Tricks, shortcuts, skills, or novelty methods that increases productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life
It seems like yesterday, but in actuality it was many, many years ago. The afternoon heat in the deep South drove us to the front porch where there was occasionally a breeze flickering through the leaves of the trees around us. My sister and I worked on the crocheting that our Mother was teaching us … Read more
I don’t know who first wrote this this as but applies to us both as business owners and as people: Fable of the porcupine It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected … Read more
When I first saw Smokey Bear at the Washington National Zoo back in 1960, he was already ten years old and well-known to kids everywhere as the symbol of the U.S. Forest Service’s Fire Prevention campaign. The story of his life along with the evolution of the “Prevent Forest Fires” campaign featuring Smokey is an … Read more
What if you discovered you only had one year to live? Morbid subject? Perhaps. But it’s a question that we should all stop and think about occasionally. What would you do with that last year? What would you do differently? Would you stop spinning your wheels, attending to all the little details, being a perfectionist, … Read more
Make this world a better place. Make your industry a better place. Make your home a better place. A tall order? Impossible? Not at all. You can do it—starting with you. Many years ago, when I was living in Yreka, California, I saw problems in the town — problems that I felt the City Council … Read more
During my lifetime, I’ve lived in towns and cities of all sizes. Large cities like Washington DC and Berkeley, California. Mid-sized cities like Pensacola, Florida and San Jose, California. Small cities like Santa Cruz, California and Flagstaff, Arizona (where I finally landed). But since my husband was a forest ranger, we’ve lived in some tiny … Read more
When I was in elementary school (many, many years ago), I was assigned to a choir for a school play. When the teacher told me to just mouth the words, I discovered that singing was not my gift. That was confirmed once again in the ninth grade when I tried out for the school glee … Read more
Some people fold after making one timid request. They quit too soon. Keep asking until you find the answers. In sales there are usually four or five “no’s” before you get a “yes.” Jack Canfield There are a number of reasons why a business folds and closes its doors. But many of them quit too … Read more
Ken Blanchard, author of “The One Minute Manager” and other business books, told the story about the little boy who really wanted to beat his grandmother at Monopoly. He studied. He practiced. He learned. Until one day, he beat her at the game and told her, “Finally! I beat you.” She smiled as she picked … Read more
Way back in 1961 or ’62, I met a very special lady who taught me two secrets of success that I still remember today. My husband and I had been married for about a year. Ron had just got out of the Navy and we had returned to his home town of Santa Cruz, California … Read more
I’ve enjoyed creative writing ever since my freshman year in college when the professor was a published fiction writer in Saturday Evening Post magazine. He required us to submit one ceative piece each week and I was hooked. As a result, years later I discoverd the Santa Barbara Writer’s Conference. For a whole week each … Read more
History is important and it is incredibly sad to see it disappear only to be seen in old photos and memories. Last year, Big Basin State Park, filled with ancient redwoods and historic buildings, became a victim of the ongoing fires in Santa Cruz County, California. Most of the redwoods, with their fire resistant bark, … Read more