This month Wanda Kubat-Nerdin and Kathy Streib are hosting the February ActiveRain Challenge "Dream Boards: What's On Your Wish List?"  For this challenge Wanda and Kathy are challenging us to create a vision/dream board meaningful to us by using photos that represent our visions and dreams. For me a dream/vision board not only represents my visions and dreams, but also what is most precious in my life.  Below is my vision/dream board which represents some of these things.The first precious thing in my life is God, so the church I attend plays a very important roll in my life.  Being active in a church keeps me grounded and focused.  I have attend the Meriden Church of Christ in Meriden, CT., since 1984, and in those 39+ years the Meriden Church of Christ has looked for ways to assist o... 02/23/2024

Happy Presidents Day 2024!!! Today is Presidents Day, and for most workers in the U.S. a day off from work.  Presidents Day was not always been known as Presidents Day, in fact up until 1968 there was no Presidents Day.Presidents Day was originally known as Washington's Birthday, and established in 1885 by President Chester Arthur.  Later many states decided that Abraham Lincoln was equally a great President, and started to celebrate his birthday as well.In 1968 Congress decided that both days should be combined into one Holiday, celebrated on the third Monday of February, and call it Presidents Day.  Today few remember the two separate celebrations in honor of Washington and Lincoln, and think that it is in honor of all Presidents, and special Sales Promotions.Today will be a work day ... 02/19/2024

Happy Valentine's Day 2024 To All My ActiveRain Friends!!!  This is my annual wish to all my friends here on ActiveRain.  Wishing you all a very happy and special Valentine's Day.  I hope all of you take the time today to tell everyone who is special to you how you feel about them, and spent quality time with them.Today my wife and I will have a special dinner at one of our local restaurants.  After 49 years of marriage it is no longer about what her and I do to celebrate Valentine's Day, it is about celebrating and enjoying the day together, and enjoying what is most important to us.  Happy Valentine's Day 2024!!! 02/14/2024

This month's ActiveRain Challenge, "AI - Love It Or Hate It" is being hosted by Margaret Rome and Carol Williams .  Their challenge is for us "to figure out how to use it effectively in our business and personal lives without letting it control us beyond what is reasonable."I feel I am using AI effectively in my business without it controlling me.  This is because I have incorporated enough of AI to assist my business, without having my business completely dependent on AI.  However, for me the mystery surrounding AI is not how much control AI has of my life, but when did it start to play a role in it?When I stop and think of what is AI and what is not, the list is much longer of what is AI than what isn't AI.  Just think about all the things we use just about everyday.  Calculators, cel... 01/30/2024

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man who deserves to be honored and respected.  Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, is a day very worthy of being celebrated.   Martin Luther King, Jr. deserves this honor and much, much more.  The opportunities many have today are a result of Martin Luther King, Jr. vision and work.Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream not for himself but for all mankind.  A dream of equality, freedom, and justice.  Nothing Martin Luther King, Jr. did centered on himself, it all centered on others.  His life was one of service to others unconditionally.As a young boy from a different country, Martin Luther King, Jr. taught me a major life lesson, one that I learned very early in my life.  He taught me not only to dream, but to fully expect the dream to be fulfilled.  No mat... 01/15/2024

This month Dr. Paul McDonald and Kathleen Daniels are co-hosting the December ActiveRain challenge titled "Acts of Kindness | Sharing Love & Joy This Holiday Season."  For this challenge we are to write up to 3 blogs about acts of kindness in one or all three of the following categories:   Act of Kindness of Someone You Know.  Your Acts of Kindness.   Act of Kindness that You Witnessed.  For my first blog I choose to write about an act of kindness my wife and I were blessed with this year, and my second blog was about acts of kindness my neighbors do for eachother.  This third blog will be about acts of kindness by ActiveRain Members. Last March Craig Daniels and Eileen Burns challenged us to refresh/update our blog signatures in that months ActiveRain Challenge.  I did not think I was... 12/27/2023

Merry Christmas To All My ActiveRain Friends In 2023.  Tomorrow is Christmas, and Christmas has always been a day my wife and I have spent with our two son's, but now that my oldest son moved to Bonney Lake, WA we have had to get a little more creative in celebrating Christmas.My youngest son and his wife alternate between spending Christmas with us, and his wife's parents.  This year is our year.  He and his wife relocated to Manassas, VA this year, but will be driving to RI first to spend Christmas Eve with his wife's family, and then driving to CT to spend Christmas with us.On Christmas Day around noon, we will FaceTimed with my oldest son, and my gorgeous granddaughter, Elizabeth.  While FaceTiming we open the Christmas present we sent each other.  This is not the same as all of us ... 12/24/2023

This month Dr. Paul McDonald and Kathleen Daniels are co-hosting the December ActiveRain challenge titled "Acts of Kindness | Sharing Love & Joy This Holiday Season."  For this challenge are to write up to 3 blogs about acts of kindness in one or all three of the following categories:   Act of Kindness of Someone You Know.  Your Acts of Kindness.   Act of Kindness that You Witnessed.  For my first blog I have chosen to write about an act of kindness my wife and I were blessed with this year, and also how we in turn were able to play-it-forward.  My neighbors will be the focus for my second blog.I have been blessed to live for 42 years with neighbors who lookout for each other, and just do for one another without being asked.  Those of use with snow blowers will help out other neighbors ... 12/24/2023

This month Dr. Paul McDonald and Kathleen Daniels are co-hosting the December ActiveRain challenge titled "Acts of Kindness | Sharing Love & Joy This Holiday Season."  For this challenge are to write up to 3 blogs about acts of kindness in one or all three of the following categories:   Act of Kindness of Someone You Know.  Your Acts of Kindness.   Act of Kindness that You Witnessed.  For my first blog I have chosen to write about an act of kindness my wife and I were blessed with this year, and also how we in turn were able to play-it-forward.Some of those who follow my blog, and attend the ActiveRain Weekly ZOOM Meetings know that my wife had open heart surgery, to replace one of her heart valves this Summer.  She went through two surgeries and three hospital stays within a three week... 12/18/2023

Debe Maxwell, CRS is hosting the ActiveRain Challenge the month titled "Thankful Thoughts:  ActiveRain's November Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge".  This has been an easy challenge for me in the past, because I have MUCH to be grateful for.  For this challenge we get to write one blog per week for this month.   For my first blog in this challenge I wrote about how "Grateful I am To Be Able To Enjoy Gorgeous Fall Colors Every Year".   My second blog was on the Forever Gratitude I have for those who have helped me succeed in my career.  The third blog was on how thankful I am for my church.  This fourth blog is on how grateful I am for how God has blessed me a special gorgeous little girl in my life.This amazing blessing in my life was born nine years ago on July 13, and brought a specia... 11/27/2023

Happy Thanksgiving 2023!I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.   Do not let the day go by without taking a few minutes to truly give thanks for all you have been blessed with, and if possible take the opportunity to be a blessing to someone else.  Today should not only be a day of giving thanks in word, but in giving thanks in deed as well.Happy Thanksgiving From My House To Yours. 11/22/2023

Debe Maxwell, CRS is hosting the ActiveRain Challenge the month titled "Thankful Thoughts:  ActiveRain's November Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge".  This has been an easy challenge for me in the past, because I have MUCH to be grateful for.  For this challenge we get to write one blog per week for this month.   For my first blog in this challenge I wrote about how "Grateful I am To Be Able To Enjoy Gorgeous Fall Colors Every Year".   For this second blog it will be focused on the gratitude I have for those who have helped me succeed in my career. First and foremost the number one factor in the success of my business, has been my faith and reliance on God to see me through whatever comes my way.  From the very first day in my sales career, God has been a part of it.  My faith that God w... 11/13/2023

Tomorrow is Veterans Day 2023, A Day To Honor Our Veterans, and our Men and Women who are serving in our Armed Forces.I hope that everyone takes a moment out of there day to say thank you to either a Veteran they know, or one of the Men and Women presently serving.  It only takes a minute to do this, but the impact and meaning it has on the one you say thank you to is greater than you can imagine. Those who have served our country did so willingly and without expectation of anything in return.  They did it for the honor of serving the land of opportunity, and to secure the freedoms we enjoy.Many restaurants throughout the Country will be honoring our Veterans with free meals, and discounts.  So let us join all the organization who are honoring our Veterans today and show our appreciatio... 11/10/2023

Debe Maxwell, CRS is hosting the ActiveRain Challenge the month titled "Thankful Thoughts:  ActiveRain's November Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge".  This has been an easy challenge for me in the past, because I have MUCH to be gratitude for.  For this challenge we get to write one blog per week for this month.   My first blog is about the beautiful season that is about to come to an end here in Connecticut, and its gorgeous Fall colors.  This first blog is a particularly easy one, because I am  about to wrap up on my "Progression Of Fall Colors In Middletown, CT for 2023. We are so blessed here in New England to enjoy the Fall leaf colors each and every year.  This gorgeous time of the year only last about 1-2 weeks every year, and I am grateful for whatever time we have to enjoy it, e... 11/04/2023

Fall Has arrived once again in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started eleven years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many years, and have been able to do so far, though this year may prove to be a little challenging. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Nine years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  So seven years ago I decided to change locations again to a site at Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hoped... 11/04/2023

Leanne Smith and Endre Barath, Jr are hosting this months ActiveRain Challenge. They are challenging us to share two of our candy tidbits (knowledge) we have been treated to from other members and add their "knowledge tidbit Trick or Treat to our goodie bag".  For me the two knowledge tidbits that I have gleamed as a member of ActiveRain is the Boston RainCamp , and from the Queen of ActiveRain, my good friend Lenn Harley.I attended my first and only RainCamp in 2010, in Boston, MA.  I drove up there with Ed Silva and Valerie Osterhoudt, which is an adventure all its own.  This RainCamp was taught by Ben Kinney, and I think Ed would back me up in saying RainCamp was full of valuable information on how to get the most mileage out of our blogging. Ben kept things going quickly, and presen... 10/29/2023

Fall Has arrived once again in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started eleven years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many years, and have been able to do so far, though this year may prove to be a little challenging. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Nine years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  So seven years ago I decided to change locations again to a site at Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hope... 10/28/2023

Fall Has arrived once again in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started eleven years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many years, and have been able to do so far, though this year may prove to be a little challenging. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Nine years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  So seven years ago I decided to change locations again to a site at Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hope... 10/21/2023

Fall Has arrived once again in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started eleven years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many years, and have been able to do so far, though this year may prove to be a little challenging. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Nine years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  So seven years ago I decided to change locations again to a site at Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hope... 10/14/2023

Fall Has arrived once again in Connecticut, which means it is time for me to begin my Progression Of Fall Colors series I started eleven years ago.  This is a series I hoped to continue for many years, and have been able to do so far, though this year may prove to be a little challenging. The first two years the pictures were of a farm which is only about a minute walk from my house.  Nine years ago I decided to change the location for the 2014 Progression Of Fall Color Series to a lake about 5 minutes from my house on RT17.  I tried that location for two years, but the colors were not as good as I expected them to be.  So seven years ago I decided to change locations again to a site at Lyman's Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  But once again that site did not produce the colors I had hope... 10/07/2023