The Sweet Taste of Success

When we started our company nearly 20 years ago, we started with nothing except an idea. We wanted to provide the most exceptional personalized service; we wanted each client to feel as though it was our only client. We provide computer services, but we never forget that a person sits between the seat and the keyboard. That philosophy remains today and I believe is fundamental to our continued success.

Six months into our initial entrepreneurial efforts, we encountered our first holiday season. We did not have much money, but we really wanted to thank our new clients for their support. We wanted to send an intimate message, yet be professional. We came up with the idea of baking holiday goods and presenting them in trays and baskets. It has remained a tradition ever since. We always present the baskets to the administration, but they are something the whole staff enjoys during a coffee break. Indeed, starting just after Thanksgiving, we start to get inquiries of when they can expect their sweet treats! Over the years the contents have varied a bit, but they almost always contain sweet breads or muffins and cookies, accompanied by what has become our signature gift: miniature cheesecakes. Although the cheesecakes are not homemade (we get these Lawler's delights from Sams Club), they are delicious and are the perfect size for a snack, cut into little cubes of heaven and wrapped with pretty holiday paper ~ perfect for pretty yet easy presentation.

For one week each holiday season, my kitchen is turned upside down as I make each gift. Each one is designed individually, no two are the same. I have since expanded the tradition to include some of our vendors, neighbors, hostess gifts and a couple of Secret Santas. It has become such a task that I now have to create a spreadsheet to help with ordering! This year, for instance, I needed 30 dozen cookies, 40 dozen cheesecake bites, 15 banana bread loaves, 12 dozen pecan tartlets, and three pounds of soft mints! I always pray for cold weather so that I can store everything! I assemble and my husband delivers. The kids taste test. It's our little version of the north pole!

Because I now have a limited kitchen (that is, I do not have an oven), I rely on others to help me with the baskets' components. This year I had the pleasure of using our local Amish bakery and a recently discovered cookie business with a story as sweet as its wares. Because I always love a good story, I included a note with each basket telling the background of David's Awesome Cookies (click on image to enlarge and read).

Yesterday I froze the leftovers so that they may be enjoyed during Christmas week, and I was able to make a huge check mark on my holiday To Do list. As I enjoyed one of the peanut butter cookies with my morning coffee I thought about those first baskets we made and realized that success comes in many different flavors.

Blessings Among the Boughs

Just about on schedule, our Christmas tree arrived this week! Thanks to an unexpected snow day, my husband and the boys had a few free hours to go tree hunting, bringing home my favorite present of the season. For me, the putting up and taking down of the Christmas tree marks the beginning and the end of the yuletide holiday. Its bright lights and strong earthy fragrances warm the home and the soul. O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Thy leaves are so unchanging...

When we first bought the theatre, one of our very first thoughts was about how we could now have a really tall tree since we have high ceilings. We would walk around the tree farms, pointing out the towering evergreens and dubbed them "theatre trees." One advantage of having a big tree is that there is more room for ornaments, another one of my holiday favorites. O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Much pleasure thou can'st give me...

We have hundreds of ornaments, and very few of them are duplicates. Each one has its own story, and as we place each one upon the branches, I relay its tale, a tradition here as strong as reading Clement C. Moore's Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve. As I tell the story, the tree stretches out its arms, a perfect spot is found, and each decoration is received with a hug. Every year I give each of the kids a new ornament, something that highlights something special they did that year. There are also the theme ornaments, like the year we bought our first house which is now depicted by many ceramic victorian homes hanging from the branches. Then there are my mom's ornaments, which always bring a smile and a tear. Ornaments from friends that were exchanged over the years bring a lot of happiness and gratitude. There are also the personalized ornaments, which seem to make the tree our tree with our signatures dangling from the boughs. The homemade holiday art from the kids' preschool years are mostly faded now and losing all their sparkles, but are hung just the same. There are so many ornaments that we are now hanging them three deep, and when I step back to look at our masterpiece, I realize that our cups floweth o'er. Blessings among the boughs. This year my son Ben and his friend helped me decorate the tree, and it was wonderful to hear Ben telling his buddy all of the stories. I guess someone was listening after all. From base to summit, gay and bright, There's only splendor for the sight...

We usually don't put any presents under the tree until Christmas Eve; there has always been too many young inquiring minds or curious pets. But this year one of my presents was put up right beside the tree, becoming part of the holiday decor. We bought an antique cabinet a few months ago but was unable to pick it up because of our ongoing flu tribulations and the post-recovery period which required making up a lot of lost time. Even though its delivery was delayed, it arrived just in time to brighten the room. Its mirrored doors now reflect hundreds of memories, doubling the light and joy with its presence . How often has the Christmas tree, Afforded me the greatest glee!...

Since the tree has arrived, the holiday spirit has moved into full swing. Christmas carols stream through the house, baked goods cover the kitchen table, presents for afar are starting to mail, lists are shrinking then suddenly growing again, calendars are full with concerts, meeting friends, and traditional outings. It is indeed beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Now it's time to deck the rest of the halls! Thou bid us true and faithful be...

Woodie the Wood Duck

Woodie the wood duck loves

to be with the mallards in Millheim.

He has no idea that he is different.

And that makes all of the difference...

Holiday Hush

Saturday, December 5th. 20 days until Christmas. Less than three weeks to go until hopes of St. Nicholas soon being here. The clock is ticking.

But not in Millheim. Besides the fact that the church clock across the street from my home has been stuck at the same hour for many months, it snowed this morning, and that s-l-o-w-e-d everything down for a moment.

I have so much to do to get ready for the holidays: our halls are hardly decked, my shopping list has little crossed off, and I have yet to hear a note of Christmas carols streaming through the house. Let's not even talk about smelling baking cookies...

But Mother Nature helped me see that the Holiday Hush is much better than the Holiday Rush...

The leaves and needles of the evergreens cradled the snow

as if to slowly drink the icy refreshment that was being offered.

Berries and dried leaves dangled as ornaments in the bushes,

their cardinal hues bursting amid the greens and whites.

No lines except those highlighted by the snow.

Inside our home I found some holiday colors...

...along with some views from my windows

that offered some direction...

...and instant holiday postcards.

And while I was inside, our youngest

was outside building his own holiday spirit.

When night fell,

the snow continued to glow under the lights...

...bringing out the child in each of us,

reminding us to slow down and remember

the true reason for the season.

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?

(Dr. Seuss)

Monkey Business

During my organizing (ahem, read P-U-R-G-I-N-G) project with the fabulous VEG this Fall, we took a break one day to go and explore the wonderful world of American commerce. Our Canadian-just-above-the-border-but-from-a-whole-other-world VEG had never been to a Walmart (save one quick visit in the middle of the night when crossing the great Midwest on a road trip with her husband) and we needed to share the experience. Think what you will about this discount retailer, but we all have to admit is an American icon. Suburban sprawl is prevalent in the U.S., every area having a piece of land that is destined to accommodate a Walmart shared with familiar neighbors like Barnes and Noble, McDonalds, Hallmark, Office Depot, Pier One Imports, etc. Sprinkle in a couple of grocery stores, a shoe store or two, and a myriad of restaurants and you have America set in asphalt. Anytime we travel, whether within the borders of our Commonwealth or beyond, we can always find a safe harbor of retail shops that look just like home. We can walk into any of these stores and instantly find our way around, their familiar layouts ingrained in our material minds. The idea of introducing this phenomenon to a visitor was intriguing.

As part of our tour, we stopped by Sams Club (the big box cousin of Walmart) to pick up our usual monthly stock of fascinating things like toilet paper, laundry detergent, peanut butter and toothpaste. We browsed the aisles, which were already hinting at the upcoming holiday season ~ it was September! When our cart was full (it always magically gets full), we made our way towards the checkout. While waiting in line, VEG suddenly let out a gasp and shriek, pointing to a lone set of stuffed animals that were looking for a home (can you say impulse buying?). But these were no ordinary stuffed animals ~ they were sock monkeys, updated with cheerful colors but still with the all too familiar set of lips. They were sold in a set of two, and the moment we saw them, we knew they were ours! I claimed one and my son claimed the other; VEG had declined, albeit happy to be the one to discover them.

This is Metoo, our first sock monkey!

We got the car loaded and were heading out the parking lot when I looked over at VEG. She was holding the monkey I choose with a look that made me stop the car and ask her if she was sure that she did not want one. Just as if I was speaking to one of my children, I gave her one minute to decide. She quickly relented and I ran back into the store and found the rest of the stock. Since I was not exactly sure which one she would want (there was an assortment of them, some monkeys with different colors, some different animals, but all definitely of the same genre), I bought two more sets, deciding the elephant one I found would go to my pachyderm-loving daughter, but giving VEG three from which to choose. When I got back in the car, she saw there was many choices, but she instantly selected one that coordinated with the one that my son had picked. Right there on the spot we decided that we would have to have a special blog for them where everyone could share their special stories and adventures. They (we) would all be pen pals, sending Sock Monkey postcards through the internet. Fun, fun, fun!

This is Koko who belongs to my son

and who is great friends with VEG's Shamokin

And, so, the adventure begins. We have discovered thus far that photography is a blast with Sock Monkeys as the subject, that even though they are stuffed animals that they have a mischievous personality, and that they are great conversation starters (you find yourself explaining the fun with strangers who think you are bananas having a monkey in tow). I have included a few pictures here of our friends, but if you want to see more, go to our Sock Monkey See, Sock Monkey Do blog. It begins with a history of the toy, but quickly goes into our own adventures and is being updated constantly (these monkeys are busy!).

This is Nelson, our most mischievous sock monkey.

While one might think he is being patriotic,

I bet he is wondering how to climb the pole...

If you have a Sock Monkey, we would love to share your stories and photos on this site, too; the more the merrier. I could have thrown in the whole more fun than a barrel of monkeys thing, but instead I'll just suggest...

Go there! Sock Monkey See, Sock Monkey Do.

For the Hostess with The Mostest

My sister-in-law graciously offered to play hostess for our Thanksgiving dinner this year. She is always great like that. She is married to my husband's brother, and we have become great friends over the years. The Engle men chose wisely and well!

Besides sharing food for our feast, my youngest son and I decided to make a special gift for her to show our appreciation. We stumbled across a website about folding napkins and decided this could be fun and functional. The project grew on its own (as it always does) but we were very pleased with the final product. Enough that I thought I would share it here just in case you ever need something special for a hostess with the mostest...

First of all we looked at several napkin folding techniques. The internet has so much to offer on this subject, including videos that show step-by-step how to make the most amazing creations. Our favorite place to check out different designs was here. Originally we had wanted to make fans to look like turkey tails, but then we decided to provide silverware, too, so that changed our plans a bit. Then we wanted to add some silk foliage, so that further defined our designs. (The silverware, by the way was "silver" plasticware, which looked elegant and was easy to dispose at clean up time.) The project continued to evolve, right down to the end when we had to find a basket to hold and present the table settings. In the end, we were very happy with our results, but most importantly my son and I had a great time tackling the task, learning to be flexible and creative all at once. Another blessing to count for the holidays...

This was our final result:

We needed something in which to put the napkins.

This wooden bowl worked perfectly.

And since the napkins needed to stand to fit them all,

it ended up becoming a pretty centerpiece, as well.

You really had to peek closely to see the silverware,

but it added the perfect amount of shiny to our masterpiece.

And this is how one looked when placed

on the table. Simply elegant.

Thanksgiving 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

From Repose to Repost

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a stream...

I recently took a little hiatus from the blogosphere to work on my house and to convalesce from the flu. I did find some time to read some of my favorite blogs, but I just did not have the energy to make my own posts or to even make many comments. But a little distance and time gave me some perspective, and this is what I learned:

:: I love to write. I have always known this, but putting it in my blog seems to give it some validity. Not because someone else may read it, but because it is actually written down, saved in a place where I can retrieve it when wanted. I missed blogging tremendously and could not wait to add it back to my regular routine. Sometimes when I take some time away from something, I learn that it really is not that important. I have done with this with television, for instance, and with the exception of missing sporting events, I could totally live without it (well, so long as I could still watch movies). But this has not been the case with blogging. I hungered for it, feeling like a very big part of me was being deprived. I would be taking pictures, knowing exactly what post I would use it for, or having a great conversation and remarking that I would have to write about that. It never left me, it just lied torpid. I am glad to see it coming back to life...

:: My blog is evolving. My earlier posts were stories or letters that I sent out to family and friends. I put them in my blog to save them in one place. Then I opened up my blog to the public. I found that my writing changed a bit, perhaps because I was aware that someone else may actually be reading it. I even jumped into a few blogging activities, like writing about an award or doing a theme based post. They definitely kept me writing on a more regular basis and gave me ideas when I would hit moments of writer's block. But while I was taking a break, I kept asking myself, what do I want my blog to be? What do I want my readers to expect to find? What do I want me to find? The more and more I consider this, I think I am leaning towards making sure that I post stories that will mean something to my children someday. I will not only be leaving them a history with bread crumbs to follow, I will be giving them a piece of me through my words. Future generations will not only know what I looked like through photographs, but they will know how I felt about something, and I hope that will give them a better picture. I like this because it really does not impose too many rules, yet it has purpose.

Life is always changing, moving...

:: There is a wonderful saying in the blogosphere: to write like no one is reading. While I don't think that means to put extremely personal or pertinent information on the internet for everyone to peruse, I do think it means to write about whatever you like or inspires you no matter how goofy, insignificant or dull it may seem . The great thing is that you will find that there are many other people out "there" that think about the same things and they will support you. But most importantly you must remember, in the end, someone is reading your blog. You. And by releasing your thoughts through print, you can find clarity and that is amazing (see #2).

:: I love the blogging relationships I have made. The connotation of "pen pals" just doesn't do it justice. It is much more than that. It is like I have opened many windows to the world. I visit awe-inspiring people and places everyday. It does not make my simple life here any less meaningful; it makes it better. I feel like I am a piece of a big puzzle and we complete each other.

:: Truth. It is out there. I have said many times that I am very disenchanted with the main stream media. I think I feel this way because I believe it makes us all less, not more. So 1984, so much like sheep. If we see something on or in the news, we believe it, hardly ever taking the time to check the facts or to delve into the true consequences of the event. If we watch mindless chatter, we become desensitized. While blogging is not news, it is perspective, and I find that valuable. It gives depth to a story that is in the headlines to hear the opinions of others in its regard. Because I read blogs from around the world, I learn how much weight that story has in different places which leads to a better understanding of its true significance. And I guess it is because I know that bloggers are just giving their opinions that I consider it worthy. No one I read claims to be the authority on any subject. We are all just spectators with impressions, but we are on the ground without a political agenda or something to sell, and I think that adds to our credibility.

The fruits of tomorrow are sown in the seeds we plant today...

:: Photographs and images are important to my blog. I lost my camera's USB cord for a couple of weeks and I felt stymied. Photos not only help illustrate the stories, they also inspire the stories. Sometimes they are the story. When I am taking pictures, I sometimes feel removed from the situation, using the lens as the mediator. I try to focus on the subject as if it is the story, thoughts and phrases going through my mind as I shoot. I am not an artist in this regard. More like a photojournalist. If a picture does not tell a thousand words, it stimulates them, and I like that.

:: Break's over. It's time to get back to blogging and to finding out how each of these points will develop even more. I know it will be like feast or famine, lots of posts one month, others waiting in the draft box to be posted when life is not too busy. But I do know that it will not be ignored. It's my blog. It's me. And I am 110 Penned.

This pumpkin looked great when it was first carved,

but I think it looks even better with age...

(go ahead, click on it for the gory details)

Grange Fair 2009: An Affair of Fares

It's November. In central Pennsylvania that means morning temperatures are on the brink of freezing, the colorful leaves have long left the trees, and grey skies are settling in for the winter. One can understand why hibernation is the preferred choice of action, although in the Commonweath groundhogs are the only animal that are truly given this distinction (be prepared to read more about this come February). And while the real world does not allow us to snuggle in for a long winter's nap, we can partake in the annual tradition of gorging ourselves as if we were. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and the markets are filled with the bounty of our harvest, ready for us to take home and prepare amid the televised morning parades and the afternoon football games. It's all good.

In August, a preview of Thanksgiving can be found right here in Penns Valley. Our county celebrates the end of the growing season (for the Ag folks) and summer vacation (for the others who are not blessed with calloused hands and farmer tans). It is the Grange Fair, an annual event that has been enjoyed by generations and generations of families in the area. What once started as a "pic-nik" has grown into the oldest and largest encampment of country folks who gather to exhibit their livestock, crafts, and food. Ah, yes, the food. But for most it is the people. The Grange Fair is essentially one big family reunion, where relatives and friends reunite year after year, come hell or high water (or even mud, which is also part of the tradition, especially on Moving In Day).

As a truly suburban girl who was transplanted to rural life and has no family roots here, I can only share a limited view of what makes the Fair great. Don't get me wrong. It is an amazing affair, and I always go for at least one day to enjoy the fares and fun (that was a lot of fair homonyms!). To get the perspective of one who has grown up with the Fair and who would even take a leave of absence from a vacation in England to make sure she kept up her perfect attendance record, check out this lady. After reading her posts, you may understand why so many locals save all of their vacation days from work to be here. I still don't get it, but, hey, the funnel cakes are great and they keep me coming back, year after year.

What the Grange Fair means to me (click on the pictures to get a larger view):

AGRICULTURE

An incredible bounty created through the love of hard work

ANIMALS

I tend to focus on their beautiful faces and not their market value.

ART

The craftsmanship is second to none and is history in the making.

COLORS

A plethora of sights, sounds and smells

FOOD

Fried or deep fried? That's the only question.

HUMOR

Even a suburban girl gets it, maybe even more so...

HOG HEAVEN

My roots may not dip deep into the traditions of the Grange Fair,

but I always go home more than satisfied.