An answer of sorts...

Today I got a call from our real estate agent.  I wasn't home at the time but my oldest son asked her if she had good news.  She replied that it was not good news but not bad news either.  I called back and after a little phone tag she got a hold of me.  Finally the offer we'd written was actually being bumped up to management.  No  yes or no at this point but this is the first time they've taken us seriously enough to move forward.  With the holidays they explained that they wouldn't be able to get right back to us.  We understand and like I said the the previous post,

I've just had a great peace about the whole thing.  I'm not worried or flustered or concerned to any degree.  If it's meant to be it'll work out and be good.  If for some reason it doesn't work out it might in the future or we'll move on if needs be.  It's all good and I'm looking forward to Christmas.  At least one of us will be getting a house but no hints to the little ones please.  I"ll post pictures after the big day :)
always,
Vickie

A Great Peace...

This morning when I woke up I felt a great peace. The burden of getting our house for THIS Christmas had been lifted and I know we'll be in our house for the next one.  I don't know exactly which house that will be but it will  meet our needs and be a great blessing to my family. 

Yesterday I'd just had enough.  I had a foot massage from a friend of mine and she was finished and doing the "alignment part"  and I wouldn't align.  We had a talk about what I needed to do or let go or think about.  She said I needed to do something for myself.  What would I like to do?  Spend money, read a book, get a house.  I settled on checking a book out of the library and getting my oil changed on my van.  I came home and only had to make dinner for four- we had leftovers.  Well they had leftovers and I fasted.  

I still have a couple of kids to get things for and they're gifts have not been easy or come together.  I mentally threw my hands in the air and said Lord I cast these burdens back to thee.  I have no clue what to do for them and what would be the gifts that they need the most and would appreciate.  I don't know what to do about the house either..... went to bed and woke up with a couple of answers, mainly about the house and where to do today when I'm out and about for a couple of errands.  This feels like a pretty good day- I'm going to go eat.

always,Vickie

This is a very fast and easy Christmas Gift...

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/12/candy-bar-wrapper-holiday-printable/#comment-173315

Print off these easy candy bar wrappers and tie the bow.   So go gotta pick up a new black ink cartridge!

A whole heart wish......

Today we make an offer on the house we're most interested in. This is a critical pivot point in our plan to get a house for Christmas. We could walk in to a different house, make an offer and it would be accepted in heartbeat and the owner would be thrilled. But we're dealing with a bank. There is only one way to get that house by Christmas and that would be to walk in with cash in hand.

I just completed 5 help a reporter out requests from HARO and we'll see what happens. I set up e-junkie to sell the My Quiet Dolls online but the nagging voice in the back of my head says lower the price to $1! So I have to figure that out myself or have my tech friend help me tomorrow as she's at work today.

A whole heart wish. I reread The Christmas Apron yesterday and cried. I can't help it but when my Spirit gets in touch with my heart my eyes just start leaking. This is a book that you can read to almost your whole family, at least all who are old enough to understand Santa's role in gifts and the part adults play in the "Santa Game" as we call it.

We're short I'm guessing $10,000 between where the bank wants to be and where we can be on asking price. For some that's not much but for others of us that's huge. I know God can do anything. I'm trying to do my part; work harder and smarter, fasting, praying, pondering. We've got the payment part worked out but not the bigger amount of cash we'd need to bring in at closing...well time to get dressed and get the kids taken care of and out the door for school. Send an extra prayer our way and let me know of any suggestions for making this all work.
always,
Vickie

Nat King Cole - The little boy that Santa Claus forgot

Let's make sure every child is remembered...

I want everyone to have a good Christmas...

John always talks about his worst Christmas ever. His mom was just off welfare and working at a small balsa wood glider manufacturer. His one present that year was one of the small balsa wood glider kits they made at her plant. It broke as he was putting it together. Not the kind of Christmas that warms your heart...and I don't think he ever really got over it.

As the oldest of seven in a more financially secure family, my Christmases were never grim. We always had sufficient. Once I even got the beautiful twirling ballerina doll I longed for. She sat on my bed forever until her batteries corroded and destroyed both her and my favorite handmade quilt covering them both with brown acid stains. I usually got a couple of good books, one of my favorite things, often about horses.

My parents really tried to get stuff we'd like but pleasing seven kids is really hard. Believe me I know as the mother of 8. I love arts and crafts but those kits you buy at the department stores only last for one or two projects. They don't allow for much self expression or real creativity.

My Quiet Dolls on the other hand have unlimited possibilities and variations. You can buy the materials at any craft department and you can go hog wild for under $10 at a real fabric store. Pink hair green hair purple hair- there's no limit to your choices. realistic or fanciful works of art will just pour out of your kids brains when they sit down with a basic pattern and a pile of felt and markers.

My dream is for every child to have a decent Christmas. I've priced My Quiet Dolls-Jack and Jill pattern at only $1.98. If you need a present for your child and are interested in them and can't afford the $2 please let me know. If you know of someone without computer access that needs a present and My Quiet Dolls would fit the bill and be welcomed let me know and we'll work something out.

Have a joyous blessed Christmas this year.
always,
Vickie

Not what I'd planned...

Today was not the day I'd planned it to be. I woke up and just felt off. Sure enough I've got a case of the flu. I know I'm sick when I take a 3 hour nap in the morning and a 2 hour nap in the afternoon.

I got out of bed at 11 and stayed awake to check my Amazon Vine targeted newsletter- It's kinda cool. I reviewed some products on Amazon, bought just the right stuff and they asked me to be one of their reviewers. Now I tell everyone I know to write reviews on Amazon whenever you buy something. You get up to 4 free products a month to evaluate and keep.

I really intended to do some serious publicity pushes on My Quiet Dolls-Jack and Jill but I only got a few emails and posts off. Well better luck tomorrow.
always,
Vickie

Flu

So much for getting really ramped up today. I woke up withe the flu. Not super bad but I'm taking it easy and staying away from folks. Only 8 am and I'm headed back to bed. The family is invited to a pizza part tonight so I don't even have to think about dinner.
always,
Vickie
PS be sure and look at the My Quiet Doll page to the right of this post. Maybe I should offer a bonus pattern for purchases between now and Christmas. What's your favorite pattern of mine? Or should I do a new one? I'll sleep on it.

Mrs. Claus cookbook site

http://www.northpole.com/Kitchen/Cookbook/MissingRecipe.asp

I couldn't resist posting this! Great list of holiday recipes.

Change

Today....

If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.
Billy Graham

Saw this quote and totally agree with it. Today I was up and about and pretty energetic and then my energy just seemed to evaporate. I'm fasting again today but that hasn't been an issue with energy. In fact I've felt great and when I stepped on the scale yesterday, I weighed the same clothed as I was without clothes before fasting. I was able to eat one homemade hamburger last night instead of the two I usually eat. I thought I might be getting sick so took some peppermint oil. That peppermint oil has been a real blessing while fasting since it makes my breath fresh and my mouth not so dry.

Guess I'd better get busy and clean. I've got two ladies coming over to talk about essential oils today and hope I can help them with their health issues!
Have a blest Christmas season!
always,
Vickie

Count it all joy!

http://www.joniandfriends.org/radio/

Just listened to Joni and Friends radio show on the link above. I like the one "Streams in the Desert". I like the part about making our cross into our crown.

What a great gift God has given us to come to earth, clothed in flesh and as I think Wordsworth put it

"Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting. Not in entire forgetfulness, and not in utter nakedness, but trailing clouds of glory do we come."
William Wordsworth

Joni has always been an inspiration to me. An amazing women who despite her disabilities has the voice of an angel, speaks and inspires many and if I'm remembering right is an artist as well.

She "counts it all joy" James 1:2

Hate my cover.....

Sorry Diana but I the more I look at the cover we created the more I dislike it. Hate is probably a strong word but I'm using it as the opposite of love at this point. I want to love my cover. I'm not currently posting it as I don't know how to shrink it down for an appropriate posting size. Budget is definitely a huge issue at this point as far as available cash or I'd see about hiring someone.

I've got several very creative local friends but the one I approached first - well, a slight improvement but still not loving it.

Would it be appropriate to do a contest? What regulations would I have to follow? I know I probably have to have the phrase "no purchase necessary" in my legal requirements. They really don't need to buy the pattern to enter. What would be an appropriate prize? An awesome one of a kind custom assembled doll kit and to have their cover published on the e-book?

Also I want these dolls on the market before Christmas so time is of the essence.

The more I think about it the more I'm thinking this could be blessing in disguise. I love contests. I love the idea of winning and competing in a creative endeavor. I could even post a few of those selected and see which one sells the best and that one would win.... E-junkie allows ten options before a price increase but that might be too many to make folks chose between. What would be the ideal number?

I'm giving this idea some mental time to peculate? I think I like it!

It was a good day.....

So yesterday Diana and I had very productive day on finishing up my introductory pattern to My Quiet Dolls. We've called it Jack and Jill and it contains patterns for one boy and girl and an outfit for each of them. The boy had overalls with cuffs at the bottom and the girl has a jumper with a ruffle at the bottom.

Today I'm asking friends to look over everything and see if I need to do anything to make it cuter or more professional or ????? It's so close and I could sell it as is on e-junkie but I want it to be the best it can be at this point. Wish I knew how to just post the cover but I'll probably have to have her send it to me as a separate file so I don't accidentally just post the whole thing :) After all one of the goals is to make some money for our house.

Another of my goals is to get these patterns into the hands of young girls to expand and develop their creativity and self esteem. Making something of quality and being allowed to chose hair color, skin color and how you want to personalize it is a great boost to a young artist's ego.

I can hardly wait till 6 when I break my fast... I held off today so that I could eat at the church Christmas party tomorrow instead of still fasting then. The 24 hours fast, 24 hours eat like regular, and then fast again thing is working pretty good but I didn't look at my calendar when I started.

I think fasting is easier for a guy unless he as a physical job like my husband the butcher. It's hard to be the mom and fast and have to make meals for everyone. I keep reminding myself, it's ok to be thirsty. I'm fasting.

I remember once when I was a teen and was driving somewhere with my sister. She pulled out a Twinkie and handed it to me and I devoured it before I even remembered I was fasting. I do much better now but all it takes is forgetting for a minute....
I'd better start now before I start talking more about food. Best to just think about other things like the house, like what will get us our house,,,, etc.
always,
Vickie

A God of Miracles

I was running around this morning and as I was headed out the bedroom door I realized I hadn't read scriptures yet this morning. I went back and opened up to where I last read. I read today about having a God of miracles. It touched my soul because at this point it WILL take a miracle to get our house for Christmas. But that's ok because miracles make the best stories.

I read of miracles from the past; the creation of the world, parting the red sea,etc. Every part of the creation from the animals to the plants and oceans and water are all miracles. The preservation of God's chosen people, the Jewish nation shows miracle after miracle down to the present day.

This is once again a day of fasting for me. I want to have God's help in doing whatever needs to be done to make this miracle of a house for Christmas happen. The e-book My Quiet Dolls is not coming together quite as quickly as I want. The pattern pieces are now "perfect", at least the ones for this getting started pattern. But the book part is pretty rough. My tech helper is pregnant with her third child and I totally appreciate her help but she can only help so much for so long with the demands on her life. I am not capable at this time of doing the computer work that needs to be done and finished up.

I think today we'll start our efforts out together with prayer. Prayer makes everything better.

Thanks God for all the help you give me every day. Thanks for all the unseen efforts that you are working on behind the scenes that I know nothing of. Thank you for a fairly clear mind as apposed to how my brain gets bogged down at times. Thank you for a supportive husband and loving family. Thank you for the gifts and talents you have bestowed on me. I hope that I can let my light shine and bring glory to thee. Thank you for thy direction and influence in my life. I love Thee Lord Jesus. Be it unto me according to thy will and purposes.

Always,
Vickie

Fasting

Sunday our family fasted about getting a house, among other things. It was a very spiritual day. I've been getting a little impatient about my efforts and how things haven't worked out yet.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
I remembered a book I read recently called Divine Signatures by Gerald Lund (I think..) The basic premise is that we see God's handiwork often but sometimes things are so obviously done for our benefit that it is like "He signed it". Not as eloquently as Mr. Lund put it but I think you get the gist.

I shared a special story with my family from the book about when the Lund family was faced with the possibility of having three mortgages. The father and author chose to fast every other day until he received his answer to what he should do. Within a week the Lord set things right in amazing ways and the issues that loomed large were resolved.

I decided to to likewise. I fasted Sunday. Great day..... Monday John was off and we made a trip to Idaho Falls to do some errands. Today I"m fasting again. I haven't told anyone but you my blog audience and I'll be posting a link on 48days.net for a discussion about fasting.

The day started out differently. I was awake at 5 when my hubby left for work but I stayed in bed pondering. I finally got up, did a few things like read scriptures and I started to write in my prayer journal. I had only written about 5 lines and I felt like I needed to get up and fix breakfast bars for my son. So I jumped out of my snuggly bed (my place of choice for devotions) got dressed and cooking. I didn't shower because I had to drive my son to a practice and didn't want my hair to freeze. It was probably about 4 degrees outside.

Ended up being no practice so we drove back home together. My youngest son missed the bus and I drove him to school. After dropping him off I felt a big burst of energy and decided to stop by the hardware store. They had all the stuff I needed for a homemade soap cutter for $10. I'd been waiting forever to buy one online but I couldn't bear to spend the $55. I'd called another local soap maker and her husband told me how to make one myself. Now I have one less excuses for not making soap which we need.

I came home and with more energy approached my to-do list. One thing was to contact the septic company and get a bill for my Dad before the end of the year. The quote had been $5,000. When the bill was faxed over it was for only $415! I even called to double check if there'd been a mistake. No mistake. God is good and it's not even noon yet. I can't wait to see what else I accomplish today with HIS help.

Take a chance....

You miss 100% of the shots you never take." Wayne Gretzky

Well the only way I see to get our house for Christmas is to get an ebook done of my Quiet Dolls. They're cute. We're tweaking them on the computer so they look better than ever. I made some up from the perfected patterns Let's see if I'm smart enough to post a picture!

Last day of the month....

So we were hoping that the bank would lower their price in November and in December to match their previous reductions but I haven't seen any reductions this whole month :( I did find a site that lists every reduction and the date so that's cool and handy.

Currently the only way I can see to get our house by Christmas is to sell an amazing amount of e-books. I worked yesterday on a My Quiet Doll starter pattern that I plan on selling for $1.98- well something under $2.

This e-book contains patterns for the doll,one boy hair, one girl hair, overalls, jumper and I've included cuffs for the overalls and a ruffle for the jumper. I was concerned because tweaking the doll and hair took a long time but when got going yesterday the clothing parts went fast! The adjustments will still allow me to use the die cut machine I have to cut out the doll, the braided hair and a bun that can be used as is or trimmed into a boy style. Goal is to have this book for sale on December 1st! Wish me luck and say an extra prayer- I need it!
always,
Vickie

Little Bit......

Little bit discouraged. The bank has consistently lowered the price on the foreclosure we're interested in by $5,000 a month but there was no reduction in November so far. If they continued this pattern we'll both be happy with an accepted offer come the end of December but no....... they are procrastinating.

It's snowed and I don't see any foot prints on the property. No one else is looking... so that's good. Also more good news is that John got his first retirement check and he'll get one on the first of every month. The longer the bank takes, the more money we have to take care of things before we start making a house payment. Doesn't look like we'll make our deadline of Christmas but as long as the weather isn't too outrageous(keeping us snowbound) or something happens like skyrocketing oil prices, waiting is probably in our best interests. It would be good to have my son finish and get his Eagle Scout rank before we move as well.

However if this process ends up not getting done by April our contractor will have some conflicts in his schedule :( From what I've read online this company sometimes takes forever to work things out.

I'm trusting in the Lord. I'm trying to do my part. Just gotta be wise and patient and smart about all the angles. So keep us still in your prayers :)
always,
Vickie

Beauty For Ashes - so Crystal Lewis - Performance Track

Queen Esther sings - a beautiful song to touch your heart.

What would an irresistable price be?

So I know free is the best price but I'm not feeling like we should totally give John's book away for free but what would the magic number be for selling a mega amount?or like my kids would say a bazillion! I'd like to clear a buck a book and Amazon takes a cut as does anyone else selling them as a middle man.

What would you suggest- anywhere between $9.99 to $.99.....

Also what would be the best day to do a great big sale :) ....

Thinking outloud. Sending a review copy to Foodista today....

Gotta go see what great Amazon Vine products I'm being offered today... think they've got a house?
always,
Vickie

TOFW: Ultimate Mom "To Do" List Song

I"m loving this lady! Enjoy!
always,
Vickie

Prove Me - Hilary Weeks

Amazing! I needed this today!

One By One by Hillary Weeks

Just discovered Hillary Weeks! This song made my cry. It touched my heart. He really knows what is most important and He finds me important! He finds you important!



always,
Vickie

Paul McCartney and Wings - With a Little Luck 1978 Video stereo wides...

George Harrison Playing Here Comes The Sun

Martha & The Vandellas "Dancing in the Streets"

R.E.M. - Stand (Video)

Rascal Flatts Bless the Broken Road

Uncle Kracker - Smile [Lyrics]

Andrew Gold - Thank You For Being A Friend

The Carter Family - Keep on the sunny side

You know that feeling...

You know that feeling when all things align and you did something right and it all comes together? Well today I played around with all things Google- adsense, gmail and my blog. I started compiling a list of all the great videos and songs I've posted and then come to find out I can make individual pages with my lists and all the items linked to my old blog posts. That means I can have a page with all my songs and video links. I can compile my board of directors and make a page with links to their profiles. I can make my "how to help page" and it'll appear right at the top of the page to the left with my other new pages.

Maybe this is no big deal to you but to me it's just feels so amazing and right. I think I'm on the right track and will soon send out an email to my "list" from our all-about-meat.com site . A cool way to tell my friends and subscribers about what I've been working on here.
always,
Vickie

How to Help

If you are interested in helping us get our house for Christmas there are quite a few things you could do:

1) Tell your friends about us
2) Buy John's Book Confessions of a Butcher- eat steak on a hamburger budget and save$$$. They're available from Amazon in paperback or Kindle format or you can buy them directly from us at http://www.confessionsofabutcher.com
3) You can visit our website http://www.all-about-meat.com
4) Find out more about our essential oils business at http://www.thinkdoterra.com/82486

I'll post additional options as they become available. If you have suggestions of other things please let us know. I'm not a big one for straight donations- I like to give value for what I get but maybe I have something else of value you're interested in and I are open to negotiations.

The waiting aint "Easy"

You've heard the prayer " Lord give me patience... and give it to me right NOW!"

Playing the waiting game is not easy. I've got till about December 15th to just sit around and wait for the bank to get reasonable on the the house price. Or I can get cooking and make things happen. I'm thinking that we'll offer John's book Confessions of a Butcher- eat steak on a hamburger budget and save$$$ at a steeply discounted price but how low should I go?

Considerations: Paypal wants their cut
Ejunkie would probably be the best most automatic delivery method....
We're already available on Amazon Kindle and they'd want a cut
Should we offer this through Clickbank so everybody would get a cut?

Time to do a big math project and figure out what really works!
Headed to the chiropractor and massage therapist- no worries this is just a maintenance visit- I wanna avoid any more pinched nerves!
always,
Vickie

Wonderful !

It's a shame really. The video below doesn't work and it's no longer even available from Stagevu. I guess this "wonderful" is now the sarcastic kind instead of a wow it's great wonderful. I thought it was the scene where the very first guy puts on the ice cream suit. They all admire him and then he gets one hour to go out and shine. He is a musician so he grabs his guitar and it's dancing in the streets time. You should see all the charisma as all the women act like he's the pied piper and are drawn out to dance. It makes me want to dance just thinking about it. This is perhaps my favorite scene in the whole movie.




So don't try to watch it.... the video clip that is.. Do watch The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit and I hope you like it as much as I did.
always,
Vickie

The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit

This is my favorite movie! I'm looking for a clip of my favorite dance number.... You gotta see it!

Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are [Official Video]

Has anyone called you amazing today! YOU ARE AMAZING! Think of this as a message from God to his beloved child- YOU!

J Mac - A Hoop Dream

I needed this today!

CENTERFIELD ~ JOHN FOGERTY ~ Lyrics

It might be switching sports but this reminds me of the great basketball video that hitting FB today

Breathless (Live) The Corrs from Ireland

Andy Grammer - Keep Your Head Up

David Cook - Time of My Life

This is the time of my life! This is the time of your life too!

Avril Lavigne - Keep Holding On

Lighthouse family - High

The good kind of high!

Sheryl Crow - Everyday Is A Winding Road

I love the bubbles on the vid!

Sheryl Crow - Soak Up The Sun

This song makes me smile!

Katrina & The Waves - Walking On Sunshine

luther vandross the impossible dream live

Climb Every Mountain - The Jacksons, An American Dream

My Wish

R.Kelly The Worlds Greatest With Lyrics

I'm not the greatest but my God is- My Father In Heaven.

Susan Boyle - Britains Got Talent 2009 Episode 1 - Saturday 11th April |...

Nat King Cole with George Shearing - Pick Yourself Up

Ella Fitzgerald - Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive

Third Rejection...

Our offer on the house was once again rejected. We came up $5,000 from our last offer and they finally did at least verbally counter- $500 under their current asking price. Good news is that if they stick to their current pattern of dropping the price every 30 days, we'll be able to come together on December 15th (approximately).

This is good news but if we get our offer accepted in the middle of December we will get a house but not really by Christmas. We would still have to go through the loan process and that would take at least a month. At that point the only way to get our house for Christmas would be to be able to offer cash. With cash in hand you can sometimes close in about 3 days! The title is held by the bank so that makes the title search very quick and easy at least. What do you think?

Another option would be to wait until spring when their price would match what we offered earlier. I'm not sure that is a good idea as one reason this house isn't good for just anybody is that it doesn't qualify for conventional financing with so much that needs to get fixed up. You need to have 3-1/2% of the price for the down payment. Once folks get their tax return monies then they might be able to pull this off but we'll have sufficient to match the cash needed before 2012 when the price drops in December.

You're sure to do impossible things.....

Lyrics | - Follow Your Heart lyrics

My speakers aren't currently working :( but I love the lyrics!

You're sure to do impossible things
If you follow your heart
Your dreams will fly on magical wings
When you follow your heart
If you have to journey far
Here's a little trick
You don't need a guiding star
Trust your thicker, get there quicker

You're sure to do impossible things
If you follow your heart

You're sure to do impossible things
If you follow your heart
Your dreams will fly on magical wings
When you follow your heart

North or south or east or west
Where to point your shoes?
Which direction is the best?
If the choosing get confusing
Maybe it's the map you're using
You don't need a chart to guide you
Close your eyes and look inside you

You're sure to do impossible things
If you know where to start
Your dreams will fly on magical wings
When you follow
Just trust the swallow
And always follow your heart

Questionable Square footage....

I went and visited my friend Eve and she got to show off he new house... NICE! The white carpet wouldn't work for my family but with just two kids she seems to handle it well. Her home is over 3,000 sq feet and it seemed bigger than the one we're looking at. It also has amazing closets everywhere!

I stopped by and measured "the house" and it only came up with 3,070 if I included the garage space. Not the 3313 they advertise. The county records show 1769 and 1044 unfinished. Total on that is 2813. The county says the garage is 319 sq ft so if I deducted the county's garage estimate from the 3,070 I get 2751 sq feet. That doesn't sound nearly as big. According to our agent Stephanie, the square footage is always an estimate and you have to confirm it yourself. Interesting.

I remember our big house in Oregon. It was over 3,000 sq feet of totally usable space. They measured from the inside and they also didn't count it as livable space if the roof was slanted and you had to duck! It's sure a lot easy to measure from the outside like Idaho does but a house that's 3,000 square feet in Oregon is sure a lot bigger than a 3,000 square foot house in Idaho.
Always,
Vickie

Feeling Better

So I was down today. Don't know when it started but just couldn't get it in gear. Hope you like the songs I added and that they give you a boost like they do me!
Always,
Vickie

Smash Mouth-All Star with lyrics

Just because I like it :)

Rodney Atkins - If You're Going Through Hell

Thank You - Ray Boltz

To all my friends and visitors. Thank you for coming, for caring.... my love goes out to you all today!

Sister Hazel - Change Your Mind @ HOB

MercyMe - I Can Only Imagine

Emmanuel Kelly The X Factor 2011 Auditions Emmanuel Kelly FULL

Alas..... rejection again

So long story short. The bank rejected our offer again. Now we play the waiting game and check out other houses in town. How much do we want this house and how long are we willing to wait?

65 Days Count Down

It's 65 days until Dec 23 which is the Friday before Christmas. That's the last possible day to close in time to get our house for Christmas. The clock is ticking and things are looking pretty good as in we'll probably get the house but will we get it in time for Christmas? It's just over a month away before Thanksgiving which would be my truly desired closing date. Is it possible? The 203 FHA loan we want is lots more complicated with lots of paperwork but unless we come up with cash it's the only type of legitimate financing that we currently have available. Well off to ponder while I make more applesauce and read Wisdom's Kiss, so I can write my amazon vine review and get more cool stuff on Thursday :)

Always,
Vickie

Good News, Bad News, OK News?

Bad news first. The bank rejected our first offer on the house. OK news is that we've resubmitted an offer and will probably hear back from them on Friday.

Good news is that John is able to get his pension check from the Meat Cutters union in Oregon and we will be able to make a house payment without scrimping more than I do now. More good news is that the Oregon union doesn't care about him working in this area so we don't have to find a different job right this second and we get to keep our health insurance.

I haven't written too much lately as we've been negotiating with the bank and getting contractor bids so once an offer is accepted we'll be ready to move forward quickly.

OK news is that the bank lowered the price by $5,000 again. They consistently lower the price every month by that amount. Our offer and their price would currently match up in March. That's a long way from Christmas but that's a sweet deal if we wanted to wait that long. Plus once we start getting pension checks, the more we can save between when we close on the house and our expenses go up.

Talked to Kyle of One Red Paperclip!

This morning I'm having a hard time getting going. I shined my sink- so far I've only missed two out of the last 49 days! Sweet! While eating my daily breakfast of two eggs with cheese I sat down at the computer. There was a FB post on a group of 5 artists who bought out a whole grocery store!

Come to find out Kyle of One Red Paperclip was involved in buying everything in the store to help save the store owner from losing his business. While looking at all the links, videos and so on I found out Kyle is doing something called Extreme Placement and was soliciting folks to send him products. I've got products and there right out in front was his phone number. I CALLED! I talked with Kyle who mentioned he had something else going currently but to drop him an email and he'd get back with folks when he was ready. I so hope you'll be ready soon Kyle as I could use some help to get our house for Christmas.

Always,
Vickie

Dippers Drops and Silver Boxes

This slide show is based on two books- Florence Littaur's Book Silver Boxes, The Gift of Encouragement and How Full is Your Bucket by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton

Dippers, Drops, and Silver Boxes

View more presentations from www.sgis.org

J.K.Rowling speaking at Harvard part 3

J.K.Rowling Harvard part 2

JK Rowling Harvard Commencement Speech Part 1 - June 5 2008

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

The fruits of Rejection!

Rejected

So our offer came back today rejected. We didn't even get a counter offer but they hinted at a number that we should start at. Kind of like when a guy asks out a girl and she says,"Now what kind of car do you drive or what's your major? Where would we go and what would we do?" When he offers up a suggestion, she says I don't think so but ask me again sometime. She might even drop a hint at where she'd like to go.

At least that's how I imagine it would go. I was the kind of girl who thought almost every guy deserved a first date. After that I could say no if I didn't see that I liked him better than I did before he asked me out, I could even be tempted to give him a second chance if he asked me out to do something REALLY FUN.

Rejection doesn't mean it's all over. It's just the beginning of negotiations which I get kind of uncomfortable with.

Always,
Vickie

I'm on the edge of.....

Here we sit on the edge...ready to jump! Today we meet with Stephanie Lee our real estate agent to make an offer on the foreclosure. We are not sure of everything but we need to move and the price hopefully will be right. The FHA 203 loan should work to get this house livable and then we can go from there.

I'm sure and then I doubt. I heard Pennies from Heaven on the radio this morning and it talked about you have to have showers to get the blessings. I teared up. This is a BIG scary thing to buy a house the way the economy is going. We haven't had to make a house payment for almost 8 years. I like to have everything all planned out and this time I don't know what color I want on the walls or what kind of carpet.... so many decisions and so little brain power available! Usually it's been a big deal to just buy a house ready to go but we've never done a fixer upper.

I took pictures when we were in the house last but I don't dare upload them. Last time my computer shut down and I thought it had died. If my son decides to upload them on his computer I'll give you all a peek.

My favorite ride at the amusement park is the roller coaster. Not sure I like real life roller coasters as in rushing in on this house.... or when I had fast deliveries with my kids. But it's better than puking my brains out on the twisting dizzy type rides.

I love makeovers. I've just never done an extreme one on a house. I love to see what designers do to other people's houses but every once in a while they are pretty bad. This way I'm in charge that's a humbling thought.

Anyways all prayers support and suggestions are most welcome!
always,
Vickie

Inspirational Movie for Your Success: The Impossible Dream

I Have Confidence - The Sound of Music

One to remember!

It's great to have lessons tied to something as simple as a forget-me-not flower. I've got the seeds and I'll keep trying to get them started here in the tundra :)This is one of those talks that I'll remember for ever!

http://lds.org/general-conference/watch/2011/10?vid=1180453706001&cid=7&lang=eng

Just couldn't resist!

Fred & Ginger: Too Hot to Handle

The Skyliners-Pennies From Heaven

You Can!

“You can have what you want when you help enough people get what they want”.

Zig Ziglar

Soap Book Update

I"m working with AromaTools to write a soap book using CPTG doTerra oils. So many cool choices! I'd love to hear which oils or blends you'd like to see turned into recipes for soaps. If you have a fun unique combination that you recommend and if I decide to try it, I"ll send you a free bar :) but only if you're in the US( for now at least)
Have a great day- I sure am!

always,
Vickie

Impossible? Not really :)

So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon seem inevitable. Christopher Reeve


I think this goes great with the movie clip I posted earlier from Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella when she sings the song Impossible!

Always,
Vickie

Faith

Faith is to believe what we do not see; and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.

Saint Augustine

Qualified and Gotta Make An Offer!

Yesterday we drove to Idaho Falls to apply for replacement social security cards. It was amazing how fast the lady behind the desk was and she was nice and a totally great employee of the federal government. We were in and out in less than 15 minutes! Strange to see a security guard there in the corner- my how times have changed.

This morning when we called John at Legacy Mortgage he had received the last of the paperwork from our credit union. As soon as we can get John(my hubby) Stephanie and me together we can write up "the offer" and see what Chase(The Bank) has to say! Then John at Legacy will give us the pre-qualification letter corresponding to the price we offer.

Seize The Day Carolyn Arends

Grandpa Was A Carpenter - John Prine & The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

This one's for my hubby John. He loves John Prine songs.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Our House (1970)

The Abundant Live and a Horse called Snowman

I love this talk by David B. Worthlin! I wish I had the video clip of it to share but here is the transcript.


http://lds.org/general-conference/2006/04/the-abundant-life?lang=eng&query=wirthlin+snowman

Jumping Through Hoops

One of the first steps to getting a home of our own is to get prequalified. I called Legacy Mortgage Company in Idaho Falls and talked with John. He's great guy I was thrilled that our credit report is great. Our score was 804, that's the average of our scores- three for My John and three for me. We now know how much we can borrow which is kind of nice to know but I don't want to make payments on any more than is needed.

Now we turn in tons of paperwork.
1.) 2009/2010 Tax Returns with W2’s

2.) Last two months bank statements (all pages, both accounts)

3.) Copy of note for daughter’s car

4.) Legible Copy of Driver’s licenses

5.) Legible copy of Social Security Cards

6.) 30 days’ worth of pay stubs

Tricky thing is that John doesn't have a social security card at present. I got a copy of mine and copies for all the kids a couple of years ago but he wasn't with us so next week we'll have to drive an hour away and get him a duplicate. It would probably go quicker if we just knew where the illegals get theirs. We'll have to wait for his to come in the mail- or at least have a copy of a letter from their office that says his card is on it's way.
Always,
Vickie

V.I.P.D,

Today is a very important day (VIPD) Today is the first day ALL my children are out of the house on a full time basis during the day. Today is the day I start for real on getting a house of our own for Christmas.

Decision: There is a beautiful house in town, that we could probably manage to get if we waited long enough and worked hard enough, and were willing to go into debt enough. Asking price is just under $200,000 and we qualify for $150,000.

There is a fixer upper in town. A foreclosure for just under $100,000. It needs work and we'd need money to fix it up. If we got the nice house by the park, I think my kids would destroy it. Not to be mean but my family can be hard on things. Some families tread lightly but my family is energized, curious, passionate about things and active. They just do things. I could see them carving their name in the perfect oak woodwork, writing with Sharpie markers or other implements of destruction and all manner of mayhem. I don't think they would appreciate the house by the park. I'm pretty sure if they have to help fix this other house up they will appreciate and value it more. It's hard raising kids. I'd love to take the "easy" way out. Just go to work and help pay the big mortgage but I can't. I love my kids enough to do what's best for my family not what's easy for me.

Soap takes time. I have some time but it's getting sucked away left and right. My Quiet Dolls are almost ready. I just need someone to polish them up into an e-book. I have ideas for about ten of these ebooks. JP was right they need stories. One of those stories is about how they are going to help us get our house for Christmas.

"Halfway Home": Maureen McGovern Sings The Theme Song From The 1981 Film...

This song touches my very core. I heard it in high school and never got to see the movie but I taught a short lesson based on it. It has special meaning to me as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints because we believe that this earth life is our second estate. We believe that we already proved ourselves in heaven before we got the opportunity to come to this earth and prove ourselves again to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ our brother and Savior. When I get discouraged this song lifts me when I realize, I'm halfway home.

Through Heaven's Eyes

When you believe - Prince of egypt

Anticipation

I'm sitting here waiting with anticipation for Legacy Mortgage to get back with me. We want to be preapproved and might possibly make an offer on the fixer- upper foreclosure if we feel pretty sure about it after another walk through. Of course then there's inspections to deal with to make sure everything is as it appears.

Always,
Vickie

5 AM on a Saturday

It's 5 o'clock on a Saturday.... sounds kind of like a song doesn't it. I've tried to fall back asleep but it's not going to happen. Between thinking about houses and allergies from the grain dust in the air, my eyes are wide open if not my nasal passages.

I found a house in town we really like. I REALLY LIKE, I should say. All my life I've been drawn to fixer uppers. I was willing to live in any old dump if I could see the potential. We'd end up with something that needed some basic cosmetics but not majorly disgusting thanks to my husband's good judgment. This time around I wanted perhaps the prettiest house in town- at least from the inside. I wanted everything about it except for the price. This is a real beauty, including the price. After getting the tour, it inspired me to start this quest for a house for Christmas.

Yesterday we looked at a foreclosure. It could be a really nice house but it needs a lot of work. It's big enough, kind of different floor plan and reminds me of the polygamist's house we looked at in Chester, ID when we first moved into the area. That house had a REALLY funky floor plan, including a mini master bath and huge wives bathroom but I could see "potential". I love that this house has 5 bedrooms and is close to having 2 full bathrooms- just needs the old shower area removed and the new framed in bathtub area completed. It stinks, literally, but with all the carpets pulled out and some modern KILLZ? on the floors, new carpet again and paint, it would be OK. Actually it might be quite lovely once you gut the kitchen and finish everything that needs finishing like taping, texturing, ripping out ugly bushes, pruning, landscaping.... the list is pretty long... but for the price it has to be on the "list".

John said for the most part he'd be willing and able to take it on if he wasn't commuting 4 hours a day. That it would be fun to putter around, fix the house and write a bit each day. I said if gas prices keep going up he might have to retire and instead of spending that $30 for gas every day we could afford to buy this place :)

I'm just not sure when it's all said and done that this is the house I want. Last time we bought a house I didn't like I was depressed without knowing it for seven years. A 960 square foot mobile was not my dream home with three kids and pregnant with my fourth and it totally wasn't a dream home, more like a nightmare, when we had six little ones. Thank Goodness! Literally for the three acres it sat on and that after those 7 years we were able to build a big beautiful lovely home. The sacrifices of the past just kind of melted away as we enjoyed our palatial palace for two years before moving.

Finally I'm getting tired. Hope you all have a great weekend. Once Bethany heads off to nanny in New York on Tuesday I'll really be a empty nester during school hours and get down to business. Wishing you all the best.

Always,
Vickie

Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now

Martina McBride - Anyway

Unwritten - Best Live Performance

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Validation

Stand Out (A Goofy Movie)

The quote below inspired me to post this clip! Notice ME!

On Purpose!

YOU are what makes your work unique and stand out! You are the reason people want to buy your art, music, writing or whatever. Present your image and your story with your creativity and you've got a winner!
Develop your 'look' and stay with it across all platforms. What colors? What feel? What attitude do you represent? Figure it out and stay with it! Dolly Parton says, find out who you are and then do it on purpose!

Carrie Wilkerson, The Barefoot Executive, from her Radical Results Roadtrip!

Gotta Do Better

In order to reach our goal of a house for Christmas, I need to evaluate each asset we have and try to make it better. One asset I've neglected is our All-About-Meat site. I only process our free newsletter requests once a month or even longer sometimes. I rarely do frequent newsletters. I have probably 100 articles available to post. I've only converted a few pages over to the new and improved HTML template. This website is an SBI site and it's the only site that actually makes me any money. More later....

I really liked this blog!

I thought you'd all been deprived of seeing picture of the board members and thought I'd find some. I found a picture of President Monson on this blog along with some great inspirational quotes.

http://savvychichome.blogspot.com/2010/09/10-inspiring-art-quotes.html

JFK on Mormons

Final Board Member- President Thomas S. Monson

I thought long and hard before deciding on this final board member. I thought it would be nice to have another woman, someone like Oprah or Mrs. Fields. I thought of all the people in the world and how many special gifts each of us brings to the plate. I went back and forth many times, adding and crossing off until I reached my final selection, President Thomas S. Monson. President Monson was chosen for many reasons. I read his biography not long ago and was impressed with his leadership and charity towards his fellowman. President Monson already is involved with leading a worldwide church with millions of members. In real life he would in no way be able to serve on my board but since this is an imaginary assignment, I don't think he'd refuse. He tells the best heartwarming stories, has an excellent memory and was an expert in the field of publishing before serving in his current position of prophet, seer and revelator and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

http://youtu.be/6CHSVC2nAl8

Christine Kloser

Today I add Christine Kloser to the board. Christine is the person who organized The Transformational Author Experience. This was basically two weeks of two outstanding teleconferences a day with top leaders in their fields. I was introduced to her through an email from Laura West. Laura introduced me to the principle that women do business differently than men and we should embrace and use our differences to our advantage. Christine is here due to the recommendation of Laura. I loved the Transformational Author experience and it did resonate with me. It was just what I needed to energize myself before launching into and establishing my current goals- one of which is providing my family with A House For Christmas.

God made me for a purpose!

I love the quote when he says "I believe God made me for a purpose..... to win is to honor him." Eric Liddel

Chariots of Fire - Where does the power come from?

Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns

Mark Victor Hansen

I probably know less about Mr. Hansen than any other person on the board. I know he was a coauthor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and he is also coauthor of One Minute Millionaire along with Robert Allen, which I own, read and enjoyed. He is a popular motivational speaker and works well with others- he coauthors a lot.

Buckminster Fuller

You can rest assured that if you devote your time and attention to the highest advantages of others, the Universe will support you, always and only in the nick of time.

-R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER

Too bad that Buckminster Fuller is no longer alive. He's the type of guy I'd love on this board!

Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck is now our latest member of the board. I wasn't sure about Mr. Beck at first but after watching the Restoring Courage broadcast this morning with a friend I think he'd be a good addition. He is pretty flamboyant and he'd be the P.T. Barnum type guy on the board who can milk publicity for all it's worth. Even when Glenn was young he made tons of money on the radio until he got crazy with the booze and such. Glenn can be pretty silly but with the rest of the board being more mature, I think this boundless energy will be channeled very constructively. Mr. Beck has very creative and unique perspectives that will keep board meetings fresh and definitely not boring.

James Dobson

James Dobson is my Monday morning addition to the board. After reading his bio online he is also perhaps the most controversial board member. I'm not sure if I first encountered Dr. Dobson as the author of books my parents read on how to raise kids or from his Focus on the Family radio show. I was a faithful listener while my children were younger and when my local radio station aired his broadcasts daily.

Dr. Dobson has raised two children successfully and has been involved in conservative politics and does not back down from his gospel based morality. He is a man with strong convictions and proclaims them.

When I think about some of our projects and how they just don't seem to have brought us the success and profits I think they should, I recall an interview with Dr. Dobson talking about when his second book came out and it wasn't generating the sales like his first book. He'd been ripping on the representative from the publishing company and then headed for his car. He heard a voice in his head-( God/The Holy Spirit) and it said if I want your book to do well it will and if I don't no one will ever hear of it- or something to that effect.

David Farland

Today I'm inviting David Farland to our board of directors. I first met Dave at a writer's conference in Utah. In the authors book store I also met his wife who was the perfect author's wife- talking up his books and keeping them well stocked. Mr. Farland has a special gift for mentoring, ask Stephanie Meyers, Brandon Mull, and the many others who attend his workshops and lectures or are a part of his online forums. He is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author who has penned nearly fifty science fiction and fantasy novels for both adults and children and has also found success in the video gaming industry. I was able to hear his keynote address at LDS Storymakers where he received a Whitney award. It was an excellent speech with lots of great advice that I totally needed as a beginning wanna be author. I'd love to say more but my not quite perfect children need an outlet for their energy- a positive outlet that is.....
Vickie

To Move A Mountain

I heard this story on the radio as a kid. It was about a bunch of kids whose parents were missionaries. They had their own small school and a very beloved female teacher.

One day the teacher had the opportunity to attend some kind of a convention. She was thrilled to go and while she was away the kids had a meeting and decided that they wanted to get her an extra special gift. This teacher always loved to see the ocean. Their school was very close to the ocean. In fact there was just a small hill blocking the ocean view from their window. The oldest boy in the class rallied the kids together at this meeting and suggested a plan. Their teacher had explained if you have enough faith you could move mountains. They figured that with all their combined faith they would try to move the little hill giving their teacher the gift of an ocean view.

They had about a month in which to accomplish their goal. They started with prayers and then exercised their faith by getting shovels and buckets and getting to work. After a couple of days they became discouraged. It didn't look like they were making any progress. They persevered with their project because they loved their teacher so much and had so much faith.

Approximately two weeks before their teacher was to arrive back there was a knock on the door of the school or one of the homes. When they answered the door it was the Army Corps of Engineers. They said they had a problem. They wanted to build a landing strip and the hill behind the school was in the way. Would it be OK if they were to remove the hill and put in the landing strip?!

When the teacher arrived the children exuberantly escorted her to the classroom and explained their gift to her. She wept ( who wouldn't) not because she could have her dream of an ocean front view but because she had made a difference in the lives of the children she taught. She had given them faith.

If anyone knows the source of this story I'd LOVE to get more details! Have a Blest day!
Vickie

New Option

I don't know why I didn't think of it. When I was talking to the lady at the bank we started talking about oils, about doTerra and about making soaps. She wasn't that interested in making her ow but she asked if she could buy some from me! I will have extra since I'll be experimenting so of course I'll have some to sell! She seemed excited to see my peppermint snowballs and wants me to make lavender and citrus soaps. What kind of soaps would you like to see me make?

You've gotta meet God half way

Who knew that Disney had remade the classic Where The Red Fern Grows. Since our family is working together to get a home of our own by Christmas I showed my kids the part about the grandpa telling Billy about meeting God halfway. I think this is one of the best books ever written. It teaches about hard work, sacrifice, and how God moves in mysterious ways all for our good.

More Happy Songs

http://www.myspace.com/theflylady/music/songs?filter=popular

This is a link to some songs on the Flylady CD that really help get me in a positive happy mood, even when I'm cleaning house :)

Who Knew?

Glenn Beck Reports:
Congratulations to Richard Paul Evans! We just got the news that his new book, Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 (which I am publishing) will be #1 on the New York Times list! He's proving that nice guys--and books with values--don't always finish last! P.S. - The book was sold out for a while but stores are now getting copies in so check it out.

Do I know how to pick 'em or what?!

J.P. Maroney Mr. Monetizer

So hard to choose who should be our next member of the board! Today I'll go with J.P. Maroney, Mr. Monetizer. I've listened and read quite a few things by Mr. Maroney and was actually able to score a free one hour consultation with him. We talked about My Quiet Dolls and he said that the clue to making the dolls work was having a story. I still don't have a story about the dolls but I do have stories within me that NEED to come out and that's what really needs to happen. I forgot to even add my stories to the list of assets in the last post! See already J.P.is helping me! Guess I'd better add my writing projects to "the list".

What have I got?

“Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life… Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.” – Viktor Frankl

Here is my list of things I have to work with to get our house:

1) John's book Confessions of a Butcher-eat steak on a hamburger budget and save$$$. We have our meat site based on the book http://www.all-about-meat.com and years worth of back issues of his food articles he's written for the paper.

2) My Quiet Dolls- lots of pattern pieces, almost 3 cases of felt, various notions

3) My essential oils business- doTerra oils- they are the only ones in the world who sell certified pure therapeutic grade oils (CPTG). I can sell them retail or sign people up and they can buy them wholesale, like Costco- you pay $35 a year and get to buy everything wholesale. So far they've helped our family with the flu, sleeping better, cuts and scrapes, headaches, breathing better and air freshening.

4) my ability to make soap- and now I've been asked to write a book about it.

5)8 years of Ark Essentials Newsletters- promoting provident living and preparedness. We're thinking the Excerpts From Noah's Journal cartoons could make a nice book. This also contains lots of recipes so I could put together a nice cook book maybe to go along with my special report How I Feed My Family of Ten for $100 a week.

For those that know me, can you think of anything else?


OK Yes I forgot the Monster Menagerie manuscript-complete, Small Seeds manuscript over halfway completed- waiting for research to jell. And I have a parody I'm working on something that would make a great youtube video, song and children's book. Lots more ideas for kid's books but I gotta get over to Amazon and see if my Vine Reviewer newsletter is ready- Quick!

Richard Paul Evans

My how time flies. Today is about gone and I realized I hadn't posted a new board member. I looked all over for the "list" and finally found it in plain sight- taped to my wall. I read Richard Paul Evan's The Christmas Box before they rewrote the book for the made for TV movie. I loved it. I understand why he changed it to match the movie but I bought the original. My second favorite book by Mr. Evans is The Five Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me for Women by Richard Paul Evans. I read the plain Five Lessons but I loved the extra parts in the woman's version. I'm currently waiting with anticipation for the third volume of his Walking series. Besides being a successful writer, Mr. Evans is always looking for ways to "win in the margins with extra income. I loved learning about his experiences with selling pop to construction workers, selling classic tuxedos and his rise to success through self publishing his Christmas Box book. I'll be looking for his advice in all things in the margins.

Frank Sinatra - High Hopes

South Pacific - Happy Talk ( Original Movie)

Cinderella Clip--It's Possible

Calling Pam Young to the Board

OK I almost forgot to post a new board member today with all the excitement. Pam Young is our newest imaginary board member. She is the coauthor of Side Tracked Home Executives-from Pigpen to Paradise which sold over a million copies and also The G.O.O.D. (Get Out of DEBT) Book. I loved her books and Pam is one of my favorite flavors of writer :) I find her style delicious and always want more. I'm currently changing my pigpen to paradise step by step. Pam has also mentored Marla Cilley aka the Flylady and sends out daily messages that bring a smile to my face and warm my heart.

Which House?

We drove around our town last night and there are about four houses that look like they might work. The most expensive is $200,000 and the cheapest is $110,000. Of course those are the asking prices. There are lots of houses available and very few buyers right now which is one of the reasons we thought we'd better get on the ball and finally make getting a home of our own happen. We've spent 7+ years waiting to build and it's just never worked out.

Seriously, we were told there was a piece of land very close to where we're living now. We drove up and now that road and just couldn't find it- and it wasn't a very big road. As I was dropping my daughter off for college (only 30 minutes away) she mentioned that she had seen a sign and to try again. I drove back, found the sign and called immediately. The owners had just closed on it. When I asked how much it had sold for I was crushed- we could've written a CHECK and bought it outright at the time- 5 acres! :( That piece has since changed hands several time but if God blinded us to it at the low price I just can't imagine paying the high price for it now. I know wait on the Lord :)

I guess I'm writing a book!

I emailed a company to see if they'd consider adding some soap making supplies to their product line and I end up with them wanting me to write a book about soap making for them using some specific ingredients! I can self publish and they'll sell it or I can have them publish and take royalties. It was so worth talking and not getting dinner on the table in time :) Good thing John was patient. I ended up making pizza pockets instead of spaghetti. I hardly know where to start! Guess I'll need about 20 recipes at least and some great photography. What's your favorite kind of soap?!

Someone asked Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. “I write only when inspiration strikes,” he replied. “Fortunately it strikes every morning a nine o’clock sharp.”

thanks to Pam Young for this quote- Innerkiddies.com

Stephen Covey - The Lighthouse Principal

Monday Morning Dan Miller & Stephen Covey

Good morning World! It's a beautiful day and I'm all excited to add two names to the board of directors. I would've posted last week but I couldn't decide which to add first so I'll do double duty today.

First I'd like to invite (Can-freudian slip)Dan Miller, the author of 48 Days to the Work You Love and Write To The Bank to join our honorary board. Dan is well recommended by Dave Ramsey and is more into helping you find your life's work- not just a job. Since we have always leaned towards self publishing, first with the Ark Essentials Newsletter-promoting provident living & preparedness, then My Quiet Dolls and John's Confessions of a Butcher-eat steak on a hamburger budget and save$$$, Dan is the expert that can get us to success in this area. I bought his book 48 Days for John. He read the first little bit, fell in love with the idea of finding work you love and then stopped reading. I read the chapter headings and had to peek at Skunks, Rags, and Candy Bars first, the read the whole thing through. Dan has a great support community at 48days.net and then his regular website at 48days.com. One of my main goals is to attend his Write to The Bank Live Event in Franklin, Tennessee to hopefully get him to recommend Confessions of a Butcher and My Quiet Dolls to his audience and perhaps to Dave Ramsey.


Next I would like to invite Dr. Stephen Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People-the #1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century. This guy has a credential list to match none! https://www.stephencovey.com/about/about.php. Sorry I couldn't find the link button! Here is a video next post that is, called The Lighthouse Principal, listen for the part about voice=where talent and passion overlaps with what the world needs. Well I guess this made it's own post :) Well it's Monday so I gotta go do all the stuff mom's do on Monday mornings after the crazy weekends. Have a very Blest Day!

Always, Vickie

Dear Jon Huntsman

Dear Mr. Jon Huntsman,
You have been awarded the first position on my House for Christmas Board of Directors. You have been chosen because of the great way you have mentored Glenn Beck- who speaks very highly of you. You have also been chosen because of your generous and charitable giving along with success in both your personal and professional life.

Your imput will be highly valued along with all other members of this board. I would also like to ask you and your wife to have lunch with me and my husband at your convenience. I look forward to getting to know you better through your recently published book Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten) I quite enjoyed the article written about you in Forbes http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2011/0606/focus-jon-huntsman-buffett-gates-charity-in-one-pocket-out-other.html

Thank you for being a leader of excellence in this world of followers and mediocrity.

Vickie Smith

90 Days to Success Board of Directors

I used to have a book called 90 Days to Success Workshop by Steven Forbes. At least I think that was the title and the author but I can't find a copy anywhere online, and I have no idea where my copy even is. One thing you were supposed to do is to make up an imaginary board of directors. I spent a few minutes writing down a list of approx. 12 people that I think would be awesome to have as mentors on my imaginary board. It was supposed to be ok to use historical figures but I had a hard time narrowing down the list to just twelve so I cut out the dead ones :) Dead people I considered were Jesus Christ, George Washington, George Washington Carver, Michelangelo, and Benjamin Franklin. I figure if I talk about one person a day on my board I'll have all twelve up before September 1st which leaves three months; Sept, Oct and Nov to achieve my goal. Who do you suggest I put on this pretend Board of Directors?

TC Bank's Television Commercial: For Ordinary People With Extraordinary ...

Who knew a bank commercial would make me cry?! All my kids heard the music and came to see what I was watching. They couldn't believe it was a commercial either :)

Believe!

Yesterday I cleaned out our bill box. According to John my box is now 20 lbs lighter :) I did find this poem and a story about a boy attending a Paderewski concert and ending up playing a duet with the esteemed pianist. Here's the poem and then I"ll just throw in a couple of memorable quotes from the story. I'd give credit for the quotes but there is no source given.

Forever and Always Believe

Believe in yourself,
What you think, what you feel.
Believe in the truth
In the good, the ideal.
Believe that your dreams
Can someday become real.
Forever and always, believe.
Believe in yourself,
And in what you can do.
Believe in the goals
That you strive to pursue.
Believe in the friends
Who believe in you, too...
Forever and always believe.

-Amanda Bradley

Hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing," Know that His strong hands are there helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces. Remember God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called.

It Begins....

A goal is not a goal until written down. My goal is to get my family in a house of our own by Christmas.

Ten years ago I made a similar goal. John and I were living in a mobile home on 3 acres. The square footage was under 1000 square feet- like 960 and we had six kids. This might work for some folks but we felt maxed out. Originally when we purchased the mobile we had three little girls and I was pregnant. Loved the land but even from the beginning the mobile was just something we had to put up with. We were bursting at the seams and weren't sure what do to.

After a serious year of soul searching and pondering, we felt just getting a new mobile home wasn't the answer. I called a family meeting and set a quart jar out in front of my family. I attached a small sticker FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD James 2:26. I explained our goal of building a house and encouraged everyone to contribute what they could to make our dream come true. I got the idea from Sandra Felton of Messies Anonymous. Within a month we had $20.000 in our jar. About a year later we moved into our beautiful new home.

Two years later we sold our beautiful home and moved to Idaho. We moved into an empty farm house that's been in the family for generations while we looked for a place to build a new home. Years later here we sit. We started our faith jar for a new house quite a while ago. It's been slowly accumulating. A couple of weeks ago my oldest daughter noticed a house for sale here in town next to the park. We went and looked at it and I felt hopeful. This house would actually work for our family without extensive cleaning and remodeling. Then I noticed there are about 20 homes for sale right now in our little town. If we don't get the first one there's lots of others to choose from. We still want to build but for now we want to just buy a house and move it for Christmas. Please join us in our journey to exercise our faith and get a home of our own for Christmas.