Sue Edwards

Happy Blogging about Whatever . . .

Holiday Eating Tips (”Tongue-In-Cheek” of course)

Posted by Sue in General, Inspirational thoughts

I received these tips from my good friend (who of course has the perfect body so she can get away with all of this), “T” Neighoff.

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It’s rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

3. if something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’ re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:

“Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO what a ride!”

Have a great holiday season !

A Great Place for a Party

Posted by Sue in About me, General

One of the most fun and demanding jobs I ever had was as a yacht charter broker.  In Annapolis and Baltimore (Maryland) entertaining on a yacht is one of the most prestigious ways to throw a great party.  I’m not talking fishing boats here - I’m talking classic wooden yachts that are reminiscent of the Great Gatsby era.

Map of the beautiful Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is a perfect locale for yacht parties.  It is the largest estuary in the US and covers about 65,000 square miles, with more than 150 rivers and streams draining into the 200+ miles of the Bay. Many of the rivers feeding into the Bay are extraordinarily beautiful and have enough deep-water for larger yachts to cruise.

Imagine… you’ve been invited to a dinner cruise aboard a yacht by the owner of a company with whom you do business.  You arrive in plenty of time to board (remember, when going to a soiree on a yacht you don’t want to be late and “miss the boat”!).  You’re greeted at the gangway by the uniformed Captain (ladies - don’t you just love a man in a uniform?).  You’re all decked out and looking gorgeous (and you even found a beautiful pair of flat shoes so you’ll be comfortable, safe from tottering if and when the boat rocks a little and fashionable all at the same time) - and you remembered to bring your lovely wrap because you know it can get chilly on the water at night.

Upon boarding you’re offered a glass of fine champagne or the beverage of your choice by a professional server.  You’re made to feel very welcome and at home by the crew of the yacht.  You mix and mingle with the other guests, while sampling the fabulous hot and cold hors d’oeuvres being passed on silver trays by the friendly and knowledgeable servers.

Before leaving the dock, the Captain welcomes everyone on board and reviews safety procedures (this is a good thing and required by the Coast Guard).  Before you know it, you’re underway.  There’s beautiful music playing in the background.  The food and beverages continue to flow.  The yacht has all of the comforts of home and you are invited to explore the below-decks, where the staterooms are located.  The Captain even lets you take the wheel and steer the yacht (a great Kodak moment!).

You cruise up a scenic river and ooh and ahh at the incredible waterfront mansions.  You cruise under the famous Chesapeake Bay Bridge at sunset and past the US Naval Academy.  At this point you’re invited into the salon to enjoy the scrumptious dinner buffet that has been prepared by the fine crew or caterer.  The menu has been thoughtfully planned to be easy to eat without requiring the use of a knife (as you’ll be able to take your meal to your favorite spot on the yacht to enjoy).

Would you like more of the hand-carved tenderloin or another famous Maryland crabcake?  The server will be happy to bring you a second serving.  Would you care for another glass of champagne?  Your wish is their command.

But wait, there’s dessert - the most delectable assortment of miniature French pastries you’ve ever seen, which will be brought to you on a silver tray.  And, coffee or cognac to accompany your dessert.

As the sun sets, you relax on the bow (that’s the pointy end, in the front) of the yacht and truly (maybe for the first time ever?) relax and unwind.  The cool night breeze and the utter stillness of the waters of the Chesapeake work their magic on your soul. You never want this night to end.

But, alas, all things must come to an end and the yacht gracefully returns to her dock.  As you disembark the Captain hands each woman a long-stemmed white rose as a memento of their marvelous evening.

Make sure you get the business card of the charter agent (that was me - surreptitiously running around making sure everything was perfect) so you can plan your next party aboard a beautiful yacht like this!

The Classic Motor Yacht, "High Spirits"

Yes, that was the life I led before my son came along.  And, yes, I just might consider going back to that fabulous life (and the huge amount of work it was) when I move back to Baltimore in 2013.

An “Aesop’s Fable” for Business (& Life!)

Posted by Sue in General, Inspirational thoughts

A few years ago, there was story going around about a farmer who won a particular category in the Nebraska State Fair four years in a row, which is apparently unheard of there. The local newspaper sent a reporter to interview the farmer to find out what he did to achieve such a feat.

The reporter asked, “What’s your secret? Do you have any special corn seed?”
The farmer replied, “Absolutely, I develop my very own corn seed.”
The reporter said, “Okay, so that’s your secret - you developed your very own corn seed.”
And the farmer said, “No, not particularly.”
The reporter exclaimed, “I don’t understand. What’s your secret, then?”
The farmer said, “Well, I’ll tell you. I develop my own seed, and then I give it to my neighbors.”
The reporter said, “Huh? You develop your own seed and then give it to your neighbors? Why would you do that?” The reporter was incredulous - why would anyone in his right mind develop his own award-winning seed and then just give it away??
The farmer said, “You don’t understand how corn is pollinated. It’s pollinated from neighboring fields, and if you have fields around you that don’t have top-quality corn, then your own fields are not going to grow top-quality corn. But if my neighbors’ fields have strong corn, then I’ll have awesome corn! That’s how I won the Nebraska State Fair four times in a row.”

(Adapted from “Success From Home” magazine, Vol.4, Issue 10, Oct 2008, p109, Plus Publishing)

Are we in for a harsh winter? New weather predictors

Posted by Sue in General

The weather here in Maryland has been blessedly mild for the past several years.

This past summer was the best I can remember - only one week in May where the heat and humidity took your breath away when you went outside.  The rest of the summer was wonderful - not too hot during the day and then it cooled off enough at night so you could sleep.

We haven’t had a bad winter (defined by me as lots of cold and snow) in at least the last 5 years.  So, the pessimists keep saying “We’re due for a doozy.”  And the way they tell is by the woolley caterpillars (very scientific, don’t you think?).

I learned of two other “predictors” that, in my opinion, may be more accurate.

One of the UFirst agents I work with has several horses.  She told me that this year their winter coats started coming in way earlier than usual and are much thicker than they have been in prior years.

Another gentleman I met at an insurance Continuing Education class told me that, on his farm, he has had a “bumper crop” of walnuts.

Both people told me that nature prepares her creatures ahead of time so that they can “weather the storm”.  So Betsy’s horses will be warm enough and Fred’s squirrels will have enough to eat.  I think these are much more accurate predictors than whether caterpillars are black or brown.

What are you doing to prepare for the weather ahead?  (I wish that nature would motivate my husband to finish weather-proofing the windows and doors!)

Hectic Week, Branding Article, Cool Software & Inspiration

Posted by Sue in General

Many hours were spent this week at the computer and buried in papers!  Dual priorities made it tough but I got both done - didn’t sleep much, didn’t meet with any prospective UFirst clients - but I got all of my tax info from 2007 organized, logged, filed and to my accountant to meet the Oct 15 deadline.

The second priority was making revisions to my business website, www.GPSforFinances.com and I wanted to complete them this week because my site is entered in a contest.  It was determined during a review with the instructor of my internet marketing course that my site lacked branding - at least at the entry point.  After pondering this, I realized that, though I had an excellent theme in relating the Money Merge Account program to a GPS, tying that in with “life’s financial highway” and some stock photos, it really had no real branding.  So I struggled with how to brand my site, while working within the confines of the web designer we’re using, which is good but does have some limitations - particularly the template I chose.  Here’s an article I found about branding websites (other than the funky characters in the text, it has some good points).

One of my fellow students recommended a downloadable program called SnagIt. What a totally cool program!  You can “snag” images - from your own files or from websites - which means you “cut” and make a copy of the image that you can then edit in a gazillion ways, add text to, overlay with other snagged images and then save to upload into other programs, with very professional-looking results.  I’m having a blast with this program!!!  It appears that the program has a free trial for the first 30 days and then the purchase price is $49.95.  It got excellent reviews, and I would say it’s worth the price if you work much with images.

The inspiration I had was regarding the theme of my website and how it ties in with my interests, my love of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and this blog with the little paper boat.  I used the theme of vehicles and a GPS - well, it dawned on me that they’ve been using GPS’s on ships, yachts and boats for longer than they have in cars!  So, I may do another website about the Money Merge Account program and the GPSforFinances, but go with the theme of “navigating the turbulent seas” of personal finances - debt, retirement, college, mortgages.

What do y’all think?

Well, my family is off to Massanutten, in Virgina, for a little long weekend getaway.  “Til next time - make it a great day!

John Tesh

Posted by Sue in About me, General

I had an unexpected opportunity Saturday night (thanks to my fellow UFirst agent, Earl) to see John Tesh in concert at the beautiful, historic Maryland Theatre (check it out - it’s 93 years old! with lots of naked cherubs hanging around - but then please come back) in Hagerstown, MD.  What a great concert!  He interacted a lot with the audience and had some very funny Read the rest of this entry »