Archives for August 2014

Old Irish Road Signs – Giveaway

August 31, 2014 by Irish American Mom 94 Comments

Old Irish road signs are an instantly recognizable feature from Ireland and times past. Only a few originals actually remain in place on our roads today, mostly in isolated and rural areas.

Luckily some original street name signs can still be seen in towns and buildings throughout the country.

These distinctive white and black signs truly are a symbol of Ireland, especially for those who now live far away from home. I’m delighted to say that once again these old Irish signs are being crafted in Ireland. Anthony Proctor, from Moone Co. Kildare started a new company called Old Irish Road Signs to recreate these treasured symbols of Ireland’s past.

Today I’m thrilled to publish a guest post by Anthony, explaining his inspiration for creating these beautiful pieces. Anthony has graciously sponsored a giveaway for one lucky reader. More details on how to enter are at the end of this post, but first here’s the story of how Anthony started making these signs.

The Story Behind Old Irish Road Signs

by Anthony Proctor

When the original cast iron signs were replaced most were destroyed or recast into other stuff. But they also became collector items and a nostalgic reminder of ‘Home’, especially for people far from home.

Some were ‘saved’ from destruction and then turned up in gardens, pubs and anywhere that Irish people settled – worldwide.

I live in a village in Co. Kildare called Moone. I always wanted some signs in my garden but since they were so scarce there was no hope of finding any and definitely not with accurate mileage. There was no option but to make some. I made 2 exact replicas of Moone and Castledermot signs and then added accurate mileage from my home. The significance of these are Castledermot is my home town and Moone is my wife’s home.

Such was the immediate reaction from people on seeing these signs I was soon making signs for lots of people. First locally, then nationally and now I make and ship them worldwide.

The signs have been used for decoration in many different areas such as gardens, patios, homes, pubs, schools and businesses. Given as gifts for every occasion, these signs have an added nostalgic attraction for people who actually remember the originals.

Every sign means something – most commonly it is a customer’s home town or a loved one’s home. They can also be historical or functional, and one has even been fictitious . But on receiving each sign people always smile – and remember!

No one likes leaving home and the longer they are away, it seems the more they look for a reminder or link to home.

These signs are a constant reminder of our origins and I have added family crests to some signs for people who want something a little different , but equally attractive. If you have an idea for a sign I would be happy to discuss the options.

The signs I make are exact in size and detail to the originals. All have bilingual text and any mileage (accurate or fictitious) can be added as standard. Here are some specifications and details:

The signs are 250mm (10 inches) high and the average length is 750mm long (30 inches).
Length will vary depending upon the number of letters in the chosen name.
The letters are individually handmade and bonded to each sign.
The English text lettering is 75mm (3 inches) high.
The Irish text is 35mm (1 1/2 inches) high .
All signs are 6mm (1/4 inch) thick.
Celtic style lettering is also available for the Irish translation on any sign.
The white backround of the sign is 11mm (1/2 inch) thick.
The material the signs and letters are made from is called ‘foamex’. It is a pvc material. Completely weatherproof in all conditions, it is also uv resistant. It won’t fade.
These signs require no maintenance. But, good news, they can be washed with soap and water if necessary.
The signs can be single or double sided and double sided signs come complete with a powdercoated bracket (no maintenance).
The weight of a single sided sign is approx 800grms and a double sided with bracket weighs approx 2.5kg. This makes them easy to handle and to ship anywhere using standard post.
The average cost of a sign is €65 for single sided, and €85 for double sided. Postage costs around €25.

Recently I have also added another ‘Irish’ product. A Post box featuring the Irish harp and ‘An Post’ on the front. The family name can also be added on top if required. They are also made from 11mm foamex, and are fully lockable and weatherproof. The standard size box is for A4 size mail. I can also ship these worldwide.

The green and gold is the standard colour but I can also do black, blue or red. They are easy to fix to a pole, wall or gate.

All the signs and post boxes are made in my home in Moone, Co.Kildare, Ireland.

The appeal of the signs and the post boxes are their unique connection to Ireland. We all want ‘a little piece of home’ no matter where we are. We want to make our little patch ‘just like home’.

There is nothing better than seeing a familiar sight, sign or even taste to remind us of where our heart is. We stand and stare when we come across them. There’s no place like home.

I hope these signs make that connection for you because I love making them, especially knowing they stir lovely memories of home for so many people.

The stories behind these signs, the people and the destination are always so heart warming. There are places I’ve never heard of in Ireland and I’ve sent them to places I’ve never heard of abroad. So it’s been an education and an opportunity to keep a little piece of the past alive.

If any readers would like to contact me for any reason or for more information , I would be delighted to reply, and answer all queries.

My Facebook page is called – Old Irish Road Signs and where you will find lots more examples of signs and products to browse through.

I can be contacted by e-mail:

[email protected]

phone – 011 353 86 3919162

The Giveaway:

Anthony from Old Irish Road Signs has generously donated a single sided sign as a prize for one of Irish American Mom’s readers. I think these signs would make wonderful Christmas gifts.

To enter our giveaway just leave a comment on this blog post by noon on Sunday, September 7th, 2014. You can leave any comment you wish. What you write does not affect your chances of winning.

If you need some inspiration, why not tell us what name or location you would like to have inscribed on your sign should you win.

A winning comment will be chosen randomly. Remember to leave your e-mail so I can contact you to arrange shipping of the prize. Your e-mail won’t be published or shared, just used to contact our lucky winner.

The winner will be announced on Sunday September 7th, 2014 at the end of this post.

Best of luck to all our entrants and a big thank you to Anthony Proctor for sponsoring this fantastic prize for Irish American Mom’s readers.

September 7th, 2014 – We Have A Winner:

Congratulations to Patricia Awen Fey O’Luanaigh, who is our lucky winner.

Thanks to everyone who joined in and enter this little giveaway. It was lovely to read everyone’s comments and learn of all the wonderful places in Ireland that readers hold dear to their hearts.

And a big thank you to Anthony Proctor for sponsoring this wonderful prize. Wishing him every success with his business.

Slán agus beannacht!

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Disclosure of Material Connection: Irish American Mom receives a road sign for review purposes. I do not receive cash payment for publishing guest posts, but do so to help spread the word about home businesses and artists. Thank you to all who support Irish and Irish American crafts people and their wonderful enterprises.

The Wild Atlantic Way

August 25, 2014 by Irish American Mom 16 Comments

Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way stretches from West Cork to Donegal, hugging the rugged coastline. Around every twist and turn of its rural roads, tourists can experience some of the most spectacular scenery in the whole wide world.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46056098@N00/301753033/in/photostream/ — Cromwell Point Lighthouse, Co. Kerry

Image Credit

So many words come to mind when trying to describe the sheer magnificence of this scenery – wild, untamed, breath-taking, dramatic, dazzling, and dare I say it, the Wild Atlantic Way is just plain awesome.

Anyway, enough of the descriptors. Here’s a sneak peak of Ireland’s wondrous, western coastline. This infographic was beautifully crafted by the good folks at Emerald Elite Travel. I love their specially chosen photos of some of the highlights along the route.

And so welcome to the longest defined coastal drive in the world…….

Image Courtesy of Emerald Elite Group

Here’s to creating wonderful memories along the Wild Atlantic Way. Wishing everyone happy travels in Ireland.

Slán agus beannacht!

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Cheesy Mushroom Potato Bites

August 19, 2014 by Irish American Mom 10 Comments

Irish cheddar and mushroom potato bites are tasty little appetizers, that can even double up as a side dish. These versatile little morsels are perfect for parties, especially Irish themed celebrations.

Preparation can be completed ahead of time. The only step required at party time is to pop them in the oven until the cheese melts with ooey gooey goodness.

This recipe is similar to ones for loaded baked potatoes, but rather than using a big, old Idaho potato, these scrumptious little mouthfuls call for baby red potatoes.

Boil the spuds first, scoop out the flesh, mix in some extra deliciousness, reload the skins, sprinkle with cheese, bake and here ya go!

They really are simpler than they sound.

Ingredients for Cheesy Mushroom Potato Bites:

15 small read potatoes
8 ounces of shredded white cheddar cheese
4 ounces of butter (halved)
2 tablespoons of milk
8 ounces of chopped button mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
parsley to garnish

First step involves boiling up those potatoes. I like to steam mine. When they’re cooked I just turn off the ring and let them cool in the pot. If you boil them, once the spuds are fork tender, strain them, then leave them to cool so that you won’t burn your fingers when you scoop out the flesh.

Next chop up the mushrooms into fairly fine pieces. Then mince the garlic. While the potatoes are cooling cook up the mushrooms.

Turn the oven on to 425 degrees F. to pre-heat at this point.

Melt half the butter in a skillet over medium heat.

Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic and cook in the butter for about 3 minutes.

Add the chopped fresh thyme leaves.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle cut each one in half. Now you want to be able to lay the potatoes on a flat surface so don’t cut them directly in the center where the potato is shortest. Hold the spud so the pointier end is up and slice down through it. That way you’ll have a flatter surface on which to balance the potato shell.

Next scoop out the center of each potato half using a melon baller. Put the scooped flesh into a mixing bowl. Now don’t scoop right down to the skin or your appetizers will fall apart. Leave enough flesh so the sides are well supported.

I line up the skins on a foil covered baking sheet, that I spray with a little oil. Cheese will ooze everywhere when you cook these babies so the foil makes clean up a cinch.

Mash all the potato flesh in the bowl, add the milk and the other half of the melted butter.

Season with pepper and salt.

Add about 2/3’s of the cheese, reserving the last third to sprinkle on top of the appetizers.

Next add the cooked mushroom mixture and combine everything together.

Now you’re ready to reload those potato skins.

I use my melon baller once again, to refill the potato shells with this scrumptious mixture.

Once they’re all loaded there’s one final step, and for me it’s the crucial step to ensure these little morsels are extra tasty.

Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top of each potato bite.

I like to use Kerrygold Dubliner cheese. It is a really sharp, white cheddar, but I love the extra tang it adds to these little bites.

Bake the appetizers in the pre-heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

They’re ready when they cheese has melted and is turning a light golden brown.

If you prepare these appetizers ahead of time, and keep them refrigerated prior to cooking, they’ll require the full 20 minutes, maybe longer, to heat through.

Once they’re cooked I like to stand them on some paper towels to absorb any excess grease. Let them cool slightly before garnishing.

Serve these potato bites warm as party finger food, or they also make a lovely side for chops and steaks.

I hope you like these potato appetizes as much as I do. They’re hard to photograph well. I don’t think these shots do them justice.

Trust me the hint of thyme with the mushrooms and creamy potato filling is simply scrummy.

Wishing you all perfect parties, with plenty easy finger foods, that can be prepared ahead of time.

Here’s the printable recipe:

Cheesy Mushroom Potato Bites

Print recipe

Serves	15
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Total time	50 minutes
Meal type	Appetizer
Occasion	Casual Party
Region	Irish

Cheddar and mushroom potato bites are tasty little appetizers, that can even double up as a side dish. These versatile little morsels are perfect for parties, especially Irish themed celebrations.

Ingredients

15 Small red potatoes
8oz shredded white cheddar cheese
4oz butter
2 tablespoons milk
8oz mushrooms (chopped)
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
chopped fresh parsley (to garnish)

Directions

Step 1	Place the potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes for 20 minutes until tender.
Step 2	Drain the potato water and let the potatoes stand until cool enough to handle.
Step 3	Melt half the butter in a large skillet. Stir in the mushrooms and minced garlic. Sautée over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the chopped fresh thyme and turn off the heat.
Step 4	Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 5	Cut each potato in half. Scoop out the center of each potato using a melon baller, collecting the potato in a bowl. Put the potato shells to the side.
Step 6	Melt the remaining butter in the microwave for 15 seconds. Add to the potatoes with the milk. Mash together. Season to taste. Add 2/3's of the cheese and all of the mushroom mixture. Combine well together.
Step 7	Place the potato skins on a foil lined baking sheet, sprayed with cooking oil. Spoon equal amounts of the filling into each shell. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top of each potato.
Step 8	Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The appetizers are ready when the cheese is melted and turning a light golden brown color.
Step 9	Cool the potato bites on paper towels. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

Check out my complete recipe list here.

Slán agus beannacht!

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Introducing The Baltimore Irish Railroad Workers Museum Plus A DVD Giveaway

August 16, 2014 by Irish American Mom 26 Comments

When the Irish arrived en masse to the United States in the late 1840’s, many settled in Southwest Baltimore City. What made Baltimore, Maryland so appealing to immigrants was the hope of finding work on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad.

Their legacy is celebrated today at the Irish Railroad Workers Museum, an Irish American historic site in Baltimore. The museum officially opened on June 17th, 2002.

The Prize:

Today I’m delighted to sponsor a reader giveaway. The prize is a DVD, From Famine To Fortitude, produced by The Irish Railroad Workers Museum. It recounts the story of the Irish experience in Baltimore, and will appeal to history buffs, or Irish Americans with an interest in our ancestors’ journey.

Before I share the details of our giveaway, let me first tell you about my visit to this wonderful museum….

An Irish Tourist’s Experience In Baltimore, Maryland:

Two years ago my family took an east coast summer trip to visit New York, Washington DC, and to see our favorite soccer team, Liverpool, play a friendly game in Baltimore.

While there, I sneaked in a quick visit to “The Irish Shrine”. I should have remembered to leave my four kiddos with their Dad at the hotel. But being a good Irish American mom I thought I might introduce them to their heritage and possibly kindle within them a burning love of history.

Bad move. I should have known my trio of then five year olds, and eight year old son, wouldn’t have the slightest scrap of interest in a museum, unless of course it was a Children’s Museum with flashing lights, knobs to twist, levers to pull, and a plethora of interactive activities.

What’s happening to the world?

Kids are addicted to playing gadgets. An overexposure to electronics is dulling their minds, so that unless they are bombarded with snippets of visual stimuli, they are unable to appreciate the depth of knowledge before them. I’ll get off my soap box now, because let’s face it – that’s a topic for another day.

And to tell you the truth, I simply wasn’t thinking. My kids were just too young to really understand the wonderful experience offered at this quaint, little museum.

The reason it has taken me two years to share these photos is that they were just plain terrible. That is until now. I recently discovered the incredible power of photo editing, with lighting adjustments.

Little hands and fingers, heads and turned backs, which were ruining my shots have all been chopped and cropped. Bad lighting has been somewhat compensated for, and now I believe these photos are worthy of sharing, especially if they help spread the word about this urban, historical gem.

This site consists of a group of 5 alley houses, originally the homes of Irish immigrants who worked for the adjoining railroad. The museum is housed in two of these houses, at 918 and 920 Lemmon Street.

“The Irish Railroad Workers Museum

is part of a larger history-rich community,

unusual because it is still intact,

consisting of the places where the Irish lived,

worked, worshipped, and were buried.”

– Description from the Irish Railroad Workers Museum website

The homes in this historical district were slated for demolition back in 1997, but luckily a group of concerned citizens recognized these houses were not just bricks and mortar, but could be a surviving monument to the lives of the Irish who first called Baltimore home.

Thanks to their efforts and dedication this historical district still stands today and includes the B&O Railroad Museum, St. Peter the Apostle Church, the Hollins Street Market, and St. Peter the Apostle Cemetery.

This old chest of drawers is a treasure trove for anyone who enjoys a good immigrant tale. Within the drawers lie pictures of Irish men and women from days gone by. Each picture is linked to an audio recording, telling of that immigrant’s experience.

I could have spent hours listening to these stories, but alack and alas, it was not to be. I had listened to possibly two sentences of the first narration, when I had to interrupt with a gentle plea:

“Don’t touch that!”

followed shortly afterwards by a louder motherly yell:

“Don’t break that.”

My Irish accent bellowing from the top floor may have led visitors on the lower level to believe the place was haunted by an Irish motherly ghost from many moons ago.

Speaking of the supernatural, look at the middle portrait of the three, poised on the old trunk. I can’t remember if this old black and white photo was so eerie looking in real life, or if this is some illusion from my camera.

Or perhaps, she is an Irish mother of old, whose spirit was stirred by my crew’s high jinx. She was probably joining in my chorus, warning them not to lay a finger on anything.

My kids didn’t pay the slightest bit of attention to any of the beautiful memorabilia housed within the museum, until low and behold we went out to the small back yard.

And there it stood!

The highlight of our tour!

The one!

The only!

The OUTHOUSE!

The moment my kids laid eyes on this wooden cubicle, they were fascinated. I was flabbergasted. It took an unexpected encounter, with a rest room from days gone by, to stir my little ones’ interest in the past.

“But what if it was raining?” they asked.

“They ran for it,” I explained.

“And what happened in the snow?”

“Rain, hail or shine, this was the loo.”

The outhouse was a conversation piece for the rest of our trip.

I wish to extend my gratitude to the lovely gentleman who took us on our tour of this fabulous museum. I know I wrote your name on a little piece of paper, which got buried in the filing cabinet of my purse, never to be seen again.

Thank you for your patience, your kindness, and your wonderful lessons on the Irish American experience. I thoroughly enjoyed our chat.

And thanks for reassuring me, not to worry about my kiddos’ eagerness to keep moving on, and checking things out. You truly made our visit to The Irish Railroad Workers’ Museum a pleasure.

Above all, I appreciate the hours you volunteer to preserve the stories of our immigrant forefathers, who paved the way for us in this vast and amazing country.

The Giveaway:

While at the museum I purchased copies of the DVD From Famine To Fortitude: The Irish Experience in Baltimore. This wonderfully researched documentary tells the story of Irish immigrants who left Ireland at the time of the Great Hunger to make a new life in America.

To enter our giveaway just leave a comment on this blog post by noon on Saturday, August 23rd, 2014 at noon. You can leave any comment you wish. What you write does not affect your chances of winning.

If you need some inspiration, why not tell us if you have visited any Irish American historical site in the US that commemorates our ancestors.

A winning comment will be chosen randomly. Remember to leave your e-mail so I can contact you should you win. Your e-mail will not be published or shared, just used to for contact purposes.

The winner will be announced on Saturday August 23rd, at the end of this post. I’ll send the winner an e-mail so I can mail the prize.

Best of luck to all our entrants.

Saturday, August 23rd, 2014: – The winner of this DVD is Debbie Chartoff. Thanks to all who entered and supported this little giveaway.

Slán agus beannacht!

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Why Blogging Is Hard Work.

August 14, 2014 by Irish American Mom 26 Comments

I have learned many lessons since I first started blogging way back in October 2011. First and foremost, I now know that blogging is hard work, and involves a lot more than just writing.

1. Social Media and Marketing

You must write, and write plenty, but that’s just the beginning of a blogging journey. Nobody will stop by to read my brilliant, and sometimes not-so-brilliant words of wisdom, if I don’t let it be known I’m sharing my insights.

And how might I ask do I do that? Why social media and networking of course. The very words put the fear of God in me.

Yet over the past few years my website has come a long way. Thank you to all my Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest followers. This little blog would NOT be possible without YOU.

But as we spread the word about my writing, a never-ending cycle begins …..

The more you market and publicize ……

….. the more visitors come to my site.

The more visitors come to my site…..

…… the more server space I require.

The more server space required ……

……. the more money it costs.

The more money I don’t spend ……

……. the more my site crashes.

The more my site crashes……

……. the more visitors I lose.

And that’s where I must end this cycle. I don’t want to lose you, my readers.

If I don’t address problems, and sometimes throw money at them, all of my hard work could be for nothing.

2. Technical Glitches:

Now don’t worry, I’m an optimist not a pessimist, and I truly believe that for every problem there is a solution.

But in the interim …….

I’m never surprised when things go wrong.

I knew that at some point on my blogging journey, technical difficulties would inevitably raise their ugly little heads. Don’t forget I’m Irish, with an inherent respect for Murphy’s Law. That’s when I want to curl up in a little ball and cry out:

“But I know nothing about computer programming.”

Faced with the dilemma of whether to give up, or move on, I always choose to try to master new skills. Success is never guaranteed, teaching this old gal new tricks.

But, I’ve come too far to give up now, even if technical glitches try my patience. For example take a look around at my beautifully blue site.

I know!

Not very fitting for an Irish themed blog 🙂

But rest assured, I don’t particularly want blue backgrounds and fonts, but I completed a theme upgrade for my site and everything turned blue, including me. I’m trying hard to change it back to green. I won’t bore you with my trials and tribulations with plug-ins and widgets, but I know for sure, I’ll never earn my living as a WordPress programmer.

So while I’m working out how to go Irish green, bare with my blues. I was born in Dublin, so I suppose I can claim to be a “true blue Dub.”

3. The Business of Blogging:

All of these challenges have taught me a valuable lesson.

Blogging can turn into a little business in the blink of an eye.

As a little blog baby grows and grows, who feeds it? A growing blog needs marketing support, technical back up, accounting, security, policies, artistic creation, socializing, business development, advertising ….. I could go on and on.

Blogging turned into a little business for me before I knew where I was, and guess who tries to fill all the business roles in my little company. Yes! That’s me, and half the time I haven’t a clue what I’m doing, just learning to fly by the seat of my pants.

I started this blog for fun, but with increasing traffic I now need to pay for more server space, which means I need to do something to generate a little income, if I don’t want to totally raid my kids’ college funds.

Luckily, my little blog doesn’t need to generate income to feed my family. Phew! Right now it doesn’t even cover overheads, so we’d be starving if I was hoping to feed my hungry boys.

And so, when you see a few advertisements flashing away on the side bar of my site, please understand I’m just trying to keep the lights on.

Heart failure struck a few times, when I saw some wiggly, jiggly belly fat ads before my very eyes. Then to make matters worse, my mother reported some soccer betting ads were popping up on her side of the Atlantic, especially around the time of the World Cup.

I’m working with my advertising agencies, and fingers crossed all ads will be of a higher standard in future, but in the meantime, if a wobbly belly appears on your screen, I really do apologize.

4. Coping with Blog Anxiety:

My audience has started to grow, and I cannot thank you enough for visiting my little corner of the world wide web.But let me confess, that makes me feel a little nervous when I realize:

YIKES !!!!!

Readers want to read MY STUFF!

When I work on a post for a few days, and time comes to hit the “publish” button on my blog, my stomach goes a little queasy. I guess I worry that my ramblings may disappoint some of the wonderful readers who revisit my blog over and over again.

But then I think of what my granny would have said:

“Ah, just get over yourself!”

Believe me – my granny was a very straight-forward, no-nonsense kind of Irish gal. She milked over 60 cows on a daily basis. Now in the latter years she had a lovely milking parlor to make life “easy”, but she was milking cows right into her 70’s. When we would fuss about homework, her motto was:

“Just clap it down, and get on with life!”

So guess what? Granny’s advice wins out every time. I do just as she would tell me, and get over myself.

No more worrying! No more anxiety! And if today’s post isn’t good enough, then hopefully tomorrow’s will be a little better.

But believe me, your heart warming comments and e-mails go a long way to keep me motivated. It’s lovely to read your two cents worth at the end of my ramblings. Your heartwarming words are what makes all this hard work so worthwhile.

THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart.

Slán agus beannacht leat!

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Archives for August 2014

The Story Behind Old Irish Road Signs

by Anthony Proctor

The Giveaway:

September 7th, 2014 – We Have A Winner:

And so welcome to the longest defined coastal drive in the world…….

Ingredients for Cheesy Mushroom Potato Bites:

Cheesy Mushroom Potato Bites

Ingredients

Directions

Check out my complete recipe list here.

The Prize:

An Irish Tourist’s Experience In Baltimore, Maryland:

What’s happening to the world?

“The Irish Railroad Workers Museum

is part of a larger history-rich community,

unusual because it is still intact,

consisting of the places where the Irish lived,

worked, worshipped, and were buried.”

– Description from the Irish Railroad Workers Museum website

And there it stood!

The highlight of our tour!

The one!

The only!

The OUTHOUSE!

“But what if it was raining?” they asked.

“They ran for it,” I explained.

“And what happened in the snow?”

“Rain, hail or shine, this was the loo.”

The outhouse was a conversation piece for the rest of our trip.

The Giveaway:

Saturday, August 23rd, 2014: – The winner of this DVD is Debbie Chartoff. Thanks to all who entered and supported this little giveaway.

1. Social Media and Marketing

The more you market and publicize ……

….. the more visitors come to my site.

The more visitors come to my site…..

…… the more server space I require.

The more server space required ……

……. the more money it costs.

The more money I don’t spend ……

……. the more my site crashes.

The more my site crashes……

……. the more visitors I lose.

2. Technical Glitches:

I’m never surprised when things go wrong.

“But I know nothing about computer programming.”

3. The Business of Blogging:

Blogging can turn into a little business in the blink of an eye.

4. Coping with Blog Anxiety:

YIKES !!!!!

Readers want to read MY STUFF!

“Ah, just get over yourself!”

“Just clap it down, and get on with life!”

THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart.

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