Mommy Works!

Did you know that over the past five years, woman-owned family businesses have increased by 37%. There is also evidence to indicate that women-owned family businesses are more adaptable to transition scenarios and have higher success rates than businesses controlled by their male counterparts. You GO Ladies!

So I got together with some other like-minded mommmy business owners here in Hanover and the local area and here's what we've come up with: Mommy Works! It's a networking group comprised of local mothers who own and operate their own businesses on the South Shore. The group’s mission is to create a networking venue to offer support, share ideas and provide solutions to grow and shape the businesses of mom-trepreneurs. Look, we even have a web site: checkout http://mommyworksnetwork.weebly.com for more info.

In Need of an Intervention

I have discovered Facebook. I thought it was a service for high schoolers, college kids, even my babysitter, a recent college grad. BUT what I didnt know is that there is an entire community of moms out here, not to mention a bunch of folks from my high school and college days that I havent talked to in years. Now I have FRIENDS, 42 of 'em so far. I feel so popular that I think I should run for public office.
Enter: Cyberstalking.
I've spent the last two days spying on everyone I could find. I LOVE the voyeuristic aspect of this service. I cant get enough. I dont get my kids dressed in the morning, because I've got to see what everyone else is doing right now, online. If youve been to Facebook, you'll understand. I send online gifts like beer and flair, WHAT's FLAIR? I still dont know. But there's a learning curve. I'm working on it.
My friend, Joanne, received a Sea Garden. Its an online aquarium she was given to care for. But due to her very special learning curve, the virtual aquarium became overgrown with seaweed and she was required to clean it.

The iPhone Casserole

I know, I know. This blog is supposed to be about all things photography, but I have valuable advice to dispense.

I have an iPhone.

I try to believe I need an iPhone so I can justify the bill, but really the truth is I've gotten to the point that I cant live without it. It is my business line for Abbey Knoll Photography. All my contacts are in it. I'm just plain addicted, and really, its pretty, and very blingy.

So, there I was driving along and I came to a stop and my iPhone slid across the center console and went for a swim in my Tinkerbell coffee mug. I know I should use a travel mug, and I do now - lesson learned - but this was a tough couple of days and sudddenly I was phone-less.

I called a few knowledgeable friends and they all told me there was nothing to do but go to the Apple Store and fess up. Apparently there's a strip inside the phone that turns pink when it gets wet, and that voids your warrent. Even if its coffee.

The guy at the Apple Store pulled me aside and told me that he could sell me a phone for $199 or I could try something he heard about. Set the phone in rice and see if the rice can draw out the moisture, err, coffee.

I didnt know if he was joking or not so I just nodded and went home to search the web for rice and phones. Its amazing what I found. People all over the country have tried similar techniques, some put the rice on the porch so the sun would help. One guy actually baked his iPhone. People are desperate. And so was I. Plus, I had nothing to lose. The phone was already busted.

So I baked an iPhone casserole. One inch of rice, phone, then another inch of rice, on 200 degrees for 4 hours. Laugh all you want. I didnt burn down the house - and it actually worked!

After it cooled down and I recharged the battery, it worked, and it still works fine! How 'bout them apples!

Poor Jack Ward

My son Colin is three. He loves to look outside and watch the squirrels and chipmunks run around the yard. Recently, he decided to name them. So a whole bunch of the squirrels are called Tilly and Bulldog, while all the chipmunks are named Jack Ward, which I think is a derivation of "Jaguar".

So my story goes like this: Yesterday, Colin and I were sitting on the front steps watching Jack Ward run in and out of the stone wall when suddenly a sizeable hawk swooped down and carried our poor Jack off. I love that my kids love nature, but I really didnt know how to explain the food chain to a three year old, so I said "Look, that bird's taking Jack Ward for a ride". Colin's response: "Jack Ward doesnt fly". Sorry Jack, we'll miss you.