Blog Lafayette

As you probably already know, today was Veterans Day in the United States. It is a day set aside for each year for every one of us in this great nation to remember the service and sacrifice of our military men and women, past and present, a sacrifice that even went to the point of losing life or limb for some.

I did my heart good to hear of a decent amount of celebrations and ceremonies were held today to honor Veterans in many communities. School children in many school districts performed in plays and skits, sang patriotic songs, and spoke of their gratitude to the men and women who were present in the various settings. Cities held parades and honored the fallen soldiers of all our American generations at military shrines like the Vietnam Wall in Washington DC and in local communities. VFW posts were centers of activity as veterans got together to swap stories and comradeship.

John Barber WWI U.S. Army

Do you have any family members who have ever served in Wartime or in peace? I am sure you most likely do if your family has been in this country for any amount of time. And don’t get me wrong when I make that distinction. There are many new Americans who are strongly patriotic and love this “land of the free” that we live in, who would gladly serve their adopted country if the need arose. I have had several family members who served our country in time of war. My grandpa Whitley served in the Navy during WWII and my mother’s father, my grandpa John Barber, served in the Army during WWI. One of my father’s brothers served in Vietnam and was awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded by shrapnel during a battle. And my oldest Son is active duty Air Force and has served since the day after 911. Many families are similar in their ability to look only a little ways to see a son or a daughter, aunt or uncle, father or mother who has served.

All of that to simply say, Thank You. You are appreciated. Without your service, America would not exist, or at the very least, it would not be the great place that it is now. We Americans serve proudly and we serve freely. I am so glad to have been born in America. Thank you veterans, for keeping us strong and free and proud. Happy Veterans Day.

Someone once said, “All good things must come to an end”. Maybe that is true for many things. But maybe we should strive to keep good things going instead of letting them end. “Going Local Week” is coming to a close in Indiana but I think that we should continue to support our local businesses throughout the year. I have nothing against the big box stores but I think our communities are healthier with a mix of large and small retailers. The more competition, the better.

One local business that I have always been impressed with is Computers Made Easy located at 2228 Concord Road in Lafayette. They are a small business that specializes in repairing computers, maintaining computers and networks for local businesses as well as home users, selling Dell and Intel computers and various brands of computer parts, and offering Windows based software computer training.

I have had dealings with them through a business that I worked at in Lafayette as well as with my own computer issues. When no-one in town had the particular power supply and cord I was needing for an HP laptop, Computers Made Easy came through. They had the part and the price was right. When the business that I worked for needed something done with their network or computers, Computers Made Easy sent a professional out immediately and problems were solved without much fuss.

I know that there are many services in Lafayette that work on, and repair computers. I cannot say anything against any of them because I don’t know their work, but I can say positively that Computers Made Easy is my computer repair facility for life. When something works, I stick with it.

Computers Made Easy
2228 Concord Road
Lafayette, Indiana
(765) 474-9797.

My list of best local businesses would not be complete without mentioning Trader Horn in West Lafayette, Indiana. Trader Horn carries work coats, various brands of work boots and shoes, and many other items especially suited for the person who works outside. They also carry Western style clothing and boots for the Western at heart.

I have been buying clothing from Trader Horn for several years now. One reason I shop with them is because I prefer Carhartt brand clothing. It is made tough and can withstand several years of wear and tear and still be in good shape. When it comes to brand name clothing like Carhartt, Trader Horn does a wonderful job of competing with the larger stores in town who have a much greater buying power. I always expect to see coats and boots that are priced very competitively and sometimes even much lower than the big stores. I always walk away with a very good deal. Another reason I like to shop with them is because they are friendly. When I walk through the front door, I don’t get the impression I am interrupting someone’s day. They ask questions and then try to help with what I am looking for.

For those of you who are old enough to remember the mom and pop stores that used to take care of all our needs, Trader Horn is one of those. Sadly, less of the smaller stores are surviving in the age of the mega stores and malls. We need to take care of our local small businesses so that we can still have the great service and experience that only seems to comes with the small shop. So go shop at Trader Horn’s and have a great Lafayette Day!

For Directions to Trader Horn follow the Google Map below.

Trader Horn Boot Center
1070 Sagamore Parkway West
West Lafayette, IN 47906-1446
(765) 463-2313

Google Map of Trader Horn Location in West Lafayette Indiana