Category: Other Posts

A Quick Thought

Shop Local…Because you WANT to

deborahanndykeman

I’ve been reading more and more lately about being an author, and handling it like a small business, especially in your town.

I don’t know if I like that or not. So I will think on it for while.

Yes, I do see the point. If you are an indie author especially, you have to market, promote and sell your books. That is the business part of writing. And that’s the part I’m not too fond of.

But in reality, I do have a small business. I want others to purchase a product from me. And when you live in a small town, there is not a lot of room to bungle your small business  and you will, if you’re not careful.

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In any business you want to offer a product that others want, and desire enough to pay for. In a large city, the products are wanted and needed by many people. There is competition for that product, whatever it may be. In a small town, there aren’t so many choices.

In a big city, a smart business person will offer a product at a competitive price. They will offer that product in a clean, attractive way. They will be friendly and want repeat customers. They know if they do not do those things, the customer will go elsewhere and give someone else the money for the services needed. They want to keep that customer and their money.

The small town business should up their game even more. Because people can and will travel for better service and products. The attitude shouldn’t be to support the small town business just because it is in your town. That’s a nice thought. But you also still need to give that customer something, some reason to stay local. The small town business still needs to offer great prices and sales. They have to run their business well. Treat their customers like they are royalty, offer services that are not offered other places. One place that comes to mind is our local grocery store. They carry your bags to your car! I was flabbergasted the first time I saw this twenty years ago. What big grocery store chain can you think of that does that for their customers? This same store offered tremendous sales on baking items, etc. during the holidays. They wanted you to shop there and not drive out of town to get those same items. Another great aspect of this store was seeing the owner sweeping the parking lot, carrying out groceries, and talking with the customers. The store was always clean and friendly. I wanted to shop there! It was a pleasant place to be. Our local gift shop has lovely items and they gift-wrap for free. Where do you think I go when I need something pretty and special? Not Walmart! One local restaurant offered a terrific meal for a great price, drink included. We ate there many, many times over the year or so that took place. Again, making customers feel special and giving them a fantastic deal.

I want to shop local, but not just because I should.  I want to be treated better because I’m part of a community, offered better prices, shop in a cleaner, more friendly environment because that’s what a small business should do! You want your community to put their money back into it. So make it easy for them to do, and pleasant at the same time. As a small business you have the time and ability to treat your customers like royalty. And if you do consistently, they won’t want to be anywhere else.

This applies to the small business owner across the board, whether you own a restaurant, car dealership, grocery store, auto parts store, hair salon, heating and cooling, clothing, or write books. Offer your services in a friendly manner, make your business stand out and someplace people want to support and be a part of. Don’t put a guilt trip on your community about shopping local if you aren’t offering services above and beyond what they can find elsewhere.

Christmas shopping is just around the corner. Do you want to be a part of a huge chain store, an overworked clerk checking you out? Or would you rather stroll along a pretty street, popping in and out of bustling shops, music playing, being greeted by others you know and want you there? Do you want the store owner happy to see you, offering you a great deal and knowing your family, or a store clerk that could care less if you’re there or not? If you own a small business in a small town, think on that one. If you’re a savvy business owner, it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out! Happy shopping!

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A Day to Remember, Where do I go?

Up, Up and Away!

deborahanndykeman

We’ve all been there. And we’ve sat on one side of the aisle or the other. We’ve been the parent of a child or children traveling by plane, or we haven’t been.

Deep words… right? But you know what I’m talking about!

I used to love to fly, back in the late seventies. Remember when you boarded the plane, carrying half the items from your house with you? You crammed them into the overhead storage, holding the doors shut and hoping they wouldn’t pop open. You checked in the other half of your house. If you were on a long flight, they served a leisurely meal, asked if you would like a drink…anything of your choice. They stocked the beverage aisle of a grocery store on those jets. Then you could watch a movie, take a nap…and they even offered you hearing devices, pillows and blankets at no extra charge. What a concept! Oh, and you could stay dressed before boarding your flight.

Those were the days, and I miss them!

Those were also the days when I didn’t have children.

I really don’t know why I flew so much when our children were young. I was not a career woman, very content to stay home. But I did fly a few times, and once with three children under the age of seven. The youngest two months old. We landed in New Jersey, and that’s a complete post all on its own! Needless to say, I was very happy for a few minutes to have my oldest with me to crawl under the stall door and unlock it so we could use the facilities. I didn’t happen to have change on hand while juggling a baby to pay to use them!

But I digress…again! When you are traveling with children, you board the plane with armor on. You walk that long aisle, trying to focus on your seat assignment, and you make eye contact with no one. Those that see you coming lugging your child, your stroller, car seat and diaper bag, scoot down in their seats and pretend to sleep. Cover their faces with a magazine or begin looking for people to trade seats with. Seriously!

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And I have done the same.

While having the privilege to fly child-free a few times, I prayed that family would pass several seats beyond me. I just wanted a few hours all to myself. But, as you can guess, I was the lucky one. A little boy of about three was my seat companion for one flight. He was fairly well-behaved, coloring and chattering. I could deal with that. I just went into Mommy-mode once again. The six-year old on another flight that stood on his seat behind me, taking the clip from my hair and spilling juice down my arm was another problem. If the flight hadn’t been so crowded, I would have been begging to trade. I would have even served drinks.

Flying with children is a challenge and I was blessed several times with seat mates that were special. While traveling with our son when he was very small, one older lady actually said out loud…I was shocked…that she was hoping I was next to her so she could travel with a baby. I almost ran because I thought there had to be something wrong with her and I had better protect my child! We sat with her for three hours. She held our son so I could eat, and while he was napping. She even fed him a bottle. We had very pleasant conversation and that flight was a joy! Another flight  with our three oldest, a gentleman asked if he could assist me with the diaper bag and car seat on my way off the plane. He said his wife traveled alone with their children and he never understood what she had gone through until he had watched our little family.

The flight attendants were always very helpful and cheerful. Such a need for a worn-out, travel-weary mother.

Yesterday, our second oldest flew with our grandchild for the first time. And yes, she had the same looks. I think it was her second flight that she had the seats to herself and she said that was just fine! Does this little one look like she would give any kind of grief?

Thank you to those of you that see a need and help. And to those that hide and pretend to sleep…I won’t fault you. I understand the fear! Have a great Saturday!

Just For Fun!

Time to Change the Sheets!

deborahanndykeman

No, I don’t recommend that you drink that cup of tea. I just thought the picture was pretty, and it reminded me of how very little time I’ve had lately to sip tea and read. If I poured a steaming pot of water over an aromatic tea bag, it would sit until it gathered leaves, just as the picture above demonstrates.

Autumn is becoming more of a favorite time of year for me. When I was younger, it always seemed as though it was a bit depressing, watching everything die back and get ready for a long, cold winter. Now I appreciate the colors more and the anticipation of life slowing down for a few months. It would be lovely to be able to sit beside a roaring fire, watching gentle snow as I sipped hot chocolate, but we’ll have to see how that turns out!

The change of seasons also means change the sheets. The first of October the cotton sheets go into the trunk and closet, and out come the flannel sheets along with the heavier blankets. The rooms are thoroughly cleaned, curtains washed, windows if needed. Fans are set to the winter mode and wiped down as well. Our youngest volunteered to do this for me this fall, and I let her. One less chair to climb for me! And of course, every year, the day I put on the flannel sheets, we have a heat wave. But, at least the job is done!

What made this job even more enjoyable was our cat, pictured below. And yes, she is a bit perturbed in this picture!

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She spent the morning in our bedroom, sitting in the middle of everything I needed to do! Aargh! At one point, after fifty times of going around her, trying not to topple the mound of bedding on the rocking chair, I managed to almost step on her. In my effort to miss her, I did finally send the bedding to the floor, and I flung the extension wand of the vacuum into the whirling fan blades before I caught myself on the way to falling on my face. Those fans have quite the ability to jerk something out of your hands and fling it across the room! Thankfully, no one and nothing was hurt. The fan still works, and the plastic pieces of the vacuum wand seem to be all in one piece as they should be. Cassie had her feathers ruffled a bit, and so she finally decided it was safer outside. She would not smile for the camera!

 

The above pictures are the finished product of a morning of cleaning. And yes, the storms blew through and now it is cool enough to enjoy the flannel sheets upon the bed. Soon, I will spend my evenings beside the fireplace…eating ice cream. But that’s another post!

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Have a great Saturday, and give your cat a little love!

Just For Fun!

His Eye Is On the Butterfly

deborahanndykeman

Once upon a time, my husband was a photographer. He took photos for a newspaper for a very short while. When I met him, he was always taking pictures. He literally wore his camera wherever he went. Because of this, we had loads of pictures of our first days together as man and wife. I even have one of me eating a pop tart for the first time! Our first baby was photographed much more than the other four. And we still have all those pictures, in a box…somewhere.

He was very talented in catching just the right moment. He had a great eye for colors and the way items showed in their best light. I say all of this in the past tense because he no longer wears his camera. He hasn’t had a good camera for many, many years.

Which is why I thought these pictures were even more beautiful. They remind me of the colors of autumn, a theme for me the past few days. And who says a cell phone is just for talking? Beautiful pictures, husband of mine! Maybe it’s time to purchase another camera?

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A Quick Thought

Autumn Hue

deborahanndykeman

To walk a wooded path on an autumn day is glorious! The crispness is the air with each intake of breath. The smell of decaying leaves, crunching under your feet. If you pause, you may feel the stillness all around, the drift of a leaf to the ground.

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The beauty in the various colors of red, yellow and orange, sun caressing the array, is sometimes difficult to believe. You stand in awe.

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Enjoy the colors all around you. Creations flaming show. Sit on your deck, take a walk through the woods and absorb the hues, sounds and smells of this new season. Welcome autumn!

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Marriage, Parenting 101

Another Anniversary

deborahanndykeman

When I was young, a wedding was a happy celebration for me. It was a day to dress up in a beautiful gown, have flowers overflowing every surface, and you walked down the aisle to your handsome husband-to-be. It was the most tremendous of happenings in a young girl’s life. And I looked forward to my wedding day with great expectation.

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When our first daughter was married almost eight years ago, it wasn’t a happy day for me. Yes, I know that is a rather blunt way to put it, and it seems a bit selfish, but that was the way I felt. I was losing my oldest daughter, and all the attributes she brought to our family circle…and I was depressed. That tiny baby I held at birth, and cherished, was no longer mine, she belonged to someone else.

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As I look at my husband in this picture, I see sadness on his face. And I know he was feeling many of the same emotions I was.

Fast forward a few years to our second daughter’s wedding. No, I wasn’t any more happy about it. I was sad and depressed. Again, a part of our family was once again changing, and it would never be the same. She was leaving us by choice, and that hurt.img_0539

I think the most difficult part of each wedding ceremony for me was watching my husband walk our daughters down the aisle, and then kiss her goodbye. It really symbolizes the ending of one way of life and the beginning of another.

Our third daughter is celebrating her first wedding anniversary today. Her wedding, one year ago was just as hard on the emotions. Even more poignant was the fact that she wore my wedding dress and veil. It was an honor, but flooded my mind with so many memories of my own wedding day. All those years shuffled away under the load of babies, jobs, bills, and responsibilities. Where had they all gone is such a hurry?

October 20, 1984
September 19, 2015

When I was young, I never thought of weddings as being a sad day. I pretty much thought people were shedding tears of happiness. I didn’t understand all that was behind those tears…just as our daughters do not understand right now. And that’s how it should be.

Our three daughters, (we have one more to go), have all married wonderful young men. They have lives of their own now. Yes, it’s been very difficult to let go of each one, and I know I’m not successful at it most of the time. Those girls were MY babies not many years ago. I fed them, rocked them, and sang them to sleep at night. I dressed them up in matching clothes, and fixed their hair every morning. I was frustrated with them as teenagers, hoping they would leave home very quickly on many days over the years. But now they are no longer mine as they once were, and in reality, they never were really mine.

I was allowed a very short number of years in their life in my role as their mother. Yes, I’m still ‘Mom’ but not in the same way. It’s hard to let go, and it’s sad. I think I cry each time one of them celebrates another anniversary. But I am happy for them, proud of them, and thankful that they still choose to include me in their lives, sometimes almost on a daily basis. And someday they will understand. I pray that by the time that day arrives, I will have matured enough to hold them, and give comfort. That I will be able to tell them there is happiness in watching their children grow as men and women, husbands and wives, and fathers and mothers.

And that’s just as it should be.

Happy First Anniversary, Mitchel and Alyssa Lynn! You are loved!

A Day to Remember

In Memory…

deborahanndykeman

September 11, 2001

Sometimes there are no words. Only silence.

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We remember and reflect and pray. In humble memory of the lives lost, and the families that went on. For a city that rebuilt and a country that will stand united.

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A Quick Thought

Oldies but Goodies

deborahanndykeman

I love music, and I can generally find appreciation for all genres to some extent. As I grow older, the louder and more repetitive beats associated with heavy rock and roll, and sometimes rap, are a bit much for me. Jazz has always been one of my least favorite, but I can even listen to that in a background kind of way.

Music from the ’50’s era and into the early ’60’s has always been very special to me. As a teenager I would listen to that whenever I had a chance. There is something that is happy and full of hope in much of that music, even though many of the songs could be a bit depressing. Teen Angel by Mark Dinning is one that comes to mind. But overall, I think the music was upbeat and positive. It made you feel good.

I was just visiting over at https://thepbsblog.wordpress.com/2016/09/08/throwback-thursday-jam-a-change-is-gonna-come-sam-cooke/. I check this blog often and enjoy what she posts. I was attracted to this particular post because of the Sam Cooke song. This song does have more of a message to it, and I don’t want to take anything away from that post with my words.

But hearing Sam Cooke’s voice, brought back a flood of memories. Happy ones I might add. He did address some pretty important issues with many of his songs, but three come to mind that are a little lighter. And that’s what I want to share with you all today.

This first one always makes me smile and I think of young love. School is not a huge priority as you can hear, but he is trying. And he is trying because he’s in love and wants that love returned. Literally, when you think of young love, the world would be a wonderful place if someone returns your love…and I don’t think that’s too far off base. Because being in love and having that returned makes this life a much easier road to travel.

Now this one…he has that girl. And they are just enjoying life. Just a great beat.

I’ve always loved this one. If our children are all here and we are doing dishes, we usually end up singing this one. Again, just happy, an era of innocence and more gentle times.

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I could listen to and share music on here all day and then some. But that doesn’t get the laundry done or the dishes washed. I won’t accomplish my writing goals for today. But I sure do appreciate YouTube and the ability to listen to some great oldies. Thank you to those that put the music there for all of us to enjoy. Have a fantastic Thursday afternoon!

A Day to Remember

Greetings, September!

deborahanndykeman

My husband was raised in the Hudson Valley region of New York state. That is where we met the summer of 1983. As you know from past posts, I grew up in Colorado. I love the time period of Colorado when my family lived there. Denver was big, but not huge like today. The towns were spread out on all those flat lands leading up to the Rocky Mountains in the west. It was gorgeous, no humidity, and the snow melted quickly. But I really didn’t care for the Rockies. Yes, I can admire them…from afar. But that is about all I wanted to do with them!

But I digress. My family lived in upstate New York for awhile and Vermont. Both beautiful locations. For me, it was the Norman Rockwell existence I had always dreamed about. I adored the little mountains, covered in trees and foliage. They seemed much more hospitable to me. Even so, I still admired them from afar.

After a short time in Tucson, Arizona…a world away from upstate New York…we moved to the Hudson Valley region. I was in love! I can still remember driving in to that little town so close to the Hudson River. It was very late at night, at the end of May. Stone fences lined the roads and the mist hung heavy in the air. It had been raining for most of our drive that day and everything was dripping. You could smell the deep, earthy scents and the stillness closed around you. While living there I worked second shift, and my memories of getting off work at eleven and driving to our small town, will always be with me. During the summer, the huge trees draped their branches over the weaving road. The heavy dampness in the air would cause me to use my windshield wipers to be able to see through the inky corridor of the blacktop.

My husband and I moved further north after our marriage, to the Catskill region. My husband had always been a hiker and bike rider. And yes, he was warned that I didn’t find these activities or camping very thrilling. He did manage to get me out on some walks, and these pictures remind me of what we always had the privilege to see.

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Autumn in my mind will forever be associated with New York. These pictures bring back happy memories of what seem like more simple times.

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When our first child was born, we spent many hours walking down paths such as the one below, my husband carrying her on his shoulders.

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Maybe that’s why she loves to walk today!

Today is the first of September. I know it won’t officially be fall for another three weeks or so. But for me, September is the beginning of my husband’s most favorite time of year. Since he grew up around these kind of views…I can certainly understand why!

Happy first day of September to you!

 

A Day to Remember

Wow!!!

deborahanndykeman

Do you see those gorgeous pink blooms above? I am so thrilled to see them pictured here in their simple purity! I would just take a big sniff, if I could, they look just that beautiful.

You all know I’m a ditz when it comes to techno stuff. I’ve complained about it multiple times on here. But again, thanks to my daughter, a.k.a. my editor and helper for all things computer challenging, I now have those very pretty roses.

Who knew you had to download them in a certain way?! “Not I,”replied the computer illiterate writer. To give myself a little, teensy-weensy bit of credit…I did get them onto my site all by myself. And I could just weep with happiness since I didn’t lose anything or mess up something else. I was even able to make a couple more little tweeks to the site! Wow!!! This is a big day for moi!

I realize some of you may think I’m a bit over-the-top with this excitement about something you may find so very simple. But let me relish in my achievements for a little while. You have to take the joyous moments where ever you can find them! Have a fantastic Tuesday!