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I'm always trying to figure out how to post a fabulous recipe without taking an hour to write it all out. Unfortunately.. I have a r-e-a-l-l-y hard time just putting up the ingredient list and directions without a short recap.
And then there's the recipe reviews.. of about 3 to be exact for this weeks Bavarian Soft Pretzel's. Yes.. I wasn't satisfied with the 1st, 2nd, or even 3d! So my recipe is a culmination of what I liked from all three and an "ixnay" (nix, nada, zip) of what just didn't work for me.
|First pretzel batch. Great risen dough and egg washed shiny!
The 2nd. batch was SO interesting! It was straight from a German Octoberfest web site that I thought would be fool safe. The first indication that this was going to be intriguing is that it called for NO rise time. NONE!! Not even a rest. Another "hmmm". But hay, no rest or rise time means my family can expect pretzels sooner and I can get on to the rest of the activities during my busy day. Also had no fat.. just yeast, water, flour, salt and brown sugar. I loved the flavor of the brown sugar. Come to find out, it was supposed to replicate the barley malt syrup flavoring that many original recipe's call for. This recipe also called for a lye water bath. One day, when I get up the nerve, I will order lye and give my german pretzels a proper water bath. But loe, this was not going to be the week. As I did more reading on the lye solution, I came to understand that it gives the pretzels their dark color characteristic with a more crunchy exterior and soft interior. I like the soft_soft.. so the baking soda solution suited me fine. This pretzel came out of the oven "tasting" very similar to the pretzels I remember on Hoffman St. in Philadelphia when I was a young girl. But the similarities stopped there. It quickly became hard and chewy and the least favorite among my kids.
The 3d batch of pretzels was so much closer to what I wanted from a true Bavarian Soft Pretzel.
It called for a dough rest and rise. The soda solution was weaker only 2 Tbsp. compared to the stronger solutions in the other recipes. White sugar instead of brown, a fat added by way of margarine (which you will NEVER catch me using), and it called for NO egg wash. Yay!! It clarified in the recipe that the lye or soda water bath was also the glazing step. Most of the german recipes omitted any egg wash in the recipes. So, I also omitted it.
Umm, I'm not sure the pretzels had that shiny glazing that I liked with the first one, but I was thrilled with the taste.. other than the malt or molasses flavor I would have preferred with the brown sugar.
My conclusion, this recipe I have adapted from what I thought to be the best of ingredients and prep styles to get just the right chewiness and texture for an original soft pretzel.
I hope you enjoy this recipe.. and If you do make it.. PLEASE come back to tell me how you fared!!
For leftovers.. which I hope you don't have, they say you can store them in a plastic bag and re-heat for 15-20 seconds. I prefer the no-leftover rule, because pretzels always taste the best right out of the oven.. dipped in mustard or your favorite cheese sauce!
xo Laurie m. Vengoechea
Bavarian Soft Pretzel's
yield one dozen pretzels
By Laurie M. Vengoechea
1 cup warm water between 105° and 110°F
2 ½ tsp. active dry bread yeast or 1 packet
2 Tbsp. melted butter brought to room temperature
2 3/4 cups bread flour
½ tsp. Sea or Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. barley malt syrup (if possible) or 1 Tbsp. Brown sugar
5 Tbsp. baking soda
7-8 cups water
Coarse Grey Sea Salt
*I use Sel Gris De Gue'rande that I buy at my local spice merchant
*I use Sel Gris De Gue'rande that I buy at my local spice merchant
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup warm water and packet of yeast.
Let stand for a few minutes till it foams up. Add 1 ½ cups of flour, 2 tbsp butter, ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp barley syrup or brown sugar. Mix well for around 3 minutes.
Let stand for a few minutes till it foams up. Add 1 ½ cups of flour, 2 tbsp butter, ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp barley syrup or brown sugar. Mix well for around 3 minutes.
Slowly mix in the remaining 1 1/4 cups of flour, knead dough until all of the flour is mixed in and dough loses its stickiness.
Set aside in bowl and let it rise until dough doubles in size.
Divide dough into twelve equal pieces. Using the palms of your hands, roll each piece into about 12"-18" length coils. The original Bavarian pretzel has thinner ends and a thicker middle. Twist and loop the lengths into pretzel shapes and place on greased or parchment lined baking sheets. Put a horizontal slit on the bottom thickest part of the pretzel. Allow pretzels to rise again for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Have a pot of boiling water with baking soda for the alkaline solution ready. With a plastic spatula, carefully place 1 pretzel at a time into the boiling baking soda solution for 15-20 seconds. It will float around the top of pot. This solution adds a glaze to the pretzels as well as gives them there soft texture. Take out and drain on wire rack and then transfer to pre-pared baking sheets.
Sprinkle with course sea salt or pretzel salt.
Sprinkle with course sea salt or pretzel salt.
Bake in pre-heated oven for approximately 18 to 20 minutes. Enjoy hot with mustard or cheese!


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How drought has forced a new constitutional transition in Australian water law
Colloquium – Co-Sponsored by WRRC and Geography and Regional Development
Please make a note of the location for this seminar – see directions below
Title: How drought has forced a new constitutional transition in Australian water law – the legal issues.
Speaker: Jennifer McKay, Director of the Centre for Comparative Water Policies and
Law and professor of Business Law at the University of South Australia.
Date: Friday, February 20, 2009
Time: 3:30 – 4:30 pm
Location: Harvill Building, Room 404
The Harvill Building is located at 1103 N. 2nd Street.
Paid parking is available at the Park Ave. garage (NE corner of Park and Speedway).
Use the Speedway underpass just east of the garage, continue south along the walkway, the Harvill Building will be on your left (east) side.
Driving directions to the Harvill Bldg – From Speedway Blvd., turn south on Park Ave. and then east on 2nd Street. The building is about a block in on the north side.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wednesday, November 12, 2008
WFMW: Treating a Cold
I'm a total whiner when it comes to being sick, but having a sick family is 1000 times worse. Now that "they" have taken away all medication for kids under 6 (because a bunch of stupid parents didn't know how to READ LABELS and calculate CORRECT doses, I might add...) we have to get creative in treating our sniffly, sick kids.
Here are my best tips and tricks:
1) Vapo-Rub - Johnson's and Vicks each make a baby formula of Vapo-Rub that no one has tried to take away yet. Smear it on their little chests at night so that they can sleep if they're snuffly.
2) Hot tea with honey - Apparently "they" have decided that kids can't have honey until they're 2 years old now. Whatever. Claire had already started drinking tea with honey by the time the doctor shared the new recommendation with me, so I'm playing fast and loose with this one and giving it to her anyway. She's 20 months old, for Pete's sake. I make half a cup of tea, add the honey, and then fill the cup with cold water. It's warm, not hot, but it seems to soothe scratchy throats and stuffy noses.
3) Chicken soup - Canned chicken soup is for the birds. Make your own. Use broth or bouillon, a piece of cut up chicken (or a can, in a pinch), some mixed veg from the freezer, and some egg noodles. It seriously doesn't take any more time to make than a can of soup, and it tastes SO much better. I add garlic and a bit of crushed red pepper to mine, which really helps the stuffies.
4) Use wipes on the nose - Kleenex is great (buy the extra soft for sick kiddos), but once their noses are all chapped and nasty, try using baby wipes instead, or a wet washcloth. It's soothing to the skin. Also, put some Vaseline on their faces (cheeks and under the nose, particularly) to prevent that chapped face look that is so common this time of year.
5) Tylenol/Ibuprofen - Hallelujah, these are still "ok" to use. I give a dose of Tylenol, then 3 hours later give ibuprofen, then 3 hours later give Tylenol, and so on, for maximum discomfort relief. If my kids still have livers by the time they're 10, it'll be a miracle, but my doctor said it was the way to do it...
6) Robitussin - I'm bad. I ignore recommendations. Fortunately, so does my doctor. Robitussin thickens up the mucus and helps them cough it up. Give it to them during the day. Be sure to call your doctor for the correct dose.
7) Benadryl - yeah, I know. No meds under 6. Blah blah blah. The people who said that don't have kids under 6. Call your doctor and get the dose for your child by weight (not age) and dope their little behinds up so you can sleep at night.
8) How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon - this book includes a line about getting sick "in a pail" and after eleventy trillion readings, MG now at least attempts to aim her puke for the pail.
9) Beach towels - who wants to do a million loads of laundry and care for sick kids? Put a towel under their head and shoulders in the bed, so if they miss the pail, you might be able to save the sheets if you act fast.
10) Vicks Early Defense - We used this a lot last winter, whenever we went to the museum, the library, the doctor's office, or any other germy place, and it really seemed to help keep us healthy.
11) Rest and hydrate - pop the kiddos in front of a movie with their tissues, their "pail," and their tea (or ginger ale) and let them veg. Now is not the time to be running around. Stay home as a public service to others, and relax your rules about television watching until everyone feels better.
12) Enlist help - if you're sick too (God forbid) find a sympathetic relative to come help you out. My mother in law came and helped out last time we were really sick, so we're going to take extra good care of her when she's old. I'm just sayin'. :)
Those are my best tips for caring for sick kiddos... Please leave yours in the comments!!
Visit Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer for more Works for me Wednesday tips!!
10 comments:
- Lorie said...
Very nice!
My SIl went out and bought a TON of childrens meds before they removed them from the shelves! And I am all about correctly dosing the medicine for older kids! I have a great doctor who always gives you a sheet with this helpful info after each visit!
- November 12, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Corn Syrup for the mucus, a nurse told us about it and it's a life saver. Give it before nap or bedtime (about a table spoon or two teaspoons) It helps them sleep.
- November 12, 2008 at 12:23 PM
In lieu of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, try Un-Petroleum Jelly. The list of ingredients doesn't look nearly as scary.
- November 12, 2008 at 12:41 PM
- Kathryn said...
I am pretty sure corn syrup is on the same no no list with honey - it has to do with the possibility that it might contain botulism spores - adult's immune systems can kill the spores, but small children's systems can't. You might want to check with your dr. before trying it.
- November 12, 2008 at 1:16 PM
- Baby Bunching said...
Great tips! We're going to feature this on Sunday as one of our bests at www.babybunching.com.
- November 12, 2008 at 2:00 PM
- Hillary Dunham said...
Great tips! I'd like to give an Amen to you, too, about the drugs. Come on!! I have a 46 pound 3 year old who has always been super big, so I have always thought he could take it. And he's still here, so that's good!
And, you can also put vicks vapor rub on their feet (and cover with socks, of course). I don't know how, but this little trick is magic! I did it for both of my kiddos last night!
- November 12, 2008 at 4:03 PM
- Vintage Dutch Girl said...
Thank you for the tips! I'm getting to that crazy frustrated "Mama's gonna blow!" phase of my Bubbalu being sick.
- November 12, 2008 at 9:52 PM
- Amy said...
I tried the Vicks on the feet thing tonight - I will let you know how it goes!
I had never heard of un-petroleum jelly - I'll have to see if I can find it here. Got a brand name?
Baby Bunching - KEWL! Thanks!!
- November 12, 2008 at 11:07 PM
- Erin said...
I still give Katelynn Diamatapp, per pediatrician's dosage whenever she gets stuffed up. That seems to work okay still. I know. I'm a rebel.
- November 13, 2008 at 9:29 AM
See unpetroleum.com.
- November 14, 2008 at 2:02 PM


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KEEN.....Adun Hiew with the old folks and members
The ADUN Luyang Office staffs led by Andrew Lee Chee Keong, the special assistant to Hiew King Cheu had conducted a visit to the Bethany Home in Taman Luyang Ph 5 which is a home for the elderly who needed special care and shelter. The ADUN Luyang Office organized the visit last Saturday with some cakes to celebrate Father's Day with the 28 senior citizens in the home.
They were absolutely happy and delighted to see visitors paying them a visit which made them felt that they were not being forgotten by the society. This is especially so when they have the company of the ADUN Luyang Hiew King Cheu who shared some light moments with them. The visitors also sang a few songs to entertain the senior citizens while they were enjoying their afternoon tea.
Hiew was informed by the person-in-charge of the home, Puan Esther Chien Thong Ping that the home has been there for ten years now and with a government welfare department permit. She said the home is not receiving government aids, and it is depending on the money from the families of the senior citizens.
There are 7 staffs in the home taking care of the people, and this is a tough job because some of the older folks are incapable in walking and sitting up. The staffs also have to prepare the regular meals according to the health condition of the people here.
Puan Esther Chien said she welcomes visitors to come to the home, because the old folks there would be able to share the warmth and cares brought in by the visitors.
Hiew praised the good work provided by Puan Esther Chien and her family in providing a home for the elderly folks who are really in need of care and friendship. The home has provided them exactly that, because in there they found new friends and mates, and their lives have become lively and interesting again.
This was observed during the visit in the home. Hiew encouraged the people in Taman Luyang should go and visit the home which is just next to Luyang Phase 5 playground and Tman Kinamount. Please contact 088-241 451 for more information.


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Plants, animals, and people living in Coastal North Carolina are influenced by large, shallow bodies of water, called "Sounds." The Sound's daily influence can be a challenge or a gift. The word "sound" also means "in good condition; not damaged, injured, or diseased." Sound Harvest and Garden will try to reflect both those meanings, as I aim for sound vegetables, herbs, chickens, eggs, and ornamentals, all from my home by Core Sound.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Swarm and capture!
Loretta's hive swarmed! Here you see the bees clustering on the outside of the original hive, waiting for the queen to fly so they can leave with her. The other two photos are of the swarm marching up a pillowcase carpet, into the new hive, where the queen has been shaken. That is one of the most fascinating things you have ever seen. They are settled and happy, at least for now.
Monday, April 20, 2009
New germination, new colors, big harvests
With the weather finally warming a bit, I have transplanted tomatoes into the garden and have planted squash, cucumbers, beet, carrots, and bean seeds (along with some basil and cayenne pepper seed to see if I can get some plants from direct seeding this year). Here you see a seedling squash, which is just emerging in one of my ornamental beds. That is the only place I had room for vining crops this summer.
The beautiful purple flower stalks are the first of the baptisia this year, and the red salvia is flowering for the first time in my garden. Both my small and my large varieties of Indian Hawthorne are in full flower as of Saturday (white on the small and pink on the large), and they look and smell amazing. I am sorry there isn't enough room for photos of them as well; maybe later this week.
I had to include a photo of the vegetable bed that holds all of the greens, the sugar snap peas, the cauliflower, bok choy, mustard, and now new tiny seedling beets and carrots. I gave all my vegetables and my strawberries a dose of fertilizer last week, and the effect really shows. If your plants seem to be just sitting still in the garden and not growing, consider whether some Nitrogen is in order.
Finally look at this beautiful Russian kale. These plants were from last fall, and I have been harvesting on and off all winter. Despite their large size, the leaves are very tender, and I chopped the stems along with the greens for a wonderful pan of sauteed greens that made a great base for some salmon and a drizzle of basalmic vinegar.
The bees are working all the flowers, but so far they are not putting away any honey. I hope this year to get a great honey crop, rather than just producing lots of swarms.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Happy Easter/Spring
Happy Easter/Spring. What a beautiful, if cool, day. Enjoy these few photos of new blooms and vegetables in their glory. Coral honeysuckle peeks from under fennel, spirea looks whiter than any white has ever looked, and peas, tuscan kale, cauliflower, mustard greens, young lettuces, purple bok choy, and leeks grow together into a wonderful pattern of colors, shapes and textures.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Big changes this week
The rain and warm weather this week led to some big changes in the garden. Everything, whether greens that had overwintered from fall plantings or tomatoes just placed in the ground, seemed to double in size overnight. The sugar snap peas have blossoms and the brand new strawberry plants have berries. In the ornamental beds, the native Fothergill (which likes wet feet and is in my rain garden bed) is covered in fuzzy, white flowers. I harvested huge bouquets of kale and mustard, and even shared some with the hens.
The biggest change was in Loretta's bee hive. Remember that two weeks ago I saw that the top brood box was full of last year's honey, and I planned to remove some to open up the hive for more brood and to encourage the bees to move into the honey supers? Well, yesterday I opened the hive . . . and found that the top box was now full of capped brood! All that honey had been either eaten or moved, and hundreds of new baby bees had taken its place. The hive was packed with bees, three medium brood boxes full of brood, and I did see one queen cell. Despite all this, they had not moved up into the honey super! So, it looks like this hive is ready to begin again with last year's swarm, swarm, swarm mentality. Let's wait and see; maybe next week I will find a full honey super up above all those new baby bees.
Finally, yes, I know it is early to have tomatoes in the garden. That is why I have a full, matching set of individual hot caps, made from milk cartons, to place over those plants at night this week when the temperatures plunge.
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The Millions : A Passion for Immortality: On the Missing Pulitzer and the Problem with Prizes
All in all, I would urge readers to not pay too much attention to big prestigious literary prizes. In a perfect world, I would wish for every writer a magical bag of money that is never empty (to level the financial question) and simply do away with them all: no Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, no National Book Award, no PEN/Faulkner, no Man Booker, no Nobel Prize in Literature. Let writers write, let critics have their say, let readers read, let time decide.
It doesn't really matter, though. Even without the magic moneybags, and even with the swells of cacophonic hype surrounding all the literary prizes and all the literary darlings of any given moment, history will plod on, and the Ozymandias of now will be the half-sunk and shattered visage of later. F. Scott Fitzgerald, who never won a Pulitzer, will remain F. Scott Fitzgerald, and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Booth Tarkington will remain Booth Tarkington. And anyway, I am absolutely certain there have been many writers the equal of Fitzgerald who, through their own bad luck or other people's bad taste, were never published and never read, let alone given prizes, and it's especially to these unknown soldiers of literature that I raise my glass. John Kennedy Toole killed himself believing he was doomed to be one of them, and he most certainly would have been, had his mother not accosted Walker Percy years later with his manuscript of A Confederacy of Dunces, which went on to win a twelve-years-posthumous Pulitzer Prize. It was a nice gesture.
- The Millions : The Game's Afoot: The Case of the Mystery Genre's Terrible SecretIf you've ever felt let down by the end of a mystery novel, there's a good reason why. The biggest secret in crime fiction is that there are really only, like, four ways to tie up a mystery, and I'm going to show you all of them in 1,200 words. Get ready to have an entire genre irrevocably spoiled.
- Of readers and their rights – Analysis – DNAPennac examines three fundamental issues: how much small children love hearing stories; how wonderful it is when they discover they can put letters together and actually read; and how between parents and schools, we push kids away from books in the years that follow…
There are habits that foster reading — we all evolve these instinctively for ourselves as readers. Pennac calls these 'reader's rights'. It's just that when we become parents and teachers, we forget them…
As parents and educators, our job is simply to enable kids to read. Whether they read later or not is their choice. As Pennac reminds us, while it's fine for a child to grow up and reject reading, 'it's totally unacceptable for someone to feel that they have been rejected by reading'
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.


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Next Class Starts on 01-31-2017
The Baytown Citizen's Police Academy is a unique experience conducted by the Police Department and designed to give citizens a better understanding of the day-to-day operation and mission of the Baytown Police Department. The program allows citizens an opportunity to view the inner workings of the Police Department.
This 8 week course will meet on Tuesday evenings from 6:30pm – 9pm. Each week a new topic is discussed including SWAT, use of force, crime-scene investigation, gangs, and K – 9
Participation in the academy is open to persons at least 18 years of age who live or work in the City of Baytown. Applications are screened for a criminal history to assure the integrity of the class
An application for the upcoming class can be found online or picked up at 220 W Defee.


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Archive for the 'Melissa Rycroft' Category
It has become known that Melissa Rycroft, reality star, can be expecting her first kid.
Access Hollywood's Billy Bush was told by one of co-hosts of "The Bachelor Pad" earlier this week that Melissa had total food aversion.
The brunette confesses that she still has a lot of time to think about pregnancy-related food preferences.
She said that they were due at the very end of February.
After Billy asked her whether the kid could be born on the romantic holiday, Melissa Rycroft replied that, of course, it could happen to be a Saint Valentine's baby. However, it was not up to her to decide the timing.
Melissa said that she together with Tye hadn't still chosen a name for their child yet. She laughed that she hadn't thought about their kid's future name at all.
Melissa is definitely more preoccupied with the forthcoming season of "Bachelor Pad," the spin-off show of "Bachelor/Bachelorette." The show's premiere will be on ABC on Monday at 9 PM. If you are not aware, Rycroft's co-host will be Chris Harrison.
She laughed that it felt far much better standing next to Harrison that standing across from him. In this phrase the star referred to Season 13 of "The Bachelor," on which she participated.


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Reporting: Monessa Guilfoil
The Folk School of Chattanooga says:
What in the world is a "Folk Stomp"?
Think of a high-energy dance, stomping your feet to the music, gathering with friends and family in the stomping grounds of St. Elmo, throwing down your boot and exclaiming, "I am here! Let's PLAY!"
The first ever Folk Stomp will be held at the St. Elmo Fire Hall on July 25, 26, & 27, a hands-on music and arts festival including: kids camp, lunchtime concerts, teen music meet-ups, jam sessions, workshops for the whole family, concerts, dancing, great food, and great beer.
The Folk Stomp is a benefit for the Folk School of Chattanooga.
This three day event will be packed with activities and includes performances by many Chattanooga favorites like Slim Pickins, Moonslew, Lon Eldridge, Matt Evans and Christie Burns, Bob Chuckrow and Ed Huey.
Sponsors include Brown Dog Construction, Lyndhurst Foundation, Velo Roasters, Famous Nater's, Yin Yang house and Fletcher Bright Company.
Listen to the Story with Folk School of Chattanooga Co-Founder, Christie Burns:
Tags: 2011, Christie Burns, Folk School of Chattanooga, Folk Stomp


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Law School Symposium-UC Hastings
Old Risks Meet the New Economy: Insurance Issues for the 21st Century
By Sherilyn Pastor, McCarter & English LLP; William Berk, Berk, Merchant & Sims, PLC; Neil Rambin, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Presented at the 2018 ACCEC Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Twenty-eight ACCEC Fellows participated in presentations and served on panels at the American Bar Association Section of Litigation's Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual CLE Seminar. The seminar celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the ICLC's meeting with three days of cutting-edge programming. Fellows Walter Andrews, Mary Craig Calkins, John Mathias, Jerry Oshinsky and Ray Wong participated in a plenary session entitled "Insurance Coverage Litigation – 30 Years of Lessons Learned," moderated by John Mumford. "Hot Topics for ICLC's 40th – The Coverage Battles of 2028" was moderated by John Buchanan. Dan Bailey addressed "What's New in the Challenging World of D&O Insurance." Fellows David Goodwin, Lorelie Masters and JeffreyStemple gave an update on "Restatement of the Law, Liability Insurance: Is the Sky Falling?" Mary Borja, James Cooper and Anthony Leuin presented "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" Trends and Cutting-Edge Strategies for Pleading, Prosecuting and Defending Rescission Claims." John Bonnie and Laura Hanson participated in "Laugh Until You Cry: Obscure, Peculiar and Overlooked State Laws that Can Crater a Case Before It Gets Of The Ground." Vincent Morgan participated in "Harvey, Irma, and Maria – Coverage and Litigation Issues." Christine Haskett spoke on "The Power of the Unconscious: Of Course I'm Not Biased or Am I?" David Schoenfeld participated in the panel "The 'Next Asbestos' Will Be … Asbestos: Why the Insurance Industry's Biggest Problem Won't Go away Anytime Soon." Marion Adler, Bill Barker and Neil Posner addressed ethics issues in "Conflicts Among Insurers, Insureds and Independent Counsel: Ethical Considerations." Helen Michael parachuted in to speak on "The Nuts & Bolts of Insurance Coverage Litigation: A Toolkit for Young Insurance Coverage Lawyers." Roundtable discussions were led by Fellows John Vishneski ("Sometimes Offense is the Best Defense"), Matthew Jacobs (Coverage for "Other Entities"), and David Attisani ("Reinsurance in a Material World"). Established in 1988, the Section of Litigation's ICLC Committee is currently co-chaired by two Fellows, Angela Elbert and John Mumford. Fellow Ernest Martin is Vice Chair of the Committee.
Law360 has formed its 2018 Insurance editorial advisory board, the purpose of which is to get feedback on Law360's coverage and gain insight from experts in the field on how best to shape future coverage. ACCEC Fellows Lorie Masters, Sheri Pastor, and Steve Pate have been appointed to serve on the Advisory Board. Click here to read more.
Click here for our Member News Archive.


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Bronwyn is working extremely hard on her Auntie Green to have it ready for the next class and I am sure you will agree with me that Bronwyn's quilt is looking gorgeous. All of the ladies in class may be suffering from sore fingers and tired eyes due to the amount of stitching required but I know that all would agree in an instance that they are thrilled and proud to be making this historic quilt. We are all looking forward to sharing the next installment with Sue this weekend. Stay tuned for an update and more images after the weekend.
Still filled with the excitement of sharing the weekend with Wendy I have been working on 9 patches for my Growing Up. They are absolutely delicious. This is not the only project that I have been working on…….new fabrics……..new quilts. I have also been playing with 1862 Battle Hymn...…..borders have yet to be decided on but so far so good.
Super Scrappy is a new pattern, which arrived today. Easy to read, cute little pattern card which Majella and I thought would look fantastic made up in Kaffe and friends. A few little easy steps…..
Final selection
Chopped to size
Wrapped ready to buy
One of the beautiful voiles for the back and ta dah a yummy quilt…..…
hey I'm not that quick……..stay tuned……
Dreams are like stars….you may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead to your destiny.
Yours in stitching………lisa


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December 7, 2013, on a clear, cold night, a sold out crowd filled an arena in Redwood City, CA, and witnessed Bruno Escalante best Miguel Ruiz, Jr. via 10 round majority decision to win the IBA junior bantamweight continental championship and saw a slew of Northern California prospects all defeat their opponents.
Promoters Don Chargin Productions and Paco Presents have found a home for Bay Area club shows in the back gymnasium of an indoor sports facility aptly named the Sports House. Located south of San Francisco, the Sports House is within easy driving distance for the local boxers and their gyms, family and friends – the ticket buyers. A busy night of televised boxing on both HBO and Showtime did not keep the fans away.
The ring sat in the middle of a high ceiling steel building partially covered with plywood walls. Indoor heating was not to be found. With only a smattering of spectators still donning their winter coats and hats fifteen minutes before the announced start, the night looked to be frigid and lonely. But the fans kept filing in and filing in, the beers lines kept expanding, and the crowds of leering men surrounding the ring card girls for pictures continued to swell. By the time the opening bell sounded forty minutes after the scheduled start, the room was full with over 1300 people of all ages and races, letting their guard down, smiling, laughing and drinking, a boxing crowd, ready for some fights.
The main event, a 10 round junior bantamweight bout, featured Redwood City, Ca. based Bruno 'The Aloha Kid' Escalante, 11(5)-1-1, against Michael Ruiz, Jr., 9(3)-4-1, of Fresno. Serenaded with ranchero music, Ruiz entered the ring in white sequined trunks trimmed with the red and green of the national flag of Mexico. A handful of fans appeared to have made the four-hour drive to support him. When the opening refrains of Kanye West's 'Clique' hit the sound system, the large portion of the arena that made up Bruno Escalante's fans stood to cheer his entrance to the ring. Escalante wore red shoes and black trunks adorned with patches of the flag of his native Philippines and the flag of his childhood home of Hawaii.
Bruno Escalante fights out of the southpaw stance and usually uses his quickness of hand and foot to land sharp counter crosses and lead hooks against advancing right-handed boxers. Tonight, he faced another southpaw in Ruiz, and both men were left without their usual advantage of facing boxers unaccustomed to seeing punches throw from the opposite side.
Round one saw Escalante landing his jab to the body and the head and, on occasion, landing hooks to the body. He was quicker to the punch. While the round was largely uneventful, the jab, the bodywork and quickness were the foundation that Escalante's eventual victory was built on.
Escalante won the 2nd round with a good body attack. Ruiz changed the tide of the fight in the 3rd finding success in the mid range and winning the exchanges, landing the harder punches and slowing Escalante's offensive output. Ruiz continued to press the action in the 4th, closing the gap and catching Escalante on the tail end of the weaving and pivoting exits that Escalante had used to previous success. Ruiz was landing his left and Escalante could not get off his punches. Ruiz was growing in confidence.
Round 5 was the pivotal round of the fight and the best round of the whole night. Ruiz began the round strongly landing a hard hook to the body followed by a rear uppercut and a lead hook to the head. Then, Escalante swung the momentum of the fight hurting Ruiz with a left hook to the body and following it up with both hands, throwing brutal, full power, digging hooks to the body. Ruiz was in trouble and Escalante went for the kill throwing bombs and landing lead hooks to the head, a 3-2 and a 1-6 combination before the bell. Ruiz fought back to end the round, but he would never be the same.
Ruiz had lost the steam that allowed him to close the distance to create a mid range fight. Without a good jab or the ability to throw from the clinch, Ruiz was unable to create offense. His lead hook, an effective weapon against an orthodox boxer, fell short against Escalante, who boxed beautifully the remainder of the fight working off the jab and weaving, ducking and pivoting away from danger.
Both fighters and corners graciously shook hands after the fight. The referee took hold of the boxers center ring for the result. The ring announcer, standing in a neutral corner, revealed a 95-95, 98-92, 97-93 majority decision. Eager with anticipation, Escalante smiled, eyes bright, knees bent, and feet inching toward the announcer, looking like he would run across ring into the announcer's arms if he heard his name as the winner. And heard his name he did. Surrounded by his team Escalante proudly put on his new IBA championship belt.
In the co-feature, San Francisco's Jonathon Chicas, 12(5)-1, knocked out Rodolfo Armenta, 13(10)-12-1, of Los Mochis, Mexico, in the first round. Chicas, wearing the blue of El Salvador, continued his development into a more patient puncher from his earlier more aggressive days. Chicas dropped Armenta early with a straight, classic jab-cross combination. When the wobbly Armenta was allowed to continue, Chicas didn't rush in wild for the knockout, but used his jab until he could land the uppercut that drove Armenta to the corner. Only then did he unleash, finishing the onslaught with a left hook that dropped Armenta hard, causing the ref to stop the fight without a count.
In an entertaining, though one-sided and often ugly, four round junior welterweight fight, Darwin Price, 4(2)-0, of St. Louis, Mo., and training out of Salinas, Ca., defeated Vicente Guzman, 0-3-1. To say Guzman boxes in a crude style is to insult those who hit people over the head with rocks and live in caves. But, he is very strong and comes to fight, even if his fighting is more mauling than anything else. The highly athletic Price, who has been spending time sparring with Marcos Maidana, is long and lean and has the makings of an elegant boxer.
In the first, Price did all the proper things when dealing with a bull rush. He jabbed hard, mix it with the cross and with rear uppercuts when Guzman got close. Price is an extremely accurate puncher and found a home for his right hand by bringing it around to the side of Guzman's head. Guzman, grabbed, held, head locked, pushed his forearm in Price's neck, he did what he does. By the end of the 2nd Guzman began to slow after taking repeat uppercut-hook and double jab right hand combinations . My notes of the final two rounds have Price landing too many combinations to list, though he did do a bit of grabbing and holding as well.
Price's preschool age daughters did not want to wait to hear the across the board 40-36 decision. They climbed the ring steps to see their dad, one with her thumb in her mouth and the other with her stuffed animal dog tucked safely away in its carrying case. By the fourth round of the following bout, they got their wish and were sitting in their daddy's lap ringside.
Junior lightweight and former amateur standout from San Jose, Ca., Andy Vences, 6(2)-0, entered the ring in gold and black tiger stripe trunks and with plenty of support from his fans armed with camera phones recording his fight. He faced southpaw Victor Capaceta, 3(2)-5-3, of Tijuana, Mexico. Vences spent the first two rounds standing strong in the center of the ring and looking to land hard punches, as both counters and surprise leads. Capaceta touched Vences, but not with any mustard that required Vences to take serious notice. Vences was faster, stronger and with far better technique. Vences was surprising inactive in the third, but returned to form in the 4th to go on to winning a UD.
Returning to action following a brutal knockout loss, San Francisco junior middleweight Ricard Pinell, 6(5)-1-1, went back to winning, knocking out Arturo Brambila, 9(4)-21-2, at 2:55 of the 2nd round.
Jabbing and circling clockwise for almost the entire fight, San Jose light heavyweight Tony Johnson, 7(2)-0, survived a first round knee buckling right hand and lots of looks of disdain from Sinoloa's Alfredo Contreras, 13(5)-17-2, boxing his way to a 58-56 UD.
Welterweight Chris Batista, 1-0, of Medera, Ca. won his pro debut over, Venito Salazar, 0-1.


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We had such a special Easter this year!
The Saturday before Easter was my birthday. We celebrated by going out for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and then dying Easter Eggs.
The kids got all kinds of Easter goodies.
On Easter morning we ate our boiled eggs and then went to church.
This year we are a host family to an international student at UNT. We have loved getting to know our student, Emma. She is from China and is the sweetest thing ever! Emma came to church with us and then joined us for Easter lunch.
We also had our friends, the Han Family, over for lunch. It was so fun and special to spend Easter with all of them!
The kids hunted eggs and then smashed cascarones! All of this was new and exciting for Emma!
Baylor even got Easter lunch!
To top off the evening, Mig accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior on Easter night! I can not think of a better way to celebrate the resurrection than that! What a way to celebrate Easter!
Praise the Lord for Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross and his victory over death! Praise the Lord that we can stand and say, "Oh, death, where is your sting? Our resurrected King has rendered you defeated!"


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From this book I have made the Tandori Chicken recipe for the grill, fantastic flavor and even though the recipe says you have to marinade it forever I came home from work or something and didn't marinade it in the morning and only used about 20 minutes of marinating on the counter and it was very flavorful.
** See the post for that here.
I have also made the turkey sausage with cheddar cheese grits & tomato sauce. I really liked this simple dish, it is made with prepared turkey sausage after all and if you substitute quick grits then this is an easy whip up weeknight meal. My husband didn't care for the sausage, I might have used a chicken sausage actually now that I really think on it, versus Turkey but regardless he didn't care for the texture. I don't believe I did a post on this recipe though, it might have been pre-blog.
I have also made the arroz con pollo dish from here as well. A great all-in-one meal chicken, veggie, and rice all cooking in one pot. I really liked this meal, and now that the weather is getting colder but I still have some leftover veggies from summer this would be a great dish to throw in random veggies to "use them up" before they went bad. Again I am thinking I made this meal pre-blog as I don't have a post for it in my archives.
I not only like this book for the pictures, and easy family style meals but it also pairs it with a wine selection/recommendation, it is by Food & Wine magazine for cryin' out loud. All and all a very good buy,
I give it 4 out of 4 forks!


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Blimey.. new Blogger has finally caught up with me and it certainly is super-smooth. I'm impressed. Not so impressed with my lack of dedication to writing though.. and I don't know if I'll get it back, but it's worth a try.
Summer, such as it was, has been and gone in Brighton. This year we had torrential rain just like everyone else, and then a lovely few weeks in August. So, I'm suntanned and look as if I've been somewhere hot - but no such luck. Only the Skate Park, the Paddling Pool and the beach, and we had lots of picnics. That doesn't sound too bad, does it?
What have I got to write about? Well, I'm getting together all my family history stuff: old diaries, photographs and anything I can find to put into an autobiography - which sounds a rather grand title for what I have in mind. It's something I have been wanting to do for quite a while, and this year it seemed to me that I'd better get a move on. After all, we don't live forever, though we might like to think we do! Talking to my sister about this has thrown up some surprises too, because she remembers so much more stuff than I do, and she remembers things differently too, which just shows that every memory is personal and seen from a different point of view. Sadly, my Sister is the only person left that I can compare notes with: our parents and grandparents, aunts, uncles etc are all long gone - and they've left behind scant details: only the odd scrap of paper or faded photograph. But, strangely, no letters or other pieces of writing. This is odd, especially considering that they all wrote letters, cards and notes to each other all the time, principally because that was the only means of communication. We did have a telephone, but very rarely used it (and my Grandmother - my Father's mother - was so suspicious of any new technology that she simply wouldn't use the phone). It's even odder to me since I have always written things down. I've kept old poems, dreadful short stories and other bits and pieces that I wrote many years ago; in fact the only things I did throw away were old love letters and poems written to and for me. And I really wish I hadn't done that now...
Anyway, that's my preoccupation at the moment. So I'm surrounded by boxes and envelopes full of old photos and I'm sorting through old files, letters, diaries and notebooks. It's probably going to take me ages, but I have this urgent desire to leave something tangible for my children (and grandchildren) to read and relate to, so that they will know where I came from and where they have come from. A bit of family history will at least be some kind of record, albeit from my point of view. I'll let you know how it goes.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Time to Write it Down...
Posted by A Mother's Place is in the Wrong at 3:06 PM 2 comments:
Labels: Summer. Family History.
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Returned a while ago from the 11:00 showing of "Star Trek Into Darkness" (really liking the omission of the obligatory colon), with friends, old and new. It is difficult to believe that it's been four years since I reviewed its predecessor.
Clearly, JJ Abrams and his team have been using the time wisely and well!
There have been reviewers (who I am feeling heartily unmotivated to search out, and who, frankly, I do not believe deserve the traffic) who have decried this as a smashing action movie which has nothing to do with The Spirit Of Star Trek.
I can state with unassailable Trekker credentials that, whatever it is they have been smoking should be tested forthwith for all manner of unsavory additives.
This impeccably-paced, visually arresting piece of cinema is positively redolent with all that is finest in Trek. And I'm not just talking about the cornucopia of deft homages (I'll get back to that). It's all here: the Prime Directive, the needs of the many, the emerging triumvirate of Spock (Reason), McCoy (emotion/empathy), and Kirk (Will), the spectre of the Kobayashi Maru, the moral balance between expediency and justice, the triumph of the competent geek....you get the picture.
This. Is. Trek.
End of report.
Yes, the story blazes through set-piece after set-piece...but not in a jagged, fragmented way, and not just for action's sake. The fact that Star Trek may now be painted on a broader, more frenetic canvas does not diminish its fidelity to the franchise one jot. Sheesh!
One of the things that has (to coin a phrase) fascinated me about this new Trek is the way that the alternate time-line allows for the opportunity to explore the Deep Question of what sorts of things will tend to diverge from an altered set of initial conditions (a la Butterfly Effect), and what sorts of things will display a more durable tendency to occur, despite those altered conditions.
Toward the end of the first movie, the characters' personalities --despite wildly different life histories, as a result of Nero's rending of the Trek Prime timeline-- had begin to coalesce into their familiar configurations (with a number of twists). The promise of this has put my fears to rest by receiving a wildly satisfying payoff in this second iteration of the new franchise. Each of the beloved characters is given something Important to do, something which allows us to see how they are both known and new.
Similarly, there are aspects of the Federation which resonate in familiar ways to those who are conversant in the various series and movies from the Trek Prime universe. But the rippling consequences of the changes which spawned this new timeline have had far-ranging consequences whose implications become clear as the film reveals its secrets (a privilege I am resolved to not usurp in this review!). There are resonances with the Trek which we know....but they are just that: resonances. These are not retreads, nor slavish repetitions. Echoes of events which unfolded as we know them from the familiar Trek universe are present (and many more foreshadowed). But they all bear the stamp of the new conditions under which they arise, and so they retain their ability to surprise. And surprise they do!
Naturally, this makes my inner Chaos/Complexity Theory Geek emit all manner of undignified SQUEES!
All that said, this is a very entertaining film! I had the pleasure of seeing a special preview of the first 9 minutes of it, attached to The Hobbit, back in December. Although the Peter Jackson Extravaganza that followed all-but obliterated those 9 minutes, enough of a trace remained that I was TERRIBLY excited to see what would follow. And I was not the least bit disappointed. The blend of genuinely funny humor and jaw-dropping eye and ear candy is very much still in evidence here.
You. Will. NOT. Be. Bored.
Could I predict a few of the plot twists ahead of time? Sure. Did it telegraph these a bit? Yup. But it was neither insultingly obvious nor maddeningly coy about this. Were there sleeper subplots which languished, unrevisited, till the story required them to re-emerge? Sure. But not every story needs to be told in detail, if the telling will derail the overall tale (that's what Deleted Scenes are for!).
Suffice to say that, long before the iconic Alexander Courage theme rang out at the end, I was SOLD on this New Trek's spirit, its reverence for its roots, and its...well...boldness to grow in truly different (but thematically consistent) directions from those roots.
It appears that the Final Frontier encompasses even wider expanses than we'd thought.
And I could not be any more ready to warp out and explore them!


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Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book blew me away. It took me a very long time for me to get to it and I'm pretty disappointed in myself for taking so damn long to get to it. I mean, VanderMeer has often be compared to the likes of Mervyn Peak, who is a damned genius and a huge inspiration on me. However, VanderMeer does not, in my view, draw solely from the likes of Peak. Sure, the descriptions are there, dolled out occasionally as a form of punctuation, a snare hit, hard and fast to really make the point.
No. VanderMeer is not only an acolyte of Peak. He takes some cues from the post modernists. His sentences can be short, sometimes vague in their briefness, sometimes painfully poignant in their simplicity. It reminds me a bit of Vonnegut in its economy and humanity and of Philip K. Dick in its strangeness and playfulness with reality.
And perhaps that there is one of the most engaging parts of this book: the way that VanderMeer takes the old Lovecraftian trope of coming across something odd, something that should not be contacted it and re-contextualized it so that it comes from the inside.
It's almost like body horror. But not quite. No, body horror implies something that VanderMeer does not employ in this story. What he does employ though, subtly, is a look at how what we are told, what our superiors divulge, what the media gives to us, is often what we take as truth, what we use to define the reality we inhabit. In this story we see that confrontation, that sinister realization that reality and truth are both malleable and that those who have power are often the ones that manipulate it.
Of course, there is another fascinating aspect to this story. It is clear that there is a city-scape, one that may even be the same as ours, and yet VanderMeer does not focus on that. Instead, with his nameless character, we get a glimpse at nature. Yet this is not the nature of our day, nor the nature of some idealized world without pollution or corporate greed to destroy it. This is the nature of a post-natural world. One that is violent and hostile and, perhaps, sentient.
This books is gothic and political. It shows the splendor of that wild, unknowable thing and the terror of it as well. It is clear from the beginning of this tale that VanderMeer has a great love of nature and a sort of reverence for it, even if it does not extend to the near religious reverence his main character has, the seed of that love surely exists within him.
Overall, this book was a mix of sheer beauty and sheer terror. But strange and awful and frightening in its unknowable nature and comforting, beautiful, and even inviting. A perfect synchronization of horror and beauty, this book is, undoubtedly, the best I've read this year. And I read a good deal of Gaiman this year so that really means something.
Well done, Mr. VanderMeer. Well done.
Get the Book here, at Amazon if you're interested!


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- Vivian's speech is just crazy lately. Like I'm actually starting to have conversations with her. The other day she burped then said, "What was that? Was that from me?"
- These lovely, cool fall nights can only mean one thing - I've busted out the heated blanket. I'm a big fan of the heated blanket. I just have a little one, so I like to use it like a giant heating pad. It's so nice since it's on a timer - it stays on just long enough to be warm and snuggly while falling asleep, but not so long that you end up sweating all night.
- See also - heated seats in the car.
- The new fall TV season has been quite impressive so far! Not many duds!
- I stopped by the Starbucks in a Target the other day, so it was just one of the little ones and only had one person working. After taking my order, the phone rang and my barista got caught on the phone for a few minutes. No big deal, I wasn't in a rush, things happen. But she was so apologetic for getting stuck on the phone while I waited that she gave me a coupon for a free beverage!
- BREAKING BAD. I know, I know, the whole world seems to be talking about it today, but seriously. It was a perfect finale to an amazing series. I loved it, loved it, loved it. Somehow Nikki Stafford managed to get a review up last night and it sums things up perfectly.
- I went to see Don Jon on the weekend with Jenn and Jeannette, and while it wasn't the greatest movie I've ever seen, I still really enjoyed it. It's probably not for everyone, but I thought it was really well done and interesting.
- Vivian also has taken to saying "Mommy, watch this!" and then doing something random and bizarre. Obviously this only reminds me of one thing.
...come to think of it, she does a lot of things that remind me of Stuart.


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Why the Tory hesitation over Ian Tomlinson's death?
Three cheers for David Howarth, the LibDem justice spokesman, for demanding a criminal inquiry into Ian Tomlinson's death following the release of footage by The Guardian.
The short clip clearly shows Mr. Tomlinson being aggressively pushed to the ground by a police officer. Of course, it is impossible to understand the possible rationale or motivation for the riot police's behaviour (that's why we need an inquiry, right?).
But where are the Tories on this issue?
If Her Majesty's Opposition really are "liberal" Conservatives as their leader insists, you'd expect them to be all over this issue like a rash.
No doubt, Chris Grayling and Dominic Grieve will decide what they think about the matter soon – but the fact that the LibDems have beaten them to the punch again does call into question whether the Tories will ever discover a liberal-inclined soul.
UPDATE: As of 6pm on Wenesday April 8th (more than twelve hours sicne the story started dominating the headlines), the Conervative Party's latest news section on their website STILL doesn't include a statement on the death of Ian Tomlinson.Tags: Grayling, Grieve, Howarth, Tomlinson


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Week To Buy A CEP Solution
We started the week with the news around TIBCO and StreamBase, we end the week with Software AG buying Apama from Progress Software. The reason for the purchase is given as:
the agreement to buy Apama for an undisclosed sum will enable it to combine the platform's ability to correlate and analyse multiple data streams in real time with its own low-latency messaging and in-memory technology for industries that need sub-second response times.
So pulling the above sentence apart:
- data streams = Apama
- in-memory = Terracotta
- low-latency messaging = webMethods Nirvana


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Have moved to Phillip island with my hubby and 2 doggies. I have left the daughter and the cat back in Gosford. I really hope that they will be fine and Imiss them both heaps, ok the daughter obviously more than the cat. My day is nothing exciting, walking the dogs, washing the clothes, cooking the food and painting lots of folk art cards, thats about it. Also watching aload of Dvd's too.
My diet is still bascially the same, am 65 kilos and doing ok. am off to the snow real soon, so that will be great. xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Friday, May 16, 2008
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pdf - Media Pack
To view goski media pack pdf - click here
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I am continually impressed by Lucy's ability to translate our written brief into a piece of creative. She approaches our projects with enthusiasm, always brainstorming her ideas before developing the final designs. It's great to work with an open-minded individual, who is responsive to our requirements, and has the vision and talent to develop designs that portrays our values in a clear and consistent manner.
Elise Bateman - PhysioFunction
I have been working with Lucy at 365 for a number of years. I have always been impressed by the quality of her design work, the rapid turnaround and her friendly advice. I would highly recommend 365 Creative to anyone looking for high quality creative work, no matter what your budget.
Matthew Napleton - Zizo
Copyright © 2014, 365 Creative. All Rights Reserved.


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Little Pieces of Me
By: Barbara Matousek
Three deep red lines wrap around my wrist, and although I've tucked them underneath the band of my Polar heart rate monitor, the sweat and constant motion have moved them up on my arm. I'm approaching mile marker 4 and I can hear Freebird blasting from an old country farm house on the right side of County Road 29. I wrapped the red string around my wrist last Tuesday night during an informal gathering for a friend preparing to have her second child. She was less than a week from her due date and her first child had been born two weeks early, so we were all surprised to be sitting there with her, still not knowing whether her second child was a boy or girl.
This wasn't the first mother blessing I'd been to. My friends had thankfully forced me to have one the week before Eva was born and many of my friends have since had their second child. I've witnessed candle burning and feet washing and lavender rubbing. I've told stories and presented beads and read excerpts from The Prophet. I've listened to prayers and sung songs and visualized easy births and smooth transitions. Every blessing has been different, tailored to the mommy-to-be. During our speeches to Robyn I admitted that I hadn't brought anything to read and no beads to present, but it was important to me to be there. I told the story of how Robyn had stopped at my house during a training ride last summer, how she had gotten off her bike and clip-clopped in to get some water, the back of her legs wet and covered with the dirt that had spun up at her during her 100+ miles of biking. She was the picture of strength, and she told me she was anxious about her upcoming triathalon. It was hard to believe that someone as strong and prepared and together as Robyn could ever have any doubt that she could do anything.
Before we stood in a circle and wrapped the red string around our wrists one at a time but after we'd all told Robyn how much we admire her strength, she showed us that she still had the string from Joy's blessing on her wrist. We were sitting in Joy's living room, her two-week-old daughter quietly asleep in the arms of another mother while Joy made sure we all got sparkling apple juice and homemade berry pie. Robyn told us all how she had accidentally cut through her livestrong bracelet when she cut off the hospital wristband after her son was born 2 and ½ years ago.
"I hadn't taken it off for 5 years before that," she said, "And just like that it was gone. I guess it meant I was starting a new chapter of my life."
I thought about this and how becoming a mother had meant putting so much of my own stuff on hold, how I'd nearly stopped reading and writing and running, how finding any time for myself meant I had to steal it in tiny snippets in between laundry and dishes and diapers changes, how only now, as Eva's on the verge of turning 18 months old, I'm just starting to return to those little pieces of me that have been scattered.
As County Road 29 becomes Fremont Street, I jog the slight incline and come around the corner on to Main Street. People line the sidewalks and at the top of the hill I can hear them announcing runners' names as they cross the finish line.
Robyn headed to the hospital the next morning, and I got an email just after midnight telling me that her daughter had been born, that Robyn was once again entering in to another new life chapter.
I push myself faster, the muscles in my calves pulling, my heart pounding strong within my chest, as the distance to the finish closes. I glance down to check the time as I cross the finish line, and once again I see the wet red string around my wrist, a string that reminds me of my friend and her strength and my own determination to make small commitments to myself this year. I have no intention of cutting it any time soon.
The post Little Pieces of Me appeared first on The Next Family.


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Friday, September 30, 2011
My history
A video of my last Illinois Safety seminar where I shared some of my ultralight history with the audience. 2010. I found it accidently on the web but I have no idea who shot it and published it.
Posted by Frank "Woof" Beagle at 5:28 AM
1 comment:
- Jim G said...
Thanx for sharing,Frank!
Blue Skies! Jim in Ohio
- September 30, 2011 at 7:19 AM
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Before signing up for Google Apps, you'll need to evaluate the needs of your organization to see which version of Google Apps is right for you — the free edition or the paid edition. Both versions come with what Google refers to as "Messaging apps," consisting of Gmail (web-based email) and Google Calendar (appointment management), and "Collaboration apps" including Google Docs (spreadsheets, word processor, and presentations) and Google Sites (a website creation app).
The free edition of Google Apps is limited to 10 accounts per organization, whereas the paid edition allows you to create unlimited accounts. In addition, Google Apps for Business includes both the Google Video for Business and Google Video for Business applications, which make the sharing of videos, calendars, mailing lists and so on much easier within the organization.
Google Apps for Business also includes 25GB of email storage per account, Microsoft Outlook interoperability and perhaps most importantly, 24×7 technical support with a 99.9 percent uptime guarantee (according to Google). A complete comparison of features between the free and paid editions of Google Apps can be found on the Google Apps website.
Start With a Free Trial
If you're still unsure as to whether or not you need the free edition or the paid edition, start by signing up for the free trial of Google Apps for Business. Use the service for the duration of the trial period and evaluate whether or not you used any of the applications offered exclusively in the paid edition. By the end of your trial, you should also know whether or not you're going to need more than 10 accounts for your organization. If you find that you don't need what Google Apps for Business has to offer, sign up for the free Google Apps edition at that time.
To begin your free trial, navigate to the Google Apps for Business website and click the blue "Begin Free Trial" button in the top right corner of the page.
A new page will open and you'll be asked to type the domain name of your business in the text field at the top of the page. Enter the domain name for your business (e.g. yourbusiness.com) and click the submit button. Next, you'll be asked to fill out a number of fields, including a username and password for your account, the complete mailing address for your business, along with a separate administrative email address in case you need to reset your account. Read through the Terms and Conditions and select (or deselect) the option to "automatically enable free new services as they become available." Click the blue button at the bottom of the page entitled "I accept! Create my account."
Setting Up Your Google Apps Account
After a few moments a pop-up will appear asking if you'd like to install the "Express" or "Custom" version of Google Apps. Customization can always be done at a later time if necessary, so for now choose the Express setup by clicking the "Go Express" button. Note that even the express setup takes about half an hour to configure. You'll also need access to your company's website domain to confirm that you own the domain you signed up with. If you don't have access to any of the technical information required by the Google Apps configuration wizard, you can always choose "Do it later" and enter that information at a later time.
After clicking the Go Express button, the Google Apps setup wizard will launch and walk you through the following sequential steps to configure your account.
Verify Domain Ownership: The first thing you'll be asked to do is to verify that you are the owner of the domain you specified in the initial Google Apps account setup. Click "Next" and you'll be prompted to log in to Google's Webmaster Tools website, using the account name and password you used to set up your Google Apps account.
You'll be given a couple of methods of verifying the ownership of your domain; either by uploading a file to your domain or adding a metatag to your site's homepage. Click "Verify", or click the "Do This Later" button if you'd like to temporarily skip this step.
Set Up Users and Groups: You'll be prompted "Do you have other users?" Click the radio button entitled "Yes, I have other users" if you'd like to set up additional users and Groups to share documents and applications with, or click "No it's just me" if you have no Groups to set up at this time.
Set up your Apps: By default you'll get the Gmail, Docs and Calendar apps added to your account. If you'd like to add additional apps, click on the "Add or change apps" link and you'll be given options to add the Postini Message Security and Google Video for Business apps. You can either add and configure these now or add them later.
Gmail: Next, you'll be walked through a series of steps to set up your Gmail account. You'll be asked if you want to route your email through Google's servers or use a different email server; Google recommends routing your email through their servers. In any case, you'll be asked to change your domain's MX (or mail server) records. You may wish to have one of your technical staff on hand to do this, or you can click the option to "Do this later." Next, you'll be given your Gmail address to access your email on the web, and you'll be given an option to customize your settings if you wish.
Google Calendar: Following the Gmail configuration above, you'll be given a URL to access your Google Calendar online.
Google Docs: Configure sharing options and other Docs features by clicking on "Docs settings," or choose the option to "Do this later."
Set Up Billing: Click the "Set this up now" button if you're ready to commit to signing up for the paid version of Google Apps for Business (you'll need a valid credit card on hand), or to continue with your free trial, click "Do this later." Note that the account you set up will be temporarily suspended if you don't either complete the billing setup or cancel your free trial before the trial period ends.
Mobile Access to Your Google Apps:. Here, you'll be presented with the option of adding your Google Apps account to your preferred smartphone. Compatible phone operating systems include Android, Blackberry, iPhone, "Other," or you can "Select All." Instructions on adding your Google Apps account to your preferred phones are provided, or you can select "Do this later."
Extend and Customize Your Apps: If you wish, you can get more apps from the Google Apps Marketplace. Google makes a series of recommendations and provides a link for you to browse both free and paid apps available on its online apps store.
Use the Chrome Browser: If you're not already using Google's browser "Chrome", Google gives you the option to download and install it.
Training and Support: The final step in the Google Apps configuration is the presentation of various help and support options, links, online documentation, and so on. You can visit the Google Apps Learning Center, the Google Apps Deployment Center, or "speak to an expert" through the Google Support Page.
Benefits of Using Google Apps
Google lists a number of benefits of using Google Apps on its benefits page. Chief among these is the benefit of having a cost effective, enterprise-wide suite of business applications available online.
A not so obvious benefit to consider, but one that may prove very important in the longer term, is the intention of Google to provide a "social layer" to all of its applications. And the name of that social layer? Google+.
In other words, Google is integrating Google+ connectivity into all of its products. For example, Google+ Brand Pages are now showing up in some Google search results. It's possible that by using Google Apps, you may increase the opportunities to integrate with Google+ and potentially increase your search profile on Google in the process.
Do you use Google Apps in your business? Share your experiences in the comments below.
[Image Credits: Google Apps, Google Apps/YouTube]


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We spent two nights at the Manteo Waterfront Marina. Manteo is a beautiful village steeped in history and maritime tradition. One block from the marina is the Maritime Museum, which celebrates the boat building tradition of the island.
The museum includes this beautiful replica of a lighthouse that once lit the southern tip of Roanoke Island. A long boardwalk along the harbor allows everyone to soak in the nautical life and tradition of the island. Across the street from the marina sits the Blue Moon Cafe, home of the best hamburger Sue and I have every eaten.
Across the water from the marina, a working replica of a sixteenth century English sailing ship, the Queen Elizabeth II, sits moored at a fabulous museum celebrating the life of the Indians and the settlement of the area by the English.
Two crew members in period costume explained the workings of the ship, always staying "in character" even when talking about unrelated things such as Sue's hat clip.
The tiller of the ship is in the second cabin down, and it is controlled by a vertical rod on the deck above.
The galley is modern and spacious.
Paths in the park let to various displays, such as the early English settlement. There reenactors demonstrated the skills used to build a life in the wilderness.
The working blacksmith building was constructed of beams squared off by axes.
Other paths led to exhibits showing how the Indians constructed their longhouses.
A completed long house could be inspected inside and out. We also saw a 50 minute movie about the first encounters between whites and Indians in this area. We spent a full afternoon here, and could have come back again to spend more time at the impressive indoor museum that is also on the grounds.
We learned that even the marina manager's boat fit the historic atmosphere of Manteo. He has a meticulously restored 1969 Columbia 21 daysailer. She really was quite beautiful.
After our fabulous visit to Manteo, we were eager to get underway on Sunday, May 29th. We left the dock at 6:40 and motorsailed 68.1 nautical miles in a little over 11 hours, arriving at Great Bridge, Virginia at 5:45 p.m. They do have a great looking bridge in Great Bridge.
We had hoped to tie up at the free wall on the other side of the draw bridge, but it was full. We spent the night at the Atlantic Yacht Basin, and were rewarded with another glimpse of history.
This impressive old Trumpy yacht was being refitted in the yard. Recognize her?
The name on the smokestack says it all. I was really excited. After all, US Presidents from Herbert Hoover through Ronald Reagan had conducted official business on this presidential yacht. The 104 foot 1925 Trumpy still resides in Washington, DC, though now she is available to charter for what, I am sure, is slightly more than a modest fee.
Today is Memorial Day, Monday May 30th. We traveled only 10.7 miles today. Limited openings by bridges and the Great Bridge lock lengthened our journey to 2.5 hours. We arrived at Waterside Marina in Norfolk, where we were able to pick up our mail. We will begin our voyage up the Chesapeake Bay tomorrow, but first we will eat at Joe's.
That is, unless we decide to try one of the other restaurants right here at the marina. We are enjoying a little bit of a heat wave, as the high for the next three days is to be about 91. Hope that you are enjoying good weather too.


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Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Customer Service is #1
No matter how good or bad things get it is paramount to never forget about customer service. It is so easy to take good customers for granted and simply focus on the bottom line. In reality though, if you forget about customers and only focus on making money it will always come back to haunt you. Good customers are hard to win over and should be treated with respect accordingly. Don't sell your business short by trying to make an extra buck in the short term. Don't treat your good customers like a commodity. If you can see someone has been a good customer for a long time and has a simple problem to solve, solve it. Don't waste their time or yours giving them the run around.
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Labels: customerservice
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Small business success by Seth Godin
I really liked this post
Three things you need:
Three things you need:
1) the ability to abandon a plan when it doesn't work,
2) the confidence to do the right thing even when it costs you money in the short run, and
3) enough belief in other people that you don't try to do everything yourself.
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Friday, November 16, 2007
Custom Hardware for Engineers and Geeks
Technical Engineer-types working for a company should have their own hardware budget. This allows everyone to get what they are comfortable with. For example, I shouldn't be forced to use a certain type of PC if I would really be more productive and prefer using a mac.
This type of thinking would really only apply to the really technical users though. Most folks, should have something that is standard. Then when common problems occur they can be fixed and tracked in a common way.
This type of thinking would really only apply to the really technical users though. Most folks, should have something that is standard. Then when common problems occur they can be fixed and tracked in a common way.
Ideas popping in my head
Sometimes I just have ideas about business that pop into my head. I thought it would be good to try to track these ideas somewhere. So here I am. Sometimes random, sometimes not; hopefully always useful and interesting though.
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Image: Alwaysjudging.com
With the recent announcement of a 13th Zodiac sign, the whole galaxy — and us — has been turned on its head. The news made us want to rock our star sign colors to show everyone whose team we're on.
This selection is for everyone who knows their Virgo from their Pisces, just as much as it is for anyone who doesn't really believe in what the stars have to say but are attracted to the mystery and the legends surrounding the constellations.
Whether you've just been looking for a gold pendant that reflects your personality, or if you read your horoscope every day, here's what we predict for your shopping cart:
Original article and pictures take http://wheretoget.it/magazine/zodiac-fashion-and-home-decor?utm_content=buffer33d30&utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_campaign=buffer#slide10 site


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Monday, June 9, 2014
Off the Grid
I posted the following over on rpg.net a couple days ago but expect it will be buried deep in the middle of a long thread on why we all hate the grid/mini mechanics. Started, of course, by one of the 4E fans who doesn't understand why people might have issues with the 4E methodology, or why a system which gives you an immensely elaborate combat system and then skimps on everything else might seem a bit weighted toward a certain style of play. Anyway....to preserve my response, I offer it up here:
I never, ever used minis for any game prior to D&D 3.5, and only then it was because I started a group with an emphasis on minis gaming that went back many years. It was my first experience with a group of D&Ders who saw minis as an essential component of the play experience in 2003, and it was quite a contrast from the way I had played the game for two and a half decades, in which the only time I ever gamed with or knew anyone who ever used minis for anything was an occasional old crusty DM at a convention using his ragged tape-bound 1E AD&D manuals. Still, 3.5 seemed to need it, so I worked minis in to the experience and even got into collecting the prepainted ones.
My experience from that period (2003-2005) was a mixture of fond memories of the overall game coupled with what I considered an unavoidable slowdown of the actual game experience due to the time and energy that setting up and carrying out the grid combat took. Battles were no longer a part of the story, they were a separate deal unto themselves. Still....I got used to it, even though I felt like I had migrated to a different universe where my favorite game was strangely different and a bit hostile toward the way I wanted to enjoy it.
I threw myself wholeheartedly into 4E because it made the grid combat more fun (at least for the first few levels of play) but it was a "solution" to a problem that was artificial: it "fixed" 3.5 grid based combat by getting rid of the possibility of gridless combat entirely and making every rule, ever, about the grid. I could still do gridless with 3.5 so long as my players were up for it; I couldn't do it in 4E without serious house-ruling and chucking out entire swathes of the game design.
Still, 4E worked great as a grid/minis RPG but it became apparent after a while that the game's focus on elaborate combat was at the expense of everything else; it was a game about combat, with other stuff getting lip service. It had a minimalist skill system, few rules or guidelines for how anything worked outside of battle and a ritual spell system that was onerous in its application, discouraging players from using it to resolve conflicts. It was a game about providing all sorts of solutions to 3.5 problems that were only problems in the first place because 3.5 ignored the more pragmatic older edition methodology in favor of its own codifications.
As a non grid/minis example of how 3E chucked out old design limits that were effective: the spell caster as all powerful quadritic wizard phenomenon was created because of this. One of the reasons wizards got so tough in 3E was because the game effectively stopped paying attention to preparation times and the real, actual cost of spell ingredients that had been a requisite to casting so many spells in 1st and 2nd edition. These were in-game story limits, so they didn't fit with the design theme of 3E, but they were very, very good limitations when correctly enforced.
Anyway.....I am now of a mindset where I am used to a map and minis and we play Pathfinder fairly fast and loose, using the board when it makes sense and resolving other combats when it does not. However, the prospect of a 5th edition D&D where I can run the entire game the way I used to do AD&D 1st and 2nd edition, without ever once seeing a solitary miniature except for general tracking purposes, has me utterly smitten. I can hardly wait!
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For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
That sentence has been called "the gospel in a nutshell." If someone only knew one truth from the Bible this is the sum of the whole Bible: God so loved the world that he gave his one and ONLY Son. His ONLY Son to save the world. To prevent us from perishing.
Loved - agapao - to love, esteem, cherish, favor, honor, respect, accept, prize, relish; to be devoted to. Agapao is a love rooted in the mind and will of the subject and means to value, esteem, prize, treat as precious.
Believes - pisteuo - to believe in, have faith in, trust
English - to accept something as true, genuine (actually having the reputed or apparent qualities or character, free from hypocrisy or pretense) or real; to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something.
Perish - apollymi - to utterly destroy, decimate, ravage, demolish, obliterate.
English - to become destroyed or ruined
Eternal - Aionios - eternal, perpetual, the life which is God's and hence not affected by the limitations of time.
English - having infinite duration; everlasting, existing at all times, timeless.
Life - zoe - to live. Life, the element or principle of life in the spirit and soul. Zoe is a somewhat metaphysical term which denotes the very life-force itself, the vital principle which animates living beings. This life is the very life of God of which believers are made partakers.
Here's my favorite part though. The sentence that follows:
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Condemn - krino - to discriminate between good and evil, select, choose out the good. In the New Testament it means to judge, form or give an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a case.
English - to declare to be reprehensible, wrong, or evil usually after weighing evidence and without reservation; to pronounce guilty
Save - sozo - safe, delivered. To save, deliver, make whole, preserve from danger, loss, or destruction.
English - to deliver from sin, to rescue or deliver from danger or harm, to preserve or guard from injury, destruction, or loss
God so loved the world. God agapao you. He cherishes you. He favors you. He honors you. He respects you. He accepts you. He is devoted to you. His love for you is deeply rooted. It's not just a feeling he has for you, like you say you "love" chocolate or you "love" to sleep in on a Saturday. His love for you is out of pure devotion and He sees you as precious and worth saving.
He gave His only Son for the world. He sent Jesus, who was true, genuine, free from hypocrisy or pretense. He never had to or has to now, pretend that he loves you. He is never hypocritical. He is always true to Himself and who He is. God sent that Son, that Jesus, to save you, to make you whole, to preserve you from danger and destruction. That Jesus was sent to save you from being lost.
God sent His Only Son, he didn't have a spare, he didn't have a line of boys after Jesus, He gave His only Son to save you from condemnation. Jesus did not come to condemn the world. He did not come to judge the world. He did not come to judge you. He came to save you.
It's only fair
those of you who don't believe there is a God,
those of you who are mad at God,
those of you who think God is a puppet master and only pulling strings,
those of you who believe that if there was a God he would stop evil,
stop killing, stop wars, stop devastation, stop pain.
It's only fair that you look at this Jesus, the One who came not to condemn but to save.
It's only fair that you look at Him, really look AT him. Don't base your assumptions of him by what others say about him, what others do or not do in his name.
It's not about the others.
It's about you.
Jesus didn't come to condemn you. Jesus didn't come to cause you harm. Jesus didn't come to make life harder for you. Jesus didn't come to leave you standing alone, facing your tragedies and pain by yourself. Jesus didn't come to mock you, embarrass you, or reject you.
Jesus came to SAVE YOU!
Jesus came to give you life.
Not just your day-to-day physical 24 hour scheduled life, but LIFE.
The life that breathes into us his joy, his peace, his mercy, his goodness, his kindness, his guts, his patience, his faithfulness. The life that is eternal, that will endure forever.
That Jesus.
The Jesus who came in the only way He could to save us. He came as a human being. He came to walk the path we walk. He felt the pain of rejection, disappointment, misery.
He knows what you are suffering.
God so Loved you that He gave His ONLY Son for you so that believing in Him will bring you eternal life, not a life that perishes.
God did not send His Son to condemn you but to SAVE you.
He didn't come so that you would not experience pain or suffering or rejection or disappointment. He came so that you would live in spite of those things.
You would live and experience life with Him, not without Him.
Save your why questions for later. Don't wait for all your questions to be answered. You know the ones - why does God allow____________? Why does God_____________? Why, why, why, why!
Just believe. Just trust.
You say you have trust issues with people. Well, those are only people. God is not other people. Jesus wasn't other people.
Just stick that big toe of yours in the water and believe. He's not asking you to take a high dive and dive in head first. Just take the first step and believe, leaving your unanswered questions to be answered later.
Christmas didn't start out as it is now - fist fights over TV's, 24 hours shopping sprees, cooking and baking galore.
Christmas - the real celebration, the real Christmas - started when a baby was born, sent by His Father.
To a world that would one day kill him.
He knew when He left His throne what he would be facing.
He came anyway.
For you.
Because you're worth it.
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He even gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.
John 3:16-17
Amplified Bible


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Friday, March 23, 2012
Finished at last
I finally got this little guy some body parts and he is all together now, I think he is going to be a toddler, and all boy. So far he has no name and I have to make him his own clothes but for now he is making do with some spare clothes I had in my stash.
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Pick up a dropped spoon for an infant in a high chair and suddenly the classic game "I drop it and you pick it up" becomes a lesson about cause and effect, a basic scientific principle. When the baby shakes a rattle, he makes the discovery that the rattle produces a sound. He shakes it again; the sound happens again. The infant is learning to make predictions, another scientific skill. While these games are not sophisticated science, they are the child's earliest introductions to learning in a scientific way.
Seize the Moment!
Science is more than a subject in school! When children discover why and how something is so, they are behaving like scientists. Discovering science, exploring science and applying scientific principles can happen anywhere, including play opportunities in the exhibits and programs at DuPage Children's Museum.
Science at DuPage Children's Museum
Our job is to ensure that your child has many opportunities to explore and experiment through play in the exhibits and programs at DCM.
This child is discovering that the air coming through the tube has an effect on the scarf. The air is moving around the scarf so fast that the scarf stays partially inside the tube - a scientific principle known as the Bernoulli effect. When children make connections with air and wind through play, they often recall these connections when they learn about scientific principles later in school. Children (and adults) who play with this exhibit use ideas about air as starting points in constructing knowledge.
Water play leads children to ask questions (Chaille and Britain, 1991).
What does water do? How can I change the flow of water? Curiosity leads to experimentation, which provokes even more curiosity to challenge a child's interest. At DCM children have two large water tables to explore in Water Ways.
In our Art Studio children explore art, math and science through facilitated, planned activities. This child is making paper. The process involves mixing ingredients and noticing an observable change. Experienced Play Facilitators guide the process by asking questions to help the child notice the change from pulp to paper, which can then be used to draw upon.
To find ways to nurture your child's understanding and natural curiosity of science concepts, visit the Family Resource Center and our Web site to view parent and caregiver resources about the current focus, Making Connections to Science.


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This week's Sepia Saturday prompt photo shows men wearing ties and suspenders. That was an easy one to play with, for me.
The following is a photo of most of my mom's family members, taken in (I assume) the 1940s. My mom and dad are noticeably absent, and I assume my Uncle Johnny was not yet married because his wife, my Aunt Wanda, isn't in the shot.
wife of my mom's brother Billy; my aunt Josie, my mom's older sister;
Josie's husband Joe. Dominick, second husband of my grandmother (who was
Olga (?); my mom's brother Johnny; my mom's brother Eddie; and mom's brother Billy!
Seated on the floor at left is Josie & Joe's daughter, my cousin Janice. My Uncle Albert
was the camera bug in the family, and he's absent from this shot (but in
the next one), so I assume he took this photo.
obviously taken on the same day or evening as the previous photo!


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A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Northwestern University School of Law for Walter V. Schaefer, 81, a highly regarded jurist and scholar who served on the Illinois Supreme Court for 25 years until his retirement in 1976.
He died Sunday in Lake Forest Hospital.
Justice Schaefer was a distinguished lecturer and former professor of law at Northwestern. He had served as chief legislative aide to Gov. Adlai Stevenson and is considered a major architect of the Illinois Civil Practice Act, which in the 1930s modernized how Illinois law was practiced.


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I met Amber Unger through Facebook. We started to communicate and she eventually joined my 30 Day Marketing Intensive (sorry, no link. This is about Amber not a plug for me). As we began to talk every day or so during this time frame, I become more charmed with her and her story and I knew I had to share it. I know you will love her as much as I have come to. So without further ado - Meet Amber Unger!
1. Amber, tell us a little about yourself. I am a mom and a business woman. Mom first! I am a very shy person, so trying to build a business was a challenge for me. It pushed me way outside my comfort zone. But it has also helped me develop more self confidence!
2. Tell us about your business. Like so many other women starting a business, I am in network marketing/direct sales. I am with a company called Scentsy. We market home fragrance products that are wickless, flameless and much safer than traditional scented candles.
3. Why did you start your own business? The same reason a most other women. More time with my kids and more freedom to do things with them and yet still be able to help support my family.
4. How did you choose this particular niche? I've always used candles to release a fragrance into the air. I knew the wax from the candles were evaporating into my clothes , my lungs, and on my walls. I wanted a safer alternative to having that fragrance released into the air of my home without the dangers of a candle with flame. I've always heard about going wickless and flameless but I never knew about Scentsy. I found out about Scentsy through my Hairdresser when Scentsy had Bricks on sale back in 2013. My first ever purchase was a Salted Caramel Brick. which I fell in love with INSTANTLY! Then one night an old friend from high school was challenged to host a party, so I said sure I'll help. Well, the party was so successful that I realized I could make money at this and so I decided to become a rep. Since then it has been the best thing I have ever done. It has earned me an income that helps support my family household bills.
5. What do you like most and least about being your own boss? I enjoy being my own boss for I can "work" aka chat and post pictures on social media even when I'm not well. Some of you may know that I have been having some health issues lately. But I can still take five minutes to make a post that will create engagement for my audience.
The hardest part of being an entrepreneur is finding people to buy from you. I admit I love my products but as I said, I am normally very shy so having to talk to people is difficult for me. But I'm learning!
6. What personality traits and skills are needed to run a business? Having People skills is the most important. And this is coming from someone who isn't a bubbly talkative person! Although put me in a room and get me talking about Scentsy and I cannot stop! As I said, I'm learning! I guess I just needed the right inspiration.
7. What has been the most difficult part of being an entrepreneur?
The only difficult thing about my business is in my area there is a Scentsy Rep at every corner so I found to keep a customer base you have to have personal deals which then creates happy loyal customers who then spread the word about your deals.
8. Do you have any resources that you have used to build your business that you would recommend? A positive team is always very helpful. Using social media has been my number one resource for the majority of my sales. I am a part of a few Direct Sales Facebook groups that help and support each other.
9. Do you have any tips to share on promoting yourself? STAY true to your loyal customers. Spoil them. Use your host credits to get an extra bar to make bigger samples from. Get that laundry package and give slightly bigger samples than you would give to an average customer. Loyalty needs to be rewarded.
10. What other advice would like to share with someone starting their own business? Start small. You don't need everything all at once. Once you've built a customer base then buy yourself a printer which can help make labels and flyers to help brand yourself.
11. How can we contact you to learn more about your products and services? I love sharing Scentsy with others. Please feel free to contact me to learn more about our products and services from my website or on Facebook.
12. Is there anything else you would like to share? Join my team :)


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A place where i can have fun and share my ideas and learn from others. I love comments.
Monday, May 20, 2013
My newest watch bands i am Making
2 comments:
- ~Tammy~ said...
These are gorgeous! You are so talented!
- May 20, 2013 at 8:21 PM
- Diane said...
Fabulous watch designs.
Regards diane
- May 23, 2013 at 3:46 PM
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