Choose Your Destiny

Lead Today

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One of my favorite stories is the one about the hot dog vendor. Maybe it’s because I love hot dogs, or maybe it’s because it is such an insightful story.

Perhaps you have heard it before. There’s this guy who runs a hot dog stand in the city and he does pretty good with it. Good enough in fact that he can afford to send his son off to college. While his son is off to college the dad continues to grow his business, by the time his son graduates from college his dad has 10 hot dogs stands around the city and no less than 15 employees. His business is booming!

Well, his son is shocked by all this growth. He tells his dad that times are bad, he shouldn’t be growing like this in “down” times, and he certainly shouldn’t be adding employees. He needs to be careful…

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Long Live the Queen!

Don’t ever Apologize for What You Feel!
Congrats UK and it’s people on the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth!

riley's random review

Rule Britannia!

I apologise in advance, this post will be patriotic, royalist and probably a tad jingoistic too. This weekend, as you cannot fail to have noticed, was Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee. 60 years on the throne (no jokes about a lack of fibre in her diet, please) were marked with a flotilla, a concert, and a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral. What was remarkable about the celebrations for this Jubilee is that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people turned out to show their support for the Royal Family at every event, even when it was pissing it down on Sunday. Last night (Monday) I met up with my friend Will (who was going to write for this blog, then got distracted by something shiny), his girlfriend, and his family in St. James’ Park, just off The Mall, which is the road you can see in the picture…

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“Pregnant From Manhattan”

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As a new Mom, or Dad, you’ve got lots to do; so I thought I’d help out. Remember your #BFF will also be the sage advise of well respected Pediatricians in the form of books (ebooks). The Baby Guru for my kids’ generation (and for a few generations) is Dr. T. Berry Brazelton!  I read lots, and anything I could get my hands on.  To help me as a newbie Mom, I knew I needed to be informed, for my new biggest challenge: Motherhood!

I was lucky to have one of my childhhod girlfriends. She was 5 years older than me, and experienced everything first;  filling  me in, as time went on!  My #BFF showed me a cover of a magazine, which featured “Veruschka” (the world famous model) pregnant, and barely dressed on its cover!  Wow, all belly, dark eye shadow, gorgeous, and good bone structure too.  Veruschka, was the first woman, to show her blossoming belly publicly, my BFF noted.

Many years later,  my friend had her first, and only baby (girl) who was born at St. Vincent’s Hospital in NYC, I became the proud God Mother.  However, in between my God Daughter and my own children, were the lessons of  “reading all these books.” She joyfully introduced me to Dr. Brazelton, via the written word, and recommended that I read his books, to get ready for my own brood someday!

My #BFF was like my older sister, so of course I wanted emulate her; plus she was drop dead gorgeous ( a natural beauty), and she was right about “Veruschka”!  Not only that, but she had worked in the publishing industry, and had heard Jacqueline Kennedy‘s voice in the elevator!

“What does it sound like, what does her voice sound like??” I demanded, whining, and almost in tears from the mere torture of my not having been there, and shame of not having ever wondered what Jacky’s voice would sound like?  I should have thought of this before, “what does Jacky’s voice sound like” I begged.  My friend calmly said, “she speaks very low, and quiet”! ” Sort of like this,” she dropped her tone, a few octaves to get a low “C”, and said “good morning,” and “excuse me.”  Oh pure joy, heaven, earth, rapture!  “Now I know,” I would speak this way too, of course!

Happy Mothers Day

My children were born to a well read Mom with a low, quiet voice (at times).  I continued to read more, and I really luved that “Parents” magazine!  You may remember, that knowledge is power.  The more you know the less nervous you are, the happier Baby is!  As you continue your quest in Motherhood, and parenting, I hope you know that many came before you, and “reading all these books” has it’s rewards, and merits.

My BFF and I, often remember when she was pregnant in Manhattan.  When she delivered, I brought Swiss chocolates to the Hospital, not knowing the new Mom wouldn’t eat them, she was breast feeding! Obviously, I was still in training.

Animals and Characters

My God Daughter?  She’s in College!   Jacqueline is beautiful young woman who plays the guitar, luvs a good read, enjoys the outdoors, and listens quietly.

My brood consists of two Sons, who are also in College, but don’t call home enough!

A Few More Lessons From My #BFF:

  • When “Baby Proofing” your home get on all fours, and crawl around! You’ll be at baby level, and see everything that the baby sees, grab, or touch.
  • Always test baby’s bath water with your elbow, if it’s slightly too warm, make it cooler.
  • If you micro wave anything, remember that heat is hottest at the bottom, shake or stir and test on the wrist area of your arm.

A Few More Lessons From Me:

  • Always empty the contents of baby food onto a dish, don’t ever take for granted that there isn’t a foreign object in the jar!!! (I once found a wood splinter in the baby food jar).
  • When you use baby wipes, test them on your self Mom, you may find that what corporate America thinks is “gentle”, is not so gentle to you. Can you imagine if the wipe stung me, how would my infant baby would feel (boy or girl)?

Wishing All The Moms a very Happy Mothers Day, and if things aren’t perfect, please keep the Faith!

#MYOB

What a delicious concept to Mother Your Own Business!  Well it should be Mothered, after all don’t our clients need it sometimes?  On this Mothers Day, I thought it particularly important to focus on getting a bit personal in business.

Getting personal may take a nicely baked cake, a half-baked idea, or a good swift kick in the pants!

Mothers Day 2012, let’s also give our Moms some kudos, after all she helped create the entrepreuneral genius that your are, and have M.D. stand for Mothers Day!

Just a thought! So, Mother your clients, and reward your Mom! Genius. Of course!

Notes: A Purse shaped cake is a good reminder that the relationship still involves $$$,
prompt payments are still expected, as per contractual obligations (Mom is very
proud of this last line)!

I Claudia and The Sunshine Award

sunshine award

At first, I thought my fellow blogger @tvaraj  was letting me know about his nomination (for The Sunshine Award).  Well, in one of those blogging moments, he used the name “Claudia”! I thought how nice, let me read this!  What a pleasant surprise, to find that this nomination was actually meant for me, as well!  I Claudia, of course!

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I am touched beyond measure, that someone should think enough, to let me know that I have inspired them to Write On!  I find @tvaraj articles, and content, inviting + interesting + intelligent. I was glad to run into my fellow blogger!

Thank You @tvaraj, of course you know that you have inspired me as well! Blessings to you my friend!

Here are the instructions for nominations:

Answer 10 questions about yourself

Nominate 10 other bloggers

Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blogs, letting them know they ‘ve been nominated

Incude the Sunshine Award avatar somewhere in your nomination blog

Share the love and link the person who nominated you (see above!)

As part of this nomination, some questions are asked, and therefore I’ll answer as follows:

Ten Questions Answered:

  1. I always paint my bedroom a shade of purple! This started when as a young girl, I asked my father to please make my room different! So, he asked “what color would you like your room painted?”, I said “purple”.  “I’ll need to paint the eighteenth century carved corner blocks’ flowers too,” I thought; and so my room was different!

2.  I am an animal lover, can’t help it!

3.  Royal Watcher, since age 10.

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4.  Luv foreign languages!

5.  I studied fine arts painting, my professor was a student of one of the 20th Century Modernists.

Museum of Modern Art NYC

7.  I learned the mind must rest, to receive the Universal teachings!

                                 You must learn to be still in the midst of
                                  activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.
                                                             Indira Gandhi

8.  I have dedicated my life to Love (Luv a continous work)!

                                  A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.
                                                            Thomas Carlyle

9.  I believe life is best lived as a “romanticist”.  A small gesture, makes a big difference!

10.  I listen to my wisdom, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

So, that’s a bit about me! Thanks again for joining upon this fantastic journey!  The bloggers that have inspired me are:

I have nominated these fellow bloggers for many reasons, or a single reason, but one thing is certain, they have each touched me in a marvelous way! Thank you all, and of course there are many more, but they already have lots! xo

Mayne Island Super moon on May 5 2012

Super Moon looking like Super Nova!

Creative Potager

What a moon! What a Saturday night day night out here on Mayne Island, British Columbia Canada. A crowd of about a dozen people joined me at Seaview Beach in Bennett Bay for the moon rising. It is the first time in my five years of living on the island that I had company join me on a photo shoot. Quite festive really and great to see others out capturing the experience first hand as well.

But let’s begin at the beginning shall we. A long time ago on May 1, 2012 I was out in the evening on Reef Bay – a pleasant evening though there were rain showers in the distance.

It was then that I looked up and saw this amazing moon high in the sky.

I had been seeing things posted here and there about some super moon. So I said to self – what if…

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The Savior Effect: MAS

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MAS is New Food Technology to make GMO obsolete?

Baby Food Coupon for Earth’s Best Organic- Happy Mothers Day

Baby Food Coupon for Gerber’s- Happy Mothers Day