On the Road Again

Time to finish up the packing for the Summer 2009 road trip. I love being on the road with my wife more than just about anything. While traveling, we invented two games that sooner or later, we will finalize the rules and share them with the world. Meanwhile, in this neck of the woods, a little north of Boston, it rained twenty-eight out of the thirty days in June. The picture to the right pretty much sums up the whole month.

We are headed to New Orleans to spend time with our wonderful family. I know that my wife cannot wait to give our grandson and big hug and a kiss. She will be known as "Bella" and I will be "Pop pop". We love it when we hear him say, "Byebye" and "Loveyu" on the phone. And I can't wait to see him and everyone else as well. New Orleans, here we come.

This is just a quick one as I wanted to touch base with y'all before heading out. And I simply had to share the photo. I hope to share more from the road.

Happy Birthday Dad

I was able to spend my father's birthday with him and to capture some of it on video. I got some footage of him talking about WWII with his friend Ron and me after we went out for dinner. I will have to figure out how to edit those videos, given the constraints of this blog. Meanwhile, this brief video sums up my visit with him. God bless.


By the way, while I am on the subjects of fathers and cancer, please check out http://dadity.wordpress.com/the-light-upstairs/ or http://www.brendynschneider.com for works by Brendyn Schneider (how I met him is another story) and to meet Joe and Heidi, a couple of new friends please check this site http://www.lifeonglencove.com/battling_cancer.aspx.

After Father's Day

Father’s Day is usually a time that I reflect about my dad and my role as a father. First, let us talk about my dad.

I had a chance to visit him again earlier this month. Usually, I try to visit either for his birthday or for Father’s Day. This year it was his birthday. He turned 89 on June 3. His health has declined somewhat since my last visit in March. In March, he was not able to leave the nursing home, but this time, we were able to get out for a ride to the store and hot dogs (Nathan’s Famous) at his apartment. The activity left him tired, but happy to spend some time away from his room and to enjoy the hot dog with onions, sauerkraut, mustard, and ketchup, along with some French fries. I was also able to go out for dinner with one of his friends. Our destination was Scrubby’s, one of my father’s favorite eateries. He loves the ribs there and is always on the look out for coupons to eat-in or take-out from Scrubby’s. One of his friends, Ron, was able to join us. After dinner, we had a long talk about WWII, some of which I hope to post here. Ron is pictured with my dad in the photo.

As I have thought a lot about my father lately, I realize that he has a very unique assortment of friends. Since my mother died in January 2001, these friends have been so important to my dad and also to me.

Stewart is from Jamaica and is probably about sixty years old. He cherishes the relationship that he and my dad have. They have been very close friends for about 9 years now. My dad was an usher at Stew's wedding. Stew is especially sensitive to how my dad is feeling and really watches over him. He visits and calls regularly and pays special attention to my father's needs. Together they form a formidable political team.

Denise is about forty. She has a son, Demetri who is about ten years old. Denis is from one of the islands, but I am not sure which one. She met my dad when he needed some in home care after an accident. Denise and my dad became good friends; she would help him out at the apartment and he would watch Demetri. My dad loves to stay in touch with them and appreciates every visit and phone call. Denise works as hard as anyone I know.

Ron is a Jewish man who loves camping and fishing. I question whether or not he really is Jewish. Ron is a gourmet chef and can tell you where to buy the freshest meats and dairy product, fruits and vegetables in the area. Ron is in his early sixties. He constantly keeps my dad supplied with good food, when he can. He made him some great chicken soup when my dad was not feeling well.

Pedro is about 45 years old. He is from Central America (Guatemala or Columbia) and has included my father in many family celebrations. One New Year's Eve, Pedro and his large extended family took my dad to party. They were out until about 3:00 AM. Even though Pedro has moved about fifty minutes away, he still picks up my dad's mail. He also has enjoyed going out to dinner with my father.

I don't know how to explain and eighty-nine year old man from the Bronx with these friends who have so little in common, except for their friendship. I guess that's it: friendship and how sustaining it is to our lives.

Happy Father's Day!

The So-called Warm Market

Thanks for coming! You made it this far and now there is just a little ways to go. I decided to change the focus of this blog, but keep it to its original intent, stories. If you know me personally, you know that the last two and one-half years have seen their share of highs and lows and a great deal of introspection. Much of the time has been spent on trying to make a living that is ethical, treats others and the environment with respect (is that redundant?), and provides some flexibility. The flexibility is for family and personal reasons.



As my so-called warm market, I want to share with you the following. But before I do, I must explain what a "warm market" is. Most would agree, at least anyone who has spent time in the Direct Marketing, Network Marketing, Multi-Level Marketing, and related trenches, would agree that one's warm market consists of friends, ex-coworkers, family, and members of groups and organizations that one belongs to. In theory, these are the folks who should trust you, respect your decisions, and enjoy your success just about as much as they may enjoy their own.




So over this time, I embarked upon a search of all things Internet, especially related to making a living. I explored endless numbers of "work-at-home" sites, "work-from-home" sites, and home-based businesses. I learned about social networking and have spent a lot of time on LinkedIn and Twitter, business web sites, the Better Business web site, and Ning, among others. And I used some of the functionality of AOL Desktop (Who owns this website?) in conjunction with the Better Business Bureau. I found some names that kept popping up. Every time I thought I found something worthwhile, Ann Seig would talk me out of it. I gave a lot of thought to one of the "hot" network marketing companies (Xango), but was about two years too late and even considered becoming an Independent Researcher or Associate. Ultimately, I landed on Bookwise.com and thought I found just what I was looking for. But Bookwise was to morph and morph again, finally becoming iLearning Global. I have learned a lot from this experience and from iLearning Global itself, a web site packed with great teaching and powerful tools for individual and organizational growth and development. As a bonus, it offers a business opportunity, as well. For information about this, please check: http://www.ilearningglobal.biz/stan2786

I also found myself thinking about other opportunities and I came upon one that I investigated thoroughly. This one is for people who are serious about personal health and the environment and are willing to make some minor changes in their lifestyle, thereby promoting a healthier planet. Again, this can include a business opportunity and in this opportunity, the support and training are available, literally 24/7, including personal coaching, Internet training, and homework to help you become successful. Check this site www.melaleuca.com and if you find that you are interested in the life changing products or the business opportunity, let me know.

In my next post, I will bring you up to date on my "real" work.

Best to all,

Stan