It feels like forever since I have blogged....and in terms of "blog years", it has been. Between myself and 6 part-time assistants (including the very special Skinner Courier Service), we shipped over 1500 orders in the first three weeks of December - made a few booboos - which of course I hope to improve on but otherwise, all went well. So now that the Christmas rush is over, I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to all who helped - Hal, Sandy, Angela, Kelly, Carol, Frank, our mail carriers, our UPS driver and our FEDEX driver....all contributed to our success this season but... most importantly, I would like to thank our customers! If it weren't for you, none of us would have been working this Christmas season. I am beginning to think that, for the most part, I am blessed with the BEST customers in the whole world so THANK YOU again. And to add to our thanks, we will be extending our 15% off your entire order throughout January. From January 1 - January 31, type in "2010" at checkout and your entire order will be reduced by 15% - even items on sale will be reduced by 15%! That is one way we can say Thank You for shopping with us!

We wish you a happy, healthy, prosperous 2010!

Hugs,

terry

I feel like a turkey

Sometimes you act like a turkey...sometimes you feel like a turkey...it's the latter for me right now....or maybe i feel like a chicken - running around with my head cut off.
Before I get into why I feel like a turkey...or a chicken sans head, let me tell you that this month's coupon at www.giftsfromadistance.com is "turkey". Type in "turkey" at checkout and your entire order will be reduced by 10%.
So, let's talk turkey...or turkeys. Did you know that the wild turkey has longer legs and neck, a more slender body, smaller head, and darker plumage than does the domestic turkey? Did you know (or do you really care) that the tips of wild turkey tail feathers are light brown, while those of the domestic turkey are white. Well, that certainly is a fact you can't live without:-)
Here is some additional turkey information you were dying to know:
In response to disparaging remarks made in the media about turkeys, Oregon State University poultry scientist and animal science professor Tom Savage says "They have no idea what they are talking about." He attributes the awkward appearance and peculiar behavior of domestic turkeys to the selective breeding they have been subjected to for meat production. As an example of their intelligence, Savage points out the sociability of the birds, noting that they will play together with an apple "kind of like football." Regarding the myth that turkeys are stupid enough to drown in the rain, Savage and his colleagues at OSU discovered a genetic condition called tetanic torticollar spasms that afflicts some turkeys. It causes them to act abnormally, sometimes cocking their heads and staring at the sky for 30 seconds or more. "It's an example of how a misunderstood animal behavior becomes identified as proof that the animal is extremely lacking in intelligence," Savage notes.
So...now why do I feel like a turkey? I pride myself on awesome customer service and this week I fell short of my own expectations. My inventory managment system is off and I didn't know it so, I thought I had stock that I didn't and I sold items this week I can't ship - some will be shippable in a week - some not at all. I was so busy yesterday that my dogs didn't get their morning walks until 4pm. I haven't kept up with my reading and am 2.5 books behind that I want to read. And, last but not least, I neglected you for a few weeks. Sorry about that. Even though this is our busy season, I will try to do better on keeping in touch with you...but if I act abnormally, cock my head and stare at the sky for 30 seconds or more, please forgive but, don't chop off my head. I'm not ready for the roasting pan yet.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Terry

Halloween is almost here

Just so I don't forget....we have three days left on our "boo" coupon. Shop at www.giftsfromadistance.com until October 31st, type in "boo" at checkout and receive a 10% discount on your entire order! Stay tuned for our November coupon! Now on to Halloween. Halloween used to be my favorite holiday. You can dress up in a silly costume. You can visit all of your neighbors. You can carve a pumpkin and put a candle in it. You can see all the little kids in their costumes. You can decorate your front yard and your door or your house. It was a fun holiday! I used to go Trick or Treating for Unicef on Halloween too. That was part of my early training in "giving back". It's never ended. But Halloween is not the same anymore. Parents are afraid to let their kids trick or treat. We have a shopping center near by that sets up a "safe" Halloween for the kids between 3-5pm so, we don't get as many little kids as we used to. I'm not even giving candy this year - I bought little plastic rings so no one needs to be afraid of getting something that will make their child sick. But...people still enjoy Halloween and have or go to Halloween parties and they still dress up and still buy and carve pumpkins. Maybe I am just being nostalgic today.

I'm off to take Jack to Dog's Day Out for a day of pampering by sisters Kelly and Laurie. River is going tomorrow so I can pick him up clean and then we can go to Doggy Boot Camp where we are both learning the fine art of silent commands.

In case I don't get back before November 1st - Have a wonderful and fun Halloween!

Hugs,

Terry

Time Really Does Fly

I just looked at the date of my last blog and realized it was just over 2 weeks ago. Do you realize that two weeks is 14 days and that 14 days is 336 hours and that 336 hours is 20,160 minutes and that 20,160 minutes is 1,209,600 seconds which is a boatload of seconds? Yes, time does fly....although it seems to fly faster when you are very young or over 50. Somewhere inbetween, it doesn't seem to fly as fast. You spend time as a teenager wishing you were out of high school or 21 or out from under your parents' control and it feels like time just drags - then you hit 20 and it seems like 21 will never get there...and then one day, you are 50! How did you get there?

But enough about time today, let me fill you in on some of the highlights of my life the last 1,209,600 seconds....well actually, 1,296,000 seconds!

Well, for one, compliments of Hal, we now have 1900 products listed on Sortprice.com! Yea, Hal! We also have more products listed on www.girlsofallages.com and are actually beginning to get some traffic on that site. Not sure how to create a coupon yet on girls of all ages but we do have one of www.giftsfromadistance.com this month and it is "boo". Type in "boo" at checkout and you will receive a 10% discount on your entire order. Our "hot" children's item this year seems to be the plush hamster in its carrying case. Another "hot hot" item is the puplight!

It has not been all work, work, work for me the last 1,296,000+ seconds. I enjoyed a long weekend with my best friend, her two sisters, my god-daughter, Vanessa (and her two children and husband), and my "adopted" god-daughter, Ariel in Utah the weekend of the 9th. The big highlights of our "seester" reunion, besides just spending some quality time together, were a trip to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (a must trip for all animal lovers - more later), a picnic and afternoon at Zion National Park (awesome!!! want to back for more hikes) and a trip to a store in Colorado City, Arizona - the polygamist community - felt like I had just stepped onto the compound on the set of Big Love.

A little bit about Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (www.bestfriends.org)

Best Friends Animal Society is guided by a simple philosophy: kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us. In the late 1980s, when Best Friends was in its early days, roughly 17 million dogs and cats were being killed in shelters every year. Despite the commitment of shelter workers to the animals in their care, the conventional belief was that little could be done to lower that terrible number.

Best Friends' No More Homeless Pets campaign created a new vision: A grassroots effort to place dogs and cats who were considered "unadoptable" into good homes, and to reduce the number of unwanted pets through effective spay and neuter programs. Since then, the number of dogs and cats being destroyed in shelters has fallen to approximately 5 million a year. There has been much progress,but there is still much more to do.

Best Friends has 800 cats, 400 dogs, bunnies, birds and horses on its 3800 acres in Kanab, Utah. Not all of their animals are adoptable. Some are old, some are injured and some are sick but none are turned away and all are treated with love.

If you are looking for a charity to contribute to or volunteer with and you love animals, you may want to look into Best Friends.

It's almost 7am and my two best friends, Jack and River, are telling me that the sun is coming up and it is time to start our daily walks. We are still doing separates because they both still react to kitties on the street and I can control them one at a time but not together plus, River is back in boot camp so, our walk is a practice session every day - some day I hope all this training will just kick in:-)

Until my next blog,

Hugs to all,

Terry

When the tables turn and children become parents to their parents

Greetings! It's been a few days since I last blogged. We have been working hard at spiffing up www.giftsfromadistance.com while growing www.girlsofallages and our Amazon offerings. You know it is coming into the season of giving, right? We have a Halloween coupon this month. Type in "boo" at checkout and your entire order will be reduced by 10% but...enough about business and on to my subject for the day, When children become parents to their parents. It is predicted that children born now will live to be 100. Whew! That is great as long as their quality of life is good and they are not rocking or rotting away in a nursing home with no one to visit them or not knowing their loved ones when they come to visit. We are going through the role reversal right now with my husband's mom and step dad. They own their own home but are really unable to care for themselves completely anymore. They don't drive - although my mother-in-law does try to walk about 3 miles a day with her walker - and she does when she is feeling well but, they don't eat well - well, at least they didn't. They want to stay in their home so, we have hired a caregiving service which allows them to be more independent while having help. The folks that help out do the grocery shopping - take Jack to Nifty After 50 so he can get some excercise, clean and cook for them plus more. There is a really good article regarding keeping your aging parents at home that was in US News and World Report back in November, 2007. I am including the link here: http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2007/11/02/15-things-you-can-do-to-keep-mom-and-dad-at-home.html. You don't realize how much there is to do and I found this article helpful. I hope you do too!

On to get ready to go out - Hal and I are going to charity fundraising event for Working Wardrobes (www.workingwardrobes.org) called Blue Jeans and the Blues. Should be fun. I will let you know all about it later.

Hugs,
Terry

Are all dogs trainable?

Help me, Cesar Milan and prove me wrong!! I am beginning to wonder if our younger dog is really trainable.
River, our Belgian Sheepdog, is 16 months old. We got him when he was 9 weeks old. We have had three rounds of training and are about to start doggie bootcamp in a few weeks. I religiously practice with him every day and yes, he does a few things correctly. He can sit, stay sometimes (although I think he has DADD - doggie attention deficit disorder) and down....but no matter how hard I try and no matter what technique I use, I just can't seem to get him to heel in the right position and for any length of time so our everyday walk is one giant training session - every day...and I am sure it is as little fun for him as it is for me (although he gets overly excited as soon as I head for the closet where his leash lives).
River's breed, I just found out is not in the top ten of easily trainable dogs. The top ten includes (in this order): lab, australian cattle dog, border collie, australian shepherd, flat-coated retriever (whatever that is), german shepherd (that's Jack's main heritage - he's our other dog), doberman, papillion, poodle, bearded collie and pembroke welsh corgi. Here is some additional information I discovered: How much of a dog's behavior can be changed by training?
answered by Kelley Filson, CTC, CPDT
ANSWER:
That depends on the dog, the breed or type, and what you want to change.
Some behaviors are deeply rooted in genetics and are building blocks of a dog's personality. Other behaviors are products of genetic selection or breeder's preference. Finally, there is how you socialize and train your dog.
Behaviors are Related to a Dog's Breed
All dogs have individual personalities that make them unique, but there are also traits that are genetic in origin. These are referred to as breeds (Akita, Poodle, Schnauzer) and classifications (Hound, Working, Herding). RIVER IS A HERDER.
There are exceptions to all, but in general a breed's history can tell you a lot about a dog's personality. Additionally, a breeder's profile can also tell you about what personality traits they find desirable. HIS PARENTS ARE BOTH CHAMPIONS AND VERY WELL BEHAVED PLUS THEY HAVE GREAT OUTGOING PERSONALITIES (RIVER IS A LITTLE SHY AROUND PEOPLE HE DOESN'T KNOW)
Below is a very general outline of some common classifications and an overview of their history and behavioral traits.
Terriers are often small, but VERY ENERGETIC! They were bred to patrol and hunt for vermin--a never-ending job. Without enough exercise and "hunting" activities, they often frustrate owners with undesired digging or barking.
Herding dogs are mostly small to medium in size, and clever! They need lots of mental and physical exercise such as dog sports like flyball or agility to keep their problem-solving brains active and happy. They do poorly, even in large spaces, if there is little to do, or if the activities are repetitious (barking at dogs on the other side of the window/fence).
Breeds with guarding backgrounds can be great with family members, but they have a genetic propensity to be wary of strangers. They need extra socialization in order to be friendly with all people. Even the best socialization efforts may result in dogs that are wary of new people or overly protective of "their" spaces.
Retrievers like Labradors and Goldens are popular, but with that popularity comes tremendous variety and you need to really look hard at the personality and not the package wrapping. Labs are a good example. Field labs are intense and need jobs. English Labs are smaller, more compact and mellower than their US counterparts. Many labs in the US fall somewhere in between these two versions, depending on the breeder's preference for personality or which "look" is popular with their clients.
Lap dogs and Toy breeds are often small and cute and experience waves of popularity. These adorable pocket-sized dogs tend to be hit hardest by behavior problems associated by puppy mill breeding and impulse purchases. And, serious behavior issues (like housetraining) may go untreated because of small, unnoticed problems or because the behavior seemed "silly" at first. A five-pound biting dog may seem like a joke, but even small dogs can do damage to a face or small child.
All dogs are unique and can learn new things, but some behaviors are genetic and harder to alter.
Ultimately, a dog's behavior is the result of many factors, including breeding, socialization, training and individual motivation.
I often hear comments like, "You get what you put into a dog." The implication being that bad dogs are created by bad people, and that good people will have good dogs. This is unfair.
A dog's personality and behavior is a random combination of various traits from various pools of information. If your dog is behaving badly, don't worry about why or where it came from, just look for a solution.
Kelley Filson, CTC, CPDT is a Certified Dog Trainer and has a degree in Animal Science.
TO FIND GREAT GIFTS FOR DOG AND CAT LOVERS, TRY OUT WEB STORE AT www.giftsfromadistance.com

The Joys of Doing Business on Amazon

Now don't get me wrong, I am happy to be part of the Amazon family. Gifts from a Distance has about 1500 different items that we sell on Amazon and as we all know, they are the 800 pound gorilla of retail on the internet. No one comes close....and I mean no one! Amazon is to the Internet as Microsoft is to PC's and laptops....HUGE! But...that does not mean that life is perfect in Amazon-land. Ok, so here's my dilemma - sometimes I will put out a product that someone else already has listed on Amazon. I will have my own picture and my own description and they will have theirs - which may or may not be accurate but...Amazon reserves the right to use whoever's information and picture that they choose to use...so sometimes what I think is out for the public to see isn't....and, it is very frustrating when I send someone something different from what they thought they ordered. But, like I said at the beginning, I am happy to be part of the Amazon family.

Namaste,

terry

Beware of too much talking!

Yesterday, my husband, Hal, and I (along with our dogs, Jack & River) went to the Pacific Islander Festival at the Huntington Beach Public library. Presented by Pacific Health Partnership (PIHP) the event featured the Cultural Traditions, Performances and the Arts of the Pacific Islands. Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Aoteroa (Polynesia), guam, Northern Marianas, Marshall islands (Micronesia) and Fiji (Meleanesia). Island Villages, Cultural Demonstrations, Live Hands-On Arts Projects, Authentic Island Music & Performers, Story Telling, Pacific Island Food Booths and Craft Vendors. While the food we had from Tonga was excellent, the rest of the festival left much to be desired, in part because the Master of Ceremonies did not know when to stop talking and let the performers perform. We waited and waited to see acts perform while he gibbered and gabbered for about 15 minutes inbetween each one. There were only about 4 actual craft booths and the other vendors were selling touristy items that you would expect in a touristy area - some made in China. As an on line retailer (www.giftsfromadistance.com, www.girlsofallages.com, www.catattitude.com and www.dogloversrock.com) I am always on the lookout for unique native crafts and was hoping to find something there but I was out of luck. did I say the food was good?? Of course, I did. What we ate was excellent - our plate included two pork ribs (we opted for pork but next time will try the sibi - a lamb rib, I believe, sweet potatoes, something green with ham (looked like spinach but was a little bitter), a sausage that kind of reminded me of a banger, a crab salad and the Tongan version of chop suey, which used those thin, opaque noodles and was quite good. I am going to search for some Tongan recipes to try at home. All and all it was a nice day for a walk in the park but the festival itself, other than the food, was a little disappointing. Since it was only the 2nd Annual Pacific Islander Festival, we are hoping it will be better next year. Still reading? Shop at www.giftsfromadistance.com. Type in "bts" at checkout. You will receive a 10% discount on your entire order!

Aloha,

terry

What to do when you can't sleep

I don't know about you but, sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night - my mind whirring with all kinds of related or unrelated thoughts - and try as I may, I just can't fall back asleep so, I get up. I tried reading but the chatter in my brain kept me from concentrating. I really didn't want to watch tv although I am behind on one of my reality shows - I won't tell you which one because, you would laugh at me, I'm sure - unless of course, you are my friend, Barbara, who watches the same one.
Anyway, here is what I do. I play Jamble (it's kind of like Scrabble but sometimes the rules change with regard to a word's point value and you don't know they are going to until they do). Jamble can be found at www.itsyourturn.com and there are actually a few varieties of Jamble - my favorite being Wild Jamble. Because it is an online game, I find that my opponents are from all over the world (the UK, Scotland, Jakarta, Grenada and Alabama). Since they are all over the world, they are on different time frames so I can sometimes get a lively game going at 3am my time.
When Jamble doesn't work, I put more products on the web - either on www.giftsfromadistance.com or on Amazon - I haven't learned how to put products out on www.girlsofallages.com yet. I should probably just do that as I am still so far behind in terms of getting products on the web.
I also need to clean up/out my warehouse but I don't think it would be wise to go over there and start working at 3am - someone might think I am a robber and call the police. That would be embarrassing.
We are going to have an inventory clearance sale at the end of this month - we have 300+ items that will be grossly discounted. Good stuff - just needs to move out. If you live in Southern CA, you may want to come to it. If you are interested, email me at terry@giftsfromadistance.com and I will send you the details - the date will be 9/26.

Well, Jack and River are calling - "It's walk time...It's walk time!"

Somebody's reading my blog!!

I am so excited. Yesterday I received an order on our www.giftsfromadistance.com website from a woman in Louisiana. She called because she wanted to make a change for the order. Because she had used our "aye" coupon (type in "aye" at checkout throughout September, and your entire order will be reduced by 10%), I thanked her for shopping with us again. She said she had not shopped with us before but had come to our site through a search engine, saw our link to my blog and decided to see what we were all about. I am so excited - I guess I already said that - can you tell I am excited??
On a different note, you may or may not know but, I donate a portion of my proceeds to charitable organizations. I have this wonderful woman in Texas who is affiliated with All Texas Dachshund Rescue (www.atdr.org) who always buys her gifts from us. She buys, what else...Hot Diggity Dogs! With her last order, I sent her a small donation check but if you live in Texas, you may want to check them out. All Texas Dachshund Rescue is a group of dedicated volunteers whose primary goal is to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home neglected, abandoned, disabled and otherwise endangered Dachshunds throughout the state of Texas. We rescue dachshunds in the Austin, Dallas / Fort Worth, Houston & San Antonio metroplexes, as well as in surrounding areas including Abilene, Corpus Christi, Longview, Midland and San Angelo.
More? I am so full of news today! Our new website, www.girlsofallages.com just became more real. We were just approved for our shopping cart from Visa, MC, AMEX and Discover so, we should have those working sometime next week. Right now we are just accepting PayPal but, that's not all bad because, we still don't have many products out there yet. It is a lot of work to maintain the two sites plus our Amazon offerings.
My mother-in-law, Ann, came home from the hospital yesterday. She had a tumor removed from her colon and is already up and walking around. She will be hiking out sometime soon; I just know it.
My friend, Catou, begins her regimen of radiation and oral chemo. I know you probably don't know her but send her some healthy prayers anyway, please. She is a beautiful, inside and out, woman.
The dogs are getting restless so, I guess I am late on their walks. Still doing separates until who knows when...but we are all getting better. We are going to get Jack the "zapper" collar to control his kitty chasing urges and River and I are signed up for obedience bootcamp. I am determined to win a prize at an AKC event with him. He is perfect when we practice in the house - do you think I can talk the AKC into holding an event in our kitchen? As soon as we are outside, he has short-term memory lapse.

That's it for now. Thank you in advance for your prayers.

Namaste and hugs,
terry

Falling behind on the blog

This has been such a crazy week. I have really fallen behind on my blog. I don't know where to start.
I went to a SCORE Women's Breakfast (there were men there, too) on Friday. It was a great networking event plus I sat with a woman I had met through Working Wardrobes (www.workingwardrobes.org) when I first began www.giftsfromadistance.com. Small world - indeed it is.
Along with many other Americans, I suffer from diverticulitis due to having diverticulosis.
For those of you who are blessed not to be cursed with that, here is what it is. Diverticulitis is swelling (inflammation) of an abnormal pouch (diverticulum) in the intestinal wall. These pouches are usually found in the large intestine (colon). The presence of the pouches themselves is called diverticulosis. To date, I cannot figure out what sets it off so, tomorrow, I am going to begin an "elimination diet" - much the same kind of diet someone suffering from allergies goes through - in hopes of determining what makes me feel bad. I am hoping to chronicle my diet in hopes that if someone else who reads this blog also suffers from diverticulitis, they will gain some insight and some benefit from what I am attempting.
In the meantime, if you love chihuahuas, we have a great coupon at www.giftsfromadistance.com this month. Type in "aye" at checkout and your entire order will be reduced by 10%!

Breathing a sigh of relief

I don't know where the days are going. I had hoped to blog every day.
Hal's mom had her tumor removed today - her doctor was extremely encouraging - said he got it all - no chemo/no radiation. My friend, Catou, who had a brain tumor, has been released from the hospital and my neighbor at our our warehouse, Rick, was out with a friend. He's the one who was hit by a motorist while riding his Harley.

I still need your help with endorsements at http://shinealight.ivillage.com/sbo-profile/?ProfileID=2115. Giftsfromadistance.com was nominated for a spotlight award. I need 31 more endorsements before the 13th to be considered.

To endorse our store, follow the link above. On the top left, click on support this story, endorse now. You will need to register in order to endorse us. We would greatly appreciate it. It would be a major benefit to us to get the marketing support from American Express and NBC.

Thank you for reading my blog and for caring.

Hugs,
Terry

PS Today River turned 16 months.

You never know what kind of ball life is going to pitch you

I just realized I haven't blogged since Tuesday. My mind has been somewhere else, and it probably would have been good for my soul to have blogged but, I just couldn't seem to find the time to do so.
They said bad things happen in threes so, if that is the case, I am done for a long time (I hope). To begin with last weekend, my neighbor at our warehouse, was out for a bike (motorcycle) ride with some friends when a car who saw him coming lurched forward and hit him, breaking his kneecap and pretty much crushing a lot of bones in the same leg. Then, my mother-in-law called an ambulance because she was throwing up and feeling nauseous. She had been admitted and released the week before. Well, this time, it turned out to be more serious than they thought the week before. A huge tumor was discovered in her colon and left untreated, she would have most likely died within three months. Plus, her life would have been hell. Last but certainly not least, one of my fellow Soroptimist Sisters in Huntington Beach was diagnosed with a brain tumor this past week. Her surgery was Friday.
I know you've heard it said a million times before - Let your loved ones and friends know you love them. Don't hold back thinking you have all the time in the world to let someone know how you feel because you may not. Life is precious. When we are born, we are given the gift of life. How we use it is, for the most part, entirely up to us. Don't let it pass you by. Don't be afraid to sing out loud in the shower and dance with your vacuum cleaner, your children or your pets.

Thank you for reading this blog and for taking the time to shop on our website. Thank you for smiling at someone you pass on the street, even if you don't know them. Thank you for giving someone a hug when they don't need it. Thank you for being you.

Terry

Business integrity

Welcome to the first day of September! Today was a monumental day for me. I took my 13 year old BMW Z3 to a new mechanic. It is the first time the car has been anywhere but the dealer for servicing. You might ask why, after so many years, did I decide to try someone new? Well, I'll tell you. To begin with, servicing your car with the dealer is more expensive than servicing it with an independent...especially if your car is out of warranty. And, servicing your car with the dealer does not guarantee that you will get an honest assessment. Per the dealer, my car needed about $1400 in repairs - not including the oil change. Seeing as how they did the analysis on a computer which I got a copy of, I did not question it. But, when my girlfriend, Linda, who is about as fussy as I am, said she had THE BEST mechanic in the world, I decided that the least I could do was to get a 2nd opinion. So, yesterday, I went to visit Import Doctor in Huntington Beach, CA. He put the car up and examined it and then he came and got me. He took me under the car and pointed out what the problems were. I liked him and felt he was being honest with me particularly when he pointed out some things the dealership said to repair that were in perfect condition. So, we made a date for my car today. I dropped off the car and the owner, Gian, offered to drive me back to our warehouse for www.giftsfromadistance.com. On the way back, he told me that my clutch would need replacing soon and that one of the maintenance items he was going to perform could be delayed until that time. Reason: the parts would only have to be removed once, not twice, and therefore, would be less expensive for me...not to mention, my car would not need to go in for two services. When I got back, I looked at the recommendations and the diagnosis from the dealer again. While the dealer recommended a specific repair, they did not recommend replacing the clutch. Then I looked at the computer analysis. There, in black and white, it said that the clutch needed attention. Nice of them to tell me. I would have brought the car in twice and they would have made extra money on me repeating something they had already done. They also recommended a repair regarding the suspension control arm something something but the computer report did not indicate that and Gian said it looked ok. While I have no ill will towards my BMW dealer, I will not be returning. Linda was right. She does the THE BEST mechanic and now...so do I!

A Day at the Beach

I live near the ocean - a mile and a half to be more exact - and yet, I so often get caught up in my daily life that I forget to really enjoy it. My friend, Donna, and I used to ride our bikes a lot along the ocean when I sold software but now that I am running my own business, www.giftsfromadistance.com, it seems that I no longer have the time to do that very often. But...yesterday was different. Our friends, Barbara and Marc, came down from Yorba Linda with their bicycles. We loaded my bike in the back of Marc's truck with theirs and headed to the beach. (Hal had to deal with a family emergency and didn't join us until later.) We spent about an hour riding our bikes along the ocean, catching dolphins once in a while and watching the dogs play on Dog Beach. We played in the water - catching waves, jumping over waves, diving into waves - and just enjoyed the sound of the ocean and the people who were there. We had a special treat when a dolphin came body surfing in and you could see it encased in the green water - it was awesome. Later, we went into downtown Huntington for dinner at a very local restaurant. I remembered why I live near the beach and how much I enjoy just hanging out down there so, if you read this blog, I have a special treat for you this week - if you shop at www.giftsfromadistance this week, type in "beach" at check out and your entire order will be reduced by 10%! This is only good for this week so, hurry on over!

Warm hugs,
Terry

Things that make me stop and think

I missed yesterday because I had a Girls Day Out Excursion with two friends of mine and was planning to write all about it today....but, I caught a glimpse of the article about Jaycee Dugard in the train station and couldn't get her out of my mind. How anyone could abduct a child and then treat them inhumanely, sexually, physically, mentally and emotionally, is beyond my comprehension but those people do not belong in mainstream society. There is nothing in the world that will give Jaycee and her daughters back their lives. It may be years, if ever, that they will have any semblance of a normal life. And so that article got me thinking again about the horror of human trafficking. To learn more about human trafficking, you can go to http://www.humantrafficking.org/ and to learn more about abductions, you can go to http://www.missingpersoncentral.com/. Over the next few months, we hope to add more links on both http://www.giftsfromadistance.com/ and http://www.girlsofallages.com/ to organizations that are working to prevent and educate in the areas of human trafficking and abductions. As a member of Soroptimist International - Huntington Beach club, we are dedicated to helping women and girls that are victims of human trafficking. To learn more about Soroptimist International, go to http://www.soroptimistinternational.org/.
Since it's Sunday, we are off to Dog Park for a little play!

more on Shine on Spotlight

It's 9:30 at night and I had hoped to get to this sooner but didn't. Not much to blog today because I wasn't feeling well but want to thank everyone who has endorsed me at http://shinealight.ivillage.com/sbo-profile/?ProfileID=2115. I have 12 endorsements - only 38 more to go before I can be formally considered for the Shine on Spotlight award.

Thanks to all who have supported me!

terry

Shine a Light

I have been nominated and hope to win a grant from American Express and NBC but, I need your votes. You can endorse my nomination at http://shinealight.ivillage.com/sbo-profile/?ProfileID=2115 but first you need to register. It's on the left hand side towards the top. You have no idea what this will do for www.giftsfromadistance.com and www.girlsofallages. It is exactly what we need. Bless you.

Spam - it doesn't just come in a can anymore

I don't know about you but, I find it extremely hard to get rid of some of the spam I receive. I add the sender to my blocked sender list and then I get another email from the same spammer using a different email. Like many other retail websites, we, at www.giftsfromadistance.com, send out a newsletter once a month - once in awhile twice a month but not often. I am tired of getting emails from Jupiter Jack or Simple Ink multiple times during the day every day so, today I searched the internet to learn how to report spam and here is what I found out. I hope you find this information as useful as I did. Now on to ridding myself of Jupiter Jack and Simply Ink.
Until tomorrow...keep smiling!
Terry

Reporting Spam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
One of the fist steps to take when dealing with spam is to report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Send a copy of the unsolicited email to spam@uce.gov. Your email will then be stored in a database, so that the appropriate measures can be taken to deal with those at the heart of the offense. If your request to be removed from a mailing list was not honored, you should also report to the FTC. Simply fill out the online form located at www.ftc.gov. This will send the site to the FTC's Consumer Sentinel database so that both law enforcement and consumer protection agencies may access it. You should also send a copy of the email to your Internet service provider (ISP). Normally, their abuse desk will have the email address abuse@theirispname.com, or postmaster@theirispname.com. This will alert them to the problem and help them to prevent it in the future. Likewise, you should also send a complaint email to the sender's ISP. They are usually glad to rid themselves of anyone abusing their system. When reporting spam email, you will need to have the full header of the email you received. Most email programs have a method of acquiring this information. For example, if you use Microsoft Outlook, here are the steps you need to take:
Left click the email in question and click on 'Properties'.
Click the 'Details' tab, and then 'Message Source' - this will make the full header of the email available for viewing. You should then copy and paste this into the body of the email you send for reporting spam. If you are unclear on how to retrieve this information, consult your email software's FAQ page on their website. In addition to the FTC, there are other online services that will report spam on your behalf. One of the most reputable among them is SpamCop.com. These sites will report the spam on your behalf to the ISP. Although this can oftentimes be more convenient, it will mean the spammer won't have any legal action taken against them.

Hump Day

Welcome to Wednesday, the proverbial "hump day" unless you own your own business. Began my day by adding to an order for more Whatever It Takes mugs - great mugs that give back - designed by stars, like Heidi Klum and George Clooney. Right now I am only selling them on Amazon but will introduce them into www.girlsofallages.com soon. River is calling - he wants to go for his walk. Tonight is his second to the last night at Obedience School. I told him that we may be electing to have him repeat the class. Jack is downstairs sleeping. If it wasn't for his jumping on people and chasing cats, he would be the perfect dog. Well, that's it for now.

Namaste,
Terry

When life throws you a curve ball

I missed writing yesterday because I was upset. My warehouse is in a small industrial park. On my right is a custom surfboard guy. His name is Rick. On my left is a custom car/hot rod guy. His name is Rick. I call them "my two Ricks" and feel very protected knowing they are around most of the time. Well, "Surfboard" Rick isn't around as much as he used to be because he stays with his girlfriend and works for another board maker lately. Why? Because there are so many Chinese boards on the market, that many people won't pay for a custom board any more which is a shame because it is probably a dying form of art. "Hot Rod" Rick is usually there and when I had a wasp in my office, he came over and annihilated him for me. Both of "my Ricks" are really nice guys.

Well, yesterday afternoon, Surfboard Rick came in to ask me if I had heard the latest. No, I said. He then told me that the other Rick and some friends were out riding their Harley's on Sunday and a driver smashed into them. Well, actually, the driver smashed into Rick, crushing one leg and breaking the other. One of the other riders lost her bike and was hurt but not to the extent Rick was. None of the "bikers" had been drinking. Not sure about the driver because, Rick did not know the whole story yet.

Here's the really sad part, Surfboard Rick told me that he was working on a board Sunday morning and Hot Rod Rick was out shining his Harley and talking about the trip he and his friends were going to take that afternoon. He spent the better part of the morning making sure his bike was in tiptop condition and looking beautiful. (His bike was black with orange flames.) Now he is in the hospital and hoping they can re-construct his smashed leg.

You just never know when life is going to throw you a curve ball so, be grateful for every day you have.

Terry

Your own business is like having a small child who never grows up

I am beginning to think that having your own business is like having small children who never grow up - It is with you 24x7. Today, Hal and I worked on our new website, http://www.girlsofallages.com/ which is still in its infancy but it is open to the public. Today we worked on search engine optimization and I found out that by changing one word or the location of that word (if it is in your meta data), your chances of being discovered can be altered greatly. Since it was Sunday, we finally called it quits at 11:30am and took our dogs to dog park and to a pet fair where we discovered that between us, we had brought zero dollars (or cents...or should that be sense). Took the dogs home to get our wallets and went back to buy some poop bag holders that fit on their leashes. Then, we went to a small craft fair at The Pike in Long Beach where we met a few people I hope to do business with in the future. For those of you who don't live in Southern California, The Pike at Rainbow Harbor (downtown Long Beach - very near the water) is a vibrant dining and entertainment district linking the Long Beach Convention Center to Rainbow Harbor's waterfront and the Aquarium of the Pacific. You can eat there, go to a movie, have a drink or shop. You can even ride the carousel and the ferris wheel, which we almost did today but didn't quite make it because I saw a Smoothie shop and was distracted. It was a nice outing, and it was great to leave the kids (the two four-footed ones and the business) at home for a change.

I also found my bicycle pants so, Donna & I have to don our outfits (biker chick - black with a huge baby chicken on the front) soon so that Hal can take our picture looking utterly ridiculous. Trust me, we will never be mistaken for "serious" bike riders in those outfits with Donna on her beach cruiser and me on my Huffy. Yes, I have a Huffy. Does anyone else?

Well, my business calls - time to put some Christmas night lights out on Amazon.

End of summer

I can't believe that summer is almost over. It seems like only yesterday the kids were getting out of school and now they are headed back. You know, when I first started my online business, www.giftsfromadistance.com, I worried that I would no longer really be interacting with people because everything was online. I was so wrong. I have made many friends through my business - some that are customers and some that are people I buy products from, like Linda, who is my Fruits & Passion Cucina rep among other lines, and Nathalie, an artist who makes wonderful dichroic jewelry. So...my conclusion: an online business does not have to be an "alone" business.

It's pretty amazing that my biggest orders this month have been from Japan and both have been for collectible dogs. One was for Hot Diggity Dogs (which are dachshunds) and the other was for Aye Chihuahua (which are, I am sure you have guessed, for chihuahuas). Collectible dog figurines must be very popular in Japan.

I met with our insurance agent this morning and was more than surprised to find out that there are 10,000 homeless children living in Orange County, Ca. She told me she heard about an organization that will fill a backpack full of school supplies for only $18. If I can find out who they are, I will post in one of my blogs so that if you live in OC and want to help, you will have the information to do so. I support a little girl, Marie, in Haiti so that she can go to school. I fill a backpack and believe me, I spend a lot more than $18 doing so but it is so worth it. Haiti is probably the poorest country on this planet and educating the children is their only hope of bettering their situation.

On a lighter note, Hal and I are going to go listen to a friend of ours sing Karaoke this evening. Should be fun. I have never heard her sing so, I'll let you know how she does. But...before we can go, River and I have to go to Dog Obedience School. I am not sure about that boy. Sometimes I wonder if he will ever setting down but...I still love him. If you are a dog lover (or a cat lover) like I am, you might want to see some of our wonderful items at www.giftsfromadistance. We have many sections with Cat & Dog Lover items, many of them handmade in the USA.

Well, it's time to go back to work!

Namaste,

Terry

I apologize for letting so many days pass inbetween blogs. Hal and I went to the New York Gift Show where I literally walked his feet off. We found a lot of new items while we were there - many of them recycled from such things as cans, tires and magazines. We went pretty green this year including some jewelry from recycled car windshields. What I ordered will be arriving in the next two months and will be found both at www.giftsfromadistance.com and www.girlsofallages. I will let you know as things arrive. For those of you who love texting, I got some mugs just for you that have sayings like LOL and ILU on them. For those of you who love birds and bird houses, I got some crazy ones that are cats and that are made from fast growing, sustainable wood. Of course, I got items made in the USA - I think we should take pride in buying US made items. One of the highlights of our trip was to be able to connect with a friend and her husband who live here in California for a brief but fun outing (brief because we were all tired from walking at the Gift Show). And...one more time, we got to eat at our favorite Italian restaurant, Becco, on 46th St.
Well, it's off to pack and ship. I have much to do today plus....I get to pick up our boys, Jack and River, who have been boarded since we left.

If you like cooking and ever watched Julia Child on tv or Dan Akroyd playing Julia Child on SNL, then seeing the movie, Julia and Julie, is a must for you. We saw it and boy my husband and I loved it. Meryl Streep is an awesome Julia Child and Amy Adams, who I had not heard of before, is absolutely perfect in her role. And if you want to buy things for your kitchen, we have just the items for you at www.giftsfromadistance.com/for_your_kitchen.

And speaking of food...If you live in Orange County, CA, you may want to sign up for Bluewater Grill's e-news. They offer "tasting" dinners once a month for a fixed price (under $30) which includes food and wine or beer. Last night, we celebrated our friends', Donna and Frank, anniversary at Bluewater's Tuna Tasting. We had 5 types of tuna - mostly raw or seared plus a beer, a glass of saki and a glass of chardonney. It was scrumptuous!

Jack and River are calling me - Time for their walks. Tonight is school for River and I and I'm afraid we haven't made much progress since last week. I feel like the folks on the biggest loser when they reach a plateau. River has absorbed as much training as his little brain can hold right now and seems to lose interest faster than he did a few weeks ago. I'm hoping this is just a passing phase and we will be back on track again next week.

I can't believe it's almost Labor Day. Is the year kind of like a one hour massage? You start on your stomach and it seems like your massage is going on for hours and then you turn over and it seems like the massage is over 10 minutes later. I truly believe time starts speeding up mid summer. Yesterday, I introduced my girlfriend, Donna, to a new scent in the Cucina line - Pepper and Anise - sounds bad but smells really good. We will be adding that our Cucina offerings as soon as it arrives. If you don't know about Cucina, I will tell you they are wonderful products for the kitchen and bathroom. For example, Cucina hand washes contain cold pressed virgin olive oil and other olive derivatives with purifying properties. Delicately scented, it rinses off completely to avoid interfering with the flavour of foods. See our complete line at www.giftsfromadistance.com/cucina and join our Cucina Club - a loyalty club with big rewards for people who use Cucina products.

Well, it's time to catch up with the day - it is already running away from me and I haven't walked Jack and River yet.

Sunday at Dog Park

Every Sunday, unless we are out of town, we like to go to Dog Park with our boys, Jack (a German Shepherd mix - our rescue boy) and River (a purbred Belgian Sheepdog or Groendaehl as they are formally known but, River is not a very formal boy). Today was no exception. They are so excited to ride in the car when they know they are going to dog park. The race from side to side in the back of our Jeep to look out of both windows as if the park might show up on either side. River, who just turned 15 months old yesterday, is still an intact male so, he looks for "someone to love" while we are there. Jack just enjoys running around and getting pets from whoever will pet him. Just so you don't think we are irresponsible pet owners, River is intact right now while he goes through one more training class. If he passes and I can show him in obedience, then we will probably mate him once before we neuter him (his parents are both champions). If he doesn't pass, it's off to the vet for a "snip snip" right away. I am sure I know his preference. If you are a dog lover as we are, we welcome you either at www.giftsfromadistance.com/cat_and_dog_lover_gifts or at www.dogloversrock.

Thanks again for visiting with us today!

My first post

This is my first post - kind of like first steps, first kiss, first love or whatever first has meaning to you. I'm excited about blogging and hope you will find what I have to say interesting. I am somewhat of a reality tv junkie, having just finished watching The Bachelorette and hope that the rumors are unfounded and that Jillian and Ed will be very happy together. I also like So You Think You Can Dance, Amazing Race and True Blood (well, that is really not reality tv but, it could be). I also just finished reading The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga - good book - and speaking of things like white tigers, we have great children's plush at www.giftsfromadistance.com/babies__toddlers___kids_of_all_ages.