Snapshot Chronicles

Susan Getgood's personal blog

Happy Birthday Snapshot Chronicles

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It’s been two years since I first began (hopefully) entertaining you here on Snapshot Chronicles with my ramblings on travel, photography, birds, gender, politics, science fiction, dogs and entertainment.

Hopefully, in the sense that I truly hope you enjoy the posts here, which tend to be a little lighter than on my serious marketing blog. Except when I talk gender and politics.

Hopefully, in the sense that I try to look at the glass half full, even though sometimes — especially lately — it has been difficult.

The economy has hit my marketing & social media consulting practice pretty hard, to the point that I am now also applying for full-time positions as well as prospecting for new projects. Projects aren’t closing as quickly as they used to, and when they do, budgets are smaller. It didn’t help that one client last year and one this year didn’t pay their consulting fee, and we are still chasing them.

It also is increasingly hard for a sole practitioner to compete with agencies, no matter how good my advice or knowledge may be. I’m not whining (well,  okay, maybe a little). I love what I do, and plan to keep doing it. The form in which I do just may be a little different.

Finally, hopefully, in that I hope you’ll keep joining me here for my sporadic and sometimes spastic ruminations.

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Eastern Towhee
Eastern Towhee

PS – The bird the other day that we thought might be a Baltimore Oriole was an Eastern Towhee, but I did catch a glimpse of a female Oriole Thursday morning.  We also saw (and heard) a Gray Catbird.

Made in the USA

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This morning, a friend forwarded an email chain letter, and while I don’t do those anymore — last one I forwarded even my mother said no and my husband won’t even open email that looks even possibly maybe minutely dodgy — I thought the topic of this one worth passing on, so decided to share it with my Snapshot Chronicles readers.

If you agree with the sentiment, please consider passing it on in whatever way works for you – email, your blog, Twitter, Facebook. Or simply just do it!

Subject: Let’s All Do This

Please read and pass on.  If we follow this example, maybe we could help Americans save their jobs.

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else and perhaps even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track. Let’s get behind her!!

My grandson likes Hershey’s candy. It is marked made in Mexico now. I do not buy it any more. My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico now. I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything.

This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, “Everyday Value.” I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats – they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in – get ready for this – the USA in a company in Cleveland, Ohio.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here. So on to another aisle – Bounce Dryer Sheets….yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada . The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

So my challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA – the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from China
……….. (We should have awakened a decade ago……)

Let’s get with the program…. help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the U.S.A. !!!

It’s a fair point, folks, and something we can all do pretty easily. It doesn’t mean you can’t buy products not made in the US, but it’s worth looking at the label first.

Like dogs? Consider attending a dog show.

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A dog show is a great way to learn more about the different activities you can do with your dog as well as talk with dog breeders about the breeds you might be interested in owning as a household pet. There’s a show going on in every region of the country just about every weekend. MBF-Inc., probably the largest dog show superintendent in the country maintains a list at infodog.com.

There’s a lot more going on at a dog show than just conformation — the breed, group and Best-In-Show judging that you might be familiar with from watching Westminster or Eukanuba on TV. Many all-breed shows include performance events like obedience, agility and rally.

Live in New England?

My all-breed dog club, Ladies’ Dog Club, holds its annual spring show Saturday May 30th at the Crackerbarrel Fairgrounds in Wrentham, MA and the specialty show for my regional breed club, the Scottish Terrier Club of New England, is the previous day Friday May 29th in the same place. I’ve pasted the press release for the all-breed show below. If you are interested in getting a purebred dog or just want to know what it’s all about, it’s a great place to start.

Hope to see you there!

PRESS RELEASE
Ladies’ Dog Club Spring Dog Show Returns to
Crackerbarrel Fairgrounds Wrentham on Saturday May 30th

Wrentham, MA (May 12, 2009) — Ladies’ Dog Club is pleased to invite the public to its 116th Dog Show, to be held Saturday, May 30, 2009 at the Crackerbarrel Fairgrounds, located on the grounds of the Wrentham Developmental Center in Wrentham, MA. More than 2000 dogs, including some of the top dogs in the country, are expected to be entered in the show. The show will be open from 8 am to 6 pm.

In addition to conformation competition in the seven AKC groups — Sporting, Hounds, Working, Terriers, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding – and Best-In Show, the 2009 show includes two performance events: an Obedience Trial and a Rally Trial.

This is a wonderful opportunity for the general public to learn more about the different activities they can do with their dogs as well as talk with dog breeders about the breeds they are interested in owning as household pets.  They can also browse more than 30 vendors of dog related products, offering everything from the basics needed for dog care to unique dog-related items and collectibles.

The previous day, Friday May 29, 2009,   many regional breed clubs will be holding their specialty dog shows at the Crackerbarrel Fairgrounds. This year, these clubs are: Irish Setter Club of New England, English Setter Club of New England, Cocker Spaniel Breeders Club of New England,  Yankee Golden Retriever Club,  Colonial Afghan Hound Club, Inc., Middlesex Boxer Club, Pilgrim Doberman Pinscher Club, Inc., Scottish Terrier Club of New England, Yankee Siberian Husky Club, Poodle Club of Massachusetts, and  Colonial Shetland Sheepdog Club.

Spectator admission to the Ladies’ Dog Club show on Saturday May 30th is $4 for adults and $2 for senior citizens/children (12 and under), or $10 per car. For more information about the show, including directions and judging times, please visit the show information page on InfoDog at http://infodog.com/clubs/2009161801.htm

CONTACT: Susan Getgood, 978 562 5979, sgetgood@getgood.com