Chatbug Karen

Wednesday evening we were sitting at the dinner table when I looked up and saw a deer in the field behind our backyard. She was looking away from our house so I was able to walk into our backyard and take this picture. I could have gotten closer if our dogs had not run up to the fence and barked at her. She ran when she heard them. I love to see deer. They are so beautiful.

I have been reading how there are many small businesses that fail to survive past the fifth year of business due to lack of capital. Most small business start-ups aren’t funded by grants, venture capitalists, or banks. Your seed money will come from your personal savings, friends and family. You might consider funding small amounts through credit cards. It is important to learn how to utilize credit cards in a manner that they don’t use up your capital in interest fees.

I have been researching the credit card usage for businesses and found an informative website at Credit Cards Club. They give an excellent credit card review of various types of cards. I also found a section where they discuss businesses and how they can use credit cards for purchases and extend their available capital. Very good advice is listed as having extra capital available can make or break a business. Credit Cards Club recommends that each business select the proper credit card, giving consideration to which card suits their business strategies. Credit cards are invaluable when used to purchase supplies or pay contractors down payments to begin a job. Many small businesses depend on flow of cash to pay the contractors or the suppliers since they require buying services and resources prior to their own customers paying their bills. It is not necessary to use credit cards in a manner that a large amount of debt is incurred. Using credit cards wisely can be an inexpensive way to gain money to use in your business.

A few weeks ago I told how our town is the circus capital of the world and how our local kids are very involved in the circus. They begin training in March and have their big performance in July each year. If you were not aware of the ages of the kids, you would swear these were professionals performing the acts. The circus is a big deal here.

Three weeks ago, a furniture store that shared a common wall with the circus building caught on fire and burned to the ground. The wall supporting the circus’s wall was destroyed and left the building in need of repair. The repair cannot be finished in time to have the performances there in July. Funds are being raised to rent a tent for three weeks. The fee is $30,000. There will also be expenses involved for renting porta pots and transportation costs to get the performers where they need to be for the show. At the present time, the kids are practicing at different locations around town. The total cost to make things come together in this new location is estimated at $60,000.

Times are going to be getting tight and people are going to start being frugal when it comes to car shopping. Unless money is no object, we will be looking for the best new or used car loan available when it comes time to replace our car. Basiccarloans.com is a great website to help people check out car loans. The online service helps clients find the best rates and also helps the customer who has a poor credit history. Basic Car Loans allows for free car loan quotes through their secure server which processes your application instantly. The website is there for the customer who is serious about purchasing a car or for the customer who just wants information to plan a goal for the future. Let Basic Car Loans be of service to you.

I recently wrote a post about a controversial subject. It dealt with whether we should get the HPV test that checks women for the virus that causes cervical cancer. I have read about the controversy dealing with the mandate in Texas that requires girls as young as 12 to receive the HPV vaccine. I don’t agree with requiring a minor to have that shot. There is not enough research on the effects of the vaccine. What if down the road, we find that the shot did other things for their bodies that were not so good. I think the decision to have the shot should be left to the family.

Back to the post I wrote. I received a comment from Robin Sampson that made me look deeper into this subject. I caught myself taking the word of the commercials that urge everyone to get the vaccine. The commercials lead us to believe that cervical cancer is caused by HPV (Human papillomavirus). Robin says on her blog that many deaths and thousands of adverse effects (hundreds deemed serious and required hospitalization) have been reported. She reports that HPV is actually a sexually transmitted disease .

I am still researching the subject and have not come to a conclusion. I will let you know what I find. In the meantime, do your own research. We need to know the truth so we can maintain healthy bodies.

Hubby and I just returned from a walk. We have several places to walk in our area. We walked on the Rails to Trails walkway this evening. A group of citizens and businesses have come together to turn unused railroad tracks into walkways. It is absolutely beautiful to walk that trail. It follows a creek where the wildflowers are abundant.

My only complaint, my teeth hurt. Yes, they physically hurt. I am tempted to believe the pain is brought on because of my sinus issues. I think the freshly cut weeds along the walkway have my sinuses screaming. I don’t know for sure what causes the pain but I need to have a dentist check them. I am tempted to contact the dentist in Beverly Hills for one of his smile makeovers I have read so much about. Dr. Maddahi uses advanced dental techniques to make complete smile makeovers. I would love to have bright white teeth that didn’t hurt. Of course, that would mean giving up coffee. I think I could do that. His website lists testimonials and all the advanced technology he uses. It is amazing how Dr. Maddahi and his office staff have implemented so many ways to make going to the dentist an enjoyable experience. He even uses relaxation techniques such as a spa like atmosphere and a tea ceremony. The website is very easy to use to check out information about Doctor Maddahi. Visit to read his commitment to each patiend and why he chose dentistry as his career. You can even tour the office by going to the website. The website helps you learn about all that is involved in having the best smile possible. You are not left in the dark when you visit the website and see what is offered by this amazing dentist.

I just read a post on someone’s blog where she was trying to decide whether to buy an iPod touch. She talked about the ability to connect to the internet, hear music, watch movies, store pictures and watch them as a sideshow, check You Tube and watch videos. She would also be able to send and receive e-mails as well as open Word, Excel and Adobe Acrobat files. Wow! That is a lot of stuff to be able to do. I am tempted to want one also. What do you think? The price is high, or so I have heard. They cost around $400. Is that right?

I almost forgot to journal about Memorial Day. My husband wanted to cook some pork chops so we called his brother and told them we would be coming over for lunch. Lynn’s brother is having serious health issues and it is easier for us to take things over to their house.

We made macaroni and cheese the old fashioned way. Using Velveeta cheese, butter and macaroni we put a casserole together that would feed an army. I had to look under the glass sink for a strainer large enough to hold that much macaroni. My husband likes to doctor things and added hot jalapeno cheese to the cheeses down in the macaroni and then layered another kind of cheese over the top. Can we say Cheeesy? It was very good. We also made green bean casserole and had a tray of carrot and celery sticks to munch on.

Hubby fixed the most delicious dinner last night. He has bought some new rubs for meat that he has been trying out. He put a lemon rub on the chicken and then grilled it on the bbq. Yummmy. We had company and we all ate until we thought we might pop. Lynn buttered corn on the cob,sprinkled Parmesan cheese on it, wrapped it in foil and put it on the top shelf of the grill. It cooked/baked for 40 minutes and was so yummy. We also had cantaloupe, and macaroni salad. We would have had asiago cheese bread but I found it in the microwave this morning. We had forgotten to put it on the table.

After we ate, the guys settled in for coffee and we gals sorted through fabric. We have a class next week and needed to pick out fabric. We found enough fabric from my stash and cut the squares down to 5 inches. I’m glad to have that done so now I can sew when I get a spare minute or two.

Have you ever heard a rap or hip hop song and wondered what they said? Sometimes I really enjoy the beat and the instrumental parts but cannot catch the words. Now, at www.rapartists.com, you can check out Hip Hop Lyrics and Rap Music Lyrics and get the words. You can even type in keywords and find songs you have been trying to find but didn’t know the title. Just for fun, I typed in the keyword barbecue. The search resulted in 30 albums on the subject! This website is full of hip hop news, gossip, music, and anything related to the hip hop scene. Join the community and have fun! Oh, ….their database is updated daily so be sure to check back often for the biggest selection of the latest artists.