Reviews are like art, they are subjective. If you depend on reviews to help you decide where to stay, where to vacation, which business to use or product to buy, you may be lending yourself to feelings and emotional opinions of others. I personally don’t place much value in reviews. Think about it. You go somewhere and get a mediocre lunch; you’re disappointed but decide you’ll give the restaurant another try before writing them off completely. However, the next stop on your list of errands finds you in line, 10 people back, in an understaffed business. You stand there becoming more and more upset at the time it costing you and now you have time to think about the “not so good” lunch you just paid for. By the time you get out of the line, you find yourself extremely upset not only by the excessive wait in line, but by the awful lunch you just had. Now you decide to write a review about the restaurant and your lunch. You say the meal was horrible and that you may not ever return. Your frustration from the long wait in line colored your remembrance of what the lunch was like. Frustration influenced your review.

Let’s look at another reason reviews are tainted. I may stay in a hotel that is clean and smells fresh, but is small and doesn’t have a double sink in the bathroom. I write a review stating the cleanliness and clean linens. Someone else, however, might be completely oblivious to the cleanliness of the room because there was only one sink. To them, that was a deal breaker, to me, it might have been a slight inconvenience, but it wasn’t a deal breaker. Are you following me now? We all know those people who are never satisfied, think how their reviews will always read.

Remember, many reviews are influenced strongly by “feelings” not reality. Also remember that there are those that are never satisfied! Do not let reviews rule where you go, what you do or who does work for you. Word of mouth, suggestions of friends, actually experiencing and then reviews are the best decision making ways to make an informed decision!

Go fly a kite!

Oh my goodness, this kite will make you feel so relaxed! Take a look at this video, so calming.

https://www.facebook.com/nerdbotmedia/videos/615779941919789

March is just around the corner and of course we all know March is the best time to fly a kite with the extra breeziness of the early spring season. So, I feel very good about telling all of you to “go fly a kite” and enjoy yourselves. Do you remember putting the kits together as a kid, the sticks fitting into the pre-made slots on the plastic kite? Getting just the right amount of bow in the stick and the tail, we can’t forget about the tail. The length of your kite tail had to be just right so it would take flight and stay in the air. Now as a kid, I didn’t have such an elaborate kite as this one, but back then it’s all we knew and it was a truckload of fun, not to mention it was great exercise with all the running and running, did I mention running, to get the kite off the ground and up in the air!

Now I know everyone that reads my blogs are intelligent people, probably bordering on genius, but I will just mention that if you see lines attached to poles and there is a big metal apparatus nearby, you might not want to fly your kite in that area. It will light up your life and not in a good way…so stay away from power lines!!

Find your local retailer or shop online for a kite, make sure it’s an amazing one like the one in the video, then grab your child, someone else’s child (better get permission from the parent, otherwise you might be misunderstood) or just get in touch with your inner child…and have an awesome, amazing time.

Happy flying!

The weather might be turning chilly, but McCullough's Tree Service is out working hard! This job at the University has us working hard and reaching heights for a great view. 

What’s your plan? I once thought I wanted to sell everything and hit the open road, the problem was I couldn’t get my spouse on board. I would talk about all the wonderful travels and adventures we would experience, the places we would see and how we would never have to see snow again! Living in Ohio, that’s a big deal. I would further try to entice him by saying things like, if we don’t like the weather, we can just get in the RV and head to another state. He never seemed very excited about that prospect of becoming gypsies. I was ready, just say the word and let’s go. Then…he became very interested in the idea and suggested we talk about in a much deeper way, so we did. We discussed putting the money back from the sale of our house and having it available for the “just in case” situations and we talked about working part-time because we actually wanted to retire before we could collect Social Security and we talked about our children and grandchildren, our friends, other family members, our church family and lots of deep and important things. My husband said his greatest concern was that we would not feel like we were ever really “home” when we were on the road, and that in selling our house, we wouldn’t have a “home” to come home to. I told him I never worried about that, I explained how life on the road would make us free spirits and that our RV would become our home. We took several walks and had lots of talks about it and then…it happened, he started looking for RVs and I started worrying about missing home and missing our family and what if I missed my house and it was sold and what would we do then. I turned into him! So…we took another walk and I told him that now I was thinking differently about everything. I expressed my concerns and he looked at me and said, “yep, I knew you would start to change your mind if you gave it a little thought”, so now retirement looks differently to me. I guess I won’t become a gypsy with a free spirit, I guess I’ll just be a normal retiree. What does your retirement dream look like? Have you given it any thought? Are you financially prepared to do it the way you want? I hope so, I hope you do something fun and exciting and I hope you don’t let practicality clip your free spirit wings and I hope you never lose your gypsy soul!

This blog borrowed from a fellow blogger.

Having a small backyard flock of chickens is a growing trend in countries around the world. And it is not just country folks who enjoy raising chickens, more and more cities are relaxing their laws and ordinances and allowing chickens, so city dwellers can enjoy this pleasant hobby too. Many celebrities such a Jennifer Aniston, Barbra Streisand, Miley Cyrus, Chevy Chase, Reese Witherspoon and Martha Steward raise backyard chickens. So why are pet chickens so popular? Let's have a look at some of the benefits of raising backyard chickens.

Chickens are not just for pet purposes...Meat birds (Cornish Cross) are usually processed around the age of 7 – 9 weeks.  So after feeding them for only 2 months, you can stock your freezer with your own wonderful, fresh, home-grown meat.

- When you raise your own chickens, you know what went into the meat and eggs.  It’s a safer and healthier alternative to factory farmed poultry and eggs.

- The meat of farm-raised chicken has significantly less fat (and fewer calories) than typical store-bought chicken. 

- Backyard and free ranged hens produce eggs that are very nutritious and great tasting. Not to mention they are always fresh! Free ranged and backyard hens' eggs are also much healthier than battery hens' eggs.

- Chickens make great pets for children and great 4H projects.

- They are friendly, easy to manage, low maintenance and can be kept as house pets as well.

- Chickens are a food source. Hens will provide you with wonderful fresh eggs and cockerels (and retired hens) can be processed and eaten.

- Chickens are entertaining and keeping and spending time with your feathered friends, or just, "watching chicken TV", can be rewarding and at times very funny.

Free range chickens are excellent, hardworking gardeners 

 - Once you’ve harvested everything you want from your vegetable garden, your chickens will happily clear the beds, scratching out and eating unwanted weeds, slugs and seeds and fertilizing the soil while they're at it.

- Own an orchard or a few fruit trees? Chickens will devour the fallen fruit before it can attract insects. 

- Chicken manure contains high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

- Chicken manure is more economically valuable than synthetic fertilizers.

- Chicken manure can be used to make fertilizer tea.

- Chickens love digging and scratching around in compost heaps and composting with chickens can be very beneficial for your compost heaps too.

- Chickens will happily take care of crickets, grass hoppers, snails and other pests.

And for bored chickens…

The Chicken Swing Reduce coop boredom and provide an activity for all breeds and ages of chickens with The Chicken Swing, which is fun–and fun to watch! For best results, introduce the swing to young fowl. However, chickens of all ages have been known to take up swinging. Features: Fun activity to reduce coop boredom Swinging motion is enjoyed by the chicken as well as the people who watch them swing. 

This tree company “went the extra mile” to save some baby woodpeckers! The company was called to take down a tree, when the tree was down they realized there were two baby woodpecker in a knot hole. So they did the most humane thing they could think of, they duct taped the portion of the tree with the babies in it to the tree next to where the old tree had stood. Minutes later…mama was back feeding the little ones. Heartwarming story of kindness and humanity! McCullough’s Tree Service gives a huge thumbs up to this tree company!

It’s that time in the summer months when we are picking great vegetables from our gardens or visiting the local farmer’s markets to enjoy someone else’s fruits of labor! When you crunch into fresh cucumbers or slice into that rich red tomato, you know all your hard work was worth it! Planting a garden and reaping the harvest is a lot like owning a business.

If you’re a business owner, then you know there’s a lot of hard work that goes in to making a business a huge success. You invest time, money and sometimes sweat equity to get things going and get your name out there. The payoff comes when you have happy clients or customers and you know that you are providing a service or product they can’t do without! Maybe you’re the jeweler selling that one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry, or the tree business that removes a tree that fell during a storm, or a capable waste removal and recycling business that handles all the details of keeping your company in compliance with the EPA. Whatever you do, put your whole heart into it and be a great success.

Reaping the harvest can be very rewarding, whether it’s smiling faces around your dinner table enjoying the summer bounty or happy and satisfied customers reaping the bounty of your hard work, there is great satisfaction in working hard and making others happy! Make sure you’re a fruitful person and that your fruit is the highest quality!

Borrowed from a fellow blogger.

Gluten free, low fat and protein packed! Cicadas are edible! There are recipes in this link I have provided for you, if you have the stomach for it.

This excerpt gives you a little insight as to what your Cicada filled dinner will taste like…I like to think of them as candy since they suck the sap from tree roots, trust me, it would be the only way I could even give them a try!

Cicadas spend most of their lives underground sucking sap from tree roots. The plant-based diet gives them a green, asparagus-like flavor, especially when eaten raw or boiled, according to Kristky, who prefers his Brood II bugs blanched and tossed into a leafy green salad like chunks of chicken.

Another devourer of Cicadas has this to say…

"Right now, craft cocktails are a big deal, so a cocktail with a candied cicada in it would be a good update," she said. The next day, she had the recipe in hand:

Red Eyes

2 shots vodka

½ shot Campari

½ shot extra-dry vermouth

1 shot fresh orange juice

So this recipe might work for me considering it has a fair amount of alcohol in it. Either I would be thinking that the alcohol would kill anything the bug might have on it, or I would be thinking if I drink enough of the alcohol; the bugs in my drink won’t matter.

Now just when you were thinking you’ll give it a try, you have to remember that the Cicadas can be bad for you if they are gathered in an area that has had pesticides and herbicides used to control weeds and pests.

Another thing to consider before digging into your Cicada casserole is that you could be allergic to them; just like shrimp…check it out with your doctor first if you have severe food allergies.

Okay, now I know your mouths are watering and you can’t wait to get started planning your Cicada Buffet. Invite your friends and family, especially the ones that really “bug” you. Let them feast for a few minutes, then tell them you decided to try something different…you might want to have a few trash cans handy. Bon appetite!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/04/130515-cicadas-recipes-food-cooking-bugs-nation-animals/

 - This blog borrowed from a fellow blogger

This Sunday, June 19^th, is Father’s Day. Did you or do you have an amazing father? Maybe it was a step-father, a God-father or a great mentor that filled the shoes of “Dad” in your life. It really doesn’t matter the title, it’s the dedication, love, and support that is important.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or how old your father is, time spent together is desired by both of you. Be sure this Father’s Day that you sit down and share a memory or two with your Dad.

Gifts can sometimes be hard to select each year, but no Dad, young or older would turn down a handmade birdhouse or bird feeder. How about a subscription for his favorite magazine or a gift certificate to his favorite place to eat? For the younger kids…there’s always something you can do that doesn’t cost anything, here’s a few good ideas, wash his car, make him a great snack, make a card, write a story about his childhood (if you don’t have all the facts, make up something really funny) or clean the garage.

Dad’s come in many forms. If someone wonderful touched your life in a very special way…honor him this Sunday in a way he’ll never forget!

You know, the millennial generation appears to be setting the trend in fashion, preservation, green living and social media…but when you really think about it the generational lines are blurred in many areas of life. We all like to be trendy in what we’re wearing whether it is clothing, jewelry or otherwise, so we tend to watch what others are doing in the world of fashion. The millennials are setting the trend, but eventually it shows up on all generations...and for many of us; we experienced the same fashion trends that are popular today, back in the seventies!

When you think about living green, living tiny and saving the planet, it appears that the millennials are setting the pace in these areas too, but baby boomers and beyond have been “downsizing” for years.  Living tiny is the same thing as downsizing, just different words to describe it. Back in the sixties many were protesting the unnecessary use of chemicals and the mass clearing of forests and woodlands, and just like to today, creating new ways to preserve our planet. Repurposing, recycling and reusing…all words that could have been used to describe the way our grandparents lived. You didn’t throw anything away and you always found another purpose for those things!

Past generations preserved the trees around them, this generation plants to create new trees and woodlands for generations to come.  Although they may not talk in excess about things like trees, they do see the beauty and necessity of them, and if you listen closely to conversations you’ll hear what you least expect.

So even though we are generations and years apart…people are still people. It might look like millennials are only interested in themselves, but they care about the past and they value the traditions and those who created the traditions. Ask them about their family, their grandparents, a favorite Aunt or Uncle or mentor…it won’t take long to find out they are a lot like you and I!

This blog is written by a non-millennial…obviously!