Instagram Today

I See You, Mommy. Photo Taken 29 November 2018. This is our sweet little Tiglet. He has to investigate any camera that is pointed at him. He has the cutest sleeping positions that I keep trying to photograph, but he wants no part of that. I can't sneak up on this one.
#kittiesofinstagram #the_zoo_at_mcclendon_villa #eyes #cateyes

via Instagram

Instagram Today

Rest in peace, sweet Martha. He went to live forever on the Bridge very early this morning, 22 November 2018. This photo was taken 29 October 2018. We’re going to miss you, little buddy. 😔. #cats_of_instagram #kittiesofmcclendonvilla #the_zoo_at_mcclendon_villa #restinpeace

via Instagram

Instagram Today

I think Texas is having an identity crisis, y’all. 13 November 2018. #Texasisconfused #freakyTexasweather #itsnotsupposedtobecoldhere #Texas #TexasGulfCoast #ilovecoldweather #coldisbetterthanhot

via Instagram

Instagram Today

Natural Hearts. Photo Taken 5 November 2018. Don’t you just #love finding #hearts in #nature? #naturephotography #naturalhearts @heartofnatureofficial

via Instagram

Instagram Today

Morning Nap. Photo Taken 9 November 2018. “Mommy’s tummy is the best spot for a nap,” says Boba Fats. #kitties #kittiesofinstagram #ilovekitties #kittiesofmcclendonvilla #the_zoo_at_mcclendon_villa

via Instagram

Instagram Today

Little Flowers. Photo Taken 5 November 2018. One of the joys of living here is pretty flowers almost year round. These are in our yard right now. While everything else seems to be falling to pieces, we are still blessed with a great yard. Have a blessed day.😊

via Instagram

Instagram Today

Ummm...Photo Taken 4 November 2018. Where’s the turkey? I have no recollection of having turkey and dressing yet, and I sure wouldn’t forget that! Yet this blowup tree is standing guard at our Walmart. Oy! Let the craziness begin. 🙀
Have a blessed day, y’all!

via Instagram

Instagram Today

It Wasn’t Me, I Promise! Photo Taken 30 November 2017. Mawly, the neighbors’ cat. They named her Smokey. I named her Mawly when she wandered over here, before I knew they had claimed her. She showed up in our neighborhood after The Great Flood of 2017. They gave her a jingle bell collar, so for now, I call her Santa Claws.😊 #cats_of_instagram #cats #bigeyes #Texas #catsoftexas

via Instagram

Book Review: Building the Successful Theater Company 3rd Edition By Lisa Mulcahy

Building the Successful Theater Company 3rd Edition

By Lisa Mulcahy

If one were looking to start a theatre company, Building the Successful Theater Company 3rd Edition would provide a great deal of background information and be a place to start.

This book provides information learned from interviews with people who have actually started successful theatre companies and lived to tell about it.

The author gives a little background along the way of the different theatre companies she interviewed.  There are stories of what went right and what went wrong.

Building the Successful Theater Company 3rd Edition provides tips to help the aspiring theatre company.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please be sure to visit David over at Random Thoughts and Observations.

I respond to all comments on this blog, ideally within 24 hours.  Please check back here for a response to your comment.  Thank you!
 
Please subscribe to David's YouTube Channel. Thanks!

Book Review: Thrive By Design: The Neuroscience That Drives High-Performance Cultures By Don Rheem

Thrive By Design: The Neuroscience That Drives High-Performance Cultures

By Don Rheem

There are many “so called” management books out there that speak to the idea of management as a science.  Many fall short of that and instead reveal another “management du jour” plan.

Thrive By Design: The Neuroscience That Drives High-Performance Cultures by Don Rheem is not like that. Instead, Rheem discusses why different approaches to management work and why others don’t.

Rheem gives examples of how management should work and why it will work that way.

I promise you there is none of that pass out pins, put up posters, hold hands, ropes course kind of management in Thrive By Design.  This is a well-written book about how things work in the real world of management.  

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

 
Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please be sure to visit David over at Random Thoughts and Observations.

I respond to all comments on this blog, ideally within 24 hours.  Please check back here for a response to your comment.  Thank you!
 
Please subscribe to David's YouTube Channel. Thanks!

Book Review: Acts of Kindness: 101 Ways to Make Our World a Better Place By Rhonda Sciortino

Acts of Kindness: 101 Ways to Make Our World a Better Place

By Rhonda Sciortino

Acts of Kindness: 101 Ways to Make Our World a Better Place is a little book with big ideas that anyone can do to share a bit of kindness with others.  

Most of the ideas are easily implemented. Some ideas, though, I think may not have the result that is expected. It really depends on the mindset of the person on the other side of the intended act of kindness.  

Some older people struggling to load or unload their groceries do NOT want a young whippersnapper offering to help them. It makes the older person feel like people think they can’t do anything for themselves. This is one that can go either way. Some folks would dearly love an offer of assistance and so often do not get one.

Another suggestion in Acts of Kindness would be a very bad idea if you’re dealing with a very shy person. Some people do nice things and don’t want to make a big show of it. This author suggests publicly praising them for what they did. In my opinion, this is one of the worst things you can do to those of us that would not like being put on display.  You have to know the personality of the person you’re dealing with on something like this or it may be counterproductive. 

There are many great suggestions and several that I had never even thought about, but hope to put into practice very soon.

Acts of Kindness: 101 Ways to Make Our World a Better Place earns all five stars. It is a short book with great ideas for the long run. I think that you will enjoy it, too.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please be sure to visit David over at Random Thoughts and Observations.

I respond to all comments on this blog, ideally within 24 hours.  Please check back here for a response to your comment.  Thank you!
 
Please subscribe to David's YouTube Channel. Thanks!

Press Release: Acts of Kindness

Acts of Kindness
New Book Inspires Good Deeds

November 14, 2017 (New York, NY): Random or otherwise, acts of kindness and generosity are essential to making our world a better place. A celebration of humanity at its best, author and motivational speaker Rhonda Sciortino inspires and delivers in Acts of Kindness, a powerful little book, rich with love.

Through the simplest act of kindness, all of our lives are improved. Genuine human sentiment is best expressed through helping others, in ways big and small. It enables us to rely on one another for strength and happiness. But in the confusion and chaos of the modern world, even small acts of kindness are often overlooked and ignored.

Rich with meaning and simple to put into practice, Acts of Kindness provides readers with easy  ways to see the little, everyday acts of love all around us, providing hope and inspiration even in difficult times.

The promotion of kindness and human decency is the foundation for living a happy and fulfilling life. This inspirational book makes a great gift for anyone seeking to bring this sense of harmony to a family member, friend, or special person in their life.

Acts of Kindness shines a spotlight on the best that humanity has to offer, one good deed at a time.

 
About the Author

Rhonda Sciortino is a motivational speaker, author and success coach. She overcame abuse, homelessness, and poverty to become a financially successful entrepreneur, business woman and advocate for abused children. She's the chair for the Successful Survivors Foundation, which was created to collaborate with public and private child welfare organizations, the faith-based community, business and community leaders, and schools throughout the country to provide the framework within which foster alumni can establish healthy relationships, mine the lessons out of their adversity, and apply those lessons to create their own personal and professional success. Rhonda serves as a spokesperson for Vanguard University's Global Center for Women and Justice and for Foster Care Alumni of America. She is a regular contributor to Foster Focus Magazine, Fostering Families Today Magazine, and Children's Voice Magazine. Rhonda lives in Newport Beach, CA with her husband.






Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please be sure to visit David over at Random Thoughts and Observations.

I respond to all comments on this blog, ideally within 24 hours.  Please check back here for a response to your comment.  Thank you!
 
Please subscribe to David's YouTube Channel. Thanks!

Book Review: Beautiful Bundts: 100 Recipes for Delicious Cakes and More By Julie Ann Hession

Beautiful Bundts: 100 Recipes for Delicious Cakes and More

By Julie Ann Hession

Review written by David.

A big redneck like me has had no end of fun picking on the ladies who brought bundt cakes to the church dinners. “Hey, Ida Mae, there’s a hole in your cake!” However, Ida Mae will get the last laugh when she brings one of these Beautiful Bundt cakes to the church dinner.

What is not to enjoy when Ida Mae brings a sausage stuffed bundt cake? And, who is not gonna like a turkey meatloaf bundt cake?

There are step-by-step instructions for each recipe and, just to make sure that “Even a Redneck can do it”, there are step-by-step pictures for many of the techniques involved in making these eye-opening, mouth-watering delights.

From classic pound cakes, s’mores cakes, all the way up to red velvet bundts, you will love these cakes.  There is even a two potato bundt cake in here. Since this fat redneck is allergic to sweet potatoes, we will have to substitute some other potato.  But it sounds and looks delicious. A mac and cheese bundt?  Really?

Ida Mae will be the one laughing while Jimmy Joe asks for seconds or even thirds of these wonderful, easy to make, bundt cakes.

We were sent a complimentary copy of Beautiful Bundts.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please be sure to visit David over at Random Thoughts and Observations.

I respond to all comments on this blog, ideally within 24 hours.  Please check back here for a response to your comment.  Thank you!
 
Please subscribe to David's YouTube Channel. Thanks!

Update on David: The Foot and the Places It Didn’t Go Today

 

Monday morning was a very tense time for those of us here at McClendon Villa. David had an appointment at wound care at 9am at the hospital about 30 miles away from our home. All week, we’ve had a possible hospital admission and, potentially, a lower leg amputation hanging over our heads.

Many of you have prayed for David’s healing and for him to not have to be admitted to the hospital. Well, your prayers have been partly answered. While his foot hasn’t healed yet, it didn’t look any worse and he was able to avoid an admission to the hospital at this time.

Instead, the doctor has ordered a wound vac. We have two choices with this (outside of an admission). One choice is home health and the other is going to wound care 3 days a week.

The home health company in our area has smokers for employees and I have COPD. They have also proven to be incompetent otherwise, with one exception. That particular exception was a great woman to work with. She was friendly, caring, competent, AND a non-smoker. But, we believe that she moved on to another type of nursing soon after David was released from home health last time.  So, we have chosen to go three days a week to wound care at the hospital 30 miles away.  

This isn’t the cheapest route, but appears to be the best one for both of our health. We know the majority of the wound care workers to be competent (some are too new for us to judge yet).  

Please pray that we will find a way to afford these trips back and forth to wound care and are able to follow through until David’s foot is healed.

Thank you to all of you that have prayed for him. Please keep praying! The prayers are working and he WILL be healed. 

Have a blessed week!

 

 

Notice: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please be sure to visit David over at Random Thoughts and Observations.

I respond to all comments on this blog, ideally within 24 hours.  Please check back here for a response to your comment.  Thank you!
 
Please subscribe to David's YouTube Channel. Thanks!

Press Release: Become a Holiday Hero for 5,500 Kids in Foster Care

 

 

Become a Holiday Hero for 5,500 Kids in Foster Care

 
Visit Treehouse’s website to donate or download the drive host toolkit.

SEATTLE – Treehouse’s Holiday Magic program makes the holidays brighter for 5,500 kids in foster care statewide by raising money to buy each one a meaningful gift such as a bicycle or the latest electronic gadget.

Now in its 29^th year, the program relies on individual donations and donation drives hosted by a variety of groups in the community.

“Anyone from an office or school to a place of worship can host a holiday donation drive. Individuals and families can host drives too,” said Dana Petrarca, Community Engagement Officer at Treehouse, which gives youth in foster care a childhood and a future. “We’ll make sure you have everything needed for a successful drive that gets everyone in the holiday spirit.”

To get started, download the drive host toolkit at www.treehouseforkids.org/holiday, or visit www.treehouseforkids.org and click “Donate” to give directly.

Donation drives are easy to set up and can be hosted online by anyone regardless of location. Treehouse suggests setting a $500 goal, and the goal can be adjusted to fit any size group. Support for in-kind donation drives focused on clothing and other essential items also is available.

Any individual or organization interested in hosting a holiday donation drive can contact Dana at 206.267.5109 or drives@treehouseforkids.org for more information.

About Treehouse
Founded in 1988, Treehouse is Washington’s leading nonprofit organization addressing the academic and other essential support needs of kids in foster care. Treehouse helps more than 7,500 youth each year through programs that focus on their academic success, fulfill key material needs and provide important childhood experiences every child deserves. Learn more at www.treehouseforkids.org.

 


Image Source: Pixabay Little Girl Two Children


Notice: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please be sure to visit David over at Random Thoughts and Observations.

I respond to all comments on this blog, ideally within 24 hours.  Please check back here for a response to your comment.  Thank you!
 
Please subscribe to David's YouTube Channel. Thanks!

Press Release: Twilight Firelight and Christmas on the Brazos

Twilight Firelight and Christmas on the Brazos

For those who want to “unplug” from the modern-day holiday madness and experience Texian festivities from the mid-1800s, Washington on the Brazos is the place. In addition to its rich interactive experiences and its steady schedule of living history events held year-round, two holiday events are especially magical: Twilight Firelight and Christmas on the Brazos. Twilight Firelight occurs the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend at Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site; Christmas on the Brazos occurs the second Saturday of December at Washington on the Brazos—and both include frontier festivities, period music, visits with interpreters and candlelit venues (more details below).

In addition, Washington on the Brazos and Fanthorp Inn are open most of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday weekends.  NOTE:  Fanthorp Inn is only open year-round on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Thanksgiving Weekend:  Washington on the Brazos (including Star of Republic Museum, Independence Hall and Barrington Living History Farm) is closed on Thursday, November 23, 2017 for Thanksgiving Day; all reopen on Friday morning for the weekend.   Christmas and New Year’s Day:   Washington on the Brazos site is only closed Monday, December 25.  The Star of Republic Museum will close Sunday, December 24 and will reopen January 2, 2018.

HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS:

November 25, 2017 – Twilight Firelight: 4:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. (Fanthorp Inn):  Board a replica stagecoach in downtown Anderson and travel back to 1850. Enjoy candlelit tours of historic Fanthorp Inn while visiting with interpreters dressed in period clothing. Tap your feet to the sweet sound of old time music or join in the barn dance. Mule-drawn coach and wagon leave from downtown Anderson, near the courthouse beginning at 4:30 p.m. with last ticket being sold at 7 p.m. Rides run continuously during the event. Last ride departs Fanthorp for downtown Anderson at 8 p.m. Dress appropriately for the season as parts of the event are held outdoors, and the wagons/stagecoaches are open air.  The barn and first floor of Fanthorp Inn are accessible. Event tickets are available beginning at 4:30 p.m. the night of the event in downtown Anderson for a suggested donation of $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Contact Jon Failor at 936-878-2214, ext. 224 or jon.failor@tpwd.texas.gov.

December 9, 2017 – Christmas on the Brazos: Begin the holiday season by spending special time at Washington on the Brazos. Activities commence in the early afternoon at Independence Hall and the Star of the Republic Museum and extend into the evening, bringing an 1850s Christmas alive for all.

The highlight of the celebration is Candlelight Christmas, from 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Barrington Living History Farm.  Meet St. Nick; fall in with some noisy, rowdy revelers; experience the Jones family lighting the Christmas tree; attend an evening service with a traveling minister; and discover how the enslaved people celebrated Christmas. Allow at least one hour to complete the full experience, reservations are highly recommended and will be accepted starting November 15 by phone at 936-878-2214, ext. 246. Regular admission fees apply. Contact Barb King at (936) 878-2214, ext. 246 or barb.king@tpwd.texas.gov.

Early afternoon festivities that take place at Independence Hall include:

• An Afternoon with Dickens: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (Independence Hall) - Staff dressed in period clothing will be regaling visitors with tales of Olde Time Christmas, as told by the great author, Charles Dickens.

• The Star of the Republic Museum will host “make-and-take” period crafts (regular admission fees; no charge for the crafts); museum open for extended hours from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Contact Donna Barker at (936) 878-2461 ext. 245 or donna.barker@blinn.edu.
  
  
  
  
  

SCHEDULE OF OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS – NOV THROUGH DEC 2017:

November 18, 2017 - Hands-On-History – Corn Husk Dolls: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Star of the Republic Museum):  Join museum staff on the third Saturday of each month to make crafts and toys that pioneer kids made during the Republic time.  Visitors can also discover what life was like for kids living in the 1830s in the newly renovated Pioneer Playroom.  Contact Donna Barker at (936) 878-2461, ext. 245 or Donna.barker@blinn.edu.

December 16, 2017 - Living History Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Independence Hall and Old Washington Townsite):  Travel back in time to where a nation was born in 1836.  On the third Saturday of each month staff and volunteers dressed in period clothing bring to life the people and events of Old Washington providing a unique opportunity for the entire family to discover various aspects of life surrounding the birth of the Republic of Texas. Visitors can write with a quill pen and sign a copy of the Texas Declaration of Independence; meet militia soldiers travelling through town or play early Texas games. This program will feature Quill pen writing and 19th century medicine.  Activities may vary and some are weather dependent. Traditional tours of Independence Hall will not be offered these days. Contact Jon Failor at (936) 878-2214, ext. 224 or jon.failor@tpwd.texas.gov.

Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site

It was March 2, 1836 when 59 delegates bravely met at Washington, Texas to make a formal declaration of independence from Mexico. From 1836 until 1846, the Republic of Texas proudly existed as a separate nation. Washington on the Brazos is, indeed, “Where Texas Became Texas.”

Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site has many onsite amenities and is open daily, as well as an incredible schedule of events and programs. On the grounds of this 293-acre, TPWD-run state park is Independence Hall (the site in 1836 where the representatives met to sign the declaration of independence); the Star of the Republic Museum (collections honoring the history, cultures, diversity and values of early Texans; administered by Blinn College); and Barrington Living History Farm (where interpreters dress, work and farm as the earliest residents of the original farmstead did). The site’s Visitor Center features interactive exhibits which present a timeline of the Texas Revolution and highlight the historic attractions located within the park; it also houses the spacious Washington Emporium Gift Shop, which offers snacks and a wide range of Texas-themed items and keepsakes. The entrance to the park grounds, Visitor Center and parking is always free; fees apply for access to Barrington Farm and the Star of the Republic Museum, and guided tours of Independence Hall. The expansive park grounds provide a beautiful setting for picnicking, sightseeing and bird watching, as well as four geocaching sites. It also features a Conference and Education Center, outdoor amphitheater and two pavilions available to rent for meetings, weddings and reunions. The Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site is a wonderfully preserved example of a 19th century stagecoach inn, located nearby in Anderson, TX open on weekends.

Those who join the Washington on the Brazos State Park Association will not only enjoy the irreplaceable satisfaction of helping to uphold Texas history through the Association’s support of celebration and programing. Association memberships are available for individuals, families and businesses and include free admission to the site’s attractions for a year, and—for some levels—private parties during the park’s special celebrations.

Leashed pets are allowed in the park, but NOT allowed onto Barrington Living History Farm or in the buildings. Attractions are accessible. For lodging information, please contact the Brenham Visitor Center at www.visitbrenhamtexas.com/ or 1-888-BRENHAM, or the city of Navasota at www.navasotagrimeschamber.com.

Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site is located at 23400 Park Road 12, Washington, TX, 77880—approximately halfway between Brenham and Navasota, off of State Hwy. 105. From Hwy. 105, follow either FM 912 or FM 1155 to Park Road 12. For additional information, call (936) 878-2214 or visit the Park Association’s website at www.wheretexasbecametexas.org or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Washington-on-the-Brazos-State-Historic-Site-1562674683997696/.

Notice: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please be sure to visit David over at Random Thoughts and Observations.

I respond to all comments on this blog, ideally within 24 hours.  Please check back here for a response to your comment.  Thank you!
 
Please subscribe to David's YouTube Channel. Thanks!