Blog Archives

My Pixel Pal, Jo

7/30/2012

Jo VonBargen...her poetry is as musical and resonate to me as the Italian language and my fingers on my cello. On second thought, my fingers are nowhere near as moving as her words. Thankfully, I found her through my first Pixel Pal, Bert, and she has welcomed me into her world with the natural, raw language that is uniquely hers.

Like all true voices of the human spirit, her work cannot be easily explained. Adjectives like transcendent, deep, soulful, beautiful, heartfelt, scary, painful, peaceful, moving and intimate are used, but to really understand, you must experience.

The Day Will Come, when you hopefully visit Jo in Texas through the pixels on your Kindle, Nook or computer, and you will use those same adjectives and know that she is "seasoned and wise."

Pick up any of her books, especially the latest, and you will wonder how you ever got through life without her words. Here is her Amazon page, Twitter handle and Blogs, so start following! Go ahead, I dare you. Open your mind and heart and you will certainly follow it to her, soul open in awe.

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

5 Comments

Confession of My Addiction

7/27/2012

4 Comments

Yes, I am addicted, and here is my supplier. He stays late for me to get my fix, because he knows I'm hooked. He offers me new blends of my drug, and I salivate at the mere mention.

Okay...sorry Dennis, I just had to be dramatic, you know me! Really, this is the best coffee I have ever tasted, hand roasted weekly by the nicest family. Dennis and Renee Planje have both been amazingly wonderful and accommodating to my addiction, and I have corrupted several of my own family members to become hooked on their Moka Java Roast - it has very soothing chocolate tones.

Four months ago, I found El Dorado Coffee & Tea Co. through an internet search after being completely underwhelmed by the grocery store coffee selection, and the unpredictable delivery of roasters as close as San Francisco and as far away as Italy. I personally visit Dennis every other week to get my 2lb. vacuum sealed bag of Moka Java - sometimes I buy two 2lb. bags when my father-in-law visits. I can run out of milk, bread or cereal, but NEVER coffee beans. Yes, I get whole beans...I even invested in a built in Miele coffee maker when we remodeled our kitchen three years ago, and this grind-and-brew one cup at a time appliance is still the most used. The true extent of my addiction is that my kids know how to turn on the coffee maker, and make me a cappuccino. In true Italian fashion, my youngest has a mocha once a week with half a shot. He loves coffee!

He's almost 11, okay?! Geez! It's not like I'm stunting his growth or anything! (I'm not, right?!)

El Dorado Coffee & Tea Co. delivers, you know, so I highly suggest you try their coffee. If you are not as addicted as I am, and you need ground coffee, they can do that. Just let them know what type of grind - French Press, Drip, etc. - and they will do all the hard work, all you need do is put it in your coffee maker! Tell them Mary sent you...not that it will get you any special treatment, because they treat everyone like family, but just 'cause it makes me feel good. ;-)

If you need another reason to shop at El Dorado Coffe & Tea Co. besides the quality products and great people, here you go: Renee co-founded Project2Love, an organization in partnership with the International Women's Coffee Alliance (IWCA) that helps create a channel for distributing women owned and grown coffee and tea products. Supporting these small farms allows their women owners to earn a living and feed their families. So, buy this coffee, and it will taste good and make you feel good at the same time (and I'm not just talking about the high of feeding your addiction, you'll also be feeding families).

Okay, I must confess that my motive in posting this is to spread my addiction far and wide. Addicts never want to get high alone, right?! But, seriously, if you like coffee, you will love this coffee...and you will never go back to Starbucks!

Just sayin' ~

UPDATE: Just so you know, I am not compensated in any way by El Dorado Coffee & Tea, and I buy my coffee from them with my own money. I will expect them to give away their wonderful product when Obama or any other President gives me a break!

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

4 Comments

Corner-copia

7/23/2012

8 Comments

The type of business commonly found on America's street corner hints to the focus of the society of the day. It also predicts our future. I'm sure at some time in our past, Blacksmiths were the center of our cities, and they foretold and helped create the corners of the future.

We see an interesting progression in our corners and ourselves during the second half of the Twentieth Century. Gas Stations and Fast Food Joints were prominent. They also predicted, or more likely created the future.

For the last 100 years our society would have thrown a rod in its collective transmission without fossil fuels. Gas stations on every corner led to our least populated states becoming our richest, and Presidential candidates being elected on the promise of cleaner energy. Gas stations, however, are now our crumbling cornerstones.

The post WWII boom produced many conveniences, and fast food restaurants (I think 'Fast Food Diner' fits better) are the ones that we anointed to occupy our corners. We all know the consequence - obesity rates followed the triglyceride rates of our favorite fare, and the chemical filled, gluten and hormone infused diet pumped the lifeblood of the next business to covet our corners.

Just drive your Prius, Leaf, Volt, Fusion, Fit or Insight with your fruit infused, zero calorie sparkling water in the cup holder around any mid-sized American city, and you'll see the future wolf corporation in sheep's consumer clothing growing like the petri-dish bacteria it likes to produce and fight.

The accumulation of the negative byproducts of our past corner-copia has led us to our day of reckoning...

How many drugs does the average American consumer take daily in order for there to be a Drug Store on every corner?

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

8 Comments

Here Comes the Sun

7/18/2012

2 Comments

Hearing George Harrison smoothly proclaim the inner warmth always brings me a sigh of contentment, however, the 107 degree temperatures of a Northern California summer do not. In fact, my HVAC system is complaining louder than a hungry, over-tired, over-heated toddler, and at 15 years old, that's not good.

Enter the nice man explaining a shiny, new solar energy system for my roof...my eyes mist over as I envision another passive income stream, hopefully much larger than my blogs and books combined, and a new electric car (hopefully with hover capabilities) sending my gas AND electric bills into extinction. That really is my dream (minus the hovering without my wand), as I would love to become much more self-sufficient than my garden allows.

Back to the future, the system is actually less than $20,000, and should handle more than 85% of my all electric home's needs for all but 2 months of the year - that's $150+ per month in my pocket until it's paid off in 6 years, and double that from then on. Unfortunately, the HVAC system alone is about $12,000, so the solar panels will stay dark for just a little while longer. Maybe when my first teenager starts to drive in 2 years, I will be able to get him an electric car...wouldn't that just make him the coolest potential date on the block? Yeah, probably not - so it's a done deal!

Have you considered solar energy? Do you know anyone who is using it? Advise Please?!

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

2 Comments

It Comes in Waves

7/13/2012

7 Comments

You probably don't see it, because neither do I. It's just beyond the horizon, just out of sight. That experience we've never had before...do we really want to see it before it gets here? Do we want to be forewarned in time to prepare?

Both my sons (as well as their parents) will have that experience this fall. One is going to high school, and the other is starting middle school. Just like everything else in life, there are benefits and drawbacks to knowing, or not knowing what's coming.

My high schooler has no idea what his new adventure will bring, because he has no friends already traveling the path to guide him. The campus is huge, and scary, just like the seniors. Luckily, he will play trumpet in Marching Band, so he is being exposed to the campus and some of it's inhabitants before school starts in preparation for the upcoming Football season. He is still very nervous.

My middle schooler has an even better idea what awaits. You see, his big brother had already been to his middle school, and we have toured the campus throughout three years of Orientations, Back to School Nights, Open Houses and Band Concerts. The Music Director already has a spot for him in the Trombone section, and his Principal was the Vice Principal in his Elementary School until 3 years ago. He is still scared.

Inherent personality probably plays the largest part in how we anticipate a new adventure or a fork in the road in our current one. My oldest is a "glass half full" kind of guy, so he is a little more optimistic about what awaits him, and being tall for his age, he feels a little more secure in the way he will carry himself at the start of this new journey. My youngest is a "glass half empty" kind of guy, so even though he knows most of what awaits him, he is concentrating on what he doesn't know, and since this pessimism creates some difficulties when making new friends, those fears are maximized.

Sometimes it's better not knowing what awaits, because we have an opportunity to bring a more positive outlook to new situations, however, the blind polly-anna may be blind-sided. Sometimes it's worse knowing what's around a corner, because we spend time anxiously anticipating the negatives, but the pessimist can also be pleasantly surprised when it's not so bad after all.

Even a detour in the road on the way to the grocery store can bring about these optimistic or pessimistic attitudes, so you don't need offspring to relate.

The picture above shows us watching the sunset last night, the three of us and the pups (poor dad is home working) with the entire beach to ourselves. At that moment, I knew we would all handle whatever happens...just like the waves.

Which do you prefer, knowing what awaits, or taking it as it comes?

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

7 Comments

88 iPhones?

7/10/2012

4 Comments

I'm already starting to worry about my firstborn going to college, and he's just starting high school this fall. Am I nuts? I don't think so. Check this out!

Look at the savings on getting Pell Grants (I got those when I went to UC Berkeley in the 80's) for only the amount needed for expenses for a Graduate Degree - it's under "FA Comparisons" - I agonized over buying him one iPhone this summer, and he could save enough for 88 more...

That's it, he's getting a job.

Navigating the financial aid system infographic by Southern New Hampshire University, SNHU.EDU

Brought to You by SNHU.EDU Online College Programs

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

4 Comments

My Pixel Pals

7/9/2012

4 Comments

Bert likes to run at night.

He has shared his observations of people and places collected over a lifetime of his body and soul exercise with me, and I savor every post. My pixel sense of Bert is that he is a straight shooter, and he quietly, but firmly tells it like it is...except, he yells in this post.

Bert's blogging and writing wisdom, collected over a lifetime of growing into his Vietnam experiences quiets me at times, and resonates - the machine gun fire becoming the staccato of my cello. Even though my consciousness didn't start until his was about 20, I hear, understand and share the journey of all who participate, rather than simply observe this life, including Bert.

I dare you to read any of his stories that relate running to writing and not nod your head and smile with understanding whether you are a runner or a writer or neither. Bert was one of the first friends I made over pixels when I started blogging seriously. I don't remember exactly how I met Bert, but I do remember that I instantly trusted him and his words. (Wait...now I remember...I commented on a few of his blogposts, and he returned the favor, then invited me to join his Tribe!)

He's got a couple of books coming out soon that you might want to check out, and his blogs here, here and here are not to be missed! He is an amazing Triberr contributor and here is his Twitter handle.

I am so amazed with the people I have met over my few years writing that I had to share. Many more profiles to come, and Jo, my friend, you are next!

Thanks for reading!

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

4 Comments

My Pixel Pal, Jo

Confession of My Addiction

Corner-copia

Here Comes the Sun

It Comes in Waves

88 iPhones?

My Pixel Pals

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