One thing after another.

It seems to be growing at a pace similar to the tomato seedlings out back. I start a new job on Monday (yay), but it's no guarantee... Send good vibes my way! And come and buy an appliance from me too!

But most of all, the custody battle is really heating up. I knew it would get bad. I never sugar coated it to myself. Ever. He's the one that though that the PEW would be reasonable. Please. A favorite line of mine (yes it's from Dr. Phil), "Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior." The END. We haven't seen the girls in over a month because she is keeping them from us. I hope that works in our favor, but the court system is not always in the father's court.

So, I start a new job on September 1st. It's not exactly what I had in mind... Commissioned retail sales. Yikes. I think it could go either way. Either I'm going to be really good at it, or I'm going to really suck at it. I don't think there is a lot of gray area when it comes to being a successful sales person. Funny thing is that I got an email today from a fellow master gardener about a potential job out at Green Sky Growers in Winter Garden. They have a rooftop hydroponic business and it looks right up my alley.

The gardener and I are also trying to make progress in our own business venture. We've got a lot of plants started and we hope to start selling soon! We are going to try a few different things. Farmer's Markets, direct sales and delivery to people who want fresh veggies every week and potentially some local restaurants. Would any of you be interested in having a "Veggie Subscription"? We are still looking for ideas...

Ok, she's not giving away an alpaca, but she is giving away some yarn! Check out one of my favorite blogs.... It's all about Alpacas!!! "Made from the fiber of our alpacas, Earth Angel, who won a Blue Ribbon in the National Spin-off Competition, and her son, Bishop, who was a Champion herdsire. The skein is a natural white in color, 16 WPI. The skein is approximately 200 yds and weighs 4.0 oz."

Have any of you seen "Death at a Funeral"? It's a dark comedy that stars "Mr. Darcy"... It made me a bit uncomfortable, so I guess it's pretty good! Let me know what you think. Also, check out "Eulogy". That one is GREAT! Also a dark comedy but an interesting take on family dynamics.

The Knitmore Girls Podcast: Reflections and recessions - Episode 53 - The Knitmore Girls

For those of you who like to listen to podcasts about knitting, here is a whole list...

I'm a fan of Bob Parson's, the CEO of Godaddy. You've seen the racy Godaddy commercials during the Superbowl....including the ones with Danica Patrick.
Bob is a pretty controversial fellow. He's not politically correct and doesn't really care much what others think. I was reading in his blog about his "16 Rules To Live By". I thought they were great and wanted to share...
"1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone.I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."
2. Never give up.Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.
3. When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think.There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."
4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be.Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."
5. Focus on what you want to have happen.Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."
6. Take things a day at a time.No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through itif you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.
7. Always be moving forward.Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day,in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kai zen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.
8. Be quick to decide.Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."
9. Measure everything of significance.I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched,improves.
10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate.If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for awhile. I guarantee you problems will be there.
11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing.When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.
12. Never let anybody push you around.In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.
13. Never expect life to be fair.Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).
14. Solve your own problems.You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY,said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."
15. Don't take yourself too seriously.Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.
16. There's always a reason to smile.Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time!"

What's everyone listening to these days? I'm totally in love with Lily Allen and Adele right now. They are both from across the pond and have v. agreeable voices...

And in literature... I've been pretty interested in the idea of sustainability as of late. I'm in the middle of Ed Begley, Jr.'s book, "Living Like Ed". It's a book that he released after his TV reality series called, "Living with Ed". It's on Planet Green. I highly recommend watching this channel! It's highly entertaining.