Been walking everyday, or pretty much 5 days a week anyway, it has been good for me. The weather has been wonderful. Yesterday, I watched the fog roll in, of course that was while I was debating washing my truck that morning. (It poured rain, so it had a somewhat “washing”)

Walking time clears your head is good for your lungs, and you get to see people along the path doing the same thing you are. I nod my head in “hello” as we pass. I take a different route instead of just round and round, and sometimes end up going counter clockwise. (Story of my life) But all in all, I am so glad I have started this process.

Fall and winter is fast approaching, uhg, but the routine is underway. The other day, I stopped to take a photo of a rose in the sunlight, it was also a little off the path, but I am glad I took the time for that moment.

Enjoy your roses, refresh, take care of yourself; and I’m preaching to myself, but don’t forget the little things in life.

Warmest regards,

Cathleen Tyson. Sept. 17, 2010

Mila Gibson has been a beneficial influence to myself and pages of others that have lived in and ventured through working with the Amarillo Opera. She has a way to round up talent in needed areas to get the job done for the professional opera company. Her list of achievements is as long as her gift of opportunities she gives to others. Many young singers have grown up in the program and gone on to be successful opera or theater stars.
Mila Gibson allowed me to have full reign to come up with ideas to promote the opera from the beginning. We would work late nights to meet deadlines. And with her direction, we finalized direct mail, brochures, posters, inserts and a list of other projects through many years. Her patience with me as a volunteer, and working with me when I had the time to make the changes (because I had a full time job) showed her flexibility and persistence to make sure whatever needed to be done, got done. She is the most tireless worker I have ever met with the biggest heart for all those around her.



I have been speaking with Lars Hilse from Germany this weekend, I am so impressed how he sees the future of the business of internet. He wraps his brain around problem solving and takes on big business details, and converts them to actions bringing the return of investment in large percentages. I am sold on the consultations …of Lars. The Web Strategist that is ahead of his time. I encourage you to learn more about him.

Lars Hilse – Web Strategy

Graphic/Web Designer     25 years experience in design

PRINT & WEB DESIGN

Graphic/Web Designer     25 years experience in design

L O G O S

My dear Granny turned 100 years old this last November 2009. She is really something else, spunky, comical, and sometimes a little confused. But for 100, it’s hard to keep up with her on lyrics.

She started singing one day, and my daughter and I started singing along. We would run out of songs to remember, so we started bringing an old hymn book with us when we went to visit. More often than not, she would remember 2 and 3 verses of most songs, where we had the words in front of us struggling through. How precious it has been to have these times of joy singing with her.

She often sings during dinner in the dining room. One day when I was there, she broke into “Old Rugged Cross.” We had been singing before dinner, so it was only natural she would want to continue belting it out. Not sure how those around would take to her cracking voice, it must have shown on my face. A man at the other table told me, “she serenades us often, she remembers all the words, how old is she anyway?” I told him and he said, “don’t you dare be ashamed of her.” Embarrassed, I told him, “OH No. I usually sing with her.”  I kept handing her food, so she would eat and not pass up the food she needed to keep her strong, so she looked at me saying under her breath, “anything to shut me up, huh?” I had to chuckle.

I brought my camera one day and recorded some of her songs. This one I share, When the Roll is Called Up Yonder. God bless Granny Walker Stephens.

* Allow for a large number of people to contribute to and share stored data
* Control access to data, based on user roles. User roles define what information each user can view or edit
* Aid in easy storage and retrieval of data
* Reduce repetitive duplicate input
* Improve the ease of report writing
* Improve communication between users

In a CMS, data can be defined as nearly anything – documents, movies, pictures, phone numbers, scientific data, etc. CMSs are frequently used for storing, controlling, revising, semantically enriching, and publishing documentation. Content that is controlled is industry-specific. For example, advertising agency content differs from the design documents for a cabinet maker. There are various terms for systems (related processes) that do this. Examples are web content management, digital asset management, digital records management and electronic content management. Synchronization of intermediate steps, and collation into a final product are common goals of each.

A very valuable way to have the client access the article and edit it in a moment’s notice without going through the webmaster. Many editors are similar to word processing programs. And because content is a major part of the web site, search engines can scan through the site catching keywords scattered through the copy.

Our family calendar has only been open to May for a few days, and already the sprawling weeks ahead of us are filling up with plans, trips, and activities.

With its long days and lovely weather, summer invites us to escape the walls of our homes and get out and about in our communities. I find that in order to really squeeze every ounce of potential from the summer months, I have to intentionally plan a little bit because those long, leisurely days float past in the blink of an eye.

What if, amongst the swimming lessons, weeks at camp, and family getaways this summer, we made time to intentionally connect with our communities?

Your time investment could be a little or a lot, but I assure you that the return on time invested will be greatly rewarded with meaningful memories.
Building Community Connections

1. Plan a block party.
Whether you live in a suburban neighborhood or an urban high-rise, summer is a great time to catch up with neighbors you’ve known for years and meet the new ones you haven’t yet met. As long as there is music, games, and food, it’s sure to be a much-appreciated event!

2. Form a guerilla gardening group.
Scout out locations that are in desperate need of floral intervention and transform the landscape of community eyesores. Sweet Juniper’s Bomb Detroit! will inspire you to action.

3. Bake for a cause.
In the past year, the food banks in our community have served more families than ever before. Organizations that provide relief for the underfed of our nation are always in need of support. Visit Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale for ways to plan a bake sale in your community to help.

4. Introduce the young to the young-at-heart.
Facilities that provide care for the aging always welcome visitors. Ask an activities director at a local care facility for ways that children and young people could interact with the residents of that facility. Music, craft time, performances — whatever you choose, it’ll be a blessing to all involved.

5. Organize a family book club.
Grown-ups rarely have a hard time finding a book club with which to meet, but wouldn’t it be fun to read a book as a family and then share thoughts and reactions with other families? Your material could be as thought-provoking as Kevin and Hannah Selwen’s The Power of Half or as light-hearted as Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls. Ask your local public librarians for ideas on how to organize and spread the word.

6. Step outside of your spiritual box.
Choose several days throughout the summer to attend services at a church of a different denomination than yours. Introduce yourself to the clergy, and listen for ways other churches are meeting the needs of your community. As a family, discuss the differences and similarities you found between the churches you visited and your home church.

7. Form a 5K team.
5K events are a popular way to raise money for foundations and charities and are generally plentiful in the summer months. Invite other families to train for and participate with yours in a local event. (Cool Running and Runner’s World are great resources for finding events.) 5K events nearly always welcome walkers as well as runners, so children as young as preschoolers could be a part of the training team!

8. Be part of the solution to a community problem.
If your children are old enough, talk with them about what they see as a problem or issue in your community which doesn’t seem to receive much attention. Investigate the road blocks on the path to a solution, and if possible, begin the process of solving the problem.

9. Organize a community stuff swap.
Create a face-to-face version of Freecycle! Invite the community to find new homes for the stuff they no longer need.

10. Host an outdoor movie night.
Community connections don’t have to be serious work — we don’t always have to be serving a higher cause. Sometimes the best way to connect is to just have fun with those around us. Allow Eren of Vintage Chica to inspire you with How To: Outdoor Movie Night.

Sure, there are plenty of days left to enjoy springtime! But it’s also good to make time for that which is important to us. If meaningful connections are part of your summer plans, perhaps your family will be inspired to start dreaming big for the days ahead.

Copyright C.Tyson 2010

Spring flowers are so refreshing after a long winter stretch. My mother has a beautiful garden that shows the thought and care she puts into it weekly. I remember the big box of bulbs that came in the mail last fall. After painstaking hours of digging, planting, watering, and probably praying after the late frost, beautiful colors have rose from the flower bed. Many drive by and enjoy what her hard work has bloomed. So this I share with you, too.

As the days pass in the Panhandle of Texas, we know at least there will be color surrounding us, even if another blanket of white snow interrupts. “Thanks Mom!”

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