Entrepreneur �Financial Services �Licensed Life Insurance Agent �Life Coach
I help people make money, save money, get out of debt and plan for a tax-free retirement by marketing financial products for AIG, John Hancock, Mutual of Omaha and other Fortune 500 companies.
....your mother may have told you. I'm sure everyone has a few of those- things your parents may have told you to do so that you would get out of their hair, stay in line or otherwise do their bidding.
Since today is Friday, I thought my Friday Fragments would be just that- some snippets of stuff that will finally reveal to all why I am the way I am.
And they are somewhat funny, too. So they also qualify for Funny Fridays.
So here we go.....
Digging to China- my mom would give us a shovel spoon and tell us to go dig for China.
Notice how I like to dig in my pond now..........it's comforting, like momma!
Go catch a bird.... mom would give us a salt shaker and tell us to shake salt on the birds tail and catch it...
Say what, say what? Catch a birdie, say what?
Did it work? Heck no, the bird's wouldn't let us get close enough to test that theory!
The only birdie I ever got was from my brother's hand if you know what I mean (um, as in fingers...)
I'm a witch...or I have eyes in the back of my head...........that would be my momma- she always seemed to know what we were doing.
I remember being in the bathroom once and I was like 12 (I know WAY TOO young).
I had stolen one of my mom's cigarettes because I wanted to try it. I remember wondering if it were REALLY true, was she a witch?
I saved that cig for later...........don't know if I thought her "powers" didn't work outside of the house or what....
Ok, now for a funny tid-bit or two about Ron's childhood:
When the guys were putting in the septic for our house before we moved in , the contactor asked me about Ron. Apparently, he knew some of Ron's SEVEN older brothers- yes Ron's a baby can you tell? You could if you lived with him. Kidding!
Rons mom raised most of the boys alone- his dad took off shortly after he was born. According to this contractor, there were so many kids, they were sleeping in dresser drawers!
You see that open drawer? That was my Ronnie's bed. The bigger brothers slept in the lower drawers so Ron would have something soft to step on getting out of bed..............
Of course they haven't seen the one brother since the bottom drawer got stuck ....
I scoured YouTube for a clip from Seinfeld (again, I know....) of Kramer and his Japanese houseguests. They slept in dresser drawers. It was too funny!
According to Ron's oldest brother, Ron's mother also knew 101 ways to make Spam - not the email kind, silly- the canned meat kind!
I was at Target yesterday...........
I was kind of wishing I could be a Skinny- Minnie again for once. I mean all those cute little outfits.......like I used to wear have never been able to wear.
But would I have the nerve even then to strutt my skinny stuff?
Our friends Mr & Mrs Rollback stopped by last night. She was telling me she had talked to her daughter back in Missouri. She told the daughter she was getting gray hair. The daughter said she was going to count the gray hairs on her mothers head when she came to visit this fall.
Mrs. Rollback told her, "You better pack a lunch....AND a supper while you're at it!" (imagine a southern drawl...)
I thought that was cute......
Picture of the day.......
Duck Soup or Stuck-Duck?
I went out to feed the animals the other morning and saw this. Poor duck had to stay there while I ran inside to get the camera.
Now I must go get some work done, then get outside. I think it's warming up (again!)
Don't forget about Virtual Girls Night Out later.......go to Ann's and add your link. But better wait until later...Ann is one of those Pacific Chicks that lag behind some of us by a few hours. If you don't see her VGNO post, check back later.
And of course, Friday Follow............
So much great blog reading to attend to later........
Ok, somewhere along the way, I found a new meme to partcipate in. It is called Funny Fridays. Don't you just love the button?
When I was thinking about what to post that is funny, I thought about the clip below.
It aired the other night. I've seen it dozens of times, but everytime I do, I laugh so hard I cry........
For those who don't know the show, Jerry (the fellow being polygraphed) has recently started dating a woman police officer.
One day while visiting her at the prescinct , he sees the polygraph machine. He asks his new Gf what it is. She tells him, and remarks that they have had some well-known people there.
She gives an example- a guy from Melrose Place, then asks Jerry if he watches the show. He says no. She doesn't believe him and challenges him to take the poly.
He really DOES watch the show, so here goes..............enjoy!
Continuing on to Friday Fragments:
Can I say "call me a little backwards"?
Wednesday night I had my Journal Writing class. I had to stop at the store afterward. Since I hadn't eaten before class, I found myself cooking at 9:30 at night.
I had been hankering for roast beef hash, so that is what I had for supper Wednesday night. Along with some toast, no egg.
The next morning (yesterday) I got a bit busy blog-hopping and working on a new website....I happened to remember around 10 a.m. that I hadn't eaten yet.
I had left-over goulash. Yum.......................
Speaking of my new website.........
I have started another business of sorts. I have created a website with information on starting a blog, gaining followers and making $$$ blogging. For those who need help, I am for hire. I have a great blog designer I'm talking to about helping with the "prettier side of things". Some of you may know her, and I'll make a formal announcement when everything is hashed out.
I am adding more content daily, so check back often.
Are all the goats gone?
I may be getting rid of my last 3 goats today. Unfortunately, the trailer we were interested in but couldn't see yet because the guy was out of town...SOLD!
Which is ok I guess as Ron STILL hasn't started his new job. He's definately got it- the guy got ahold of him the other day. He's just been so busy himself he hasn't gotten the service vehicle set up for him.
Dyslexic typer?
For some resaon I can WRITE normal, but when TYPING, I'm dyslexic.
Do you know how many times in a day I type the word "service"? I usually type it "servcie" accidentally. Same with other words- I often screw up at least two letters. And I am a pretty good speller when writing.
News on iPod
We got some sad knews the other day concerning iPod, our service (that word AGAIN!) dog. Check it out HERE.
Now that we have no more goats (I think) we have two spare buildings......Ron has pretty much already taken over the girls goat house, since he needed a place for all of his tools when he lost his old service (that word AGAIN!) vehicle. Plus it's attached to the building where he already has a bunch of his junk.
I thought maybe the Princess and I could make a girls hang-out/office in the boys house.
I know a lot of people are thinking-yuk!
But actually, once you get them out and dry out the flooring, you can't smell any goat smell. If we were to do anything like a girls hang-out we would have to dry it out good, then put new flooring over that, then wood, tile or carpet.
Or I can make a little "pad" for one of the boys (adult children).........
.......get 'em out of the house one way or another!
I'll admit it, I'm guilty of NOT going on one this week, again! But if you did, go to the link above and add your link and post about your field trip on your blog.
It's a gorgeous day out...............
I have a few more work related thing to do online, then I'm headed outside! Later, I'll be back for Virtual Girls Night Out.
I can see the headlines now...Work At Home Mom Gives Herself A Raise!
I know I've been a lousy follower lately. I do sincerely apologize. But I've been gearing up to give myself a raise as well as a company promotion - one thing I love about WAH. I don't have to wait for the boss to decide if I get a raise or not- I just work harder :-)
I have been socializing a lot more while building up my new group on CafeMom. I have met some really friendly moms there.
If you haven't been there, you really should stop by.....there are some articles, some stories from WAH moms, and some posts from WAH moms. If you've ever thought about working from home, stop on over! The link is:
I had my last class for Journal Writing last night. That was one night a week for 2 1/2 hours. That's a WHOLE NIGHT away from my computer! But I always have a ball teaching it. And it pays VERY well, so I get paid for having fun. I proposed a beginning blogging class, but I guess they have a secured server and can't get a lot of Social Networking sites.
On to other mildly exciting news....
Girl Scouts is in full swing! I have 2 new girls, so that will be nice. That gives us 7 girls, a nice small number. The other day I had them break into two groups and each group took (I think it was 5) sentences from the Girl Scout Law and made up quick skits for each- maybe a minute or so. They were so funny! These are 7th & 8th graders and they are so goofey! I couldn't help but laugh!
We are looking into going to a haunted house, doing a food drive with the boy scouts and going camping in November. That's to start!
Anyway, looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow for Virtual Girls Night Out!
One night a few weeks ago, after posting my ads (for work at home and dental and health benefits) , I started reading blogs . I got slightly carried away, and before I knew it, it was 2 a.m. And it hit me- blogs are like soap opera's! And I was addicted!
It was innocent enough.
I mean, having a grandson now, I have to occasionally see what Rowdy Grandma is up to.
And who isn't checking in with Military Momz as we await the return of Lisa's son, Brock.
And I often say a silent prayer for the "stars" of 3 is my crowd, a young family trying to make it in tough times.
And those facing challenges we could only imagine, like Sandie of My Blessed Life. Another one I eagerly await "news" of, and regularly pray for.
And then there's Clusterfook . I loved the name, I had to see the blog. The most recent post was about a memorial for Lisa, who had apparently died of Cancer. I thought, wow this blogger is having a memorial for a fellow blogger she met who had Cancer. Man, how cool, and they met online.
I wanted to know more about this kind hearted blogger, so went back several posts. Come to find out, she too had Cancer and was dying. This was (I think) her 4th bout of this disease, and there was no cure. Her courage and strength moved me. Something did. I immediately put it on my blogroll , vowing to go back in a few days and finish reading until I was up to date. I had a couple of posts between what I read that night and the most recent post.
As usual, life got in the way and it was several days before I got back to it. I went to the site and all of a sudden it hit me - Lisa was the blog author, and someone else was doing the memorial for HER. The posts I hadn't read yet filled in that blank! And I cried like a baby (and am starting to cry now...) The very person I was rooting for was in fact, gone when I had found the blog. I didn't know that, but my point is I CONNECTED with her love, her spirit- I cared, even after knowing her (cyber-like) for 20 minutes or so. Anyway, I'm rambling.....
So, I'm addicted...........
So, I started a NEW blog, called Bloggers Connect. I thought it would be cool to have different things to do each week , and at the end of the week everyone that participated shares the links. Great exposure for yourself, and other cool bloggers you run into. And, I just really can't fit all the fun blogs on this site, so I have another.
I had a few tech issues with Bloggers Connect which delayed the "Grand Launching" and the came the Ultimate Blog Party.
Those of you who are regular readers here know I participated in the Ultimate Blog Party. Another distraction, but SUCH a good one! It was so neat to see how many great blogs there really are out there! Which motivated me to get Bloggers Connect going.
I have the issues worked out (except Mr. Linky at the moment) and the first Bloggers Connect activity is up!
So hop on over and check it out. Then, start connecting with others! And remember to leave your link. If you don't have a blog, that's ok. Just pick any blog as a starting off point.
Just because you work at home, does that mean you have to be stuffed into a home office 8 or more hours a day with the door closed? Doesn't being your own boss mean running your home business from anywhere?
Sometimes I love just holing up in my office, shutting the door and getting to work. Othertimes, the day to day walk down the hallway can feel like......like going to the office. Like a J-O-B office. Yuk! I gotta have a change. Maybe it's too much aloneness. And then there are times, just because I CAN it's nice to get a change of scenery. That is one thing I love about being my own boss. I don't have to be confined, I can march to my own drummer.
For instance, since moving the old bunkbed out of my office and changing things around, it hasn't been working for me. It doesn't flow the way I like it to. It feels cramped and stuffy, not right. Not to mention, I get bored easily. I JUST KNOW Spring is around the corner. The office is feeling a bit claustrophobic.A sunny spring day will cause me to lust for the great outdoors,to listen to the birds as they sing in the trees and relish in the new flowers popping their little heads out of the dirt.
So last Spring I created an" outdoor office ". It's a great place to hang and play on the Internet - placing ads, answering emails. It is a little noisy with traffic now & then. Although we are somewhat "countrified", we do have a small family owned store a few miles away. Delivery trucks need to take our road to get there. Of course, you have your school buses and garbage trucks as well. So, depending on the time of day, I may or not sit out there and make phone calls.
Last summer I worked at the beach a couple of times. Not only did I make calls to my team to let them know I was working at the beach (you REALLY can work anywhere!), but also did some prospecting calls. I also left a paper trail (cards, flyers in bathrooms, handed to people, etc...).
With a laptop , wireless Internet, cordless phones & cell phones you can conduct business almost anywhere. The last month or so, I find myself working more and more at the kitchen table in the morning. It's bright and sunny, the coffee pot is right behind me, and since I am usually posting ads at that time I can catch up on the news on TV.
I can leave the computer out here all day and do some business, do some housework. A lot of houswork can be done while you're on the phone. Later as nighttime falls and the kids go to bed I find myself more and more bringing the computer to bed with me. I can sit up with pillows behind me and make any necessary calls, tweet my friend's, socialize ,do my blog, or listen to a training call, whatever. When I'm done, I put the computer on the shelf by the bed. In the morning, I get up, grab my best friend (computer) and back to the kitchen it goes.
I know what everyone's thinking, why not change the office back the way it was? Time, my friends, time.
Between working a biz, Girl Scouts, kids, Dr. and dentist visits (me & kids), a grandkid, yadda-yadda. Ok, I'm making excuses I'm sure.
But, hopping around from "office to office" works until THAT DAY arrives - you know THAT DAY.
A day that has just a few more hours, no problems, no appointments......ya know, the 12th of never.
So until then, if you can't find me, check the living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom (not really) the park, the zoo, the doctors.........who know's where I might be found! If you really need to fnd me, call or tweet! Later!
This morning I was (as usual) working at home in my jammies . I was sitting at the kitchen table, working on my 2 social networking sites AND a website I am creating. Ron, my wonderful significant other, was watching the news. Suddenly , I heard them say the words "Social Networking." My ears perked up. I LOVE social networking !
FINALLY, for the first time ever, I was keepin' up with the times. And I am proud of it! Normally, I'm a few years or so behind everyone else. But I am actually doing something BEFORE a lot of people.
Of course social networking has been around for a while. Previously users were limited to sites such as myspace and facebook. But social networking has changed over the years.
Now, every day people like you and me can set up a group about anything & talk to people from all over the globe. And social netwroking isn't only for friends....
The story, on News 10 Now , talked about the benefits of social networking in every day business. It's an effective way to communicate information to a large number of people at once. And it's so fun!
It's also VERY easy to set up a network, and it's free.
It is so easy in fact, that today I set up a group for my Girl Scout Troop. About 10 minutes before I had to leave for my meeting to be exact !
When you set up a group, you can make it private or public. Public can obviously be seen by everyone- good for business. But private is great for families, schools, groups, and troops . Only the specific people invited can join the group. Perfect for scouts. I LOVE social networking !
Why did I decide to try an online group for Girl Scouts? When you consider I spend a good amount of my time online, it only makes sense to click over to our group when I get new info that needs to be shared. I also have a bad habit of writing on the backs of envelopes and odd pieces of paper. We all knows what happens to those! The note thief comes lurking in the night, pocketing all those little scraps of paper. They are forever gone.
And to be perfectly honest, as much as I love my girls they are...well... a little forgetful. I doubt if all of those notes I painstakingly type out and print even make it into the hands of their parents. So, now we will all be on the same page. We have a place to put important events, links to cool things for the girls, and each girl will have a profile page.
The girls were tickled pink when I told them about it. So far, all but one parent signed the permission slip for their daughter to go to the group online. The other girl was out sick, but I know her mom will let her. So, it's full force ahead...........................
I think FINALLY, Miss Carolee may be considered "cool."
Santa has packed his bags and is headed for warmer weather. His long journey is over, his job is done. Now it's vacation time! For those who work from home, particularly network marketing, January is not a month for vacations-it is one of the busiest months of the year. There is always a new flood of people to talk to. Everyone wants to start a home based business in January.
But January is also one of the hardest months to just sit down and focus. All that Christmas stuff has to be taken down and put away. The living room has to be put back in order. The kids bedrooms have to be rearranged to accommodate a barrage of new toys and games.
Many of us are also catching up on doctors visits that we may have been too busy to make during the holidays. Catching up on paperwork that has been neglected due to all the shopping and festivities. And then there are those who are going to the gym every day, trying to fulfill that resolution to "lose just 20 pounds"!
So when do you find time to work? Sometimes I only have 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there to work my business. Here are 10 things that I have found you can do in 5 minutes to help move your business forward.
1. Place an ad or two on the internet. With the Copy & Paste feature, placing multiple ads only takes minutes.
2. Return a phone call- most only take a few minutes.
3. Write out postcards or write a short note to a customer or business partner.
4. Answer a few emails
5. Do any printing you may have- while things are printing, do other things.
6. Go on a social networking site and "socialize".
7. Read a page or 2 of a good " self- help" book.
8. Straighten up your desk.
9. Leave a paper trail- it only takes a minute to tack a flyer on a bulletin board, or to leave a card in a shopping cart.
10. Meet someone new- network! You can do it anywhere! Grocery store lines, doctors offices, sporting events, etc...
When you start looking for little snippets of time in your workday, you will find there is plenty available to work your home business. Those little snippets eventually turn into big bucks!
Do you sometimes find yourself socializing too much? I don't mean going to the movies or hanging out at the bar with your buddies. I mean online socializing.
Social networking sites are great places to meet friends and even to network for your business . I have profiles on myspace and tagged.com , as well as on different parenting sites like Cafe Mom and ParentsTalk.
These are just a FEW sites where I have a profile and advertisements.
There are literally 1,000's of sites out there, and if you are in a home business you can use these as a great marketing tool. You can make your profile as personal or "business-like" as you wish. You can request that members of the site you are on become your "friends". Members can also request that you become their friend. You can reach literally thousands of potential customers through one networking site.
But how much is too much? There is a woman that works at my company that literally built her business by posting on social networking and parenting discussion boards. I have tried this technique with only moderate success.
It tend to get distracted and forget to keep up with these sites. Posting often and requesting friend's is part of the game. I guess I'm not a very good friend! When I happen to be in a friendly mood, I try to hit all the sites and make good for my negligence. But, time get's away from you pretty quick when you start socializing.
I spent 1/2 the morning today trying to play "catch up" with some of networking sites that I have profiles on. Add to that the hour or so of advertising, and I find it's now 2 p.m. and I haven't dialed the phone. I have a couple of appt's later in the afternoon, so I guess playtime is almost over!
But it's nice to know that you can actually get paid to play! What boss would let you sit there and socialize all day? Only yourself............................
So who wants to play in 2009?
If you are looking for something to do from home, contact me. I will send you information by email.
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