Eating Local

With our local Olive Garden closing, I have heard (and read) a lot of comments about eating local.  I do support the eat local movement.  I cringe every time I see someone with a jug of Canadian maple syrup in their cart at the grocery store. Most of the farmers' markets I attend require vendors to have grown, raised, or produced their wares themselves; which I think is important.  I think it is wonderful that some of our local farmers are supported by our local restaurants, where they regularly use their meats and produce in their kitchens.  Being a small business owner that is dependent upon the support from my community, I think it is important to support the local, non-chain restaurants that are around town. 
But, guess what? 
I also eat at the chain restaurants that are abundant in our area.  My family probably does eat out more than we should, and we are working on cutting back on that.  The few times a month we do eat out, chances are at least one of those times is going to be at a chain restaurant.  And I'm okay with that.  Yes, I realize that most of the food is frozen and reheated once ordered.  Yes, I know that I am contributing to whatever big corporation owns the chain. 
But, guess what? 
I am also supporting local.
How? you might ask.
The student who is working there trying to pay their tuition.  The recent college graduate who is working there while trying to find a job in the "real world" and still needs a way to pay their rent.  Those who are working there as their second (or third) job, income for some to pay their bills, and income for others as their Christmas or vacation funds.  These people, the staff at these chain restaurants, are local.  They are part of our community.  And for these local people who worked at our local Olive Garden?  Well, they are now out of a job.  So, for those of you who are bashing Olive Garden and chain restaurants, think about the people who work at these establishments. Because they are local.
I would like to thank the staff from our Olive Garden.  Thank you for riding it out as long as you did with our changing economy.  Thank you for the delicious lunches and dinners over the years.  Thank you for bottles and bottles of that addicting salad dressing.  Thank you for service with a smile, even after I have asked for my umpteenth basket of breadsticks and bowl of salad.  I wish all of the staff the best of luck.  They, as staff at Olive Garden, will be missed in our community.

Oh, Deer!

It was a nice, sunny day.  A perfect farmer's market day.  Until the sky turned black and the downpours stared.  Then it was mass panic and chaos as us vendors tried to quickly pack up our products before they were ruined and take down tables and tents, knowing full well that getting soaked was inevitable.  My 45 minute drive home seemed to take forever, but I was glad it was cool enough outside that I could leave all the product in the car until the next morning.  Luckily, it had stopped raining overnight, and the next morning was sunny and beautiful.  I went out to the car to start unloading the maple products.  I started to head back to the house when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.  I turned slowly and saw a deer standing about 10 feet or so in front of my car.  How cute, I thought as I gently put down the box of candy and slowly pulled out my phone to snap a picture. The deer, with its head up high looking straight at me, snorted.  I backed up a few feet and picked up my box of maple candy.  The deer continued to eat, so I started back to the house.  Then the deer snorted again.  I turned quickly and saw the deer coming towards me.  I traded the box of candy for two half gallons, one in each hand (for self defense in case the deer decided to charge - a half gallon could hurt, right?), and ran like a girl back to the house.  I slammed the door shut and ran to the window, peering out between the curtains, watching the deer's every move.  The deer circled my car a few times before heading down the driveway towards the road.  I went back to the door and opened it ever so slightly, making sure the killer deer was nowhere in sight.  I ran as fast as I could to my car, grabbed a box of maple candy, and sprinted back to the house.  Then I ran to the window, on the lookout for that monstrous deer.  Coast was clear so the process started over again: opening the door just a crack to scan the yard for the vicious wild animal, dashing to the car to grab the next box of maple products, and rushing back to the house before the ferocious deer returned.  It should have taken about 30 minutes to unload my car, but that day it took me two hours.  Two hours of panicking, worried for my life if that vile deer returned.  I was glad my husband was working and not home to watch the spectacle.  He would have teased me for being scared over a silly little deer.  But, thanks to that deer, I am a lot more cautious before just running out to my car and am aware of the animals that could be around.  And now that we have a dog, our yard, at least, seems to have a lot less wild life in it.  Too bad we didn't get her a few months earlier!