train me, rehabilitate the dog

My dog Mo is being rehabilitated. We had a "dog whisperer" over on Sunday afternoon for me to learn how to be a dog owner. The pack mentality really works. Mo doesn't really understand sit, stay, come...but when I snap my finger, she knows she is supposed to listen to me. Before, our walks were not really walks...it was me holding the leash, but she just stopped and sniffed whenever and where ever she wanted to. Making it very frustrating to walk her. Now that I know how to use the lead (the real word for a leash) we both enjoy the walks and I actually get some exercise. I also learned that my dog is a fatty! So we are going to walk twice a day for twenty minutes and cut back on the treats...both of us!

the face of heaven

Yesterday, I saw the face of heaven. In a small church in Groveland, FL. I had donated a ton of fabric to this lady and her quilting group, so they could use it to make quilts for the Lutheran Worldwide Relief organization. Jan, also a cancer survivor, invited me to come to church and meet the ladies. It was so wonderful - they were all so appreciative and grateful. I want to do more for them....I want to organize a fabric drive for them.

making strides walk

This morning, my neighbor and I got up at the crack of dawn to do the 5k breast cancer walk in Winter Park. Between the two of us, we raised $1300 for bc research. I met some incredible people...other survivors. I think I may have found my volunteer outlet - The Young Survivors Coalition. They are getting the Orlando chapter started and need leaders. Since there are so many issues related to being young and surviving bc, this may be the perfect opportunity.

One of the women I met is Jan. She is a really fantastic person and loves life! She is a member of a church that makes quilts for underprivileged people all over the world - mostly in third world countries, I'm assuming. Well, I told her about the fabric stash I had accumulated over the years and as I'm talking I realize she may be able to use it. She followed me home and I gave her hundreds of yards of material. She is so excited and I feel so good that this material is going to be used and distributed in quilts!! Love it when the universe puts people in the right place at the right time!! She invited me to go to the church tomorrow and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone!

hair cut

I got a hair cut this morning. Isn't it nice to pamper yourself every once in a while? Until you've figured out that you've spent too much money! Since my hair is so short, it's really irritating to have to pay for a woman's cut, when really I'm getting a man's cut. So today, I was pleasantly surprised when Louis only charged me a little more than a man's cut would cost. I'm also wearing a new outfit today...when you look good you feel really good!

Orders have slowed down, I think there will be one more big push before the holidays and then it will get quiet before market. Or not - I just remembered that I'm advertising this time. Inventory needs to be built up! I want to get to market and have enough product to fill all the orders I take. Then I would have all my cash at once instead of spreading it out so much. The cash flow issue! I'm learning my lessons!!

growing a small business

Last night I hired a contract employee!! She's young and her mother wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise, but I'm hoping she will come out of her shell when she's working with me. It's going to be on a trial basis. Hopefully she will like the work. It could be a good learning opportunity for her if she takes it. I've told her she has to invoice me for her time/hours, and is responsible for her own taxes.

I'm painting the store room space on Saturday - the space that will be the work area for Sissy Made It. Then Bob is going to help me build my work table. He doesn't know this yet...

The last couple of weeks have been really filled and fun. I was in the dumps because our good friends Carrie and John moved away. I wasn't expecting the hole they left. I think I just started planning things without really thinking and all of the sudden, I have a full calendar! But John and Carrie are coming for a visit and we are thrilled!

what a difference a day makes

You hear it all the time - what a difference a day makes. Yesterday proved it! My little company had it's biggest order day (outside of market). Two new customers and tons of re-orders! I've found a space outside my home to move the manufacturing to. Since I started working for myself three or four years ago, the business has always taken over the house. And before that, the home office was always spread out. I'm finally getting my home back!

things to do in sonoma

go to the glen ellen market to pick up a prepared lunch to picnic at a winery, benziger family winery tram tour, br cohn olive tasting (and wine), kunde estate winery, kenwood winery, sonoma square - mary's pizza shack, saffron for dinner, cline cellars, drive up to dry creek valley and visit ferarri-carano and dutcher crossing wineries, go over to alexander valley and hit a few places: hannah, alexander valley, ehlers estate, take the gondola up to sterling vineyards, spend the afternoon in st. helena strolling in and out of the shops on main street, have a late lunch at a great restaurant in napa, trefethen, grgich hills, drive over the pass to or from sonoma to napa and stop at chateau potelle half way, hit diamond oak on the napa side of the pass, pick one or two wine clubs to join....that's about 4 days worth of stuff...

another new venture

Today I'm going to be making a presentation to a design firm about Nood carpet. I've not sold carpet in over three years and now I'm back. It's very surreal, but I'm confident in the material and the product. The truth is, I've got so many project businesses going that I'm sure this one will take off, too! Just more for me to do! I don't want to take my health for granted anymore. It's so nice feeling normal and not being on drugs that wreck your body, just so they can kill cancer cells. Stress is at the door and I need to make sure to keep it in check. I've found that I can change my thinking and turn stress into motivation - it's not easy, but you have total control over it if you recognize it.

So back to this presentation. I'm nervous in a good way. New people, new conversations, will they like me? Will they laugh at my jokes? Will they ask me questions I don't know the answer to? Yes, yes, and most definitely YES! A new adventure, a new reality, a new beginning.

I wonder what my life would look like if I were to focus for 8 to 10 hours a day. Really focus. Not get distracted by the frig or the television. Actually follow a schedule. All the little mini projects I start during the day and going back and forth...what if I were to budget my time. Have slotted time periods for certain tasks. I think I should try it.

lucky girl

Today is our first anniversary. Bob is in the kitchen cooking breakfast for me. It smells delicious. I think he is replicating something we had on our San Fran trip. I'm a lucky girl!

rain on a saturday night

Bob and I decided to walk to a new local place for a glass of wine (or two or three) tonight. Love the new place. Upscale with out the attitude. We ended up having a light dinner and dessert. And left just in the nick of time. The big fat raindrops started about three blocks from home. We had just enough time to let the dog out and get back in the house before the bottom fell out. Can't say I would not have enjoyed getting caught in the rain, though!

ramblings

Do you think that daydreaming is a sign of genius? If it is, I'm the smartest person in the world! I've got so much to do, but focus is lacking. I like being busy, though. I can't believe this little business of mine is growing so much. I'm getting good sized orders and reorders on a regular basis. The Sissy Tags are like crack. I should probably feel bad for getting people hooked on them, but I don't. I do feel bad that my father had to have hand surgery yesterday. He and my mom do have of the production. They told me the surgery wasn't brought on by the tag making, but I have my doubts. Hopefully it will fix him right up and he'll be able to go on and make thousands more tags.

I'm hiring someone to help me and looking into a space outside my home to expand the tag production. It's all so exciting!!

the last of the best

This might be my favorite shot of the trip. I'm now taking orders for a limited quantity of signed prints for your dining room or wine cellar!!!


This is my attempt at a Golden Gate art photo that hasn't been done yet. Although, I'm not kidding myself. Is there an angle of this bridge that hasn't been photographed? My only claim is that no one else took this shot on whatever day it was that I took the pic!! Maybe!


Here is another shot of the Lone Cypress at Pebble Beach.

more trip pics

Can't resist a few more pictures of the trip. Some of these I've retouched to get fun effects. I'm trying to convince Bob that I need to also add photographer to my resume!

This is a picture of Lake Sonoma, which is actually a large resevoir at the top of Dry Creek Valley. We visited Ferrari-Carano and Dutcher Crossing in this area.













This is the view from the Hanna Winery tasting room deck. We had tried to visit Alexander Valley Winery, but they were temporarily closed because they had not bought a license to pour tastings at a jazz festival...













Ah, this is the french oak aging cellar at Ferrari-Carano. They are no relation to the cars, by the way. When I got the film developed, the picture was very bright and cool from the flash. I've been able to recreate the true color. This is actually how it felt in there - amazing!!














I think this the vineyard at Ferrari-Carano - maybe the Malbec block.

I think this blogging thing will be addictive

I've become addicted to the "next blog" button at the top of the screen. You would not believe what is out here in cyberspace. It is possibly the most diverse community in the world - it has to be really. It's fascinating to think about all the different kind of people out there writing in their blogs and expressing different ideas. We used to talk directly to one another. Now we put our thoughts down and hope someone reads them. Or do we really care. Maybe we just need to get the thoughts out of our heads because we are drowning in information soup.

Welcome to my first blog!

I can't believe I have a blog, and it's free, and it's easy! You should have one, too. Well, Bob and I just got back from our long awaited honeymoon. If you have never been to the SF Bay area or the CA wine country, I highly recommend a trip and soon! It's good for your soul and your palatte! For those of you that live, have lived or have visited out there, I hope you enjoy seeing some familiar sites through my eyes in the picture posts below (you may have to click on the October 2006 archive link to see them all). We had a wonderful time - our recommendations for things to do and see in a later post...ENJOY!!

SF Bay and Wine Country

Picture perfect at Pebble Beach...













The Lone Cypress on the 17-Mile Drive













The Rock













This is the driveway to Trefethen Winery, I think...they all started running together!!

More Pics of SF Trip

It is a little weird to step into the trunk of a tree. The crazy thing is the size of the female pine cone these redwoods come from...they are about the size of a quarter!


















A new perspective...














Some photos need no explanation!
















Possibly the goofiest picture we took. As touristy as Alcatraz is, it's still worth it - very interesting. We joined one tour of the cell house that closed us up in the isolation cell. You literally cannot see your hand in front of your face - total darkness!

Wine Country Pics

We were in Sonoma during the harvest, so there were many grapes still on the vines. This picture was taken somewhere in the hills above Glen Ellen - a must visit little village! Don't know what varietal this is, but don't they look good!



















Another vineyard somewhere - we were able to taste several of the different types of grapes at the wineries we visited. Wine grapes are made of mostly juice, instead of meat. Good for us!



















Bob made a new friend at Cline Cellars. They enjoyed discussing the characteristics of Cline's new Cabernet release!



















This is small town America at it's best. Fireman Tug-of-War at the Vintage Festival on the square in Sonoma. The volunteer FD from Glen Ellen won!

chinatown, etc...more pics

This place smelled better than anything else in Chinatown. But we did eat at Hang Ah, the dim sum restaurant that started it all!



















Bobbo the Great Explorer - not the first to discover the giant redwoods, but the most proud!



















The trees at Muir Woods are incredibly tall! It feels like being a Lilliputian. Did I spell that correctly?



















I didn't know that Bob had a secret political life in Sonoma County. Apparently, he's the favorite to win the upcoming City Council election!! Go Bob go!