is almost ready and Rob just got called out.  Such is the life being married to a "Crabby Cabbie".

Here is something that had been posted and shared on Dr. Oz's Facebook page today, that I have read in the past, but enjoyed again (not without tears in my eyes) ...

A NYC Taxi driver wrote:

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

We all could use a little reminder on the Virtue of Patience and Kindness at times, could we not?  I know myself, I could from time to time.

I am feeling quite exhausted at the moment, thinking I will feed us when Rob returns home, have a hot bath and call it a night, as I have a very big day ahead of me tomorrow once I leave my home, "Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard".