The Moon and the Willow Tree - - - about those...

I have more than one personal blog site. And I don't just talk about my yard here... or there.

But I think it's important to talk about the Willow Tree - and the moon -  a few times anyway.

One evening, I think it was wintertime, I saw the full moon through the branches of the willow tree that is in front of this house.

It was beautiful. I did find some photos of the willow tree when I searched my computer today. Here is one:

Here is a logo I made of the tree and it has the moon in it...  I had forgotten about this one.

And here is one I made for a store header:

Somewhere is another one like the last, only bigger.

This was fun!

Thanks for visiting today. Leave a comment!

Betsyanne

My Personal Page and blog
The Nontrads site and blog
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Back to Stumbleupon... it's fun as always...

A Facebook friend asked if people were on Stumbleupon. I said I was - - but I hadn't been there in ages.

I have the Stumbleupon doohicky on my desktop so I hit the button "Stumble!" and it was just as fun as always. These recommended pages that appear when I hit the button are selected because they fit my categories AND are the most popular choices.

So I guess I'll need to "Like" pages I write about there for awhile again, to freshen up my page. And I know it will be fun to visit the best pages out there for a laugh and inspiration.

If you are there on Stumbleupon, come visit. I am here: http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/betsyanne

Betsyanne

My Personal Page and blog

The Nontrads site and blog

My Squidoo pages
 
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook 

Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

My new blog: Girl Scout Betsy

A Secret to a Woman's Future Success lies in her Past? A great article.

Photo attribution: WellspringCS on Flickr/CC 2.0 Generic

An article about how women view themselves really touched a chord today with me. It is from Psychology Today.

Here is that link: The Trouble with Bright Girls.

Essentially, the article explains that girls and boys are talked to differently as they grow up. Boys are more active and it's harder for them to focus. They are told that with some more effort, they can succeed. Girls are praised for being docile and quiet, for fitting in. If something is hard for them to grasp, even if they are bright, they give up much easier than boys.

They are not told that "Yes, you can do anything, but sometimes this requires effort and hard work." Instead, they believe that they don't have what it takes if things don't come easily.

Women often undervalue themselves. From the article:

..."in my experience, smart and talented women rarely realize that one of the toughest hurdles they'll have to overcome to be successful lies within.  We judge our own abilities not only more harshly, but fundamentally differently, than men do.   Understanding why we do it is the first step to righting a terrible wrong.  And to do that, we need to take a step back in time.

What a great article. It makes me want to immediately knuckle down! And I can see how explaining the value of hard work and how it doesn't necessarily mean a girl is stupid if she doesn't get something right away... she can work for what she wants. Being intelligent happens in boys AND girls. And girls will succeed more often if they don't quickly give up, as some do - - and I know I have in the past.

Great article, and great for people with girls who need this sort of knowledge about themselves, and about their future and future success.

Betsyanne
 
My Personal Page and blog

The Nontrads site and blog

My Squidoo pages
 
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook 

Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

This is great - - a short and funny video about Teaching- Said No Teacher EVER!

I was sent this today via Facebook. It is great!

It is called Said No Teacher Ever.

I think you will really like it.



All for now - and have a GREAT rest of the week, readers!

Betsy

My Personal Page and blog
The Nontrads site and blog
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Blogs, blogs, blogs - here's my list of my current blogs. I used to ask: too many? But not now.

I'm listing my blogs today.
 

Red Olympia typewriter from Clker.com.

 Every so often I think, why do I have so many blogs? I even wrote a Squidoo page about that. Right now the title is Lots and lots of my blogs. It used to be a question - Do I have too many blogs? People didn't think so. I do sometimes. But they are fun, and good typing and writing practice for me. I won't go into the websites.... or Facebook pages.... that's a posting for later.

Here is a list of some other ones I write:

#1 (newest) is my Girl Scout Betsy blog. It is for Kentuckiana GS Council and beyond. I added some pages at the top too. It has Journey Helps, Girl Scout Opportunities, events in the Kentuckiana area (selected ones... I could never list them all!), and general Girl Scout talk. Which I like. It's handy for me to have a place I can go to access links I use a lot. So it's a practical blog, really.

#2. The Nontraditional Student blog is one of the Nontrad blogs I started when I went back to school after a LONG break. It was something I wished had been available then - a place to talk about all things Nontraditional - and to help with support with those feelings like not being able to do it, feeling out of place, feeling older than everyone else, and more. I have plans for this blog (which I recently also have a copy of on the website here.) So this is definitely a blog to keep where it is.

#3. From the Garden Spot plus BG events has morphed from an Anything Goes blog to a Calendar of events in and around Bowling Green, Kentucky to another personal blog page. Sometimes I think of morphing it again to combine with this one.

#4.  Find Scholarships and Grants was a natural site to pick after the Nontrad blog, because everyone going to school needs more money. I get to tell people which sites are best, etc. - I may put this one on the Nontrad site and call it good. It would hopefully still have a search feature on it, and be still useful.

#5. Squidoo Liz was a blog I loved when I was more active on Squidoo. Maybe I will be again, though, so I'm keeping this blog for now. The moguls on Squidoo are making a decent income from it. I, however, am making a bit of change from it. But it's still nice to get that.

Do you have a blog or blogs too? List them as a comment. I'd love to see them.

Betsyanne

Did you know about the free Moon Phase Calendar at CalendarCat?

I have always liked this widget.

It tells the phase of the moon for you, and you can use it on your site or blog for free.

Here is what it looks like:

CURRENT MOON

moon phases

Here is that link so you can get one too: http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/daily_moon_phases.phtml

You get transferred over to an ad page or two, but you can go back once you are registered and get this module and customize it however you want.

Just saying!

Betsyanne

PS Are you a Girl Scout volunteer or leader? Do you know one?

You or your friend can now join a grass roots movement  to "Put the Outing back in Girl Scouting."
Here is the new Facebook page (I will OK you there) and website for the <unofficial> Outdoor Journey.

Come visit!

My new blog: Girl Scout Betsy  - for Kentuckiana and beyond.

My Personal Page and blog

The Nontrads site and blog

My Squidoo pages
 
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook 

Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Getting a new website ready... McDonald's Monopoly Game, the cat chooses her spots, more.

It always takes longer than I expect to get a website ready, even a semi-placeholder one.

My new website

The new website I am doing is the Outdoor Journey site. (Don't expect much here.... yet....)

I needed to point the site over to another web host, which I still don't have memorized. I guessed pretty well though.

I will be listing the website many places when it is finally done. Tonight it is running ads for Bravenet.

Hopefully it will transfer over tomorrow.

The cat

The cat has taken to lying down right in our path. Everywhere. I think she wants more attention. Or is just getting more tired all the time.

She is a good cat, and most patient. But she loves to be in the way. She answers us when we talk to her too. I like that in a cat. As some of my readers know, Boss Kitty chose us as her people one winter after (I think) her other people across the way moved.

Other news: I made another to-do list, which focuses me for the week. Now to keep it handy.

Eating at McDonald's
And we have almost won the new McDonald's Monopoly game! I don't have much hope of actually winning much, but we did get a free breakfast sandwich and several other game pieces. Not a car. Yet.

It's fun to play the game though. I'm sorry that the million dollars is on a Big Mac, which is not my favorite. I'm thinking of trying for this once and splitting the Big Mac in half, and maybe tossing one piece of bread out to save on carbs.

Tomorrow I check my Fairy Doors to see how they are doing.  Each one is different this time.

I hope all my wonderful readers have a great week.

Betsyanne

My Personal Page and blog
The Nontrads site and blog
My Squidoo pages
Join me on Pinterest 
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Five Popular Postings from the Moon and the Willow Tree - plus more.

Well, so much for stopping this blog or combining it with another one.

I just can't bring myself to do that (yet anyway).

I notice that the Moon is almost full. I will have to get outside and take a peek at it tonight. I will also move the Current Moon Phase chart up near the top of this blog. It is fun to look at.

My news: I am coming closer to being able to get the Outdoor Journey site online. I still need some permissions to get everything on there I want. I will keep you posted, awesome readers.

This is really big news for me, because it will help with the problem of Girl Scout camps closing, hopefully, plus point to a better way for Girl Scout troops to get back into the outdoors.

Our Founder, Juliette Low, was big on the outdoors. I believe camping fits right in to the current leadership focus, because it promotes self-reliance. (AND the current leadership focus too...)

I have some popular postings listed next to help me decide what to write about next. I can update the most popular pages for sure.

Here they are:

#1.  The Top 16 Online Sales and Auction Sites - Rated

#2. Civil War Dresses for Sale

#3. Do you make a lot of money with your blog? (more recent)

#4. Free Clipart Sites (for Projects, Etc.)

and

#5. The Wightman Chapel at Scaritt-Bennett (Nashville)

Betsyanne

My Personal Page and blog
The Nontrads site and blog
Visit me on Pinterest
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Do you make a LOT of money with your blog?

I don't. Well, that's true. BUT some people make really serious money with their blog.

This article (which I plan to read again!) tells about people who make over $1000.00 per month with their blogs. So what is the secret to their success?

Here is the article:

Bloggers Share Income - How Much Money do Bloggers Make?

I make a little money. But I would LOVE to make this amount. Back I go to read this one.

Actually, I have been thinking of things that would make my blog soar with new readership. I could:

1. Give away a trip to Hawaii.

2. Have a contest to win free cable for a year.

3. Post really awesome photos of puppies and kittens. Or videos.

4. Post every day.

5. Put ads on for Las Vegas or Gambling sites.

Well, food for thought. What are your ideas? Do you have some money making secrets for me?

Leave a comment, awesome reader.

Betsyanne
Up and coming Blogger

My Personal Page and blog
The Nontrads site and blog
My Squidoo pages
Join me on Pinterest 
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

This one's too good not to share. Be More Dog.

Have you ever felt like your life was, well - - blah? Or close to it?

Take a lesson from this cat, and Be. More. Dog.



PS: Henri is right - - the beginning reminds me a lot of HIS videos. But it's still good.

PPS: Somebody said that this cat was really a dog... and this video was faked. But I like thinking he's a cat, all the way.

Hey, it could happen!

Betsyanne

Girl Scout Betsy
My Personal Page and blog
The Nontrads site and blog
My Pinterest!
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

My updates, GS Betsy site, projects, and news. Thanks for visiting!

It's been awhile! This blog has not been updated for awhile...

Welcome. This is my personal blog. You never know what I may talk about here!

FYI: My newest blog is Girl Scout Betsy. It is an information blog about events and trainings, Journey helps, and more for GS volunteers and leaders.

Juliette Low - the founder of GS in the U.S.

<above> - - Juliette Low was a brave woman. I admire her.

I think it will be a good place to keep information for myself too.

So how come no postings for awhile? Here is why. When I added my new blog, this blog went on Page Two of my list on Blogger that I use. So I didn't see it until I used a link today. Ack!

More things happening this summer:

1. I am making some more Fairy Doors downtown,

My favorite - sold it.

2. I am reading a book manuscript and getting my book chapters done,

3. I am writing lots and lots of To Do lists.

As I go through boxes that I have here at home, from book boxes to misc., I am finding surprises - - things I forgot I even had. So that is fun.

The rabbit is back - - we saw him the other day.

Across the field, the farmer has some horses now and did have some really cute donkeys. It is neat to see them as I drive down the road.

We joined the Lost River Cave which is nearby here so we can go walking there again. It is so pretty there.

One of the paths near Lost River Cave.

All for now, and hopefully either I will write more here, OR you may see Girl Scout Betsy in the title next time you visit. We'll see.

Betsyanne

PS Do you have a personal blog? Add it as a comment!

My Personal Page and blog

The Nontrads site and blog

Join me on Pinterest

My Squidoo pages
 
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook 

Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Fun Adult Girl Scout Outdoor Training Weekend at Camp Shantituck near Louisville, Kentucky

The Kentuckiana Girl Scout Council
I am a Girl Scout volunteer for the Kentuckiana Council. This council includes parts of Kentucky and Indiana. We have some of the very best Girl Scout camps in the country. Just saying. :-)

Some Girl Scout Ambassadors (used to be called Seniors) and some Cadettes also had trainings this weekend.

About Leader Outdoor Training
In order to bring more Girl Scouts to these great camps in Kentuckiana, the leaders need to have official training. It helps so much to know about tent camping, firebuilding, outdoor cooking, safety rules, hiking, what to bring, how to stay warm, how to be safe in the outdoors, and etc. etc.

Many volunteers, leaders, and co-leaders had an adult Outdoor Training Weekend at Camp Shantituck. We could choose to stay in a building, camp out in our own tents, or stay in a Platform Tent unit.

I brought my old 2-person tent with me.

Classes were held Friday and Saturday, as well as Sunday. 

My Tent Escapade

The first night, it was drizzling. The tent I was in did go up (thanks to the intense practice sessions in my back yard) but the air mattress had a hole in it. I stayed dry (mostly) but luckily, got a big "yes" when I asked to move. Yay!

The next night I transferred to a Platform Tent unit and slept much better.

About the Classes
The classes I took were Camp courses A, B, and C. The highlights of all the classes for me were the S-mores, the Foil Lunch, and learning about how to use a kerosene lantern. I also liked the video about how to use an inside Heater in a Girl Scout building.

And of course, I loved all the stories of campouts our trainers have been on, and stories about hikes and camp trips.

I enjoyed eating the good home camp cooking, and singing at the singalong they had in the evening. What fun to hear all the funny and sometimes politically incorrect songs of my youth. What a hoot.

I want to thank all the Trainers, the Cooks, and Organizers of this event. I had a lot of fun.

There is another event there this Fall. It is Fall Kick-Off. I hope to be able to attend that too.

Here are a few photos from the event:

We were close to this unit for our training.

This caboose is a great addition to the front of the camp.

You can see all of my photos of this event here on Facebook.

Are you a former Girl Scout? Or somebody who would like to help out?

And do you live in the Kentuckiana Council area? We need volunteers, trainers, and helpers. Click here to learn more about volunteering for Kentuckiana.

Just tell them Betsy sent you! :-)

Also, if you would like to be on the mailing list for the new Trefoil Guild (adult former Scouts and new adult Scouts) just click this button:



Our first meeting went great, and we welcome new members. We will be emailing you a choice list for our next Trefoil Guild meeting soon.

Later!

Betsyanne

My Personal Page and blog
The Nontrads site and blog
Join me on Pinterest
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Quick! Get those Blog Postings Done!

I am now posting more than once a week. I like that!

I want to keep it up. I think it's good writing and typing practice. Plus I get to vent and talk about things that interest me.

What have I been doing, you ask? I have been organizing at home (a task that will take about a year in total),  hemming uniforms, doing laundry (a catch-up act), and etc., etc., and etc.

Big on the "Etc." list is an idea of making an Outdoor Journey for Girl Scouts that would help replace the missing elements of Program right now and re-introduce what made Girl Scouting so exciting.

My wonderful Aunt Jackie died last week. As my husband so aptly put it, she was the
"Auntie Mame" of my relatives. I will cherish her memory, and may make a Remembrance Page for her as I did for my mother. Which needs some updating. I will add that to my list too.

One of the blog link nontrad writers on another of my blogs (The Nontraditional Student Blog) is considering doing away with her blog.

I was not surprised. It takes time, but think about losing all that work. Ack.

I have more than one blog, but I don't want to quit. Not yet. It is still way too fun for me.

Other must-do's (besides updating here regularly) are: finish my books, call about repair quotes, go through the books, add some shelves, paint, redo my sites, update my Pinterest, make some more pottery Fairy Doors, put the tomato plants in, and write some more poetry.

Do you have a blog, or maybe more than one? Or maybe you have a huge to-do list you would like to tell me about. Just leave a comment below here and tell me about it.

A curious mind wants to know.

Well, it's time for coffee. I do love that stuff. Especially when I add vanilla to it.

Later,
-Betsyanne

Another link:
Leaders - help other Girl Scout volunteers develop the new Outdoor Journey

My Personal Page and blog
Join me on Pinterest (there are some new ones there)
The Nontrads site and blog
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Have you ever thought of taking an Internet Break and not going online for a long time?

I know some people think of doing this while on vacation and actually some have succeeded in doing that.

Some Girl Scout volunteers have said they do this while camping with a troop.

I am so used to being online for at least part of the day that I'm not sure I would want to do that, except for maybe a week or two at most.

What do you think?

One man did this for an entire year. Instead of being happy about it, he now thinks he was missing out on some important relationships he had with friends online.

Here is that article:

I'm still here: back online after a year without the internet.

It's a pretty good article. We've all heard it could be good to get away from the internet (and maybe TV too) but this is the first article I've read that takes another view - and looks into the grey area of social media.

So how are you doing, fabulous reader? Are you online all the time lately? Do you think it connects you more or less in real life?

I used to think (like TV) that internet use got you AWAY from real relationships. Now I understand more completely that there are relationships online and relationships offline. And I think they are both important ones.

Comment!

-Betsyanne

My Personal Page and blog
The Nontrads site and blog
Join me on Pinterest
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Cool Video - - Virgin Galactic's Spaceship II via YouTube

Want to watch Virgin Galactic's Spaceship II as it fires off its rocket?



Pretty cool. A coimment on the page said that the first spaceship did an unplanned roll. This one didn't.

But where is the part where it breaks the sound barrier?

Betsyanne

My Personal Page and blog
My Pinterest Boards
The Nontrads site and blog
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Delafield Church and Hotel Inc. - a trip to Boatlanding Road

I finally got to see Hotel Inc. and its location the other day.

Here are some photos of the church in front of Hotel Inc., which is located at 1005 Boatlanding Road, and the side of Hotel Inc.

This church is directly in front of Hotel, Inc., which is around to the left and back as seen on this photo.

Here is what you will see as you walk towards their back entrance.

Hotel Inc. is a local Christian church group that helps people with a food pantry (Manna Mart) and other services. Right now, they need food because there is a lot of need for that in the community.

I saw some breadstuffs inside the door when we went. They still need canned goods and more kinds of food. Here are some items they have needed in the past: (from a BG Daily News article"carrots, peas, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes and fruit, as well as stuffing mix and baking mix." They could also use canned goods of all kinds.

An April 2013 posting on their Facebook page said:

"Manna Mart has some empty shelves...cereal, juice, soup, fruit, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes. We can also accept fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat. Donations can be dropped off at 1005 Boatlanding Road. Office hours: Tuesday 9-5, Wednesday - Friday 9-5. Thanks!"

 Call the number below to find out what they need most.

The hours you can bring food and other items to them are (from the site):
"Checking in donated food or distributing food to clients (Tuesday 10:00 – 1:00, 4:00 – 5:00, Thursday 10:00 – 1:00 and Friday 10:00 – 1:00)"

Just call 782-1263 with any questions, and to help as a volunteer.

Here is their website:
Hotel Inc.

and here is their Facebook page too:
Hotel Inc. Facebook Page.

You can see more photos here from my visit on my Facebook photos area.

-Betsyanne

My Personal Page and blog
The Nontrads site and blog
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Beautiful lamps at Chuy's in Bowling Green, Kentucky

Rickey and I went to Chuy's Restaurant the other day.

I had a diet plate that was delicious.

Rickey had a stuffed avocado (he said it was great). I had a bite.

Chuy's is celebrating their One Year Anniversary.

What impressed me too (again) were their neat lamps.

When you look closely at them, they look to be made of paper and glass. The colors are bright and cheery.

I took some photos of these neat multicolor lovelies.

I took a few more and put them on my Facebook page, along with a copy of these.

Here is Chuy's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/Chuys.BG.KY

PS Be careful of the Green Chili sauce. It's great, but hot.

-Betsyanne

My Personal Page and blog
Join me on Pinterest
The Nontrads site and blog
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Week and Weekend Thoughts... Girl Scouts, My To-Do LIst, interesting postings, fun sites, events, etc. etc.

On to other things... right?

Jackson's Orchard has nice Snapdragons for sale.

It has been a fun weekend so far. I located some great tomato plants (Mr. Stripey!), peppers, and more at a local Farmer's Market.

My Things to Do list keeps growing, but exciting things keep happening too.

I found some great Girl Scout blogs and sites, located some good Care Package items, am helping to get a new Girl Scout volunteer group started,  am planning my garden, organizing, and finding many treasures.

My new online shop MIGHT be called Betsy's Treasures. Or maybe Betsyanne's treasures. I have way too many treasures of all kinds already, so I plan to share them with others.

I may keep a bare minimum, but not many. By treasures I mean little keepsakes, costume jewelry, books, magazines, and much more.

I will post here when I get my site and/or store ready.

And for you, my wonderful reader, here are some sites and articles I (and/or online friends) have recently discovered that you may also like.

The Girl Scouts Gab Facebook page

Hoax-Slayer: Top 10 Articles

Who are the Top 50 Social Media Influencers for 2013? (via Forbes.com)

Tea Bayou's Facebook page - - a fun place to eat in downtown BG, KY, New Orlean's Style

Leave a comment to say hi. And thanks for visiting!

Betsyanne

My Personal Page and blog
The Nontrads site and blog
Join me on my Pinterest page
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

Updated: TV News about the Boston Marathon suspects and incidents - - a lot is happening today.

There are so many questions about the bombing suspects today...

1. Did they receive training here or overseas?

2. Are there others in their terrorist circle?

3. What will happen next?

I think the FBI and other law enforcement agencies did such a great job zeroing in on these suspects. There was a LOT of video footage to go through.

I will be watching to see what happens next. It is all so sad. I saw a photo of the little boy who was killed in Boston again yesterday.

I wish there could be peace in the world. Bombing innocent people can't be the way to call attention to a cause. In fact, this has done the opposite!

New: I just saw the taped interview from the suspect's Uncle - - he said that he does not think the attack would have had anything to do with religion. He was very surprised that his nephews were involved. He feels terrible about the incident, like we all do.

It just all boggles the mind.

As a Facebook friend said recently, we do need Gandhi right now. He believed in peace, always, and working for change using peaceful means. I admire Gandhi so much.

Betsyanne

My Personal Page and blog
The Nontrads site and blog
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads

TV News about the Boston Marathon suspects and incidents - - a lot is happening today.

There are so many questions about the bombing suspects today...

1. Did they receive training here or overseas?

2. Are there others in their terrorist circle?

3. What will happen next?

I think the FBI and other law enforcement agencies did such a great job zeroing in on these suspects. There was a LOT of video footage to go through.

I will be watching to see what happens next. It is all so sad. I saw a photo of the little boy who was killed in Boston again yesterday.

I wish there could be peace in the world. Bombing innocent people can't be the way to call attention to a cause. In fact, this has done the opposite!

It boggles the mind.

As a Facebook friend said recently, we do need Gandhi right now...

Betsyanne

My Personal Page and blog
The Nontrads site and blog
My Squidoo pages
Join me on my Fan Page on Facebook
Join me on Twitter as @betsyanne or @nontrads