I am starting a new tradition for the day after Thanksgiving

November 25, 2011 by JD · 2 Comments
Filed under: Advertising, Holidays, Marketing, Musings 

Today, I am starting a new tradition.

And, I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a strange tradition for someone who loves selling and marketing.

While everyone else, apparently, goes into a month-long extravaganza of profligate spending, I choose to not buy and I will reduce my marketing so that I don’t add to the cacophony of advertising pitches that threaten to drown all of us this time of the year.

I am tired of the crass commercialism and greed of the so-called Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping hysteria. I choose not to participate.

For most of the last decade, I earned 100% of my income from affiliate marketing and plan to earn a major percentage in the coming years, but I have decided not to promote Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

Many of the merchants with whom I am affiliated sent me email this week announcing — breathlessly — their after Thanksgiving shopping sales.

I have chosen not to promote them. I will not promote them in the future. For the most part, I am declaring the few short days between Thanksgiving and Christmas to be commercial-free.

Instead, I intend to focus even more on being thankful for all the blessings I enjoy and for the wonderful people who are my family and friends.

(In fact, about the only things I’ll be promoting are the upcoming events at Sitesell over the next few weeks. Their timing just happens to be now; they are not tied to this season of advertising excess. Sometime in the next few days, Sitesell’s Facebook page will reach a milestone of 50,000 fans — or people who like them, if you prefer. There will be a celebration with prizes and I’m looking forward to this. I have predicted that they will reach 50K fans on December 2, 2011, a few minutes after 2:00pm (ET). The other thing I’ll enjoy is helping to beta test their new sitebuilding tool known as BB2, that should be introduced in mid-December. I’ll be discussing this on my 21st Century Affiliate Marketing blog.)

Years ago, I gave up giving Christmas gifts. I got tired of all the crass consumerism, commercialism, and greed, and decided not to participate.

It’s not because I’m cheap. I enjoy giving gifts, but not when it becomes something that is required. I would much rather give a gift because I see something that I know someone will enjoy and then give it to them for no special occasion. I give gifts because I want to, not because they are expected.

I have extended my personal gift-giving ban to include birthdays, too.

Today, I am carrying my little personal anti-consumerism boycott and protest another step forward.

Today, instead of rushing to the stores to buy more stuff, I will go through the castle and find everything that doesn’t fit and get rid of it.

I don’t remember much from last year, but I do remember deciding that everything had to have a place, or get tossed.

I have lived in a house with someone who reached a point where it was almost impossible to throw things away and I never want to live where stuff is piled up, ever again.

About the only things I’ve bought this year that don’t have a home are all these books. So, now, I have a pile of books in my to-be-read pile (12) and in my reading-them-now pile (5). I’ll be buying more.

(Ironically, they are all related to marketing, advertising, and selling.)

Before the sun sets, they will have a home in a cabinet, and whatever was there, will be gone. Everything else that doesn’t have a place of its own — and that does not include being piled on the couch or floor — will be gone, too.

I don’t have a name for my little protest and I don’t suggest that anyone else should agree with me. I am not trying to start a movement.

Do whatever floats your boat. It’s your choice.

If you want to buy all you can afford (and more) over the next few weeks, go for it.

It’s not for me.

Am I being hypocritical? I don’t know.

Am I being an old curmudgeon? Probably.

Am I tired of all the endless advertising hoopla? Definitely.

All the best,

JD

Tags: ,

Thanksgiving was the best in many years

November 27, 2010 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Family, Friends, Holidays, Musings 

This year, I celebrated Thanksgiving with family and friends and, for several reasons, it was the best Thanksgiving I’ve enjoyed in many years. I’ll remember and treasure it for a long time.

My oldest granddaughter, Courtnie, recently moved into her new home and volunteered to host our Thanksgiving celebration. I’m sure it was a lot of work for her, but many others pitched in to help.

I love watching as the next generation takes on responsibilities and starts traditions of their own that we can share.

When I was a kid, we always went to my grandfather’s house for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Later, as an adult, I would visit various friends and family members as I moved around the country.

This year, I spent Thanksgiving with my granddaughter and look forward to Christmas morning brunch with my daughter. The Christmas breakfast will have some of the same people sharing, but won’t be as large as the Thanksgiving celebration.

I’m not sure how many people were at Courtnie and Danny’s home for Thanksgiving, but it must have been around forty or fifty. It’s a good thing it was a warm and sunny day and we could spread out throughout the house, the porch, deck, and yard. All of us would never have fit inside if it had been cold and rainy.

As with all families, some of us have had our differences in the past, but it was good to see all of us come together and enjoy each other’s company with no disagreements, arguments, or hard feelings.

The food was outstanding, and I really enjoyed the meal, but even more importantly, I enjoyed the after-eating conversation and laughter. We had a great time.

Yesterday morning, over my first cup of coffee, I jotted down some of my thoughts and recollections from Thanksgiving Day and posted them on my profile at Facebook. I decided today that I’m going to repost them here.

I’m thankful for…

…hugs from beautiful women…

…enjoying time together with optimistic, happy people…

…watching a Marine Corps Iraq War veteran roll his eyes when I told him the last time I saw him he was only this tall (and then hold my hand out about waist high)…

…lumpy mashed potatoes, because you know someone took the time to make them the right way, rather than pouring some flakes out of a box…

…hand-made whipped cream with a touch of maple syrup in it…

…laughing out loud with my family…

…watching little children who are just starting their life’s journey…

…letting the old folks fix their plates first, and then realizing I’m one of the old folks and it’s my turn to eat!…

…catching up on all the things going on in our lives…

…Thanksgiving coming just right in my chemo schedule so that I felt good, had some energy, and my taste buds cooperated on one of the most important days of the year…

… having a wonderful, loving, beautiful, and talented daughter…

…hugs from beautiful women…

…and more things I (or you) will think of…

I’m very thankful for still being here. Back in March, it didn’t look like I was going to live this long, but now it’s looking like we’re going to kick this cancer and I hope to be around for quite a few more years.

I had a wonderful time with my family and friends this year.

I hope you did, too.

Tags: , , , ,

I had a very Merry Christmas this year

December 26, 2009 by JD · 5 Comments
Filed under: Family, Friends, Holidays, Personal 

I’m a day late, but I wanted to take a moment and wish all of my family and friends a very Merry Christmas!

I had a computer-free day, yesterday, and that’s very unusual for me.

I spent the day with my daughter and her family and had a wonderful time.

There are many holidays and events that are celebrated at this time of the year and each of us has different views of what is important to us and our family and friends.

Sometimes that leads to big disagreements, which I think is unfortunate.

Over the years, I’ve had good friends who celebrated things differently than I do and I’ve learned to be happy for them and what they believe and not to try to convince them of my way of thinking.

So, even though I have different views than most of my family and friends, I can still enjoy spending a happy day with them and basking in the warmth of love and friendship.

So, whatever you celebrate at this time of year, I hope you enjoyed it with family and friends.

The two holidays I celebrate are Yule and Christmas and I enjoyed both of them.

2009 was a very difficult year for many of us and I am happy that we can have a few days where we can celebrate the good things in our life before we roll into a new year and start the annual cycle, again.

Here’s my wish that all of us will have a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2010. It’s only a week away.

All the best,

JD

Tags: , ,

Happy Yule!

December 21, 2009 by JD · 2 Comments
Filed under: Holidays 

Now that the Winter Solstice has arrived (well, it will around 1:47 pm EST), we can rest assured that the sun will start coming back north and all the little green things will stick their heads out of the ground in only a few more weeks.

Even though Winter officially starts today, I feel just a little bit better knowing that our big old yellow ball in the sky will start getting higher and the days will start getting longer.

All the best,

JD

Tags: ,

I am very grateful for all that I have – even in a bad year

November 28, 2009 by JD · 3 Comments
Filed under: Family, Friends, Holidays, Murphy NC 28906, Murphy North Carolina, Musings, Personal 

I’m not going to lie about it.

2009 has been a very difficult year for me, but it could have been much worse.

My home is not the home of my dreams, but it gives me a place to live until I can earn enough to buy or build the home I dream of.

This old house is where my parents retired in the early 1970s. They left Atlanta and moved to Murphy, NC. They loved living here, even when times were tough.

Pop died in the summer of 1991 and Mom died last year, just before Thanksgiving.

Both of them have been on my mind a lot this month.

Mom’s birthday was November 6; their anniversary was November 25; Thanksgiving was a couple of days ago. It’s been a month of memories and being thoughtful about what is important in life.

Both of them worked hard all their lives and were quite a bit healthier and stronger in their latter years than I am now. It gives me something to work towards – better health.

Both of them had serious health problems earlier in their lives and they still managed to mostly overcome them over time.

Pop broke his back when he fell off a crane onto a truck’s roof. For years he could do very little. Still, many years later, he could easily outwork me.

Mom had trouble with her legs for most of her life, but that didn’t stop her from doing what she wanted, until her cancer surgery caused nerve damage and she was no longer able to walk unassisted.

So, I can look back on my illness earlier this year and think “poor me” all I want, or I can continue to do what I can to get around and rebuild my strength.

Sometimes life just isn’t easy. It’s the challenges that make us stronger and help us develop real character.

So, maybe that’s what I’m working on now – character.

Money is tight, but I’ve managed to find something to eat for over 57 years while fending off everything that tried to eat me, so I guess that’s some measure of success.

(I’m not sure who said that originally, but I read it some time back and liked it enough to paraphrase it for myself.)

I love living here in Murphy. Sometimes it’s hard to earn a living here, but other people in other areas have had it tough, too. We do what we have to do to survive.

I’ve decided that I want to help others as I help myself and that’s why I’ve dedicated myself to building the best marketing system for locally-owned small businesses in Murphy, NC. You can see the start of it at Murphy Gold and Murphy Connections. Over time, it will get better and better and I look forward to helping small business owners in our little mountain town market their businesses to a wider audience.

While I may not have all I need right now, I do have a plan and I’m working on that plan every day. It gives me something to work towards and that’s important.

Thanksgiving was an interesting day. I spent the day alone, but I still had contact with family and friends online and over the phone.

Several friends called to see how I was doing and to wish me a happy holiday.

I was in touch with family even though I didn’t see them in person.

I was alone, but not lonely. Memories of past holidays gave me good feelings and I smiled quite a bit during the day.

Even though I may not be able to visit my brother and his family this year, I’ll think of them often.

I’m looking forward to Christmas breakfast at my daughter’s house and spending time with that branch of my family. Christmas will be here before we have a chance to turn around a few times.

Would I have enjoyed a house full of people and a table loaded with traditional Thanksgiving food this year? Of course, I would.

But, I’ve done that many times over the last few decades, so missing it now and then really isn’t such a big deal.

I’m grateful for all I have and I intend to redouble my efforts to rebuild my marketing business to where I’ll be enjoying prosperity instead of mere survival.

As we enter into this major winter holiday season, I hope you’ll reflect on all that you have and all the good memories of times and people who have helped shape your life.

We all have a lot to be thankful for.

All the best,

JD

Tags: ,

Christmas 2005

December 26, 2005 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Family, Holidays 

We had a great time at our Christmas get-togethers yesterday.

I posted some Christmas 2005 Photos on Flickr and you’re welcome to view them if you are interested.

I had a very good visit with Mom in the nursing home, where she’s recovering from a broken leg, and then visited my daughter and her family in the afternoon. Dena was feeling poorly and spent most of the afternoon napping on the couch. The kids were excited, as you’d expect.

Dragons were the theme for my gifts yesterday. My brother and sister-in-law gave me a novel about dragons, and my grandkids gave me a great book on Dragonology.

I had a great time. I hope you did, too.

Tags:

Christmas Carols Under the Stars — A Nice Surprise

December 5, 2004 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Family, Friends, Holidays, Musings 

A few minutes ago, I heard someone drive up into our driveway, so I went to investigate.

It turned out to be some of the youth from the Grape Creek Baptist Church, just up the road. They brought some chocolate-covered cherries to Mom and wanted to sing Christmas carols to her.

What they didn’t know was that she had just spread out to do her monthly budgeting and check writing and was pretty much blocked into her chair. I quickly helped her move the things so she could come to the back door and rushed back to tell them she’d be there in a couple of minutes.

Using her walker, she made it into the kitchen and we blocked the storm door open. I put a chair right behind her so she could sit and enjoy the music.

For the next few minutes, they sang the old familiar tunes she loves so much and it really brightened her day.

A few people singing in the back of a pickup truck — sometimes it’s the small things that really make someone happier. Thanks!

Happy Holidays to all of you,

JD

December 05, 2004 6:31 PM

Tags:

Admission Is Free To September 4 Heritage Walk and Festival in Murphy, NC

September 3, 2004 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Appalachian Heritage, Arts and Crafts, Events, Holidays, Murphy North Carolina, Musings, Nonprofits 

Admission Is Free To September 4 Heritage Walk and Festival in Murphy, NC

Historic Murphy, North Carolina

What began in 2001 with fewer than 100 souls braving the pouring rain to take a “heritage walk” through historic Murphy has blossomed into a 4th annual series of events coming Saturday, September 4, 2004.

Last year over 3,000 people turned out for a day long celebration of traditional mountain music, arts and crafts, blue ribbon memories of the county fair, and the heritage walking tours with characters from times past. Produced by Heritage Partners of Cherokee County in collaboration with a host of volunteers and sponsoring organizations, this year’s Heritage Walk and Festival features:

  • The Heritage Walk — historic trade and commerce tours departing at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.; pyramid tours departing at 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. from the Old LandN Depot

  • The Cherokee County Heritage Fair — blue ribbon competitions in the traditional home survival skills, special events and community exhibits on display at the Old L and N Depot and outdoor county fair tent (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
  • The Appalachian Heritage Crafters Show — area artists and crafters on the Railroad Street festival grounds, behind the Old LandN Depot and Hackney Warehouse (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
  • Mountain Song — all day live stage performances feature traditional bluegrass, old-time and more on the Railroad Street festival grounds, behind the Old Hackney Warehouse (10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
  • Becky and the Robber of Buckhorn Ridge — one act play performances by the Murphy High drama students, based on Jean Bravick’s story of pioneer life in Cherokee County’s 1840 Valleytown (First United Methodist Church at 11:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 1:00 p.m.)
  • Cherokee County Historical Museum’s Heritage Day — a celebration of pioneering history and Cherokee Indian culture, on Peachtree Street
  • Farmers Market
  • Food Vendors
  • Pocket Parks Collectibles Fair
  • rides and activities for children
  • and more.

And, it’s all free.

The public is invited to come out, and all festival guests are encouraged to park in town and walk to all events. Visit heritagepartners.org for more information.

Tags:

4th Annual Heritage Walk & Festival — Murphy, NC — Sept. 4, 2004

July 31, 2004 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Appalachian Heritage, Arts and Crafts, Events, Holidays, Murphy North Carolina 

The one day event will be held on Saturday, September 4 from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm at the Old L&N Depot, Railroad Street Park and the Pocket Parks in the historic town center of Murphy.

Produced by Heritage Partners of Cherokee County, the annual event began in 2001 with the Heritage Walk and a group of 100 enthusiastic walking tour guests. Last year’s festival events drew more than 3,000 people and organizers are gearing up for an even larger crowd on September 4.

More information is available online at:

http://www.heritagepartners.org/hwf.htm

and in Murphy at the Appalachian Heritage Crafters shop on Hwy 64 West, the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce on Hwy 64 West, and The Pickled Parrot in town on Valley River Avenue.

For more information, artists and crafters may contact Claire Groff at 828-837-9636 or by email at clairepg@aol.com; all other vendors and exhibitors may contact Barbara Darling at 828-837-9636 or by email at daraff@dnet.net

“Our volunteers and sponsors are looking forward to the big day. We hope everyone will come out and enjoy this celebration of our local history and heritage of music, artistry, craftsmanship and traditional home survival skills,” said event director and Heritage Partners president Barbara Hughes.

Community clubs and individuals interested in entering the products of their home canning, baking, quilting, vegetable and flower gardening skills in this year’s Heritage County Fair blue ribbon competitions and exhibits may contact Jessica Roberson at the Cherokee County Cooperative Extension Service at 828-837-2210 or by email at jessica_roberson@ncsu.edu for more information and registration details.

This year’s Heritage Walk & Festival includes the Heritage Walk tours, the Appalachian Heritage Crafters Show, the Heritage Music Festival, the Heritage County Fair, produce and plant growers, food vendors, and special fun for children.

Admission to all events remains free of charge and open to the public.

Heritage Partners is an all volunteer, nonprofit organization building on the heritage of Cherokee County — North Carolina’s first, last, and finest place to be.

Tags: