From our family to yours, we wish you a peaceful day filled with love. Karen

[caption id="attachment_20449" align="aligncenter" width="360"] First Lamb 2018[/caption] Special Ideas is located 20 minutes south of Bloomington, Indiana on a farm. The picture above shows what the weather is like this morning and it the picture of the first lamb born this spring. Spring is coming. The days are longer. The salamanders have broken hibernation. The geese are felling a little amorous and loud. For many of us, last year was difficult. Winter held some sad moments and dark night. As the sun comes out on this very cold day, lets remember that spring is nearly here and this is a time for renewal and wonder at the richness of the world. And if you are reading this in Australia, please we remember we have a special love for those of you down under. Let's all try to find something to be happy about this morning.

Uncategorized Archives - Page 2 of 2

Q: Thank you for your Excellent Service

It has become common to thank those in the armed forces for their service to their country. They are doing something many of us would not want to do and it shows that we respect their sacrifice and willingness to more than many others are doing. I feel that same appreciation every time I see someone go that extra mile for another. I feel this appreciation in even the most ordinary circumstances. For example, there is that one waitress in the crowded restaurant who seems to care about doing a good job more than they do about their sore feet. Servicing people can be a hard job and people who do an excellent job, even in tough circumstances deserve our appreciation. I want to let them know that I noticed them going above whatever pay they are getting. So I carry these wallet cards and when I see someone doing an excellent job and appearing to be under-appreciated, I leave one of these cards behind for them to find later. It makes me feel good as well. I learn to notice the good in others more readily. I feel I not only showing appreciation, but I am becoming a person who can see the good in others more readily.

Q: Preparing to raise a new curtain

Welcome or welcome back readers. In the spring when we are so busy, I think back on January as a blissfully relaxed. The truth is that it could be. Sales are slow this time of year and road conditions often require more time spent at home. But this is January and we are very busy preparing for a great new year. We are working on new products, collating materials and filling shelves as well and getting current orders out. Just this week the new virtue placemats have arrived and they are much more beautiful than they looked on paper. This is so exciting! Most of our orders are still coming in by either phone or an old web site that requires us to retype each order. Our original system was designed primarily to allow us to take orders by phone, and type them into our master database. In many ways this was great. We got to know so many people and could make notes of special events or information they told us as we talked. The in-house database system was something I wrote in access so I could make changes as we grew. After taking each order, three pages are printed out, one for us to save as a payment copy (that is later shredded), one to go in the basket to move to shipping (which we keep forever(thank you IRS)) and one that goes in your order. The shipping computer can pick up order information from access so at least we aren't typing in each address twice. That was great, but the system has become old fashioned and time consuming. So this winter we are doing a massive effort to update at least two of our websites. Virtues 101 for parents and teachers is up and running. While you may not see this for weeks, I'm spending many hours a day on getting a new site ready for Interfaith Resources. The new system is so much newer than the old that updating is more work than you might guess. It isn't really updating so much as starting anew. New design, new pictures, new texts. So back to the grindstone to me. Stay warm, -K