Live local, buy local - That's a thought I had late in the evening while watching the news before calling it a day. The news had story after story about the economic challenges we face as a nation and as a world. Spending is down, debt is up, companies are downsizing, and the forecasts are for more of the same. The big story lately is that consumers are spending less. That in turn exacerbates the situation.

As a nation, we've been through this before. Our parents, and grandparents, and our great-grandparents went through periods of economic challenge. It's easy to say that this a more difficult time and that they didn't have the same problems, but I'm not sure that is true. I remember my grandmother telling me about the cabin she lived in after she lost her husband in the early 1930's. No heat, no water, outdoor plumbing, a wood stove, and the only money for food was from the panning Great-grandpa did in the stream. 

Truth is, that makes my little place seem downright comfy! The point I am trying to make is that it really doesn't make sense to compare our world with the past. It is what it is and it ain't no more. We can deal with it or not. It is our decision to make. For grandma, it was enough that they could eat and that they had a roof over their heads. Me, well, I really do prefer my plumbing indoors.

So, here's the plan. We know that our friends and neighbors are having trouble. Heck, lots of us have challenges. Companies are cutting workers because they are not selling products or because the number of clients they serve is dwindling. We know everyone is trying to save money on their purchases. Now for some, that means heading down to a big box store where 99% of the products are from overseas. What I propose is that each of us take some of the money we would normally pay out for foreign products and spend it close to home. Go down to the local lumber yard for that can of paint, the local bakery for your morning roll, or the local pharmacy for the ant-acids you need to get though the next closing.

That's Phase One. Phase two is to buy products manufactured in the United States. I'll have more on that after I do some homework....

Stay tuned!

Touching old friends is something that is easy to do, but not so easy to do on a regular basis.

The other day I had an appointment at an office in Detroit. The office is an hour from my home and not somewhere I visit on a regular basis. As I walked into the office, I heard someone's name from the front of the room. The name was familiar to me and unique enough that for an instant, I thought the person was my old college roommate, someone I haven't seen since my wedding 16 years ago. I dismessed the thought that it could be him because the idea was too far-fetched to be possible. Then he turned around and, sure enough, it was my old roommate behind the wrinkles and under the grey hair.

We stepped out of the office for a few minutes to chat. It was a great experience. For a few minutes, we had time to catch up and it was a great talk. For a few minutes, we took time away from the world.

I think we sometimes foget people who are, or were, important in our lives as we struggle with the day-to-day experience of living and making a living. I used to call all my friends each year and talk to them for a bit. It wasn't a sales call or for marketing, it was just a chance to catch up.

I missed last year and may have missed the year before as well. Meeting up with my old roommate reminded me of a lesson I learned long ago....something I forgot on the way through the challenging years of late - Good friends are hard to find and harder to keep. It takes work, it takes time, and the rewards are beyond measure.

So, the moral of the story is simple - touch an old friend today. It may be the best thing you do for yourself all week!

Helping others this holiday is important, especially with the economic forcast. In my last entry, I wrote about the need to support the local economy by shopping in your home town. After I posted that entry, I realized that I neglected to mention the local food banks and non-profit organizations that face the overwhelming task of assisting those who face challenges this year. The fact is that there are more people in need this year than ever and our local support organizations face a daunting task.

I can remember last year, when things were starting to look a grim. One of our townspeople went in to drop off food at our local food bank, Faith in Action. she asked the volunteer on duty how the organization was managing as she dropped off her bag of food and was told the situation was dire. The pantry shelves were almost bare and what came in went out almost immediately. Thankfully, this woman was someone who decided to do something about the situation. She went home and sent an e-mail out to all her local friends. They in turn did likewise, and they made a point of dropping off food to the food bank. Nearly everyone in town heard about the situation within 24 hours and within 48 hours, the shelves were fully stocked once again.

Now this was last year. I can only imagine what will happen this year. It doesn't take much to make a difference. Buy an extra pound of spagetti, one more can of soup, maybe even a can of stew, and drop it off on your way home. If you hunt, find out if they accept frozen meat and share some of what you have. You don't have to do much, just a little here and there. That, with the little bit everyone else does, can make all the difference in the world to a family in need. It may make all the difference in the world to someone this holiday season.

Supporting your local economy is both good business and good for the soul. I live in a smaller Midwestern city. Our modest town is a good 15-20 minutes from the nearest box store and 20-30 from the nearest mall. Back when gas was over $4.00 a gallon, there was a good reason to shop local. The fact is, there is a good reason even when gas is under $2.00 a gallon. Buying local supports friends and families in my town and gives me face-time with potential clients or people who know potential clients.

Yes, goods and services at small-town shops and stores can be a bit more than at the box stores. Then again, you don't have the traffic, or the drive time, to deal with on your trip. If you put a value on your time, it doesn't take much to make up the difference in prices and realize how much you save by shopping local.

In my town, Chelsea, Michigan, we have stores that sell almost everything you need. Our local paper, the Chelsea Standard, recently published an article detailing everything that you can find in town. I bet your local paper has the same information.

I used to own a small bookstore in another small town and understand the challenges that small-town shopkeepers face, especially in a slow economy. If they don't survive, the downtown starts to see boarded windows and the town starts to die. It is a sad thing to watch and an easy thing to prevent. So, for this holiday season, give the gift of patronage to a local shop keeper. You may make a friend and help save a town!

Cheap storm windows - is that an oxymoron? Those of us in the Northern regions struggle with new ways to stay warm in the winter. I've been adding storm windows to my double hung windows to add one more layer between me and the bitter winter winds now blowing across the region. As I was speaking to one of my vendors about this activity, he pointed out a trick he used until he was able to put actual storm windows in place.

Key note here, this tip may not appeal to you aesthetically, but it works and it is quick and easy.

This vendor bought one of those window shrink-wrap kits and a roll of all-weather, rubber tape. Rather than put the plastic film across the window, he simply wrapped the window screen. Once he shrank the plastic in place, he installed the screen and used the tape to line the inside of the screen frame. He said each window took about 15-20 minutes to complete. By the time he was finished, he had a relatively tight seal and an extra layer between himself and the winter weather.

I tried this myself just to see how it work and was surprised to see the plastic on the screen fog up before I had a chance to seal the edges! The plastic is clear and really cuts the wind. So, regular storm windows can run up to $90 each. This fix added up to about $4 per window. It may not be the optimal solution, but for the short term, it certainly is something that can help.

Winter driving tips - we all hear them and sometimes we even follow them! Here are a few I find useful, living in Michigan as I do.

*Carry the basics - When driving on the back roads of Michigan, I find it helpful to have a shovel, a wool blanket, and a bucket of SSA (Sand, Salt, and Ash) in the event I find myself stuck in the snow. It doesn't happen often, but now and again the dirt roads around here freeze and are more like ice rinks than roads and the SSA helps with the traction. The blanket I keep just in case I have to wait a while before help arrives. I use wool because it is inexpensive (army-surplus blankets can be had for under $20 off the web), fire-resistant (occasionally useful when on a campout), and will keep you warm even if wet. They are also handy as a ground cloth when changing a tire or for a picnic (come summer). The shovel is for snow - or something else if someone is handing me a load of bull....

*Light up! - Carry a good, reliable flashlight or rechargable light. Come December, it gets mighty dark here might fast. A good light makes all the difference in the world when checking out homes at night, especially when it is a distressed home in which the electricity was turned off.

*Carry an emergency kit - I also have a collection of items in the car. These include a couple of hot packs, a candle, some wool socks, mittens, a couple of energy bars, and a wool knit hat. I also carry a water bottle with me, but that doesn't stay in the car (for obvious reasons!). Finally, a reasonably well-stocked first aid kit (being somewhat accident-prone) is a necessity.

*Carry a basic Car Kit - I can't tell you how often I have to use my jumper cables every winter for someone who doesn't have them in their car. Cables, tire-changing equipment, a couple of flares (handy for starting a campfire if you are really out there...), some work gloves, a snow brush and ice scrapper, and a small compressor for reinflating tires, and a can of tire foam fill out my car kit - all packed in a nice package purchase at the local box store for a reasonable sum. Oh, don't forget a jug of window-washing liquid!

*Dress well! - Thick warm socks, a long coat, scarf, hat, and gloves will make it much easier to show those empty homes. Likewise, a pair of silk long underwear makes life, and winter, so much more bearable!

Anyone else have a recommendation? Please, pass them on!

A great American Day - that's what we have today. I'm reading about my fellow citizens across this land standing in line for minutes and hours, waiting to cast their votes. There are no riots, no police, no violence, and only a few disruptions. Instead, we have comradarie, people working together, people sharing, and people joining together to continue the great experiment that is our nation.

We are an interesting breed, we Americans. After all the bickering, all the accusations of being wrong-minded, narrow-minded, left, right, liberal, and conservative, we can still take our place in line and cast our votes and respect the person next to us for doing the same. It gives me goose-bumps. It makes me proud. It makes me glad I am an American.

At the end of the day, we will have a President-elect. We may immediately return to the bickering, the accusations, and the name-calling that is the mainstay of the American Political experience. Still, we have this day. We have this one day of unity in which we gather together to reaffirm that "We the People of the United States, in Order to to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

It is a great, amazing, American Day

Paying forward is a movie idea, but one that is good for the soul. There are benefits to acting on this idea and I'd like to share one with you today.

For those of you who are not familiar with the movie, the plot has to do with a teacher challenging his students to come up with an idea that will change the world. One young lad has the idea that he will give of himself to help three people in a significant way. Rather than ask for anything himself, he charges each person to "pay it forward" and do the same for three other people. The ensuing changes prove his idea works and creates a feel-good aftermath to the death of that young man.

Forty years ago, I joined Scouting and worked my way through the ranks wtih considerable help from my parents and other adult volunteers. After turning 18, I began to pay forward all the help I received and began working as a volunteer in the program myself. Today I am a Scoutmaster and am working with about 36 young men as they learn and grow.

There are benefits to giving back. I have personally contributed to the success of nearly a dozen Scouts who went on to earn the rank of Eagle. I just recently had the privilege of signing the Eagle Scout application for another Scout. There is no greater feeling than knowing you helped shape the life of someone else for the better. There is no reward as satisfying as seeing someone you helped succeed. One of my most precious memories centers around twin boys who were in my Troop years ago. The both earned the rank of Eagle Scout and joined different branches of the military after being accepted in their respective Academies. Before starting their first tours, they came back to town to visit. After chatting with me for a while, they turned to leave. As they started to walk away, they turned back to me and said "Thanks Mr. Dailey" When I asked them what that was in reference to, they simply said "Everything."

There are may ways to affect the lives of others in a positive way. There are many, many organizations that afford us the opportunity to do so both visibly or behind the scenes. If you are involved some how, some way, good for you! Keep up the good work! If you are not, perhaps you should try it. I can tell you from personal experience that there is nothing quite as satisfying as lending a helping hand.

Helping those in need is one of the most important things we do as members of the real estate profession. Be they sellers who need to sell a home, buyers who need to purchase a home, or members of the community who are hitting hard times, we need to do what we can. We make our living off our communities and giving back is good business and good for the soul. It's been said that people only care what you know when they know you care, so it is time to show we care.

In our town, we have an organization called "Faith in Action". According to their web-site, they are "a community-funded, faith-based assistance and resource center for those who need an helping hand in the Chelsea and Dexter school districts." They help families and individuals in need by providing food, counseling, backpacks for school, shoes, and other assistance.

Everyone in our town supports this organization, regardless of their faith or their economic status. Our Boy, Girl, and Venture Scouts help with the annual food drive to support their emergency food pantry. Members of the community adopt families for Christmas or provide food baskets for Thanksgiving. The point is, we are all part of the community and we have to take care of our own.

Times are tougher than last year for many people, and even tougher this year. We need to be visible, and caring, helping where we can. Every town has, or should have, such an organization. It doesn't have to be faith-based, it just has to exist. I encourage everyone to find one of these organizations and give back to the community. If you are having a tough year, give time. Volunteer to help. If you are having a good year, consider financial support. The point is to do something.

I am a Scoutmaster for a local troop and it was with a heavy heart that I learned of the news from Iowa. I am sure many of you felt the same way. I would like to take a moment and reflect on this tragedy and identify a few lessons we can learn from it. 
 
As the story of the tragedy unfold, we learned that these Scouts handled themselves remarkably well. They followed the correct procedures, they kept their heads in a crisis, and as soon as danger passed, they took control of the situation and began to take care of one another. Had these young men allowed themselves to fall apart, had they neglected their training, the loss of life could well have been much higher. It is a lesson to us all to take the Scout motto "Be Prepared" seriously for ourselves, our families, and our co-workers. The discipline they showed, the soundness of their training, and their bravery exemplify all we expect from Scouts and should inspire us to achieve the same level of preparedness in our daily lives.
 
As families, we can see how precious each day is and we can live with the understanding that today matters as much as, if not more than, tomorrow. While we plan for the future, it is important to live today and create those treasured memories that will see us through difficult times. Sometimes, our sense of urgency to pay a bill, to close a deal, to enhance our business supercedes time with our family, our friends, and our faith. Today is a day we can live only once and we need to pay attention to what matters. At the end of our lives, very few of us will wish we had spent more time at the office. 
 
As adults and community leaders, we see the potential for our children and our peers in crisis situations and gain an even greater sense of the responsibilities we have to ensure the safety of those for whom we are responsible. While we cannot control every situation, we can make sure we are as prepared as possible. 
 
Finally, as a community, we can see the value and amazing results of an organization that has worked for nearly 100 years to train and develop boys into men ready to selflessly take on leadership roles in our communities, our nation, and in the world. We also see their spirit of selfless service to others and hold their example as one we can follow in our own lives.  
 
Please keep the families and Scouts directly affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers. The loss of these fine young men is devastating to us all, but all the more so to their families, their peers, and their leaders.