Here you'll find my posts on any given subject on any given day. No rhyme or reason. Some posts may be well thought out and planned, yet some spontaneous. It just depends on how and what I may be feeling like writing on that particular day. Whatever it is, I hope you'll enjoy.
Was a pretty nice weekend in the land of Org (Oregon) and the start of another wonderful week. This weekend marked the 107th running of the our annual Strawberry Festival...
and the World's Largest Strawberry Shortcake...
shown above in 1955 and below in the...
1960's.
Here the modern day Shortcake shown below....
with the commencement of serving after the parade...
The Strawberry Princess' were nominated...and a queen was selected...
It was a hot day with temps in the high 90's so one of Lebanon's finest was out cooling down the parade participants..
and the crowd.
Bands played...
and folks danced.
The Grand Parade was filled with entrants this year that included a great looking
Texas Longhorn...
Marching Bands...
Race Cars...
and Cowgirls too!
We have the Strawberry Cup Races...
at Willamette Speedway, where dirt trackers from around the western states
vie for the coveted Strawberry Cup honors.
Jet boat racing located just west of the Willamette
Valley Speedway was part of the action as well years past.
The Festival ends on Sunday, but Saturday is the day to attend all the activities including the Strawberry Festival Carnival.
where if you stay long enough, you can watch the sunset from a wonderful and exciting vantage point.
Strawberry Fest....
I miss the days spent with
my girls at the Festival.
Writing, be it poetry, musings, thoughts, just about anything I feel needs to be put to paper or posting, yeah, even funny Larson pictures like the one above, I just do.
I enjoy the hunt for vintage poetry books and have added a couple to my collection that are pre 1900's. With so many to choose from, I now maintain my collection to a select few, and only purchase those which precede the 1900's.
Four of the books I cherish most from my personal collection are...
1.) Sammy Kaye's "Sunday Serenade"
2.) The Best Loved Poems Of The American People
3.) Nurses Verses
4.) Sir Walter Scott's "The Lady Of The Lake"
One of my favorite poetry books is a 1892 copy of Sir Walter Scott's "The Lady of the Lake".
The Chase, Canto I
The stag at eve had drunk his fill
where danced the moon on Monan's rill,
and deep his midnight lair had made
in lone Glenarney's hazel shade;
But, when the sun his beacon red'Had kindled on Benvoirlich's head,
The deep-mouth'd b'oodhound's heavy bay
Resounded up the rocky way,
and faint, from farther distance borne,
were heard the clanging hoof and horn.
A treasure indeed, but my all time favorite is a book by Sammy Kaye, brother of legendary comic and actor Danny Kaye, titled "Sammy Kaye's Sunday Serenade".
What makes this book so special is that Mr. Kaye himself left an inscription that reads..
"To Sug, With Love, From Sammy" and a picture of whom I presume is Sug...
Worn and a bit tattered, this book resonates LOVE.
Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh, gives us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happing in the darting bird
Tha suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid-air stands still.
For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reversed for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that wee fulfill.
"Give my heart a voice to tell the world About my Savior— Give my soul a song That will ring out across the years, A song that sings Your boundless love In sunshine or in shadow, A psalm of praise for all my days, Through happiness or tears."
Both title and caption grabbed my heart as both are reminiscent of my personal relationship with God and...
Tom Petty's song of the same namesake.
Last, but by not means least as I don't want to give up all of Bee's shop-wide treasures is this
lovely collection of poems editied by Susan Polis Schutz...
I was puller over by an officer for speeding. He walked up to my window. Then, without warning, he wielded a Taser gun and began his assault. With each pull of the trigger, I felt the pulse. After a half dozen or so jolts, I awoke abruptly to feel the vibration of my cell phone in my shirt pocket.
Thththththththththth!!!
Hahaha, I was never more relieved to have been receiving a text message!
Funny thing is, I had just asked my wife not too long ago, if I were to get ahold of a Taser, would she give me a jolt or two. Much to my dismay, she replied with a resounding... Yes!
That is the question! Over at our team page and chat it's the topic of the week. It's been discussed over and over, with no definitive answer as to whether is a good thing to add gratuities to our customers packaged items, with of course, a...
Card. I personalize all my cards with a handwritten note.
What do you think about adding a business card? Do you add your card to your customers packages?
Do you show your appreciation by adding a free gift?
What about a tasty or sweet treat like a small box of chocolates?
I've thought about throwing in a can of these little pouches of delight, along with a
box of warm and harty bread sticks!!
Sure to gain a repeat customer!!
Is a discount coupon or coupon code the way to go?
What tactics do you use to create your "Brand" an to try and impress your customers so that they become repeat customers?
I hope you'll share your thoughts here and/or you can stop by our team blog over at...
