I called my Dad tonight. At midnight. He was up. He picked up and I started to cry when I said, “Dad, I just wanted to call and tell you that I love you.”
Once again, I am reminded of life’s fragility. We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. I don’t know why some of us will be called home before most would say is a full life. But seriously, what is the measure of a full life anyways? It certainly isn’t how long you live. It’s how you live and the lives you touch and change. It’s what you do to make a difference in this life for however long you will be around.
When you lose those people who become influences in your life, you realize even more how much they change you, how much they challenge you as a person. What are we living for here? Is it just to carry on our everyday lives, a monotonous habitual routine? I don’t think so. We are here to make a difference, even if we don’t know how or why or in what way we will. We look for the callings in our life. Some call it fate, others call it God’s will, and others say we choose our path. Whatever one calls it, it is all a journey. Life is a journey, a series of events that I like to call opportunities. It’s all in how you respond to those opportunities, rather than react to them. Your responses make you who you are and mold you into who you will become. I choose to live learning who I am whilst knowing whose I am. This is my inner being and the journey into the purpose of my life.
While we weep for those lost influences, we find comfort in them too. They become even more opportunities to grow from, change, and then use. We find ourselves challenged to our very cores, selflessness that challenges our human selfish nature. How does that work? Simply, you don’t change the world being selfish.
How can we take the power of this influence and make a difference in this world? That’s part of the journey. It’s amazing how even one person can set an example that can affect thousands of people and they not even realize it. It’s a matter of passing the influence, a kind of paying it forwards essentially.
During my first ever missions trip to Honduras, I realized that my purpose was to affect people in a positive way. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it. My first baby steps included making the children smile around me. In all reality, they were influencing me more than I was influencing them. I didn’t understand it at the time. I was still in my selfish bubble trying to do things all myself. Honestly, that never was in my control anyways. It never has been.
Divine connections. Oh how I never understood the term. Even the smallest decisions along our paths take us places and bring us to meet people we never would’ve before. One small instance in time can change the entire course of your life! Once I realized how these divine connections worked, I noticed them more and more in my life and was able to see the opportunities in front of me. How I responded to those opportunities has molded me into who I am today. Those opportunities not only included events in my life, but meeting the people who would influence it as well.
Now I find myself, once again, pondering where I’m at in my life. I don’t just want to “live” my life, I want to live! We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. The sense of urgency is upon us all. It’s not a doomsday urgency, even though I do know that that will come like a thief in the night. However, I choose not to live my life in fear. Fear only weakens us. If we dwell on it, we will never become the influence that is intended for our lives. I choose to take a hold of it and conquer it, thus I become stronger and move towards who I am supposed to become in this life.
I’m not here without purpose. I was created on purpose. When I move one step closer to the intended fulfillment of my true purpose, I know it. I can feel it. I can’t call it satisfaction though. Satisfaction implies completion and I won’t be satisfied until I am gone from this Earth. You see, ultimately this place will never “satisfy” my true and inner being. How can it? We live in a world full of selfish influence and to really make a difference, as I’ve stated before, you can’t be selfish. Yes, you can grow yourself, but growing yourself is a benefit to others. You can change lives just through that.
I pray daily that I can become a fraction of the influence that the people who change and grow me are in my life. They are the ones who have helped me along this journey thus far. Even though I do not know how long I will be here and I stand at the mere beginning of my own voyage, I keep my eyes focused on that ultimate goal. Who I am is a gift given to me, and who I become is a gift that I can give.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Monday, November 03, 2008
Dealing with Difficult People
Why is it that people assume the worst? I do wish that we didn’t have to deal with difficult people in this life sometimes. I know how I can grow from dealing with it, but it can be so painful! I try not to get weary in well doing, but still! It is just tiring! I only have to deal with majorly difficult people on a rare occasions. The problem comes because I really care about people no matter if they are difficult. Those majorly difficult ones are the ones that end up testing my patience the most because no matter how hard I try, I can never win. Not that I need to “win” but sometimes you just want people to realize you are being genuine!
It is my belief that no matter how much a person has hurt you or treated you badly, you should still treat them in a polite manner. This is what I call common courtesy. Why make others feel uncomfortable by airing out dirty laundry publicly? It isn’t for show! I don’t know how to explain it any further than just saying that you deal with personal matters privately and not publicly. Things don’t have to be ok for you to treat someone with dignity and respect! Golly, I sometimes wonder why this is a hard concept for people.
I feel deeply that if a person has issues with me, they should just come talk to me instead of talking to everyone around me! It feels as though when that is done, it is just that person’s way of turning people against me. But to be straight and honest, people who take the time to get to know me, know that when someone does come to them for stupid stuff like that, they know that highly likely it is just a misconception or misjudgement or they recommend that they talk to me.
That is the difference between real friends and fake ones. The fake ones believe whatever they hear without first getting clarification or they judge you based off what that person said. True friends grow you. They point out your flaws, but they only do it to help you become a better person. They also don’t judge you. They know that there will be times in life when you make stupid decisions, but they go on loving you and they don’t let those personal decisions shape their relationship with you when it comes to things outside of their direct relationship with you.
The most tiring thing for me is having to explain who I am over and over. I really do wear who I am on my sleeve. People who are around me everyday or who have ever hung out with me know this! That’s what I really love about my true friends is that they love me for who I am, not who they want me to be. They understand how I am and what’s going on in my life. I can tell them anything without being scared that they will use my openess against me. I can trust them to not intentionally hurt me. My true friends always give the benefit of the doubt to the best of their ability. They trust who I am, not what misconceptions, if any, are made about me.
How many times can you forgive without it being detrimental to your health and well-being? I know that the Bible doesn’t put a limit on the number of times you can forgive someone. Think on this analogy though: Everytime you get hurt by someone its like driving a nail into your fence post. You can forgive and remove the nail, but the fence post still has the hole. How many holes can you take before it just gets to be too much? I like to think I can take a lot of holes, but no one in my life, to my knowledge, has ever driven me close to the limit. Yes, there are people who have put a lot of holes in the fence post, and it is hard to think on whether or not our friendship could ever be the same. I wish I could say it could be, but somehow deep down, even with the forgiveness there, you still have the scars. I find myself being more cautious with those scars when it comes to those difficult people.
The hardest part of dealing with difficult people is making the tough decisions. Sometimes it just takes time, meditation, and prayer. I don’t know how to explain to them how long that will take though, especially if the wound is deep and the healing is still taking place. Either way, I can still treat that person with common courtesy and hope they don’t misinterpret that as being fake. In all honesty, I believe that treating people with respect, even if you are hurting because of them, is very important. Again, it is for the benefit of those around them and you, too.
Ultimately, I know I can grow to be a better person by growing my patience and who I am as a person in dealing with difficult people. I do think it is ok to throw your hands up sometimes and ask, “Why me, Lord??” It’s being human to do that! I still choose, despite that, to live my life happily and in a positive way. Why wouldn’t you? You make the best of the life you are living and choose to do the best you can. I know I try, and while I sometimes have difficulty suceeding in that, I find that most of the time, I do suceed. I strive to be a positive factor in people’s lives, not solely because it benefits me (because uplifting and encouraging people has a reciprocal effect) but because you can truly make a difference in someone’s life being that. What is wrong with being a positive and happy person? Nothing.
Even in dealing with difficult people, you can still choose to not let it get you down. I know who I am, and am convicted to who I am. I know where I stand with God on who I am. In all of that, I don’t have to prove or justify who I am to anyone. I can only hope that people will see that and understand, or try and understand, who I am through that.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Things I Like...
When my nephew runs up to me and hugs my legs.
Taking my nephew to the park.
Holding and walking around my nephew when he is discovering new things.
When my nephew bonks me on the head trying to kiss me.
Dipping French fries in a Wendy’s Frosty.
Limp French fries.
Listening to Rodney’s Music.
Rodney playing his piano for me.
Dipping my finger in Rachel’s homemade icing.
Rachel’s amazing cakes.
Getting my hair stroked.
Cuddling.
Spooning.
Laughing.
Being complimented.
Complimenting people.
Believing in people.
Praying for people.
Giving the benefit of the doubt.
Getting the benefit of the doubt.
Getting hugs from my brothers.
When Thomas actually agrees with me on something.
Talking to Tim about anything because he usually doesn’t talk.
When my birds snuggle my neck.
Playing “Where’s BeBe?” with BeBe.
Having a bird in each hand.
Giving Ashlee head rubs.
Getting kisses from my birds.
Gouda Cheese.
My Mom’s meatloaf.
Going to the movies with my Mom.
Watching my Dad visit with people at church and the hospital.
Dad singing at me at church.
Going to church.
Getting hugs from my friends at church.
When Sammy and Austin pick me up while hugging me.
Encouraging people.
Raising people’s spirits.
Praying for people.
Smiling.
Making people smile.
Raising someone’s self-esteem.
Skinny days.
Working out.
Biking.
Swimming.
Hiking.
Rope swinging into a creek in the mountains.
Beacon Heights off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Camping illegally on the parkway.
Driving the parkway and stopping at the overlooks.
Stargazing.
Looking at the moon or planets through my telescope.
Watching a meteor shower.
Trampolines.
Moonwalks.
Iceskating.
Snowskiing.
Water tubing.
Driving fast.
Holding hands.
Being held.
Kissing.
Watching movies.
Going to plays.
Acting in plays/skits.
Drawing.
Reading poetry.
Writing poetry.
Singing.
Singing loudly in the car.
Buying paintings.
Commissioning paintings.
Admiring other's artwork.
Finding old notes.
Getting handwritten notes and cards in the mail.
Buying pottery.
Handmade gifts.
Giving gifts.
Receiving gifts.
Classical music.
Popular music.
Alternative music.
Christian music.
My birthday.
Christmas.
Photography.
Scrapbooking.
The Grand Canyon.
Watching the sunrise over the ocean.
Walking on the beach at sunset.
Trying new things.
McD’s icecream.
KFC Cheese Snackers.
A good pair of sneakers.
Laughing.
Making people laugh.
Taking long showers.
Hot tubs.
Holding a newly hatched lovebird.
Turtles.
Aquariums.
Zoos.
Strawberries.
Mac’N’Cheese.
Betty Crocker Warm Delights Mini.
Going to the movie theater.
Playing my Wii.
Bamboo.
Screened-in porches.
Vaulted Ceilings.
Roses and daisies.
Soft bed-sheets.
My pillow.
CBC.
Sleeping on the top bunk (except at CBC).
Taking my parents’ dogs to the dog park.
My mother figures who look out for me.
My business team.
Business functions.
Puzzles.
Art museums.
Science museums.
History museums.
Physics demonstrations.
Knighthood.
Skype Chat Rooms.
People who make me laugh.
People who really take the time to get to know me.
People who understand me and love me for who I am.
My “twins.”
Listening to good songs on YouTube.
Sitting up against a tree in the shade in the grass on a partly cloudy warm day.
70 degree days.
Fall leaves.
Jumping/swimming through a pile of leaves.
Slip-N-Slides.
Walking around barefoot.
Snowball fights.
Building snowmen.
Making snow angels.
The way trees look frosted by snow.
New spring leaves coming in on trees.
Climbing trees.
Memories of my Grandparents.
Seeing/reuniting with old friends.
Being cooked for.
Pasta.
Diamonds.
Survivor.
Watching the Discovery Channel.
Mostly green bananas.
Laughing cow cheese.
Eating pecans off the tree.
Visiting ruins.
The view off the mountain by Amacuapa, Honduras.
Sitting on the pier in Trujillo at night watching the stars.
Walking on piers.
Sleeping under the stars.
Tent Camping.
Volleyball.
Rough-out basketball.
Paint balling.
Capture the flag.
Hide-N-Go-Seek.
Visiting Lighthouses.
Riding Ferries.
I'm sure there are more... I may add to this list later!
Taking my nephew to the park.
Holding and walking around my nephew when he is discovering new things.
When my nephew bonks me on the head trying to kiss me.
Dipping French fries in a Wendy’s Frosty.
Limp French fries.
Listening to Rodney’s Music.
Rodney playing his piano for me.
Dipping my finger in Rachel’s homemade icing.
Rachel’s amazing cakes.
Getting my hair stroked.
Cuddling.
Spooning.
Laughing.
Being complimented.
Complimenting people.
Believing in people.
Praying for people.
Giving the benefit of the doubt.
Getting the benefit of the doubt.
Getting hugs from my brothers.
When Thomas actually agrees with me on something.
Talking to Tim about anything because he usually doesn’t talk.
When my birds snuggle my neck.
Playing “Where’s BeBe?” with BeBe.
Having a bird in each hand.
Giving Ashlee head rubs.
Getting kisses from my birds.
Gouda Cheese.
My Mom’s meatloaf.
Going to the movies with my Mom.
Watching my Dad visit with people at church and the hospital.
Dad singing at me at church.
Going to church.
Getting hugs from my friends at church.
When Sammy and Austin pick me up while hugging me.
Encouraging people.
Raising people’s spirits.
Praying for people.
Smiling.
Making people smile.
Raising someone’s self-esteem.
Skinny days.
Working out.
Biking.
Swimming.
Hiking.
Rope swinging into a creek in the mountains.
Beacon Heights off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Camping illegally on the parkway.
Driving the parkway and stopping at the overlooks.
Stargazing.
Looking at the moon or planets through my telescope.
Watching a meteor shower.
Trampolines.
Moonwalks.
Iceskating.
Snowskiing.
Water tubing.
Driving fast.
Holding hands.
Being held.
Kissing.
Watching movies.
Going to plays.
Acting in plays/skits.
Drawing.
Reading poetry.
Writing poetry.
Singing.
Singing loudly in the car.
Buying paintings.
Commissioning paintings.
Admiring other's artwork.
Finding old notes.
Getting handwritten notes and cards in the mail.
Buying pottery.
Handmade gifts.
Giving gifts.
Receiving gifts.
Classical music.
Popular music.
Alternative music.
Christian music.
My birthday.
Christmas.
Photography.
Scrapbooking.
The Grand Canyon.
Watching the sunrise over the ocean.
Walking on the beach at sunset.
Trying new things.
McD’s icecream.
KFC Cheese Snackers.
A good pair of sneakers.
Laughing.
Making people laugh.
Taking long showers.
Hot tubs.
Holding a newly hatched lovebird.
Turtles.
Aquariums.
Zoos.
Strawberries.
Mac’N’Cheese.
Betty Crocker Warm Delights Mini.
Going to the movie theater.
Playing my Wii.
Bamboo.
Screened-in porches.
Vaulted Ceilings.
Roses and daisies.
Soft bed-sheets.
My pillow.
CBC.
Sleeping on the top bunk (except at CBC).
Taking my parents’ dogs to the dog park.
My mother figures who look out for me.
My business team.
Business functions.
Puzzles.
Art museums.
Science museums.
History museums.
Physics demonstrations.
Knighthood.
Skype Chat Rooms.
People who make me laugh.
People who really take the time to get to know me.
People who understand me and love me for who I am.
My “twins.”
Listening to good songs on YouTube.
Sitting up against a tree in the shade in the grass on a partly cloudy warm day.
70 degree days.
Fall leaves.
Jumping/swimming through a pile of leaves.
Slip-N-Slides.
Walking around barefoot.
Snowball fights.
Building snowmen.
Making snow angels.
The way trees look frosted by snow.
New spring leaves coming in on trees.
Climbing trees.
Memories of my Grandparents.
Seeing/reuniting with old friends.
Being cooked for.
Pasta.
Diamonds.
Survivor.
Watching the Discovery Channel.
Mostly green bananas.
Laughing cow cheese.
Eating pecans off the tree.
Visiting ruins.
The view off the mountain by Amacuapa, Honduras.
Sitting on the pier in Trujillo at night watching the stars.
Walking on piers.
Sleeping under the stars.
Tent Camping.
Volleyball.
Rough-out basketball.
Paint balling.
Capture the flag.
Hide-N-Go-Seek.
Visiting Lighthouses.
Riding Ferries.
I'm sure there are more... I may add to this list later!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Heroes (Poem)
Dedicated to Madonna Higgins, Steve Fowler, and Matt “Ninja Bunny” Gegner
In memory of John Edds, who died serving our country in Iraq
In memory of John Edds, who died serving our country in Iraq
Definition of a hero:
A person who puts themselves at risk, usually grievous danger, for the benefit of another.
Courage, Integrity
They stand and face danger
Unity, Faith
Doing whatever it takes
Situational Awareness, Adaptability
Knowing the role they play
Trust, Dependability
They stand together, supporting one another,
When most would tremble
Caring, Compassion
They do what most could not
Strength, Service
They make us safe back at home,
And the world a better place
True Americans, Patriots
They stand for freedom
National Treasures, Respected
Our heroes,
Standing for what is right, true, & free
Honored for serving our country
Notes: Across all branches of the military, re-enlistment is at its highest: 115%
You CANNOT entice people to re-enlist for a losing cause.
Our military personnel active/reserves make up <1%>
A person who puts themselves at risk, usually grievous danger, for the benefit of another.
Courage, Integrity
They stand and face danger
Unity, Faith
Doing whatever it takes
Situational Awareness, Adaptability
Knowing the role they play
Trust, Dependability
They stand together, supporting one another,
When most would tremble
Caring, Compassion
They do what most could not
Strength, Service
They make us safe back at home,
And the world a better place
True Americans, Patriots
They stand for freedom
National Treasures, Respected
Our heroes,
Standing for what is right, true, & free
Honored for serving our country
Notes: Across all branches of the military, re-enlistment is at its highest: 115%
You CANNOT entice people to re-enlist for a losing cause.
Our military personnel active/reserves make up <1%>
Friday, October 10, 2008
Undenyable Symptoms (Poem)
My thoughts betray me
My heart tells the truth
The warmth of his touch
The fluttering of my stomach's monarchs
The tickling of his breath on my neck
goosebumps
The compassion of his hold
The beauty inside and out
indescribable
His encouraging reminders
The tears when I shed when he's not around
A deep need for him
a prayer
Emotional trust
His fingers through my hair
comforting
A mutual understanding
The love portrayed in his presence
Te quiero, amor mio
10/29/00
My heart tells the truth
The warmth of his touch
The fluttering of my stomach's monarchs
The tickling of his breath on my neck
goosebumps
The compassion of his hold
The beauty inside and out
indescribable
His encouraging reminders
The tears when I shed when he's not around
A deep need for him
a prayer
Emotional trust
His fingers through my hair
comforting
A mutual understanding
The love portrayed in his presence
Te quiero, amor mio
10/29/00
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Obama's Wrong Ideas for America
So, I felt like I wanted to post up one of the lastest Huckabee updates I got on FB. I really agreed with what he had to say about Obama:
Greetings, from Sapporo, Japan:
Janet and I are still in Japan for a few more days. It is about 5am here on Friday which makes it 3 in the afternoon back home in North Little Rock. We are having a great, but extremely packed week. It feels like being back on the campaign trail, except that the speeches are being interpreted in Japanese and the raw fish is sometimes a little tough on a guy who grew up thinking fried catfish was seafood. Yesterday, I visited with some of the scientists at Tohuko University in Sendai City regarding their groundbreaking research in producing solar energy and in the their development of amazing new materials that are lighter and stronger than steel. I also visited with the Governor of the Hokkaido prefect where next month’s G-8 Summit will be held and spoke to the Chamber of Commerce in that prefect on American politics, US/Japan relations, and economic trends in the United States. We are looking forward to being back—we miss the dogs!
My speech to the Foreign Correspondents Club a few days ago seemed to have generated some buzz both here and back home when I mentioned that it would be a “fundamental if not fatal mistake for the GOP to demonize Barak Obama” in order to win the election. Some seem to have taken that to mean I was all but endorsing Obama! Quite the opposite.
I believe his ideas are totally wrong for America and many of his plans would take us the opposite direction from where I think we need to go. He is an ardent supporter for the most liberal and indefensible positions on abortion, including his refusal to support a ban on the most vile forms of all, partial birth abortion. He has stated that he would be an activist in seeking to push for what the anti-life forces euphemistically call “reproductive rights.”
His plan to raise taxes would be an economic disaster for our nation. We would lose jobs and investment and see the economy really squeeze the working class with even higher fuel and food prices.
He would implement more government control on everything from health care to small business and that’s not the right direction for us.
What I am saying is that we need to challenge Obama on the basis that his ideas are the wrong ones—not attacking him personally. If people spend their time repeating a bunch of internet driven drivel about his middle name (he didn’t choose his anymore than I chose mine), or his race (I do sincerely celebrate that our country has moved to a place where a person’s race doesn’t limit him from aspiring to the highest office in our land, but I just believe that due to his proposals and lack of substantive experience, he’s gone far enough—not because of his race, but because of his sincere, but misguided proposals), or his church (there are far more important reasons for us to elect Senator McCain than where Obama went to church).
Politics ought to be VERTICAL and Obama’s ideas will not take this country UP, but DOWN. I think he is a sincere and obviously a very intelligent and charismatic person. For us to deny that is foolish. Our focus should be to logically and systematically explain why ideas really do matter and why some are bad for those struggling as it is to pay the rent.
Elections ought to be about elevating the best ideas and exposing the worst ones—not engaging in character assassination with half truths, innuendoes, and disputable “internet facts.”
I hope you’ll keep the dialogue going and be a part of HuckPAC. I enjoy reading your posts—even the ones from those who use the blog to attack me. The reason I don’t respond to all of that is 2 fold: 1. I have other things to occupy my time than answering every critic; and 2. You guys—the HuckPAC family do a better job anyway!
Hope you are having a good week and continue to pray for our friends in the Midwest suffering from the devastating floods.
Sayonara,
Mike Huckabee
Greetings, from Sapporo, Japan:
Janet and I are still in Japan for a few more days. It is about 5am here on Friday which makes it 3 in the afternoon back home in North Little Rock. We are having a great, but extremely packed week. It feels like being back on the campaign trail, except that the speeches are being interpreted in Japanese and the raw fish is sometimes a little tough on a guy who grew up thinking fried catfish was seafood. Yesterday, I visited with some of the scientists at Tohuko University in Sendai City regarding their groundbreaking research in producing solar energy and in the their development of amazing new materials that are lighter and stronger than steel. I also visited with the Governor of the Hokkaido prefect where next month’s G-8 Summit will be held and spoke to the Chamber of Commerce in that prefect on American politics, US/Japan relations, and economic trends in the United States. We are looking forward to being back—we miss the dogs!
My speech to the Foreign Correspondents Club a few days ago seemed to have generated some buzz both here and back home when I mentioned that it would be a “fundamental if not fatal mistake for the GOP to demonize Barak Obama” in order to win the election. Some seem to have taken that to mean I was all but endorsing Obama! Quite the opposite.
I believe his ideas are totally wrong for America and many of his plans would take us the opposite direction from where I think we need to go. He is an ardent supporter for the most liberal and indefensible positions on abortion, including his refusal to support a ban on the most vile forms of all, partial birth abortion. He has stated that he would be an activist in seeking to push for what the anti-life forces euphemistically call “reproductive rights.”
His plan to raise taxes would be an economic disaster for our nation. We would lose jobs and investment and see the economy really squeeze the working class with even higher fuel and food prices.
He would implement more government control on everything from health care to small business and that’s not the right direction for us.
What I am saying is that we need to challenge Obama on the basis that his ideas are the wrong ones—not attacking him personally. If people spend their time repeating a bunch of internet driven drivel about his middle name (he didn’t choose his anymore than I chose mine), or his race (I do sincerely celebrate that our country has moved to a place where a person’s race doesn’t limit him from aspiring to the highest office in our land, but I just believe that due to his proposals and lack of substantive experience, he’s gone far enough—not because of his race, but because of his sincere, but misguided proposals), or his church (there are far more important reasons for us to elect Senator McCain than where Obama went to church).
Politics ought to be VERTICAL and Obama’s ideas will not take this country UP, but DOWN. I think he is a sincere and obviously a very intelligent and charismatic person. For us to deny that is foolish. Our focus should be to logically and systematically explain why ideas really do matter and why some are bad for those struggling as it is to pay the rent.
Elections ought to be about elevating the best ideas and exposing the worst ones—not engaging in character assassination with half truths, innuendoes, and disputable “internet facts.”
I hope you’ll keep the dialogue going and be a part of HuckPAC. I enjoy reading your posts—even the ones from those who use the blog to attack me. The reason I don’t respond to all of that is 2 fold: 1. I have other things to occupy my time than answering every critic; and 2. You guys—the HuckPAC family do a better job anyway!
Hope you are having a good week and continue to pray for our friends in the Midwest suffering from the devastating floods.
Sayonara,
Mike Huckabee
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Rainbow 4.28.08
Check out this gorgeous rainbow from Monday! This rainbow was a full arch!!
There is a second arch in this... you can just see it.
You can see the second reflection also showing up in this shot. It is barely there, but there. The video shows it better.
I love seeing rainbows! The sky view is just perfect to see them from our home!4.28.08
Friday, April 25, 2008
Gas Prices
What in the world is up with gas prices??!!
I found a couple of receipts in my car and was just doing some comparison. I have cut down, number one, on the amount that I am driving. I cut out any unnecessary or extra driving if I could avoid it. Thus, this has gotten me down to one fill-up a week for my normal driving habits (not including business). Before I was filling up about every 5 days due to commuting, etc. My normal fill-up day is Wednesday.
Looking back two weeks ago on the 9th of April, I spent $3.21/gallon on gas. The following week on the 16th of April, I filled up for $3.35/gallon. This past Wednesday, I filled up for $3.54/gallon!
What in the world???
The increase each week is staggering. I just don't get it. Exxon posted profits in the billions and the only flimsy excuse they could give the government is that their profit margins were in line with other companies. What other companies?
Do these crack heads have any idea how they are affecting the little guy... us? Not only is it costing us more to fill up, but these high prices are pushing up all the other prices in our economy too! Golly gee, we can't get eggs for less than $1.75 anymore hardly! What is that?
I was looking forwards to the economic stimulus check, which our government really couldn't afford to give in the first place thus lowering the US dollar's value even more by printing money to make up for it, but now it looks as though we will spend it in gas and/or food. How sad is that? We can only "stimulate" the economy with stuff we need and can't afford anymore anyways. Ugh.
Sadly, Rodney and I are spending probably close to $500 minimum on gas every month. Having two cars and being separated during the week doesn't help!
I have a picture of me standing in front of a gas sign in the snow holding my parents' dog Sophie in my coat in the winter storm of 2000. The gas prices, if I recall correctly, weren't more than $1.15/gallon. Oh, the good ole' days!
I guess when we get old, we will tell "our children" how we used to be able to fill up for so cheap at $8.00/gallon. LOL. Not really funny though. But there is no other way to really respond because anger just makes us old. Hmm.
I found a couple of receipts in my car and was just doing some comparison. I have cut down, number one, on the amount that I am driving. I cut out any unnecessary or extra driving if I could avoid it. Thus, this has gotten me down to one fill-up a week for my normal driving habits (not including business). Before I was filling up about every 5 days due to commuting, etc. My normal fill-up day is Wednesday.
Looking back two weeks ago on the 9th of April, I spent $3.21/gallon on gas. The following week on the 16th of April, I filled up for $3.35/gallon. This past Wednesday, I filled up for $3.54/gallon!
What in the world???
The increase each week is staggering. I just don't get it. Exxon posted profits in the billions and the only flimsy excuse they could give the government is that their profit margins were in line with other companies. What other companies?
Do these crack heads have any idea how they are affecting the little guy... us? Not only is it costing us more to fill up, but these high prices are pushing up all the other prices in our economy too! Golly gee, we can't get eggs for less than $1.75 anymore hardly! What is that?
I was looking forwards to the economic stimulus check, which our government really couldn't afford to give in the first place thus lowering the US dollar's value even more by printing money to make up for it, but now it looks as though we will spend it in gas and/or food. How sad is that? We can only "stimulate" the economy with stuff we need and can't afford anymore anyways. Ugh.
Sadly, Rodney and I are spending probably close to $500 minimum on gas every month. Having two cars and being separated during the week doesn't help!
I have a picture of me standing in front of a gas sign in the snow holding my parents' dog Sophie in my coat in the winter storm of 2000. The gas prices, if I recall correctly, weren't more than $1.15/gallon. Oh, the good ole' days!
I guess when we get old, we will tell "our children" how we used to be able to fill up for so cheap at $8.00/gallon. LOL. Not really funny though. But there is no other way to really respond because anger just makes us old. Hmm.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Ok. So I don't eat out much. Nor would I have ever thought I would fall in love with anything from a "fast food" chain. However, I am in love with Chipotle's Chicken Fajita Burrito. It is super awesome. I have had it twice and I could have it again and again.I was first introduced to Chipotle about a month ago. My friend Julieanna and I got together for lunch in Chapel Hill and decided to go there. I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. While the number of their menu items is relatively limited, the food is excellent. It is fresh and prepared in front of you.
I would go as far to say that I like Chipotle's burritos better than Moe's or Qdoba. They are fresh and light. Basically what makes the fajita burrito good (outside of the good chicken) is this: they use an awesome cilantro-lime rice (I don't like too much cilantro, but this is just right), onions and green peppers sauteed in soy oil (instead of beans), and a plethora of toppings, of which I enjoy adding their fresh salsa, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce. I really need to try some of their other menu options, but I am totally relishing this one particular burrito.
What brought me there yesterday was a free burrito coupon. Not even I can turn down free food. It was something different from the diet of bars and slimming shakes I have been on for the past week. However, I didn't feel guilty for eating my free burrito after my low-cal week.
Chipotle has a "Food with Integrity" mission as compared to the norm of fast food. Their ingredients are mostly all-natural. I like that. Oh, and I really enjoyed the all-natural juice they had as a beverage option (pineapple, orange, and banana mix). Yum!
Random fact about Chipotle.... it is connected to McDonald's. Crazy, eh?
I like my meat, but vegans could eat well there too. =)
Friday, March 14, 2008
Unbelievable!
I can't believe this.... I am frustrated and sad. We are out there to help people, and I believe we have helped and saved birds. When one can't even share a different point-of-view, it really bothers me. We were a part of this particular forum (which will remain unnamed as I won't defame them) and I just wish it could have been different.
Single parrots???? Small cages???? Handraising???? Clipped wings??? C'mon. I just can't believe that we are so controversial. This is the only forum that has ever completely disagreed with our views. We are a part of 3 other forums actively and a few others not real actively and will continue to be a part of those.
Re: handraising
*****-
I posted for the first time in a long time today on your forum. I was angered, sad, and disappointed in the closed-mindedness of this administrator. The sad part of this all is that you invited us to join this forum and this was the very 1st forum we ever joined on the web. Even in the past when highly debatable topics came up, I have never felt so defamed, slandered, or wronged. I am sorry that we disagree with some of your views and the views of this forum. To be honest with you, when everyone just allows themselves to agree with everything that is said and not allow any other views to be discussed or shown, it shows very closed-mindedness. It hurts us, but we have decided to no longer be a part of this forum. In fact, we would ask that you remove all of threads and posts throughout this forum to protect our integrity as a credible aviary. Thanks so much for the respect you have showed us in the past.
~~Tamara (& Rodney)
This is what they saw so offensive:
**************
Now you all are in for it! I am going to post some baby pictures.
(You have been warned.
)
Faith (aka Mar)
Hope (aka Tudor on top) and Faith (aka Mar on bottom)
The Hobbits
Kiwi (boy) & Gizmo (female)
Luna, Sunny, and Star (the little one)
Love (aka Jake!)
Irene (aka Joy) and Jake (aka Love)
Roxy Sky and Rainbow
Bella (aka Sunshine)
Top left, Trinket, to the right is Mango, and on the bottom is Coconut.
Cherry and Apple
Mango
One of my piano students, Mary Beth, with Trinket
All 5 Fruity Babies (with Mango's booty!)
10 Babies! (And yes, I can name everyone of 'em.)
Musical Babies! (Cookie is bottom left, Harmony is on Cookie's right)
Sapphire has actually regurgitated to Ruby!
Opal
Pearl
...and me with the biggest baby of them all, my 2.5 year-old BeBe!
Is that post so controversial? Thank you. I didn't think so either.
Single parrots???? Small cages???? Handraising???? Clipped wings??? C'mon. I just can't believe that we are so controversial. This is the only forum that has ever completely disagreed with our views. We are a part of 3 other forums actively and a few others not real actively and will continue to be a part of those.
Re: handraising
Quote:
| Originally Posted by Johnathan ***** Hi Rodney and Tamara, As you know at ******** *** ****** we promote species appropriate pair keeping. Some examples of anti-species appropriate keeping - advocating or supporting single parrots, small cages, hand raising of babies, clipped wings. I am going to have to ask you to remove the pictures you posted that make it clear your babies are hand raised. We love seeing pics of the lovebirds and we welcome you to post more pictures. However we cannot let other members think that we would promote handfeeding. We are going to go ahead and remove the ones that we feel are inappropriate for this forum.Your lovebirds are adorable and I hope this doesn't discourage you from posting more pictures of them in the future. Thank you and have a wonderful day  Johnathan |
I posted for the first time in a long time today on your forum. I was angered, sad, and disappointed in the closed-mindedness of this administrator. The sad part of this all is that you invited us to join this forum and this was the very 1st forum we ever joined on the web. Even in the past when highly debatable topics came up, I have never felt so defamed, slandered, or wronged. I am sorry that we disagree with some of your views and the views of this forum. To be honest with you, when everyone just allows themselves to agree with everything that is said and not allow any other views to be discussed or shown, it shows very closed-mindedness. It hurts us, but we have decided to no longer be a part of this forum. In fact, we would ask that you remove all of threads and posts throughout this forum to protect our integrity as a credible aviary. Thanks so much for the respect you have showed us in the past.
~~Tamara (& Rodney)
This is what they saw so offensive:
**************
Now you all are in for it! I am going to post some baby pictures.
(You have been warned.
)Faith (aka Mar)
Roxy Sky and Rainbow
Top left, Trinket, to the right is Mango, and on the bottom is Coconut.
Cherry and Apple
Mango
One of my piano students, Mary Beth, with Trinket
All 5 Fruity Babies (with Mango's booty!)
10 Babies! (And yes, I can name everyone of 'em.)
Musical Babies! (Cookie is bottom left, Harmony is on Cookie's right)
Sapphire has actually regurgitated to Ruby!
Opal
Pearl
...and me with the biggest baby of them all, my 2.5 year-old BeBe!
~Rodney
****************Is that post so controversial? Thank you. I didn't think so either.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Trusting in Him
I find myself getting constant reminders of remembering to trust in God. He is my provider and He has never failed to come through for me. Even if it is not in the way I desire, I know that it is within His will.
Once again, I got that reminder recently.
The First Chain of Events:
As many of you know, Rodney is living up in Surry County during the week and is staying at Dennis & Terre's farm house up there. We got the recent bill (we are paying the difference in the electricity) and it was quite high. Mostly, it was a misunderstanding on how Rodney was to be heating the house to protect the pipes.
I will say that I was frustrated. I shouldn't have been because I know it is not in my control and I couldn't change it, but it wasn't what we expected. We moved some bills around and it worked out ok.
Well, Dennis & Terre decided to bless us and take care of part of that bill, and while it is always hard for me to accept blessings in that manner, I was grateful. It gave us a little more wiggle room.
The Second Chain of Events:
After church, I walked out feeling pretty good. I was grateful to God that he gave such awesome hearts to Dennis & Terre! However, how I responded to the next thing that came upon me in no way reflected my gratefulness.
My car had a flat in the church parking lot. I had ran over a roofing nail. How? When? Who knows?
Now, it was not too bad at first, but it was a small inconvenient set-back in terms of time.
After my Dad and brother Tim started working on putting the spare, I was confident that all I needed to do was mosey on down the road to the tire place where my tires are under warranty for free fixing or replacing.
However, it was not that easy. Somehow or another, the bolts and lug nuts got stripped and just driving it down the road would not be an option. This was where I emotionally responded, not only not being grateful to God for giving His blessing earlier and in having a Dad & Brother who could at least try to help me, but also by hurting my Dad's feelings by blaming him when I shouldn't have. Later on that day, I was truly ashamed of myself.
Many of you know that I have really gotten my money's worth in my AAA membership since October in dealing with my "new" car. In fact, I have towed it twice, replaced the transmission, and locked my keys in it. So, I had to get my car towed, once again (the 3rd time!), and pray that I could get it fixed that day so I wouldn't be car-less the next day. The tow went fairly well, even though I was severely unhappy for having to pay for another tow (which wasn't that expensive, but I was expecting to not have to pay for anything involved with the flat as my tire was under warranty).
All this being said, I thought I was going to get my car back that day, and, in the end, I didn't as they didn't get in all the bolts and lug nuts needed. It was Sunday, so I did give them a little slack, but again, I wasn't too happy because now I had no car for at least the first part of Monday.
Thankfully, my Dad was able to give me a ride to work the next day. Of course, I apologized for my behavior from the previous day, but he had already forgiven me.
Third Chain of Events:
Monday night was the big party. A dear lady of the church, LaVerne, was turning 90 and I had graciously agreed to take pictures for a scrapbook that would be made from the event. The party was lovely and I took some great pictures (if I do say so myself).
Well last night, Angie, LaVerne's daughter, blessed me with some compensation. I had in no way expected to be compensated. In fact, I had agreed to the task thinking I was just helping out! I was helping out, and feeling honored to be even asked to take on that task. I, hesitatingly, accepted the gift.
The Culmination of all 3 Chains of Events:
The kind hearts of Dennis & Terre as well as the gift from Angie almost exactly equals the amount of money we had to spend to replace the bolts and lug nuts on that wheel that had been flat.
Lessons learned:
Trust that God intends to have you learn and become a better follower of Him in all things that occur. It's how you choose to use and respond to those opportunities.
My car is a sensitive subject because I have dealt with so much concerning this particular car in the past few months. Unfortunately, I didn't initially respond to the test in the most Christian manner, but I do feel confident that I acted later according to what needed to be fixed in my life. Most of the time, I struggle mainly with issues that are out of my control. All in all, I need to constantly remind myself that God is the one in control anyways.
I get surprised probably more often than I should when God shows me that I should have trusted him all along! But, I know that I grow a little each time He demonstrates Himself in my life.
God blessed me not just monetarily (taking care of the unforeseen extra cost) but also in teaching me a lesson to relax and take heart in knowing that it will all work out in the end.
Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Once again, I got that reminder recently.
The First Chain of Events:
As many of you know, Rodney is living up in Surry County during the week and is staying at Dennis & Terre's farm house up there. We got the recent bill (we are paying the difference in the electricity) and it was quite high. Mostly, it was a misunderstanding on how Rodney was to be heating the house to protect the pipes.
I will say that I was frustrated. I shouldn't have been because I know it is not in my control and I couldn't change it, but it wasn't what we expected. We moved some bills around and it worked out ok.
Well, Dennis & Terre decided to bless us and take care of part of that bill, and while it is always hard for me to accept blessings in that manner, I was grateful. It gave us a little more wiggle room.
The Second Chain of Events:
After church, I walked out feeling pretty good. I was grateful to God that he gave such awesome hearts to Dennis & Terre! However, how I responded to the next thing that came upon me in no way reflected my gratefulness.
My car had a flat in the church parking lot. I had ran over a roofing nail. How? When? Who knows?
Now, it was not too bad at first, but it was a small inconvenient set-back in terms of time.
After my Dad and brother Tim started working on putting the spare, I was confident that all I needed to do was mosey on down the road to the tire place where my tires are under warranty for free fixing or replacing.
However, it was not that easy. Somehow or another, the bolts and lug nuts got stripped and just driving it down the road would not be an option. This was where I emotionally responded, not only not being grateful to God for giving His blessing earlier and in having a Dad & Brother who could at least try to help me, but also by hurting my Dad's feelings by blaming him when I shouldn't have. Later on that day, I was truly ashamed of myself.
Many of you know that I have really gotten my money's worth in my AAA membership since October in dealing with my "new" car. In fact, I have towed it twice, replaced the transmission, and locked my keys in it. So, I had to get my car towed, once again (the 3rd time!), and pray that I could get it fixed that day so I wouldn't be car-less the next day. The tow went fairly well, even though I was severely unhappy for having to pay for another tow (which wasn't that expensive, but I was expecting to not have to pay for anything involved with the flat as my tire was under warranty).
All this being said, I thought I was going to get my car back that day, and, in the end, I didn't as they didn't get in all the bolts and lug nuts needed. It was Sunday, so I did give them a little slack, but again, I wasn't too happy because now I had no car for at least the first part of Monday.
Thankfully, my Dad was able to give me a ride to work the next day. Of course, I apologized for my behavior from the previous day, but he had already forgiven me.
Third Chain of Events:
Monday night was the big party. A dear lady of the church, LaVerne, was turning 90 and I had graciously agreed to take pictures for a scrapbook that would be made from the event. The party was lovely and I took some great pictures (if I do say so myself).
Well last night, Angie, LaVerne's daughter, blessed me with some compensation. I had in no way expected to be compensated. In fact, I had agreed to the task thinking I was just helping out! I was helping out, and feeling honored to be even asked to take on that task. I, hesitatingly, accepted the gift.
The Culmination of all 3 Chains of Events:
The kind hearts of Dennis & Terre as well as the gift from Angie almost exactly equals the amount of money we had to spend to replace the bolts and lug nuts on that wheel that had been flat.
Lessons learned:
Trust that God intends to have you learn and become a better follower of Him in all things that occur. It's how you choose to use and respond to those opportunities.
My car is a sensitive subject because I have dealt with so much concerning this particular car in the past few months. Unfortunately, I didn't initially respond to the test in the most Christian manner, but I do feel confident that I acted later according to what needed to be fixed in my life. Most of the time, I struggle mainly with issues that are out of my control. All in all, I need to constantly remind myself that God is the one in control anyways.
I get surprised probably more often than I should when God shows me that I should have trusted him all along! But, I know that I grow a little each time He demonstrates Himself in my life.
God blessed me not just monetarily (taking care of the unforeseen extra cost) but also in teaching me a lesson to relax and take heart in knowing that it will all work out in the end.
Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Aldi
So, I discovered Aldi today. There was one in Greenville, but now that I think back, I don't think I ever went there during my 6 month stint.
I really liked it. Granted, you have to have a quarter deposit (which you get back by the way) to get a shopping cart, the prices were surprisingly refreshing. Most of the items you'll find at Aldi are not brand names, but I have never really been brand-name loyal. There are some generics I will avoid, some grocery store brands that aren't really that good, but then again, you might just find that some non-brand name goods are just as good as the brand names. What makes a brand name anyways? Commercials... Some brand names are lower quality than the lesser known names with which I know first hand. But, don't start me on that rant.
Anyways, back to Aldi. They did have some brand name items which were, as they advertise, "good deals!" The other brands were extremely cheap. I walked out of there with lots of good stuff and we started trying some of it tonight. We cooked a "Mama Cozzi" pizza that tasted really good. In fact, I would say it was as good as a DiGiorno Pizza. I grated some "Happy Farms" mozzarella that made it even better (of course, I always put extra cheese on our pizzas anyways). For dessert, I had some "Mercer" animal crackers that taste just like the brand name! Rodney is currently drinking some brand-name V8 splash which was a very good price.
So far, I have no complaints about the quality of products I got there. I am looking forwards to trying the whole pears I got there, which the produce section has not only good prices, but nice and fresh produce as well. If you like fish, they have excellent prices on frozen fish. If you like fresh meats, the prices are good there too.
Granted, I am not going to buy everything I ever need from Aldi (I am an avid online shopper as I like deals, getting paid, and delivery to my door), and I may even still visit Kroger or Harris Teeter on occasion, but it is nice to be able to get my milk for $0.30 cents cheaper when I need it, for example.
So, bring along your quarter, be prepared to bag your own groceries (cuts overhead and keeps their prices low), and save some money: Aldi is a great place to shop. They have even gone "green" only using paper bags!
I really liked it. Granted, you have to have a quarter deposit (which you get back by the way) to get a shopping cart, the prices were surprisingly refreshing. Most of the items you'll find at Aldi are not brand names, but I have never really been brand-name loyal. There are some generics I will avoid, some grocery store brands that aren't really that good, but then again, you might just find that some non-brand name goods are just as good as the brand names. What makes a brand name anyways? Commercials... Some brand names are lower quality than the lesser known names with which I know first hand. But, don't start me on that rant.
Anyways, back to Aldi. They did have some brand name items which were, as they advertise, "good deals!" The other brands were extremely cheap. I walked out of there with lots of good stuff and we started trying some of it tonight. We cooked a "Mama Cozzi" pizza that tasted really good. In fact, I would say it was as good as a DiGiorno Pizza. I grated some "Happy Farms" mozzarella that made it even better (of course, I always put extra cheese on our pizzas anyways). For dessert, I had some "Mercer" animal crackers that taste just like the brand name! Rodney is currently drinking some brand-name V8 splash which was a very good price.
So far, I have no complaints about the quality of products I got there. I am looking forwards to trying the whole pears I got there, which the produce section has not only good prices, but nice and fresh produce as well. If you like fish, they have excellent prices on frozen fish. If you like fresh meats, the prices are good there too.
Granted, I am not going to buy everything I ever need from Aldi (I am an avid online shopper as I like deals, getting paid, and delivery to my door), and I may even still visit Kroger or Harris Teeter on occasion, but it is nice to be able to get my milk for $0.30 cents cheaper when I need it, for example.
So, bring along your quarter, be prepared to bag your own groceries (cuts overhead and keeps their prices low), and save some money: Aldi is a great place to shop. They have even gone "green" only using paper bags!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Pigwidgeon's Tumor
The pictures I have below are for awareness and education. In no way do I intend to "gross you out" or depict something that is offensive. There are a few "graphic shots" below the shot of myself and Pigwidgeon.
This is Pigwidgeon right after we got him last year. Shortly after we got him (at the end of April 2007), our vet didn't give him a very good prognosis. He has lived longer than any of us ever thought he would and it is probably partially due to the better diet and companion he has with Hedwig. She really livened him up!
Well, his tumor has grown. I took him to the vet yesterday along with the babies. Originally, I thought I wouldn't need to, but Pigwidgeon had regurgitated on himself yesterday morning. This is one sign that the tumor could be affecting how he feels overall. He only has regurgitated on himself two other times, but it still frightens and upsets me when I find him after he has. As you can see, his lower abdomen is swollen.
What you are seeing here is actually his gizzard protruding out (like his intestines). Above it, I think you can see part of the tumor. Dr. Burkett has given him another 3-6 months prognosis, but who knows? He could surprise us! After we got home from the vet, Pigwidgeon seemed to be his normal (well, normal for him as of now) self again.
By the way, as we arrived to see Dr. Burkett, another woman was leaving with her budgies who had just been diagnosed with tumors as well. This is a heart-breaking normality seen in many budgies obtained from pet stores who get their budgies from breeders who do not control inbreeding. Click here for the original prognosis post from last year and info about the early symptoms of a tumor.
I love him. He is very dear to me. I will miss him, but I will also enjoy and cherish the time I have left with him.
This is Pigwidgeon right after we got him last year. Shortly after we got him (at the end of April 2007), our vet didn't give him a very good prognosis. He has lived longer than any of us ever thought he would and it is probably partially due to the better diet and companion he has with Hedwig. She really livened him up!
Well, his tumor has grown. I took him to the vet yesterday along with the babies. Originally, I thought I wouldn't need to, but Pigwidgeon had regurgitated on himself yesterday morning. This is one sign that the tumor could be affecting how he feels overall. He only has regurgitated on himself two other times, but it still frightens and upsets me when I find him after he has. As you can see, his lower abdomen is swollen.
What you are seeing here is actually his gizzard protruding out (like his intestines). Above it, I think you can see part of the tumor. Dr. Burkett has given him another 3-6 months prognosis, but who knows? He could surprise us! After we got home from the vet, Pigwidgeon seemed to be his normal (well, normal for him as of now) self again.By the way, as we arrived to see Dr. Burkett, another woman was leaving with her budgies who had just been diagnosed with tumors as well. This is a heart-breaking normality seen in many budgies obtained from pet stores who get their budgies from breeders who do not control inbreeding. Click here for the original prognosis post from last year and info about the early symptoms of a tumor.
I love him. He is very dear to me. I will miss him, but I will also enjoy and cherish the time I have left with him.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Annoyed...
I consider myself a sensible and nice Christian lady, but there are times when people annoy me. I have been especially annoyed with people who make snap judgments and give us flack (even behind our backs) without first asking for clarification.
Mainly, this all has to do with our aviary business (not the products but our babies). It all started with a YouTuber who must have emailed us asking us about prices. When we shared our prices with them, they eventually made a comment on one of our videos. Now, I have the full right to remove comments I don't like or ones that have crudeness, spite, cussing, etc in them which I do not approve of. Well, when I removed the comment that mentioned our pricing and that expressed their outright misunderstandings about our pricing, they immediately (how juvenile!) came back and re-commented in the same way AFTER I had sent them a PM to help clear up their misconceptions.
Ok, now, I was bold enough to leave their second comment up because two people had already replied to it (in support of us as it would seem!) with of course a couple of replies from me to clear up the misunderstandings.
Now, here is where it gets interesting. We do track hits and occasionally google ourselves to see how people can find us. Lo, and behold, we find a forum that is commenting on our pricing. Once again, people have misunderstood our pricing and before seeking clarification have bashed us as high and mighty, over-priced, etc. I do believe people are entitled to their opinions as long as they have all the information to back it up. However, if you are going to misquote, misunderstand, bash us, etc., then how does that reflect on you? I think pretty poorly.
Why do you think we don't post our prices on the web???? For the very reason that people can completely misunderstand and dismiss us as over-priced and high & mighty.
Now, if they really took the time to get to know us, as ALL of our clients have at least attempted to do, then they would realize we do not consider ourselves to be all-knowing, high & mighty, or holier than thou!
I truly believe that when pricing becomes the issue over quality and finding another member of the family, then they probably weren't the right home for our babies in the first place. Remember, we aren't just looking to unload our babies onto just anyone. I do understand about finding deals. Believe me, I like a deal just like anyone else, but when it comes to the important things in life, "a good-deal" usually doesn't cut it (from my experiences).
I also get annoyed with people who aren't honest with us. We really do try and find the right homes for our birdies, and will really go out of our way to do so. With gas prices these days and the value of our time, our mere willingness to do whatever it takes should at least be a small indicator of our high integrity and how much we care about our birds. We don't just let anyone come in and adopt.
When we recommend a bird to someone, we make sure that they have as much access to that bird as possible. If it is a long distance client and they can come in and visit the bird before they take it home, that is great! If not, we hope that they can trust us at least a little bit since we are so "out-there" throughout the entire raising of each clutch. We post videos, pictures, answer questions, talk on the phone, everything!
Hypothetically speaking, if a long distance client expressed interest in adopting our one of our babies, couldn't come and meet the baby ahead of time, but then met the baby on the day they were to adopt and didn't like them, then they wouldn't have to adopt it! We wouldn't charge them a thing for the time and energy it took for us to try and find a home for that baby. We do understand business, you know!
To get this off my chest, we really do make our babies worth the price. When you get one of our birds, you don't just get the bird and that's that. You get a vet-checked bird (included in the cost.... you try and get a new pet vet-checked and see how much it costs you, especially if you don't already have a relationship with that vet), which is a very RARE thing to get from a breeder. Having a vet checked bird reduces so much risk when you bring him/her into a multi-bird environment especially! You also get a week's worth of food/treats. You get a birth certificate. You get a handmade toy. You get extra shredables (finger traps, shredders, straws). We spend as much time as you need the day you come to pick up your baby answering questions and explaining & suggesting things. You get the ability to come in and play with your babies before they wean as much as you and I can arrange!!! You get a personal relationship forever with us. We won't abandon you. We are available for questions, suggestions, products, etc! We essentially are committing to a 15-20 year relationship with you!
Whew.... well, now I do feel better. I have gotten this off my chest. I just really feel like people should give the benefit of the doubt. We try to in everything we do, but sometimes, to protect our reputation (and yours for that matter), we just need to clear misunderstandings up! We aren't lying to you when we tell you that people, our vet, and pet stores recommend us. We know because those are where we get some of our referrals from. Why would we lie about that anyways? This isn't how we make our living, but even it it were, we wouldn't tell you something to hurt you because then it would just hurt our babies somehow too!
Just realize this. We spend A LOT of time answering emails, comments, PMs about birds and really do feel like we are making a difference. Even if we just save one bird's life through a helpful hint or suggestion, we have accomplished what we are out there to do.
Read our website. You'll find we are genuine people and, really, the money we make from selling our babies goes right back into our flock as it is.
Mainly, this all has to do with our aviary business (not the products but our babies). It all started with a YouTuber who must have emailed us asking us about prices. When we shared our prices with them, they eventually made a comment on one of our videos. Now, I have the full right to remove comments I don't like or ones that have crudeness, spite, cussing, etc in them which I do not approve of. Well, when I removed the comment that mentioned our pricing and that expressed their outright misunderstandings about our pricing, they immediately (how juvenile!) came back and re-commented in the same way AFTER I had sent them a PM to help clear up their misconceptions.
Ok, now, I was bold enough to leave their second comment up because two people had already replied to it (in support of us as it would seem!) with of course a couple of replies from me to clear up the misunderstandings.
Now, here is where it gets interesting. We do track hits and occasionally google ourselves to see how people can find us. Lo, and behold, we find a forum that is commenting on our pricing. Once again, people have misunderstood our pricing and before seeking clarification have bashed us as high and mighty, over-priced, etc. I do believe people are entitled to their opinions as long as they have all the information to back it up. However, if you are going to misquote, misunderstand, bash us, etc., then how does that reflect on you? I think pretty poorly.
Why do you think we don't post our prices on the web???? For the very reason that people can completely misunderstand and dismiss us as over-priced and high & mighty.
Now, if they really took the time to get to know us, as ALL of our clients have at least attempted to do, then they would realize we do not consider ourselves to be all-knowing, high & mighty, or holier than thou!
I truly believe that when pricing becomes the issue over quality and finding another member of the family, then they probably weren't the right home for our babies in the first place. Remember, we aren't just looking to unload our babies onto just anyone. I do understand about finding deals. Believe me, I like a deal just like anyone else, but when it comes to the important things in life, "a good-deal" usually doesn't cut it (from my experiences).
I also get annoyed with people who aren't honest with us. We really do try and find the right homes for our birdies, and will really go out of our way to do so. With gas prices these days and the value of our time, our mere willingness to do whatever it takes should at least be a small indicator of our high integrity and how much we care about our birds. We don't just let anyone come in and adopt.
When we recommend a bird to someone, we make sure that they have as much access to that bird as possible. If it is a long distance client and they can come in and visit the bird before they take it home, that is great! If not, we hope that they can trust us at least a little bit since we are so "out-there" throughout the entire raising of each clutch. We post videos, pictures, answer questions, talk on the phone, everything!
Hypothetically speaking, if a long distance client expressed interest in adopting our one of our babies, couldn't come and meet the baby ahead of time, but then met the baby on the day they were to adopt and didn't like them, then they wouldn't have to adopt it! We wouldn't charge them a thing for the time and energy it took for us to try and find a home for that baby. We do understand business, you know!
To get this off my chest, we really do make our babies worth the price. When you get one of our birds, you don't just get the bird and that's that. You get a vet-checked bird (included in the cost.... you try and get a new pet vet-checked and see how much it costs you, especially if you don't already have a relationship with that vet), which is a very RARE thing to get from a breeder. Having a vet checked bird reduces so much risk when you bring him/her into a multi-bird environment especially! You also get a week's worth of food/treats. You get a birth certificate. You get a handmade toy. You get extra shredables (finger traps, shredders, straws). We spend as much time as you need the day you come to pick up your baby answering questions and explaining & suggesting things. You get the ability to come in and play with your babies before they wean as much as you and I can arrange!!! You get a personal relationship forever with us. We won't abandon you. We are available for questions, suggestions, products, etc! We essentially are committing to a 15-20 year relationship with you!
Whew.... well, now I do feel better. I have gotten this off my chest. I just really feel like people should give the benefit of the doubt. We try to in everything we do, but sometimes, to protect our reputation (and yours for that matter), we just need to clear misunderstandings up! We aren't lying to you when we tell you that people, our vet, and pet stores recommend us. We know because those are where we get some of our referrals from. Why would we lie about that anyways? This isn't how we make our living, but even it it were, we wouldn't tell you something to hurt you because then it would just hurt our babies somehow too!
Just realize this. We spend A LOT of time answering emails, comments, PMs about birds and really do feel like we are making a difference. Even if we just save one bird's life through a helpful hint or suggestion, we have accomplished what we are out there to do.
Read our website. You'll find we are genuine people and, really, the money we make from selling our babies goes right back into our flock as it is.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Vote 2008- Do you need help making a decision?
I got this email from a friend in Iowa, and I definitely think you should utilize that website!!!
We were bombarded with political ads and campaigns for months leading up to the Jan 3 Iowa Caucuses. It was overwhelming and frustrating and annoying. However, we do have an important decision to make this year. We are electing a new President. Some people live for election year, not me. I can honestly do without all the ads, debates, and he said/she said stuff. I do vote and I do believe it is important for all Americans 18 and over to vote. Have thought about who you will vote for yet? I knew what some of the candidates were about, but not all of them and not to the extent I was ready to put my support behind one of them. I tried to find stuff online and read the newspaper (that was a joke- a former co-worker once claimed that all media is controlled by the democrats except Fox News) but still had a hard time getting the info I needed.
I have found a website that was developed to help you with all of these questions. www.votehelp.org. You will be asked to answer some questions and then rank their importance to you. Based on your answers you will see how the candidates agree and disagree with you. You will get a brief overview and you will have the option of seeing the detail on each subject and where the candidate stands.
I hope this website can help you make a decision on who to vote for. Come November if you are still undecided that is OK, but please if nothing else exercise your RIGHT TO VOTE!!!!
We were bombarded with political ads and campaigns for months leading up to the Jan 3 Iowa Caucuses. It was overwhelming and frustrating and annoying. However, we do have an important decision to make this year. We are electing a new President. Some people live for election year, not me. I can honestly do without all the ads, debates, and he said/she said stuff. I do vote and I do believe it is important for all Americans 18 and over to vote. Have thought about who you will vote for yet? I knew what some of the candidates were about, but not all of them and not to the extent I was ready to put my support behind one of them. I tried to find stuff online and read the newspaper (that was a joke- a former co-worker once claimed that all media is controlled by the democrats except Fox News) but still had a hard time getting the info I needed.
I have found a website that was developed to help you with all of these questions. www.votehelp.org. You will be asked to answer some questions and then rank their importance to you. Based on your answers you will see how the candidates agree and disagree with you. You will get a brief overview and you will have the option of seeing the detail on each subject and where the candidate stands.
I hope this website can help you make a decision on who to vote for. Come November if you are still undecided that is OK, but please if nothing else exercise your RIGHT TO VOTE!!!!
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