I've moved!!!

Please come visit me at my NEW site www.terrireid.com

I always shoot the photos for my covers - so when the temperatures "soared" about 45 degrees last week, I decided to drive around the country roads and find the perfect picture. I came across a really old cemetery -- okay Midwest Illinois old - graves from the early 1800s - that was pretty neglected. One of the gravestones had a tree growing up around it. PERFECT! So, I climbed up the embankment through a snow drift and snapped away. I took a bunch of shots from different angles. Then I toured the cemetery - so cool - and went on my way.

I got home and started to edit and found something interesting in one of the photos. After changing my photos to greyscale and cropping them to the right size, I Photoshop some blurs in to the photos to create a "ghostie" look. But this photo came pre-blurred. Hmmmmmmm...

I checked the other images I took from different angles - same blur in all of the angles. I went back that night - with my husband - at dusk to take more photos. First I wanted one of the area of the blur - jsut to be sure there wasn't an old spiderweb in there that caught the sun. No - nothing.

Then I took some other shots. When I got home, I found one with my husband standing next to the tree and the gravestone with a bunch of orbs circling around him.

You can see all the photos on my Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Terri-Reid-author/179591462080204

Yesterday, during church services, a speaker read this quote from Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) and his book, Democracy in America:

“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her fertile fields and boundless forests, and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her public school system and her institutions of learning, and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good America will cease to be great.”

The words touched my heart and I couldn’t have agreed more with his sentiment. But last night I realized that de Tocqueville didn’t quite have it exactly correct.
Now, I don’t blame de Tocqueville because when he toured America, the Midwest was just in its infancy. He didn’t get a chance to see it the way I saw it last night. But, I know that if he had witnessed what I had, he would have added “and small towns” right next to churches.

Last night, Andrew, my son, and the rest of the cast of our local Community College’s performance of “Grease” were asked to perform a couple of numbers in the band shell in the park. Along with their two numbers, I had the opportunity to listen to the Freeport Concert Band play a wide variety of numbers, from their opening number of America the Beautiful to a Duke Ellington medley. They were wonderful. The music was lovely and heartfelt. The band played with feeling and gusto.

But it was more than the music; the impact of the evening was the musicians who shared their talents and their love for music. I don’t know the exact number of people playing last night – at least fifty. And from a spectator’s perspective there were at least six and perhaps seven generations of Freeporters represented on that stage. There were young people, who might have been in their late teens or early twenties, playing along senior citizens easily in their sixties or seventies. There were representatives from different races, religions and political persuasions. Yet they all came together on a balmy summer night to play American music in a band shell surrounded by grass, trees, picnic blankets, families and friends.

This is America at her finest. This is the “good” that Alexis de Tocqueville found. This is the love and pride of country that makes us great. I had forgotten the magic of a band shell performance on a Sunday night. I had forgotten the joy of leaning back on a blanket under the stars, with family close by and listening to the powerful strains of Sousa while the evening dusk turns to a starry night. I had forgotten why I love small town America so much. This brought it all rushing back.

Too often we turn on the television and isolate ourselves. Too often we end the busy day with a closed door. We used to be a country of front porches and evening walks. We used to be a country of Fourth of July picnics and Sunday evening concerts. We used to be a country of neighbor helping neighbor. We used to be a country that understood that our greatness and power came from our people and was lent to our government. And we can be that country once again. For the sake of our children and our grandchildren, we have to preserve that nation.

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

This morning I went out to my backyard and picked blueberries. It was about 6:30, so the sun was just rising, the dew was heavy on the grass, the birds were singing, our rooster was crowing and the air was still a little chilly.

At first, picking the berries was a chore - something I had to get through before I started the rest of my day. Bucket in hand, I bent over and started plucking them off the top branches of the bushes - hurry, hurry, I have things to do and people to see.

But picking blueberries is not a hurry-hurry kind of thing. You have to be meticulous, pulling each ripe berry away from the stem, being careful not to disturb its little still green neighbors. You have to search and study. You have to peer and investigate. Only then will you find the purple-blue treasures bursting with juice.

After a few moments, I knew that standing would never work, so I tried to sit on the edge of the patch. We have 4 x 4s lining the area. When I sat, I could see some of the blueberries I missed on the first round. But, even from this perspective, I really couldn't get to all of them.

Finally, I sat on the ground facing the blueberries. Yes, the ground was still wet and certain parts of my anatomy distinctly felt it - but once your bottom is wet, well, you're committed.

I stopped trying to beat a blueberry picking record and started enjoying the simple task of blueberry picking. I thought about how life was a lot like picking blueberries, if you hurry through it too much - you miss some of the most delightful treasures. I thought about my blog - and how I was going to share this with you. I thought about how lucky I was to be able to pick blueberries on a summer's morning - the first day of July.

Then I tested something - I picked a blueberry from one of the top branches of the bush and popped it into my mouth - although it was big and beautiful and easy to reach - it was a little sour. Then I scoured deep into the bush and hunted for a smaller, darker and harder to find blueberry. The juice was sweet and lush - everything you'd want in a blueberry.

Once again I was reminded how often we overlook the real treasures because we only reach for the obvious and the easy. Was it sweeter because I had to work harder to find it? Um, no, but that would have been cool - wouldn't it?

Take some time today and go blueberry picking - whether your blueberry picking of choice is smelling the flowers at the florist, having a deep conversation with a five-year old, listening to a senior citizen talk about their life, reading instead of skimming or just stopping to count the blessings in your life - I promise you that it will be time well spent.

Fireflies

A magical thing happens in the Midwest about the first of June - the fireflies appear. When I was a child, I didn't realize that fireflies were not a worldwide phenomena - in the United States fireflies only appear east of Kansas, which make them seem even more unique and mysterious.

Fireflies appear slowly - one or two of them floating in the twilight above the garden. You have to watch carefully and be patient. Then, as if the first couple were testing the waters, more and more appear on each subsequent day - floating and shining in the darkness of the night. It is like an entrance to the fairy kingdom to watch them dance over a field on a dark summer night with the frogs and the crickets providing their orchestration.

Fireflies are like opportunities. You have to wait for the right time, you have to be patient and you have to look in the right places. And, most importantly, you have to believe in the magic. You have to have faith that if you do all that you can do - more of these wonderful creatures will appear and alight on you.

Ask yourself - is this the right time? I'm a great believer in following the guidance of the Spirit - or, if you're not religious, then following you instincts, your gut. Are you ready for the next opportunity?

Are you willing to be patient? Are you willing to wait for the right opportunity and move at the right pace. I remember in my youth that some of the little boys would catch the fireflies and try to force them to light up. They usually ended up killing the delicate creature. The magic was gone. They had nothing in their hands but a dead carcass. But I also recall walking through a field of waist high grass in the twilight and letting the fireflies lead me. It was as if I had joined in their dance - become a partner.

Have you positioned yourself in the right place, with the right frame of mind to take advantage of the opportunity? No matter how hard you try - if you're sitting in California, your not going to see fireflies. If you are in your living room or behind your computer, you'll miss them too.

Finally, having faith. I'm not going to say that if you don't have faith, you won't see fireflies. But will you understand what they are? Will you consider the magic? Will you comprehend the possibilities? Will you humble yourself and be grateful that these tiny creatures were placed on the earth to allow you to gaze in awe at the magic of a summer night?

Be aware of the opportunities around you hidden in the twilight mist - when they suddenly light up, closer than you would have imagined - walk with them and let them lead you to success.

Leadership - whether you are the owner, the boss, the manager or the supervisor - you are the leader. You set the standard. You influence the atmosphere of the company. Your employees or subordinates look to you as an example of how they should act. You and your actions will determine if your company is going to be successful or not - it's that important!

If you Google "Management Styles" you will find a bunch of links to excellent sites that talk about different kinds of styles - i.e. authoritative, participative, laissez-faire, - and there are definitions of each one. I'd like to keep things a little simpler today. More like an "Everything I Learned in Kindergarten..." approach.
1. Be honest - if you are not honest with clients, other employees or your superiors, your employees will learn two things - 1 - that they don't have to be honest with you, and 2 - that you are probably not being honest with them. If you can't trust someone, you can't work with them.
2. Rejoice in other's successes - don't be jealous of a subordinate's success, when one person on a team wins - everyone wins. Someone else winning does not take anything away from you.
3. Don't gossip - quoting from the ancient philosopher, Thumper's Mom - "If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say nothing at all."
4. Look for the positive. Before you criticize, make sure you can point out some positive things about the employee. But, don't be fake - your employees aren't stupid.
5. If you have a problem with an employee - talk to the employee. I know in this day and age of lawsuits you have to notate any problems, and you might need to have a witness participate in this kind of conversation, however, don't ever publically humiliate or chastise your employee. (Unless you are a drill sergeant - and then I understand the need for this kind of training.)
6. Be a team player. If your staff has to stay late - stay late too. If there's a big project pitch in. If there is a job that everyone hates - take your turn too.
7. Show your appreciation. Find ways to show your employees how much you appreciate their hard work. You don't have to spend a lot of money - you just have to be thoughtful.
8. Live the Golden Rule - treat others the way you would like to be treated. It's amazing how well that works.


Be sure that your place of business is a place that your employees WANT to come to every day.

Memorial Day - take a moment and thank a veteran.

For the past two years Memorial Day has taken on a new meaning for me. My dad was a veteran of the Korean War and my step-dad was one of the heroes who breached Omaha Beach on D-Day. And although I have always held veterans in high regard, the importance of Memorial Day never really hit home. These were events in the past - before I was born - photos from history books or old albums.

Last year my son was still in Afghanistan serving in the Army when Memorial Day rolled around. He is part of the Illinois Army National Guard and they were deployed near Jalalabad for a year. Last year I understood what sacrificing for your country really meant. Last year, it was personal.

I remember driving through town on Memorial Day and seeing families picnicking, shopping, playing and just treating it like another day - an extra Saturday. They treated it just as I had every year.

Until...

...until my son watched four comrades die when an IED exploded under their vehicle. He called me the next day and poured his heart out. One of the young men had been his friend since kindergarten. He told me that he carried this soldier's body bag to the plane, because it was the last act of service he could do for his friend.

...until my son called me the day after Mother's Day to apologize for not being able to call the before, but there was another death in their unit and they killed the phone lines until the family could be notified.

...until every time the phones were down, I waited with dread for a military issued vehicle to pull up in my driveway and knock on my door.

...until I met the brave young wives with toddlers in their arms and a baby on the way who bid their husbands good-bye for at least a year and maybe forever.

...until I tearfully and gratefully greeted my son again a few months later and saw that his time over there will be etched on his soul forever.

This year on Memorial Day, stop and thank a soldier. This year, call your relatives who have served and let them know that you are grateful for their sacrifice. This year, drop to your knees and give thanks to God for those who are willing to fight for you and then pray for their safety and pray for their families. This year - remember.