Foster care Journey

 Back in January we started on a journey to adopt our cousin.  She was adopted at age 4 by her grandpa and aunt. Now at 15 her grandpa passed away at the ripe old age of 90 in November, and her aunt passed away in January from heart problems.  We immediately stepped in offering our home.  Now after 9 months she is still in foster care and we are working to bring her to us.  

Review "How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free"

Ernie J. Zelinski's book "How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free" redefines retirement as a rewarding and exciting stage of life. It refutes the idea that retirement is only a means of leaving the workforce and instead frames it as a chance for growth, discovery, and happy living.

Zelinski highlights how important it is to plan for a happy and fulfilled retirement by taking into account mental, emotional, and social factors in addition to financial ones. He exhorts readers to look for meaning and purpose outside of work and suggests that retirement should be viewed as a chance to pursue interests, hobbies, and passions that were put on the back burner while one was employed.

The book promotes changing one's perspective from one that is limited to financial security to one that is more inclusive of all facets of a happy existence. Zelinski provides helpful guidance on how to design a happy retirement by partaking in enjoyable and gratifying pursuits. He emphasizes how important it is to keep an active lifestyle in order to stay emotionally and physically well.

Zelinski also emphasizes the value of fostering social ties and creating a solid support system while retiring. He makes recommendations for how to maintain social engagement, including volunteering, joining groups or clubs, and making new acquaintances. The book exhorts retirees to investigate fresh chances for social engagement, which has a substantial positive impact on general happiness and wellbeing.

Zelinski makes the book interesting and approachable to read by peppering it full of quotes, stories, and real-world examples into his recommendations. He tells tales of people who have embraced retirement with gusto and found contentment in a range of activities, including travel, business ventures, artistic hobbies, and volunteer work.

"How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free" also stresses the significance of keeping an optimistic outlook and frame of mind during one's retirement journey. Zelinski highlights the importance of optimism, resilience, and adaptability in coping with the unavoidable changes and difficulties that accompany retirement.

The book serves as a comprehensive guide for individuals approaching retirement or already retired, providing insights, inspiration, and practical advice on how to make the most of this new phase of life. It encourages readers to embrace retirement as a time for self-discovery, personal fulfillment, and joyful living, rather than merely a withdrawal from the workforce.

In conclusion, the book offers a thorough manual for people who are considering retirement or who have already retired, offering motivation, wisdom, and useful suggestions on how to fully enjoy this new stage of life. It urges readers to view retirement as more than just a time to step away from the workforce; rather, it should be embraced as a period for self-discovery, personal fulfillment, and joyful living.  


This summary captures the core themes and essential points of "How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free," offering a comprehensive overview of the book's insights and guidance on navigating a fulfilling retirement.

Get it at Audible

Salem's Riverfront Park

 Salem’s 23-acre Riverfront Park is a hidden gem located in the heart of the city. The park features a number of attractions, from pathways and trails along the Willamette River to a variety of recreational activities including a Carousel, A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village, The Willamette Queen Steamwheeler, and an outdoor concert stage . Whether you’re looking for a relaxing stroll or an action-packed day, Salem’s Riverfront Park has something for everyone.

One of the park’s most popular attractions is its walking and biking paths. With over two miles of winding paths, visitors can enjoy views of the river and wildlife while enjoying a leisurely stroll. The park also features a number of biking trails, allowing cyclists to explore the park and connect to nearby Wallace Marine Park and Mento Brown Island Park.

The park also offers many recreational activities, such as picnicking, and kayaking. Picnic spots are scattered throughout the park, offering visitors an ideal place to enjoy a meal or snack.

Salem’s Riverfront Park is also home to a variety of events and festivals throughout the year. From the Holiday Lights Festival, Worldbeat Festival, and many walk/run events, the park has a variety of activities for all ages. The park also hosts a number of concerts, providing visitors with an evening of entertainment.

Salem’s Riverfront Park is a great place for families, friends, and solo adventurers alike. With its beautiful scenery, variety of activities, and year-round events, it’s easy to see why this park is so popular. Come visit Salem’s Riverfront Park and see what all the fuss is about

 Spent the day at the beach shooting flying around. Filmed at 2.7k 30 fps using an ND32 filter. Edited using DaVinci Resolve. 

1st Flight with a drone.

 I have been wanting a drone for years.  I have always enjoyed
photography, while not a professional I feel it is the best way to
capture life is through pictures.   Here is the maiden voyage... look ma, no crashes.

5 ways marketing and public relations have changed

In the 1990s everything changed. It is when the internet exploded from shadows of research and academia into homes across the world.  Now it touches every aspect of our lives; from how we communicate, our buying habits, our entertainment, and how we learn.  Traditional marketing through print and yellow pages has become as outdated as 8-track tapes and bell bottoms. Today I am going to cover 5 ways the internet has changed public relations and marketing.
1	The idea of the target audience is outdated.  ·         Instead of having that ideal customer.. the focus now needs to be about the community your ideal customer is a part of.   People form communities online with people who share their view and likes. ·         Influencers on that community need to be your target audience (what blogs do they read, what podcasts do they are listening to, who do they follow on twitter). A relationship with an influencer can make a big impact. ·         Every page, blog post, every attention grabber needs to focus on that target community. (and MUST be mobile friendly)
2	People are more informed and they find you.  ·         With limitless information, people research everything from which TV to buy to looking up health conditions to see if they should see a doctor.  A banner ad or emails no longer work.  You need to identify the questions your customers (or their influencers)  may be searching for and tailor answers to meet their needs.
3	Social Media is the driver.    (NOT LONGER OPTIONAL) Let's face it. Our society now communicates through text messages, tweets, memes, pictures, and short videos.  If you want to get your message across, you need to be on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat.   ·         Social media shapes how we view the news and even the world around us.  ·         It allows people to create fantasy personas. ·         Social media is about the conversation, connection, and people.  ·         Use these multiple outlets to pull people to your website or blog where you provide content.
4	Engagement comes first, product and services 2nd.   ·         The days of products and services selling themselves is gone. ·         Grab attention with something of token value.  (Free Item, information, funny video ) ·         Give them something to talk about and share with others. ·         Your attention grabber should ultimately align with your goals.  ·         After you have their attention, then share meaningful stories and content about what you have to offer is improving your life and how it can help them.
5	People have changed.  ·        There are a lot of people looking for ways (products and services) that can make their life more meaningful.  ·         For many today, time is a valued community, multi-tasking is common.  ·         They want fast responses to their questions.  If you do not respond timely, they will go somewhere else. Be thankful they asked a question, most don't even do that.    ·         They are willing to text, chat online, or even video conference to have their questions answered.  Have those options available.
In the 1990s everything changed.  The flood of information has made us both well informed and overwhelmed.  Plan for     People are disparately seeking connection to a others, yet hide behind their phone and computer screens.    PR and marking is constantly changing and challenging. It is also an opportunity to stand out.  Find ways to join communities, to build relationships, to provide answers your market seeks.  Engage, and to provide faster ways to communicate.

Let your hands do some of the talking

This is a cross-post from our Toastmaster page on https:excellence.toastmost.org

When giving a presentation, you are on stage. Your voice, expressions, and movements all support or detract from your message.  Using your hands adds an element of trust, helps people remember points, and helps you be less boring. 

Here is a list of hand gestures that were gathered from various sources (links at the end). I hope these help you to become more expressive in your communications.

1. Listing: Whenever you list or count something, use a hand gesture to make the point. It helps structure your message and creates some curiosity. People will want to hear your second, third, etc. point when you count along with your hands

2. Backhand Slap. Slap dominant hand into the non-dominant hand. – use to drive in a point.

3. Contrasting: Reference to the left and to the right with your hands when talking about different ideas. This or that, here or there, Democrat or Republican, Your get the idea.

4. Critical Whirl: Circle hand clockwise in a small but rapid motion towards the audience. Use this to talk about cycles and processes. Accelerate and repeat until the idea is unpacked,

5. The point – Extend forefinger in a controlled but emphatic manner. – “Use it to focus or direct gaze toward an individual or object” Finger pointing and wagging are parental gestures of scolding, and I’ve often seen politicians and executives, in particular, use this gesture in meetings, negotiations or interviews for emphasis or to show dominance. The problem is, that rather than being a sign of authority, aggressive finger-pointing suggests that the leader is losing control of the situation-and the gesture smacks of playground bullying.

6. Small, Medium, Large. This is a really easy one and can be used literally to show someone what level something is. You can use this to indicate how big or small something is or where someone stands. For example, you can use the high version along with “It’s a pretty big deal” or the low version with “He’s low man on the totem pole.”. You can also use this to talk about different stages of a process.. start low, move higher with each stage.

7. The Shelf Sweep – Begin with both hands at the right-hand shoulder. Sweep across the top shelf of an imaginary bookcase. When level with the left shoulder, make a sharp rotation of wrists and sweep across the lower shelf. – Use when explaining hierarchies or in clearing out something.

8. Picking Up Small Ideas. Bounce from side to side on imaginary hand trampolines. – Use when taking an idea out of original context and placing it somewhere else.

9. The Dialectic. Grip imaginary six-centimeter object between thumb and forefinger. Rotate wrist ninety degrees, snapping into the end position. Smoothly rotate back to start. Repeat up to three times depending on the conviction. – Use when expressing a shift from one thing to another. Highly infectious.

10. The Tiny Dialectic: Follow directions for ‘The Dialectic’ but with thumb and forefinger one centimeter apart. Bring hand toward eyes for closer inspection – Use when unpicking specific detail, or when too self-conscious to use ‘The Dialectic’ gesture

11. Open palms at an angle. Gestures with palms showing (tilted to a 45-degree angle) signal candor and openness. When being truthful or forthcoming, people tend to use open gestures, showing their palms and wrists and spreading hands and arms away from their bodies, as if saying, “See, I have nothing to hide
12. Palms up. When palms are rotated straight up and fingers are spread, in a prototypical pleading position, it communicates the lack of something that the speaker needs or is requesting.

13. Hands up. “It wasn’t me” When you break something at a souvenir store, just put your hands up like this and say, “I didn’t touch it.”. It is a gesture to proclaim your innocence. “I would never drink Coors light..” “I didn’t suggest that you quit your job and take up public speaking..”

14. Clinton Thumb An emphatic, it does not exhibit the anger of the clenched fist or pointing finger, and so is thought to be less threatening. This gesture was likely adopted by Clinton from John F. Kennedy, who can be seen using it in many speeches and images from his political career

15. Hands on hips. Whether in a stubborn toddler or an aggressive CEO, hands-on-hips is one of the most common gestures used to communicate a defiant, super-confident or independent attitude.

16. The Facepalm. “I can’t believe this s*#%” Use the facepalm to emphasize just how baffled you really are!

17. Steepling gestures. It is common to see a speaker using a steepling gesture (palms separated slightly, fingers of both hands spread and fingertips touching) when feeling confident or comfortable about a subject she knows well. Politicians, executives, professors, and attorneys are very fond of using these gestures when they speak. However, it’s one of those power-moves you should use carefully.

18. Fist pump. Use the fist pump to emphasize strength, encouragement, and intensity. Athletes often use the fist pump when they score or make a good play. So, it communicates success..

19. Hand gestures of composure. Arms held at waist height, and gestures within that horizontal plane, help you-and the audience-feel centered and composed. Arms at the waist. “We need everyone to remain calm”

20. Air quotes. “I’m being sarcastic”. The three reasons to use “air quotes” when you talk (1) Sarcasm, Irony. (2)Euphemisms. (3) Slang

21. Karate Chop. “We are going to cut through the red tape!” “This is how it is going to be!” This should be your go-to move for your strongest points.

22. Rubbing hands together. Great to use in humor. “Ohh this is going to be good!” Also shows excitement or anticipation. “I can’t wait to drive my new Mustang”, “That chocolate cake looks good!”. This can also be used to signify greed “I’ll be rich”.

23. Hand gestures of near heart. They mean it is personal, your sincere. Touching, pointing to, or placing fist over your heart lets the audience know it is meaningful for you.

24. The Come Hither Hand Sign Use the come-hither hand sign when you want someone to come over or to become involved. “Come and join us this Friday..”

25. Come Together: When you bring both of your hands together, it is a gesture of combining and is a great way to show two forces symbolically coming together as one. You even can mesh or fold your hands together to show complete togetherness.

26. Stop The hand gesture consists of extending a palm toward. “We need to STOP the polluting of our waterways! Wait! Hold On! You also can do this when asking a question–it’s a universal attention-grabber. Be careful using this, can be insulting as well “Talk to the hand”.

27. We This gesture can be used whenever you are speaking in a group or to an audience. You open up your arms as if you are wrapping them in a hug, making the ‘we’ gesture. You also can do this when standing next to someone and actually placing your hands behind them as if to indicate ‘you are in my inner circle.’ It is a lovely ‘come together’ gesture when used correctly.

28. Finger to chin. The thinking pose. “I think that…” or use it as part of a dramatic pause. To let your audience know this is something to think about. Use this hand sign to indicate that you’re deep in thought, or slightly perplexed about a situation.

29. Knocking on wood is a superstitious gesture used to ensure that a good thing will continue to occur after it has been acknowledged. However, it is sometimes used after speaking of a plausible unfortunate event, so that it does not actually occur.

BE CAREFUL – CROSS-CULTURAL AWARENESS

30. Peace Sign. The WWII “V’ for victory was later adopted as a symbol of peace. but flip it around (back of the hand towards a person) and in many countries, it is an obscene gesture like giving someone the finger.

31. Okay or A-ok sign. Making a circle with your thumb and your index finger is how to signal “OK” in the US. This is the perfect hand gesture to communicate all is well in your world. But make the same gesture to someone from Brazil, and you’re giving the equivalent to the middle finger — the gesture has “insulting and scatological connotations. Cross Fingers: In most cultures, crossing your fingers means you’re hoping for good luck. But in parts of Asia, the gesture is thought to resemble female genitals and making it is similar to giving the middle finger.

32. Thumbs up: The thumbs-up gesture is a sign of approval in most countries. However, in several countries in West Africa and the Middle East, including Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the gesture has the connotation of “up yours!” It’s used the same way the middle finger is in the US

For more information on hand gestures and body language:
Wiki – List of gestures: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gestures
Science of People: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/hand-gestures/
Social Triggers: https://socialtriggers.com/21-hand-gestures-for-powerful-communication/