The Long Trail Home and Semper Fi Fund Anniversary

I do not know where people gain their inspiration, there are times that I do not even know where my own comes from. I do know that sometimes frustration causes me to take action. Today is one of those days.

Today my husband had his 90 day check-up for the intracranial aneurysm that he had repaired. The doctor told us that he was very pleased to see that all test results showed that the procedure had been successful and he did not need to see my husband for another year. What amazing, great news for myself and my family! How could I possibly complain?

Well, I can. I have been following The Long Trail Home since May, 2014 and though Matt Littrell and his team have been through various perils, he is no where near the 7 million dollars he wanted to raise for the Semper Fi Fund. Every day this man and the Semper Fi Fund crosses my mind.

On the way to the hospital today my son was telling me about a friend of his that claims the government and the military have done bad things. The friend thinks he would have a better life if he were to live in a different country. I can't imagine.

First thing that comes to my mind are my First Amendment rights. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof: or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press: or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

By voicing his opinion to my son, this kid just used one of these rights. He used another while he and his small group of friends were peaceably assembled discussing the unconscionable wrongs of the world. You've probably met a kid like this, one that is forming opinions based on their limited knowledge of living their entire life in these United States. He doesn't have any idea what life would be without these rights and Matt was willing to defend them with his body and soul. Matt's okay with that but he really wants to help soldiers that were not as fortunate as he.

Tonight I ask you to please stand up for your rights and prove this kid wrong. He is young and doesn't understand.

This November, the Semper Fi Fund is celebrating its 10^th anniversary with the 10 for 10 Challenge which is a matching campaign with the possibility of raising $10 million for wounded, critically ill and injured veterans. This challenge which was issued by The Bob & Renee Parson Foundation with support from GoDaddy and will be one of the largest matching campaigns in the history of veteran nonprofits. Through December 31, 2014, all donations to the Semper Fi Fund and America's Fund will be matched, dollar for dollar.

Please donate to Matt's Semper Fi fundraising page.  It's a great way to show we care and a wonderful way to help make history.

As of today, there is no news to report about the recovery of the saddle stolen from The Long Trail Home.  The media in Phoenix did a report about the missing saddle but I guess somebody needed it more than Matt, even though it was very personal to him.  The team is less than 400 miles from Camp Pendleton and I am sure he has raised awareness of veterans and their needs after returning home after deployment.  

Before Matt started his ride I hadn't really heard much about the Semper Fi Fund.  In the past few months I have taken the time to learn more about the organization.  It was refreshing to learn that the Semper Fi Fund has been awarded the highest rating from watch dog groups for charities and though some may immediately assume that they only provide help only to Marines, they actually work with all service branches and retired service members.  

Please donate to The Long Trail Home fund raising page.

Missing Saddle, Believed to be Stolen From The Long Trail Home

While camping in Payson, Arizona a saddle belonging to Matt Littrell of The Long Trail Home was stolen from a campsite at the Payson Rodeo Grounds sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 21, 2014.

If anyone has information in regard to the missing saddle please contact Chief of Police Donald B. Engler at (928) 474-5177.

Please share so the saddle can be recovered.

The Long Trail Home fundraiser for Semper Fi Fund

The Long Trail Home facebook page

~Thank you

Dixie Off Road Photography

For the past few year I have attended the annual event of the Sheriff's JeepFest in Jasper, Georgia. I'm guessing that I have grown especially fond of the JeepFest because it reminds me of my younger years when I participated in unorganized four wheeling events. Okay, I really had no business being out in the woods four wheeling around as if I knew what I was doing and I know that part of the excitement was probably the risk of getting caught but these are different times and we are well beyond the statute of limitations.

The JeepFest is a well organized, fun event for people of all ages and though my time there this year was especially limited I was still able to have a great time thanks to Dixie Off Road Photography being kind enough to share pictures on their facebook page. It's not the first time Dixie Off Road Photography caught my attention so I contacted them in regard to their full line of services.

Here's the great news for you! Whether you use your equipment for agriculture, mining or excavation Dixie Off Road Photography of Monroe, Georgia is happy to provide their services throughout the United States. If you want to display the qualities of your business Dixie Off Road Photography can capture the essence of it through their photography. Contact them on facebook or their web site DIXIE OFF ROAD PHOTOGRAPHY.

Photos by Dixie Off Road Photography, Monroe, GA

Take on the Bear for Semper Fi Fund

As you know I have been following The Long Trail Home and trying to help promote them so that Matt Littrell will have a successful mission of raising money for the Semper Fi Fund. I am completely impressed with Matt. He started this crazy journey on a wing and a prayer when he left from just south of Camp LeJeune, NC in the spring. He did not have a publicist, an established schedule and I do not believe he even had much food. He did have a good friend, a facebook page, a horse and a destination, Camp Pendleton, CA.

Initially, I thought Matt was following a dream and I questioned how he expected to have success. I even wondered if in fact he would be able to accomplish the mission that he had assigned to himself. Sure, he was a Marine but I live in Georgia and it gets really hot. He planned on camping but I am afraid of the bear in my backyard and that is not even mentioning the mosquitoes, nor the poisonous snakes.

Matt has been a great sport about his long trail home. Actually, he did complain about the mosquitoes but he wasn't in Georgia when that happened, he was a little farther west. Even then he made mention that it was bothersome to the horses and he was concerned about their well being and comfort. Matt is a gentleman. He knows that his horse is his means of transportation and prioritizes the animals.

As I have sat back and watched the news from the safety of my home I have wondered why the media didn't recognize this Marine at every corner he passed. Why were people not noticing that this gentleman had a mission? It finally occurred to me that there is a strong possibility that others in this country may be more afraid of that bear in my backyard than I. Matt was out there with it! He also served over there where we are okay with our children not knowing about. Using the bear as a metaphor, we never want any child to be out in the backyard with the bear but Matt didn't care.

When Matt got home after his two tours in Iraq he knew that rejoining society would not be easy and he soon realized that others needed help too. Rather than waiting for the government to take action he decided to do something. Once again, Matt wasn't fearful of that stupid bear. After all, he had been part of the few, the proud, the Marines.

I would like to challenge you today. You already have the only tool you need, yourself.

I challenge you to share Matt's story with everybody you know. It doesn't matter if you like the person or not, share his story. Our wounded service members and their families need everybody to help. It's your turn to take on the bear!

Please donate to the Semper Fi Fund

and challenge others to take on the bear.

https://fundraising.semperfifund.org/fundraise?fcid=249300

You can follow The Long Trail Home on facebook through the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/Thelongtrailhome

Uncomfortably Numb

I know you're all eagerly awaiting the story of my husband's follow-up appointment with the neurosurgeon after his procedure to have his Subarachnoid Aneurysm repaired! I am presenting this to you in blog form though it is actually an edited version of the post I made on facebook to close friends and family. This has been a crazy time in our lives. My children, myself and my husband know that the story we've lived for the past few weeks is so far fetched that it is difficult to believe. I doubt I could have made this up. Remember, I'm big on karma and I'm talking about my husband's life! One thing to note is that early on a doctor told us if you hear someone complain about or experience “the worst headache of my life”, get to the hospital. Severe headaches that are beyond the pain of migraine headache pain are a tell tale sign. Here's the rest of the follow-up story:

My husband drove to the hospital for his appointment. I was the passenger. He did well with his driving but since I have spent the past few years being a drivers ed instructor I am still adjusting to keeping quiet. I'm not perfect but think I did fairly well.

We go into the doctor's office and he gives his name to the girl at the desk. "You're not from around here", she says. We're from New England. We're in Atlanta and have been busted immediately! We go into the small talk about us not being from here and she's thrilled to find that we are from New England. One of us asked where she was from and she replied with a strong accent, "I'm from New York!”  Suddenly, we're long lost friends talking about the differences in the commute, weather and housing.

We were called into the exam room. The nurse introduced herself and said she was substituting for the doctor's regular nurse. My husband and I are anxious. She opened the file folder with his records and saw that he was there for the follow-up of the aneurysm procedure. She shook her head and explained that her dad had died of a brain aneurysm when he was 41. She said she was coming up on that age and just didn't feel too good about it.

I never realized how many people have experienced brain aneurysms until now. Her story of her father's experience is typical. Come to find out there are so few survivors under the age of 65 that those stories are seldom told.

The nurse checked his vitals which were good. Strong pulse and increased weight which is what they were looking for. (I know the weight problem is something some of you might not want to discuss but this happened in August. It's not unusual for his weight to decrease in the summer but him not eating for a week while he was hospitalized made his weight cause for concern.) His blood pressure is still on the low side but it is up into the low normal and will just need to be monitored. The nurse was pleased for everybody involved.

We saw the doctor and he was happy to answer all of our questions. Actually, the nurse had already answered them but he reviewed everything that we had discussed with her and told my husband that he will need to have another follow-up in November. If they are to find anything they will do a repair at that time. Hoping and praying that all goes well he will then need to have an MRI done at the one year anniversary. In the mean time, my husband is to steadily increase his activity until something happens that tells him he can't.

Now we notice that we have become uncomfortably numb and we're faced with the choice of either getting up and leaving of sitting in the exam room until the nurse calls security!

We checked out and walked the seemingly ten miles to the car. Fairly uneventful. As we were exiting the parking garage I start thinking again and had my husband ask the attendant about the valet parking. She told us it would cost six dollars as she took our five dollar bill. I laughed and said, "Well, aren't we stupid?!" She smiled and replied in her heavy southern accent, "You know that's right. Have a good day!"

Intercranial Aneurysm

I'm sure some of you have been wondering why I haven't been posting much since last week.  It's not that I'm ignoring you, I have had reason.

On Wednesday of last week my husband decided to make a trip to the doctor because he had such a severe headache.  He had a CT scan done and they found an Intracranial aneurysm that had ruptured.  

I read an article about this that stated odds of surviving a ruptured aneurysm are between 40 and 60 percent. Actually, it seems that nobody wants to be specific and I really don't care about the math.  You're welcome to determine the odds.  This was a close call.  After his surgery on Thursday this puts us on day four but he's still not out of the woods.

Symptoms for an Intracranial aneurysm include:  

• a sudden severe headache that can last from several hours to days
• nausea and vomiting
• drowsiness, confusion and/or loss of consciousness
• Visual abnormalities

Hind sight is 20/20.  He probably should not have pushed himself to finalize that customer's order.  Maybe should have gone to the doctor sooner.  Who knows.  He and I are the fortunate ones.  Never in a million years would either of us have guessed something like this would happen.  He's healthy and strong.

Although high blood pressure is the most common cause of Intracranial aneurysms, he has never been diagnosed with high blood pressure.  

The whole ordeal has put me off schedule in a major way.  Well, it's been a schedule changer for the entire family.  

Please be aware of the symptoms.  Over the counter drugs will not correct this problem. 

Cowboy Matt Littrell's Long Trail Home

This weekend I had a moment of fearlessness when I offered some help to Matt Littrell with The Long Trail Home.  Please let me explain.

I adore horses and have since the American Quarter Horse Association sent me a free poster but I do not own one.  This may have something to do with the two near death experiences that I had as a child after I had received that awesome poster but I'm not really sure.  I still adore them and over the years I have fallen for different breeds.  The Clydesdale Horse rates high on my list, followed by Percheron and Shire, then American Paint and finally the Mustang.  

As I wrote in my last blog, the men with The Long Trail Home were brought to my attention in a round about way.  My daughter works at a horse rescue.  She and I discuss the horses daily and the conversation usually revolves around difficulties that the horses are overcoming.  When she arrived home full of excitement it was strange to me and there was no hiding it.  Look, I was raised in the suburbs and attended well groomed county fairs.  She's shoveling horse manure.  I spoil the cat and dog.  She takes me to the rodeo.  

The second rodeo I attended was a really cool, free-spirited crowd.  The excitement was contagious from the minute we entered the gates.  The weather was beautiful, the horses all appeared pristine and the vendors were busy with the crowd.   My husband and I decided to sit in the third row of the stands since I have a bad knee.  

Intermission arrived and the people around us started to talk to us.  Seems most of us in the lower rows of the stands have bad knees.  The lower the row, the worse the injury?  Anyway, a man about our age came along with his wife and they sat in front of us.  We welcomed them to the party!  The more, the merrier!  We laughed and joked and carried on and suddenly a teenage girl approached.  We all became politely quiet. 

The wife asked the girl what she was doing?  The girl told her mother that she was just going to go visit with one of the guys with the rodeo.  The man, in a deeper voice than I remembered, said, "You don't need to be hanging around with those cowboys."  The girl's eyes grew large as she looked at her dad.  The man turned around in his seat, belted my husband in the arm and said, "You know I'm right about that."  We all shook our heads and smiled trying to hold back our laughter.  The wife moved over a bit so the daughter could sit down next to her.

I commend Matt with his success in raising money for The Semper Fi Fund.  His dedication and compassion for his brothers-in-arms is extraordinary.  Please support Matt's effort by making a donation at The Long Trail Home.  

Matt, I'm sorry that my suburbian upbringing made me leery of cowboys.  

I know my fearlessness pales in comparison to yours,

 but I would put money on it that you would have

 told that sweet, young girl the same thing.  

The Long Trail Home

I have been following The Long Trail Home since May, just a few weeks after they left out from Surf City, NC near Camp LeJeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina on horseback. This wasn't something that I had planned on but when my daughter came home from work one day and said that Iron Gait Percheron Horse Rescue was expecting two men to arrive for an overnight stay, every bit of me that's a mother kicked in. I guess moms will understand this. No police officer in the nation will do detective work better than I. The who, what, where, when and why will all be answered!

My daughter had been excited and I had been told all about the coolness of somebody finally doing something of worth to help our returning soldiers and best part for her, these men were using horses to get their message out there. Who are these men?

That evening I pulled my chair up to my computer. It didn't take long at all to find Matt Littrell's name.  I was even able to find his riding partner, Raymond Avery's name too.  Matt and Raymond are from Elbert, Colorado. These two good, honest men are on a mission to help the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund. It makes sense that they were traveling across Georgia to get to Camp Pendleton.

Okay, I'll admit that I over reacted a little. Matt and Ray are simply trying to help others that need to be reminded that they did not serve their country in vain.  I do not think anyone should ever be needing reminding but I cherish my freedoms and am thankful to have them and I am especially thankful that Matt has reminded me of what an incredible country this is.  Matt updates The Long Trail Home facebook page regularly so I get to enjoy the horses and the cross country trip.

Please visit The Long Trail Home and make a donation to the Semper Fi Fund through his page.  

Resume Help Update

This will not apply to you if you have followed GHC from the beginning.  If you're new, this blog is for you!

Yesterday the GHC web page was updated with resume help for new job seekers.  This page was established because we heard a number of complaints about the job market and the availability of jobs.  Yes, it is a difficult time to find a job but there is no reason to get discouraged because the jobs are out there!

This page was not directed toward millennials, in fact I specifically left that out because I think the term is somewhat degrading.  (Millennials are listed as ages 18-33.)  Big deal.  I'm classified as a Baby Boomer but I'm on the cusp and since I scored as 65% a Millennial I thought you might like to know that I am more on your side than not!  You can take the How Millennial Are You quiz from Pew Research and find out how millennial you are.

The page was posted to help others and simplify things as much as possible.  All of the information provided is free of charge.  Ads do appear on the page but you can ignore them.  I am in no way trying to get anybody to spend money through the resume pages on the site.  If anything, seeing as your needing to create a cash flow, I don't expect you to spend money through the site.  I teach and preach, "Zero in, zero out".

Age really doesn't matter.  I know there are a lot of people out there that are having a difficult time.  The reasons don't matter to me because everybody has a story.  What matters to me is that if you're looking for a job you can get out there and be included in that new job figure that will be released next month.

Happy job hunting!
~Kara

P.S.  I thought it was funny that an ad appeared for the top interview mistakes right after my little rhyme!

Resume Help for New Job Seekers

I've posted a new page on the web site for job seekers that are either new to the job market or returning to the job market after an extended period of time.  This page is not really directed at those in upper management.  

I've been hearing a lot from people that want to get a job but feel they cannot meet the requirements so they do not apply.  I think these people have more skills and talent than they give themselves credit for.  

If you know of someone that may be in a rut, please share the link to Resume Help for New Job Seekers.  

You Have Two Days

Once again, lawmakers are needing to take a break and we do not have a comprehensive highway bill.  Sure nobody wants to experience widespread layoffs within construction but it seems the system that is in place doesn't work and we need to reconsider.  The Transportation Empowerment Act introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom Grave (GA) and U.S. Senator Mike Lee (UT) is something that we should consider. 

Rather than piece details together for you, I suggest you watch Senator Lee's video . 

Taking My Own Advice

This is a little difficult but I can see that I need to take my own advice.  I seriously hate it when I must assume the responsibilities and behave like an adult instead of just continuing to have fun with my job.  I've spent a little while pouting but it's no fun so I am just going to move along.

First, please like Georgianna Hardware Corporation on facebook.  Doing a Google search for "facebook is" produced a fun list of options like "for idiots, a waste of time" and also, "dangerous".  Well, we've all thought about something like that at one time or another but it is a fun, easy way to connect with others.

I try to maintain all of the GHC social pages.  We are active on G+, Twitter and Pinterest as well as facebook.   I thank you for taking the time to follow Georgianna Hardware Corporation and look forward to making more friends.  Buy American!

Web Site Update

I was going to place a status update on the facebook page but I thought that it may be a little long and decided just to put this in a blog.

I was updating the Georgianna Hardware Corporation web site and though I am still having a little problem with the site, I stumbled upon the visitor report.  Since GHC primarily connects through social media I rarely bother looking at the report but I did tonight and had to catch my breath.  I remember telling somebody that the site had hundreds of visitors and tonight I find I have underestimated that figure.

I am absolutely thrilled that the Resume help page has been a free resource for so many people to use. Though I have had a few people mention that the resources helped them find gainful employment, I never would have known anything if they hadn't mentioned it.  The report I saw today suggests that at least one of two people I have never met found some help through the site.  I think this is great!

I would give a report about each page but I'm starting to think that the Resume page means more to me than any of the others.  I'm very proud of that page!  

  Thanks for letting me brag a little!

It's History. Today, Mining

Pearl Buck is quoted as to saying, 'If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday'.  I couldn't agree more.  History can actual help us understand what is going to happen in the future.  We can't ignore the past.  I believe we should celebrate it.

This evening I was reading Details of Practical Mining, published in 1916 by McGraw Hill Book Company, Inc., edited by Lee O. Kellogg. Mr. Kellogg was a standing member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers.

This is an ebook, an old book that has been scanned. There may be typos and errors. The original book that was published in 1912 was put together from articles that appeared in Engineering and Mining Details.

I hope you enjoy seeing the advancements in mining as much as I did.

Please visit Georgianna Hardware Corporation

and give GHC a like on facebook too!

Men vs. Women?

I am not worried about the fact that women make less money than men. This is an age old argument that I will not be able to solve but I would like to point out that men and women have something in common. We are all human. People seem to forget that.

I have been reading the work of Jackson Katz recently.  He has been studying much of what we have been living since 1988. I thank Mr. Katz for seeing myself and other women as humans.

Jackson Katz focuses his work on the prevention of violence toward women. (You can get a quick Wiki synopsis of his work at this Wikipedia page.)

Here's where I have a complaint. I have noticed that many women seem to not appreciate men being benevolent. I taught my son to be caring, generous and kind but now that he is an adult I've seen more than one woman rudely tell him he doesn't need to bother holding a door because she is “perfectly capable”. Evidently being polite eludes them.

George Washington wrote 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation well over 100 years ago. If you haven't read it, it's a fun read. Seems to me that the first rule applies to every human on the earth. That rule is: Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present. This rule reflects the “Grandmother Test” I added notes of on the web site some time ago.  You can find it referenced on the Resume Help page.

I believe when virtue and honor are no longer fashionable we will all have more problems than we could wish for our worst enemies.

It's Easy

I think I may have encountered a non-believer. I can hear the echos of the nay sayers that have been around from the beginning but, yes there are always “buts” in my world!

During difficult times we wanted to help empower our friends and family. Hours of conversation and in regard to how to best help people and the decision was made to take the conversation to the world wide web and what a great experience it has been! Since the information that is provided through Georgianna Hardware Corp. is public knowledge we supply the information free of charge. I know. It almost sounds too good to be true but it's real.

Here's where I make the grand hit in the imaginary game of ping pong! The ball is now in your court. You must make the decision as to whether or not the information I provide is something you are interested in. It's that easy.

I have helped some people, made contact with many great people and have been fortunate to make some new friends. It's easy!

Georgianna Hardware Corporation

Marketing and Mobile Websites

I recently read that twenty-five percent of companies do not feel as if location based marketing is applicable to them.  I find that hard to believe and think the survey results may have been skewed since non-mobile users probably did not participate in the survey.    Mobile websites and mobile apps are not something to be overlooked nor ignored.  Mobile websites, mobile display ads, Apps and QR Codes are expected to increase in popularity an average of  48% within the next few years.  

If you have been wondering about investing in mobile marketing, I've done the research for you!  The world is becoming more mobile and your company will experience a decent return on the investment.  I encourage you to learn more about the technology.  Start by viewing your company's web site on your phone and then let the conversations begin.

Assuming you follow my blog, you know that I like QR Codes.  I have seen these used very strategically on printed advertisements but there is a learning curve involved.  I think some people just get it while for some of us it takes a little longer.  My immediate thought is that I would not spend time and effort on QR Codes because I expect they might go the way of the CueCat.  

With the number of handheld gadgets and mobile devices that are being released to the market, having your business accessible via mobile devices simply allows for great potential to connect with customers in the future. 

Let's Start A New Habit

Time just gets away from me and I missed World Compliment Day on March 1st.  As if that wasn't bad enough I had already missed National Compliment Day on January 24th.  This week time stopped when my brother in-law, Ron, passed away.  

Ron was just a kid, in his early forties.  His death was sudden and unexpected.  What a crushing blow for everyone that knew him.  It has been a long week and it is not over for us.

In order to honor Ron I have decided I will start a new habit.  Forget worrying about ridding myself of my bad habits, especially since Ron and I had laughed about so many of our bad habits.  Instead,  I'm going to start a good one and make the choice to more readily share a compliment with those around me. 

I hope you will join me in starting a new habit of sharing compliments.       

Stuff Just Happens

I sat down and heard a crash on the deck followed by a thump. I thought Prince must have jumped off to take his daily tour of the yard. When I got to the deck the window box planter was on the deck floor. Prince was laying down looking as if he couldn't believe somebody would make such a mess. He has grown up and become a compulsive liar! Typical childhood phase.

That was one of my posts from a week ago. Today was different. It's a special day, high school graduation for my son.

Let me take you back to December, 2013. My home educated son completed his high school course of study in December and the plans for the graduation event were made. This would be a family event which was to include the presentation of the diploma followed by dinner out and dessert at home. Everything was in order and this would be fun!

I know that it is unusual to graduate in December but it is not unheard of but every day presented something different. I think he was the first to say that there was no big rush since Christmas was approaching and we would be having especially busy around the holidays. Then, it was the post holiday which brought us to Valentine's Day, my birthday celebration, his sister's birthday, a myriad of weather events and work schedule changes until I finally had enough and put my foot down. By plum! I have been waiting since December and if this is going to be done we are going to have the presentation of the diploma on May 26, 2014, Memorial Day.

Well, the son got sick. Fortunately it was nothing other than a lousy cold but he started not feeling well late last week and then I turned up with it too. Not again. The date was set. I had put effort into getting schedules changed and we were not going to cancel. Since he was not feeling well changes were made to the planned dinner out. Since I wasn't feeling well I modified the dessert menu from the elaborate cake served on my favorite china to a half dozen cupcakes and ice cream.

We went to a local restaurant for dinner. It wasn't the reservations that I had made in my mind at the fine dining establishment that is out of state but the food and service were more than acceptable. It stinks that he and I were both not feeling very well. This is an exciting time for a young person and it's exciting for the parents too but we surely missed something, didn't we?

We left the restaurant and arrived home. I was ready to serve dessert when my son told me that he didn't think he would like to have any dessert because he would rather spend a few hours gaming. My daughter offered my husband and I the ice cream, I pulled a cupcake from the plastic package for my husband and the three of us sat down to finalize the celebration. I heard a crash from the dining room. When I arrived in the dining room, the cupcakes were on the floor. Stuff just happens.  It's a typical adulthood phase!

My Five Tips For Success With Gardening

I have a strong belief that we need to live in harmony with nature and because of this I am continually asked for advice about how to start and maintain a garden.  Below are the sure tips for getting the flowers you love to grow successfully.

The planting technique improves the plant's likelihood of success in the garden or a pot.

     Since the roots of plants typically grow out, not down be sure to place the plant into a hole that is 2 to 3 times larger than the root ball.

     Break dirt off of the root ball so that roots don't need to grow through the starter mixture and can grow into their more permanent location.

     Put water into the planting hole before placing the plant in. This is easy, plants seek the water and you want the roots to be drawn downward.

     When planting a shrub or tree position it in the ground so the root ball is level with the existing grade. Leave the tree or shrub's root collar above the soil.

     Water thoroughly at the time of planting. Check the soil conditions regularly for the first year to be sure the plant, tree or shrub has enough water.

Potted plants require the same attention to planting and maintenance is fairly easy. Though clay pots are very attractive, plastic pots retain moisture better. If you feel the need to have the clay pot simply buy a plastic or resin pot that fits inside. This allows you to have the decorative choice and also allows the benefits for the success of the plant's life.

Annuals only have one life cycle so they will not grow again next year. Since the season that they are planted is their only season they need to be fertilized more often than a perennial plant. Fertilizing once very two or three weeks with a 10-20-10 fertilizer is fine. Actually, if you apply the fertilizer once a month through the summer season you should be successful. I'm not one to use expensive fertilizer. The packaging should show the nutritional value of the fertilizer, such as 10-20-10. I like to use this blend because since it does not tend to burn the plants out I appear to have great success!

Growing plants is a great activity to share with children. Though there are a number of tools available children are happy to use a rock or spoon to dig with as a tool. Depending on the child's age and interest level is a good way to determine if you want to invest in purchasing perennials.

The same techniques apply for the planting perennials.

The greatest benefit of plants is attracting wildlife. I am always amazed at the number of song birds, hummingbirds and butterflies that appear because they are attracted to the plants for food and shelter.

Planting a few plants is a nice weekend activity that is low cost and can be as time consuming as you want it to be, especially if you are like me and schedule in plenty of breaks and after getting outdoors, relaxing and enjoying the company of an assistant it almost always guarantees a good night's sleep!

The Thing To Do With Post Traumatic Stress

Good news for me! Today I found out that George W. Bush agrees with me!

I watch for the mountain bike ride that Former President George W. Bush hosts in Crawford, Texas in honor of wounded veterans. I know I could not do the 100K, three day ride but it gives me great joy to to see the successes at this awesome event!

This year, Stars and Stripes  highlighted the participation of U.S. Army Master Sgt. Chris Demars, who was wounded in two separate attacks in Afghanistan in the space of just 10 days in 2011. The attacks left him with traumatic brain injuries, two broken legs and multiple shrapnel wounds. He also suffered a back injury and both his eardrums were blown out.

Demars, 45, has since fought to overcome post traumatic stress along with his physical ailments and he agrees with Bush's efforts to reduce the stigma of the condition. Earlier this year Bush boldly suggested that "disorder" should be removed from the condition's name as it is a treatable condition. 

I could not agree more with George W. Bush and had mentioned it in a blog last year.  You can read it at the following link,  GHC blog, May 30, 2013. 

Chris Demars suffered trauma that instantly placed him into hero status. I can't begin to imagine the trauma and I certainly can not imagine any bit of his recovery being a disorder. Though I have never met him I am proud of Chris. I know that he's a hero just by knowing the injuries he has overcome. Post Traumatic Stress? Yep, there are things that happen that just knock a person into another state of mind. Referring to that as a disorder is just putting another stupid obstacle in the way.  Referring to this diagnosable, treatable problem as Post Traumatic Stress is the thing to do.  

Stop Making It Horrible

Donald Sterling has been banned from the NBA for life. It is not really much of a punishment but Mr. Sterling will not be allowed to attend any NBA games or practices, be present at any Clippers office or facility, or participate in any business of player personnel decisions involving the team. Sterling will also be banned from attending NBA Board of Governors meetings and participating in any league activity.

This isn't about Mr. Sterling, though. This is about racism. Sadly, our own president makes the same argument that has been heard for too many years, "The United States continues to wrestle with the legacy of race and slavery and segregation."

When I moved to the south I was overwhelmed by the racism that I witnessed. I did not like when people made comments and judged others based on a person's race. I never taught my children not to be racist, I just have a zero tolerance policy with them and others. This is not something that I wrestle with, that's just the way I am. Race doesn't mean anything to me and I am okay with the fact that not everybody agrees with me.  

When the news of Mr. Sterling's controversy came to light I found myself thinking how upset I would be if my child had been involved.  It's sad that one person has the United States in an uproar.  I thought a majority agreed with Rodney King's words, “Can we all get along and stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids?”

Georgianna Hardware Corporation

Using Stock Photos

Just a few tips and short cuts to using stock photos.

Stock photography is great for presenting information to your customers. Stock photography has a number of alternate names including picture libraries, photo archives or image banks. Typically, in order to use these pictures, although publicly available, there is a small fee for usage rights.

You can save time by using stock photography to enhance newsletters, blogs, advertisements and brochures. Using stock photography is obviously less expensive than having a full time photographer on staff.

Sometimes full rights and usage is available for purchase. Other times, full rights are limited. In those cases, photographers might require that they receive a certain percentage of sales and or royalties of usage. Agencies usually hold the images on files and negotiate fees. With technology and easy access that the internet provides, negotiations are generally quick and easy.

The cost of using stock photos depends on how long the pictures will be used, what location the images will be used, if the original photographer wants royalties and how many people the photo will be distributed to or seen by. Of course, prices for stock photography vary.

There are several different pricing arrangements. Royalty free stock photography allows the buyer to use photographs multiple times in multiple ways. When you buy royalty free pictures, there is only a one-time charge for unlimited usage. When the images you purchase have a royalty free section, the agency is able to resell the image to others. If an image is rights managed, there is a negotiated price for each time that it is used.

Sometimes a buyer of stock photography might desire to have exclusive rights to the images. In that case, no one else will be able to use the pictures once exclusive rights have been purchased. It may cost thousands of dollars to purchase exclusive rights because agencies who handle the sales have to make sure that they are making a profitable sale. If a photograph would make more money staying in circulation, they would lose out selling exclusive rights.

Stock photographers sometimes work with agencies producing images for them alone. Different subjects and categories might need multiple varieties of images. Sometimes contributors work for multiple agencies selling their photographs for a fee. They work out arrangements for royalties or they sell their shots for full rights. This has proved to be a big business for photographers around the world.

Stock photography started in the early 1920s. It especially grew as its own specialty by the 1980s. Galleries hold hundreds, thousands and even millions of pictures available for purchase. Stock houses sprung up in many different places. By 2000, online stock photography became microstock photography, which we call photo archives online. Companies like istock photo and bigstock photo offer you the opportunity to purchase so many pictures and when you use them up you can add more credits for another fee. Photos that are distributed online are typically less expensive than those that are sold hard copy.

Though I appreciate and enjoy the arts, finances do not allow a budget for professional photography so I use photos that I have taken with my cell phone.  These photos are mine and I do not need permissions to use them.  Google's Picasa allows me to place a watermark on my photos before I share them.  

As a small business owner I find using my cell phone photos and placing the watermark on them to be the easiest and most economical way to have photos readily available for use.  If you happen to have the opportunity to do so, please support the many fantastic photographers that have made their photos available.

Georgianna Hardware Corporation  

QR Codes

QR Codes are Quick Response Codes.  Find out how to make yours on the GHC blog page.

A few final thoughts on the QR code:  Be cautious of placement on t-shirts and remember that printed material should link to your current web page.  Enjoy!

Success!

As I sit to write this blog I am thrilled because of my success!  I don't mind bragging a little bit about it because if you have been following my story you know that I have been alone in this process for a little while and I doubt it will come as a surprise to you to find that people are very happy to be critical of my attempt to maintain GHC on my own without making changes.

As I write, I still believe the decisions that were made over the years were good and solid.  I had faith in my team and still respect their opinions.  The problem was that when I was left to my own devices I found that I needed to learn a lot.  My team had skills that I didn't have.  I was left with no choice but to learn about whatever void I found in myself.

Recently, I saw an infographic about learning that referred to the learning curve.  It showed the upward curve and a short way up the line was marked that suggested you hit a point of  "I don't know what they heck I'm doing".  I guess that is when we hit a wall and just throw in the towel but this time was different because I refused to do that.    

Tonight, with all of my problems, I found that I had cleared one of the hurdles that was holding me back. When I sat down after doing a victory lap I saw I was left with a pile of junk on my desk.  My coffee cup now has orange juice in it and I'm ready to continue on tomorrow with my little bit of success.  I guess it's not a shocker for me to let you know that I have already been reminded that it's only one of the many more hurdles that I will encounter.

Thank you all for being an inspiration to me.

Georgianna Hardware Corporation/GHC

Blogging for GHC

Blogging for GHC has led to a little bit of trouble for me.  As I told you a while ago, I am currently alone in this venture.  It happens and I'm thrilled that I have been able to hear about the success of the people that chose to move on to greener pastures!  I know that some readers may think that I say that to be politically correct but those people are wrong.  I like to see other people succeed and it pleases me to see that happen.

Trying to stay well read on news regarding construction and manufacturing, keeping up with the GHC social pages, and maintaining the web site means that I am fairly busy.  Anyway, I have posted a blog on the GHC blog page and I would appreciate your sharing your thoughts about my changing the GHC web page host.

Thank you for sticking with me through thick and thin!

What is an RIN?

Your RIN is your Renewal Identification Number.  When you need to renew your driver's license, you probably need the RIN that is assigned by your state Department of Motor Vehicles.

I received an innocent looking card from the Georgia Department of Driver Services a few weeks ago.  I put it on my desk.  It sat there and I picked it up and glanced at it on occasion and finally I had no choice but to take action. My card didn't have the RIN so I was required to appear in person with four documents that the DDS was willing to accept as identification.

Crap.  I had to dig through the archives to find my certified birth certificate.  Then I had to search through my wallet for my Social Security card.  Finally, I needed proof of my residential address.  I had received the postcard from the DDS at my residence but that wasn't good enough because I needed something better such as a bank statement or utility bill.

Blessings to me because I did not need to bring my marriage certificate nor a divorce decree to prove a name change and since I have always been a US citizens I did not need addition documentation.

I griped and complained through two trips to the DDS.  On my first trip I was told that there was a four hour wait.  Since they were going to close in three I decided to go home!  My second trip was a success after three hours.

To save some time I should have studied up.  I know I created my own problems and you can avoid them by doing your homework!  I wish I had known that I could have visited www.USA.gov to verify all of the information that I needed.  A lot has changed in four years!

#SHEP, Savannah Harbor Expansion Project

I am still miffed about the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project not receiving necessary funding in the budget that was announced this past week.  Instead SHEP is designated to receive a paltry $1.52 million for
pre-construction and design.  

It may not seem as if it is a big deal but Savannah is the fourth largest port in the United States.  In world ports, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and the New York/New Jersey ports rank higher on the list at 16, 21, and 25 respectively.  Savannah ranks at #44 in the world ports and it is the second busiest port in the United States for containerized exports.  It's a big deal to the future of the United States.

Fortunately, Gov. Nathan Deal is prepared for the state to move forward even though the price just keeps increasing as time passes.

I started to look in to this more closely because I wondered how much had been spent on negotiation and research prior to the current administration denying the necessary funding to keep the Savannah port in the top fifty of the world. The United States only holds four of those positions and while other countries are preparing for the Panama Canal Expansion in 2016, Savannah and the United States has been left high and dry.

I never did come up with a cost but I can tell you the more I read, the more disturbing this is. Even if work begins this year the project will not be done until late 2017. This is not just about Savannah, it is about creating jobs and commerce throughout the southeast.

Fifteen years in the works and now it has come down to behavior that is comparable to a playground popularity contest.  I never did like Dodge Ball.

http://www.georgiannahardwarecorporation.com/

Roofing in New England by Cool Flat Roof

As you may know I lived in New England for a number of years.  I admit that I miss some things about New England but tonight I had memories of the ice.  Ice was probably the last thing I wanted to be thinking about but good news because tonight I discovered Cool Flat Roof of Brookline, Massachusettes.

These guys know what they're talking about when it comes to roofing and they have published a nice explanation of  ice dams and how to prevent them.  With this miserable weather we will be seeing plenty of these problems.  Cool Flat Roof not only offers suggestions for preventing ice dams but they also explain how to get rid of them.  Take a few minutes and save your roof!  If you discover it is too late and you're in New England, please contact Cool Flat Roof.

http://www.georgiannahardwarecorporation.com/

Recovering From The Storm

Being just north of Atlanta I have been completely consumed by Winter Storm Leon since Tuesday.

I guess I should have called the governor immediately when the new driver in my house said something about having a good amount of experience driving in the snow. I moved here from New England. I laugh about living in a snow globe now because the snow rarely stays on the ground. Now that I think of it we had snow last week that border lined blizzard conditions with big flakes of snow, sudden accumulation and heavy winds but there was just a trace of snow left at the corner of the house by the end of day.

This storm was different. The new driver left the house and I let the dog out. I brought the dog back in and found the wind to be especially cool but I proceeded to work on my chores. Fifteen minutes later I glanced out the window and the snow had arrived. My immediate thought was, “big flakes, little snow, little flakes, big snow.” These were little flakes. Tiny flakes. I grabbed my phone and started to call my family members back home.

Atlanta is very different than Boston. Many people notice that you can actually drive in and around Atlanta. Boston, not so much. Atlanta has an area of approximately 131 miles whereas Boston covers approximately 48 miles. While Boston has over 500 pieces of equipment for snow removal, the city of Atlanta has 40. Atlanta's workday population is 1 million but the metro area covers 28 counties that are equal to the size of Massachusetts and the metro area's population is 6 million.

Governor Nathan Deal and Atlanta's Mayor Kasim Reed have been taking the heat but many forget that Atlanta has become a megalopolis. For the state of Georgia, this was a disaster. Leon was not kind to us, nor was it kind to our neighboring states. Though I realize that we need to address the handling of communications of weather advisories I'm proud that there were just 2,100 cars abandoned during the storm. That's a very small percentage of the 6 million people that were directly affected.

This afternoon, since it was 35 degrees shoveled the driveway of the 2.5 inches of snow. I needed to scrape away the tire tracks and the dog's foot prints that were frozen solid to the concrete but the sun quickly thawed the frozen mess. I worked for about an hour clearing the snow before retreating inside to get my hot tea. Georgia will continue to be under a State of Emergency until Sunday night. We need to get ready for our next snowfall.

Greener Pastures

I posted the following on the GHC facebook page:

GHC was three,
two moved on to greener pastures,
that leaves me,
to write the remaining chapters! 

Come to find out people are not big on volunteering to help others make money.  Who knew?  

I can't blame anyone that wants to advance their education.  I'm excited to see young people wanting to improve their lives!  It's upbeat and positive and everything that I wish for everyone.  

It just leaves me being a little bit lonely around the office.  Take this as your warning that I will be talking about Anna and Prince as if they are humans.  (I know they are the dog and cat, but I have already caught myself talking to them!)  I will keep GHC in business and I will try to keep you up to date with construction news.

This will be a change for me and I will let you know how I'm getting along.  

Georgianna Hardware Corporation

Recovering From the Holidays

Well, Christmas 2013 is over and this year will be remembered as the year that the American government taught business that they should “do the right thing”.

It's a wonder. I am of the belief that Amazon got hit hard when the president compared his health plan to their online shop. I would be interested to see the figures of online activity after Amazon's name was mentioned during the press conference. Gosh, Amazon has only been in business for eighteen years and they are a household world! Beat that!

This year I did opt to join Amazon Prime in order to benefit from free shipping. Since I had the membership I seriously thought about ordering something just to see if it showed at my doorstep on Christmas Eve but I didn't have the heart. I knew that Amazon and UPS had been working because they had already completed two orders that I had placed late in the season. It's not easy to work double time and then be expected to show at family gatherings with a smile on your face.

There was an announcement from UPS one December 16 that they were backlogged due to inclement weather and within a day or two I saw the local UPS trucks with trailers attached to them.  Guess that news didn't get spread around.

There are 349 days left until Christmas and orders placed today are expected to be delivered in time.  

In the mean time, I am recovering from the holidays.  Today I found my grocery list for my official holiday shopping trip.  It's hard to believe that my family shared over eighty pounds of baked goods!  Guess it's no wonder why I'm taking a while to recover.   

http://www.georgiannahardwarecorporation.com/