Small Town Life – Big Box vs. Local Biz

There is a local guy who started a very successful brewery. He has a bar and grill attached. Right across the street this year, opened up a big box type chain coffee place. (Not Starbucks…)

Knowing the logistics of all this, simply because it’s Small Town and we know everything about everyone, I’m not sure who I’m rooting for. Big Box was opened by a transplant from California who, trying to escape the high cost of living and taxes on the Sunny West Coast, sold everything and invested what would seem to be an insane amount of money to us in Small Town, in Big Box. I feel sorry for her even if she is a transplant simply because this Big Box is… maybe not going to make it and she might lose everything. Just because you are part of a franchise doesn’t exempt you from failure and her failure is very possibly imminent as… Local Guy opened up a coffee shop directly across from her, adding on to his already successful business, only days after Big Box had their grand opening. Now, all is fair in love and big business. Local guy started his business from scratch, not Big Box recipe book and he has the equipment and the know how and the local presence to succeed in the coffee business in this town. Big Box can’t even get the recipe right as they are all very new to the whole thing. It makes me wonder why she even decided on this business that she seemingly knows nothing about.

Local guy is roasting his own coffee and making local food and basically, he’s blowing her frozen and baked fresh every morning cookies out of the water. He is also very gracious about her business. He states that he believes there is enough business in this town for the both of them. Maybe he’s right. They aren’t doing EXACTLY the same thing. He’s doing everything and she’s doing… a little bit of stuff. 

Frankly, I see Local Guys place as a new hang out that is very close to my house and is going to be AWESOME and Big Box as being a place a take my kids every now and then to get a quick cookie and a scoop of ice cream. Here are a few pics of Local Guys place. It’s pretty awesome. His coffee is exceptional and the food… well, I’m very picky so I think it’s going to take some getting used to but the coffee alone is a reason to go there.

 

 

Small Town Living – Coffee Shop Awesomeness

There is a coffee shop I go to. I’m getting to be kind of a regular there. The lady who owns it recognizes me now. There is a group of old guys that get together there and chat about life. They discuss the towns business and undoubtedly they have seen our little hamlet change and morph in ways I can only imagine. When I see them, I imagine they are like a group of Jewish leaders getting together by the gate of the city and discussing politics and theology. They have seen so much in the world. I notice when someone is not in the group anymore. I know if one has gone into a nursing home or died. More come and take their place. It’s comforting to see that this community will be there when I’m of retirement age… I hope.

Will our generation be this tight in real life or will we sit at home posting to Facebook or whatever social media has taken it’s place?

Will it matter that I live in a small town then? Will we have practiced spending time together in real life enough to spend our retirement connecting in a way we never could when we were child laden, working and bustling around the world? Or will we be so out of practice in seeing another human face to face that we will hole up in our homes and not know how to function?

For now… I’m going to get a bit of sleep before my world starts to spin out of control in the morning.                                             *all images found on google

I’m not THAT mommy…

I sat down with another mommy the other day to shoot the breeze in the coffee shop and we of course were talking about parenting…

Well, I was talking. She was listening.

I talked about how I just feel like I’m not the mommy who plays with her kids and I’m not the mommy who wants to do all this “mommy” stuff. It’s hard to be a Pinterest mommy. Those mothers who do projects, homeschool, keep a perfect house, are organized and are able to just embrace being a Stay At Home Mom are amazing. It’s really a job… a job that I don’t want. It’s one that some are amazing at.

I can’t play the violin. I never really wanted to play the violin. I love watching people play the violin. It’s an amazing instrument but it’s not my gift. I’m ok with that.

Why am I not ok with being a working mom? Why do I feel guilty because I’d rather do dishes and cook dinner than play barbies? Why do I feel guilty that I’d rather be at work and make money and run my business than be at home doing crafts and taking the kids to the park?

I love watching them grow. I do the best I can to maximize the few hours in the evening I have with them but… I’m just not THAT mommy.

found this image on google.

 

Pine Cone & Frost

Purple Aster