St. Peter will be holding Vacation Bible School, June 23-26 from 6-8pm. With a program/potluck picnic to be held June 26th. Contact Brenda Levos at 347-4193 or B@BrendaLevos.com to sign up.
Volunteers are welcome, please let us know if you can; teach, be a teachers assistant, cook a meal, make a dessert, or help clean up.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
St. Peter Vacation Bible School
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
moving, moving, moving....
I know it has been a while since I posted here, all is well, actually very well. I have started another blog which I have on my www.ineedchocolate.com website. So, depending on how things go, you might not see me posting much here as I try to focus my efforts on the other site for a while.
B
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day!!!
Tis the day that Hallmark, Nestles, and Telefloral live for! The day of Chocolate, Cards, Chocolate, Roses and Chocolate. As most of you know, I have a bit of a thing for chocolate. I even own www.INeedChocolate.com, and while I don't have anything up on the site right now, I am researching some options and identifying what it is that I want to host there.
So, another love of mine, is of course, Apple. I came across this YouTube video and thought I would share for those of you who might not have seen it yet.
So, chocolate is my simple pleasure. When stressed, happy, sad, whatever, a little piece of chocolate picks me up. OK, so perhaps a little piece, let's say......the size of Vermont would do the trick. For some people, it is Starbucks, a massage, a pedicure, etc.
For the past couple of years, I have kind of had this theory about work-life, which stemmed from reading the 5 Love Languages book (see reading list) and how that relates to our work-lives. The book primarily talks about how we deal with our love ones and our children, but I believe those same theories can be applied to those who we work with as well.
The five languages are; words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Each person may have more than one "language" that make them feel appreciated most, or a combination of several. Mine, is quality time. Look around you office, can you spot some of them?
Those who love to receive gifts, are typically those who give gifts as well. Do you have someone who proudly displays trinkets people have given them? What about those who desperately are seeking your praise, and affirmation of doing a good job. If you look closely, I bet you can identify almost everyone you know into one of these categories. So, what does that all mean, what do you do with it? Well, if you can identify what "language" your employees are speaking, that is how you reward them, make them feel a part of your team.
Quality time people, want regular meetings, lunches or one-on-one sessions. For those who value words of affirmation, they want praise, be it vocal or written, maybe write them a note thanking them for their work. You may have noticed that hard-cold cash wasn't on that list, and not all managers have a lot of that to offer, so why not try finding your teams love languages and see how they respond?
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
What a woman wants...
As Valentine's Day approaches, the question on many mens minds is what to get my loved one for the blessed day. Flowers, the good old standby, are fine and appreciated, but the prices have ballooned out of control. A dozen roses delivered is now nearing the price of an ipod Nano, let's compare the two.... dead in a week (roses of course) to hours of coolness and entertainment (which of course she could share). Now, are electronics romantic, well....load the puppy up with "your song" or her favorite video and you are good to go. Other thoughts might be my personal favorite Chocolate. The good stuff. I am not talking about picking up a bag of peanut M&Ms and calling it good, well...unless she REALLY likes them.
Or, I know this is a novel idea, ask. What is wrong with a simple discussion, heck, you could slip it in over a commercial break, over breakfast, over the phone, even over IM. And as women, shouldn't we know what we want, and not be afraid to ask for it? I know that flies in the face of conventional wisdom, but why not? Yes, go ahead and use the argument of "If he really loves me, he will know what I want." I don't buy it.
Recently, I had watched the movie "The Secret" and one of the principles they discuss is asking for what you want, create a vision board of the things you want and focus on them each day. So, cool I thought, I can do that. I sat there for several minutes, what do I want? Sadly, I didn't know. Surely I could have listed a number of things, mostly coming from the Apple store, but is that really what it would take to make me blissfully happy? Would they alone do the trick? Once I got them, then what? What things would really make a difference in my life? Is it cash, if so what would I buy, and then what? Why is this so hard?
So when it really came down to it, what I wanted most was time. Time with my family and friends, doing the things that I love, and the things that challenge me. Having never encountered someone who was magically given an extra 4 hours per day, I focused on things that would help me in those areas, and why not dream big while we are at it. Here are a few things that are on my vision board; a vacation home, an art studio space, a gallery showing of my art, the HGTV dream home, $52 million, and an easel. I am sure that list will change and grow, but if I had such a hard time with the things that really matter to me, and wasn't sure exactly what I wanted, how can I expect someone else to know.
Personally, for Valentine's Day, I already made my request, an artists easel for my office. Wanting to spend some time working on other artistic pursuits, this is a tool ya just can't live without.
So, for Valentine's Day, or just for life, what are the things on your vision board? Do you even know?
Monday, February 11, 2008
Does Membership have its privledges?
Last week, in the mail, I received something quite interesting. A pretty typical CD mailer, maybe 5x5. Nothing spectacular from all outward indications; generic white with my address on a little printed label, but it felt a big weighty. Curious, I opened it anticipating I would find a CD with some software they I just couldn't live without. Much to my surprise, I found a beautiful little mailer, a little die cut bee design with a "snot dot" holding the mailer closed. As I opened the piece, I noticed it was a beautiful duplex stock, with gold foil printing. Ah, the Patron (tequila) Social Club sent me a beautiful little silver keychain, held in by a green ribbon, the same ribbon found with its arms wrapped around the neck of a bottle of Partron Silver Tequila. The inscription on the card reads:
Thank you for contributing to the Patron Social Club.
As a member we hold in high esteem, we've sent you a little something extra. Exclusive benefits may be attached so be sure to hang on to it. We look forward to hearing from you, both on the site and in the clubs. Stay social.
Partonsocialclub.com
Beautiful, and man do I feel special now, due to the being held in high esteem and all. So what is this all about. A month or so ago, I had found online on some list of "cool sites" the Patron Social club, so I decided to check it out. I signed up and kind of snooped around the site for a while, pretty cool indeed. Complete with a little bartender who stands there and talks to you, welcoming you to the club. A significant consumer of Patron Silver, not quite, however I do find it quite enjoyable, but just a tad out of my regular budget for liquor consumption. Someday, perhaps.
So, what about it, it brought back memories of a presentation that a friend of mine and I gave presentation to college leadership group on marketing your organization. One of the key points was to create "exclusivity" for members. Make they feel privileged to be a part of the group, and offer benefits only available to those who are members. This accomplishes just that.
Are there other companies out there doing the same kind of thing? Tons, and some of the smarter ones too. You see more and more social environments being created, Facebook and Myspace being two, but the number of big businesses creating these social environments grows richer every day. Why? Loyalty and sticky content. Sticky content for their website. It keeps you there, keeps you coming back over and over again. Coke does it, with their mini me environment where my little avatar can probably be found hovering under the table rocking in the fetal position due to lack of attention. But for some, this is their alternate life.
Another company that does this well is Webkinz. Having two girls 9 and 11, Webkinz are the center of their vitrual world....aka...social life. First you purchase a stuffed animal which comes with a "special code" which you go to the site and log into. Now, you have this virtual pet matching the one you are holding in your hand. You play games, get jobs, earn Webkins cash and then you buy your pet things. I posess, too few digits to count the number of times I have seen a bright shiny face busting with excitement proclaiming they have purchased a new "bed" or "room" for their virtual pet.
It isn't all bad, they are learning, reading, and developing computer skills, but at what cost? Maybe their "real" social skills? Who knows.
So, what are my "exclusive benefits" of the Patron Social Club? I guess we will just have to wait and see. For now, I will just sit and admire a well done print piece and a the marketing genius behind it.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Food for thought....
As I am home from my trip, and about 7 pounds heavier, I am looking to drop some of that vacation weight, and in the midst of valentines day, I came across this site. http://food4thought.bhf.org.uk/ which tried to educate children about junk food. I believe the hosts name is "sick rick" and they have a number of little 3D game-type activities. I am attaching a photo of one of the videos where they have two kids eating hot dogs while what actually goes into the hot dogs is rolling past them on a conveyor. Well, not long and they are both hurling. I wonder if we knew what was really in our food what we would be eating, yes, that is "pig bits" rolling past the kids. Pig Bits? Now there is food for thought....
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Getting around Italy
Travel and traffic in Italy was interesting. Narrow streets and large amount of pedestrian, bike and motorcycle traffic, makes driving an automobile that much more challenging. However, you did frequently see the new Smart cars. While environmentally sound and really pretty cute, I couldn't quite envision my 6'3" husband crawling into one.
Their compact size (only seats two) extends the number of parking spaces and because of their size, they are able to park perpendicular to the sidewalk in traditionally parallel only areas as you can see here.
Motorcycles are also quite popular and one model that we saw frequently was made by Kymco, pictured below.
The city is quite romantic, and after a glass or two of wine, you couldn't help but think that David Letterman could have a heyday with a top 10 list of pick-up lines for owners of these fine machines. Now there's a advertising campaign brainstorming session you would love to be a fly on the wall in.
The Kymco DINK 200.
City of Towers
The view from Fattoria Poggio Alloro towards San Gimignano. Notice all of the towers of varying sizes and heights that the city is famous for. Guessing S. Freud would have a thing or two to say about that.
San Gimignano
After the vineyard, we travelled up to San Gimignano and stopped to wander about this beautiful historic little town.
There were quaint shops and great architecture all around. The town also contains a "torture museum" and for some reason I felt compelled to go it. File this one under "What in the @#%* was I thinking?" category. I shot some photos which I can't even bear to look at, was there for only a few short minutes got physically ill and had to leave, it was horrible. Google it if you care to, but ewwww, I get sick just thinking about it. Don't say I didn't warn you.
The rest of the town was quite lovely and if you would like more information on it, you can check it out online at : http://www.sangimignano.com/sstoriai.htm
Tuesday afternoon
Following our trip to Pisa, we stopped by the Archeological museum to see their collection of Egyptian artifacts, it really is a beautiful collection and one that I think is often overlooked because of the numerous other things to see and do in Florence. If you are headed to Florence, definitely put this on your list of things not to miss....unless of course you have actually been to Egypt.
The collection contains more than 14,000 artifacts, including a partial New Testament Papyrus of John 12
Here is the Wiki description : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Archaeological_Museum_(Florence)
Papyrus info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testament_papyrus
Here is a photo of a Papyrus manuscript.
Photo from patio of Fattoria Poggio Alloro
I am a sucker for a lone tree, and couldn't help but to add this one to my collection.
Moooving experience
We visited the barns at Fattoria Poggio Alloro and it was refreshing to see and smell farm animals again. This is one of the cows they have and here is the description of the breed from their site:
SELECTED CHIANINA BREED
This is one of the most ancient Tuscan breeds, once sung by Latin poets and portrayed in the Roman bas-reliefs, and today considered the best bovine breed for meat in the world.
A fireplace I could get into.....literally!
At Fattoria Poggio Alloro, we ate in one of the oldest rooms on the estate near this quaint fireplace. After lunch Eileen and I decided to jump in and warm ourselves by the fire.
the Vineyard-farm
We spent a day at Fattoria Poggio Alloro as I described earlier, and thought I would share a couple of photos from that day. We had a fabulous time and was truly a memorable day for us all.
Their website is :http://www.fattoriapoggioalloro.com/eng/
Have you ever felt like this...
As we were walking along the canal in Venice we came across this lady sitting in the sun taking a little nap and it made me smile and I couldn't help but snap a photo.
Little pig - big luck!
Il Porcellino" (The Little Pig) stands in the Straw Market in Florence, Italy
We rubbed his nose for luck. Brian tells us that a coin placed in his mouth and released that drops into one of the slots in the grate below insures good luck. Mine dropped right in!
Another view in St. Peters
The light was so beautiful as is shone through the windows and illuminated the chapel inside of St. Peters.
Another view of the chapel
The candle on the bottom left is one that I had lit in remembrance of loved ones who have passed and those valiantly fighting their own battles.
Another photo along the hike to San Miniato al Monte
The fog was lifting and the sun starting to shine as I snapped this photo nearing the church.
A view along the path
on the way up to San Miniato al Monte. This tree resembled the Whomping Willow of Harry Potter fame.
A portrait of Galileo...
which grace the building which was once his home, it was interesting to me to think that I had seen some of the sights, walked the streets, entered the churches where such instrumental individuals in our history had once had parallel experiences hundreds of years ago. Vastly different lives and times, but some slight essence of similarity.
Fountain
When we arrived in Florence and were walking towards our apartment, one of the first architectural elements I notice was this 16th century fountain by Buontalinti. Now, it might just be me, but I kept thinking that it resembled a Disney character, I can't place which one, but something about it was familiar.
Carnevale costume
Many of the shops in Vencie were preparing and selling costumes like this for Carnevale.
Inside the Pantheon
A view inside the Pantheon, which in the 7th century was converted into a church.
Filling in the gaps...
Now that I am back and have a bit of time to fill in the gaps, I thought I would post a few things that I had trouble or not enough time to while I was abroad.
One of the sites we visit in Rome was the Pantheon. While the square was quite crowded, the building was notheless impressive. And my guidebook indicates that it is estimated that it was built in 118 AD. Nearly two centuries later, it doesn't look to shabby. With the exception of the front entrance it is circular with a large circular opening in the roof, called an oculus, which lets in the only light. The building is spectacular and it leads you to wonder what we are creating today will still be as impressive in a century or two.
Returning home...
We left Venice Friday morning, taking a water taxi from our apartment to the airport. Flying KLM from Venice to Amsterdam and I feel compelled to pay compliment to KLM airlines. As far as airlines go, they just felt like a class act. The stewardesses in their light blue suits were a bit more attentive and accommodating that we have become accustomed to. On the two hour flight, we were served complimentary drinks (alcohol included), two different types of sandwiches, and ice cream.
After a short layover in Amsterdam, we boarded the plane for the next leg. It is hard to get motivated for a 9-hour flight, but it did go well. Being on an Airbus makes a big difference. The individual video screens with games, music and movies on demand go a long way to breaking up a long flight. I was able to see a couple of films including "Into the Wild" and "Moon over Miami," a bit different genres, but enjoyable nonetheless.
For people watchers, flying can be a quite entertaining experience, this flight was no exception. From the moment he walked into the plane there was one gentleman, probably in his mid to late 40's that you could just tell was going to be trouble and it wasn't long before those thoughts had been confirmed. From the moment he sat down and informed the flight attendant that he was in the mood to party and to keep brining the drinks, you knew it would be trouble. The arrogance and inconsideration of this man were astounding.
Now, I don't claim to be a germophobe, but after roughly the 5th or 6th sneeze of this man without covering his mouth was giving me a much greater appreciation for the life of Howard Hughes. Not the little "oh I can't believe I just sneezed" variety, his sneeze was the "everyone in a 5 mile radius is going to experience this one" type. Pop another "Airborn" and tell yourself he doesn't "look" as though he was dying from any communicable diseases.
As the flight progressed, this gentle man was finding great entertainment in a movie was was laughing boisterously in order for the entire plane to notice. He had also made himself comfortable by reclining his seat and then wedging his feed on the chair ahead of him preventing that chair from reclining and forcing his chair back even further.
Nearing the coast again, in the upper regions of Canada, we hear an announcement over the intercom, "If there is a doctor on board, please report to the rear of the plane." Well, so much for sleep. Now 3-4 people walked to the back of the plane including one which appeared to be a pilot, I surmised that they appeared to be "doctors" and had there not been a potential-life threatening activity developing in the back of the plane, I might have been compelled to have them check out Mr. Sneezy to make sure he wasn't spreading the plague or the like.
Shortly after the call for a doctor, our friend Mr. Sneezy starts protesting that he wants another drink and where is the flight attendant. She was in fact in the rear of the plane as far as we know saving a life or perhaps helping to detain a terrorist. Your drink buddy, wasn't on the top of the priority list at that very moment. So he gets up, goes to the galley and retrieves it himself, I watch in amazement.
As this all progresses, your mind can't help but wander to the possibilities of what is happening in the rear of the plane, will be be diverted to a Canadian city for medical help, was it an elderly person, a child, was it communicable, had someone in the rear of the plane actually expired. Thoughts of an article I had recently read where someone had passed on flight and they moved them to first-class, strapped them into the seat for the remainder of the flight. My brother Brian, with much greater Howard Hughes tendencies, was surely to be walking down the aisle any moment, hyperventilating and refusing to return to his seat near the corpse until he was assured the cause of death wasn't contagious.
In the end, as far as we know, no one died, while the thoughts of the murder of "Mr. Sneezy" had run though my head, I attributed it to an anxiety attack of someone, nothing more than a little oxygen and some hand holding. I don't know that to be the case, but that is the one I am going with.
With all the entertainment and paranoia, the flight did seem to go a bit more quickly, as quickly as 9 hours in hell can go. But it was, as always, a good feeling to touch down in the US and know that you soon would be home.
The flight to Fargo was uneventful and I was excited to see Tom and the girls waiting for me at the terminal. It was great to be home and in their arms again.
A sample of Mosaic at St. Mark's
This is an image of one of the mosaics on the outside of the building at St. Mark's. No photos were allowed within the church.
There as sunset was approaching the soft warm sunlight coupled with the the abundance of reflective gold tile within the church was spectacular.
Wednesday - Venice
I wasn't able to get an internet connection while in Venice, so I am posting some highlights, photos, and commentary to round out the blog.
Wednesday morning, we said arrivederci to Florence, and ventured via train to Venice. The ride was about 3 hours, but thanks to several bottles of wine and some delicious snacks coupled with a train car all to ourselves, and great company, we had a great time.
The apartment in Venice was beautiful, spacious and a bit more modern than that in Florence. It was although, over 150 steps up to it. So we did get a workout, but it was well worth it.
By this time, I had been experiencing some pain in my neck and shoulders and had developed quite a headache, so I did spend a bit more time, hanging out and relaxing resting thanks to some muscle relaxers.
I was able to spend some time with the group at St. Marks square and cathedral, which was absolutely beautiful. A fan of mosaic, St. Marks was breathtaking. Oh to be the seller of metallic gold tile in those days!
The city was preparing for Carnevale a "mardi gras" type of celebration, so the city was full of masks, capes, confetti, and costumes. Preparations we being made and a stage built for a major concert in St. Mark's square, but we were unable to find out who was performing.
The city is very beautiful and quaint and the canals and gondolas we abundant.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Tuesday - Pisa
Yesterday, we took the train to Pisa, about an hour, to see the leaning tower. We met a couple of sisters from Utah, and had fun talking with them and hearing about their travels as well. It was fun to see someone from the states.
Bev and I hiked to the top of the tower, and the views from the top were great. After a little shopping in the stores and picking up our lunch of some sandwiches and some dessert, we were back to Florence and hit the Archeological Museum, which has a tremendous collection of Egyptian artifacts. Next on to the Ufizzi museum to see "The birth of Venus" and "The Holy Family" and some others followed by a meal at La Rotunda and back home to crash for another day.
Today we leave for Venice, and as I look back on the time here, we had so much fun, it is such a beautiful city, and the views get even better at night with the light reflecting on the water. So fortunate to have been able to experience it.
Wine Country - Monday
Sorry for not posting sooner, we have been busy and the internet has been slow.
Monday we spent the day at a little winery/farm upon the hill. We had a fabulous time. Aside from a little motion sickness on the way, due to the windy roads, we had so much fun. It was good to see a farm family working together. After the tour of the farm, we had lunch in the oldest part of the farmhouse, which had a fabulous fireplace with little benches that you could sit in to warm yourself, it was huge! And the meal was fabulous. Bruchetta, and Crostini with liver pate. Pasta and meat sauce was the second course and followed by four types of meat, pork they had grown there, liver or something (I didn't try), Rosemary chicken (both fresh) and a pork sausage. We were of course full by the second course, but didn't shy away from the rest, followed by a rich and creamy chocolate mousse and a desert liquor with biscotti. It was all so delicious, and we had a really good time just sitting around the table and laughing.
The view was spectacular and our host, Sarah, was so nice and it was obvious she was doing something she loved.
Monday, January 21, 2008
A bit of local flavor
I have really enjoyed the food here. Here is one of the pastries we sampled at a little cafe. We have tried a number of things including pasta with a wild boar sauce, penne with shrimp (complete with pinchers and eyes...ewww) and it has all been pretty good. Also, plenty of pizza.
Thank heavens for all of the walking, or I may have needed two seats on the return flight.
When in Rome!
Yesterday, we took the train to Rome, my first train ride ever. While a day isn't nearly long enough to see everything in the beautiful city, we did our best to pack it all in. Starting at the Colosseum which was amazing, the size and the guides quite graphic details of what took place in this building.
Next we ventured to the Vatican and St. Peters, which was absolutely breathtaking, in many ways. I was able to see the pieta, which was definitely a highlight, I only wish it was better lit and you could get closer. The soft sunlight was shining through the cupola and as we were leaving a group was singing, and the sound was absolutely heavenly.
Following, we stopped off at the Pantheon, which was really interesting, the size and the age, you couldn't help thinking of those who had visited for centuries.
Next we moved on to the Trevi fountain, which was my favorite of the day. A fountain freak, I was in awe of how upon approach, you are walking through the city, like any other block and around the corner, viola, massive fountain. It was really incredible.
And on to the Spanish steps, which was a bit less impressive than I had imagined, but they were doing construction at the top and I think that was a bit distracting. However, some of us drank from the fountain at the base of the steps, while others referred to it as the "colera fountain." Still alive today, so I guess that is a good sign.
Today, on to wine country!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
David
This is a replica of Michaelangelo's David high on a hill overlooking Florence. While we did visit the original (no photos allowed) this was similarly impressive.
View of Florence
While the treck to the top of the mountain was a bit exhausting, the view from the top was worth every breath. This was taken just as the morning fog shrouding the city was lifting.
Alter in church upon the hill
This is a photo of the alter and dome above. The mosaic was absolutely breathtaking.
Chapel view
This is a view of the cross in the chapel up on the hill. The chapel was so beautiful, peaceful, and lit only with natural light and a few candles.
The Florentine (Pietsch) death march
Brian took us on a walking tour to San Miniato al Monte, a church perched on a hill overlooking Florence. Built in 1018 over the shrine of the early Christian martyr. The church was absolutely beautiful, but the treck was mostly uphill. We passed the home of Galileo. We stopped just before the church and snapped two photos, one holding signs in honor of my aunt Joan stating "Go Joan Go" and another wishing my cousin Kelly a "happy birthday." Can't wait to tell the kids about the 3 mile hike uphill both ways.
The church was absolutely beautiful, and there were few people there. I spent several minutes in the lower chapel by myself, and it was peaceful and an absolutely wonderful experience. I snapped several photos while there and lit a couple of candles. A moment I will never forget.
I purchased a couple of things at the gift shop including some lavender essential oils, a cross for my collection, and a Gregorian chant CD.
We stopped for lunch at a little cafe overlooking Florence and the food was wonderful.
We also visited Santa Croche on the way down, which was beautiful and contained the tombs of Michaelangelo, Galileo, and many others.
And did a bit of shopping, stopping at the straw market, and once again visiting the artists creating chalk images on the sidewalk.
We did a bit of shopping and ended the evening ate Il Latini, a little restaurant, which Rachael Ray had suggested. It was quite an experience. Quickly ushered to our table, the waiter immediately and feverishly started placing food in front of us, and wine, and more foood. As quickly as it came, we ate it up. Tried a lot of things I typically wouldn't have, including a pasta with wild boar, proscuitto, etc. Great fun and laughter was had by all.
Ciao!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Fresh Fruit!!!
One of the things that was so refreshing to see was all of the fresh fruit in the open markets. We picked up some fresh artichokes and snacked on them this evening in the apartment.
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