business web projects underway...

I have several business projects I want to complete in the next few months.  Some of them are time consuming and I am gathering ideas from every resource available.  I am in the midst of my next project for the business...actually two of them! I am working on creating a business blog.  The basic stuff has been created, so it has a ways to go before it will look decent, but if you want to check it out in a few days go to: www.medicalaccountsolutions.wordpress.com.  I am going to use it to discuss topics of interest related to my industry, skills and expertice to assist with questions from my clients and the interest of others. 

The second project has to do with my website.  I have hired Mike Coleman to design my website which should be done in 30days.  It is all getting downright exciting and things are starting to come together for this small business of mine! 

Do you have any ideas or suggestions?  If so, please leave a omment below.

Quotes

Faith is the ability to see God in the dark.

CHECK OUT the giveaway!!!

Another delightful giveaway that you must check out at Dreamy Whites.  I don't want to give you the details, because its too lovely to miss out on.  Hurry on over and check it out!  You only have until April 2nd at 9am to post a comment (or two or three) to enter into the drawing.

company ~ Caleb & Amy's wedding ~ sunday brunch

What a busy and fun weekend! 

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Truman & Jessica along with Lacey & Melanie arrived about 7.45pm to my place after driving in from Arizona. 

I was working on our dinner of Rice Pasta Primavera, Rosemary Bread and Fruit Salad.  Once I finished meal preparations, we sat down and ate...visited a bit around the dinner table and then moved into the living room to visit until late in the evening.  Then they unloaded the truck and brought in their things, and we chatted some more.  Us girls (Lacey, Melanie &I) ate ice cream.  We got to bed about 1am. (Photo courtesy of Aunt Jessica Jean).

Friday, March 26th, 2010
I got up at 8am and quickly got ready to leave and go get my flowers at The Flower Market downtown Fort Worth.  When I got back, I made breakfast (Tortilla and Eggs with fruit) for us.  Uncle Truman had pretty much gotten the hang of my salt and pepper shakers now! :)  After breakfast, they headed out to spend the day with relatives and friends.  Martha came over about 11am and we started working on the flowers.  I didn't have as many as you can sometimes have or as I have done for other weddings, but the whole process took longer than expected.  The lovely Anemones were a bit finicky...the heads snapped easy and the curvy stems did not wish to cooperate, and if left out of the water for much time at all, they looked wilted.  As the day wore on, I realized I was not going to be able to make it to the rehearsal dinner.  We broke to go grab a quick bite of Mexican food at Antonio's and came back home to resume the project. Martha left about 11.30pm.  I kept working on stuff until Becca arrived to return vases she had borrowed for decorating.  While her and David were still at my place, my guests returned, and Dustin was with them.  I worked at getting Dustin's bed made up in the living room consisting of an air mattress and sleeping bags.  It was then I found I was missing a part for this borrowed twin air mattress.  I texted Martha and ended up making plans to meet Jackie halfway between her house and mine to get the needed motor.  Dustin and I got a few minutes to chat. On the way back, I stopped by Kroger to get the right size batteries as what I purchased was the wrong size.  All in all, I was up again very late, 2am!



Saturday, March 27th, 2010
The night flew by all to quickly and before I knew it, I was up at 8am and began working on the flowers after a quick shower. I knew I would not have too much time to finish and it was going to be a race against the clock to get the needed tasks done. 

Photo at left, courtesy of Aunt Jessica Jean.

Left my place at 10.30am to head to Weyman & Betty's to drop off the flowers.  The ribbon that hung down off of what I had tied on each of the bouquets slipped off when the girls held it and I had to do some repairs quickly to come up with a way to get it to stay.  Ellen gave me the suggestion to sew it in place (since my hot glue gun was back at the house) and I tried to work quickly to fix this problem on all 3 bouquets...this ended up taking 45minutes.  but I finished just as they were ready to pull out in the motor home!  Now off to drop off the arrangements at the building.  Then home to quickly put together a breakfast/brunch of Abelskiver's for everyone...as we were starved!  Then while they got ready for the wedding, I put together the rest of the flowers I needed to get done.  This again took longer than expected and I worked up until 2.45pm on flowers. I ran and got a quick shower and put myself together and left the house at 3.25pm. I arrived at the building at 3.40pm, just 20minutes before the start of the wedding.  I rushed like a mad woman trying to get all the boutonniere's and corsages on each person before they were to walk down the isle.  My job was now done and I was ready to sit down, but there wasn't a seat...it was full!  Eventually I located a spot that was empty and got a place to sit and rest my weary feet.  As I collected my thoughts and took a deep breath to gather my bearings and enjoy the fact that my project was complete...I realized that I had not brought my camera with me and had not taken one picture of the flowers!  I could not believe in my rush and hurries that I forgot...but the fact was, I did!  But even in the midst of my sadness at forgetting my camera, I was so happy for Amy...she was getting married to the prince of her dreams!

Photo above courtesy of Amanda Stogsdills (I saved it from her post on Facebook - thanks Amanda!)...since I was cameraless.  Oh, and can you believe I also never got a picture taken with my friend, the bride???  After the ceremony, I borrowed Sheila Harp's camera and got some shots of the flowers, but some of them were not looking so pretty by this point.  I haven't received this from her yet, but when I do, I will upload them here on my blog. I got some short visits in with several different people.  Dinner was absolutely delicious!!!  Beef & Pork Tacos and Rice & Beans.  I was exhausted and had much yet to do to prepare for the next day, so I left at 9.30pm to head home.  I worked at getting all the flower mess that was strewn all over the kitchen & dinning and living room floors cleaned up. I did some cooking for the brunch to be held at my house the next day and picked up the house.  I crawled in bed at 11.30pm, about 15minutes before my guests returned.  My body was so tired and I had rushed all day, but sleep took its time at coming.



Sunday, March 28th, 2010
I was up again at 8am and this time in the kitchen cooking for all who were going to have brunch at my house:  Nelson & Shirley King, Jeff & Debbie Roy, Nathan & Kathy Johnson, and of course Truman & Jessica Jean.  Keith Jr & Denise Gardner stopped by after we had eaten to spend some time with them also.  There were 25 people in my place.  Everyone left a few minutes before 2pm to head to the building. I went thru the house to do a quick pickup and make sure that the Jeans did not leave anything behind (didn't realize until later that Aunt Jessica's Abelskiver pan got left in my oven to dry - so I will have to mail this to them unless my bag is light enough to take it with me on the plane in 2 weeks when I go to Colorado for Ashley's wedding)...then I was off myself to the building for meeting.  It was a great message by Larry Balderson and a meal following.  I stayed for a bit and enjoyed visiting with some of the out of towners, but then got to a point where I was just too exhausted and felt I must get home to get a few things in order and myself to bed at a decent hour to sleep before work the next day. Having company is a lot of work...and to do so while being involved in the wedding was challenging and complicated, but the whole weekend very rewarding and lots of fun too!

philippians 4:8

So...until then...I will do my best to think on the true and noble and right. I will set my thoughts on whatever is pure and lovely and admirable. If something is excellent or praiseworthy...I will think on those things. And if my thoughts are on none of those things? I will pray...and ask God to help me set my mind on whatever is good...whatever is of Him....and to let those other thoughts go. Because if it is not of Him...it is of no use to me.

Quotes

There are three classes of people:
Those who see.  Those who see when they are shown.  Those who do not see.

~ Leonardo da Vinci

CHECK OUT the giveaway!!!

Do you like being inspired?  Do you like to gather ideas for the little touches for your "Home Sweet Home"?  Or just interested in something new around your casa?  Go check out this giveaway at Marley&Lockyer.  You don't want to miss your chance at this giveaway!

Quotes

Get the real facts. Not the assumed facts, the apparent facts, the obvious facts, or the hoped for facts. Keep digging until you get the real facts. Facts don't lie.

~ Harold Geneen, (past president of IT&T)

I love old junk!

I just love old junk!!!  This is the what I purchased for my coffee table. Isn't it sooooo cute???  Can't wait for it to be delivered, clean it up and see what I can do to restore it to a better finish.  Why do I love junking so much???  Is it because I relate to how worn, ragged, distressed and torn I am without some tender love and care with restoration that God gives me?  You might think that a strange analogy, but I think it fits.  I don't know if that's the real reason or if it really is just simply that junking runs in our family blood line and we all have a blast in the hunt for it!  But I do know that I absolutely love finding old things and making them new, a part of my life's collection to tell a story about me.

Quotes

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for...

~ Joseph Addison

Brian Tracy Quote of the Day

Careful planning helps us maintain a sense of perspective, purpose and ordered priorities.

~ Stephen Covey, Author and Speaker

Quotes

"We cannot become what we need to be, remaining what we are."
~ Max Depree

logo is done!

...after 10months of working on a logo for my business, Medical Account Solutions, it is done! Check it out (click to enlarge):

Yes, it took three designs, a few different color themes and font changes to come up with the final product, but I am well pleased with the work of Michael Stephens at Golden Rule Signs in Yuba City, CA.  He did excellent work and I am impressed!  Now that this is finalized, the stationary order placed, I will move on to the next big project...completion of the website and the setup of my business blog.  Please come check it out and be a follower!

Quotes

I have enough money to last me the rest of my life - unless I buy something.

~Jackie Mason

CHECK OUT the giveaway

My cousin at The Virginia House has a giveway that you don't want to miss...check it out here.  Check back frequently or start following this blog for the really neat ideas with the theme: We Can Do It Cheaper and be inspired!

Facebook...a good thing or hinderance to friendships?

I had a friend email me last week for some information on Facebook.  My first response was, You asked a loaded question! I went thru some basics so there would be a foundation of general understanding on the way its constructed:
To access it you must have an account. Your user ID/login is your email address and you create a password. You can upload photos for friends to see, post links to articles, coupons, many other like things you find on the web, simply just a thought or something on your mind. Some use it to encourage others, get feedback or recommendations, some use it just to vent or complain. You can search for people you know to be your "friends". If their account is "private" you will not find them. Very few people are private on FB, in my opinion, what would be the purpose of having an account if you don't want friends unless your sole purpose is to spy? In a nutshell, all this is controled by settings. Once you find a friend, you send a request and if they accept, you are friends. Either party can delete a friend at any time and FB does not notify you that you are no longer friends, it just happens and you will find it later if you go to their page or try to send them a message. You can control who sees what, i.e. your wall, your photos, etc and you can control who gets to post on your wall. 

I have a FB account and will be honest that I have mixed feelings on it. There are days I find it encouraging, a way to connect in relationships with many I know and love, and other days I end up feeling its a waste of time, wondering what is up with people, questioning what someone said or didn't say, and a general feeling of socialism.  The clicks that are in friendships via social groups both thru christian fellowship, work and otherwise, have their "clicks" (as I call them) on FB too.  When I say "clicks", I am talking about people who always comment on the same peoples posts, like the same peoples stuff, and stick just in their circle of special friends and don't respond to you.  As with other areas in life, the ones that are consumed with their own lives, are consumed in the same way on FB. Having said all that, I have seen photos, met new people, been encouraged by people I would not normally come in contact with or know what is going on in their lives without the friendship thru FB. This website (along with all other social networking sites) is blocked at work due to employee misuse (something I put into place because we pay them to work not to be social) so I am not on it during the time frames most people are which makes me feel out of the link many times and when I do get on, I have 8-24 hours or more to catch up on.  It can take just a few minutes to update your status and check your friends or you can let it comsume your time unless just like other things on the web, you control it and limit the amount of time you spend on it.

Now that I have shared some of my thoughts on Facebook, what are yours?  How to you handle the obstacles that arrise out of communication?  How much time do you spend on FB, or do you limit yourself? What is your purpose of having an FB account?  Do you feel that this is enriching our society or making it just another thing to have to feel obligated to?  I would enjoye your feedback.  Please share your comments...

Quotes

Every day I get up and look thru the Forbes list of the richest people in America.  If I'm not there, I go to work.

~ Robert Orben

weekly devotion

Weekly Wisdoms for the week of March 8, 2010


Time is the price you must pay for intimacy with God.

One of the most valuable things that a person could possibly have is an intimate relationship with God. That same God who is big enough and powerful enough to create the whole universe is also small enough and caring enough to desire a personal relationship with you--a relationship that will last for eternity.

Of course, such an intimate friendship won't happen by chance. Your relationship with your best friend didn't come overnight, and your relationship with God is no different. It requires time.

There is a principle that can be seen both in the Bible and in the world, which basically states that you reap what you sow (see 2 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 6:7-8). However, you can't expect to reap a harvest on seeds you've never sown. In other words, you can't expect to know God well if you don't invest significant amounts of time and energy into the relationship.

Therefore, it is very important how you use your time. No wonder Paul, in Ephesians 5:15-16, wrote this: Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Here, Paul is encouraging us to use our time wisely--that is, to make the most of it.

The way to make the most of your time is to invest it into something of great value that lasts forever--an intimate relationship with God.

A practical tip that I have found to be true in my own life is this: Reserve a specific slot each day to spend time with God. Don't do anything else during that time; make it your time specifically for you and God. You can't use the excuse, "I'll read my Bible and spend time with God, as soon as I can find some time." You will never find time! You must make time. Therefore, reserve time for God, remembering that time is the price you must pay for intimacy with God.

March 2010 Adult Verse Night

You will seek Me and find Me,

when you search for Me

with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

Thought by Dan Miller (48 Days weekly newsletter)

All learning comes with some kind of cost - either your time, money or energy. What you learned from a particular experience is often different than what you expected. Don't waste time brooding about time, money or energy spent - just make sure you get the lesson to be learned and go on.

Quotes

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the willingness to act in spite of your fear.