In a recent

‘If we all spent $10 a week on Michigan products, we could put $36 million every week back into the state’s economy’.

That was powerful to me. Every day I hear people bemoan the state of Michigan ‘s economy and here was a simple and impactful thing that each of us could do to help.

I contacted a woman named Jeanne Lipe at the Michigan Agritourist Department who confirmed that the numbers were correct and gave me some leads to get started on what has turned into this email today.

The idea is to shift $10 per week of your grocery budget to products that are from Michigan companies. I wanted an easy to use list of Michigan products that I could find at my local grocery store. I have attached a copy of that list to this email. It is in no way complete, but it will get you off to a good start if you should choose to help out.

Some things I learned along the way: There are a lot of Michigan owned grocery stores that are supporting other Michigan businesses on their shelves. Spartan stores are a cooperative; this means that if you buy a Michigan made product from a Spartan affiliated grocery store, you are getting a ‘triple dip.’ The product is made in Michigan , the grocery store is independently owned by a Michigan family, and Spartan Stores headquarters is located in Grand Rapids . Other independently owned stores are a ‘double dip’. This includes stores like Randazzo’s and Westborn markets.

I also found a whole bunch of products that are not mass distributed, but are available online and in some specialty food shops. I have added them on a second sheet. There are some great treats and gift items there.

I am not one to send bulk email or encourage you to send them on, but I am making an exception to that rule today. If you think this idea is a good one, and you have friends and family throughout the state who might help out, please forward this email with the lists attached on to them. $36 Million per week could go a long way!

online stuff in Michigan:

specialty products brand website located in

barbeque sauces pop’s barbeque sauce

www.popsbbq.com clarkston

barbeque sauces billy bones bbq

www.billybonesbbq.com sanford

blueberry – everything the blueberry store

www.theblueberrystore.com south haven

cherry – everything cherry republic

www.cherryrepublic.com glen arbor

cherry products megan’s mom’s/natalie robyn’s

www.sixlugs.com interlochen

essential oils lorann oils

www.lorannoils.com lansing

free range beef and buffalo tmz farm

www.tmzfarm.com pinckney

granola michaelene’s gourmet granola

www.gourmetgranola.com clarkston

handmade chocolate truffles the chocolate garden

www.chocolategarden.com coloma

essential oil soaps bob’s wife’s soaps

bobswifessoaps.com st. john’s

herbs and art

www.creekside-herbs.com cedarville

hot pepper jelly mrs. devaney

www.mrsdevaneyshotpepperjelly.com jackson

maple syrup doodles sugar bush

www.doodlessugarbush.com blanchard

mint chocolates hanover’s mint

www.michiganmint.com st. john’s

northern michigan artisan bread stonehouse bread

www.stonehousebread.com traverse city

organic beans, rice and grains vita spelt

www.purityfoods.com okemos

organic teas and products light of day

www.lightofdayorganics.com leelenau pennisula

preserves food for thought

www.foodforthought.net honor

preserves and fruitcake jampot

www.societystjohn.com/jampot.jp eagle harbor

salsa – fruit traverse bay farms

www.traversebayfarms.com bellaire

supplements fruit advantage

www.fruitadvantage.com bellaire

the pinconning cheese store piconning cheese

www.pinconningcheese.com pinconning

truffles, caramels, chocolates grocer’s daughter chocolates

www.grocersdaughter.com empire

vegan and vegetarian foods the vegetarian express

www.thevegetarianexpress.com edmore

mustard brownwood farms

www.brownwoodfarms.com willamsburg

stone ground wheat products maiden mills

www.maidenmills.com holland

coffee becharas brothers

www.becharas.com highland park

sausages detroit sausage

www.detroitsausage.com detroit

www.johnnybcookies.com saint clair shores

In Michigan Stores:

product brand names company located in:

all purpose gourmet spice blend deyoung’s fore seasons hartland

bill knapp’s cake etc. awrey battle creek

brats alexander & hornung st. clair shores

bread flatout saline

bread and muffin mixes jbdough benton harbor

cereal kellogg’s battle creek

cheese reny-picot benton harbor

cheese s. serra warren

chewy granola bars yotta bar maple city

chocolates morley’s sterling heights

condiments american spoon petosky

cookies archway livonia

cookies& crackers keebler battle creek

dairy goods bareman’s holland

dairy goods calder carleton

dairy goods cf burger detroit

dairy goods guernsey northville

dairy goods melody farms livonia

dairy goods dairy fresh taylor

soynut snack products nature’s select owosso

extra virgin olive oil kenzoil ann arbor

garlic bread – frozen cole’s grand rapids

herring ma cohen’s detroit

hommus basha ferndale

horseradish brede’s detroit

hot dogs etc kowalski hamtramck

juice old orchard sparta

lunch meat & sausages koegel’s flint

mexican food hacienda mexican detroit

muffins and snack cakes weight watchers jackson

muffins, brownies etc jiffy mix chelsea

mustard mucky duck ferndale

natural foods eden’s clinton township

nuts germack detroit

packaged vegetables butter blends grand rapids

pasta al dente whitmore lake

pasta – frozen pierino lincoln park

pasta sauce sansonetti foods holly

pasta sauce romano’s shelby township

peanuts and snack food kars madison heights

peanuts and tortilla chips great lakes snacks or festida cedar springs

pickles freestone pickles bangor

pickles topor’s detroit

pop faygo detroit

pop vernor’s detroit

private label beef jerky spartan, meijer taylor

produce aunt mid’s detroit

rice and tapioca pudding spillson’s monroe

salad dressings litehouse lowell

salsa sansonetti foods holly

sausage dearborn sausage dearborn

snack foods better made detroit

sugar pioneer and big chief bay city

sugar free candies dr. john’s grand rapids

tortilla chips, salsa garden fresh, ferndale

tortillas la michoacana detroit

tortillas don marcos romulus

tortillas la jalisciense detroit

turkey (deli) golden legacy, brickman’s grand rapids

tuscan italian foods elena’s auburn hills

water absopure plymouth

wines st. julian paw paw

I sent the email below to Tractor Supply Company and some other corporate stores and pet food suppliers.   Within the hour, someone from a local tractor supply called me on my cell offering food for these animals.  And, a ½ hour after that, someone called from the corporate office to let me know that they and their coworkers had read the email and were touched.  They wanted to be sure that someone had already contacted me and were grateful that we had thought of them as someone who would help.  This is not a joke or a forward or a scam.  It happened to me this afternoon.  If you would like to repost this, I encourage it, because this is the type of company that I want to spend my dollars with. 

I will post again if another of the companies responds and please let me know if you all have an idea of how this man can be helped!  GOD IS GOOD – ALL THE TIME!

Dear Sir or Madam -

I have been made aware of a needy gentleman in a neighboring Michigan county and I am writing to request assistance for this man.  I do not have his name, although I do have the name of a neighbor who is trying to help him out, which I will provide to you in this email.  This gentleman is a Marine who returned from Iraq in 2007 to find that his wife had absconded with his family and left is farm in serious disrepair.  He is a wounded veteran, and is not receiving a full pension at this time, although he has been able to find local folks to help keep him fed.  My real concern right now is for his animals.  Because he is in divorce proceedings, he has been forbidden by the courts to find new and more appropriate homes for these animals.  So, in essence, this man who can barely feed himself is being forced to watch his beloved animals starve.  He currently has 4 dogs, 12 cats, 6 horses and a number of chickens.  I am trying to find out if TSC would be willing to donate some food to these pets to help them survive until this situation improves. 

I have heard wonderful things about what TSC is doing for animals and I would love to see these animals survive.  This gentleman and his animals are strangers to me, but the story touched my heart and I feel compelled to do what I can to help.  I hope that you will feel the same. 

The woman who contacted me is his neighbor.  Her name and information are following, although you are welcome to contact me as well.  Thank you for your time.

Well, although I have been a slacker, I saw this picture today, and was awed!  I don’t know how well you can see it here, but when it’s a little bigger, it’s just amazing, all those comets and stars and other astronomical stuff…kind of makes you fill small, doesn’t it?  My lovely mother in law lent me a DVD over the weekend about the North Star, and I am excited to watch it, although I will have to comandeer the television from my husband (which oughta be interesting – maybe I will have to ask him to go to the bow shop for an hour, that should work )

Anyway, the other thing about seeing pictures like this – they remind me how close we really are to each other – this planet is not nearly as big as it can feel, and so, when you are away from someone you love, just imagine how much farther they would be if they were somewhere in this picture.  Yeah, that’s far. 

I have joined a group called First Place, it is a Bible Study, with the focus on weight loss.  I have lost weight (won’t be disclosing any “figures” (tee hee) for right now) and I have met some wonderful ladies that have already helped me to learn a ton about crying out to the Lord!  I really love it, it’s been easy to follow and it’s very balanced…

 I had a job interview in Howell a week ago tomorrow – please send your prayers!  The interview went wonderfully and I am just waiting to find out when I start!  

Marc is doing great, he did get laid off, probably only temporarily, and has been able to use his extra time to focus on school and his new mistress (BOWTECH is her name ).  He has been so awesome lately, it’s easy to remember how blessed I am to have him (I purposely wrote that so that when I’m mad at him, I can remember!

I will try to be better!

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don’t have to know
them personally. They just need to know that someone cares
about them.
 
3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on
the cards his staff sent out this year, why don’t you write
and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family
this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you
again.
 
4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t
afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them
the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down
here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love
them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him
or her.
 
6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take
their own life this season because they feel so alone and
hopeless? Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving
everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

Don’t forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love
Me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all
the rest.
 
Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I’ll
help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a
most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and
remember:
I LOVE YOU,

JESUS
 
~Earthly Author Unknown~

 

Tomorrow is the birthday of one of the most amazing women I know – my wonderful sister – in – law, Elizabeth.  Amazing in so many ways, she inspires me with her faith, she makes me laugh with her wit, and she is multi – talented!  I love you Elizabeth, hope your birthday is wonderful!!

Marc went hunting with the guys, so you know that the only answer I got about how his weekend went was a dull “great”.  Did you have fun?  “sure”.  So, I guess he did.

I visited my family from Friday until yesterday, and would have given all the money to my name (which, after shopping this weekend, isn’t a whole lot!) to not have to go to work this morning.  It was awesome to see my family and spend some QT.  Nothing too exciting went on, except that I took LOTS of pics, which I should have to post by the end of the week. 

As far as forgiveness – a challenge it is!!!!  But I made it through this holiday remembering that Thanksgiving means Thanks Giving and thanking God for each and every person that is in my life, whether I like them much or not.  It worked pretty well, probably the best TG I’ve had in years.

Bless you all! 

It is very easy to feel slighted by someone, and then to stand tall on my morals and forgive them, looking down from some lofty place where it’s very easy to say that I would never have done something like THAT!

However, we are all human, and to come down from that lofty place is half the battle of forgiveness.  I have to realize that, whatever mistakes were made, they were not made with malice or with anger – they were made with love.  And, the truth is that there is no way to know what choices that I would have made in the same situations.  They could have been the same, or worse. 

It is up to me to love as I am loved. 

 

I know it’s a little early for a Thanksgiving posts, but we all know that I’m not very good at posting on a regular basis. 

So…the holidays are nearly upon us.  It amuses and depresses me that the Christmas holiday has already began every where I look.  Amusing because there is nothing that people won’t do for money, up to and including exploiting the birth of Christ.  And, I suppose depressed for the same reason.  Kind of takes the special – ness out of that one day, doesn’t it?

But, this isn’t really about Christmas, is it.  I digress!  I am world class at that!

Gratitude is what this is about for me.  Imagine, an entire day where all we do is look around us and see how blessed we are!  Talk about THANKS giving!  It is my challenge to myself this year to thank God for every person in my life, while I am in their presence.  We all know how difficult people can be sometimes, but they are all in our lives for a reason, and it is my goal to love them through it, and thank God for sharing them with me, to love and learn from.

Is that not what Thanksgiving is really about?

A Thanksgiving Prayer
by Joseph Auslander

We thank thee for our daily bread,
For faith by which the soul is fed,
For burdens given us to bear,
For help that lifts the heart’s despair.We thank thee, Lord, for eyes to see,
The truth that makes, and keeps us free:
For faults — and for the strength to mend them,
For dreams — and courage to defend them.

We have so much to thank thee for,
Dear Lord, we beg but one boon more:
Peace in the hearts of all men living,
Peace in the whole world on this Thanksgiving.