Small town living – you gotta love it!

Bisbee is a town of about 6000 people more or less with a core group of about 1000 active players.   There is a strong set of pluses and minuses to small town living. 

You’ll see everyone you like within 24 hours of rolling into town.  But, you’ll see everyone you don’t like with in 24 hours, with special emphasis on ex-lovers and former friends. 

You know everyone standing in line at the post office.  It takes forever to get anywhere because you keep stopping to chat.  The postal clerk will get your mail out of your box if you forget your key.  You have the post office box because they will not deliver mail to your house!

You forget that the little market up the street does not take credit cards.  However they do

accept IOU’s written on a little scrap of paper with no ID.  This applies if you are a little short until payday too.

The speed limit through town is 25 mph which seems excruciatingly slow at times.  But when you go whizzing by at 40 the local cop knows your car and just wags his finger in mild reproach.

Time has no meaning unless you want to eat!  The local restaurants close at 8:30 pm are closed every Monday & Tuesday, and whenever else they damn well feel like it.

But when they are open you know 2/3 of the people in the café when you go for breakfast and end up lingering until almost lunch over coffee & conversation.

Shopping can be and adventure.   The butcher at the big chain grocery store knows exactly what you like and comes bustling out from the cubicle to tell you when it is on sale.    The downside to this is that buying anything of a personal nature gets you a nod and a wink from the cashier or a request for a date.   There are no secrets here.

Sometimes you have to go away for a while to appreciate how nice it is to be where people are happy to see your face.  During our exile in the Eastern Wastelands as David likes to call it we are realizing just how lucky we are to have found our little niche here in Bisbee.  Being away helps us overlook the more annoying quirks and embrace the pleasures.  Maybe we romanticize it a little but we really love this town, and it seems to love us.  We’ve had two weeks respite from the anonymous world and the worst part about living here is leaving.  But, we know when we come back we’ll have a spot waiting for us at the table (unless it's Monday or Tuesday!) and some new tales to tell.  We’ll catch up on all the news and it will feel like we never left. 

http://www.kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=17536&cat=NMTOPSTORIES

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/border/63382.php

Once again there have been horrific accidents involving illegal immigrants on the border.  Our way of dealing with this situation has got to change.  Reality is that these people are doing exactly what we would do in the same situation - taking any risk to have a better life for themselves and their families.  After having lived on the border for more than 20 years  (my home in AZ is less than 3 miles from Mexico) I have a good grasp of this situation.  

 It is time we figure out a way for these people to come to work here legally.  Currently the rules and costs to become 'legal' are way beyond the reach of most of those who want to work.  Reality is that we need these workers to do the jobs no one here will do.  Our agricultural system depends on them.  But under the current situation they are not controlled or protected by our laws.

I am not saying throw open our borders.  But if we could come up with a more effective method of allowing legal entry into the US workers would be more closely monitored, be protected from abuse, and even pay taxes.  I think we should make legal entry easier and drastically increase the penalty for illegal entry.  Allow those who want to come to work a practical way to do so, my bet is they'll take it.

Ok I’ll admit it – I’ve always liked Martha Stewart!  Not the most popular stance but it’s true.  I know, she doesn’t do it all and I really don’t care!  Personally I think finding the right people to do the job for you is nearly as big a talent as doing it yourself.

Do I feel lessened because I can’t do all I see on her TV show?  No!  Do I like to use her ideas – you bet! 

Her latest incarnation is by far my favorite.  While many people would have taken this whipping and slunk off into the shadows she’s still swinging.  Martha has come back stronger than ever and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!  She’s certainly not perfect but I admire her determination.  Planted in jail she's thrived - proving that she's more hollyhock than hothouse rose.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7019986/