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Business for Sale - Eastern Gifts and Things cc

2008-08-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon,

The business of Eastern Gifts and Things cc is for sale as a going concern - whilst the economy is proving strenous for a lot of businesses, I am also struggling to find the time to devote to growing Eastern Gifts in the way that it should grow. Between having a fulltime job, assisting at our take-away business and running numerous other projects from home, I have decided it'd be in the best interest to find a buyer for Eastern Gifts. If you are interested or would like more information in this regard, e-mail me on michelleb@easterngifts.co.za.

The business of Eastern Gifts and Thingss cc will, should no buyer be found, be closing effective 31 August 2008. We just want to thank you - our valued customer - for your support over the last two years. From now until the end of August, get wonderful discounts on our last remaining stock items. Anything from 25% to 75% discount. Should you have any queries in this regard, please do not hesitate to contact us on info@easterngifts.co.za.

For all your home decor, kitchenware and gifting requirements - log onto www.easterngifts.co.za.

Regards,

THE EASTERN GIFTS TEAM

Tel: 0842 366 388 / Fax: 0865 021 060 / E-Mail: info@easterngifts.co.za / Website: www.easterngifts.co.za

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Desiderata

2008-08-05T00:33:00.000-07:00

written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s –

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

2008-07-28T23:44:00.000-07:00

The 'E' Factor

Dear Michelle

Emotion can be a real challenge for entrepreneurs to manage. We can decide how we choose to feel once we apply some discipline and logic to an emotive response, but we can’t always control that initial spontaneous reactive feeling that comes over us in the moment. It is a blessing to be able to feel, but sometimes it can seem like more of a curse and entirely undesirable, especially when our emotions are doing a better job of controlling us than we are of controlling them! The fact is that our emotional landscape not only dictates how we think and act, but also what we attract in terms of opportunities, people and even money. Negative emotions or fear, for instance of not having enough, often just lead us to less of what we want, not more.

What we experience as emotion is the result of a chemical reaction in our bodies triggered by stimuli to the brain. Sometimes we can be well aware of the stimuli especially if it’s external to ourselves, but sometimes we’re not aware, as the process of trigger and reaction can happen subconsciously. An emotional stimulus can take many forms, be it a sound, a tone of a voice, something you see or experience, but in most cases it is a thought. It is this internal process that can seem to dictate our feelings (quite ironic considering we might think we’d have much more control when it comes to our internal experience versus what happens externally around us) and affect our state of being so hugely. Our emotional states not only determine how we feel, but also our ability to act in a productive, positive way, so clearly negative states like worry, sadness, fear, anger and hurt are largely counter-productive to our journeys as entrepreneurs.

The reason we experience emotional states is to receive a message; unfortunately very often we don’t listen or pay attention to the message and so rather than being resolved, the state persists. If we are wronged by someone we love for instance, in most cases we will feel hurt and sometimes angry. These emotions confirm for us that an expectation we had was not met. In the case of personal relationships, often our expectations can be unrealistic or unfair without us even being aware of this until we’re disappointed. But our power lies in our ability to review or change an unrealistic expectation that we may have held, and act accordingly so that we feel happiness and love.

Our emotions are led by our thoughts and where our focus lies. If I feel wronged by someone, I may focus on why I feel hurt, leading to anger and argument. If I am worried that I won’t have enough money at the end of the month, I may focus on this fear leading to pain, anxiety, and I feel worse and worse. So if I keep focusing on the source of a negative emotion, I can easily become stuck, digging myself deeper and deeper and it just tends to get worse for me, attracting more negative associations or circumstances that confirm my worry or fear. It’s the Law of Attraction - the fulfillment of focus or perceived reality.

Getting stuck in a negative emotional state is dangerous because it can spiral out of control and become more and more difficult to break out of. You have to change it before it takes hold by managing your state and making sure you remain predominantly in positive, proactive states. Not only will you do more positive things this way, but you will attract more of the positive as well.

Okay, so how do we manage our emotional states?

There are many 'sciences' that teach state management, but there are really two simple techniques - focus and physiology. Remember I mentioned that our emotional state is predominantly brought on and enhanced by what we focus our thoughts on? If we think negative things, we feel negative things. So firstly we need to become aware of our thoughts and when we realise we’re feeling negative or upsetting emotions, we need to stop and look at what we are focusing our internal conversations on. To change this, we sometimes need a jolt to assist in breaking the pattern – change your environment (just get up and take a short walk, for instance), take proactive action and get something done, have a conversation with someone positive or listen to motivational audio programmes. For those more disciplined in emotional state management, simply start focusing on positive things and solutions and it will change how you feel. I find for myself that simply thinking isn't always enough, so what works for me is to start writing down some ideas. When I start planning solutions, my state changes.

Now for the physiological aspect to help you shift your state. Use your body - stand up, get moving, become aware of your posture, your breathing, go for a walk, go to the gym…your physiology and what you’re doing with it influences what you feel. By combining what you’re focusing your thoughts on and becoming aware of positive movement in your body (such as good posture and exercise) you can shift your state to the positive end of the spectrum. Yes, it is true that healthy, fit people manage their emotional states better than unhealthy, lethargic people – the mental and physical aspects are inextricably intertwined and the one affects the other.

The bottom line is, managing your emotional state is a critical tool in managing your outcomes. Please don’t just read this; use it, apply it. I know it will make a difference.

Have a 'happy' weekend.

Your Entrepreneurial Coach
Brian Walsh

The beautiful Diana Carmichael Range

2008-07-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

The beautiful Diana Carmichael Range

"Confidence is that feeling by which the mind embarks in great and honourable courses with a sure hope and trust in itself." - Cicero

Morning,

Eastern Gifts and Things cc would like to share with you the beautiful range of pewter products from Diana Carmichael.

The collection consists of timeless pewter tableware with stainless steel utensil inserts, resulting in functional pieces that are perfectly weighted and easy to hold. Detailed craftsmanship and unique finishes give Diana's products a refined exclusivity.

The hand-made collections include a wide selection of accessories: letter-openers, bar ware, pickle forks, sugar spoons, condiment bowls, cheese-boards and knives. These and many other items make unique gifts or distinctive accessories to complement any modern living environment.

Since its inception in 1995, the Diana Carmichael Artworks range has grown into a complete tableware line that meets the needs of a sophisticated clientèle not only in South Africa, but all over the world. Each piece is packaged in a Diana Carmichael-branded gift box and supplied with its own special care card.

Diana Carmichael was born in Singapore, but grew up in Zimbabwe where she studied jewellery design and manufacturing. In 1981, Diana moved to Johannesburg, South Africa where she continued to design jewellery. Still unable to find her true passion, Diana then pursued a career in graphic design and worked as a freelance artist for a number of years.

In 1995 Diana was inspired to take her talent and distinctive sense of design in a completely new direction. This led to the creation of the Diana Carmichael brand of pewter tableware and accessories.

Diana has been greatly influenced by the forms and textures of this extraordinary continent, where she captures the elusive "spirit" of Africa in her designs. This comes from "having lived in Africa all my life and experiencing daily the natural beauty of the African sub-continent and its people." She sees a "richness about life in Africa" which she reveals in her designs.

As part of her original vision, demand for Diana's product has created stable employment for 49 local South Africans. While each piece is hand-molded in a casting process that fuses them with the stainless steel utensils, the real work occurs in the finishing of the product. The five stages of finishing are all done by hand using traditional methods, and require a high degree of skill and the finest attention to detail.

Despite humble beginnings, the production of a single designer teaspoon has grown into a comprehensive tableware and home ware range that meets the needs of a sophisticated, global clientèle. Diana's inspiration, determination and technical expertise have made her the most sophisticated, exclusive pewter designer brand in South Africa. (Ref: http://www.dianacarmichael.co.za).

All orders for Diana Carmichael products are received in beautiful and stylish gift boxes, suitable for any occasion.
Please bear in mind that the average lead time for all orders on the Diana Carmichael Range is approximately two weeks.

The Diana Carmichael range can be purchased on-line at Eastern Gifts and Things cc and can be delivered to any address of your choice. For more information, click here.

Remember, with Eastern Gifts and Things cc, we will find the perfect gift for any occasion that you require a gift for - be it a wedding, a birthday, an anniversary, house warming gift, Christmas, etc, etc, etc. Whatever you are looking for - we will have something suitable. And you can have up to five delivery addresses on your account, which means you can record addresses for family and friends without having to re-enter this information every time you make a purchase.

Shopping on-line offers you convenience, saving you time, money and energy. Why hassle with busy shopping centres not finding what you're looking for? Simply log onto Eastern Gifts and Things cc in the comfort of your home and office, and make your purchase. It really is as easy and as convenient as that.

Ordering at Eastern Gifts and Things cc is a very simple process:

Create an account, including your delivery address (has to be a physical address and should include a phone number)
Choose which items you want by adding these items to your shopping cart
Go to check-out
Pay either by EFT or Credit Card
We deliver your order to you
As easy as that!

Orders for any of our products can be placed on our website, via e-mail or per fax on 0865 021 060. Payment can be made via EFT or credit card (MasterCard, Visa and American Express cards are accepted).

Remember, we pack it, wrap it and deliver it – almost anywhere in the world.

Regards,

THE EASTERN GIFTS TEAM

Enjoying Winter!!!

2008-06-17T04:57:00.000-07:00

P.E. is finally having a proper winter. It is cold wet and raining and I'm loving every minute of this (this coming from a person who usually prefers summer:-)

Here are some quotes for winter which I thoroughly enjoyed:

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure in the landscape - the loneliness of it - the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it - the whole story doesn't show." - Andrew Wyeth

"January is the quietest month in the garden. ... But just because it looks quiet doesn't mean that nothing is happening. The soil, open to the sky, absorbs the pure rainfall while microorganisms convert tilled-under fodder into usable nutrients for the next crop of plants. The feasting earthworms tunnel along, aerating the soil and preparing it to welcome the seeds and bare roots to come." - Rosalie Muller Wright, Editor of Sunset Magazine, 1/99

"In the depths of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." - Albert Camus

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant." - Anne Bradstreet

"There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you ..... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself." - Ruth Stout

"The cold was our pride, the snow was our beauty. It fell and fell, lacing day and night together in a milky haze, making everything quieter as it fell, so that winter seemed to partake of religion in a way no other season did, hushed, solemn." - Patricia Hampl

"In the sheltered heart of the clumps last year's foliage still clings to the lower branches, tatters of orange that mutter with the passage of the wind, the talk of old women warning the green generation of what they, too, must come to when the sap runs back." - Jacquetta Hawkes

"O thou, Who chariotest to their dark wintry bed The winged seeds, where they lie cold and low, Each like a corpse within its grave, until Thine azure sister of the spring shall blow Her clarion o'er the dreaming earth."- John Davies, 1570-1626, Ode to the West Wind.

"The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches." - E. E. Cummings

"One kind word can warm three winter months." - Japanese proverb

"Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour." - John Boswell

Regards,
M:-)

Father's Day

2008-06-10T00:15:00.001-07:00

Hi, there
Just a reminder that Father's Day is on Sunday - if you'd like any orders from the site, these will need to be placed by tomorrow at the latest. Our most popular seller for Father's Day thus far? A custom designed gift basket, including all the goodies that your Dad will enjoy!
And remember - Monday is a public holiday!
Regards,
M.

Now! in Port Elizabeth

2008-06-03T02:43:00.001-07:00

Yes, Now! in Port Elizabeth has finally opened and I just wanted to tell all the PE folk about it. Now! Pasta & Noodle Bar - tastefully tangled, to go - is a fast food take-away, emphasising healthier and better quality eating.

Now! has opened at the Lifestyle shopping centre which has just opened - why not try Now! now?

And my reason for this posting? Well, hubby is part owner... and is managing the front shop and kitchen areas.

Now! Pasta & Noodle Bar with pasta classics, pasta bakes, seafood pastas, modern pastas, Asian noodles, kiddies pasta, fashion salads, soup of the day, acacia, etc, etc, etc - all take away!

Shop 44
Moffat-on-Main Lifestyle Centre
17th Avenue
Walmer

Tastefully tangled, to go...

Enjoy - and, uh, happy eating!

Regards,
M.

Boiling Water

2008-05-27T04:57:00.000-07:00

I always thought this was nonsense - you know, like KFC using headless and beakless chickens for their food - but apparently this one is true. Don't say you haven't been warned - I double checked with some pharmacy friends of mine (people who work in labs) and this is most definitely true:

THE DANGERS OF BOILING WATER IN A MICROWAVE OVEN

The following e-mail was sent to National Safety from one of our readers.

“I feel that the following information that anyone who uses a microwave oven to heat water should know. My 26-year old son decided to have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had done numerous times before.

I am not sure how long he set the timer for, but he told me that he wanted to bring the water to boil. When the time shut the oven of, he removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the cup, he noted that the water in the cup was not boiling, but instantly the water in the cup “blew up” into his face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand but all the water had flown out into his face due to the build up of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face, which may leave scarring. He also may have lost partial sight in his left eye. While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that this is a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in the microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc.

It is however a much safer choice to boil water in a teakettle.
Please pass this information on to friends and family.

General Electric’s Response:

“The e-mail that you received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not always bubble when they reach boiling point. They can actually get superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it. To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup.

After heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds before moving it or adding anything into it. I hope this helps. Should you need any further assistance, please contact us.

Response from a Scientist

“Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup). What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapour bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form.

As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat that has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point. What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken”.

If you pass this on….you could very well save someone from a lot of pain and suffering.

Regards,

Father's Day

2008-05-19T23:03:00.000-07:00

Morning,
Just a reminder that Father's Day is coming up next month. I've added some interesting info on Father's Day and will be updating with some excellent gift ideas. Click here: http://easterngifts.co.za/celebrating-fathers-day-a-67.html
Thought you'd find it interesting:-)
Regards,
M.

Stress

2008-05-12T23:39:00.000-07:00

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water? "

Answers called out ranged from 8oz. To 20 oz.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.

So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work/life down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now, put them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy! "

And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

1. Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4 * Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
5. If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
6. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8. Never buy a car you can't push.
9. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
10. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance
11. Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12. The second mouse gets the cheese.
13. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
14. Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
15. You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
16. Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once
17. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colours, but they all have to live in the same box.
18. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.

Mother's Day

2008-05-05T22:30:00.000-07:00

A tribute to Moms - for Mother's Day!

Good Morning,

I recently came across this delightful tribute to moms, by Randy Duermeyer. I thought it so pertinent that I've decided to share. All those pieces of wisdom that Mom used to give you as a child still hold true today - even as an adult.

10 Tidbits of Mother's Wisdom: A Tribute to Moms Everywhere

It will soon be the fifth anniversary of my mother's passing. Like all children who are blessed with a mother to guide them through life, many of my mother's sayings still resound. I continue to appreciate many of them to this day. As Mother's Day approaches, I thought it would be a fitting tribute to discuss how some of her famous, never-to-be-forgotten sayings apply to my everyday business life, even now. I think most of you will relate to these timeless pieces of wisdom:

Always wear clean underwear: you never know when you might get in an accident. Dress appropriately for the occasion and be prepared if a prospect or client might want to see you on a moment's notice.
Did you finish your homework? Have you really investigated that business opportunity? Are you really prepared to make your presentation to a client or a prospect? Did you check out your partners before deciding to do business with them?
Look both ways before you cross the street. A lot like Did you finish your homework - don't run your business with your eyes closed. Be alert to potential opportunities and try to think outside of the box from time to time. Investigate a company before you turn over your hard-earned cash for a business opportunity or franchise.
Eat your vegetables or you can't have dessert. We all have things we don't like to do, but they have to get done anyway, at some point so don't put them off. You never know, later on you just might like vegetables!
People in the world will starve if you don't finish your plate. Don't waste valuable resources. Recycle, re-use, re-purpose.
Clean up your room. Organise your office or workspace. Get your filing into the drawer. Create a pleasant and clean working environment for yourself.
Go ask your father. Sometimes it pays to get a second opinion when you're stuck on making a decision. It never hurts to ask for advice.
Do you think money grows on trees? Solid money management is important to keeping your financial head above water. If you need to make a purchase, shop around. Take advantage of all of your available tax deductions. Keep track or your return on investment.
Don't you think it's past your bedtime? No matter how excited you are about what you are doing, you need your rest in order to be effective. Don't work into all hours of the night as it will negatively impact your health.
Are you planning to sleep all day? Get up! With all of the freedom that having a home business or working from home provides, you need to be disciplined enough to create an effective schedule for your work activities and stick to it. (Ref: http://homebusiness.about.com/b/2007/05/09/10-tidbits-of-mothers-wisdom-a-tribute-to-moms-everywhere.htm)

Quotes from Others About Mothers and Motherhood

"Ever since I was a little girl I knew I wanted to be a mom. That was really important to me. I made that clear to my team members even before I had my kids. I made it clear to everyone from the outset that I wanted to keep family first, my husband and me at first, but that I would be including kids eventually. I'm fortunate that I work with an amazing team of people who understand and support that." -- Kathy Ireland.

"Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She prepares a world she will not see." -- Pope Paul VI. (Ref: http://homebusiness.about.com/b/2007/05/09/10-tidbits-of-mothers-wisdom-a-tribute-to-moms-everywhere.htm)

So, let's all spoil the mom's in our lives and we have a wonderful range of gifts to offer. Log onto our website for more details on our amazing gift offers. And if your mom lives overseas and you'd still like to get a gift to her for Mother's Day, we can assist. Simply click the icon below for more detail on our overseas offers.

Remember, we are your one stop gift solution shop. We cater for any occasion that requires a gift. We have gift vouchers, gift baskets, gift registries and so much choice and variety. Whatever occasion you're looking for, we will have something suitable. We pride ourselves on making your shopping experience quick, easy and convenient - saving you time, money and energy.
Remember that we have a range of unique handcrafted gift items to suit every gift requirement. If you can't find what you're looking for, simply e-mail us for assistance.

The Sandpiper

2008-04-29T03:06:00.000-07:00

The Sandpiper by Robert Peterson

She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I live. I drive to this beach, a distance of three or four miles, whenever the world begins to close in on me. She was building a sand castle or something and looked up, her eyes as blue as the sea.

"Hello," she said. I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child.

"I'm building," she said.

"I see that. What is it?" I asked, not really caring.

"Oh, I don't know, I just like the feel of sand."

That sounds good, I thought, and slipped off my shoes. A sandpiper glided by.

"That's a joy," the child said.

"It's a what?"

"It's a joy. My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy."

The bird went gliding down the beach. Good-bye joy, I muttered to myself, hello pain, and turned to walk on. I was depressed; my life seemed completely out of balance.

"What's your name?" She wouldn't give up.

"Robert," I answered. "I'm Robert Peterson."

"Mine's Wendy... I'm six."

"Hi, Wendy" She giggled. "You're funny," she said. In spite of my gloom, I laughed too and walked on. Her musical giggle followed me.

"Come again, Mr. P," she called. "We'll have another happy day." The next few days consisted of a group of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, and an ailing mother. The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwater. I need a sandpiper, I said to myself, gathering up my coat. The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me. The breeze was chilly but I strode along, trying to recapture the serenity I needed.

"Hello, Mr. P," she said. "Do you want to play?"

"What did you have in mind?" I asked, with a twinge of annoyance.

"I don't know. You say."

"How about charades?" I asked sarcastically. The tinkling laughter burst forth again.

"I don't know what that is."

"Then let's just walk."

Looking at her, I noticed the delicate fairness of her face.

"Where do you live?" I asked.

"Over there." She pointed toward a row of summer cottages. Strange, I thought, in winter.

"Where do you go to school?"

"I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on vacation." She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind was on other things. When I left for home, Wendy said it had been a happy day. Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed. Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic. I was in no mood to even greet Wendy. I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.

"Look, if you don't mind," I said crossly when Wendy caught up with me, "I'd rather be alone today."

She seemed unusually pale and out of breath.

"Why?" she asked. I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" and thought, My God, why was I saying this to a little child?

"Oh," she said quietly, "then this is a bad day."

"Yes," I said, "and yesterday and the day before and -- oh, go away!"

"Did it hurt?" she inquired.

"Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself.

"When she died?"

"Of course it hurt!" I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself. I strode off. A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she wasn't there. Feeling guilty, ashamed, and admitting to myself I missed her, I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door. A drawn looking young woman with honey-coloured hair opened the door.

"Hello," I said, "I'm Robert Peterson. I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was."

"Oh yes, Mr. Peterson, please come in. Wendy spoke of you so much. I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance, please, accept my apologies."

"Not at all -- she's a delightful child." I said, suddenly realizing that I meant what I had just said.

"Wendy died last week, Mr. Peterson. She had leukaemia. Maybe she didn't tell you."

Struck dumb, I groped for a chair. I had to catch my breath.

"She loved this beach, so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no. She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy days. But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly..." Her voice faltered, "She left something for you, if only I can find it. Could you wait a moment while I look?"

I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something to say to this lovely young woman. She handed me a smeared envelope with "MR. P" printed in bold childish letters. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues -- a yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird. Underneath was carefully printed: A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY. Tears welled up in my eyes, and a heart that had almost forgotten to love opened wide. I took Wendy's mother in my arms. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," I uttered over and over, and we wept together. The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my study. Six words -- one for each year of her life -- that speak to me of harmony, courage, and undemanding love. A gift from a child with sea blue eyes and hair the colour of sand -- who taught me the gift of love.

NOTE: This is a true story sent out by Robert Peterson. It happened over 20 years ago and the incident changed his life forever. It serves as a reminder to all of us that we need to take time to enjoy living and life and each other. The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less. Life is so complicated; the hustle and bustle of everyday traumas can make us lose focus about what is truly important or what is only a momentary setback or crisis. This week, be sure to give your loved ones an extra hug, and by all means, take a moment... even if it is only ten seconds, to stop and smell the roses. This comes from someone's heart, and is read by many and now I share it with you... May God Bless everyone who receives this! There are NO coincidences! Everything that happens to us happens for a reason. Never brush aside anyone as insignificant. Who knows what they can teach us?

I wish for you, a sandpiper.

Learn to Relax

2008-04-15T01:45:00.000-07:00

Learn To Relax

Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated...disturbed...and unsettled. - John 14:27 AMP

A well known Bible teacher says: "We can only walk in peace if we're willing to be adaptable and adjust to people and circumstances. When I lived in 'explode mode' it never failed that one of my children would spill something at the dinner table every night...and every night I had a fit. One night I was under the table because the milk had made it to the crack in the middle and was running down...The children were upset and somebody kicked me in the head, which made me even madder. I knew it was an accident...but somehow that didn't seem to matter... [Then] the Holy Spirit spoke to me - right under that table - and said: 'Once the milk's spilled, no matter how big a fit you throw you're not going to get it to run back up the table into the glass. You need to learn to go with the flow.'"

Jesus said, "[Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated...disturbed...and unsettled]." In other words, work on controlling your reactions. Stop losing your peace over every little thing that goes wrong in your life. When there's nothing you can do about the situation, learn to let it go and keep your joy. Ask God to help you get over life's little offences and irritations quickly, whether it's a glass of spilled milk or somebody who's hurt your feelings.

When you put as much energy into 'letting go' as you do into 'stewing and steaming' and trying to control every possible outcome, you'll find that God's peace "which is so great we cannot understand it" (Php 4:7 NCV) will start to fill your heart and your home.

(Ref: Word for Today, New Zealand)

Just thought this is an interesting perspective - life happens, and reacting negatively ain't gonna change it. I found this quite inspiring, I hope you do, too! :-)

Regards,

A Year in the Life Of

2008-04-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hi, there

I'm not sure if you remember but there used to be a program on TV (we're talking years ago...:-) called A Year in the Life Of, starring Sarah Jessica Parker (way before Sex and the City). Anyway, I was chatting a friend of mine this morning about how different her life is from a year ago (her life has taken a 180 degree turn) and then started wondering where my life would be in a year from now. Doing pretty much the same thing as now - or completely different??? Where do you think you'll be a year from now and where do you hope to be?

Interesting...

Regards,
M.

22 Startling Predictions

2008-03-24T22:32:00.000-07:00

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21 Startling predictions

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"I don’t set trends. I just find out what they are and exploit them."- Dick Clark

As I look ahead to the rest of 2008, I can see one major trend. And it’s one that will have repercussions for the economy as a whole. That trend involves baby boomers. Boomers have been a major factor in consumer spending, saving, and investing for 50 years. So it’s likely they will continue to be. In fact, they will probably affect the economy for the rest of their lives - for the next 20 to 25 years.

If you accept this premise, the following 22 predictions may make sense to you:

1. Baby boomers will get poorer this year. They lost half of their retirement nest egg when the tech bubble exploded. And they have been losing much of the rest of it as property prices come down. This will continue in 2008. Credit will be harder to come by. Banks will get tougher with loans.

2. Scared by their shrinking wealth, some boomers will make one final, frenzied attempt to "get back" the wealth they never really had. They’ll scrape together their last rands. They’ll borrow money. And they’ll use it to make high-risk, leveraged financial investments in such things as currencies and commodities. The greediest sectors of the financial services industry will benefit, temporarily, from this short-term trend. Later, they will suffer from it as their customers disappear.

3. As 2008 ends, boomers’ speculative investments will fail to rescue them. So they will grudgingly accept the fact that they will never be as wealthy as they wanted to be. They will feel defeated, and they won’t have the energy to start anew. As a result, they will drastically decrease their discretionary spending.

4. Following the boomers’ lead, consumer spending in general will slow down. Growth will slow. Businesses will continue to go bankrupt at record rates.

5. With decreasing revenues on one side and increasing fixed costs (related to property) on the other, retail will be especially hard hit. Many, if not most, medium-sized retail businesses that exist today will be defunct within 10 years.

6. On the bright side, Internet spending will continue to grow. But the growth will be much slower than in the past. Lots of opportunities will allow people to make money by marketing products and services on the Internet. But many of those who are in business today will go bankrupt as the market becomes more competitive.

7. Multi-million rand homes will tumble in value, even below current prices. Many will be left vacant. It will take at least seven years for many of the properties that have been built in the past two years to be occupied. Investors in these properties will be wiped out.

8. More than 80% of the existing property development industry will go bankrupt.

9. Following real estate development will be the larger part of the banking and financial services industry. Thousands of young investment bankers and hedge fund managers will be out of work. This could happen as early as the middle of next year.

10. As the U.S. and S.A. economy slides into a protracted recession, baby boomers will recognise that they are poorer than their parents were when their parents were in their early sixties. Without the appreciation of a house to cash in on, they will give up their long-held dreams of retiring comfortably at 65.

11. Luxury will be uncool. Understated elegance will be in.

12. The campaign against conspicuous consumption will accelerate. Twelve-cylinder cars will be ridiculed and possibly outlawed entirely.

13. Hippie values will return. Peace and love and blue jeans will prevail… simply because baby boomers won’t be able to afford to indulge themselves materialistically as they have been doing for 40 years.

14. Technology and the baby boomers’ shrinking wealth will favour products that are simple and small.

15. The wristwatch will begin a 20-year disappearing act.

16. Yoga, meditation, and pilates will continue to increase in popularity. Aerobics, weight training and kickboxing will diminish.

17. Yachts, luxury automobiles, and Learjets will stand in warehouses, unused.

18. Technical jobs will continue to be outsourced overseas. And in the U.S., boomers will start to agree to work phones and read X-rays for minimum wage.

19. The information-publishing industry - particularly the specialised information-publishing industry - will continue to grow, outpacing the general economy. Entrepreneurs who understand the difference between information, advice and opinion will make fortunes.

20. Direct marketing will continue to grow as general advertising declines. Businesses that are unskilled at direct marketing will have a tough time staying competitive. Many will fail.

21. Boomers will "decide" to continue working during their retirement years. But many of them - lacking the skills to contribute to the Internet, information-publishing, or direct-marketing industries - will go unemployed. Those are my predictions for the rest of the year and beyond. But what good are such predictions? Can they make you any money? I don’t know. I do know a few things about investing in trends, though. Lessons I’ve learned from a lifetime of starting all sorts of businesses. For example: You can make the biggest money on a new trend that emerges quickly and grows strongly… if you get in early. It’s difficult to predict new trends with precision. You can sometimes see that a certain change is inevitable, but it is often difficult to know when it will happen. Usually, it happens later than you expect.

For any given day or week or month, chances are good - some studies say 70% - that things will remain the same the following day or week or month. That’s why it doesn’t usually pay to play trends in the stock market. Unless, that is, you know what you’re doing or are getting good advice from someone who does. The sensible way to invest in trends is to buy into good businesses that provide neutral or positive cash flow. That gives you a Plan B. You can sit out short-term fluctuations while you wait for the long-term trend to take hold. If I am right about the future for baby boomers, it won’t be the end of the financial world. People who are smart enough to put their time and money into developing industries (such as direct-marketing, information-publishing, and Internet-related businesses) will do well.

Just Three Steps...

2008-03-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Morning,

I came across this article, which really simplifies the concept of business. Yes, we all know its not that easy, and there is a lot of work involved to make it successful, BUT this is a start. And maybe, if you've been wanting to start your own business, this will be the encouragement you need to get there (if that is the right decision for you to make...)

Anyway, happy reading.

Regards,

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You’re just 3 steps away from your new business - by Paul Lawrence

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"Man is always more than he can know of himself; consequently, his accomplishments, time and again, will come as a surprise to him."- Golo Mann

I’m willing to bet that one goal you have for this year is to become wealthier than you are right now. If you’ve been paying attention to Michael Masterson’s advice, you know that means starting your own business - which, says Michael, is " one of the best (or possibly the best) ways of growing wealthy."

Well, what’s stopping you? Starting your own business may sound like an overwhelming task - but, like every worthwhile goal, it can be broken down into manageable parts. In fact, I’m going to show you how to do it in three simple steps. The important thing is to take action. Instead of just dreaming about starting your own business, do it! Don’t worry about the details, just come up with a sensible overall plan and get your business off the ground. You can go back and fine-tune it later. As Michael says, "Ready, Fire, Aim." I have helped start dozens of small businesses. And all of them were the result of combining Michael’s Ready, Fire, Aim philosophy with my own three-step approach.

Here’s how it works…

Step 1. Identify something that people want and will pay for. One of the most common stumbling blocks for aspiring entrepreneurs is deciding on a product or service to market. The primary consideration is to choose something that people will buy. And the easiest way to do that is to go with something that other people are already selling successfully. Ideally, that will be something you love and/or know a lot about. For instance, if you’re an accountant, you could create and sell programmes about how people can prepare their taxes, how they can make a household budget, and how they can find hidden tax deductions. Or, if you’ve always loved animals, you could sell pet toys, treats, and accessories. If you have trouble coming up with a likely product or service based on your own interests and/or expertise, choose a relatively simple service that’s in high demand. A house cleaning service, for example, or bookkeeping, lawn mowing, resume writing, or house painting. The possibilities are almost endless.

Step 2. Find a way to supply it. This step just requires a bit of business common sense. If you’re selling a service, you would either supply the service yourself or hire someone else to do it (or help you). If, for example, you’ve decided to go into the moving business, you don’t have to be capable of handling furniture yourself. Simply hire a few people who can do heavy lifting and either buy or rent a truck. If you’re selling a product, you would ideally seek out suppliers that can provide you with merchandise at a low enough price for you to be able to make a profit. But that usually means buying in volume - which may not work for you when you’re just starting out. Let’s say you’d like to sell bookshelves. In this case, it might make more sense for you to get your business going by buying the lumber and building the shelves yourself (or hiring someone to build them for you).

Step 3. Sell it to the people who want it. I’m a big believer in direct marketing for small start-up businesses. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to get your marketing message to prospective customers via e-mail, regular mail, ads in local papers, or even flyers distributed door to door.

Let’s say you want to start a housekeeping service. You’d identify a few affluent neighbourhoods where the homeowners could, presumably, afford maids. Then you’d target them with either flyers or small mailers. Or suppose you want to start a business where you take people on charter fishing boat trips. You’ll be marketing primarily to tourists, so you’d work on getting yourself listed in local tourist guides and maybe advertise on a few bus benches in your city’s hotel district. If you decide to go after locals too, you could contact local fishing clubs and see if you can rent their membership lists to do a mailing. You might also make a deal with local bait shops to distribute your flyers. Obviously, starting and running a successful business requires time, energy, and effort. Still, when you break down the process, it’s just three simple steps:

1. Identify something that people want and will pay for.

2. Find a way to supply it.

3. Sell it to the people who want it.

If you really want to run your own business, it’s time to take action. Just think - by this time next year, you could be living your dream. But if you’re the kind of person who finds it hard to come up with a great idea – look below (this newsletter will do the hard work for you).

Everything must go!

2008-03-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

EVERYTHING MUST GO!
Up to 50% off selected items until the end of March 2008! EVERYTHING MUST GO!!! Log onto www.easterngifts.co.za to view!
Regards,
M.

A Teenager's View of Heaven

2008-03-03T21:57:00.001-08:00

17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class. The subject was what Heaven was like. "I wowed 'em," he later told his father, Bruce. "It's a killer. It's the bomb. It's the best thing I ever wrote…" It also was the last. Brian Moore died May 27 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving home from a friend's house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted.
The Moores framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room. "I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it," Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life after death. "I'm happy for Brian. I know he's in heaven. I know I'll see him."
Brian's Essay: The Room...
In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I have liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was.
This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalogue system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.
A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I have betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed at." Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've yelled at my brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents.
Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature. When I pulled out the file marked "TV Shows I have watched", I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented.
When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.
And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand. And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him.
No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me. Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. "No!" I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side.
He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished." I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.

Joke for the Day

2008-02-25T23:29:00.000-08:00

A man was walking on the beach one day and he found a bottle half buried in the sand. He decided to open it. Inside was a genie. The genie said,” I will grant you three wishes and three wishes only." The man thought about his first wish and decided, “I think I want 1 million dollars transferred to a Swiss bank account. POOF! Next he wished for a Ferrari red in color. POOF! There was the car sitting in front of him. He asked for his final wish, " I wish I was irresistible to women." POOF! He turned into a box of chocolates.

Should I stay or Should I go?

2008-02-20T21:51:00.001-08:00

Subject: An interesting article

Should I stay or should I go?

By John Demartini

The general feeling among South Africans is doom and gloom based on various facts and perceptions. South Africa is the crime, murder and Aids capital of the world. It used to have the best roads and now they are full of potholes.

There seem to be only fraudsters at the top of the police force. The country's leadership under Mbeki is rudderless. The head of the ruling party is up on corruption charges.

Now a basic infrastructural commodity such as electricity is being rationed. This will directly influence future foreign investment, which in turn will increase unemployment, poverty and crime. Mines are periodically forced to shut down, losing billions, which will adversely affect the economy.

People who seek ease get continued difficulty

This also brings us to the unthinkable - we could lose the 2010 World Cup. And the even more unthinkable: are we slowly going the same way as Zimbabwe?

A poll taken by Carte Blanche recently confirmed that the majority of affluent South Africans had absolutely no faith in Eskom sorting out the power problems. There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel... literally. The question on everybody's lips is: Should I stay or should I go?

Human behavioural specialist Dr John Demartini has some thoughts on the subject.

His teachings take him all over the world, enabling him to experience a vast array of living standards. Originally from the US, his work brings him to South Africa for extended periods about four times a year.

The question is not should I stay or should I go?

It is wiser to ask: What awaits me if I leave? Unquestionably there are challenges in South Africa, but you are living in a fantasy if you think there won't be a new set of challenges and drawbacks when you move to another country. People who run away from a challenge get more challenges to face and manage. People who seek ease get continued difficulty. It's the way it is - the integration of complementary opposites.

You have to get into proactive mode

The challenges in this country, like the power shortage, will also birth more opportunities. New enterprises will blossom as a result. Out of crisis always emerge the greatest leaders.
You may not realise it, but your challenges are unifying people in SA and making them think more creatively. SA is a seed of opportunity for entrepreneurs who could contribute to transformation.

Anyway, why run from your heritage? A situation like Eskom is a temporary glitch and it is unwise to let it interfere with your long-term visions and goals.

Remember, the greatest tension in the slingshot shoots the highest rock.

There is never a crisis without a blessing. So let's look at the blessings in the power situation. This may be a lesson to government to think beyond 10 years and accommodate a 50-year vision so subsequent generations benefit from these lessons.

On a day-to-day level, no power to your television is probably making families communicate more. Gold mines might have temporarily shut down, but the gold price shot up.

If you have made up your mind to go, that's fine, but if you are staying, bitching without taking actions towards solutions is not going to help. Don't let naysayers interfere with your dreams and opportunities.

However, staying means you cannot afford the luxury of sitting back. You have to get into proactive mode. Yes, it may seem insurmountable, but if every individual helps at a grass-roots level by figuring out how to empower the people around them, it will make a massive collective difference.

Nelson Mandela is the perfect example of just one person who stood up and changed things. You know the famous words of John F Kennedy: "It's not what your country can do for you - it's what you can do for your country."

Long-term visionaries know to stay the course. They don't focus on how things aren't being done; they always look at what is being done and what can be done on an individual basis. They are always solution-oriented and not problem-focused.

You are not at the mercy of your government; it's the other way round. They are there because the majority of people voted for them. If you don't like their vision, rally around and change it. In the meantime, don't wait on them to sort out the problems, make it a community project.

Contrary to the current thoughts of disillusionment and uncertainty, which are largely driven by emotion, remember foreigners believe in South Africa.

Look at Oprah Winfrey, who has built a school here, and Richard Branson, who has invested every aspect of his brand here, including buying a game reserve. Temporary setbacks won't stop these people.

Look at the history of social dynamics. Nations have risen and fallen for centuries. They have taken one step back and two steps forwards.

South Africa has made massive strides in the past few years. When I first got here South Africa was nothing like I envisioned. I was very impressed. And in the three years I have been regularly coming here, I have seen great progress in the landscaping, buildings and living conditions.

Would I invest in this country? I already have. I have ploughed in copious amounts of time and energy and this is the only place I have established an office outside of the US. My worldwide branding is currently being created here and my working visits are getting more frequent and prolonged.

I am even looking at possibly investing in a lodge in a game reserve. I have also experienced three robberies from my hotel room, but that isn't going to curb my long-term goals in South Africa.

Crime is an issue that needs to be tackled in a much larger forum than this. However, I will go as far as saying that when there is a high polarity between the haves and the have-nots, there will always be tension between the two camps and crime is the byproduct.

Closing the gap is the wisest strategy and this cannot be done through entitlement. Entitled people generally don't feel purposeful and are therefore not creating their own lives.

Education and mentoring, which translates into self-worth and true empowerment, is the only solution. I also believe that newspapers could play a massive role and be the hero in changing perceptions as they reach the masses. Their actions could even transform the government.
If you decide to stay and fight for your birthplace then you need to go from victim to victor mentality. Make the South African mantra: "I will stay and help build a great nation." And remember, if you become grateful for what you have, you will get more to be grateful for.

# Visit drdemartini.co.za

Interesting, hey?

Regards,
M.

Secrets Everyone Should Know

2008-02-18T21:36:00.000-08:00

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Secrets everyone, starting out, should know - by Michael Masterson
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"So, what's it like in the real world? Well, the food is better, but beyond that, I don't recommend it."
- Bill Watterson

Many of my friends believe that kids today have a more challenging life than we did when we were young.

"It's more dangerous out there."
"Good jobs are harder to find and harder still to keep."
"It's just so much tougher for kids these days."

That's the view of Tamara Draut, who works for an agency that promotes government action and whose book, Strapped. is subtitled "Why 20- and 30- Somethings Can't Get Ahead." But are things really tougher for graduates today?

I'm doubtful. When I graduated from university, I was R50,000 in debt. So was my friend Eric. Peter wasn't in debt, but he was about to be married so he had different financial concerns. Back then, unemployment was higher than it is now. Bad jobs were scarce. Good jobs were non-existent.

Peter, Eric, and I were doing everything we could to make money, but it was tough. We knew we couldn't save our way out of our situation. We knew we had to earn more money. So we started a little business. An above ground-pool installation business. We had no connections and no capital, but we had spent the previous summer building pools, so we did have some experience.

We went to a local pool distributor and offered to put up his display pools for free if he'd recommend us to his customers. He let us try one pool, and it took us eight hours - three times longer than it should have - to finish it. But it was built well and he gave us a recommendation.

One recommendation led to another. And before we knew it, we were working 16 hours a day, seven days a week, running four crews and making R2,100 apiece a day. We did that for 10 weeks straight. At the end of that summer, Eric and I had fully paid off our school loans, and Peter was able to put a down payment on a starter home for himself and his new bride.

I was able to not just get rid of my debt, but buy myself a car and pay to have my parents' house repainted.

That gave me a taste for entrepreneurship that I've never tired of.

I tried to write down everything I know about starting out and becoming successful - as an entrepreneur and as an employee. Here's some of what I noted:

* Don't fret about your problems. And don't wait for the government to solve them. Create a personal plan for success and follow it.

* If you can get a great job (and it's not impossible), then get to work earlier than everybody else and work harder and longer than everybody else, and do everything you can to work smarter than everybody else.

* If you can't get a great job, start your own business. Service-oriented businesses, though they have drawbacks, are the easiest and cheapest to launch. The good habits you (hopefully) developed in college will serve you well in this competitive, primarily blue-collar, environment.

* Get an apartment with two or three roommates. And, believe it or not, you can live very well for practically nothing. Good food, wine, and entertainment don't have to be expensive.

* Save much more than the experts tell you. Pay the government first (taxes can't be avoided), your loans next, and then put 15% of your income into an investment account. If you don't make enough money to do that, get another job. Work 16 hours a day if necessary.

* If you begin to feel sorry for yourself, volunteer to work for an institution that treats people who have real problems - like cancer, AIDS, ALS, etc.

* Give yourself a little time once a week to slow down and smell the roses. Then get back to work.
This is probably not the kind of advice that Tamara Draut would like to hear, because it doesn't do much to solve the "starting-out problem" on a global level. But I'd like to think it can help individual people - graduates and young people - become wealthy despite the challenges posed by our shaky economy.

The Top 10 Steps to Making Major Life Changes By Steve Davis

2008-02-11T23:41:00.000-08:00

The Top 10 Steps to Making Major Life Changes By Steve Davis

1. Identify the payoffs and price of staying where you are. There are certainly good reasons you have for not already having made a transition. Do some soul searching with trusted allies or through journaling to uncover what payoffs you're receiving for not making the change. At the same time, identify the price you are paying for maintaining the status quo. When your conscious mind gets that the price is greater than the payoff, you'll be much clearer whether it's in your best interest to keep things the same or to make a change.

2. Begin developing a reserve of everything. A difficult transition can be made much easier when you have reserves in many areas of your life. Develop a plan to put away enough money to support yourself for the next year or two. Seek out trusted friends and associates for your personal support team who are excited and committed to supporting you. Simplify your life in terms of time and clutter to free up the space for something more in alignment with what you want. Look at other life areas such as relationships, recreation, family, etc. that you can beef up to help you through the transition. Keep in mind that it's better to be over prepared and succeed than to fail because you were under prepared.

3. Develop a vision of what's possible to pull you through the transition. Not knowing what might happen if you change careers or leave a long-standing relationship can be very frightening. Fear of the unknown can keep you stuck. It can also keep you from honestly discovering and exploring the options that are always there. Once discovered, you can use these options to develop a vision of what your life will look like after your transition. Make up your vision if it isn't coming to you naturally, but make it good. Your vision will form the matrix on which you will create your new life and give you the inspiration and courage you need to move on.

4. Uncover your self-judgments. Guilt is rampant in our culture. So is the vendetta against selfishness. Suffering is supported and nurtured by friends, family, religions, etc. So it's not surprising that many of us, deep down, don't feel we deserve to have what we want. It's critical to dig down and uncover any judgments you may be holding against yourself, knowing that they are usually subconscious and may require some work. For example, you may feel that you're not good enough or deserving of what you want. Or you may feel that the transition you're about to make will hurt someone in your life and that you'll be responsible for their pain. Or you may feel that you're not smart enough, resourceful enough, bold enough, or just plain "enough" to make this change. Acknowledge these judgments then forgive yourself for holding these false perceptions about who you really are. Because the truth is, they are only ideas and you will create yourself each moment based on the new idea you can hold about who you are.

5. Give up playing the victim. Are you complaining about being in the situation you're in? Are you blaming others for this scenario? Or maybe you've accepted full responsibility for this situation and just beat yourself up for not making the change. If any of the above are true, you are playing the victim. It's time to come to grips with the fact that you have been forfeiting your power to make the change you say you want. Even if you're blaming yourself for not being happy or for having the courage to make the change, then part of you is beating up another part of yourself, hence there's a victim in there somewhere. To the degree you play the role of victim, you are losing power. So wake up and own your full power to create the life you desire, no matter what.

6. Give up analysis that breeds paralysis. We are so conditioned to figure things out before we leap, that sometimes we become paralyzed to take the actions our bodies are directed to take from the beginning. This is particularly true if you are an engineer, scientist, or other type of technical person who experiences the world more through analysis more than feeling. I was an engineer once and from my own experience know this to be true. The mind is meant to be used to create and to keep us safe. If it's stuck in a pattern rehashing the same ideas over and over, trying to figure out what will happen if, then you're probably stuck in a mind-loop. It's time to quit thinking and start doing. Ask your body what action to take, and then just take it. Often the information you're seeking will only be made available after the action is taken. Wisdom often comes in the motion, not the analysis.

7. Risk failure. Has the fear of failing got you stuck? If so, define what failure would look like for you. Imagine the worst possible thing that might happen. Can you live with it if it does happen? Can you make course corrections before it happens or after it happens? The answer is almost always "yes." I suggest removing the word "failure" from your vocabulary. Instead, realize that each of your actions will simply yield a result. This result will be one you want or one you don't want. Simply take the result as feedback from the universe on your action and take the next appropriate action. Viewed from this perspective, mistakes are merely indications that a course correction is needed and not to be taken personally. Pilots are checking their compass all the time and making course corrections based on this feedback. They'd never get anywhere if they took every off-course reading as a personal failure. Give up the concept of failure and take flight!

8. Access your inner warrior. Within each of us, men and women alike, there is an aspect that is built for bold, decisive action. This part of us is instinctual. It looks out, not only for our survival, but also for our soul's mission. It is not concerned about sacrificing Self for another, yet, in certain circumstances will give its very life for another if that is in alignment with its mission. You get messages from this part of yourself all of the time. These messages may come in the form of feelings in your body in response to certain actions, environments, or experiences. They may come in the form of "gut" feelings in certain situations. Or they may be just a sense of direct "knowing" that has no rational foundation. If you are contemplating a difficult transition, and have "contemplated" yourself into a corner, it may be time to let your inner warrior take over for a while. Just experience "knowing" what you need to do, then commit to doing it without thinking anymore about it until it's done.

9. Don't go to your deathbed wondering what would have happened if... It's easy for us to forget how short our lives really are. Many of us live as if we'll never die. We waste away our hours and days working jobs we hate, living just for the weekends, or "putting in time" until retirement, while living like zombies the other 70% of our lives. We may live in a relationship that drains and devalues us thinking it might magically get better somehow, someday. We deny our feelings or make excuses for frittering away our lives. Enough I say! I challenge you to project yourself forward to your death. It's real and it's coming for you! No questions about it. See yourself on your deathbed and ask yourself if the life you're living now is all you dreamt it to be. Write your own obituary today. How close are you to living your passion? Let this vision be a motivator to get off your butt and follow your dreams!

10. Get support to prepare and walk with you through the transition. Big life transitions can be overwhelming to accomplish on your own. There is no shame in asking for help from your friends, relatives, or from a coach. In fact, enough of the right kind of support can make a seemingly difficult transition, relatively easy. I've had a lot of help in making a couple of big transitions in my life. Being a former lone-ranger, asking for and accepting help from others was difficult at first, but really nice once I got used to it. Now I wouldn't think of starting a major project or making a big change without relying heavily on my support system of close and loving friends, and my coach. Do whatever is necessary to make change easy on you. You're worth it.
About the Submitter: This piece was originally submitted by Steve Davis, MS, MA, CCUG, Life Coach and Infopreneur, who can be reached at steve@livingmastery.com, or visited on the web.
Copyright 2000, 2001, 2002 by Thomas J. Leonard. May be distributed if full attribution is given and copyright notice is included.

Thought you'd enjoy,
Regards,
M.

The tree that never had to fight

2008-02-05T01:57:00.000-08:00

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease.
The stronger wind, the stronger trees.
The further sky, the greater length.
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars,
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.

Author unknown

"The only thing standing between me and greatness is me..." Woody Allen

Success Online

2008-01-28T22:19:00.000-08:00

For full article, log onto: http://easterngifts.co.za/newsdesk_info.php?newsdesk_id=7

Time Rolls On...

2008-01-22T00:04:00.000-08:00

By: Regina Brett The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It's the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
When in doubt, just take the next small step.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
Pay off your credit cards every month.
You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
It's OK to let your children see you cry.
Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
Over prepare, then go with the flow.
Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
The most important sex organ is the brain.
No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
Always choose life.
Forgive everyone everything.
What other people think of you is none of your business.
Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Believe in miracles.
God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.
All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
The best is yet to come.
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
If you don't ask, you don't get.
Yield.
Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Word for Today

2008-01-14T23:54:00.000-08:00

I hope that you find this as inspiring as I have as you head into 2008!

Three QuestionsThe Lord gave him success in everything he did. - Genesis 39:3 NIV
Sit down, have a cup of coffee (or tea), and ask yourself these three questions:

(1) Am I happy with the way things are in my life right now? If you're not, take responsibility. Quit blame-placing and excuse-making! The only one who can stop you from becoming the person God intended you to be - is you.

(2) Am I afraid of success? Afraid of the cost and commitment required? Leadership is lonely; maybe you'd rather be with the crowd. Or perhaps you've been knocked down and you're afraid to get up again. When Thomas Edison was asked why he was successful he replied, "I start where other men leave off!" When world heavyweight champion Jim Corbett was asked what it took to win the title he replied, "Just fight one more round." Paul wrote, "We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going" (2 Co 4:9 TLB).

(3) Do I believe people can't be successful and Spiritual at the same time? Out of a confused (and abused) theology we've equated humility with poverty and assumed that successful people can't be humble. Not so. "As long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper" (2 Ch 26:5). Does this give you the right to strut, or look down on others? No, but when successful people speak other people listen. Examine the lives of Bible characters like Joseph and Daniel. They influenced nations for God! We have a message of hope that others need to hear, but if we're not in a position to tell them how will they hear it?

If you have been settling for less, ask God for a greater faith and a greater focus, then start aiming higher!

Regards,
M.

I'm back...

2008-01-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

After a wonderful holiday catching up on my reading, I am ready to tackle the New Year and have already posted the January newsletter on our site http://easterngifts.co.za/newsletter-january-2008-a-56.html. I wish you all a wonderful New Year and the opportunities to make the most of your life. Here's to a wonderful 2008!!!!
Regards,
M.

The Christmas Survival Guide

2007-12-11T22:25:00.000-08:00

Hi, there

This article was e-mailed to me yesterday and I found it very interesting. There is nothing worse than coming through the holidays feeling worse than you did before and still feeling like you need to rest, because of all the partying and food and sleeping that happened during the holidays. I’m sure these 10 tips will help make this holiday season a little easier and aid you feeling more rested.

The article is by Patrick Holford, world renowned nutritionist (I get his newsletter e-mailed to me every now and then and they really are very interesting with useful tips on how to stay healthy through what you eat.

Happy reading.

Regards,
M.

The Christmas health survival guide

Top ten tips to remain healthy this Christmas

Don’t let ill health ruin your Christmas. What should be a wonderful time of year is easily ruined by aches and pains, allergies, indigestion or migraines. It is so easy to over-indulge when everyone is letting their hair down, but often your body will make it all too obvious that it is not enjoying the effects of your excesses. Most of us will recognise that awful sloth-like feeling of lethargy and general malaise that hits after a few days of full-on Christmas festivities. Too much food, or too much of the wrong food, extra alcohol, no exercise and less sleep all take their toll. If you want to feel and look your best this year, follow my Top Ten Tips for a happy, healthy Christmas:

1. Have yourself a low GL Christmas - follow these golden rules and try some of my low GL Christmas recipes including my Christmas pudding recipe.

2. Exercise restraint – don’t go mad on food and drink you wouldn’t normally eat. Ask yourself if it is really worth the after effects (such as headaches, weight gain, poor sleep)

3. Snack on fruit and nuts rather than crisps and chocolate. If you want a treat, choose Brazil nuts coated in dark chocolate, as the nuts provide plenty of antioxidants and selenium, while good quality dark chocolate (around 70% cocoa solids) is low in sugar and high in magnesium and iron

4. Alcohol – minimise the damage. Drinking too much taxes both the liver and your digestive tract. You can minimise the damage, and any hangover symptoms, by simply supplementing an extra 2,000mg of vitamin C and a heaped teaspoon of glutamine powder, last thing at night with water.Try and also match each alcoholic drink with a glass of water to stay hydrated

5. Don’t stop exercising just because it’s party time. It may be cold and dark in the mornings, but the endorphins released after you go for a run or to the gym more than make up for the rude awakening. Plus, exercise not only helps you control your blood sugar, it also boosts the immune system

6. Follow the Rainbow Rule – make sure your plate is piled high with different coloured fruits and/or vegetables, so that you eat a full spectrum of colours each day. Brightly coloured fruit and veg contain phyto- or plant nutrients that are incredibly important for fighting disease and keeping you looking your best. Satsumas, Brussel sprouts, purple cabbage, cranberries are all classic Christmas foods that offer a range of colours to help keep you healthy

7. Christmas can be inflammatory in more ways than one. Not only can relatives drive you mad, but you are more likely to eat foods that cause inflammation than at other times of the year. Meat, dairy products such as ice cream and brandy butter and milk chocolate, and sugar all produce inflammation in the body, which exacerbates any inflammatory conditions like asthma, eczema and arthritis. Make sure you eat plenty of anti-inflammatory foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, oily fish, nuts and seeds to help restore balance

8. Don’t ignore allergies – if you have an IgG intolerance to a food or foods I’m afraid that your immune system doesn’t know that it is Christmas and won’t give you a rest for a few days. The only way to eliminate IgG intolerances is to avoid the allergen for at least 3 months to give your body a chance to repair any damage to the digestive tract and allow your immune system to restore a natural response to the offending food. Don’t undo any good work by ‘having a break’ from avoiding dairy products, or whatever food you have found to cause you problems.

9. Fight infection by upping your intake of superfoods – garlic, ginger, turmeric, shiitake mushrooms and berries are all foods rich in antioxidants that help to keep the immune system functioning to fight off infections

10. Eat cinnamon – not only is the flavour of this spice perfectly suited to seasonal foods like stewed apple and mince meat, a teaspoon of ground cinnamon a day has been shown to help your body deal restore blood sugar balance, to help you cope with any sugary treats

Quote for Today.

2007-12-10T01:18:00.000-08:00

"Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well." - Mahatma Gandhi

Inner Quality: Tech Support

2007-12-07T02:12:00.001-08:00

I came across this article on stress – I hope you enjoy it. Getting rid of stress and enjoying the end of the year (holidays – woo hoo).
Ever wonder what’s behind all the increasing stress we experience today? I believe one source is increased bandwidth. In this wireless era of high speed internet, Bluetooth and 24/7 accessibility, a lot of the stress we experience today comes from feeling caught in the middle of an expanding whirlwind of information and the belief that we need to do something about every single bit of it, NOW. Back in the day I managed a multi-million dollar sales territory without voice mail, email or a cell phone. How did we ever get the job done without technology? Well, maybe the smart question is how do we survive with it? I remember a former colleague of mine who would wait 24 hours before responding to the 'urgent' messages he from received from his direct reports. More often than not, he told me, the 'problems' are neither important nor urgent and either get resolved or just go away without his intervention.
I'm not sure if ignoring all incoming information is the best stress solution but I do believe that periodically we need to delete the less important stuff to give the high value, high priority ones more room and energy.
Here are two ways to help you sort, trim, filter, collect, combine or organize what's in front of you and better decide what to do about it.
1. When you're feeling information overload, take a minute to stop your inner dialogue and disengage from the stressful feeling often associated with urgency. Take a couple of deep breaths and then activate a positive feeling*. This will allow your calmer, more balanced self to discern what’s important and needs your attention.
2. Don't become the next link in an ever-growing information chain. Once you have a shorter, more focused list of what should take up your time, use these steps again to make sure you don't perpetuate the turbulence. Ask yourself, "What's the best way to communicate this?" Add value to what you communicate by letting your own common sense guide you as to what to pass on, how to deliver it and who should get it.

*HeartMath's Quick Coherence® technique:Heart focus Heart breathingHeart feeling

Take Care,
M.

20 Days to Christmas...

2007-12-04T22:11:00.000-08:00

... but even more importantly, 9 days to shut down!!! :-) Who's taking leave over December and who prefers, like me, to rather take leave in March/April when everything is a little quieter and the weather is still good?
Regards,
M.

Taking Religion out of Christmas!

2007-12-03T03:32:00.000-08:00

Hi, there

Every year my friends and I debate this issue - taking religion out of Christmas. AS a Christian, I celebrate Christmas from a Christian perspective, i.e. the birth of Christ and the salvation of mankind. BUT, it seems to me, that it is rather unfair that the vast majority of our public holidays are Christian based and do not reflect the wider spectrum of our population. I personally feel that each person should be allocated five or six religious days that they can take at significant religious festivals pertinent to their own beliefs. So, in other words, as a Christian, I will use my religious days to celebrate Easter, Christmas, Day of Resurrection, etc. If I was Jewish, I'd use my religious days to celebrate Yom Kippur, etc and if I was a Muslim, I'd use my religious days to celebrate accordingly.
However, I think that Christmas has become so much more than just a Christian holiday, but a day of national celebrations for everyone at a time of year when it is holidays, relaxation and end-of-year shut-down.

After chatting to a few folk of other faiths, they said that if the above system had to be instituted, they'd probably take Christmas off anyway, because they don't see it as a purely Christian celebration.

What are your thoughts? I'd be very interested to hear (and help me win the debate with my friends...;)

Regards,
M.

How not to sell.

2007-11-29T23:49:00.001-08:00

Hi, there

I am not a natural sales person - in fact, its the hardest thing to do is try sell someone something. I always find myself thinking that if someone wants something, they're going to buy it and if I have what they want, they'll come to me. I'm starting to realise that it isn't quite as simplistic as that, because you have to go through the whole process of building relationships and letting people know that you are there (especially when you're only an on-line store. I think that is why I found this little story I received on e-mail the other day so interesting. What is your preferred sales technique? Happy reading!

Regards,

P.S. The extract comes from Early to Rise - a business newsletter I get everyday.

***********************************

You should sell to your customers... But not like this

************************************

"There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

By Suzanne Richardson

Zap! My AC adaptor was dead as a doornail. Since I work from home, my laptop is my office and primary means of communication with ETR writers and staff members alike. Panic started to set in. So I immediately called Dell to order a new AC adaptor as quickly as possible. I needed the adaptor and I needed it right away, which meant that Dell had to do very little work to make the sale. But the sales rep I spoke to managed to make me so frustrated that I hung up and called the computer shop down the road instead. It's possible that you or your salespeople are making the same mistake as the Dell rep. If so, you could be driving your customers away. Here's what happened...

The sales rep asked me for my computer ID number so she could understand more about me and my computer. I told her that my AC adaptor was dead and I needed a new one right away.

"Have you noticed that your computer is running slowly lately, especially when you have a lot of applications running?" she asked.

What does that have to do with anything? I thought. But, giving her the benefit of the doubt, I said, "Sure, sometimes."

"It looks like you're using almost half of your memory," she said. "Would you like to upgrade?"

Okay, I thought, she either didn't listen to my problem or she doesn't understand my urgency. "Yes, I'll consider that at some point," I told her.

"But right now, I really need an AC adaptor."

"Oh, of course we can do that for you. But I just want to make sure that your computer is running at top capacity," she said. "Would you like to upgrade your memory? It will really help your computer run faster."

"Yes, I understand that," I told her. "But I work from home and I need an AC adaptor right away. That's why I called. And once that problem is taken care of, I can think about upgrading my memory."

"But if you upgrade your memory now, I can offer you a special rate," she said.

"That's not my problem right now," I said. "My problem is that I need an AC adaptor."

"If you don't upgrade your memory right now, you won't get this special price," she said.

"Thank you for your time," I told her and hung up.

Michael Masterson has said many times that customer service and sales should go hand in hand. If the product or service you offer is worthwhile, selling it is a service to your customer.

"If you limit the benefit you provide to that which - and only that which - your customer specifically requests," says Michael, "you are much, much less valuable to him in the long run."

But that doesn't mean you should try to badger people into buying something they don't want. And it definitely doesn't mean that you should ignore solving your customer's primary problem in order to make a bigger sale.
Michael puts it like this: "As businesspeople, it is our job to provide more and better products and services to our customers, to help them solve their problems, meet their needs, and achieve their ambitions."

The key idea here: You want to help solve your customers' problems. In my example, my problem was that I needed an AC adaptor. Had the sales rep helped me order what I needed and then tried to convince me to upgrade my memory, I would have been much more receptive to her offer. (I really do, as she suggested, need more memory.)

Homeopathy versus Western Medicine

2007-11-26T03:27:00.000-08:00

Homeopathy versus Western Medicine

And the debate continues … which is better, homeopathy or traditional western medicine? The reason why I’m raising this again is that I had a very interesting conversation with a neighbour yesterday who invented some electronic machine that disguised pain, making operations, etc more bearable without chemical intervention. I don’t know the details of the machine, or what it was called, but the machine itself apparently won a number of international awards and prizes. He says that when the pharmaceutical companies found out about it, they took him to court to stop him marketing and promoting this device and he did not have the financial means to continue fighting back (he said he did try for a bit, but soon ran short of funds). Now, bearing in mind that this was idle chit-chat over a braai and that I don’t have any details, the whole story did get me thinking. I’ve looked up the definitions on Homeopathy and Western Medicine:

Homeopathy (also homœopathy or homoeopathy; from the Greek ὅμοιος, hómoios, "similar" + πάθος, páthos, "suffering" or "disease") is a controversial form of complementary and alternative medicine first used in the late 18th century by German physician Samuel Hahnemann. This early work was built on by later homeopaths such as James Tyler Kent; however, Hahnemann's most famous textbook The Organon of the Healing Art remains in wide use today. The legal status of homeopathy varies from country to country, but homeopathic remedies are not tested and regulated under the same laws as conventional drugs.

Usage is also variable and ranges from only 2% of people in Britain and the United States using homeopathy in any one year, to India, where homeopathy now forms part of traditional medicine and is used by approximately 15% of the population. Homeopathic remedies are based on substances that, in undiluted form, cause symptoms similar to the disease they aim to treat. These substances are then diluted in a process of serial dilution, with shaking at each stage, that homeopaths believe removes side-effects but retains therapeutic powers – even past the point where no molecules of the original substance are likely to remain. Hahnemann proposed that this process aroused and enhanced “spirit-like medicinal powers held within a drug”. Sets of remedies used in homeopathy are recorded in homeopathic materia medica, with practitioners selecting treatments according to consultations that try to produce a picture of both the physical and psychological state of the patient. The ideas of homeopathy are “scientifically implausible”, and directly opposed to modern pharmaceutical knowledge. Claims for the efficacy of homeopathy are unsupported by the collected weight of scientific and clinical studies. This lack of evidence supporting its efficacy, along with its stance against modern scientific ideas, have caused, in the words of a recent medical review, “...homeopathy to be regarded as placebo therapy at best and quackery at worst.” Meta-analyses of many clinical trials have shown that any effects are unlikely to be beyond that of placebo, and that studies that suggest genuine homeopathic effects have generally been flawed in design. Homeopaths are also accused of giving ‘false hope’ to patients who might otherwise seek effective conventional treatments. Many homeopaths advise against standard medical procedures such as vaccination, and some homeopaths even advise against the use of anti-malarial drugs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy

The definition of traditional medicine is: Medicine is the science and “art” of maintaining and/or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of patients. The term is derived from the Latin ars medicina meaning the art of healing. The modern practice of medicine occurs at the many interfaces between the art of healing and various sciences. Medicine is directly connected to the health sciences and biomedicine. Broadly speaking, the term 'Medicine' today refers to the fields of clinical medicine, medical research and surgery, thereby covering the challenges of disease and injury. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine. Conventional medicine: Medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by their allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses. Other terms for conventional medicine include allopathy and allopathic medicine; Western medicine, mainstream medicine, orthodox medicine, and regular medicine; and biomedicine. http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=33527

I must admit that I was a bit taken aback to see that the words “opposed to” in both definitions. I really don’t see Homeopathy and western medicine as an “either/or”, but rather as a “both/and”. My problem with western medicine isn’t so much the medicine itself, its that our whole healthcare system is designed to keep people ill – thereby increasing profits. I mean, when a doctor prescribes FIVE antibiotics for a cough, you’ve got to ask yourself why.

I’ve always thought of it as progressive – first, try living a healthy life style by eating right and exercising regularly. Then, if you do feel ill or something goes wrong, then try home remedies, i.e. if you have flu, drink plenty of liquid and get bed rest. If that doesn’t help, then try homeopathic medication and if you are still ill, then try antibiotics. Hopefully, you’ll be better before you get to the antibiotic stage. Having said that though, there are some illnesses that require western medicine upfront, but is this the only way to go? Hubby’s niece had a cyst on her spine that doctors wanted to operate on (obviously it was a risky procedure). Before the op, she went to see a Homeopath; who managed to get rid of the cyst without any invasive procedures. So, it does beg the question – which is better and why?

What do you think? I’d be interested to know all your opinions – from doctors, pharmacists, homeopaths and everyone in between…J

Regards,
M.

How to Save Money this Christmas.

2007-11-21T01:05:00.000-08:00

I've just added an article on "How to Save Money This Christmas". I've listed 20 points that will help make this Christmas a little easier financially - and may be even a little more fun. Click here to view: http://easterngifts.co.za/save-money-this-christmas-a-50.html.

Hope it helps!!!

Regards,
M.

35 Days to Christmas...

2007-11-18T22:02:00.000-08:00

35 days to Christmas and counting...
Regards,
M.

Congratulations!

2007-11-15T23:27:00.000-08:00

Hi, there

Congratulations to the winner of our R350.00 gift voucher newsletter competition. The details of the prize has been e-mailed to you.

For more information on who the winner is, log onto: http://easterngifts.co.za/gift-giving-step-program-a-49.html.

Also, Eastern Gifts and Things cc will be offering free gift wrapping on all purchases made through the site until Christmas! So, happy shopping!!!

Regards,
M.

Last Day!!!

2007-11-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

Hi, there

Just a friendly reminder that today is the last day to enter our newsletter competition. Tomorrow we do the draw and some lucky person will win a R350.00 gift voucher for Eastern Gifts and Things cc. Which I am sure will be nice and in time for Christmas!

All you have to do, is sign up to receive our bi-monthly newsletter. As easy as that - and you will stand in line to win this amazing gift voucher from Eastern Gifts! BUT, today is your last day to enter! Click on the link here: http://easterngifts.co.za/newsletter.php?osCsid=4adbe03d0274cb803d9526e555a20f04

Good luck,

Regards,
M.

The Art of Gift Giving-a 10 Step Program

2007-11-12T01:05:00.000-08:00

Hi, there

While, we don’t all have a natural flair for selecting the perfect gift for any occasion, help is at hand. I came across this article on gift giving, which I thought was pretty pertinent with Christmas just around the corner. For more information on the author (not me) and the article, click here: http://blog.cmariestationery.com/2006/05/art-of-gift-giving-10-step-program.html

“The Art of Gift Giving: A 10 Step Program

You're in a rut, a slump, a deep dark trench with no visible way out. Your gifts are no good, you've boycotted weddings and birthdays because you have no desire to purchase a gift, and you're already planning your holiday season getaway plan. When it comes to gift giving, my friend, you have a problem. Fear not. Follow this ten step program and begin the road to recovery. Watch as you emerge from your social cocoon and relish in your friends' admiration. Learn to enjoy giving gifts, and reap the rewards through strengthened relationships.

Step 1: Give gifts because you want to, not because you are obligated to do so. When you think of gift giving as a necessity, it automatically becomes an undesirable chore. Remind yourself that giving gifts is optional. Nothing requires you to do so. While society may have ingrained this thought in your mind, it's like leaving a tip for a waiter - if nothing merits a gift, then you have no obligation to give one.

Step 2: Take notes. Unless you were blessed with an incredible memory, keep notes throughout the year on appropriate gifts for people. If someone mentions a book that they've been dying to read, write it down. If a client made a comment about his favorite dessert, jot it down while it's fresh on your mind. When it comes time to give a gift, you'll appreciate having this information on hand, as it will make your gift search much easier when it comes time to selecting an appropriate gift.

Step 3: Celebrate the little things. Surprise people with an unexpected gift. These days, our mailboxes are bombarded with bills and junk mail, and there's nothing more pleasant than getting a small package without reason. Don't simply give gifts for standard occasions (birthdays, weddings, holidays); celebrate events that would otherwise go unnoticed. Share a friend's excitement over a new car by mixing her a CD with songs for the road. Congratulate a client on a promotion with a bottle of champagne. Such small gestures can have an enormous impact on a relationship, showing that you take notice of things that are important to other people with no expectation of reciprocity.

Step 4: Express yourself, your recipient, and your relationship. Remember, this is your one shot to give a gift to this person, on this date, for this occasion, so make it count. Don't waste this opportunity with something generic like a tie or bath products. They're overdone, and appear much less thoughtful than a gift that is geared specifically toward the particular event. Write down all of the characteristics of the recipient, of your relationship with them, and of the occasion, and begin to look for links to gifts. Gift giving is an art form, so embrace the opportunity to add in elements of your own personality as well. Incorporate your sense of humor or sentimental side, show off your photography skills, or share your love of writing. If you're giving gifts on behalf of an organization, incorporate the group's brand into your gifts. Define a way to make your gifts stand out and represent both sides of the relationship.

Step 5: Give something they would never buy themselves. There is nothing more satisfying than receiving a gift of pure luxury, excess, and indulgence. If you know someone loves the theater but tends to buy tickets in the back corner, allow them to enjoy a show while seated front and center. While certain circumstances may require you to give a necessity, spice it up with something fun. For example, when I first moved into my townhouse, my mom bought me (at my request) an Oreck vacuum cleaner. While I needed it, it wasn't a gift that I really wanted, but because she added in all sorts of fun scented carpet fresheners, I was actually excited about vacuuming...which I never thought possible.

Step 6: Keep the audience in mind. While you want a gift to be personal, think of the circumstances in which the gift will be given. This applies to both the recipient (i.e., don't give a Christmas ornament to a Jewish man in July) and those who will be witnessing the opening of the gift (don't give sexy lingerie to a woman when her parents are present).

Step 7: Present your gift well. Like anything in life, presentation can make or break your gift. Handing a Waterford crystal bowl over in a Wal-Mart bag doesn't have the same effect as when it's wrapped in beautiful paper, tied with coordinating ribbon, and topped with a beaded gift topper. Everything from the gift to the filler to the wrapping has significant impact on how your gift is perceived, so take the extra effort to make your gift look as beautiful as the sentiment that it represents.

Step 8: Include a handwritten note. No gift is complete without a handwritten note attached. You can write it on the back of a gift card, on a notecard, or if you have a lot to say, write it on some nice stationery. Of course, exceptions can be made for gifts purchased via internet, but even in these circumstances you should type in a message to be included with the gift. Just be sure to write something personal, and more than the standard, "Happy birthday!" or "With love,..." Invest the time to write something special.

Step 9: Send your gifts on time. No matter how amazing your gift is, if it is received months after the fact, it tends to lose its purpose. By planning ahead, you can avoid this last minute rush. First, consolidate all of your recurring events into a single calendar. Set aside one day per month to review the events of the upcoming month, and use this time to purchase, wrap and write notes. I also highly recommend creating a gift closet to take care of those moments when time truly gets the best of you. Here you can keep an emergency stock of gifts to give, along with extra wrapping supplies and cards.

Step 10: Look for inspiration everywhere. Gift giving is a form of art that is constantly being refined, and as you master these basic skills, refine your art by scouring the world for unique ways to make your gifts even more personal. Keep it in the back of your mind when searching through magazines, traveling, or wandering through a favorite store. You'll be amazed at the ideas that you generate when you least expect it. Take note of gifts that you appreciate, and think about what made that gift special. Inspiration is all around you; the key is training your mind to look at everything as a potential idea.

Congratulations! You are on your way to a lifetime of success, with adoring friends and loyal business relationships. Repeat after me: ‘My name is [insert your name here] and I am a joyful gift giver.’”

And now that we are all a little more clued up on the art of gift giving, allow me the opportunity of sharing what Eastern Gifts and Things cc can do to assist. First of all, we stock handcrafted gift items not easily found on the retail market. This will ensure that gifts purchased at our store will be unique quality handcrafted items. Secondly, we will gift wrap your purchase for you. All you need to do is specify the occasion in the comments field when placing your order, and we will do the rest. Third, we deliver anywhere in South Africa. So, if your family and friends have an occasion to be celebrated in Rivier-Sonder-End, and you are not able to make it, we will make sure your gift arrives on time – elegantly wrapped for the occasion at hand.

And, if you’re still not sure on a suitable gift – we also have gift vouchers and gift baskets that can be made up according to order. You tell us what you want and we do it for you!

Remember, we pack it, wrap it and deliver it – anywhere in South Africa.

Regards,
THE EASTERN GIFTS TEAM

Check out our blogs: http://easterngifts.blogspot.com/ or http://www.easterngifts.iblog.co.za/

For all your home décor, kitchenware and gifting requirements, log onto www.easterngifts.co.za.

Sea Fever

2007-11-07T23:40:00.000-08:00

I remember studying this poem as a child at school (could be giving my age away here), and I could almost quote it verbatim when I came across it in a magazine recently. Its by John Masefield:

I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the whitesail's shaking,

And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of therunning tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

All I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying, And the

flung spray and the blown spume, and the seagulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like

a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trip's over.

Broadband Special

2007-11-07T00:18:00.000-08:00

Hi, there

Eastern Gifts and Things cc and Cadence Innovations have partnered to offer you this amazing broadband deal – purchase any of these broadband specials and qualify for gift vouchers through Eastern Gifts and Things cc who cater for all your home gifting requirements.
Vodacom Data Messenger Plus: Sign up for this R85.00 per month HSDPA/3G contract and qualify for a R100.00 Eastern Gifts and Things cc Gift Voucher. Vodacom My MEG 500: Sign up for this R249.00 per month HSDPA/3G contract and qualify for a R200.00 Eastern Gifts and Things cc Gift Voucher. Vodacom My GIG One: Sign up for this R349.00 per month HSDPA/3G contract and qualify for a R300.00 Eastern Gifts and Things cc Gift Voucher.

No hidden costs:
- Free SIM
- Free connection
- No compulsory value added services
- Free signal testing (Port Elizabeth only)

Delivery by courier to anywhere in South Africa:
- Port Elizabeth: Free
- Eastern Cape: R70.00
- National: R90.00

For further information: Act Now! Contact Ed Bennett on 0823 366 388 or www.cadence.co.za or via e-mail on ed@cadence.co.za.

Terms and Conditions Apply!

Promotion ends 31 January 2008—sign up now to qualify for these free gift vouchers!

Questions and Comments? E-mail Ed Bennett on ed@cadence.co.za for more information or log onto www.cadence.co.za.

Regards,
M.

American Express...

2007-11-05T01:22:00.000-08:00

FYI - Eastern Gifts and Things cc now excepts American Express cards on-line! So, along with Visa & Mastercard, we now also accept American Express. Remember, none of your credit card details are ever stored online, making our on-line shopping experience safe and secure. For more information in this regard, visit www.paygate.co.za or www.standardbank.co.za.

Or, alternatively, if you have any queries, e-mail us on info@easterngifts.co.za.

Happy shopping.

Regards,
M.

Left to Wonder

2007-11-02T02:10:00.000-07:00

************************************
Left to Wonder
************************************

"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable." – Sydney Smith

By Robert Ringer

When I was a teenager, one of my good friends was "Gary." Gary was one of those kids who were targets of the taunters and teasers. Even nice guys threw barbs at him, but he took it in a good-natured way.

I probably teased Gary myself on occasion... I honestly can't remember... but I went out of my way to be kind to him most of the time. I liked Gary, because he was a genuinely nice person.

What caused Gary to be teased so much was the way he spoke (a little odd) and ran (very odd). Seems strange now, but no one - including me - ever stopped to think about what might be wrong with someone who had what we would now clearly consider to be a disability. If someone walked, talked, or acted differently than everyone else, he was simply thought of as a "donkey," "do-do," "dork," "weirdo," etc. Compassion and understanding were scarce commodities in those days.

Things like "learning disorders" and conditions such as autism, Asperger's Syndrome, or dyslexia were never discussed. Nor did teachers or school staff members even dream of giving kids with such problems special accommodations. It was a pretty cold world for those youngsters. You either cut it or you didn't.

By the standards of yesteryear, Gary's dad was perceived to be rich by everyone who lived in our little version of Peyton Place. By today's standards, of course, he really wasn't. But I loved going over to Gary's house, because he had everything - including a great recreation room in the basement with a jukebox, ping pong table, pinball machine, and more.

What was really interesting about Gary was that even though the bullies in our class tried to make him out to be a dummy, he was actually very smart. I remember playing a game with him one afternoon with two dictionaries. One of us would throw out a word, then we would race to see who could find it in the dictionary first.

As best as I can recall, Gary found every word faster than I did. It just about drove me nuts. It was the first time I consciously thought about how smart he was. I also recall dragging Gary into touch-football games in the street with two of my neighbors who were roughly our age. He could catch the ball pretty well, but he ran stiff-legged like a duck. One of my neighbors ("Larry"), who was in the grade below us, would mock him unmercifully for this. Interesting, now that I think about it, given the fact that Larry was one of the dumbest kids in his class, having flunked at least one full year that I know of.

As is so often the case, we all went our separate ways after high school. After a number of years had passed, I heard from "Ben," my best friend in high school, that Gary had moved to Washington, D.C. Every time I came to Washington, I thought about trying to get in touch with him, but it never happened. Too busy with business matters.

Years later, when I moved to the D.C. area, I finally tracked down Gary's telephone number. I thought it would be a kick to get together with my old high school pal and see how his life had turned out. I'd heard that he was an attorney, but I didn't know if he had ever gotten married or had children. Plus, as an adult in a much more open, knowledgeable, and medically aware world, I was curious as to what Gary's condition was and how successful he had been in rising above it.

Gary kept creeping up on my to-do list, until he eventually made it to the top 10. I felt sure I would be able to get in touch with him and manage to have a little reunion within the next few weeks. I was very much looking forward to it.

But before I made the effort to actually do it, I took a short trip back to Peyton Place to visit my elderly mother in her nursing home. Ben picked me up at the airport and, as soon as I got in the car, said to me, "Before I even pull away from the curb, I want to tell you something. Gary died a few days ago - on the operating table while having open-heart surgery." I was stunned.

I'm angry with myself that I never made it a point to see Gary. I'll never know the answers to all the questions I had about him and his life. I especially wanted to talk to him about his condition, as I have two children with disabilities. But I was too late.

Which leaves me thinking about all those things on my to-do list that were always ahead of getting in touch with Gary. In retrospect, I ask myself, "Was each and every one of them more important than seeing him?" I guess I'll just have to keep wondering ... and wonder what our reunion might have been like.

Who's on your to-do list, and how many tasks are ahead of that person? You might want to start wondering about your priorities. Wondering about them today - not tomorrow - might just lead to action instead of regrets. When you wait until tomorrow to wonder, action is sometimes not an option.

I'm back...

2007-10-31T02:40:00.000-07:00

Hi, there

The Expo, I would say, was successful even though it was quiet and the expected numbers did not attend. I've put some feedback on my site, plus some pics - click here to view: http://easterngifts.co.za/homemakers-expo-a-46.html

Let me know what you think.

Regards,
M.

I'll be quiet...

2007-10-24T03:01:00.001-07:00

...for the next week or so. I'm doing the Homemakers Expo in PE this weekend, so will not have time to update my blogs. However, I do look forward to giving you some feedback on the Expo and to uploading some pic's of my stand.
If you are in PE, please do come and visit - it'll be great to have you there.
Regards,
M.

Give Some Love, Make More Profit!

2007-10-22T01:23:00.000-07:00

Give Some Love, Make More Profit!

Hi, there

I’ve come across this article that was e-mailed to me this morning – all about “Word of Mouth” marketing and building relationships. Happy reading…

Regards,
M.

P.S. Its by Brian Walsh from entrepreneur.co.za

Today I want to talk aboutrelationship and word of mouth marketing. Since I started researching and presenting Master Marketer, I have realised that most entrepreneurs use word of mouth as their primary means of marketing. The thing is that word of mouth happens (both in the negative and the positive) even if you are not actively working at it. And many entrepreneurs are so involved with selling that they forget about how important relationship-building is, and the impact word of mouth has, whether positive or negative. So I thought I would share a simple principle with you today.

The quality of your relationships is directly related to the success, or lack of success, of your business. It is essential to understand these relationships, and work hard at ensuring you develop and maintain the best possible relationships. This relates to your suppliers, your staff and your clients. The big mistake that many entrepreneurs make is to focus only on pushing a sale through, and thereafter, not being too concerned about these clients at all. This is such a short-sighted approach with potentially far-reaching, detrimental effects for your business.

There are three primary stages of building relationships with people, including clients. Let me explain these:

The first stage is initial contact where we have the opportunity to attract a client.
Next comes the rapport stage, which is where we establish a common ground conducive to making the client want to buy from us. (These first two stages are what most entrepreneurs focus on, although many don't fully understand the rapport concept.)
The third stage is arguably the most important. It is the trust stage, and this is often not effectively pursued by many entrepreneurs. This stage can usually only really develop after a client has made an initial ‘test’ purchase from you - it is once you’ve proven the value you offer via your product, service or both, that the trust stage can unfold fully. Once trust is established, clients will be likely to come back for more purchases, and refer others to you. This stage is what can really separate successful entrepreneurs from the many who continue to struggle.

I refer to this trust stage as giving some love. When we act with love, people sense that we care about what we are doing, the quality of the product or service we’re selling, about the outcome of customer satisfaction, and they sense that they can trust us. When you concentrate only on pushing a sale through, consider that you are doing serious damage by not evolving your relationships to the trust stage –it is during the trust stage that clients become loyal supporters bringing regular business, and spreading positive word of mouth. Think about it...and then go and give some love.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Brian Walsh
Founder and CEO of Entrepreneur.co.za

Newsletter - October 2007

2007-10-19T03:19:00.000-07:00

Good day,

We have plenty to share with you this month, as well as the wonderful news that for all the PE folk, Eastern Gifts and Things cc is proud to announce that we will - once again - have a stand at the Homemakers Expo at the Feather Market Centre next weekend. Do come and join us for what I am sure will be a wonderful festival!!

And before we get to the good stuff, just a reminder that our competition to win a R350.00 gift voucher is still running. All you have to do is sign up for our monthly newsletter and you could stand a chance to win this gift voucher. The competition closes 15 November 2007, so why not encourage your family, friends and colleagues to sign up as well? Simply follow the link to sign up: http://easterngifts.co.za/newsletter.php

I am not sure if you're aware of this, but Christmas is just on two months away. Well, 67 days to be exact. And my best friend yesterday informed me that she has already completed ALL her Christmas shopping. Now, I'm not sure how many of you will be as efficient as she is, or will wait till the last minute like most of us do, but allow me to share some excellent gift ideas from Eastern Gifts and Things cc (not only do we offer excellent gift ideas, but the chance to do all your Christmas shopping in the comfort from your home or office and we will take care of the rest).

We have gifts that cater for all tastes and all occasions, and we will deliver anywhere in the country.

Just some ideas:

These beautiful, handmade doorstops are an ideal and unique gift.

This beautiful cow door stop retails for R65.00. The beautiful pig door stop (seen below) also retails for R65.00.

If you're looking for something a little larger, why not try this Fat Striped Cat Door Stop. This door stop is 24 x 14 x 48 cm and retails for R165.00 (see picture below).

Yes, we do cater for everyone and every occassion - and we will pack it, wrap it and deliver it - anywhere in South Africa.

This beautiful chess set is handmade and depicts the English and the Zulu's warring. This handmade chess set as a four to six week delivery time and retails for R425.00.

Another idea for Christmas is

This elephant CD holder is also handmade and is very stylish - suited to anyone's home. The elephant CD holder can hold 10 CD's a side and retails for R475.00 (size: 35.5 x 20 x 24 cm).
Are you looking for a gift for the person in your life who is a cat lover? Well, we have a stunning range of cat figurines perfectly suited to this need. Our catch-all is a stunning gift idea - not only will it hold all your mail, post, but also has place for your keys, plus comes set to be fitted to any wall. The size is 16 x 7.5 x 65 cm and this elegantly made cat-figurine catch-all retails for R365.00.

In addition to the above, we also have a beautiful range of Christmas decorations, from snowmen napkin rings, to angels to Father Christmas - all handmade and not available on the retail market.

Please feel free to contact us if we can assist you in anyway.

Remember, we pack it, wrap it and deliver it - anywhere in South Africa.

For all your home decor, kitchenware and gifting requirements - log onto www.easterngifts.co.za.

Regards,
THE EASTERN GIFTS TEAM

Homemakers Expo (25-28 Oct 2007)

2007-10-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

Hi, there

Just to let everyone know that Eastern Gifts and Things cc will have a stand at the Homemakers Expo in Port Elizabeth at the Feathermarket Centre from 25 to 28 October 2007. We will at stand LP163 - do come and visit us!!!

Remember, we are still running the competition to win a R350.00 gift voucher - simply by signing up for our newsletter: http://easterngifts.co.za/newsletter.php?osCsid=11da80d33d0bc29a698a1524e59927b6. Competition closes 15 November 2007.

Regards,
M.

Forest Hill, Port Elizabeth, RSA

2007-10-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hi, there

I am looking for any and all information on Forest Hill, Port Elizabeth, South Africa - particularly relating to the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's. Does anyone have any idea on where I can get more information or does anyone have any information for me???

I am particularly looking for information on the Nel, Swartz, Palmer & Woolard families that lived there during these three decades.

Any information, references, research suggestions, etc can be e-mailed direct to me on info@easterngifts.co.za.

Thanks so much,

Regards,
M.

I think...

2007-10-12T03:04:00.000-07:00

Morning,

Well, I think that I may just actually be enjoying this whole cooking thing afterall. And here I thought I was a modern girl, staying away from the kitchen and wearing shoes…

I just thought I’d share my new recipe with you - made last night for some friends who all thoroughly enjoyed it: http://easterngifts.co.za/chicken-mkaddam-souiri-a-41.html. This delicious Moroccan Tagine recipe was followed by Almond cookies (also a Moroccan delicacy) and delicious coffee. Not too shabby! Yes, I know, you are all wondering what the big deal is - well, the big deal is this: I have always hated cooking.

Now, I find myself thoroughly enjoying it. Preparation is easy - cooking is easy - clean up is easy. And you do actually (believe it or not) get tired of fast food after a while;)

For the Almond cookie recipe: http://easterngifts.co.za/almond-clove-cookies-a-42.html.

Enjoy!!! Anyway, a delicious meal and a few bottles of wine later, we were ready to head for bed!

Try the recipes and let me know what you think. There is plenty of information available on the site regarding Moroccan recipes and cooking.

Regards,
M.

P.S. Don’t forget our competition - win a R350.00 gift voucher simply by registering for the newsletter on our site. You could use the R350.00 towards a Tagine (just an idea…)

2007-10-10T00:10:00.001-07:00

THE YEAR 1907

This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine! The year is 1907. One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some of the U.S. Statistics for the Year 1907:

The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years old.
Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California.
With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 Cents per hour. The average U.S. Worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist made $2,500 per year, a veterinarian $1,500 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at HOME.
Ninety percent of all U.S. Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as “substandard.”
Sugar cost four cents a pound, eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
Pneumonia and influenza
Tuberculosis
Diarrhea
Heart disease
Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn’t been admitted to the Union yet.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn’t been invented yet.
There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
Two out of every 10 U.S. Adults couldn’t read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, “Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.”
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A.!

Just Try to imagine….. What it may be like …… In another 100 years! IT STAGGERS THE MIND!

Wisdom of Larry the Cable Guy:

2007-10-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

Wisdom of Larry the Cable Guy:

READ SLOWLY

A day without sunshine is like night.
On the other hand, you have different fingers.
42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
Remember, half the people you know are below average.
He who laughs last thinks the slowest.
Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.
Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.
OK, so what's the speed of dark?
When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, "What the heck happened?"
Just remember -- if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.
Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
Life isn't like a box of chocolates; it's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow

A Grief Observed

2007-10-03T23:17:00.000-07:00

A Grief Observed – C.S. Lewis
“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing.
At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting. Yet I want the others to be about me. I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me.
There are moments, most unexpectedly, when something inside me tries to assure me that I don’t really mind so much, not so very much, after all. Love is not the whole of a man’s life. I was happy before I ever met H. I’ve plenty of what are called ‘resources’. People get over these things. Come, I shan’t do so badly. One is ashamed to listen to this voice but it seems for a little to be making out a good case. Then comes a sudden jab of red-hot memory and all this ‘commonsense’ vanishes like an ant in the mouth of a furnace.
On the rebound one passes into tears and pathos. Maudlin tears. I almost prefer the moments of agony. These are at least clean and honest. But the bath of self-pity, the wallow, the loathsome sticky-sweet pleasure of indulging it – that disgusts me. And even while I’m doing it I know it leads me to misrepresent H. herself. Give that mood its head and in a few minutes I shall have substituted for the real woman a mere doll to be blubbered over. Thank God the memory of her is still too strong (will it always be too strong?) to let me get away with it.
…
Meanwhile, where is God? This is one of the most disquieting symptoms. When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him, so happy that you are tempted to feel His claims upon you as an interruption, if you remember yourself and turn to Him with gratitude and praise, you will be – or so it feels – welcomed with open arms. But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away. The longer you wait, the more empathic the silence will become. There are no lights in the windows. It might be an empty house.
…
What can this mean? Why is He so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time of trouble?
I tried to put some of these thoughts to C. this afternoon. He reminded me that the same thing seems to have happened to Christ: ‘Why hast Thou forsaken me?’ I know. Does that make it easier to understand?”

In loving memory of Martha Marsha, born 24 May 1923, died 03 October 2007
I miss you so very, very much!!!

Catching the Upswing on Men's Underwear

2007-10-03T00:23:00.000-07:00

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Catching the Upswing on Men's Underwear
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"Provided a man is not mad, he can be cured of every folly but vanity." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

By Michael Masterson

It took Steven Lien only 30 days to turn a profit. His idea for a new retail store had been ridiculed by experts and mocked by friends. "Everyone was like, 'There's no way that will work,'" he told David Colman of The New York Times. Yet it did. His idea was to open a store that would sell unique and colorful offbeat brands of underwear to men. Although the market for men's briefs has been fixed firmly in a conservative range of monotone colors for years, Lien had the sense that this was changing. He wanted to capitalize on what he thought was the next hot trend in men's buying habits. He named the business Under U 4 Men. He chose Portland's business district for his first location. "I didn't open on Gay Street, USA," he said. "I opened on Main Street."

Novelty briefs have been around for a long time, but they weren't a big part of the men's cotton-knit underwear market until two or three years ago. Last year, for the first time, brightly colored briefs sold better than standard whites, claiming just more than 50 percent of the $1.1 billion market. Steven Lien wasn't the only one who noticed and took advantage of this trend. Some of the big companies were paying attention, too. American Apparel began advertising its line of briefs two years ago, and has already sold more than a million pairs. And a Canadian website called Ginch Gonch (Canadian slang for underwear) sold 1.8 million pairs last year at about $30 each, according to the company's owner.

Much of this trend has been initiated by women, apparently. Underwear, the experts say, is one of the few items of menswear that women buy more of (for men) than men do. But when the underwear the women buy is replaced by the men they buy it for, it will likely be with similar styles - which will mean continued strong sales for Steven Lien and his colleagues. This is part of a larger trend: the peacocking of the American man.

As a boy, I was taught (not directly, but by my father's example and by stereotypes on TV) that boys weren't supposed to care about clothes. That was the mythology we were exposed to, though the reality was very different. There were plenty of men and boys out there fussing over their wardrobes. My friend Paul, the toughest kid in our grammar school, was a great dresser (and still is). I did my best to dress well, but with a budget of literally zero to buy new clothes, I had to depend upon the accidental kindness of others - wealthier boys whose outgrown clothes made their way through the Catholic charities to my family.

Leave It to Beaver, a staple sit-com of my generation, epitomized the American attitude toward men's (and boy's) clothing. Mr. Cleaver and his sons appeared to be completely clueless about style, happily soiling their clothes while doing manly things with machinery (tinkering with the carburetor, fixing the lawn mower, etc.). And yet, they were always impeccably dressed in what we used to call "collegiate" fashion. Collegiate fashion was easy to adhere to. Chinos, madras shirts, penny loafers - the choices were limited. Formal attire was equally restricted:
The best suit was conventionally cut, with a single-breasted wool jacket and pants in blue or grey. Dress shirts were white. Socks matched your shoes. Only ties had color in them - conservative bars of angled stripes.

Had I not been a hand-me-down kid, I could have easily outfitted myself with a complete wardrobe in an hour's time at Hunter's, the local clothing store for men. It was simple. The idea was to wear clothes that made you look good without making you look like you wanted to look good. Given the very conservative approach we took toward dressing then, it should come as no surprise that there was only one choice when it came to
underwear: tighty-whities - and always Fruit of the Loom. (Was there even another brand?)

But that's all changed gradually over the years. In the past decade especially, a "new" kind of man has been blossoming. This is plainly evident if you know almost any men younger than 40. Say the word "product" to them and they will think "hair." The same word said to a man of my generation evokes some sort of manufacturing image. The new man has been dubbed a "metrosexual." He is said to be comfortable with his masculinity, much more so than his macho father, and much more comfortable with social changes that have taken place in recent years (such as the fact that women are often the primary breadwinners and that men are expected to do their fair share of the diaper changing).

Dealing with your baby's diarrhea is the downside of metrosexuality. Being able to openly concern yourself with your appearance is - we are given to believe - the compensation. Young men are completely knowledgeable about consumer goods that used to be considered "feminine." I'm talking not only about designer clothing, but also about skin treatments, highlighting, liposuction, body washes, hair removal, tanning lotions ... and fancy underwear.

What's the reason for this?

For better or worse, the baby boomers decided that it was sexist for men and women to play different social roles or even to look different. The objective seemed to be a sort of hybrid gender, with sexuality eliminated as much as possible.

That's the best spin I can put on it.

And it has been an interesting ride with some positive outcomes. It's easier and more socially acceptable for a man to be gay, effeminate, or merely foppish ... and that's a good thing. It's also permissible for women to bear arms and have their heads blown off. I suppose that's a good thing too - though it's still not acceptable for women to act like macho men.

Yes, men are becoming less manly in that old-fashioned, Rhett Butler kind of way that men of my generation aspired to. Today, it's okay to like shopping for clothes. It's even okay to spend time looking at yourself in the mirror. According to a 2005 Datamonitor survey ("Evolution of Global Consumer Trends"), 73 percent of European and American men rank standing in front of the mirror as important or very important (as compared to 72 percent of women surveyed).

With more men feeling that it's acceptable to buy and use products formerly used only by women, the personal care market has room to grow.
Worldwide sales of men's grooming products rose from $26.3 billion in 2005 to $29.7 billion in 2006, as reported in Courant magazine. And the Datamonitor survey predicts that the European and U.S. male personal care market will reach $37.6 billion in 2008.

The change in male buying habits - especially among younger men - doesn't stop with personal care products. The men's clothing industry, too, is seeing an upsurge. For example, an NPD Group Inc. study done in 2005 found that there was a five percent increase in men's clothing sales that year (to $53 billion). The increase was attributed to a 53 percent jump in the sales of suits, separate suit coats and trousers, and sport coats. And those sales were largely to men between the ages of 18 and 24.

Men are also venturing into shops more often to buy for the women in their lives. Donna Reamy, associate chair of Virginia Commonwealth University's fashion department, notes "Where it was a woman's role to shop, it's just not anymore." Plus, says Reamy, who compiles data on men's shopping habits, the number of department stores catering to men are at an all-time high.

Here are some other notable statistics:

The male grooming product market worldwide grew an average of 5.7 percent each year between 1997 and 2005. Men's bath and shower products and men's skin-care products led the way with 11.1 percent and 10.3 percent growth respectively (according to EuroMonitor International Research).

The spa industry has seen a growing market for male-only services (according to a 2006 Associated Skin Care Professionals survey).

31 percent of American spa goers are men (according to 2006 International Spa Association Research).

When you think of all the possibilities - not just in clothing and cosmetics but in health aids and information products and plastic surgery - you can see that the profit potential of this trend is enormous. And who will foresee the next ripple? It won't be me, that's for sure. If I wanted to get into it, I'd partner up with someone younger. Someone who uses face cleansers and wears colorful underwear. I'm not talking about a woman. I'm talking about the new kind of man.

Wine.

2007-10-01T04:29:00.000-07:00

Wine!
October 1st, 2007 by easterngifts

Bet the title got your attention, didn’t it?

Yes, I do enjoy a glass of red wine with dinner every night, and whilst we’ve got some stunning recipies on our site (http://www.easterngifts.co.za/), I haven’t told you about where to get some wine to go with these recipes.

And speaking of wine and recipes, have you tried our stunning tagine recipes yet? The last I made was the shrimp tagine and I’m thinking its about high time I make another tagine. They’re easy, convenient and healthy (and ONE glass of red wine at night is good for you!:-)

But, what about your home? I’m talking about the financing and looking after your home?

Save money, enjoy a delicious glass of red wine (or white, if you prefer) and allow us to take care of your all home decor, kitchenware and gifting requirements.

Regards,

M.

P.S. Don’t forget our competition - win a R350.00 gift voucher simply by registering for our newsletter. Competition closes 15 November 2007.

30 year marriage

2007-09-28T02:36:00.000-07:00

Married 30 years.
I took a look at my wife one day and said, “Honey, 30 years ago, we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, slept on the sofa and watched a 15” black and white TV. But I got to sleep with a hot 29 year-old blonde. Now we have a nice house, a nice car, a king-size bed and a plasma screen TV. But I’m sleeping every night with a 60-year old woman. It seems to be you’re not holding up your side of things.”
My wife is a reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 30-year old blonde, and she would make absolutely sure that I would be living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa bed and watching a 15” black & white TV. I just love older women. They know how to solve a man’s problems in a hurry.

Braai Day & Other news

2007-09-24T02:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to NATIONAL BRAAI DAY!

What a wonderful concept to enjoy on Heritage Day. "On 24 September all South Africans will sit around the same fire. Join us in National Braai Day - a celebration of our great country and its unique national pastime. National Braai Day will allow us to get together, burn the past and cook up a succulent future. Braaing unites us all in a common purpose and transcends racial, social, cultural and language barriers. There's really no excuse not to gather your family and friends and whip up a feast - it's the start of summer and a public holiday." (Ref: http://www.braaiday.co.za/)

And whilst we all know that our Tagines can be used on the braai, even Cosmo is getting in on the act. In an article on how to keep your kitchen healthy, the following passage appears: "Swap the Roasting dish for a Tagine - roasted vegetable are healthy but you need to add oil for flavour and moisture. 'A tagine is self-basting,' says UK dietitian Nigel Denby. 'The design ensures that the steam keeps circulating, keeping food juicy without any added fat. It's also the ultimate in low-maintenance cooking - pop it in the oven [or on the stove] and let the steam do its work." Cosmopolitan, October 2007 (pg. 46 - Zest).

However, our Tagines are not limited to just vegetable dishes. For a range of Tagine recipes, view our site.
And, Eastern Gifts and Things cc is proud to launch its affiliate program. We are delighted that you can make some money with the Eastern Gifts and Things cc Affiliate Program! It is profitable, easy to sign up and easy to administer. All you have to do is link to us with your unique Affiliate Link. You can add value to your offering by linking your site to “the Best Home Décor, Kitchenware and Gifting Site Ever” – and you can generate more revenue at the same time. Why Our Affiliate Program? Well, we pay 10% commission for each sale on our site that has found our site through your link. Quality services and products to increase revenue opportunities and we offer your customers the best in home décor, kitchenware and gifting items, with direct delivery for up to five registered delivery addresses. Click here to join our Affiliate Program and link to Eastern Gifts and Things cc and start earning money with our Affiliate Program right now!

For more information, e-mail us on info@easterngifts.co.za.

And for all the women out there running their own businesses, here are two networking sites to get the word out there.

The first site is www.pages4women.com. Tania Bartrip - Owner and Editor of Pages 4 Women: Tania is the founder and editor of www.Pages4women.com - a platform where women can connect to share ideas, network and promote their business or service on a global level. She aims to Empower, Motivate, Inform and Unite women worldwide! Based, at the moment, in the South West of England, she is presently focusing her efforts on building a network where busy women can connect and find information and services on a wide range of topics from Business to Holistic Health to Interior Design, Fashion, Self-Help and Relationship issues. If you are a business owner and would like to have your personal profile featured on the site, just click the link to the Home page where you'll find full details - it's Free to join!

The second, a locally based website will add a little spice to your life. Welcome to the SPICE Philosophy: Self worth, Passion, Inspiration, Commitment and Edutainment - the tools through which we are able to embrace our womanhood and fulfil our true potential. SPICE has a very definitive goal: Connecting women with purpose in order for them to reach their full potential and spread their success and example amongst all around them, especially their families, children and community. With 7 years of hard earned experience, development of strong ethical relationships, credibility with our market & endorsement for the roles we play. We host a large interactive database, with an independent e-zine website receiving hundreds of thousands of visits from Women of South Africa. – www.spice4life.co.za.

And finally, our new products are taking off extremely well. Our pots - handmade in Peru - are exclusively available on our site. For more information on any of these news items, please e-mail us on info@easterngifts.co.za.

Competition Time And finally, don't forget our competition: One lucky subscriber will stand the chance to win a R350.00 gift voucher. So, pass the word onto all your friends, family and colleagues. You can sign up for our newsletter, without having to register as a client. However, you will need to sign up as a client in order to make a purchase on our site. To sign up for a newsletter - click here. To sign up as a client - click here. Competition closes 15 November 2007.

Here's to a wonderful spring and summer ahead - and have a fantastic NATIONAL BRAAI DAY today. And here's to seeing you online again soon:-)

Remember, we pack it, wrap it and deliver it - anywhere in South Africa.

For all your home decor, kitchenware and gifting requirements - log onto www.easterngifts.co.za.

Regards,
THE EASTERN GIFTS TEAM

Got Worry?

2007-09-21T00:12:00.000-07:00

Hi, there

I found this interesting article on worry from Kim Allen, from HeartMaths. A little bit of motivation for a long weekend, so I thought I’d share. Oh, and have a fabulous long weekend!!!

Regards,
M.

Got Worry?

Care is a good thing. How much better we feel when someone cares for us. Care even feels good when we give it to someone else. You could say a sincere feeling of care reduces stress, whether we're on the giving or receiving end.
Yet when we look up care in the dictionary, the first definitions are not what we think of when we want to be cared for: A state of mind in which one is troubled; worry, anxiety, or concern.1

Well that makes sense. After all, aren't the people or issues you care for or about the very same things that cause you worry, anxiety or frustration? How often do you fuss or fret over something you don't care about?

If what you care about is causing you stress it could be because it's crossed the line into overcare.

We've all been on the receiving end of overcare: the micro manager, the perfectionist, and the overbearing parent who do what they do because they say (and believe!) they care. In actuality, however, they've taken their care to an inefficient extreme and turned it into overcare. Overcaring is a monumental drain on all concerned and one of the most common sources of stress. And, left unchecked, overcaring can lead to burnout. That's when we quit; we stop caring all together and that's not a healthy alternative.

Now, watch out! Don't start to overcare (worry!) because you overcare! We all do! Rather, get back to balanced care. First, disengage from the stressful feeling: Heart focus; heart breathing. Next, recall a sincere feeling of care (to have an inclination, liking, fondness, or affection1) for someone or something. Now you're ready to ask yourself, "What would be a more efficient attitude or action that would reduce my stress and get me back to balanced care?"

And follow through. This won't reduce your stress unless you take action!

1http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/care

The People's Chemist

2007-09-18T22:47:00.000-07:00

Hi, there

I'm not sure if you've heard of Sean Ellison, the people's chemist. He has some very different views on medication, for example, he does not promote using any medication for cholesterol at all. He says its all hype created by big drug companies to make money (it does seem a little odd that every seems to have high cholesterol). Anyway, I've copied an article of his below - why not read it and comment? Would be interesting to see what everyone thinks. And by the way, he is a chemist and pharmacist himself, so he says that he speaks from "inside" information.
Here goes:

"I'm back! The People's Chemist site was hacked twice in one week. Go figure. Exploding health myths and giving out Stinky Sulfur Awards like physicians do statins - or celebrities do pharmaceutical fellatio - can piss people off. New email is service@thepeopleschemist.com. Site is at http://www.thepeopleschemist.com/.

Celebrating my triumphant return, see the free fact sheet below. I've attached it too so you can download, save, and forward to all of your friends - or enemies.

The People's Chemist Urgent Warning and ADHD Protocol
By Shane "The People's Chemist" Ellison
http://www.thepeoplesch emist.com © 2007

The popular pain killer Vioxx was touted as the safest of all time - by physicians and medical journals. After a grueling five years, Big Pharma could no longer hide their secret. The body bags were stacking up too high. By Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates, it prevented 30,000 to 40,000 American's from living out their dreams. Instead, they are now six feet under. In my book, Health Myths Exposed, I warn that our children might be facing a similar tragedy thanks to the ADHD meds Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta.

By over stimulating the central nervous system, ADHD meds put the cardiovascular system into overdrive. The hearts of our developing children simply cannot keep up. Death results - far more than Big Pharma, or anyone for that matter, wants to admit. But don't take my word for it.Commenting on the troublesome threesome, Dr. Nissen of the world renowned Cleveland Clinic stated that, "We have got a potential public health crisis. I think patients and families need to be made aware of these concerns. This is out-of-control use of drugs that have profound cardiovascular consequences. We have got a potential public health crisis. I think patients and families need to be made aware of these concerns." The Alliance for Human Research Protection shows that in 2006, the U.S. Center for Disease Control issued a report confirming that ADHD drugs send thousands to hospital emergency rooms annually. Few medical doctors or media are reporting the dangers.

Not everyone is concealing the death threat of ADHD meds. The Experimental Pharmacology Department of the American Cyanamid Company and the Merck Index reports that these meds are no less toxic or safer than amphetamine and methamphetamine. They state that with the administration of this drug, motor activity decreases. Many times, tremors and convulsions occur. Studies on amphetamine derivatives show that short-term clinical doses produce brain cell death. According to the authoritative Merck Index, long-lasting and sometimes permanent changes in the biochemistry of the brain are also a result.

Such dangers explain why the U.S. Government spends billions every year to keep them off the street. But it doesn't explain why we are pushing them to our 5th graders. The House subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations highlighted that ADHD meds are prescribed for 10% of 5th grade boys! A total of 2.5 million American children are being given street crank disguised as ADHD vitamins...

All the symptoms of ADHD are best controlled with select lifestyle habits and nutritional supplements. Replacing sugary meals with ones that are loaded with healthy source of fat such as eggs, avocado, grass fed beef, seeds and nuts is a great start. Cod liver oil and green tea supplements can enhance focus while L-tryptophan before bed ensures restful sleep and enhanced mood.

About the Author
Shane "The People's Chemist" Ellison has an MS in organic chemistry and firsthand experience in drug design and synthesis. He is an internationally recognized authority on therapeutic nutrition and author of Health Myths Exposed and The Hidden Truth about Cholesterol Lowering Drugs. Get his "Foundational Health Education" to beat obesity, heart disease, and even Type II diabetes by visiting www.thepeopleschemist.com/foundation.html
healthmyths.net

3600 Cerrillos Dr. #714C-802
Santa Fe
New Mexico 87507
United States"

Regards,
M.

A personal tragedy...

2007-09-17T04:08:00.000-07:00

After experiencing a personal tragedy this weekend involving an elderly relative and cash flow, I've decided to remind all the ladies about these stats and encourage all women to make their own money and ensure their financial future - right into old age and retirement. I posted this a while ago, but given the situation at the moment, thought I’d post it again:

I often get asked why I decided to start my own business. Well, apart from the fact that husband got retrenched a couple of years ago that really knocked the wind out of our sales (and we’re still haven’t recovered from that), the statistics below are quite frightening and is part of my motivation in starting my own business. And next month we’re celebrating Woman’s Day (Yay!) and I thought these statistics were pretty pertinent to that as well. I’m quoting from Kim Kiyosaki’s book, Rich Woman – A Book on Investing for Women (pg 58 – 59).

“The statistics about women and money are very startling. The following are U.S. statistics, yet I find for other countries throughout the world these statistics are very similar or are trending in the same direction.
In the U.S.:

47% of women over the age of 50 are single. (This means they are financially responsible for themselves.)
Women’s retirement income is less than that of men because a woman is away from the work force an average of 14.7 years as compared to 1.6 years for men. (Women are typically the primary caretaker of the home.) This, along with lower salaries, adds up to retirement benefits that are only about ¼ of those of men. (National Center for Women and Retirement Research – NCWRR)
50% of marriages end in divorce. (And who typically ends up with the children? The woman. So now she is solely financially responsible for herself – and her children. And what is the #1 subject couples fight about? Money.)
In the first year after a divorce a woman’s standard of living drops an average of 73%.
As of 2000, women are expected to live an average of 7 to 10 years longer than men, (Ann Letteersee June 12, 2000), which means they must provide for those extra years. However, married baby boomer women can expect to outlive their husbands by 15 to 20 years on average.
The average female born between 1948 and 1964 may likely remain in the workforce until at least 74 years of age due to inadequate financial savings and pension coverage. (National Center for Women and Retirement Research, 1996)
Of the elderly living in poverty: 3 out of 4 are women (Morningstar Fund Investor) and 80% of the women were not poor when their husbands were alive.
Approximately 7 out of 10 women will at some time live in poverty.

What are these statistics telling us? They tell us that more and more women, especially as they become older, are not educated or prepared to take care of themselves financially. We’ve spent our entire lives taking care of our families, but have no ability to care for ourselves in this vital way. We are either depending upon someone else to do it for us – a husband or partner, a boss, a family member, or the government. Or we just figure that it will all work out. The fairy tales we grew up with were just that.

Three final statistics to consider:

90% of all women will have sole responsibility for their finances within their lifetimes … yet 79% of all women have not planned for this.
58% of female baby boomers have less than $10 000 in retirement.
Only 20% of baby boomer women will be financially secure in their retirement (Ms. Magazine, 2002).

With all of the above, you can see why I wanted to and did start my own business.

Good luck to all the women out there! Be rich, be healthy and be wise.

Regards,

Win a R350.00 gift voucher

2007-09-13T08:24:00.001-07:00

Hi, there

http://www.easterngifts.co.za - You can also sign up to receive our monthly newsletters on the site – containing information on home décor ideas, recipes, gifts and so much more!

Register now and get R50.00 off your first purchase! Plus, sign up for our newsletter and stand a chance of winning a R350.00 gift voucher – competition closes 15 November 2007.

If there is any way in which we can assist – please do not hesitate to get hold of me.

Regards,
M.

Newsletter - Sep 2007

2007-09-12T04:28:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon,

As the old cliché goes - so much to do, so little time. We are, however, glad to see that spring is in the air and with summer just around the corner, there is so much to look forward to. There is also so much news to share from Eastern Gifts and Things cc.

Quote for Today: "The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all," - Jawaharial Nehru

We have a new tagine recipe on our site, which is absolutely delicious. Click here to view. It is really delicious (yes, I have tried it) and although it sounds complex, is actually quite easy to prepare. And I must say, I am very impressed with the Emile Henry tagines. Not only can you use them on the stove (gas or electric), but also in the oven or even on the braai (for that truly authentic Moroccan cooking). The best part for me, though, is that the tagines are completely dishwasher safe. I put both the base and the lid of the tagine into the dishwasher and it cleans perfectly, every time. And if you're dieting and trying to get fit for summer - then a tagine is ideal for you. Tagine recipes are extremely healthy and good for you. The larger tagines can cater for up to 8 people, depending on what you're making. I've made a chicken and almond tagine (recipe also on our website) for 8 people, and still had some leftover for lunch the next day. The smaller tagines can quite easily cater for 4 to 6 people; depending on what you're making (a vegetable tagine goes much further than a chicken or meat tagine). Why not try some of our recipes on our site and let us know what you think - all feedback received will be posted on our site and included in our next newsletter. E-mail us on info@easterngifts.co.za.

We at Eastern Gifts and Things cc are very proud to announce two new product lines available through our website.

The first is exclusively available on our site - you will not find these in store anywhere in South Africa. They are unique handmade pots. Each pot weighs about 3.5kg and each design is unique. To view and place your order - click here. In time, we will be adding the most beautiful handmade chess sets as well. So, watch this space.
The second range of products are handmade wooden candle holders. All candle holders are made to order and you can choose the stain, colour and wood. These candle holders are absolutely beautiful and ideal for any home. To view - click here.

Another exciting venture Eastern Gifts has embarked on is an affiliate program. So, if you have a website and would like to earn additional income, why not apply for our affiliate program? We pay 10% commission on all sales (excluding delivery charges and gift wrapping). If you are interested, click here to complete our application form. However, if you don't have a website, but you would still like to earn some additional income, you can register as an agent. E-mail us for an agent's application form on info@easterngifts.co.za.

I know you are going to think I'm getting ahead of myself now, but Christmas is just around the corner. With only three months to go, and plenty of end-of-year functions and planning for the holidays, it is best to start planning early. We have a beautiful range of Christmas gifts that we will deliver anywhere in South Africa. You can have up to five delivery addresses linked to your account and we accept both Visa and MasterCard. Or, if you'd prefer, you are able to pay via EFT as well (banking details will be e-mailed to you when placing an order).

Competition Time And finally, we are running a competition for our newsletters. One lucky subscriber will stand the chance to win a R350.00 gift voucher. So, pass the word onto all your friends, family and colleagues. You can sign up for our newsletter, without having to register as a client. However, you will need to sign up as a client in order to make a purchase on our site. To sign up for a newsletter - click here. To sign up as a client - click here. Competition closes 15 November 2007.

Here's to a wonderful spring and summer ahead - and here's to seeing you online again soon J Remember, we pack it, wrap it and deliver it - anywhere in South Africa.

For all your home decor, kitchenware and gifting requirements - log onto www.easterngifts.co.za.

Regards,
THE EASTERN GIFTS TEAM

Tel: 0842 366 388 / Fax: 0865 021 060 / E-Mail: info@easterngifts.co.za / Website: www.easterngifts.co.za

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Giovanni's Pots

2007-09-10T03:48:00.000-07:00

Hi, there

Just to keep you all posted - I have also just signed up a new supplier of the most beautiful handmade pots. Eastern Gifts is proud to announce its exclusive range of Giovanni Pots - only available on our site.

Each pot weights around 3.5kg's and each pot is completely unique. Pots are made as orders are placed, so the lead time is between two and three weeks. But, you will not find another pot like this in any store.

Remember, we pack it, wrap it & delivery it - anywhere in South Africa.

Regards,
M.

New Stock...

2007-09-09T02:21:00.000-07:00

We are proud to have on our site handmade products from Woodcrafts. Beautiful handmade candle holders - stained or painted according to your specifications. Soon, we will also have Butler's Trays and so much more.

To view: http://easterngifts.co.za/martindale-woodcrafts-m-216.html

Should you have any queries on these handmade candle holders, or any of our other products, please do not hesitate to contact us on info@easterngifts.co.za.

Remember - we pack it, wrap it & deliver it - anywhere in South Africa.

Regards,
M.

Run for Life

2007-09-07T02:54:00.000-07:00

hehe - I have finally done it! I have joined Run for Life in an attempt to get fit for summer (I cannot believe how unfit I am!!!).

I encourage everyone to join - I've been to a few sessions already and have thoroughly enjoyed it. They start you off slowly with the whole idea being to get fit without injury or exhaustion.

You can log onto their site for details, but for the PE folk who are interested - the group I'm with meets on a Monday, Wednesday & Friday at 17:15 at DF Malherbe school, next to Walmer Park.

Hope to see you there!!!

Regards,
M.

Salulah

2007-09-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

Telecom : How may we help you?

Customer : I haff a big problem with my phone bill. My wife, she think I haffing an affair!

Telecom : Okay Sir, and how can we help you with this?

Customer : My bill haff all these calls to Salulah and my wife think I haffing an affair with this woman, but I never heard of her before. I need to trace these calls please.

Telecom : Sir, I'm sorry but the bill won't actually tell you the name of the person you're calling, just their number.

Customer : This one does.Telecom : What phone do you have, Sir?

Customer : A mobile. I tell you this.

Telecom : No, Sir, what make? What do you have in your hands?

Customer : An erection

.............................................. After a moment's silence, the gallant Telecom worker continued.

Telecom : Um, sir? Could you spell that for me?

Customer : For sure - E..R..I..C..S..S..O..N. Erection................................................Another moment's silence from Telecom, and suddenly the penny dropped.

Telecom : Sir? Can you spell Salulah for me?

Customer : For sure. C..E..L..L..U..L..A...R. Salulah.

Have you seen this?

2007-09-03T00:35:00.000-07:00

It’s amazing. Makes me wonder how many other people with such amazing talent cannot afford - for whatever reason - to pursue their talent. Bear in mind that he sold phones for a living. http://www.maniacworld.com/Phone-Salesman-Amazes-Crowd.html - Seriously incredible.

Some other amazing links to watch:
http://goudkuipje.web-log.nl/goudkuipje/2007/06/damon_scott_en_.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6A5WRbMseU
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=K_5W4t_CBzg
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mUyKYB4zYCQ

Regards,
M.

Learning French

2007-08-30T22:38:00.001-07:00

Bonjour,

I am very keen to learn French - I do have the tapes but I do not have the discipline to sit for an hour or two every day (neither do I have the time...)

Anyone know of classes that I could attend (bearing in mind I'm in little old PE) - or courses on the Internet that I could do?

Merci beaucoup!
Regards,
M.

Quote for Today

2007-08-27T03:51:00.000-07:00

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them."

- Louisa May Alcott

Children's Science Exam Answers

2007-08-23T23:52:00.000-07:00

Q: Name the four seasons. A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.

Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink. A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.

Q: How is dew formed? A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.

Q: How can you delay milk turning sour? A: Keep it in the cow.

Q: What causes the tides in the oceans? A: The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.

Q: What are steroids? A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.

Q: What happens to your body as you age? A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.

Q: What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty? A: He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery.

Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes. A: Premature death.

Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized? (e.g. abdomen) A: The body is consisted into three parts - the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain; the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A, E, I, O, and U.

Q: What is the fibula? A: A small lie.

Q: What does "varicose" mean? (I do love this one...) A: Nearby.

Q: Give the meaning of the term "Caesarean Section" A: The Caesarean Section is a district in Rome.

Q: What does the word "benign" mean?' A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight.

ZERO TOLERANCE

2007-08-20T23:11:00.000-07:00

Hi, there

I recently made a post on Anne’s blog - when did it get like this. My point of view is that the only way to combat crime is by Zero Tolerance.

Recently on Sky News, they broadcast a story of a 58 yr old man who was kicked to death by four 15-yr old youths, because he came out of his house and told them to stop making such a noise. He leaves his wife and child. This happened, not in SA, but in London. While some parts are definitely worse than others, the growing disregard for life and disrespect for authority is happening everywhere.

I think the only answer is for EVERYONE to take Rudi Guilianni’s approach of ZERO TOLERANCE. From our government and police (over which we can exercise very little control) to ourselves (over which we can control). To actively not allow this kind of thing to happen. What am I talking about? Well, let me give you an example. The other day hubby was going for a cycle with a friend when he noticed two young guys beating up an old guy - they were even scratching around in his underwear to find where he was hiding his money. Hubby & friend got off their bicycles to stop the situation, BUT this happened in peak hour traffic (yes, PE does have a traffic situation:-) and EVERYONE IN THEIR CARS SIMPLY LOOKED THE OTHER WAY. Now, if we want to combat crime, we can’t afford to look the other way - we need to take the situation head on. Now, let me clarify - if I had been in that traffic it would have been STUPID of me to get out of my car and get physically involved. BUT, what I could have done is put my hand on the hooter, shout out the window, called the police and made such a raucus as to attract attention to what was happening. I am NOT promoting vigilantiasm. I am saying ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!

I want to walk on the beach and not be scared. Or stay at home when hubby goes away and not worry. I don’t want to be bothered with alarm systems, security gates and electric fencing. I want to live free and if what I need to do in order to live free is take the attitude of ZERO TOLERANCE. Then, I suppose, I would need to do that.

Good men, such as ourselves, can no longer afford to do nothing. And as I have no interest in leaving SA, then I suppose something has to be done about the situation!

I’m not sure - what are your thoughts…
Regards,
M.

Did I marry the wrong person?

2007-08-17T01:34:00.000-07:00

I don't know who the author is, but I found this pretty pertinent:

DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON?

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said, "How do I know if I married the right person?" I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, "It depends. Is that your husband?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?"
Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.
Here's the answer. EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love… Because it's happening TO YOU.
People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet." Think about the imagery of that expression. It implies that you were just standing there, doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU. Falling in love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always
welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.
The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or
even angry subsequent stage. At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown.
People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment. Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.
But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it. I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could.
And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later.
Because (listen carefully to this): THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.
SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the expression "the labor of love." Because it takes time, effort and energy. And most importantly, it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.
Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage. Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable … you can "make" love.
Love in marriage is indeed a "decision" ... Not just a feeling.
Remember this always:
"God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go."

Joke for Today

2007-08-17T01:31:00.001-07:00

A married couple is driving along a highway doing a steady 60 miles per hour. The wife is behind the wheel. Her husband suddenly looks across at her and speaks in a clear voice. "I know we've been married for twenty years, but I want a divorce."

The wife says nothing, keeps looking at the road ahead but slowly increases her speed to 65 mph. The husband speaks again. "I don't want you to try and talk me out of it," he says, "because I've been having an affair with your best friend, and she's a far better lover than you are."

Again the wife stays quiet, but grips the steering wheel more tightly and slowly increases the speed to 75. He pushes his luck. "I want the house," he says insistently. Up to 80. "I want the car, too," he continues. 85 mph. "And," he says, "I'll have the bank accounts, all the credit cards and the boat!" The car slowly starts veering towards a massive concrete bridge. This makes him nervous, so he asks her, "Isn't there anything you want?"

The wife at last replies in a quiet and controlled voice. "No, I've got everything I need," she says. "Oh, really," he inquires, "so what have you got?"

Just before they slam into the wall at 85 mph, the wife turns to him and smiles.

"The airbag."

Quote for Today

2007-08-17T00:53:00.001-07:00

"We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aid, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn."
- Henry David Thoreau

Women over 30...

2007-08-16T00:51:00.001-07:00

THIS HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY A MAN...

This is for all you girls 30 years and over and for those who are turning 30, and for those who are scared of moving into their 30's AND for guys who are scared of girls over 30!!!! This was written by Andy Rooney from CBS 60 Minutes.

Andy Rooney says:

As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 30 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.
If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.
A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 30 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing.
Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.
Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.
A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.
Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 30. They Always Know.
A woman over 30 looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women.
Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.
Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk or if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 30 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of 30+, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old waitress.

Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free". Here's an update for you.

Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire Pig, just to get a little sausage…

"The older the berry the sweeter the juice"

Poll/Survey

2007-08-14T02:05:00.000-07:00

Hi, there

If you could please spare five minutes by taking part of our online survey at www.easterngifts.co.za - all results will be collated and released by the end of the month.

Regards,

What's the Worst Gift You've ever Received?

2007-08-13T07:47:00.000-07:00

What’s the worst gift you’ve ever gotten? Thanks to www.health24.com, I found this interesting article on “10 bad gift ideas for Christmas”, although I’m sure these tips are pretty much applicable throughout the year.

10 bad gift ideas for Christmas

The gifts we give others say quite a lot about how we see our relationships with them. Can't think of anything to give someone? Chances are you also don't have all that much to say to them. But there are gifts, which would be better not to give.

Recycled gifts. Last year you got something you didn't like, stuffed it into a drawer and now you are passing it on. Chances are the new recipient will also not like it – and who knows, it might find its way back to you next Christmas.
Very expensive personal gifts. These include things like jewellery. You could find yourself spending R1000 on a ring for your loved one and they don't like the particular style, shape, colour of what you bought. Ask someone what they like before you spend so much money. It is better to spoil the surprise than to waste thousands.
Three of a kind. Right, you've got three sisters and little time to traipse around the shops looking for individual gifts, so you end up buying three of the same thing. Thing is, they're all round the same Christmas tree, and once the first one has opened her present, the surprise is gone for the other two. By all means buy three similar things, but identical is not a good idea.
Noisy toys. On Christmas Day, most families gather in large groups – often in not very large houses. Giving a three-year-old a drum might just spoil the whole day for everybody. Same goes for plastic trumpets and very squeaky plastic animals. Cheap plastic toys also usually don't survive the rough-and-tumble of Christmas Day. Rather go for something solid and wooden – and quiet.
Last-minute gifts. By the evening of the 24th of December, the shops are empty, and what remains on the shelves, is either ugly, or extremely expensive. You could find yourself having to fork out a fortune for something which is not ideal, or particularly wanted.
It's-the-thought-that-counts gifts. This usually means the present is dead horrible or definitely unwanted. Or a last-minute affair, just so you don't arrive empty-handed. Sometimes it is better to arrive empty-handed than with something that is so obviously a last-minute thing.
Chocolates. Always a bad idea. Most people are only too aware of how much weight they are gaining over Christmas, and receiving a further temptation under the tree only makes them even more depressed. Furthermore, when someone receives chocolates, there is subtle pressure on them to open it and share it out, so they don't actually receive a gift at all.
Socks and handkerchiefs and underwear. These are personal items that people like choosing for themselves. Unless you have very definite instructions on exactly what someone likes, don't go down this road. Rather give a gift voucher and let them choose for themselves.
Sale books and CDs. These can sometimes be a great success, but only if you keep in mind what someone's tastes are. If you come across Shakespeare's collected works for a mere R49,99, don't give it to someone who has never read anything more taxing than the sports page of the newspaper. It will remain unread and unappreciated. Your grandfather will also quite likely remain unimpressed with Depeche Mode, regardless of whether it was a bargain or not.
Break-the-bank gifts. Before you consider buying someone a very expensive gift, try and find out more or less what they plan spending on your gift. It is embarrassing if you give a potential girlfriend three CDs and she gives you a pair of socks. – (Susan Erasmus, Health24)

Why not e-mail us on info@easterngifts.co.za and tell us about the worst gift you've ever received?

Gift Giving

2007-08-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I know it seems a few months off, but before we know it, Christmas will be here. And even before Christmas arrives, September will be here – allegedly the month with the highest number of birthdays (can’t possibly think of a reasonJ. And weddings will start – spring weddings are very popular. And the one thing all these potential events have in common? Gifts. Whether you need to get a gift for a birthday, Christmas or a wedding, gift buying can be stressful.

Firstly, let’s look at what a gift is. “A gift or present is the transfer of money, goods, etc., without the need for compensation that is involved in trade. A gift is a voluntary act which does not require anything in return. Even though it involves possibly a social expectation of reciprocity, or a return in the form of prestige or power, a gift is meant to be free. In many human societies, the act of mutually exchanging gifts may contribute to social cohesion. … By extension the term gift can refer to anything that makes the other more happy or less sad, especially as a favour, including forgiveness and kindness (even when the other is not kind).” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift

Buying a gift is never easy, because as we all know, a gift reflects our perception of the person we are giving a gift to and our relationship with that person. Ever noticed how newly weds will be extravagant when buying their new husband or wife a gift, but couples who have been married for twenty or more years are usually not quite so excited about gift giving for their spouses? How do the gifts here reflect the attitudes towards the relationship? Interesting question.

Buying a gift is a lot easier when you know that person really well, than buying a gift for an acquaintance or business associate. The easiest place to start, whether you know that person well or not, is to assess what you know about their interests and hobbies. Is there any scope for a gift in what they are interested in? For example, if the person you’re buying a gift for is interesting in reading, surely a book would be a good choice? Or if they enjoy cooking, what about a new recipe book? If you can’t make any decisions there, try thinking about things they may enjoy but would never treat themselves to. For example, a busy mom might not feel comfortable spending her money on a back massage for herself. This then would be a wonderful gift for her. Or what about a Dad who would love a leather jacket, but would rather spend his money on the home or his children. Giving these types of gifts show that you understand the person and their situations well – what a pleasure to receive something you’ve always wanted, but could never spend the money on.

Remember, that when giving a gift – any gift – for any occasion – it is not about the value of the gift in monetary terms. It may not even be about a “physical gift”. A true gift has meaning and a personal value to the recipient. The best gift to buy a friend that I know is any bath stuff – bath oils, bubble bath, bath perfume, anything. She loves it and can never have too much of it. So, a small bottle of bubble bath will hold immense value for her. However, don’t ever give her something for her home. She feels that birthdays and Christmas are for personal gifts – not for the home. So, she wouldn’t appreciate a cutlery set. Get to know the person you’re buying a gift for.

Eastern Gifts and Things has a unique range of gifts to suit every person and/or occasion. And if you can’t find a suitable gift, there is always the option of purchasing a gift voucher. Visiting our site, which has full e-Commerce capabilities, will give you a lot of ideas, some of which fall within the range of “common” items, but these are items that are always popular and worth a thought.

Be creative when it comes to gift giving. Another friend I know doesn’t mind what the gift is, as long as it is wrapped beautifully with a pretty bow. That will seriously make her day (and we do offer a gift wrapping service).

Sometimes, though, we come across those individuals in society who already have everything. And money is no object to them. Or, we could come across those that we have to buy a gift for, but we’ve never met. For example, going to a wedding on a date, but you’ve never met the bridal party before. A simple token gift will probably suffice, but thinking out of the box could give you some wonderful ideas.

We have taken the liberty of listing some gift ideas below (some on our site, and others just as ideas) to aid you in your gift giving this year.

Some Ideas

Buying for the home: This could be tricky if you don’t personally know that person’s taste or style or their preference in home décor. If you do get a gift for the home, look out for items that are unusual, interesting, collectable when choosing things like: prints, original paintings, ornaments, sculptures, lamps, foot-rests, rugs, decorative tables, table linen, mirrors, garden ornaments, water features.
Other ideas area: a collection of pool towels, bathroom luxuries (like a towel warmer), garden recliners, plants, magazine racks, wine racks, hat stands, coat racks, CD stands.
Non-“physical gifts”: Like a massage, or a facial. Try something new and exotic, like a Swedish massage or a Indian Head massage.
Give them a new sport or hobby to be interested in: Buy them some lessons and / or the basic equipment needed to get started.
Help them grow: enroll them in a skills training course, personal development programme or any variation on this theme. Even a few sessions with a therapist could make an ideal gift for someone that wants it but can't afford it themselves.
Try something completely new: Scuba diving, Kite skiing, Surfing, Flying (pilot's license).
Try a new experience: Weekend away or mini holiday, Safari, Bungy jump, Helicopter flip, Cultural tour, Tickets for two to a live performance or concert, Dinner for two at a special restaurant, Tickets to an important rugby match or sports tournament (whatever their favourite sport – and remember, the focus is on their favourite sport, this is not an opportunity for you to go watch your favourite team play rugby:-)).
Organise for them to: learn or experience anything that they have longed for – fulfill a wish. Change a life. Dare to be different!
Give your time. Sometimes all that people want is to spend an afternoon or an evening with you.
Gift vouchers. Gift vouchers that can be redeemed, especially to be used when you just simply either do not have the time or cannot think of something to buy. Gift vouchers also come in handy when you know the recipient is looking for something specific that you cannot find. For example, they are looking specifically for a type of Noritake design, but you don’t know what it is. Giving a gift voucher will allow that person to choose what it is specifically that they want or are looking for.
Homemade gifts: People often balk at the idea of handmade gifts, yet these can be the most meaningful of all. The key is to choose a gift that you believe the person would enjoy and to make it properly.
Edibles: A selection of home-made biscuits, preserves, jams, chutneys, breads, sweets or whatever your talent allows. Many of these require no talent at all and a small selection, presented on a nice yet inexpensive tray or in a pretty container, makes for a meaningful gift that also has a lasting element. Ideal for when you have a group that you want to give small gifts to, like book club members, wine club members, neighbours, etc.
Gift baskets: There are plenty of on-line gift baskets and Eastern Gifts and Things will very soon be selling its own gift baskets. These can be tailor made to the recipient and can include lovely bath creams, or dried fruit and biltong, etc.

If you have any comments on stunning gift ideas or what you would like for Christmas, birthday or wedding – please let us know by e-mailing info@easterngifts.co.za.

For more articles on gifts and other ideas, log onto: www.easterngifts.co.za.

Green Chicken Curry

2007-08-11T00:40:00.000-07:00

For someone who doesn't really enjoy cooking, I'm finding myself more and more in the kitchen. Yes, I know, a complete cliche, but I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and it is simply divine, without too much hassle - thought you may want to give it a try. Oh, and yes it is healthy - very healthy!!!

Green Chicken Curry

INGREDIENTS:

30ml oil45ml green curry paste
2 spring onions, chopped
500g chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
250ml coconut milk
5ml fish sauce
4 basil leaves
20ml parsley
3 green chillies for garnish

METHOD:

Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok and add the curry paste.
Cook for 1 minute to develop the flavour.
Add the spring onion and stir for another minute.
Add the chicken and lemongrass.
Stir-fry the chicken until no longer pink in colour.
Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the fish sauce, basil and parsley.
Garnish with chillies.

For more and other recipes like this, log onto my site at www.easterngifts.co.za. We have Thai, Chinese, Tagine recipes - all healthy, and something a little different (well, different from my normal "box" fish that you stick in the oven for 15 minutes...:-)

Regards,

Make a Significant Change today...

2007-08-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

Make a Significant Change Today!

Every Monday morning I receive the most inspiring and motivating newsletters from Brian Walsh, CEO of Entrepreneur.co.za. I thought I’d share this with you as it really challenged me to tackle some issues that needed changing.

“Ask yourself these questions: What could I do this week that would make a significant difference in my life? What steps could I take towards making massive, positive change?

In one of my Friday Newsletters (20 July) I talked about the quality of our lives being directly related to the quality of our questions. We should see each new week as an opportunity to make significant change, and by asking ourselves the right questions, we can identify where these opportunities lie and set about making such changes.

Write down what significant changes you would like to make. Maybe your health is suffering or you are overweight; maybe your cash flow is in trouble and you are being swallowed by debt; maybe you have thought about expanding a section of your business but have just not moved on it yet. We all have areas of our lives that we could make constructive, beneficial changes to.

So decide what actions you can take to make this happen for your life, starting today. It doesn’t matter how busy you are – no excuses; just do it! Don't put it off because that’s the very reason you haven’t acted on it yet in the first place! Take 10 minutes of your time right now to do this – it could change your life.

Have a truly phenomenal, productive week.

Your Entrepreneurial Coach
Brian Walsh”

For more and other articles like these, log onto my site www.easterngifts.co.za.

For all the women out there...

2007-08-08T05:29:00.000-07:00

I thought you'd appreciate this...

I'm so glad I was not the parent on duty when this happened.

Regards,

World Clock (totally freaky)

2007-08-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this world clock - it depicts the rate of births, deaths, HIV infections, cancer infections, etc by the year, the month, week, day and minute.

It's seriously freaky.

http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf

Regards,

Eastern Gifts - News & Events

2007-08-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

Afternoon,

Things are changing and growing at a phenomenal rate at Eastern Gifts and Things cc and we would like to take this opportunity of telling you about our latest news.

First of all, our newsletters: we have moved across to a new database system and we cannot carry the names over from our previous database to our new database without seeming like we are promoting spam. Eastern Gifts and Things cc does not, in anyway, promote spam. So, if you are still interested in receiving our newsletters, we ask that you log onto our site, www.easterngifts.co.za and register for the newsletters (the link is on the right hand side under “Information”). You can unsubscribe at any time and you do not have to register as a client in order to receive the newsletters. If you are already a client of Eastern Gifts and Things cc, simply update your profile to subscribe to our newsletters. If you do not subscribe to our newsletters, you will not receive any further communication from Eastern Gifts and Things cc.

The newsletters contain information pertaining to home décor tips and ideas, gift ideas, recipes, planning your wedding, what to do for Christmas and so much more. We’ve also included some information for all the future online entrepreneurs out there. Do you need specific news or information? Why not e-mail us your requests and we will be happy to oblige for future newsletters. Newsletters are e-mailed once a month.

Secondly, Eastern Gifts and Things will be hosting our own affiliate’s program very shortly. Why not make money from all the leads you send our way? More information pertaining to the affiliate’s program will be available in due course on the site, so watch this space. If however, you are interested in becoming an agent for Eastern Gifts and Things cc, please click here.

Thirdly, our new shipment of stock is due within the next couple of weeks. We have the most beautiful figurines and gifts and home décor items coming in. And we have added some stunning Christmas decorations to our new range – yes, Christmas is right around the corner! We are also in negotiations with new suppliers of wooden and ceramic crafts and linen for our site. Eastern Gifts and Things cc prides itself on offering you genuine handmade quality items. We will be sure to keep you up-to-date with all the happenings on our site. Remember, for family, friends, colleagues – across the country – we deliver direct for any occasion, be it birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, Christmas. You can have up to five delivery addresses under your profile, which can be edited and updated at any time.

And finally, why not check out our blogs? We have two blogs that offer a day-by-day account for Eastern Gifts – from business learning, to inspiring articles, jokes, pictures and so much more. Our blog addresses are: http://easterngifts.blogspot.com or http://www.easterngifts.iblog.co.za.

That’s all for now – please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any queries in this regard.

Regards,
M.

Soul Searching

2007-08-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

Soul Searching

The other day, an acquaintance asked me why I always post inspiring messages on my blogs. I did not have an answer then, but having taken a couple of days to think about it, I believe I have uncovered three main reasons with a whole host of subsidiary reasons. The person wanted to know why I never post jokes or express my sense of humour. So, well, here goes…

Firstly, I have such a whacked sense of humour, I would never be able to express it adequately in words. This could result in my being given a rather stylish, but tight fitting white jacket and placed in a small square room where I couldn’t hurt myself. KiddingJ. I love Terry Pratchett’s humour, but mine may be even more over the top and I have unfortunately not been given the grace or eloquence with words that he has been given. Therefore this may result in numerous misunderstandings of said whacked sense of humour. Therefore, I simply refrain.

Secondly, what I post on my blogs, I find inspiring. Every message or quote or biography quoted has inspired and motivated me in some way. I truly believe that we all receive messages or go through situations in our life that aid us in become so much more than what we currently are and that lead us to who we are supposed to be in this life (way deep, I know…) and that continually shows us our life’s path. Every quote, message or biography has aided a deeper understanding of who I am and where I want to be in this life and the next.

Which leads me to my third reason – that if I can help someone by inspiring or motivating them by the blogs I post, then I feel like a good thing has been done. Almost like that movie with Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Orsmond in Pay it Forward – where if you have a good turn done to you, instead of paying the person back that did the good turn, you then pass that good turn onto someone else who needs it. And they in turn pass it onto someone else. If someone can inspire me and I can use that message to inspire someone else, then we can all become what God intended for us to be – healthy, wealth and wise. Hope I’m not confusing the point I’m trying to make or sounding arrogant or anything like that.

Anyway, maybe, when I’ve experimented a bit more with trying to express my sense of humour adequately in the written form, I’ll be brave enough to try these on the blogs. Who knows? Maybe the men with white jackets won’t pay me a visit after all… You just never knowJ!

Regards,
M.

Out of the mouth of babes...

2007-08-03T02:54:00.000-07:00

Oh, man, I found this so funny and so cute. Not sure how true it is, but I had such a good laugh – enjoy!

KIDS IN CHURCH

3-year-old Reese: "Our Father, Who does art in heaven? Harold is His name. Amen."

A little boy was overheard praying: "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am."

After the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, "That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys."

One particular four-year-old prayed, "And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.' Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!"

A father was at the beach with his children when the four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand. "Daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked. "He died and went to Heaven," the Dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, "Did God throw him back down?"

A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" "I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

Quote for Today

2007-08-02T02:16:00.000-07:00

"We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems."
- John W. Gardner(1912 - 2002)

Make over your marriage

2007-08-01T00:06:00.000-07:00

Marriage is not for the faint-hearted. It takes hard work and commitment. We asked a long-time happily married couple, a marriage counsellor and a divorce lawyer for tips and advice for marriage makeovers that work.

Happily married

Val and Monty Mildren from Durban share a powerful bond born of an abiding friendship since primary school. 'I had my eye on Monty from as far back as Standard 3!' laughs Val.

After a long courtship, the Mildrens were married in 1958. Forty-eight years, three children and five grandchildren later, the couple says that for them, the time has 'flown'. Monty retired in 1997 and instead of battling with the adjustment as many couples do, the change of lifestyle brought them closer together. 'Apart from being more in love than ever, we are compatible and share the same values. I think marriages today are under a lot more pressure. For starters, money doesn't buy what it used to, and most couples need two salaries. Working couples with young children have very little time to relax and enjoy their home or spend time together,' says Monty.

Val says, 'I was privileged not to have had to work outside the home, which I think made a difference – I was able to spend a lot of time with Monty and the children without having to juggle a home with a career. 'Also, we have never placed any importance on "keeping up with the Joneses." Our children didn't always get everything their friends had, but we are a very close-knit family. If both partners don't share the same values there are bound to be problems. Total respect for each other is also very important and a sense of humour is a must. Monty and I always seem to find something to laugh about.'
'Finances are also a big issue,' Monty adds. 'Many marriages have ended because of arguments about money. It's important that couples agree on a target, such as your plans for retirement, and live according to a budget that falls within your means.'

The counsellor

Cathy Haselau is a social worker in private practice. She specialises in marital and family therapy. A former counsellor at the Family and Marriage Society of South Africa (FAMSA), Cathy has 19 years of relationship counselling experience. 'In most cases, problems arise when couples fight as a result of misunderstanding each other and poor communication. Issues can include the in-laws, one of the partners having an affair, money matters, chores, child-care responsibilities, and parenting methods and the demands of step-parenting.
'Often an argument arises over a small issue and escalates because both partners are feeling hurt and they become reactive and defensive. They then begin to use destructive, hostile communication such as blaming, contempt and ignoring each other. This obviously increases the hurt and the reactivity and so the vicious cycle gets worse,' according to Cathy.

'Couples need to affirm each other. The American psychologist and author John Gottman did research that shows that in a good marriage it takes five positive communications to balance just one negative one. Therefore, if you have a fight and you use 100 negative communications, you will need 500 positive communications to balance it out. Couples need to look out actively for the positive energy in the marriage, build it and not take it for granted.'

The divorce lawyer

Roger Knowles is an attorney, lecturer and author, specialising in divorce and family law. 'My views are based on failing relationships, as I rarely see people in healthy relationships. Most marriages break down for a combination of reasons, such as communication and preconceived expectations. People don't communicate very well. Couples need to listen – really listen – with a genuine willingness to try and understand each other. Also, most people seem to have an idea of what marriage as an institution should be, and have never really asked themselves or their spouses what is possible or desirable or best for them. They may try to impose what a marriage should be onto the relationship, without taking into account the fact that individuals, times and circumstances constantly change. Couples also need to understand how far removed the wonderful madness of romance is from the real world. A lot of relationships don't survive that transition.'

According to Roger Knowles, these are some of the most common reasons cited in divorce summonses:

lack of communication
constant arguing
no longer sharing common interests
infidelity
physical abuse
emotional abuse
substance abuse
lack of a sexual relationship.

Makeover tips for marriages

Always show respect and kindness towards each other. Monty Mildren says that while he and Val do have disagreements, they have never used unkind words towards each other.
Learn to communicate effectively and allow your partner to have different views without taking offence or making offensive remarks. Be gentle and tolerant with each other.
Ensure that you set goals together and plan ahead – this includes a budget.
Newlyweds need to learn to balance their time so that each has individual time as well as couple time.
A new baby can really disrupt a relationship. Don't be afraid to ask for help from family or friends, or find a babysitter so that each person has personal time, and there is space in your schedule for couple time together. And don't forget that in the chaos a new baby brings, it is okay to have an untidy house.
Do things together as much as possible. 'Each partner must have a life, but they must also spend a lot of it with their partner,' says Roger Knowles. 'Time and time again I am told by tearful about-to-be divorcées that their spouses are forever working, or playing golf – or going out without them.'
Don't allow your marriage to become boring. 'Make sure you have fun time alone together, without children, family or friends. Don't take each other for granted. Give each other fun surprises. If you have fun outside the bedroom you are more likely to have fun inside the bedroom,' advises Cathy Haselau.
Laugh often. Share jokes and recall funny situations. Laughter is a great connector and it's hard to stay angry when you're laughing.
Share chores. 'This can become a problem when chores and child care are allocated according to tradition, and one person carries more of the load and resents it. The couple needs to negotiate so that both contribute fairly and equally,' says Cathy.
Stay faithful by expressing your needs and concerns to each other directly. Be open and honest, and put energy into your marriage. Solve problems in the marriage, not outside it.
Children leaving the nest? One or both of you retiring? Look at it as an opportunity to rekindle your relationship and set new joint dreams and targets.
'I would recommend marriage counselling as soon as problems occur,' says Cathy. 'The earlier these problems are addressed the easier it is to sort them out. Even if your partner refuses to go, it's important to go on your own to help you to cope.'

Ref: http://www.women24.com/Ideas/ContentDisplay/Ideas_ArticleDisplay/0,12069,10132,00.html

Quote for Today

2007-07-30T03:45:00.000-07:00

"I trust that everything happens for a reason, even when we're not wise enough to see it." - Oprah Winfrey

The Golden Rules - Read on.

2007-07-25T04:58:00.000-07:00

There was a one hour interview on CNBC with Warren Buffet, the second richest man who has donated $31 billion to charity. Here are some very interesting aspects of his life:

He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started oo late!
He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.
He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.
His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEO’s of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEO’s only two rules. Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder's money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch Television.
Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.
His advice to young people: "Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and Remember:
A. Money doesn't create man but it is the man who created money.
B. Live your life as simple as you are.
C. Don't do what others say, just listen to them, but do what you feel is good.
D. Don't go on brand name; just wear those things in which you feel comfortable.
E. Don't waste your money on unnecessary things.
F. After all it's your life then why give chance to others to rule our life."

He is free!

2007-07-24T22:42:00.001-07:00

Morning,

I am truly saddened to hear this morning on the news that the gentleman who sawed off his husky puppy’s head walked away free, with a suspended sentence. I was hoping that the petition and the outcry against this sort of behaviour would make our courts realise that this sort of action is just not acceptable.

But, once again, it seems that the innocent suffer and crime does pay.

Please help support the Animal Anti-Cruelty League in any way possible. As previously stated, I will be giving a percentage of sales on my site during the month of July to the League to support them. I also know that they are often in need of volunteers to help with the animals – whether it is walking the dogs, playing with them or bathing and feeding them. Anything helps!!!

Thanks so much!

Regards,
M.

Cooking

2007-07-24T05:48:00.000-07:00

I can't say I'm much of a cook. Actually, I'm more of a restaurant and take-aways kind of girl. Not healthy, I know, but then neither is - or was - my cooking.:-)

However, that was before I discovered Tagine cooking. It is simply the easiest and best way to cook. The preparation can take some time (unless you buy everything pre-cut at Woolies) and then you simply leave it. I've tried this recipe and have found it to be quite delicous (I was even brave enough to invite some people around from work to try).

Just some background info on Tagines: Tagines, (Tajines) is the name given to both the cooking vessels and of the recipes themselves. Traditionally used by nomads as portable ovens over charcoal braziers, a tagine is made from glazed earthenware with a conical lid. The base is both a cooking and serving dish. It is very heavy to withstand constant use, and to hold the heat longer. The cone shaped cover acts like an oven and the entire lid is totally sealed to retain heat and moisture, which not only prevents it from drying out during the long cooking process, but also allows the slow infusion of flavors throughout the dish.

The low, indirect heat produces a rich, aromatic flavor as the food slowly simmers for several hours. Most tagines purchased nowadays can be used either in the oven or on top of the stove. The food is cooked in and served from the tagine, but remember to protect your table from heat from the base, when it comes off the stove or out of the oven. Of course, tagines can be cooked in more conventional cookware such as casseroles, however, to add an aura of authenticity you can serve the cooked stew from a decorated tagine which is a beautiful serving dish in itself.

Basically, tagines are a sort of stew, which are usually a mixture of vegetables, poultry or lamb, often with the addition of fruit. They have a thick rich spicy sauce which is thickened due to the long cooking process and are generally served with bread, couscous or rice. Originally, they would be cooked for many hours, however with modern cookers, a good result can be achieved in as little as 1-1/2 hours for poultry and meats and a lot less for vegetables, but bear in mind, the longer you cook them, the more developed the flavours. The fruits are usually added in dried form and contribute a subtle sweetness to the overall flavor. Often tagines contain preserved or salted lemons, which give the dish a unique flavour which cannot be duplicated by using fresh lemons. The idea behind tagine cooking is slow cooking, giving the meat and vegetables time to slow cook in its own juices and thereby savouring all flavours with the meal.

Why not try this delicious recipe below and let me know if you are as impressed as I was.

Lamb Tagine with dried prunes and almonds

1.2 kg lamb shoulder, cut into pieces
500 g dried prunes
150 g whole almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
4 hard boiled eggs
3 chopped onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger (fresh or dried)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1 teaspoon flat parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander
4 tablespoons groundnut peanut oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 tablespoons caster sugar
Salt, pepper

In a hot Emile Henry tagine, fry the pieces of lamb in the oil and butter, adding the onions, garlic, half the powdered cinnamon, ginger, saffron, cumin, parsley, coriander, salt and pepper. When the meat is golden, add three glasses of water, cover and cook for 45 minutes. Add a little water during cooking if necessary. Stir regularly. During this time, fry the sesame seeds in a pan without any oil. Cook the almonds in boiling water for 15 minutes, take off the outer skin layer and fry them in a little oil until golden. After 30 minutes, take a little sauce from the tagine, put it in a saucepan and add the dried prunes, the rest of the powdered cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, sugar and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Drain the prunes and remove the sticks of cinnamon.Once the meat is cooked and the sauce has reduced, add the prunes and sprinkle the sesame seeds and almonds over the top. Cut the boiled eggs in half and arrange them around the edge.

Serve directly at the table - serves 6.

For more info: www.easterngifts.co.za

Relaxation

2007-07-24T05:31:00.000-07:00

Hi,

You've got to try this - I am now so relaxed, I may not get any work done:-)

http://www.meditainment.com/secret-garden/

Regards,
M.

The Big Secret

2007-07-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

Hi, there

I’m not a very articulate writer, so please bear with me while I attempt to put into words what I am thinking. I truly believe that God, or life, will bring each of us into situations or circumstances to learn life’s lessons in order for each of us to become so much more than what we currently are. If we don’t learn the lesson, we will find ourselves repeating the same circumstances or situations (or mistakes, if you will) until the lesson is learnt. We will all, whether consciously or not, continue through this life. The only difference when we do it consciously is that we will be active participants in life’s lessons as opposed to just letting life pass us by – without ever growing as people.

Right, now onto what I really want to discuss. Yesterday, on my blog, I placed a post discussing the power of positive thought, relating specifically to the Big Secret. Now, I had never heard or read about the Big Secret before, so it surprises me somewhat that not only have I been invited to a seminar on Thursday evening, specifically discussing the Big Secret, but on opening Cosmo today (yes, I do read Cosmo) there is a whole article discussion the Big Secret.

While, I find it very hard to grasp that you can simply think yourself healthy or rich or popular, I definitely do think there is merit and some substance to the power of positive thought. Yet, I think it goes a little deeper than that. I think it’s not just thinking positively, it’s about changing that gut-instinct, that natural inclination that we all have to certain circumstance and situations. For example, if someone has a natural tendency to be unwell, e.g. suffering from headaches, a weak tummy, and general unspecific body complaints – their natural inclination therefore is to not feel well. They may wake up every morning with some sort of symptom, because their natural inclination is to expect that. Thinking positive thoughts over a couple of days or weeks may not necessarily change that – what has to be changed is that natural inclination, which goes so much deeper than just thinking “I feel wonderful”.

And while I do certainly believe that the power of positive thought can influence our lives tremendously and is definitely a start in changing that natural inclination that we all have, we cannot ever fully control life. And that is my biggest concern regarding the Big Secret. It almost comes across (from what I have read) rather glib – just think good and life will be good. And yet, there will be elements in this life that we will never be able to control – not by positive thinking or any other means. Cosmo goes on to state the following concerns regarding the Big Secret: “Of course, there are those who don’t buy the idea. ‘I see two traps in this secret,’ writes Anthony George from Washington. ‘One is that you can blow off compassion for your fellow humans because you think they’re suffering only because they brought it on themselves. The other trap is that when you get cancer or your child dies, you’ll be sucked into despair because you’ll blame yourself.’”

Right, going back to my first point, I believe that the lesson for me is just that – while bearing in mind that thinking positive may not change my circumstances, it will definitely change my attitude – and will be a step in the right direction in changing that natural inclination towards the negative that I have. My fear though, is that if I don’t learn the lesson now, I will keep on repeating it. Why else am I suddenly being given all this information on the power of positive thought and the Big Secret through e-mail, magazines and seminars? All from completely unrelated sources?

Let’s hope the lesson can be learnt, but I suppose only time will tell.

Regards,
M.

The Prosperity Doctrine

2007-07-23T02:53:00.001-07:00

Hi, there…

I came across this article and was wondering what everyone thought on this Prosperity Doctrine. Part of me agrees, but part of me says that if it was that easy to make money just by what you think, we’d all be filthy rich. What are your opinions?

And an extract from the article:

“Attract abundance and focus on prosperity – the only reason any person does not have enough money is because they are blocking money from coming to them with their thoughts. Every negative thought, feeling or emotion is blocking your good from coming to you and that includes money. It is not that the money is being kept from you by the universe, because all the money you require exists right now in the invisible. If you do not have enough, it is because you are stopping the flow of money coming to you, and you are doing that with your thoughts. You must tip the balance of your thoughts from lack-of-money to more-than-enough-money. Think more thoughts of abundance than of lack, and you have tipped the balance. If you have held thoughts in the past that the only way money can come to you is through your job, then let that go immediately. From The Secret by Jack Canfield.”

Comments? Opinions?

Regards,
M.

What Sports Car are you?

2007-07-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hi, there

I can across this the other day (all this time I spend on the Internet) and thought it quite entertaining: log onto http://www.easterngifts.blogspot.com/ and take the "Which Sports Car are You?" quizz.

Apparently, I'm a Ford Mustang. Not what I would have chosen personally, but at least I'm "fast, strong and bold". Or so they say:-).

You'll see the quizz on the left hand side.

Regards,
M.

Dreams

2007-07-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

Hi, there

Does anyone have any resource to understanding or interpreting dreams? I had the most disturbing dream last night and would be quite interested in investigating and exploring the meaning of the dream a little.

Regards,
M.

IF WE COULD ONLY APPLY ALL THIS TO OUR BUSY LIVES…

2007-07-21T01:13:00.000-07:00

Hey there ... I thought this was pretty amazing reading.

Regards,
M.

IF WE COULD ONLY APPLY ALL THIS TO OUR BUSY LIVES…

This was a speech made by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Anna Quindlen at the graduation ceremony of an American university where she was awarded an Honorary PhD.

“I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree: there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk or your life on a bus or in a car or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank accounts but also your soul.

People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is cold comfort on a winter's night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've received your test results and they're not so good.

Here is my resume: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my work stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the centre of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends and them to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cut out. But I call them on the phone and I meet them for lunch. I would be rotten, at best mediocre, at my job if those other things were not true.

You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are. So here's what I wanted to tell you today: Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger pay cheque, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon or found a lump in your breast?

Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze at the seaside, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over the water, or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a sweet with her thumb and first finger.

Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beer and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister. All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough.

It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the colour of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live.

I learned to live many years ago. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned. By telling them this: Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear. Read in the back yard with the sun on your face.

Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived”.

And this one is for the Ladies.

2007-07-20T00:06:00.000-07:00

I often get asked why I decided to start my own business. Well, apart from the fact that husband got retrenched a couple of years ago that really knocked the wind out of our sales (and we’re still haven’t recovered from that), the statistics below are quite frightening and is part of my motivation in starting my own business. And next month we’re celebrating Woman’s Day (Yay!) and I thought these statistics were pretty pertinent to that as well. I’m quoting from Kim Kiyosaki’s book, Rich Woman – A Book on Investing for Women (pg 58 – 59).

“The statistics about women and money are very startling. The following are U.S. statistics, yet I find for other countries throughout the world these statistics are very similar or are trending in the same direction.

In the U.S.:

47% of women over the age of 50 are single. (This means they are financially responsible for themselves.)
Women’s retirement income is less than that of men because a woman is away from the work force an average of 14.7 years as compared to 1.6 years for men. (Women are typically the primary caretaker of the home.) This, along with lower salaries, adds up to retirement benefits that are only about ¼ of those of men. (National Center for Women and Retirement Research – NCWRR)
50% of marriages end in divorce. (And who typically ends up with the children? The woman. So now she is solely financially responsible for herself – and her children. And what is the #1 subject couples fight about? Money.)
In the first year after a divorce a woman’s standard of living drops an average of 73%.
As of 2000, women are expected to live an average of 7 to 10 years longer than men, (Ann Letteersee June 12, 2000), which means they must provide for those extra years. However, married baby boomer women can expect to outlive their husbands by 15 to 20 years on average.
The average female born between 1948 and 1964 may likely remain in the workforce until at least 74 years of age due to inadequate financial savings and pension coverage. (National Center for Women and Retirement Research, 1996)
Of the elderly living in poverty:
o 3 out of 4 are women (Morningstar Fund Investor)
o 80% of the women were not poor when their husbands were alive.
Approximately 7 out of 10 women will at some time live in poverty.

Three final statistics to consider:
1. 90% of all women will have sole responsibility for their finances within their lifetimes … yet 79% of all women have not planned for this.
2. 58% of female baby boomers have less than $10 000 in retirement.
3. Only 20% of baby boomer women will be financially secure in their retirement (Ms. Magazine, 2002).

With all of the above, you can see why I wanted to and did start my own business.

Good luck to all the women out there! Be rich, be healthy and be wise.

Regards,
M.

Global Warming.

2007-07-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Has anyone seen An Inconvenient Truth, by Al Gore? I haven't, but I watched Oprah yesterday as she interviewed him about the DVD. It is frightening to say the least. And yes, I do feel sorry for the poor Polar Bears. We all have a choice in this - they, however, do not.

My question however is this: on Oprah, Al Gore suggested purchasing energy efficient appliances in order to stop the emissions of Carbon Dioxide. Do we get energy efficient appliances here in South Africa?

And then, they have a website in America where you can donate money to have trees planted (which aid in combating the effects of global warming) - once again, is there anything like that here in South Africa?

Basically, what can we do, as citizens in South Africa to curb Global Warming – here in South Africa?

Looking forward to your input and info.

Regards,
M.

Celibacy.

2007-07-17T05:36:00.000-07:00

I found this so cute - I just had to share.
Regards,
M.

Many aspects of human sexuality are very puzzling. Take celibacy for instance. This can be a choice in life, or a condition imposed by environmental factors. While attending a Marriage Encounter Weekend, Robert and Cheryl listened to the instructor declare: “It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other.”

He addressed the men. “Can you each name and describe your wife’s favourite flower?”

Robert leaned over, touched Cheryl’s arm gently and whispered, “Self-raising, isn’t it?”

Thus began Robert’s life of celibacy…