Monday, February 28, 2011

Music Teachers -- great offer for you!

Calling all Music Teachers!  

If you have a website or blog, and would be willing to promote Chord Piano Is Fun with a photo link on your site, you can receive a discount of over 30%!

Please complete the form below and I will send you all the details!  

MUSIC TEACHERS ONLY!

 

Go to Chord Piano Chick for more details...

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Thursday, February 24, 2011

How To Follow A Friend's Blog For DUMMIES

Friends, we have a problem.  Many of you are unfamiliar with "Following" someone on their blog.  You find a terrific blog, and excitedly press on the "Follow" button, only to be taken into a deep dark hole -- the unknown of the Cyber Underworld.  Quickly, you close the page, your heart beating wildly as you sink back in your chair and think, "Phew!  That was close!"  You are glad you obeyed your instinct and that your computer did not blow up in the process.  You pursue it no further...


Read more at Chick That Bytes

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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The ABSOLUTE BEST Cell Phone deal on the internet!

Ok -- I am totally serious!  Buying a phone this way is the BEST and it is the ONLY way that I will buy cell phones or service anymore.  I have bought my last three phones this way, and have never had issues, always great customer service!

Here it is:  AMAZON.COM!


Like this Android phone from AT&T





Go to Chick's Tips for more...

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How to cause the Pages gadget to not stretch across the width of the page

With my particular Blogger template, the pink "Pages" gadget originally stretched across the top of the page
like this: 



I didn't really like that so...

Go to Chick That Bytes for more...

 
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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Photo of the Day - Cape Cod Sunset




Go to Clicky Chickyrama for more or to enlarge

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Monday, February 21, 2011

Sheesh! What's WRONG with my Brain??!!!


I've always been a Clodhopper.  Clodhop here, clodhop there.  At least, that's what I was called by my sister.  She even gave me the pet name "Sasquatch".  Being from the Pacific Northwest, we knew what that was before we even knew what the boogie man was.  I called her "Hamburger Head", so I guess we were even.  MORE..

Go to Chicky Ponderings to read more...

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25 tips for a happy marriage -- WORKS! (Updated!)

A lot of people have asked how My Boyfriend and I have been so happy and have such a good marriage.  This chick thought I would try to simplify my answer with a few "tips".  Not that this is ALL, or that it is fool-proof (it takes two to tango), but if you both work toward these you will always consider your spouse your "boyfriend" or "girlfriend".

Here they are (and not in any particular order of importance): MORE...

Read MORE at Chick's Tips

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Sunday, February 20, 2011

I know it's Spring because my hair is no longer a static mess...

 ..and my friend Lynne says that now she will no longer look to the groundhog, but to my hair, to determine the change of season.

Well, it didn't work out quite the way I wanted.  I was expecting this winter to be a lot warmer (that's what they said -- whoever THEY are) and so I really wasn't quite prepared.  I thought I was, and thought that my nifty set-up with the tarps would work like a charm.  Not that it didn't work -- they DID help when the temps were just below freezing, and even down to about 28 or so.  But, when the weather dipped into the low 20's, the long cold nights, over and over and over again, were just too much for my lovely blue tarps.  My Boyrfriend and I eventually had to move the pots into the garage --- those that survived the cold streak, anyway.   MORE...

Read MORE at Chick and Garden....

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Send Your Warning to the Sponsors of Skins (Easy to do!)

"Nearly every major corporation has responsibly decided not to support the non-stop orgy of teen sex, drugs, and alcohol that is MTV’s Skins. All but Clearasil, that is. It’s not enough that Clearasil continues to buy ad time on the teen-targeted program that promotes such irresponsible, even dangerous behavior; in a cynical ploy to forestall criticism of their continued support, Clearasil publicly touted what turned out to be a PSA that only directed viewers to MTV's website and Clearasil's own Facebook page - neither of which gave any information about how to deal with the drug and alcohol abuse so pervasive in Skins.

Clearasil, and its parent company Reckitt-Benckiser need to hear from you.

If Reckitt-Benckiser believes a 30-second PSA can encourage pro-social behavior; they must allow for the possibility, even the likelihood that the surrounding 42 minutes of programming can encourage anti-social behavior. Which is why their continued support of Skins is simply indefensible.  MORE...


TELL RECKITT-BENCKISER WHAT YOU THINK OF THEM SPONSORING SKINS!"

From Parents Television Council Website.
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Saturday, February 19, 2011

Photo of the Day - Hummingbird!



Go to Clicky Chickarama to see larger image

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Friday, February 18, 2011

Photo of the Day

 

Go to Clicky Chickyrama for a larger view and more photos

 

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Great review by Marty Nystrom for Chord Piano Is Fun!

New Review by Marty Nystrom, Songwriter ("As The Deer" and other worship songs) and Author of "Don't Mess With Moses!"


"Chord Piano is Fun!” is the perfect resource for those that long to play piano but can’t seem to make sense of all those black dots on the page. The book will get you quickly creating music at the keyboard through a step-wise and enjoyable understanding of chord construction. I like how things are broken things down to approachable and achievable bite-sized steps, which is especially good for busy adults. This is not only a great tool for the pianist but also for songwriters who want to write music at the piano. This book is very well put together and the kind of resource that I wish existed when I first desired to play piano in my teens.


Marty Nystrom
Songwriter and Author



Go to Chord Piano Chick for more...

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

10 things I learned at Starbucks today...

1. Chicks always get the runaround by dudes when they take their cars in to get fixed.

2.  Sometimes those you don't know come through better for you than people you have known for years.


Go to Chicky Java to continue...

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How to get your teenage son to believe a clean room is AWESOME -- WORKS!

O.K.  I'm going to write it.  Hopefully my son won't see this or he will be MORTIFIED.  But, it happened when he was younger, so I guess that's okay.  Well, it happened when he was 13.  A couple of months ago.  But still...


Go to Chick's Tips to continue...

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One Remarkable Poem

A poem entitled:


A Poem I Wrote To My Friend Lisa, Who Is a Former Roommate, and Who Has A Son Who Is Two Months Older Than My Son, And We Have Another Ex-Roommate Named Laurie Who Also Has A Son Who Was Born Between Lisa's Son and My Son and Who Are All Big Boys Now

Go to Chicky Ponderings to continue...

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Monday, February 14, 2011

He still give me Fever...


Go to Chicky Gets Her Groove On to listen to a song I recorded several years ago and dedicate to my Boyfriend whom I've been married to for 16 years!
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Sunday, February 13, 2011

My Rendition of Panera Bread's Fuji Apple Chick-en Salad



Be sure to check out this recipe on my Home-ly Chick page!
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Photo of the Day - Barbara the Spider


See her close up and personal in Clicky Chickyrama, or click on the above photo...
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The internet has opened up many new ways to earn money

From Amazon affiliates, selling ebooks, creating a Yahoo store, and CoffeeShop Millionaire.  Check out Chick That Bytes...
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Saturday, February 12, 2011

One Pan Springtime Skillet

A delicious comfort food posted on Home-ly Chick!  Check it out!
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Friday, February 11, 2011

If you like cats...

...then you have to check out my link on my Chicky Gets Her Groove On page.  Hilarious!
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Thursday, February 10, 2011

Photo of the day, and Give Me Back my Warm!

New posts added on Clicky Chickyrama and Chick and Garden... Check them out!
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Three Step Thursday!

 http://themommytimes-scmomof2boys.blogspot.com/





Click on the above links and "follow" that person's blog or on twitter. They should in turn follow you, and spread the news about your blog! Have fun!
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Chick-en Teriyaki

Be sure to check out the post and recipe for Chick-en Teriyaki under "Home-ly Chick".  You will love it!
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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Wonderful New Review for my book, Chord Piano Is Fun!

I just learned of a wonderful new review for my book, Chord Piano Is Fun!  The review is from Natalie Wickham, who blogs at Music Matters Blog.  This is an excellent blog with a lot of wonderful information for music teachers.  She is offering a free giveaway for my book HERE, so if you would like to enter a drawing for a free copy of my book, leave a comment on her site! 

Here is her review:
Don’t you just love it when someone else does all the hard work and puts together a systematic approach to teaching something that is just the way you would do it? Honestly, it’s pretty rare to find something that’s a perfect fit, but T.K. Goforth has done just that with her book, Chord Piano Is Fun!

The book begins with a fabulous introduction of How to Create a Major Scale, then moves into chords, scale degrees, chord inversions, key signatures, 7th chords, and more! All of this is introduced with the objective of helping pianists learn how to play from a lead sheet (a.k.a. fake book). The layout of the book is very clean, with lots of helpful images, and some of the most concise explanations I’ve read for various theoretical elements in music. This would be perfect for a student who wants to learn chording skills on their own, or for a teacher who is struggling to know how to introduce scales, chords, key signatures, and playing from a lead sheet to his or her students.

I love that the terminology used is accurate, but is broken down in such a way that even beginning students can begin to grasp the concepts. The one exception to this that I’ve discovered is the use of the term, “Family Chords” rather than “Primary Triads.” I could definitely work around this, though, for the value to be gained from the rest of the book. There is even a brief lesson on song-writing in the back that I think would be appealing to a lot of students!

The primary reason that I rarely use theory books with my students is due to a lack of relevance. The written material is divorced from the music that they are playing and it becomes more of a busywork assignment than a real learning tool. A book like Chord Piano Is Fun! is a wonderful approach to learning theory because what is being learned is immediately relevant to music and styles that the student wants to learn to play. I am excited to begin using it in my studio! And the great news is that you can win a copy for you or one of your students, too! Just leave a comment below and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win your own Chord Piano Is Fun! book! The drawing will end at noon (CST) on Thursday, February 17, and the winner will be drawn using a random number generator.

Thank you, Natalie!
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Monday, February 7, 2011

Steve Taylor -- a classic

For those of you who have never heard of Steve Taylor, please give a listen to this video.  I was a huge groupie of his and his co-horts back in the 80's (his sis and I were also roomies) and I wish he would tour again...  He has some very thought provoking songs, and is worth a listen.  He has recently written and produced a lot of music, including the song "He Reigns" performed by the News Boys.


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20 things to do to grow your NICE quotient -- and to spread it on...

In a world that is becoming more and more mean-spirited, it would be behoove us to step back and think about what it means to really be nice. And, when we are nice, it is contagious. Here are a few suggestions I've come up with that we can all do today:


1. Smile at a child.

2. Pay for the person's toll behind you.

3. When someone starts to gossip about someone, say something nice about that person instead and change the subject.

4. Make someone's favorite cookies for no reason.

5. Make someone feel good about themselves.

6. Post on someone's facebook wall just to let them know you are thinking about them.

7. Send a note in your child's lunch sack.

8. Tell someone you will pray for them, and then do.

9. Pray for someone you don't particularly like.

10. Wave and smile at someone who has let you into the car line.

11. Offer to let someone go before you at the grocery store.

12. Tell the waiter/waitress or grocery clerk how well they are doing and you appreciate their hard work.

13. Send someone a note who has done something nice for you, but you never told them.

14. Ask a new artist, author or blogger how you can help them promote their work and be successful.

15. Say something funny to the grocery clerk.

16. Treat your child like you would a friend's child.

17. Treat your husband like someone you are trying to impress.

18. Smile and thank the person who opens a door for you.

19. Open a door for someone, and give them a sincere smile.

20. Say "Excuse me!" when you walk in front of someone.


Please leave comments for other things that you think are NICE! God bless!
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Photo of the Day...

J-GQ
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Sunday, February 6, 2011

New Photo added

to CLICKY CHICKYRAMA...

Each day or so I will add new "Featured Photos" to my Clicky Chickyrama page.  At any time, feel free to visit my photography website at http://www.wix.com/tkgoforth/photos1.
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Featured Photograph -- Garden Hound

Click on photo to enlarge
This is a picture of my dog, JoDog, peering up through a butterfly ginger. 



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Saturday, February 5, 2011

How To Add a Facebook "Like" Button After Each Post on Blogger

Here's what you do:

  • Go to the "Design" tab under your Blogger Dashboard.
  • Click on the little words beneath the tabs that says "Edit HTML".
  • Above the html box, click the box that says "Expand Widget Template".
  • Go to your browser "EDIT" button at the top and go to "FIND"
  • In the FIND box at the bottom of your browser screen type in:  <data:post.body/>
  • Click the "Next" arrow next to the FIND box.
  • Right after <data:post.body/> add the following (Put a return or two after it so that you can see it easier in the Template box -- you can just copy and paste this from here):
<br/>
<br/>

<!-- Facebook Like button Start -->
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != &quot;static_page&quot;'>
<div style='float:left;padding:5px 5px 5px 0;'>
<iframe allowTransparency='true' expr:src='&quot;http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=&quot; + data:post.url + &quot;&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;font=verdana&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=35&quot;' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' style='border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:35px;'/>
</div>
</b:if>
<!-- Facebook Like button End -->


That's it!  You should see the "Like" button under every post, like the one after this post.  If you find you don't like it, you can just reset the template by clicking on "Revert widget templates to default" beneath the template box.


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Peanut Butter Bovines (Cookies)

Like I said -- I love to bake.  Much more than I love to cook.  I really DON'T love to cook, but I am a good cook.  I think if I loved to cook, then I would have to love to diet.  But, I don't love to diet.  So, instead, I bake, because I don't have to bake every day in order to enjoy it, whereas if I loved to cook I think that I would be cooking much more than I do.  Huh?

Anyway, the recipe that I want to share today is one of my son's favorites, as well as the favorite of a family friend, Cody.  I know that when he comes over I need to make a double batch so that J-GQ will have enough for himself.

This recipe was given to me by my very good friend, Kim, who is the author of the blog "Chef By Necessity."  You gotta check it out.  I received a number of nummy recipes from her when I got married, and I always LOVED these.  The original name is "Peanut Butter Blossoms", but we slightly changed it to "Bovine"... really a private joke...

These cookies are easy, delicious, and very peanut-butter-and-chocolatey.  Not as easy as grabbing a Reese's, but nonetheless.  You will like them.  A LOT.


Peanut Butter Bovines

Start out my mixing together 1 cube (1/2 cup) butter and 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter.

 
 
I really like this picture because it is very "swirly".

Add to this 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar, and swirl some more.



Then add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  You guessed it -- swirl.





Then, add all together 1 and 3/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  (I don't do well with the "Measure dry ingredients together" rule.)  Swirl some more.  The mixture should look a bit "dry", but not overly.


Once it is all mixed together, you are going to form them into 1" or so balls, and roll them in granulated sugar,


and place them on a baking sheet.  Bake them at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes (my oven takes 10 minutes).  While you are waiting for them to cook, unwrap about 36 Hershey's Kisses.

Cookies should bake until they look like this:



Once they look like that, take them out of the oven, and immediately press chocolate kisses into their centers.


Cool.  Yes, they are VERY cool.  And they are good.  Remove from the pan and serve.  They are the BEST when the chocolate is still melted.  Num.  Serve to your best family members and friends. 

And, thank you, Kim, for another fine recipe from your kitchen!

(Recipe in full is below.) 
Peanut Butter Bovines

1/2 cup real butter
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
36 chocolate kisses

Mix all together and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Press chocolate kisses into center. 

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It's finally up and running...

FINALLY.  I finished my photography website and it is up and running.  You can either find it on my CLICKY CHICKYRAMA page, or click the photo below.  I hope you enjoy it!



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Friday, February 4, 2011

New Photography Website

I finally have my photography website up and running. More photos will be added as I get them.

Please click on this photo to enter:

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Excellence Hair Color!!! Not! DOESN'T Work!

Yikes!  I picked up a box for my head the other day, thinking it was just another "tone" to try on my mane.  Boy, was I in for a BIG SURPRISE!

I thought I had used this product in the past, but I don't think so, or I would have remembered.  I'm not sure if anyone has experienced this with this product, but if you have, let me know!

All seemed great when I first applied it -- I liked that it had a nice little comb applicator you could use if you wanted, and it was very nice to apply -- no problems.  Even had enough to cover my whole head of hair -- and I have a lot of it (less than when I was younger, but that's a different story....)  And, I loved the color.  Covered my grays and reds quite nicely.

Anyway, the problem didn't arise until the 2nd day when they say you can wash your hair.  As I was trying to wash, I was finding that I wasn't able to get the feel of "squeaky clean".  It seemed that my hair was coated with Crisco.  But, I figured that that was the way it was supposed to feel until maybe the 2nd shampoo.  After drying my hair, I realized that it STILL didn't feel clean.  It felt like I still had a coating of Crisco in it, and it didn't shine.  So, I decided to wash it again.

After the 3rd wash (and that means the full "Wash, Rinse, Repeat" scenario), I realized that I was having major problems.  Hair STILL was GREASE BOMB.  I realized I needed to take some drastic measures.

So, I ran down to the store and bought me a bottle of a clarifying shampoo, believing this to do the trick.  Nope.  DOESN'T work.  Even after FOUR shampoos.  Then, later that day, I was asking myself, "What cuts through grease?" and I thought of Lemon Juice.  So I grabbed the bottle of lemon juice from the fridge and commenced to wash my hair again -- this also FOUR TIMES with the lemon juice.  Still -- DOESN'T work.  I am desperate!!!

So, I think again, "What can I use, what can I use???"  and it DAWNED on me -- Dawn Dish Detergent.  I figured if it was good enough for birds in an oil spill then it was good enough for me. 

Guess WHAT?  IT WORKED!  Woooo hoooo!  FINALLY, my hair was squeaky clean after just one wash with Dawn.  But, I "washed, rinsed, and repeated", just for good measure.  I was SO GLAD to finally find something that worked to get out the Crisco feeling from my hair.

So, to save you all the pain, I am sharing this with you.  DO NOT USE Excellence Creme by L'Oreal.  It will cause you much grief....even if you like the color.
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Teachers, unashamedly...

...I'm going to promote my own book here.  Please hear me out!  I think you will like what you hear:

Teaching chord piano is a great addition to your teaching curriculum.

As a piano teacher, I created Chord Piano Is Fun to teach my students how to play chord piano and be able to read chord charts or lead sheets.  Many of them wanted to learn how to play popular music, but were still too new in their ability to follow many of the popular music books' left hand line along with the melody line.  So, after spending hundreds of dollars on other chord methods to try to find one to teach well and for my students to follow, I realized I had to write my own.

This is a very easy book to follow and use. Chord Piano Is Fun integrates very nicely with methods such as Alfred, Piano Adventures, etc., and gives a deeper insight into the theory of music.  Teachers have found that with use of this the students have a greater understanding of what they are learning and tend to progress at a quicker pace.  I use this in addition to and along with my other method books and music pieces for my students.

Also, because it is a spiral-bound book, it lays very nicely on the piano and is easy to flip through.  It is packed full of resources, such as How to Create All Types of Chords, All of the Family Chords for each Key (Major and Minor), All the Major and Minor Scales, Circle of 4ths/5ths, How to Write a Song, How to Play the Blues, etc.  With purchase, you will also be able to sign into the Customer Page to download new additions, such as Christmas Music, etc.

I have found that once the student understands their chords and how they are created, they are able to pick them easily out of their music, thus helping them to learn their pieces easier because they have a "visual" in their mind.

The Songwriting Chart in the book is a great way to get a child starting on writing his/her own song.  Once it is written, and with the help of a notation software (I use Capella), it's so exciting to watch a child create their first song, put a name to it, and the copyright on the bottom.  They are published!  I have each student perform their songs at a recital and with their permission give copies of each student's song to the other students so that they can try them at home.

Please see below or go to my Customer Reviews page for reviews from other teachers and students.

I hope you decide to give Chord Piano Is Fun a try.  I know you won't be sorry!

God bless,

T.K. Goforth
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Thursday, February 3, 2011

Letter to Dr. Alveda King (niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

This letter is too good not to share:

http://networkedblogs.com/dQGRh
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What's for dinner?

Really.  What's for dinner?
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The best website creator and host -- and a free domain!

I'm not a chick who has much patience and like to do things with as much ease as possible.  I have created a lot of websites, and honestly, was soooo happy to find 1&1.  This is the easiest and best I have found!

One of the great things about 1&1 is that you can get a website for as low as $3.99 per month, and this includes a domain name.  What I've found is that if you want to use this domain name for your blog, what you can do is FORWARD the domain to your blog, which is cheaper than purchasing a domain name within Blogger or Wordpress.  I do this with my website domain "www.chickyrama.com".  I bought the website and domain for $3.99 per month (it's one of 1&1's LINUX packages) and just forwarded it to my blog.  Check it out by clicking on the link and it will take you right to my blog's home page. 


My Chord Piano Is Fun website is created with 1&1 MyBusiness Site.  It's a little more expensive, but gives a LOT of flexibility and also help with SEO (search engine optimization) as well as submitting your site to the search engines.   With this, as with ALL of the 1&1 websites, you get a FREE domain.  You can get your business online with just a few clicks--it's quick and painless!

Create your website in 3 easy steps:

     1. Select your business type.
     2. Pick a color scheme.
     3. Enter your customer details.

Your website is created, complete with professionally written text and optimized layouts specific to your business. And the best: you can try it FREE for 30 days!  AND, the technical support is GREAT and available 24/7.


I would recommend anyone who is considering creating their own website, or who wants their own domain name for their blog, to go to 1and1 and check it out!
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Two new ones!

A friend of mine often brings back mugs from his exotic travels overseas.  I just got these two neato mugs from his recent business trip!  According to his wife, he loves the "thrill of the hunt"... Thanks for hunting, Larry!

Sure love adding to my collection!
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Why is it ...

that some people don't turn to God until He is all they have left?

Why is it that we don't turn to God FIRST, and then we have everything else?

I guess it is because as Human Beings we feel the need and have been taught our whole lives to be in control, and we don't want to have to depend on something other than ourselves.

But, I also know that each one of us needs a purpose. We need to know what our design is. How are we to know that unless we inquire of the One who actually made us in the first place?

To some people this is simplistic and even sophomoric. But, that is the beauty of God. He is awesome (and I don't use that word lightly) and He is SIMPLE. He wants to reveal His mysteries to us Humans. He does this through Jesus, "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3) Sounds mystical. It is.

I always wanted to write a song about a person who came to know God because of all of the good things that happened in their lives. I didn't know of anyone like that until I met my husband. But, most people do come to the end of their rope before they look up, and hopefully right into the eyes of Jesus, who only wants to love them, not judge, show them their purpose, and give them, most importantly, life abundantly -- being completely and utterly forgiven.
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Ain't nuthin' better...

than a nice doggy snuggle in the middle of a cold winter day...
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