The Old Stone House

Have you ever had an idea and then met with friends and started brainstorming that idea? I did that this month. The Old Stone House, located 2 miles West of Geneva, was the first stone house built in Franklin County Iowa. Leander Reeve took the train and coach to Dubuque and WALKED the rest of…

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Independent Book Stores

Our local independent book stores need your help.  Buy books from them.  There, that’s simple.   Where to find the independent book store closest to you:  http://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder  Why buy from independent book stores?  They are your neighbors and your friends.  The money you spend with them, they spend in the community.  They hire people like…

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Friday Odds and Ends

World Nutella Day was yesterday.  I first had Nutella in Athens Greece – went to a place that made crepes.  That’s it – just crepes.  Nutella is a combination of chocolate and hazelnut – put in a spread.  You’ve got to try it.  You can find it by the peanut butter in the grocery store.…

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How Local Were You Today?

What a great day!   Made a lot of business calls early in the day.  Set up appointments, left messages, moved my business forward.  Worked on the grant for the Old Stone House (Historical Society).  Wrote an article for the Hampton Today Who Knew Newspaper. Planned a tweet up in Mason City with Daniel Cline.…

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Think Local

If we are to survive as a small community, we have to think local.   I recently got picked up by the Des Moines Register to be on their business blog widget.  It’s a great honor and I am proud to participate.  So it got me to thinking, what is it I do that people…

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What Books Are You Reading?

What Books Are You Reading? I’m a bit of a book nut. Well, probably more than a bit. Here’s where I am reading and what I am reading. In the bathroom: My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath. It’s a kids book, well – preteen. It starts out “All summers take me back to the…

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Live Healthy!

Keri, Marjan, Denise, Norma, Deb, Pat, Elaine and I are on a team to improve our health and Live Healthy. If you live in Iowa, visit www.livehealthyiowa.org Then there’s Live Healthy America – it’s a nationwide, web based, and teamwork driven wellness program designed to help participants make positive and lasting changes. Www.livehealthyamerica.org What do…

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Jeff Foxworthy on Iowa

My friend (from Iowa, like me) sent me this.  If you don’t find it funny – oh well, I’m cracking up!   Jeff Foxworthy on Iowa: If your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through March, you might live in Iowa. If someone in a store offers you assistance & they don’t work there,…

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Save A Life

Have you given blood?  Why not?  Do you know one pint of blood saves three lifes (and families)? Manic Mommy is hosting her second annual Virtual Blood Drive.  Donate anytime between now and February 28, 2009; email a pic of you donating blood to manicmommy@comcast.net.  Inspirational stories and photos will be posted every Sunday.  Be…

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God Is With Us

As we finish the Advent, the Season of Waiting, to welcome Christ incarnate into our midst this night, I wanted to share a reflection about this Emmanual,this “God with Us.” – Mother Teresa said that we don’t rightly grasp the meaning of the Incarnation, because if we did, we could respond in no other way…

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