AmericanTowns is a website that offers communities their own website with individualized information for all sorts of local events and has locals blogging about them (me too)! We create our own content on the site, allowing them to provide information, including local news articles (who has time to read the newspaper?), events (farmer’s markets & fireworks schedules), best gasoline prices in the area, sports events, social activism, statistics and much more. Lake Orion’s link is just below Dilbert.
Looks like I’m going to be creating a website for a moving company! Men of God Moving is owned by some great people that I met during a ~very~ stressful time in my life. They were a God==>-send. Watch for the link to show up soon.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The Real Deal
I read my horoscope. I admit it. Just one though, Rob Brezsny’s Freewill Astrology.
While I was in Dallas, I got hooked on Rob’s read for my week. He posted in the Dallas Observer, one of those free alternative periodicals. Initially I read it just for entertainment purposes; he has a clever way with words. However, I soon noticed how right on he was, not necessarily for astrological life guidance; I mean, ~Come On~ but just his perspective on life.
When I stopped adding paper to my home and started being guided by the re-duce, re-use, re-cycle thought line and got more into internet feeds, I marked him as a favorite online.
It’s interesting though, I don’t necessarily think the answer is in the stars, but how timely and coincidental his recommendations are. I agree with his perspective and the suggestions would be appropriate for most weeks in my life. He just hits the target on the right week. How? I don’t know.
This week he says, “French President Sarkozy's best friend, advertising mogul Jacques Seguela, has an unusual way of measuring success. If you don't own a Rolex watch by the time you're 50, he says, you're a failure. I'm inclined to propose the opposite: If you do have a Rolex watch, no matter what age you are, you're probably a failure. To be attached to such a conspicuous status symbol is a sign that your values are dominated by the transitory trivialities of materialism. Where do you stand on the matter, Leo? It's a good time to think about it, because you're in a phase when clarifying your definitions of high achievement is important.” http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/leo.html
I’ll tell you where I stand on the matter. I think the advertising mogul referenced in the post is way off target for me. The timeliness of Rob’s advice however, in this season of my life, as I contemplate initiating a business plan that just might be very successful, is the reason I’m writing about Rob. I’m strongly considering a nonprofit organizational model.
Craigslist Foundation runs a Boot Camp every year out in San Francisco. This year it’s an opportunity, scheduled for June 20th , for participants to enjoy a time-out as they come together as part of a network of do-gooders from all over the globe, sharing and inspiring one another, while we learn a thing or two about running a socially responsible venture.
That idea about abandoning blogging for a few days didn’t last long, did it?
While I was in Dallas, I got hooked on Rob’s read for my week. He posted in the Dallas Observer, one of those free alternative periodicals. Initially I read it just for entertainment purposes; he has a clever way with words. However, I soon noticed how right on he was, not necessarily for astrological life guidance; I mean, ~Come On~ but just his perspective on life.
When I stopped adding paper to my home and started being guided by the re-duce, re-use, re-cycle thought line and got more into internet feeds, I marked him as a favorite online.
It’s interesting though, I don’t necessarily think the answer is in the stars, but how timely and coincidental his recommendations are. I agree with his perspective and the suggestions would be appropriate for most weeks in my life. He just hits the target on the right week. How? I don’t know.
This week he says, “French President Sarkozy's best friend, advertising mogul Jacques Seguela, has an unusual way of measuring success. If you don't own a Rolex watch by the time you're 50, he says, you're a failure. I'm inclined to propose the opposite: If you do have a Rolex watch, no matter what age you are, you're probably a failure. To be attached to such a conspicuous status symbol is a sign that your values are dominated by the transitory trivialities of materialism. Where do you stand on the matter, Leo? It's a good time to think about it, because you're in a phase when clarifying your definitions of high achievement is important.” http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/leo.html
I’ll tell you where I stand on the matter. I think the advertising mogul referenced in the post is way off target for me. The timeliness of Rob’s advice however, in this season of my life, as I contemplate initiating a business plan that just might be very successful, is the reason I’m writing about Rob. I’m strongly considering a nonprofit organizational model.
Craigslist Foundation runs a Boot Camp every year out in San Francisco. This year it’s an opportunity, scheduled for June 20th , for participants to enjoy a time-out as they come together as part of a network of do-gooders from all over the globe, sharing and inspiring one another, while we learn a thing or two about running a socially responsible venture.
That idea about abandoning blogging for a few days didn’t last long, did it?
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Second Life
I’m going to have to abandon this blog for a few days, now that I’ve spent way too many hours on it, yesterday and the day before. I’ve got some big assignments due that must be completed, well, and in a timely manner. I hesitate to admit it publically, but I’ve been in work avoidant mode as I’ve spent way too many hours researching videos and coding for this site.
How can I say its work avoidant, and not just taking some time off for R & R? Because last night I was up until almost 4am, working on Julianne Mexicola, my alter ego in Second Life. In other words, these last few days, I’m still sitting in front of the computer, still typing, still gazing into the screen, but I’m not moving forward on my projects, I’m Playing!
If you aren’t up to speed on Second Life, take a few minutes to view the videos at the bottom of this page, below all my blogging. The video selections, which aren’t individually picked by me, just the topics, are gifts from YouTube. The heading is Second Life and they tell who, what, where, and all that stuff about this do-it-ourselves, virtual world being created.
Before I go off on another tangent, and make it an SL kind of a day, I’m going to leave it to you, my reader, to do that yourself and hope you enjoy visiting the 3D world. If not, please, please, get into the discussion on community gardens or urban farming or something. Feel free; in fact I encourage you, to comment on my posts.
Or follow me, something only the crazed attempt to do in the real world.
How can I say its work avoidant, and not just taking some time off for R & R? Because last night I was up until almost 4am, working on Julianne Mexicola, my alter ego in Second Life. In other words, these last few days, I’m still sitting in front of the computer, still typing, still gazing into the screen, but I’m not moving forward on my projects, I’m Playing!
If you aren’t up to speed on Second Life, take a few minutes to view the videos at the bottom of this page, below all my blogging. The video selections, which aren’t individually picked by me, just the topics, are gifts from YouTube. The heading is Second Life and they tell who, what, where, and all that stuff about this do-it-ourselves, virtual world being created.
Before I go off on another tangent, and make it an SL kind of a day, I’m going to leave it to you, my reader, to do that yourself and hope you enjoy visiting the 3D world. If not, please, please, get into the discussion on community gardens or urban farming or something. Feel free; in fact I encourage you, to comment on my posts.
Or follow me, something only the crazed attempt to do in the real world.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Sustainability
So what is Urban Farming? In Detroit, seriously? Yes, it’s happening. The alternative to leaving the trashed vacant lots empty and useless as teams of Detroit residents are getting together with help from organizations like Earthworks Garden/Capuchin Soup Kitchen, The Greening of Detroit and MSU to work together creating community gardens.
Community gardens provide food security, healthy choices at that, especially for low income persons. They usually are created in an open space and provide areas of fellowship. They help form strong bonds between neighbors, working together to provide food, while enjoying nature and healthy exercise. Most importantly they provide sustainability.
Community businesses can do that too. Do we need a large corporation to come and build a factory so that we can spend eight hours or more a day inside making widgets to sell to people who don’t need more stuff? Can we create a business where we work together, sharing the load, each person doing work they enjoy and do well, contributing to the whole, creating a useful product that we can sell at a reasonable price and still make a profit? Can we become sustainable in our own backyard?
Something to think about.
Community gardens provide food security, healthy choices at that, especially for low income persons. They usually are created in an open space and provide areas of fellowship. They help form strong bonds between neighbors, working together to provide food, while enjoying nature and healthy exercise. Most importantly they provide sustainability.
Community businesses can do that too. Do we need a large corporation to come and build a factory so that we can spend eight hours or more a day inside making widgets to sell to people who don’t need more stuff? Can we create a business where we work together, sharing the load, each person doing work they enjoy and do well, contributing to the whole, creating a useful product that we can sell at a reasonable price and still make a profit? Can we become sustainable in our own backyard?
Something to think about.
Soap Making
It’s that time of year again - Farmer’s Markets and Arts & Craft Fairs, that is. I heard rumors, nothing positive, that Lake Orion might be hosting a FM this year. I’ve sent an email request to the Village Offices for a vendor application, just in case, but haven’t heard back yet.
I’ll be heading to Dallas in a few weeks for the final presentation in my last class, of my last semester in business school and will quickly return, loaded down with personal favorites from the storage unit and high hopes that one more trip will eliminate that monthly bill from my budget.
Soap-making supplies will be included on my list of things to remember as I load the van for the return trip to Michigan. I have plenty of space here to set up a soap-making kitchen and store the bars as they meet the curing requirement.
I’m excited about the possibility of getting back into the fun (and work) of this creative endeavor. Who knows where the trail may lead me?
I’ll be heading to Dallas in a few weeks for the final presentation in my last class, of my last semester in business school and will quickly return, loaded down with personal favorites from the storage unit and high hopes that one more trip will eliminate that monthly bill from my budget.
Soap-making supplies will be included on my list of things to remember as I load the van for the return trip to Michigan. I have plenty of space here to set up a soap-making kitchen and store the bars as they meet the curing requirement.
I’m excited about the possibility of getting back into the fun (and work) of this creative endeavor. Who knows where the trail may lead me?
Saturday, April 4, 2009
One thing always leads to another
I pick up a piece of thread and an hour later, I’m amazed to look around and see where I ended up.
Last week’s Free Press had an article on Farming Detroit. Wow, that’s positive. Things are looking up. The work of organizations like Detroit Garden Resource Program, Greening of Detroit, Detroit Agricultural Network, Michigan State Extension and Earthwork Gardens came to my attention when I simply Googled Farming Detroit.
A huge movement is underway in the city that I once visited only during daylight hours and escaped promptly at 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Having grown up in St. Clair Shores, Detroit had a reputation that only worsened after the sixties riots. When I left in 1981, I felt like a deserter and I was. I sought career opportunities in the Southwest and I found them. But now I’m back.
Having visited Lake Orion this past summer for the first time in my life, I fell in love with the abundant lakes, trees and curvy country roads. I live downtown and walk everywhere. I’m finishing up my degree from Texas Woman’s University and am looking into continuing my education in Oakland or Wayne County. Wayne State University attracted me because of the online distance classes. No, I really didn’t want to spend too much downtown Detroit, but there was a certain flavor to the air in the WSU area that I remembered fondly from the old days, especially at Traffic Jam & Snug, one of my all time favorite pubs that I was so glad to still standing and thriving. So, I am just so pleased to see the community gardens and the personal investment into the city of Detroit.
I’m already working on my garden here in downtown Lake Orion. I’ve got the green light from my landlord and collected twelve bags of leaves from my sister’s house in Ferndale that are waiting for the site to be ready. I’ve enlisted a fellow from the neighborhood to till up my spot and plan to get some landscaping timbers this week to frame it in. Full steam ahead as my mouth is already starting to salivate at the thought of home-grown organic Michigan tomatoes in the backyard, next to cucumbers, onions, squash and peppers.
I decided to Google community garden Lake Orion Michigan and found a blog post from someone looking to start a community garden here. Yikes, maybe there is even greater hidden treasure in this lush little village that I’m falling in love with, than I originally thought.
A new tenant, a lady about my age, is moving into the upstairs flat of this quaint house that I rent this weekend and I’ve already told her to feel free to take a patch of the garden for her own. But maybe, there are others. Who knows where this is going. I’m just following threads and enjoying all the flowers I get to stop and smell along the way.
Last week’s Free Press had an article on Farming Detroit. Wow, that’s positive. Things are looking up. The work of organizations like Detroit Garden Resource Program, Greening of Detroit, Detroit Agricultural Network, Michigan State Extension and Earthwork Gardens came to my attention when I simply Googled Farming Detroit.
A huge movement is underway in the city that I once visited only during daylight hours and escaped promptly at 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Having grown up in St. Clair Shores, Detroit had a reputation that only worsened after the sixties riots. When I left in 1981, I felt like a deserter and I was. I sought career opportunities in the Southwest and I found them. But now I’m back.
Having visited Lake Orion this past summer for the first time in my life, I fell in love with the abundant lakes, trees and curvy country roads. I live downtown and walk everywhere. I’m finishing up my degree from Texas Woman’s University and am looking into continuing my education in Oakland or Wayne County. Wayne State University attracted me because of the online distance classes. No, I really didn’t want to spend too much downtown Detroit, but there was a certain flavor to the air in the WSU area that I remembered fondly from the old days, especially at Traffic Jam & Snug, one of my all time favorite pubs that I was so glad to still standing and thriving. So, I am just so pleased to see the community gardens and the personal investment into the city of Detroit.
I’m already working on my garden here in downtown Lake Orion. I’ve got the green light from my landlord and collected twelve bags of leaves from my sister’s house in Ferndale that are waiting for the site to be ready. I’ve enlisted a fellow from the neighborhood to till up my spot and plan to get some landscaping timbers this week to frame it in. Full steam ahead as my mouth is already starting to salivate at the thought of home-grown organic Michigan tomatoes in the backyard, next to cucumbers, onions, squash and peppers.
I decided to Google community garden Lake Orion Michigan and found a blog post from someone looking to start a community garden here. Yikes, maybe there is even greater hidden treasure in this lush little village that I’m falling in love with, than I originally thought.
A new tenant, a lady about my age, is moving into the upstairs flat of this quaint house that I rent this weekend and I’ve already told her to feel free to take a patch of the garden for her own. But maybe, there are others. Who knows where this is going. I’m just following threads and enjoying all the flowers I get to stop and smell along the way.
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