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Let it Snow!

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Since I moved to Virginia in the Fall of 2001, there have been quite a few weather phenomenon’s that have taken place.  I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing but just a statement of fact.

Back in September of 2003, Hurricane Isabel came roaring through here and we were almost forced to evacuate our home.  You see, we live on the water and when a hurricane comes through, not only are the winds horrific, it pushes the water inland and you end up with flood conditions.  We lost a HUGE tree at the back of our yard.  The tree is butted up against the bulkhead and therefore the roots only grew toward the yard.  When the winds came howling through here, along with the fact that we had water all the way up to our home, it didn’t take much for the tree to topple!  And when I say topple, it fell across our dock and landed on the boat lift (for some reason we had decided to move the boat around on the trailer to the driveway the night before?!?).  We lost other trees and crepe myrtles, etc. but nothing like that huge tree.  The other tree’s roots (not quite as large as this one) were lifting out of the ground but it never toppled.  Hmmm???

So, when I say we have weather here, I am not kidding.  We have something called Nor’easter’s which are almost as bad as the hurricane.  They force the water up into all of the tributaries, canals and waterways and the flooding occurs at those times as well.

Now, last weekend, we had about 10″ of snow.  I knew this would be a cold winter from the moment I saw the leaves turning colors in the early Fall.  The leaves normally do not turn colors here until around the week before Thanksgiving.  This year, they had all turned and mostly dropped off the trees by the time the holiday rolled around.

The snow is really pretty to look at when you don’t get to see it too often.  I know people up north, where they receive snow all the time, think we are a bunch of cry baby’s down here.  But, when you don’t experience snow very often in an area like this, it brings the world to a standstill.  In fact, the kids are still out of school for heaven’s sake!  (Okay, that’ s going a little overboard).  No reason for that!

It is nice, though, to stay in your nice, cozy warm home and sit by the fire.  We made a big pot of chili on Saturday and just enjoyed the lazy day.  Of course, the kids were out all day in the freezing cold but, I remember doing that as well.  How did we stay out there all day in that?


Enjoy the pictures!  Let it snow!  Let it snow!  Let it snow!

Remembering the Past in Photos

I received a Facebook message from my daughter yesterday asking me for old photos of her as a baby/child.  She told me that this week was “Retro” week on Facebook but somehow I must have missed that announcement?

I started digging around for old photos and found a few that I had sent to her from a few years back.

Photos hold so many memories for you and you don’t even realize until you gaze upon them once again.

My daughter was born premature…28 weeks.  That was almost 30 years ago this year.  The few polaroids that were taken by the hospital staff are the only memories we have of the NICU stay for the first three months of her life.

But, the camera never stopped after that.  I have almost twelve albums of pictures…about one album per year.  What I would like to do, though, is to be able to share all of those photos with friends and family.  Plus, any time my daughter wants an old photo of herself, she can go to the site and dig around and see what she can find!

I have found a great product at SmugMug:


Many consumers are leary of the free photo sharing sites, anything that is free, surely has a catch. For a modest fee, you can upload, arrange and share unlimited photos (videos) on your own personal website. Is it secure? SmugMug is like Fort Knox for your photos, all safe and sound. It is like photo insurance, every photo is saved and backed up in multiple data centers across the USA. Just over five years old, SmugMug hosts almost 300 Million photos.

SmugMug has NO Ads, Pop-ups or SPAM and your visitors will never have to register to see their photos. You want prints?! At your service directly to your home!  They offer over 26 different sizes in 3 different finishes or you can print on products as shirts, puzzles and mugs.

New Year's Resolutions

Yes, I know that is a dirty word: “Resolutions.” But, it can be helpful if you are truly trying to accomplish things this year. Wouldn’t it be nice to look back and see all of the things you have done instead of looking back and asking yourself, “What DID I accomplish this year??”

Here are a few tips to make that resolution a reality:

  • Commit.  Sign your resolutions and keep it placed in front of your workspace every single day.  This will keep you on track in case you need a reminder of where you want to be by the end of the year.
  • Realistic.  Come on now, be realistic for heaven’s sake.  The reason people do not stick to resolutions (or goals for that matter) is the fact that they set the bar too high.  If you now make $100/week, set you new goal for $100/day or $1000/week.  Break it down to see how much you would need to accomplish every day to meet that goal.
  • Brainstorm.  Really put some thought into this.  If you want to stick with the goals, they need to be attainable.  Small increments are best.  How much time do you have every day to work on your goals?  Are you going to work days, evenings, weekends?  Do you have all of the materials/resources you need to accomplish each of your goals?  Write down anything and everything that comes to mind and then narrow the goals to something you feel comfortable.
  • Put it in writing.  Do not TYPE your goals!  Actually sit down with pen/pencil and paper and write out your goals.  This will make them appear more real to you.  This will also increase your commitment to those goals.
  • Create your goals.  Create the list from your brainstorm session above.  Put your goals in order of importance and then break them down into steps.  Again, this will make them more achievable.
  • Set deadlines.  Set clear, attainable deadlines.  Don’t set yourself up for failure.  If you don’t meet a deadline because of extenuating circumstances, don’t beat yourself up.  Re-prioritize and set the goal in motion again.
  • Reward yourself.  Pat yourself on the back every now and then and reward yourself.  Give yourself an unexpected day off to do something for yourself.  Set up a day with the family to go on an outing.  Do anything that would make you feel as if you have been rewarded for a job well done.


I wish you luck and success as you set your goals for the coming year.  Let us know your goals so we can share and pass on any inspiration to our readers!

Welcome to my World

My name is Dianne (as you can tell by the title of the blog). This blog is going to contain both business and personal musings. I want to be able to be able to show everyone both what I am working on but also let you see the other side of my life. I believe it helps to know someone personally to show that there really is a caring, understanding, REAL person at the other end of the keyboard :)

Welcome, and I hope you stop in often for a visit. Sit back and learn, laugh and just say hello so that I may get to know you as well.


Dianne