By Theresa H Hall, on October 12th, 2011  "Surc can make life easier" Michail Kalman knows something about the next generation of remotes and it’s looking pretty good for the rest of us. The new Apple Application (developed from Michail’s need) is sleek, modern and right on time. Get Surc explains everything you need to know in order to make a well-informed decision. The strategy touches on a real challenge most of us face when trying to harness the media air-waves, by juggling too many remote controls, and the end result is a product that will make our lives more organized and a lot easier. Let’s meet the man who admits to being “The Accidental Entrepreneur”.
Me: Michail please tell us what you were doing before you became involved with
Get Surc. What field of work were you doing before you decided to retire?
 "The Accidental Entrepreneur" Michail: I was retired after forty-five years of working in a few different careers. I had been in project management specializing in the Soviet Navy, also International Banking and textile manufacturing, and for the last twenty-five years, in healthcare management and consulting. Three days into my retirement, I met an eighty+ year-old man, who is still going strong, keeping a full schedule. In and of itself this was not remarkable; it turns out that he is the highly respected and recognized father of the High Technology Industry of Israel. For more than forty years he has been starting and leading some of the key companies in Israel and listed on NASDAQ. He quickly convinced me to come out of retirement and to help establish and promote new start-ups in high technology and in life sciences. So much for retirement! That is how Mashed Pixel and Surc were born.
Me: What is the most interesting aspect of this journey so far?
Michail: Probably the opportunity to work with some remarkably talented and hard working young people in the US, Israel and even Russia. They are an eclectic lot keeping me on my toes and feeling young each and every day. Surc was an idea born out of necessity (I needed a better, simpler and less expensive remote control for my home TV, DVD, and amplifier). Seeing this develop from an idea to a prototype to a model … to have the model reviewed and approved by Apple and now having it in production and generating sales, has been an incredible journey in less than two years.
Me: Did you believe its development would unfold so smoothly?
Michail: I’d be lying if I said that the development went smoothly. There were lots of bumps along the way. We face new challenges every day.
Me: How involved were you in the product development?
Michail: I had made it a condition of my involvement that the product must be simple to learn and use for a non-technical person like me. Thus, I tested each feature and we made a number of changes to meet those goals.
Me: How excited are you to be a part of Get Surc and has it impacted your life?
 "Busier than ever!" Michail: I am at my desk from around 5AM until around 11PM answering emails, and networking on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook. Once on in a while I even get to write a few paragraphs for my blog, “The Accidental Entrepreneur”. It is very exciting and no two days are alike.
Me: You mentioned that you are busier now than when you were working a job. I
understand this, for when one is passionate about what one does, time seems to fly.
What is a typical day for you now?
Michail: Most of my days are spent talking with the development team. Now that the product is finished I spend a lot of time with the manufacturing team. We are working closely with an amazing company in Israel and Hong Kong that is not only manufacturing but also contributing to improving Surc with a constant stream of suggestions on design and packaging. Since we are very small (only five people), we rely on support from some outside experts who are practically part of our company by now. Since we are in production, the biggest challenge and most time consuming effort is in marketing. I underestimated the challenge of letting the world know that Surc exists and what a remarkable device it is.
Me: When people pool their intellect and resources to develop an idea there is
synergy and a natural unfolding over a period of time. Which parts would you
choose to spotlight as the highlights during this time frame?
 "Involved in Surc's development" Michail: As you know developing and launching Surc has been a team effort. Every phase is a highlight. First there was Ramy, a remarkable engineer, who came up with an electronic circuit on a piece of wood in the space of two weeks. He connected this wooden contraption to an Apple iPod and was able to turn on and off a TV from across the room. Seeing that video clip was a major moment. That is when we realized we had a real product on our hands. Next we had to come up with a way to miniaturize this to a practical size. For that we turned to the first of my newly found young geniuses in Israel, Guy. He went to work in his apartment and reduced the circuit that Ramy had designed on a slab of wood, into a very tiny plastic board full of components that can barely be seen with a very strong magnifying glass. Connecting this tiny piece of plastic to the iPhone was another major moment. During this time we turned to Lee, our phenomenal industrial designer/inventor to devise a case into which we wanted to put this circuit. Seeing the first model of this case being made for us at the Technion, Israel’s equivalent of MIT and Stanford, was very exciting. I can go on with this a long time, as I said. Of course, we needed also an application to interface with the case and the iPhone. For this we needed Daphna and Brian in Washington DC. Brian set up the technology of the website and database that houses our huge repository of remote control codes that can be accessed from the iPhone with just a tap. Daphna designed the user experience and interface of the Surc application and website. Mickey and his team of programmers in Israel and Russia then coded the design into a working application. Mickey was integral in improving the application’s ease of use and functionality. Working closely with Daphna, Ramy, Brian, Lee, Mickey, Guy and now with Emmanuel in production and Kevin, our National Sales Manager, has been and continues to be very exciting!
Me: You mention your daughter, Daphna. What is her role with Get Surc?
Michail: Daphna is the CEO of Mashed Pixel and an unabashed booster. You should see the videos she made with her dog showing each and every aspect of Surc. She also has Surc Attacked many establishments. Recently, she got up on stage in front of almost one thousand people in Washington DC and had them rolling in the aisles as she demonstrated Surc.
As CEO, she wears many hats, from marketing and design, to product testing, PR, shipping, customer service/help desk, and anything else that may need to be dealt with on a daily basis. Given the time zones differentials, between the US, East and West, Israel, Russia and now China this is virtually a 24-hour a day process, so she gets very little sleep. I am very proud of her. Of course, my other daughter, Orit, is no slouch either.
 "What a team!"
Me: Do you have more projects on your To-Do-List? Are you and your team developing more software or will you stick to just this one?
Michail: We are working on a number of other products – some are an offshoot of Surc and a few that are outside of it. Surc and all our other upcoming products are either patent-pending or under some other form of Intellectual Property protection, but it’s too soon to talk about some of them. We are working on Surc for iPhone 3G/GS, for the upcoming iPhone 5 as soon as it is available, the iPad and for the Android phones. We are working on projects in mobile advertising and some other things.
Me: Are you surprised how well this product turned out? What is your favorite of
Surc’s features?
Michail: Pleasantly so. I am not very technical. I like the fact that it is so easy to set up and use. I press only a few buttons on any of my devices and I am basically lazy so I can set up Surc with one button for music, for example or for a favorite TV channel or even to watch movies on the DVR. I set up one button for each of those activities and pushing that one button (OR, and I really love this, shaking Surc) I can turn on all the devices in proper order, start listening to my music, watch my favorite channel or watch a movie, all with one button or one gesture.
Me: Now that retirement does not seem to fit your lifestyle, what do you plan to do next?
Michail: Go to Disneyland!
Me: What advice would you give to others who have an idea and want to see their
projects through to the end?
Michail: Be persistent above all. Make sure the product is something people will buy. Surround yourself with as many like-minded talented people as you can. Have enough money to see you through the initial marketing phase, something we did not plan for adequately. Believe in your idea and NEVER GIVE UP!
Me: Why should we buy this product? How will it enhance our lives?
Michail: If you are like me and have an iPhone and at least two remote controls, Surc will make your life easier. First the iPhone needs a protective case so Surc fulfills that function very well. Apple thinks so highly of our design, they said it ought to win an industrial design award. Once you put the Surc on the phone you don’t need to remove it. We provide a cable to connect the Surc to charge or to synch. The Surc application is free and it is very simple to set up and use. Apple merchandisers said that our application is the best of its kind they have seen. It virtually replaces all your existing remotes that tend to get lost around the house or need the batteries to be replaced. So instead of all those devices on your coffee table just use the phone.
Michail thank you for spending time with me. I feel inspired by your story and the fact that you had an idea and acted on it. You have added value to the marketplace and hope for others who are facing the prospect of retiring but still want to be creative. You make it sound like this is just the beginning of great things to come and I applaud you on your ease of manner in front of the camera, for you have such ability and interesting way of telling your story. I hope you will continue to build on your company and stay innovative in your thinking.
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Me: You are the CEO of Mashed Pixel and according to Michail, are quite busy juggling the ins-and-outs of the logistics. How did you become involved in all of this excitement? Did you go to University for computers or business management?
Daphna: I went to The George Washington University for Psychology and Visual Communications and made my career as a graphic designer, so user interface and experience is something I have been doing for over twelve years now. Developing applications for the iPhone was simply the natural step and one that allowed me to do something for myself rather than for a client. My business partner, Brian Fough, and I had been working together for over ten years developing websites for other people. We started Mashed Pixel as a way to develop our own applications and projects. Michail and Ramy Isaac, who is also a cousin and our CTO, came on board with the idea for Surc and that is how our company got its start.
Me: Do you get to implement any of your ideas during the invention of the products you sell, or are you more corporate liaison with the public and promotions?
Daphna: I get to do it all. Since we are a small company, everyone has to wear many hats. I designed the user experience and look and feel of the Surc application as well as the interface design for GetSurc.com and all the various marketing materials that go along with it. Then I also handle being the public face of Mashed Pixel, but I think that we all do that to some extent. I am also fulfilling Surc orders, managing press, customer service, shooting how-to videos and a bunch of other tasks. We are all doing our specific technical roles in developing Surc, but then we are all also counted on to promote, demo and sell Surc, so no one does just one thing.
Me: Since technology tends to change and improve rather quickly, where do you envision your company status in the next twelve months?
 "Surc has a sleek design" Daphna: We have a number of ideas for expanding the reach of Surc and it’s current offerings. As much as we are looking at what our competition is up to, we are also looking at ways to set ourselves apart. Hopefully, in the next twelve months, Surc will be available on more Apple devices and also on the Android platform. And we are looking at developing Surc beyond being a customizable and personalized universal learning remote control.
Me: I wonder why you have offices both in Israel and in Washington, DC. Are you working on something for any of the big corporations with government contracts, or are you lobbying your technology directly to the public and the government (if at all)?
Daphna: I went to university in DC and stayed in the area after graduating. And my dad is in Israel. So it really had to do with where we are currently located and wanting to build the company together.
Me: What events do you have between now and the spring, that people reading this might wish to attend?
Daphna: We do not have any specific planned events. We get invited to local conferences to demo and then announce those on Facebook and Twitter, so you can follow us there to see what we are up to. We were just invited to the Mobile Future Forum on October 25th, so we will be there, doing a five-minute demo.
(http://mobilefuture.org/content/pages/mobile_future_forum?/mf-forum)
Me: How does being a female CEO fit in with your home life? Do you find it a challenge or are you well balanced and comfortable doing both? I must say your platform skills are very good and I believe you have found your niche.
Daphna: Since we are a small company and everyone has to do so much, I don’t really see myself as a “CEO” nor do I really know what that title means. We are all CEOs and VPs and Designers and Publicists and Sales Managers and any other titles and tasks that get thrown our way. I am very lucky that I get to work with talented, responsible and dedicated people who believe in Mashed Pixel and Surc and only want for us to succeed and grow.
As for balancing work with my home life, I have been working from a home office for over 5 years, so I think I finally have it figured out. I interface with people in Israel and the east and west coasts, so the work comes in waves, which gives me time to do other things in between like working out, eating, seeing friends and family. They key is to not do a standard 9-5 schedule (do people even do that anymore?) and fit work in throughout the whole day. I get to work 24-7 on something I love, so for me it isn’t work.
Daphna, thank you for sharing some information for our readers. It always nice to read about a successful woman doing well and even better that it is a family affair. Perhaps we can chat in future and elaborate a little more, as you and your company forge your technical pathway into the future. I find it very interesting and as I venture forth exploring your website more, I am certain that I will learn some of the applications for your products. Perhaps now I will get an iPhone, too.
Please visit their beautiful website and blog by clicking the links. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook, too. Time for you to make life easier and “Get Surc”!
By TonyB, on October 8th, 2011  BrooWaha Whose Invited?
Do you enjoy expressing yourself in creative ways?.
What is it?
“Writer’s Jam 2011″ is an event that runs between now and the end of the year. It’s an opportunity for you to showcase your writing skills alongside other outstanding Indie Bloggers and …… yes, even, possibly win one of the great prizes in return for utilizing and sharing your creative talents.
What’s the catch?
There’s no fish on the menu though what we do have for you is the perfect venue. Yes, that’s right! BrooWaha. BlogCatalog’s writer’s community, BrooWaha, is the ideal location for Writer’s Bash 2011. Broo, the endearing name given to it by the regulars, is specially designed to provide creative people a friendly and fun environment to write about anything — from politics, poetry, food, fiction, humor, relationships, love, sports to whatever your mind can create.
The Details:
“Writers Jam 2011″ is open to ALL of you. The topic for this years Jam is “Creativity.” What you write about and the style you use is completely UP TO YOU. Write a poem, a personal story, sci-fi, humor or any other topic in a writing style that inspires your creative juices to flow with only one exception — to be considered a 2011 Writer’s Jam participant you MUST include #Creativity in the tag of your post. This is the way we will know that you have submitted your writing to The Jam.
Timing:
Writer’s Jam 2011 starts TODAY & ends at 12 midnight on December 31, 2011. The 3 “winners” will be announced by January 31st, 2012. You can enter as many times as you like provided: (1) it is your original writing and (2) it is created for this contest.
Judging:
We are looking for creativity. Weave in the topic of creativity in any way you like into your writing, or simply be ridiculously creative. That’s it!
Prizes:
Writers Jam Champ: wins 1,000,000 (1 million) banner impressions on BlogCatalog.
Second Place Champ wins a 12 month V.I.B Membership on BlogCatalog
Third Place Champ wins 12 one month Blog Exposures on the home page of BlogCatalog
There is no need to enter the contest if you don’t feel like it. You can always join Broo to hone your writing skills, have fun, gain exposure and be part of a terrific writer’s community of like-minded people without entering the contest.
If however you choose to enter please make certain you include #Creativity as one of your tags as it is the only way we will know you have chosen to participate.
Have questions, comments, concerns please write me or call 210 323 9670.
To sign up now visit BrooWaha — it will take you seconds for you to get going.
By TonyB, on September 10th, 2011  "The Wood Family" This Texan is interesting, smart, educated, a family man, a preacher and teacher, plus he lectures to companies and civic organizations. He works with figures, he helps figure out how to guide his children, and he offers us good advice about getting by in the real world. His blog “Josh’s Blog” gives us a sweeping view of how he sees the world, loves his wife and kids, and yet has time to try and show everyone reading helpful ways to improve their lives. He is opinionated, soft-spoken and inspirational. He’s Josh Wood.
Me: In your about section, you say that the primary category for your blog is more than likely as a “Dad Blogger”. When did you write the About Section, and are there things in there that you have a different perspective on today than when you first wrote it? You do have an interesting page dedicated to the one-year anniversary of your blog where you go into more depth about why you decided to write your blog. Do you have any different perspectives to share today about blogging and perhaps an anecdote about how blogging has impacted your life?
Josh: I just re-read my “about” section for the first time since I wrote it. Surprisingly, I’d say that my perspectives about blogging are pretty much the same with one little exception: I am now a believer that everyone should blog. I have tons of reason for this belief; but here’s the main one: your old blog entries are a God send for your survivors should you pass away. Even if you only have time to compose a quick annual update, do it. Pass away prematurely; your survivors will thank you. Survive; your old self will thank you for preserving the memories.
 "Organizing Outfits" Me: I enjoy your answer to the question, on your about page, about why you blog. You say: “Because I love my life. I wanted to always remember the reason that I love my life.” What a truly refreshing and beautiful way to feel about life, because it seems (and perhaps I am incorrect and generalizing) but many people don’t get to say this, and this leaves me fascinated by your sentiment. Help me out. Is it something that you’d already decided … that you love your life, or have you always held this happy view towards life?
Josh: I guess I’ve pretty much always had a borderline-annoyingly optimistic attitude about life. Several years ago I had the opportunity to spend seven weeks in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Throughout the trip, one thing amazed me more than anything else: many (if not most) of the inhabitants of the slums seemed happier about life than most Americans I encounter. I remember seeing a young child (probably orphan, around the age of seven or so) happily climbing a mountain of trash to dig out food for a meal. I contrast that with, back in the states, watching a kid scream at his mother because he was displeased with the toy he received in his fast-food kid’s meal. If these malnourished, poorly clothed, disease-ridden people can be genuinely happy about life, I have no excuse to complain. I am blessed beyond anything I deserve.
 "One-On-One Time" Me: You also claimed that your belief when you started your blog was that you would likely say on your third post, “Find me on Twitter.” Why do you believe this didn’t happen?
Josh: I can point to one main reason that my blog survived: I’m a selfish blogger. Like the rest of America, my life is busy. I’ve got a thousand projects, a hundred commitments, six kids, and about 5 seconds to spare in a given day. If I were to write every blog post based on the preferences and requests of others, blogging would become a “job”. I don’t want another job. Selfishly writing whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want, and about whatever I want is what keeps this thing going. I imagine that I would probably gain more readers if I would yield to the blog preferences of society, (writing less than 300 word posts, using high-quality photos, focusing on only one niche topic, etc.); but, I would also burn out after about three posts.
This is my advice to other bloggers: I know you spend your days refreshing your analytics pages every hour. That you sit on the edge of your seat, neglecting real work, waiting for someone out there to like, comment, or tweet your post … then proceed to give your mental-self a high-five when this happens. Ignore your stats for a week. Concern yourself solely with creating quality content that is meaningful to you. You’ll be a much happier blogger, and likely blog more regularly.
Me:How many kids do you have and how do they contribute to your blog?
 "Six Is A Great Number" Josh: My wife and I are blessed with 6 kids. They are the primary reason that I blog. Life goes by ridiculously quickly when you have kids. I didn’t want to forget what life was like when the kids were little. I’ve spoken to tons of parents of grown kids who say that they can’t remember most of the decade in which their kids were young. I’m hoping that, when I’m older, my present blogging will provide me with little glimpses of my history. It’s a tragedy to lose great memories.
Me: Your blog is dedicated to 4 primary categories and includes a resource section. What are they and how did you decide to focus on those 4 specific categories?
Josh: The four primary sections of my blog are: Kids and Family, Money and Finance, Politics, and Religion. I chose these categories because these are the things that I am most passionate about at present. To put it a better way, I mentioned that I’m hoping my present blogging will eventually provide me with glimpses of my history. These are the four perspectives from which I primarily want to remember my history.
Me: What three words best describe you?
Josh: Dad, nerd, sleepy.
 "Josh Wood" Me: On your blog you have a section that says: “Book Josh to Speak.” Who generally contacts you to lecture and what topics do you typically speak about?
Josh: I primarily speak to local civic organizations and churches. At civic organizations I speak on a variety of topics. Usually they all relate in some way to the topic “Simplifying the complex language of money” (my day job is in the financial world). Recently, I’ve also begun speaking about blogging and social media. As for the churches, I preach a couple times per year. Although I absolutely love getting opportunities to speak, I don’t advertise (aside from on my blog). Perhaps in the future when I have some additional time. (Chuckles)
Me: It is amazing to me how many people are religious about blogging and have blogged now for years on a very consistent basis. At one point pundits had declared the death of blogging. What are your views or feelings about this and if you had a crystal ball, or pretend for a moment you have the liberty of an economist, what will blogging morph into over the next five years?
Josh: Wow! Good question. First of all, pundits love to declare the death of things. In fact, I think that’s probably a pundit’s sole job: find something popular and declare its eventual demise. My best bet: blogging will continue because, in my opinion, people desire for their blogs to be the center of their online personas. A personal blog allows more individuality than being branded by Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus. I do, however, believe that blogs will continue to become more social … more interactive by way of the continued integration with the various social networks. In short, blogs will survive. Pundits will die.
Me: Is your bio up to date or do you have more than six kids under the age of seven now?
Josh: I think it is up to date … still six kids ages seven and under … although I haven’t spoken with my wife yet today, so who knows?
Me:You have a large number of hilarious quotes from your kids. Would you mind sharing one or two with us?
 "Clean Up Time" Kids are hilarious. They always make me laugh. I started a separate Twitter account just so that I could remember a fraction of the funny stuff they say. I would encourage all parents to do the same. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:
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6 y/o: “Boys can’t go to a nursing home.”
(After a little discussion, we discovered that she thought nursing homes were communities of breast-feeding old people.)
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4 y/o: “I think the snail is dead.”
6 y/o: “It’s alive.”
4 y/o: “How do you know?”
6 y/o: “It just tooted.”
4 y/o: “That wasn’t the snail.”
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4 y/o: “Daddy, I never get in trouble when I go to school.”
Daddy: “That’s great!”
4 y/o: “But this time I did.”
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Daddy: “Where did you get that peanut?”
3 y/o: “From under the couch.”
Daddy: “Gross! Don’t eat things from under the couch!”
3 y/o: “But I got all of the hair off of it.”
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Me: Where do you find the time to blog?
 "Mission Accomplished" Josh: My day job requires me to spend a lot of time on the phone. I work on most of my blogs, if not all, while I’m sitting on hold. Some of my blogs are a couple months in the making … Five minutes here … five minutes there. Sometimes I’ll work on a blog during lunch. It is very rare for me to work on a blog after business hours. Family time is too important to our family. Plus, I’d run out of things to write about if I’ve spent most of my family time writing.
The time has just flown Josh and I’ve really enjoyed spending this time with you. Your blog is family oriented with a lot of good topics for our readers to enjoy. I sure hope you’ll add in even more fun things your kids say. Perhaps some of your advice will fall on the ears of people seeking guidance in one area of life or another. BlogCatalog is a great place for you to share your insights, both professional and personal. Thank you for showing us the lovely way you and your wife make family life look so easy.
By Theresa H Hall, on August 31st, 2011  "Guy" by Jay.Me Art Jay.Me Art hails from the Houston, Texas area and she is involved with art on a whole different level from traditional artists. When it comes time to clean up, there aren’t any messy oil cloths or paint spatters on her floor or workspace. All she need do is put away any pencils and art papers, or simply close her computer and walk away. Plus, Jay.me is savvy enough to include and use all kinds of new artsy-technical devices. She begins with a blank screen to point-and-click and air brush her designs into beautifully constructed works of art. Specifically, Jay.Me has the presence of mind to take today’s computer-programs and use them to her benefit. She is highly skilled and if you take the time to view her art videos, you’ll become inwardly excited by how she accomplishes her drawings, as she extracts and coaxes these tools to her best advantage.
Jay.Me is cleverly innovative in her thinking and it is in this way that she designs her personable subjects. Just looking at them one can easily see how she has breathed life into their very existence. Their personality is written across their features. Some are fun, while others are regally posed. It’s thrilling to see how many different characters she has developed over the past eighteen months, and I always love to stop in to relax and see what she has been sketching lately. If she keeps at it perhaps one day we’ll see some of her work on a theatre screen in a major film production. You never know just who will sketch or paint the next new marvel. Join me now and let’s learn a little more about the cool artist behind the blog.
Me: I am on of your admirers and I do not say this lightly. Art is always a subjective matter and you have the innate ability to present to convey your subjects to your audience. Art is also an extremely personal matter, too. How did you get brave enough to start your blog and expose yourself this way?
Jay.Me: Thank you, Theresa! What a wonderful surprise to be interviewed by you here at BlogCatalog.
I think it takes a certain amount of bravery for any artist to display their work online or off. It means taking a chance that people will not like your work, or possibly worse –not notice it at all. Everyone fears rejection on some level.
Artwork is a reflection of the artist in many ways. I think if someone harshly criticizes an artist’s work, it’s almost like telling someone that they have an ugly baby. Okay, probably not that bad, but it can feel quite personal.
If I get apprehensive about posting, I remind myself that art, like everything else is subjective. So it’s really nice when I connect with someone who admires my work. And for me, that’s what makes sharing worth the risk.
Me: You have a scanner that helps you in your work. Please explain how beneficial this tool is and would you recommend it to other sketch and visual artists.
Jay.Me: Yes, a scanner is quite helpful. Having a scanner enables the artist to digitize their sketches, colorize and further manipulate them with computer art programs. Another useful tool I would recommend for any digital artist is a tablet and pen tool. I have an INTUOS WACOM TABLET and STYLUS PEN. It does take a little practice. You have to get accustomed to looking at the screen while drawing on the tablet. Instead of looking down at your pencil and paper as you would in traditional drawing.
 "Stuffed"by Jay.Me Art Me: Have you been an artist all your life? Did you study before experimenting in this subject or did you take it us as a hobby first?
Jay.Me: Yes, I’ve always considered myself an artist. I think everyone is creative in some way. As a child I had a serious dislike of crayons and coloring books. I was more interested in drawing my own pictures. Clean white walls looked like huge canvasses to me. My mom didn’t always appreciate my efforts to beautify our home, so she made sure I had plenty of drawing paper. I was always drawing something, usually horses, dinosaurs or fantasy landscapes and strange creatures from my imagination.
In School, I liked to decorate my homework with doodle pictorials in the margins. I recall getting into trouble more than a few times for drawing on the desks, and at least once for sketching a less than flattering portrait of my English teacher. I don’t think I should mention my experiment with spray paint. But I can say that it only happened once.
After HS I enrolled at a local college and was studying graphic design. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned and I had to quit. That was as far as I got with formal art study. But I have learned a lot on the computer. Really you can learn just about anything you want with research and practice.
Me: Does the fact that you have a blog make you produce more, or less art works?
Jay.Me: I don’t know if it’s made me produce more or less artwork. But blogging has certainly introduced me to some amazing people and artists from all over the world, and from different backgrounds. Interesting people I surely wouldn’t have met otherwise.
Starting my blog has been a great positive experience all around. In addition to displaying my artwork online, and meeting people, blogging is how I discovered the greater possibilities in the wonderful world of digital art. Seeing what talented artists were creating from scratch with digital tools was quite inspirational. I also learned about several Free and Open Source Software available like: GIMP, INKSCAPE, and MYPAINT.
Me: Inspiration just like flavored coffees is different for so many people. What gets you in the mood to start working on a new work?
Jay.Me: I am always ready to start new art projects. Sometimes I just don’t know what I feel like drawing. So I doodle until an idea happens along. Other times inspiration for a painting will come to me in its basic finished form. I just have to get it out of my brain and onto the paper.
Anything can spark an idea. Nature is a big inspiration for me. I think the patterns and color combinations of creatures and flowers are so amazing. Plus, I like to paint animals that have great eyes.
 "Dragon Lizard" by Jay.Me Art Then, there are times I enjoy drawing creatures that only live in my imagination. They’re fun because there are no rules at all about what they should look like.
Me: I have a tendency to work on many projects at the same time. Do you do this? Start something, lay it aside, work on something else and then return to do a little bit more, etc.?
Jay.Me: Yes, I do this also! I generally have five or six projects in rotation. I think its more fun to work that way. There are times though that I do start on something and work on it until it’s complete. It just depends on how it’s going I guess, and how badly I want to see the finished product.
Me: Which of your works so far, are five of your favorites?
Jay.Me: Of the ones I have posted on my blog, I’d say…
Dragon Lizard, Unicorn, Sumatran Tiger, a portrait of “Sylar” (top photo), and a vector I made in INSCAPE of a stuffed animal.
Me: How do you feel about photography and architecture? I know you started a second blog Picture-Texas. How long have you experimented with your camera?
 'Unicorn" by Jay.Me Art Jay.Me: I have always admired and had an interest in photography and architecture. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I finally purchased a new DSLR camera. It’s a Nikon D3100, my first camera that’s not a ‘point and shoot’. I’ve probably had it long enough that I should know more about how it works already. But, I’m still experimenting with it and learning about the different settings.
Picture-Texas, is a blog I started to post documentary type photos. Posting pictures and sharing what the Houston area looks like. One day I hope to be able to capture more artistic shots, although I do get lucky every hundred pictures or so.
Me: Do you ever dream of having your art displayed in a gallery for an art exhibition? Many artists do and many do not yearn for this attention. How do you feel about it?
Jay.Me: I certainly wouldn’t mind, but I’m not dreaming about it. I do have a smaller goal for my art in the very near future. I would love to see people wearing my graphic designs on T-shirts. I plan on submitting a design at THREADLESS first and see if I can get printed. And from there perhaps team up with a printer and sell some shirts online. I figure everyone needs clothes, most people wear T-shirts, and even better if they have a cool design on them.
Me: I along with many other BlogCatalogmembers always look forward to seeing you in the Connect Discussions. Your involvement is sometimes crucial sometimes, because you usually have such a calm outlook on life. How many people have you come to depend on seeing there? And how have we as a community impacted your daily life? (I’m wondering if some of them might secretly want you to draw them) (chuckles)
 "Sumatran Tiger" by jay.Me Art Jay.Me: Thank you, Theresa. I do my best. I really enjoy taking part in the Connect Discussions. Checking in at BC has become a regular habit for me. There is always such a group of diverse and interesting characters there. A number of members show up and join in the thread topics on a regular basis. Despite the fact that I have never met any of them in person, I feel like I have come to know some relatively well. It feels like a big dysfunctional family at times, but it’s a great group of people.
Me: What do you have planned for your next two pieces of art?
Jay.Me: I was actually making a film for this interview. It was going to show my workspace and the art process I use to get from a hand drawn sketch to a finished digital piece. I experienced some technical difficulties with my camcorder and didn’t get it finished. But it will be posted on my blog eventually.
A couple of pieces that I am working on, and almost finished with right now are: An INKSCAPE vector of a woman holding flowers, with little “dragon bugs” flying around; and ‘”Frog King”, a Gimp digital painting of some zombie frogs and their king.\”Cat Speed-Drawing\”
As you can see Jay.me is evolving into a splendidly original and imaginative artist. I am awaiting her transformation and progression over the next few years and I wish her all the finest life has to offer. Please visit her site to explore all of the art we did not discuss here. She’ll surely be a favorite of your soon enough. Jay.me than you so much for the time and effort you have put into our time together. Jay.me can be found frequenting our Discussions and she is a vital part of our BlogCatalog Family.
By Theresa H Hall, on August 29th, 2011 (**This is a coauthored interview with Melody J Haislip**)
 The Definition of Leisure Many things get better with age and people are among the top contenders in this category. While age has its drawbacks on the body (we are only here but a short while), age on the mind makes us keener, more interesting, more knowledgeable and frankly, less attention- grabbing. Age makes most of us better and with age comes wisdom. Adults have more moxie and can choose options with a more practiced-eye. They usually have better stories to tell and are granted pretty much free reign in their speech. If you ask an adult what they think they might just tell you.
The Grand People in this world are full of vim and vigor, have great opinions to share, and have recently become a united front in the fashion and paparazzi field. Take a look at this fun site called Gran-Paparazzi. It’s comprised of four very cool artists, hobby photographers and journalists, who have come together to document their days, make friends with passers-by, share meals, trips, movies and friendships. They love taking along their cameras and are enjoying this newly found freedom of expressiveness that can be transmitted across all venues so they can connect with people of all ages, backgrounds and countries. They have put their grand ideas into action and you need to take a look-see.
Theresa: Cassandra also known to her friends and colleagues as Cass has elected to speak for the group. Who was it that started Gran-Paparazzi?
Cass: The site’s founders are: Leni, Shanti, Jacob, our web development guy Travis and myself.
In early 2008, Leni and I took photos for a senior’s fashion spread in Lester’s Army Magazine. Before the photos were published, a few people saw the snapshots and said, “Yes please! More!” It got us talking about doing a spin-off blog, so we rounded up a few friends and developed the concept over drinks and dinners. We hit the streets in December 2008 to find our first subjects.
 These Boots Were Made For Walking Theresa: Cass, you are the fashion editor. Shanti has an endlessly creative imagination, and a remarkable laugh. Leni the artistically inclined risk-taker is founder of Lester’s Army Magazine. And Jacob is the jack-of-all-trades, with a keen eye for retro-fashion and flair. Is it a collaborative effort on each article and photo shoot, or does each of you contribute individually?
Cass: I’m the fashion editor? Do we say that somewhere? I do a lot of the copywriting so maybe I’m the house copywriter but we’ve really steered clear of individual titles. We all pitch in whenever we can; however we can. At GP, you’re a founder, a house contributor or a guest contributor. Everything else is pretty informal. We don’t have a traditional masthead or anything.
Each post – the photo and write-up – is the work of the individual contributor. We try not to touch anyone’s work, unless there’s a typo or some other type of error.
We’ve talked a lot about issues like consent and transparency; we’re pretty sensitive to ethical issues around publishing information and images related to this demographic. So we do have standards for how we approach people and represent them on the site. If any one of our posts crosses a line, we talk about it.
 Mix and Match Theresa: The photography on your blog hits the mark and is immediately interesting. I very much enjoyed going page-by-page, to see the array of individuals being chosen to work with. Some of them look mighty pleased to have their photo snapped. What determines who will be your newest subject?
Cass: Almost all of our photos are candid street photos, so there’s a lot of chance involved in who gets photographed. Our next subject is whoever crosses our path looking stylish!
Theresa: Have you all become friends with some of your models?
Cass: We distribute our contact info but rarely ask for theirs, so the onus is on the model to get in touch. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t.
When people do contact us, the exchanges are invariably heartwarming. It’s thrilling to get this kind of feedback. And we often run into our subjects again and again on the streets, which is really amazing to me. It makes me think there’s a shortage of possible subjects actually.
 Shopping Shenanigans Once I was invited into a subject’s home, where I met her husband, son and heard all about their life’s passions. I later ran into them at a social event. Leni and Shanti have had intimate encounters like this too, but they’re rare. Most of our connections are fleeting but whether or not we strike up a friendship isn’t really the point. It’s about making a simple inter-generational connection that, hopefully, leaves a lasting impression and helps dissolve the tensions that often exist between generations.
Theresa: Is part of the appeal for you in knowing how good you can make someone feel by paying them compliments and showering them with some attention?
Cass: Oh for sure. People tell us all the time that we’ve made their day. Often people start out modest and shy but within seconds they’re busting poses and doing jazz hands. It’s an amazing thing to witness.
Melody: Do you accept guest photos? I can imagine this is a theme that would appeal to many hobby photographers. How do you choose among submissions, and do you have a process in place for handling them?
Cass: Yes please! We would love more submissions. Submitting is easy – just snap a photo with the subject looking directly into the camera (this implies consent) and do a short write up.
Melody: Who among you snaps the more clever photographs? Describe a few instances where some of your subjects needed a little persuasion and sweet talk.
Cass: Leni is definitely the sweet talker in the group. I win people over with maternal charm – I have a son who’s helped me land many photos – and Shanti is our roaming contributor. She takes photos in lots of different cities.
Every subject requires a little persuasion, some more than others. This demographic is really tough to capture, actually. It takes a lot of legwork to get a single photo because we get rejected all the time! Seniors are reluctant models, so landing a photograph is crazy exciting. I still pine for the ones that got away; there was a man in a powder blue suit, a woman with a purple wig and a famous old rocker traveling with his mom in Maui; I’ll always regret not being able to share their amazing style with our audience.
Theresa: The younger set, or as I like to refer to them, the me-me-me-look-at-me generation, tends to overlook what is happening around them. Cass, tell me about some of these things you all pick up on and capture through the lens of your cameras?
 The Charmer Cass: Well, first I’ll address the look-at-me issue. There’s definitely a lot of discussion and, in some cases, data to show that people born from 1970-1990 are too self-assured, narcissistic and overly concerned with individual freedom. But when older generations berate younger generations and vice-versa, it leads to a bit of a stalemate situation. Our project is at least partly an attempt to pick apart generational stereotypes on both sides so we can move past the generalizations.
With few exceptions, we’ve had amazing conversations and fun exchanges with our subjects. When people let us photograph them, they tend to open right up about their lives and struggles and opinions and personal histories. People who looked a little blasé get jaunty and chatty. People who looked unapproachable turn out to be really kind. Between the photo and the write-up, we try to capture the spirit of the encounter.
 Maria Laura Pablo  Alexandra Samur Melody: Who came up with the idea of the Ancestral Photo Remake Contest? It’s absolutely brilliant.
Cass: I think it was actually one of our guest contributors who came to a few of our team dinners last year. It is a fun concept for sure.
Melody: Has each of the four of you had your Ancestral Photo taken? Even if you couldn’t compete, it sounds like a lovely keepsake. Has there been a lot of interest in the Contest?
Cass: Yes, we all participated in the remake project. Mine turned out terribly! But done well, yeah, it’s a lovely keepsake. The contest actually ended on July 31 and we had only three entries. It’s a lot of work for a modest prize. If anyone wants to submit a remake, I’m sure we’ll find a way to publish it. Who knows, maybe it’ll become a special section on the site in the future.
Melody: I was intrigued when I read the description of your blog, and I was curious as to why you decided to photograph stylish seniors, a much overlooked demographic, by the way.
Cass: Well, as we say in our mission statement, our goal is to create opportunities for inter-generational dialogue. That’s really what it comes down to. And fashion? Because fashion is something everyone can talk about! We’re not talking about fashion as high art; we’re talking about everyday garments, so it’s an easy lighthearted way into a conversation with just about anyone. Fashion also leads to easy visuals for a blog, so it gives us attractive content. And, let’s face it; it’s fun for us. It’s a break from the serious side of life for everyone involved. Fashion is fun to talk about and senior fashion is especially interesting, fun and eccentric.
 High-Class High-Tops Me: This is a most endearing concept. The men and women smiling into the camera look stylish and self-assured. I’m always happy to see an older person who is still in the game, making the effort, and looking happy and confident. When you see someone whose picture you’d like to take, how do you approach him or her?
Cass: We start with a compliment and get right to the point: we want your photograph for a website on senior’s fashion. At this point, we get a lot of sweet smiles and “no thanks” but sometimes we get an, “Oh! This old thing? I’m a mess today!” followed by a sassy pose. It’s very simple, very straightforward. Only once or twice have I shamelessly pursued a subject for blocks.
We want to thank you for taking the time to share with us more information about your wonderful blog Gran-Paparazzi. I invite all of our readers to visit your site today and perhaps consider the contest, too. Be sure to take a coffee with you when you visit so you can spend some time looking at all of their wonderful pictures!
(all photographs used with permission of Gran-Paparazzi)
Our Mission Statement
“Gran-Paparazzi is a style blog created by a small collective of hobby photographers, journalists and designers.
Our goal is to create opportunities for intergenerational dialogue.
We focus on elders to convey our reverence for seniors and showcase that old adage about the cyclical nature of fashion.
To understand our approach,try this experiment:
read today’s style guide, head into the streets and notice what your elders are wearing.”
By Melody J Haislip, on August 29th, 2011  Sablet Welcome to Maison des Pelerins Maison des Pelerins and La Baume des Pelerins, or “les Pelerins,” as we affectionately refer to our dream come true, of owning our own home in Provence, are located in the heart of the Vaucluse. We wanted to be a part of village life, and Sablet was the perfect place for that. “Pelerins” is French for pilgrims.
Me: Marianne, details are a bit sparse in your BlogCatalog bio, and I have cribbed the above description from your blog. Will you tell us how a “California girl” like you came to live in a tiny Provençal village in France?
Marianne: We don’t exactly live there, rather we travel there, usually twice a year, for an immersion into a more relaxed way of life. During the 80s, my husband was working between London and Paris. He spoke French and I had always been interested in cooking, and especially French food, so it was a very natural affinity. In the summer of 1985, we first visited Provence on vacation and really loved the towns and villages there. The reason we chose a village and not a “house in the vineyards” was that our home in California, whilst reasonably close to San Francisco, is in quite a rural setting. In France, we wanted to be right in a village but not a large town.
Me: I see that you began your blog in April of 2009, around the time you purchased your property in Sablet. Was this meant primarily as a second residence, or was it more of an investment? Was the decision financial or emotional?
Marianne: When we purchased Maison des Pelerins in 2005, the decision was both emotional and financial. We had been travelling to France, especially Provence, for many years before we made the decision. During our visits, we usually stayed at a B&B or rented Canal Boats in various areas of France. In 2004, we rented a vacation home, and since there are usually just my husband and myself, we wanted a smaller home (not the four-bedroom home in the middle of the vines; we wanted a village house). We were so disappointed by the quality of the home we rented and the amenities that were provided, that we started looking for something right away. It was on that trip that we found what is now, “la Baume des Pelerins” – however, a lady from Paris beat us to it at that time, and we subsequently bought Maison des Pelerins in 2005.
 Sablet - street view looking towards Seguret I was disappointed with the rentals that were available. I felt that there was a real lack of understanding of a significant segment of visitors to Provence. Most people who travel there on vacation, particularly from the US, do not do so every year and would be extremely disappointed by the rather Spartan rental homes. Many visitors have read about the area and have an idea in their minds of what a Provençal home is. Unfortunately, the smaller homes available in the area did not address that in any way. The feeling of many of the owners of smaller properties was that they would just throw something together, as they believed that visitors would not be willing to pay an appropriate rental for a well-presented two-bedroom home, and that everyone coming from the US wanted a large house in the vineyards. I thought that it would be terribly disappointing to someone taking a long-planned vacation, who found themselves in a thrown-together house.
Starting from there, we looked at the idea of putting together a nice, well-presented, well-equipped “smaller” house that was not crammed with bedrooms so as to pack people in. We believed it would be well-received. That was the beginning of Maison. It had to cover the following areas: pay for itself and pay for our vacations.
I feel really gratified by our results with both Maison and la Baume, because we started off with the most expensive rentals in the village (but also the nicest – not my words, but one of the local resident’s). There were some local “expatriate Brits” with existing rentals, who were openly skeptical about our being able to attract any rentals due to the price; however, within the first rental season, Maison became the most occupied vacation rental home in the village!
The good news from all of this is that other owners in the village realized that if they fixed up their vacation rentals, they too could get better rental rates, so … the quality of vacation rentals in Sablet has improved significantly and the village in general has appreciated it, because so has the quality of the renters. This means more business for the little stores and businesses in the village.
Me: How did you discover Sablet? What little something was there about this village and no other that drew you?
 Sablet - picincking with freinds at la Pigeade winery Marianne: Funny story! It was quite literally accidental. I mentioned that we visited the area each year and believe it or not, there are still things we haven’t got to or seen. In 2003, we had decided to check Beaumes de Venise wines. We visited a Winery called la Pigeade to taste some of their Beaumes de Venise Muscat wine. The winery was in a great location with a spectacular view of two small villages. We asked the proprietor of the winery what the names of those villages were. She thought for a couple of seconds and said, “Sablet and Seguret – they’re nice villages, you should visit them.” We did – and the rest is history. The funny thing is that some time later, we were looking at the location of the winery on a map and trying to figure out how you would be able to see Sablet and Seguret from there. We mentioned it to the owner the next time we went back to la Pigeade and she said, “Oops! I made a mistake!”
Me: I can see you being led around various properties by a chic and knowledgeable realtor, à la HGTV. What is the procedure for an American buying a home in France? I can only imagine the paperwork is formidable, not to mention realtor’s and attorney’s fees?
Marianne: The procedure is really pretty simple. There is a terrific company in the US called Just France Sales that has a lot of information and very helpful staff. They introduced us to a very helpful realtor in the area – knowledgeable, yes …. Chic … no! He is a very nice young Provençal man who worked with us to arrange the transaction and took care of all the paperwork. I would recommend them to anyone who is thinking about buying in France. Visit Just France’s website and read through the sections about procedures. Call them, too – they’re very nice. It was very helpful that we knew exactly where and what we wanted to buy, and that we had seen Maison the year before we bought it – so there wasn’t much looking around, although we did do some comparison shopping. The closing costs are about 10% of the purchase price – higher than California.
Me: In one of your posts on jet lag, you mention that your usual trek is from San Francisco to Paris. Is that your primary home, or is it now your secondary address?
Marianne: I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have lived here for the past 32 years. How can anyone be so lucky? Having the choice of two unbelievably beautiful and interesting places to go between – and each has great weather!
Me: I love the sound of French and could listen to it all day, but my vocabulary is miniscule. Do you speak French? And if not, how do you manage with your neighbors and shopkeepers?
Marianne: Yes, I do speak French – it’s been an ongoing learning experience, but it is great to be able to speak with our neighbors and friends in France and actually join in an intelligent discussion with them. In Sablet we have some really interesting people (like retired investment bankers and a woman who was the admin assistant to François Bayrou, one of the Presidential Candidates in the last Election), as neighbors, and speaking French is a real plus. We always enjoy having aperitifs or dinners with them.
Me: I’ve just looked Sablet up on Wikipedia, and as of 2006 the population was 1,308. The following came from the “Culture” section of the site: “Every Thursday morning, a small fresh fish market and a fresh goat cheese maker visit the square.” How does the village withstand so much excitement in one day? Is it really this quiet?
 Sablet Neighborhood summer potluck Marianne: I have to work very hard to have a quiet time when we’re in Sablet. BTW I wrote the Wikipedia entry. Apart from the incredible amount of socializing that goes on with our friends and neighbors in the village, there are all kinds of activities that go on in the surrounding areas, to say nothing of Vaison la Romaine, Orange and Carpentras, which are all between 10 and 20 minutes away from Sablet. During the Spring and Summer, the commerçants in the village organize a number of events in the village square. Everything from open-air jazz concerts and movie screenings, to special meals and evening artisanal markets. If you are interested in Concerts of any kind, the Old Roman Theatres in Vaison la Romaine and Orange are a great venue, as is the Papal Palace in Avignon. The larger towns (Orange, Vaison and Carpentras – and of course, Avignon), have a regular schedule of both music (of all kinds) and dance theatre. In addition, between the history, the food, the wine and other cultural aspects of the area – we originally thought that we would cover it all in a two-month stay. That was five years ago, and we still haven’t got anywhere near getting to everything. Provence is a very active part of France, and what we really like about our village is that we can be so close to everything, and still return to a place that is not inundated with tour buses.
Me: Marianne, actually this sounds quite idyllic to me, but what do you do when you want a bit more in the way of entertainment? With Avignon thirty miles away and Marseilles even further, what are your options?
Marianne: Seeing friends and neighbors is a very important activity in Sablet and I think in Europe in general. There is a lot of socializing that goes on with friends and neighbors – I love the whole idea of the aperitif, which is a 6 pm+ activity and can go on for hours with finger foods and lots of good fun. Dinners start at 8 pm and go on till well after midnight. If you want the theatre or a concert, they are very readily accessible. Vaison la Romaine, Orange and Carpentras have movie theatres. Entertainment has never been a problem.
Me: Marianne, my son, who has visited the South of France on several occasions, suggested that I ask you about the Avignon Theatre Festival. He said it’s a big deal! Have you attended?
Marianne: Yes – In fact I have some great pictures of the Festival and was wondering just recently why have I never done a blog about the Festival. One year we happened to arrive at Avignon TGV station on the same day and train as a number of French actors. We walked out of the station to flashbulbs and TV cameras. Yes, French actors and politicians do take the Train. We have seen a number of them travelling between Avignon and Paris! Your son is right, the Festival is a big deal. It has two stages: the “on”, as in On Broadway, which goes on during the month of July, and then the “off”, as in Off Broadway that carries on until the end of August. It’s a lot of fun and the
 Avignon The Festival streets of Central Avignon are all a part of the theatre.
Me: I have been reading your blog with much enjoyment. You write so easily and naturally, and so very well. Have you been writing long, or is this a recent thing for you?
Marianne: I haven’t been writing for very long before the blog. I have always enjoyed writing but have not done much of it since I was at university. In school, and at university, we were required to give answers to exam questions in essay form, so writing was essential. (School and university were in Australia and I’m probably dating myself by talking about the way exams were conducted!)
Me: When you are not in Sablet, do you rent les Pelerins? Do you use an agency or do you find your own renters? Do you find that tenants treat your lovely home well?
Marianne: Yes, we do rent les Pelerins when we are not in Sablet. We have been fortunate to have the BEST renters in the world! To quote our onsite manager, a delightful Provençal young lady, “I have never seen guests who are so respectful of the houses.” The vast majority of our guests come from our website: www.sablethome.com – check out the guest reviews. I copy and paste them in from their emails. When we first decided to buy Maison des Pelerins – one of our main concerns was that the idea of Provence is a dream for many guests who might only visit one time. We really wanted to make sure that our guests’ experience of Provence was what they were dreaming of, as we had had very disappointing experiences in renting vacation homes in Provence. In the five years we have been renting the house(s), we have only had two sets of guests who have left a mess (and we have at least 26 weeks a year rented in each of the Pelerins). We also have a number of referrals from past guests and about a half a dozen return guests each year.
Me: What do you do in your other life, when you are not living your dream in Sablet?
Marianne: I am an ordinary person, mother, wife – I work in the financial industry – with a background in Elementary School Teaching and then Real Estate. I love to cook, garden, take photographs and do a lot of walking – I just like to have fun!
Me: The pictures of your garden in Sablet are extraordinaire indeed. Every page of your website simply drips with beautiful flowers. I can imagine little get-togethers there on warm summer evenings, with delicious French food and the fragrance of the flowers. Was the garden there when you found your lovely house, or is it a creation all your own?
 Sablet summer lunch at Masion des Pelerins Marianne: The basics of the garden were there, but we made a few changes, adding the fountain and more flowering plants and herbs. I love it when our guests write and tell us how much they enjoyed being able to cook with the fresh herbs. We are right at the back of the old church, and having the Presbytery windows open out onto the courtyard is really great, especially when the kids are having their catechism lessons and you can hear them singing. The rest of the time the windows are closed and there’s no one looking into the garden. What is also lovely is sitting in the garden on a warm night with the church steeple towering above and lighting up the garden. We have lots of fun get-togethers in the garden. In fact, we eat most of our meals out there in the summer.
Me: Marianne, do you think there will come a time when you call “les Pelerins” home, or will you continue to commute?
Marianne: I think we will always be commuting between California and France – we love both places and our kids are in California, even though they enjoy coming to Sablet (and believe it or not they’re not bored there), our home is in California.
Me: What is the best time of year to visit Sablet? And what is the one thing you tell friends and visitors they must do on their visit?
Marianne: I love going at anytime and we usually go right after Christmas and during the summer. Spring is lovely – not too hot and not so busy, Summer is hot, but we have A/C in the bedrooms – that is also when a lot of the village festivities take place. The Autumn is great – wine harvest, cooler weather, getting ready for Christmas. Christmas in Provence is great – take a look at my website page on Christmas in Provence – it is so much fun.
Most of our visitors have a specific reason for going to Provence. Many are interested in the food and want to experience the markets and cooking with the wonderful fresh ingredients. Many want to take cooking classes. Some are interested in the Roman aspect, and there are those who plan their Tour de Provence around the biking trails. We have had honeymoon couples, and families who are meeting their kids for the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays (in all cases, the kids were serving in Afghanistan or Iraq) and they were meeting halfway for a vacation.
When I think of must-dos, my favorites would be more the seasonal activities. One of my all-time favorites is the Fireworks Display in Monteux every August (latest blog). This is an extraordinary display of choreographed
 Avignon Christmas street theatre fireworks.
Me: Considering that the deadly Plague of 1721 entirely missed the village of Sablet, do the people feel especially safe and blessed there?
Marianne: I have never thought about it in those terms. The people are very thankful for the life they have in Sablet – they are very down-to-earth, good people. They are kind and thankful that the new lease of life that tourism has brought to Provence means there is employment in the towns and villages so their kids don’t have to head to the big cities to find work.
One very important distinction in the village of Sablet is that its citizens have always been free – that is, it was never a feudal village with a lord. The citizens of Sablet were always free to work their land and earn their own living.
Marianne, Sablet sounds like your own little piece of heaven here on Earth. Maybe someday I will visit les Pelerins for a heavenly experience of my own! In the meantime I will continue to visit your blog, and I would encourage everyone else to visit, too, at:
http://sablethome.blogspot.com/
By Theresa H Hall, on August 25th, 2011  This lady is sultry, deliciously intriguing, intelligent, well-spoken, mystical, mysterious and a wonderful writer. If you haven’t visited her yet, then you’re in for a treat. She has opinions, isn’t afraid to voice them, she has quick wit and a gracefully beautiful style. Her name is so brilliant that Hollywood should be calling her! Style is something she can easily teach to those willing to read her words which are a well-blended version of experience, tastes, her eclectic sense of what is interesting and a wisdom many only wished they possessed. I give you Liane Langford.
Me: Liane please share with me how you decided upon naming your blog “A Walk In The Dark”?
Liane: I have a bit of a dark humor; I believe we are stumbling, curious, reaching and where the hell is the light switch! “A Walk In The Dark,” is an experience, and in my experience one candle flame can illuminate our entire life in a single moment. We’re all afraid of the dark. With outstretched arms, eyes wide open, we keep walking.
Me: Your Style is certainly one that captured my interest from the start. Black and white, Hollywood’s legendary stars, an air of mystique plus the ability to draw me in with your well-written stories. Is this the real you deep inside? Is what you write what has to come out?
 Liane: I grew up in the Los Angeles area, my family moved there in the 1920s. With my Uncle running a large part of Universal Studios, and my Mother singing with Victor Young, and Grandma a concert Violinist I was completely surrounded! Edith Piaf and Frank Sinatra … old movies were a staple and a great influence on me. Film Noir was like art … I worshipped Marilyn Monroe then the way I worship Kevin Spacey today. My mother Toby gave me vocal lessons and instilled in me the love of music and dance. My stories are based on true experiences I have had. This is the true me. I should have been born in the 30s or 40s for I am very nostalgic. (Ha!) My entire home is vintage, and I suppose … so am I.
Me: I remember confessing one of my childhood memories on the first comment I made. The background template of your blog impacted me full-force! Why did you choose this compelling scene … what drew you to it?
Liane: I loved the way Grand Central Station appears just as if there is lighting from above a place of worship. But most important are the people shadowed … walking … we’re never sure if they are leaving or arriving? And that’s a big part of what my blog is about, the human experience, instincts, laughter, travel and questioning where are we going … and where have I been all my life? Sounds a bit like “The Asphalt Jungle” and it’s a little ghostly.
Me: Of all the great stars … sexy always sold. Which five men/women are your favorites and why did you pick them?
Liane: Marilyn Monroe! Madonna … She’s simply fabulous! (Hate her or love her, she’s still Madonna). Frida Kahlo for her courage, I relate very much to her. She never gave up, and neither will I. When I grow up I want to be Catherine Deneuve! Kevin Spacey, (so what if he’s gay … SEXY!) Jack Karouac and Cool Kat Daddy ’O. Oops that’s six!
Me: Have you been fortunate enough to get to travel the globe? Where is the most exotic or memorable place you have been?
Liane: Euro Disney!
Me: I like Julia Roberts very much. Have you ever been tempted to tell her that she resembles you? I find this so amusing. Give our readers a peek into your side of look-alike confusion.
Liane: I love this question because my girlfriend suggested that every time I get approached, I should just give them my photo and Julia’s autograph! I once had French tourists follow me down the street calling “Julia!” so yeah, she owes me big time! Residuals anyone?
Me: In your opinion Liane, why doesn’t plaid mix well with vodka? I have been meaning to ask you this every time that statement catches my eye.
Liane: I think a Cosmopolitan makes such a fabulous accessory, with say Dior, or my favorite Gaultier dress, plaid is just frightening. Fashion advice is simple: NO PLAID … unless it’s a sexy Italian guy on a Vespa … ciao! Oh, that includes the Scottish games … lots of plaid … but do you ever see Scotsmen holding cocktails? I rest my case.
Me: Do you feel that Toby was the typical 1960’s mother, emblematic of those changing times? What did you learn from her … you know … those things you always refer to or gauge things by, as you have lived as an adult? What has stuck with you the most?
Liane: Tobyisms are great! I remember the story of when she was at a party at Herb Alpert’s home. In the car, on the way home she had second thoughts about the shrimp in her purse and started to throw them out the window, which of course was rolled up. Toby in peach chiffon! (who doesn’t like that) … Toby in her turtle necks. She could make you laugh so hard you couldn’t speak. She was so 1960s I think that’s why I love Madmen so much. I can relate to so many things.
Me: Have you ever acted or modeled? What did you do before you began writing your memoirs and articles?
 Liane: I modeled in LA for Jean Muir. When I moved to The Monterey Peninsula, I modeled from the Art Center to Pebble Beach, Kitty Kat Walks Magazines, and did one Fashion Commercial.
As a child Toby had put me in chorus for many years until I decided I liked Drama so much better! My first job in Monterey was creating costumes and doing stage make-up for the theatre groups. It was an old dance/costume studio. The man who owned it, Dale Laffler, was an MGM stock dancer in his youth. I adored that job. I have always studied Metaphysics and as a result have been a Tarot Card Reader for around 30 years now, and I have started to give talks about the subject of Intent. I have a new approach which is called “Cardiology” which I want to share. Then there’s my experience with Crohn’s Disease. Hopefully my lectures, interspersed with that dark humor we were talking about earlier will make people laugh and I can uplift them with my stories.
Me: What are your plans over the next year? Do you enjoy writing and social networking? Have you made favorable connections here on BlogCatalog?
Liane: I am totally amazed at what BlogCatalog has done for me. I wanted to write a book and kept putting it off. BlogCatalog provided such an incredible support system. I am so happy to be here.
My goals over the next year? Hmm … I think, continue to write and get published! And of course, continue to talk with people about the dangers of mixing Plaid with vodka!
Me: What are you most passionate about; on a global platform – What would you like to change?
Liane: For starters using glitter or a BeDazzler should be part of the Three-Strikes Program. But that seems like a pipe dream, so let’s see what we can really do. Let’s take care of those who need help and lead by example, and have a really good sense of humor because we will need it. I would also like to do away with deep fried butter … WHY … WHY???
A Walk In The Dark promises readers a relaxing place to read and enjoy this captivating lady’s stories. She has a lot to contribute with the stories she writes and the added value she brings to our community. I love how stylish she is and the sensational dramatic flair she has. I am very glad she decided to join BlogCatalog. I’m really looking forward to seeing what she has in store for us next and if there is a book in there somewhere, we can be sure it’ll be worth the wait!
By Melody J Haislip, on August 17th, 2011  Konway East, looking right at home on the red carpet. From Konway’s bio: “Word on the street is that Konway’s page is where the cool kids all hang out.” Well, I’m a cool kid, so I decided to check it out, and …
My goodness, I just got lost on your blog for over an hour. I was reading post after post and leaving comments, when it suddenly struck me how in sympathy we are in our thoughts. In fact, so simpatico are we that I have put in a call to my yenta (matchmaker) and asked my astrologist to do our charts (I need your date, place and time of birth, please) to make sure that our union will truly be as blessed as I foresee.
Me: Konway, I went all the way back to your first post and found that you began your blog in April of 2010, and apparently never looked back. I’m always interested in learning how people discover their gift. Does this also mark the beginning of your writing career, or have you been a writer for much longer?
Konway: I don’t get paid enough to consider it a career, and I don’t believe I’ve yet discovered this gift you have mentioned. However, well before this blog, I’ve been prone to sharing my thoughts via the computer and internet. I’ve had various blog iterations before, but always kind of lost interest at a certain point. This was my first attempt to sustain a “blog” for more than five or six days. It looks like I did it!
Me: I’m interested in how you came by your screen name, Konway East, a/k/a Konnie Cheddar. You being a big-city sophisticate from Chicago, I’m surprised by the cheese reference. Does it have some special meaning for you, or is it just a Midwest thing?
Konway: You mean you don’t think that Konway East is my real name? Or that my friends all refer to me as Konnie Cheddar? To be somewhat honest, it’s loosely inspired by a hero of mine, a gifted rapper who also just happens to come from the Windy City. A group of hooligans from BlogCatalog started calling me Konnie one day, and I was inspired to add a last name to that moniker by a fake girl named Connie Cheddar that a good friend of mine once dated. Big city or not, I’m pretty sure everyone loves cheese, though.
Me: I enjoy your off-center sense of humor. It fits with mine, as I have an overdeveloped sense of the ridiculous. So often I wonder if people ever listen to what they’re saying. Is it the unintentionally funny things that people say and do that attract you to a story?
Konway: Hmmm, I’m not sure if that is supposed to be a compliment, but I thank you, just in case it is. I think anyone with any type of sense of humor will agree that true humor is what you make of things that maybe aren’t inherently funny. In fact, I think that was the whole basis for the show Seinfeld.
Me: You write on a wide range of topics, from local news, to politics to sports and entertainment. Is there a particular subject that interests you more than others?
Konway: I suppose if I did some analysis of everything I’ve ever written, I could probably demonstrate that I have a strong subliminal interest in subjects like Kanye West, the Republican Party, or old people, but I try not to discriminate when I’m putting them up on the blog. This lack of focus is probably my biggest strength and/or my biggest weakness.
Me: I see that you have begun 285 Discussions on BlogCatalog, and I notice that often you’ll take an adversarial position, sort of act as a devil’s advocate, or introduce a controversial topic of your own. Are you easily bored? Do you enjoy the sometimes heated discussions that result?
Konway: I’m either easily bored or easily entertained. I dispute the notion that I am a drama queen of sorts or that I have any relation to the Devil, but I do enjoy a good discussion every now and then. I see the world as shades of gray with very little black and white, so I have no problem arguing just about any position. Really, I just like interacting with different types of people.
Me: Konway, you’re an intelligent and interesting writer with a perfectly diabolical sense of humor. The post you did on how much you dislike olives was very tongue-in-cheek and extremely clever, especially adorned as it was by the picture of the two men exchanging a kiss.
Konway: I do hate olives, but I am glad you noticed the thinly-veiled reference to gay marriage. To be honest, for the longest time I thought people were fighting for gay mortgages, and I never understood what the big deal was. Then I found out it was about gay marriage, and I still don’t really understand the uproar. Now, if they wanted to ban olives, I could get behind that …
Me: Is there a serious side to Konway East? Or do you, perhaps, write in a more serious vein on another site? Or could it be that, when you’re not dazzling us here at BlogCatalog, you’re writing a book? I know that there are a lot of people here who have written books. Do you ever daydream about a book with your name ~ your real name on the cover?
Konway: What you see is what you get. I don’t take anything in life too seriously. It’s important to keep it real, but never TOO real. If I ever wrote a book, it would probably be four or five pages long. I just don’t have the attention span to read a book, let alone write one. That being said, it would be titled “Konway East: In his own words. No, seriously, they are words that he made up. You may not understand any of this book.” We’ll see …
Me: Do you have a good writing support system? I have been building one here among friends who I have met online and who speak the same language as I do. Do you find it helpful, having a community of friends who are also writers?
 Konway with his less well known friend Kanye West. Konway: I hate to say it, but my wolf pack is a one-man show. I enjoy the discussion board interaction for its own purposes more than I do for enhancing any “writing” that I do on my blog, which may explain the fact that my blog posts are so absurdly short.
Me: What one thing do you enjoy the most about writing? Are there any little tricks or devices you’ve discovered since you began that you’d like to share with our readers?
Konway: I simply enjoy that it is a medium that you have so much control over. You can read and review and think about something as you write, which really ends up making my thoughts seem a lot smoother and more coherent than they actually are … I think.
Me: I have heard rumblings, from an undisclosed source, that you are thinking of running for office. Any truth to those rumors? And would that account for your obvious “interest” in politics?
Konway: Since it is a fake office that I essentially made up, I am “running” for it in the same way a dictator would try to win his job. In my mind, I am already the President of BlogCatalog’s Discussion Boards no matter that the “voters” say, and really, that’s all that matters. Which is good, because it turns out any voters would strongly disagree.
Me: Do you, as so many others here, have a “day” job? What are you doing in the world when you’re not slaving away at your computer?
Konway: I absolutely have a day job, which is probably the last thing anyone would expect me to do (no, not a garbage man, as so many have guessed.) Blogging is just the part of my life that I use as a creative outlet when those around me are tired of me using them as my creative outlet. Outside of that, I don’t do anything too out of the ordinary, although, I do occasionally enjoy base-jumping from tall buildings in downtown Chicago.
Me: How often do you write for your blog? Do you keep to a regular schedule or simply write when the urge takes you?
 Konway East with his good friend, Barack. Konway: I wrote every weekday for a year before I needed a short respite, at which point my friend Barack let me borrow his house at Camp David for a month to recuperate. I took a couple months off and re-formatted to make it slightly less time-consuming, and now try to update every day for my four or five loyal fans (family members.) It’s certainly a little less rigid now, so if I don’t update for a couple days or something, don’t go calling the police or anything like that.
Me: Where do you see yourself in a year’s time? Five years? Is there a method to your madness, or are you writing to entertain yourself and your fans?
Konway: I don’t pretend to know the future…well, sometimes I do pretend, but I really don’t try to plan any further than the current day if I can help it. Of course, I imagine that in twenty years or so, I will have brought about world peace, ended poverty and hunger, and rid the world of cicadas. Either way, I have to say, everything I do is for the benefit of myself and/or my family and friends. If other people just so happen to find enjoyment in my blog or the world peace that I create, then so be it.
So there you have it my friends, an intimate look into the mind of Konway East. Be sure to visit his blog at: http://watercoolerthe.blogspot.com/
By Theresa H Hall, on July 27th, 2011  Lauren of Love To Eat Tony Berkman and Theresa both got a chance to meet and speak with this new member of BlogCatalog. She is a woman of integrity who decided to finally tell the world about her love of food. I like her no guilty pleasures attitude. Besides … she has a unique crowd of hungry individuals who provide her with the kind of rapt attention most celebrities only long to have. Check out her story and find out the reason we love to visit her blog and who knows, you might be begging for more.
Tony: Winslowdog is your username on BlogCatalog. You ask the question “Who is Winslow Dog?” What’s the story behind the name on your blog Love To Eat and who is Winslow Dog?
Lauren: The real story is that my dog Winslow wanted to write a blog … Okay, no. Two of my greatest passions are dogs and food. When I cook, I like to have an audience and the dogs like to watch … and hopefully sample … which they do … a lot. So, we run our own version of the Food Network from my kitchen, except I have a canine audience.
I share my home with my two dogs, Kip, the Briard, and Winslow, the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. Winslow is the older dog at two years of age, so seniority gave him first dibs at the moniker. Both love to eat. My mother and sister have three dogs between them and their dogs participate from time-to-time. So, my audience is growing.
Tony: What types of meals do you cook for your five dogs?
 Winslow and Flowers Lauren: Normally, they have “people” food. They also have a bit of kibble. I have spoken to my vet about their diet. As long as it’s balanced, and they get the nutrition they need, they are fine. Their diet consists of chicken, pork, meat, sweet potato, carrots, and lots of other really good and healthy things. I am careful about the meat and chicken I purchase. I try to steer away from anything that has antibiotics, hormones, or is not otherwise natural.
I also like to make them special treats. And yes, they are spoiled and participate in many of the dishes that I make for myself.
I have no children, and like many people, I consider these canine members to be my family. It’s important for me that they enjoy themselves and for them, eating is a pack activity. I also do a lot of other things with them, which keep them active, so that they don’t get overweight.
Tony: On your blog you claim, “they are all foodies”. How did you reach this conclusion? Do they each have a favorite cuisine, and if so what is it?
Lauren: They do have well-developed palates and they definitely have their preferences. For example, Kip loves Brie, but Winslow won’t go near it. Winslow adores prosciutto, and you can’t get him to look at a fast food meal.
And they’re a funny pack when all five get together. They all watch rather intently what the other dog is eating. For example: I had bought a box of Carr’s Crackers and offered one to Kip. He sniffed it and turned it down flat. Yeager, my sister’s dog, and Kip’s brother (watching this rejection unfold), also turned it down when I offered it to him. Next came Julian, a Welsh Corgi Mix whom we found on the street, who sniffed it and ran away. Last was my sister’s other dog, Liam, another Briard. He usually eats everything. But this he wouldn’t touch. Then came Winslow. Everyone watched as he sniffed it. He loved it! He ate one and then another. By the time he had eaten the third one, there was a pack of dogs surrounding me, all wanting a cracker. They wolfed down the box in under five minutes … Original thinkers? Not always.
 Kip Whoever said that dogs don’t understand math, didn’t have more than one dog. These guys know exactly how many crackers the other dogs get. If one dog had one less cracker than any other dog, he wouldn’t stop hounding me, until he got his full share!
Here is a list of their very favorite foods:
- Winslow: Prosciutto
- Kip: Steak on the grill
- Yeager: Cheeseburger off the grill
- Liam: Everything including Mango Jam
- Julian: Anything that includes cheese or meat
Tony: Are you thinking about starting a line of dog foods?
Lauren: No. This is people food I am serving them!
Tony: Where did your interest in cooking come from?
 Liam Lauren: Like most children, I began cooking with my mother. She is a superb chef and has a natural talent for it. She was the person who initially got me started. I continued in great part because it is a very creative process. For me, when I cook, it’s mediation and creation. I trained as a lawyer and found the lack of innovation stifling. Through cooking, I can try new things and meld different flavors. Some things work while others don’t. It is art. Also, it is an art you share with others in an intimate way. It’s not a canvas that hangs in a museum. You truly interact with the people for whom you are creating. Of course, should you fail, you’re also there to get the “rotten tomatoes treatment”.
Tony: What’s your favorite meal to cook?
Lauren: I love to bake. I tend to have a natural bent for cakes, cookies, biscuits, breads and pies. I also love pastas and delight in a really tasty sauce. As I mentioned in my blog, I learned to make the best Fettuccini Alfredo for my dogs.
Years ago, I had another Briard, whom I named Wim, and he loved parties. Wim was a funny dog and a cranky one, too. If I told him his birthday was coming up, his mood would lighten up immediately. Others also noticed his change of mood. He loved cheese and cream and I decided to make him Fettuccini Alfredo every birthday. He would stand on his hind legs to watch what was happening on the counter. His typical birthday menu was Fettuccini Alfredo and New York Cherry Cheesecake. Once the party was over, he’d get mad, really mad because he wanted this kind of high treatment every day!
Tony: Do you like entertaining?
Lauren: Love it. I really enjoy the company of my family, friends, and pooches the most and that requires entertaining. It’s a lot of fun, especially when the meal turns out good and everyone is happy! Of course, I have had a pooch or two raid the cheese platter prior to guests arriving, and that’s not been too amusing … although truthfully, I do find those antics cute sometimes.
Tony: How did you learn to cook?
Lauren: I learned many things from my mother. I also love to read cookbooks and cooking magazines. I also watch a lot of food shows. Then it was a matter of getting in the kitchen and trying stuff myself. I’m still learning. It’s all one big experiment.
Tony: Would you mind sharing a little bit of background about your blog and what inspired you to start writing it?
 Em's Mom's Hot Fudge Sauce Lauren: My day job is all left-brain work. I missed creating. Also, I find that this is a great way to share recipes with old and new friends. I have had people contribute to the site, too. For example: “Em’s Mom’s Hot Fudge Sauce”, was given to me by my childhood friend, Emilie. I’ve been close to her, and her family for years, even travelled abroad with them. This is my way to share her mother’s delicious recipe with all of our friends. It has actually brought us closer together.
Also, it’s turning out to be my own personal recipe book. As I create something new, I write about it and I have it there on my blog for future reference. This way I won’t lose it.
 Julian Tony: I noticed you have another blog with many cloud photos. Describe the reason clouds and their formations capture your interest in them.
Lauren: Dream Cloud Images is a blog I did mostly for me. It does have a lot of cloud images, but I include any image that strikes my fancy. I love to shoot photographs. And the pictures on that blog are images which I have shot that I like. None of them are professionally set up. They may have been taken with my iPhone, or with my little Lumix. Photography is another passion that I have pursued since I was in my teens. I do have other better cameras, but I am really enjoying the informality of using these point and shoots, and just allowing the natural lighting and the composition set the scene.
What I like about shooting clouds is their ethereal quality, their other worldliness. It could be anywhere. Some of the most striking images are the ones taken by the Hubble telescope in space. The magnificence of the gas clouds is unsurpassed. On Earth, I love the changing textures and colors of clouds. The range of emotions can be seen in the sky and I find that fascinating. Also, the way they reflect light is wonderful and there is a certain freedom in going where the wind blows that I like. I guess they represent beauty and freedom for me.
Tony: What is your dream vacation and would you take all five dogs with you?
 Kip and Yeager Lauren: I’ve been to a lot of places over the years and nothing is more restorative for me than escaping into the mountains in the West. I love the Rockies. So just going out into the woods to hike and shoot pictures would be a lot of fun. Maybe making pies out of berries… as long as I don’t have to get into a wrestling match with a bear. I’ve heard of bear home invasions out West … No, they didn’t take the jewelry and electronic equipment, but they have been known to rip off backdoors to get to strawberry pie! That’s not the audience demographic I’m looking for. I do enjoy sharing that experience with loved ones, so I would definitely like to go at least with Winslow and Kip. I think I’ll leave the other three with their respective human companions and ship samples of the goodies I make!
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Theresa: I’ve visited your Love To Eat blog a number of times now I and I noticed this is a relatively new endeavor. I must say you jumped right in and have filled it with a great balance of stories and recipes. What is your favorite style of cooking and the cuisine you enjoy eating the most?
Lauren: I have very eclectic tastes in cooking. I love Italian, French, American, Thai, and Caribbean cuisine. I did throw myself into my blog because it combines all of my loves: writing, eating, dogs, and photography.
Theresa: You said you love to bake. Name some of your best work so far? Would you ever consider culinary school for cooking or baking? You mentioned earlier your mother was a superb chef. Was she a home chef or a professional? Name three of her dishes you love cooking the most.
Lauren: I am very proud of my Key Lime Coolers. I hit those spot on after some experimenting. I also make killer buttermilk sausage biscuits, usually around Thanksgiving and my cheesecakes always get kudos. I love the creamy texture of cream cheese and combining it with different flavors. More recently, I have been experimenting with a lot of fruit in my baking, especially tropical fruit.
When I have more time, I think I may look at culinary school. I have taken cooking classes in the past and really enjoyed them. The more I do in the kitchen, the more I see there is so much to learn. What I do is read up on technique from books and the Internet, then experiment. I know some things are going to go wrong, but other things will go right. In my blog, I even talk about my errors, so readers can avoid them.
My mother is also a lawyer. But she learned cooking from her mother and from reading a lot of books and magazines. She loves to cook and it is one of her biggest passions. For her, as for me, it’s a meditation. She also has a real gift for understanding what works with what. I don’t think I could only name three of her dishes which are my favorite. There are so many! But, to name three, I would have to say her cheese soufflé, her Chicken Kiev, and her Thanksgiving turkey stuffing. I don’t try to reproduce those!
 Key Lime Cooler Cookie Dough Theresa: I am always going to PetSmart and just recently, I got to meet and pet a breed of dog like Winslow. Can you tell me a little about Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers? Who knows, I might want to get one someday … after the kitties of course. I really liked the look and feel. What are some of their traits please?
Lauren: Winslow is my first Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. I have always had Briards. The reason I choose Winslow is because I met a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, which a neighbor owned, and I fell in love with him. These dogs are extremely affectionate, intelligent, trusting, curious, empathetic, and active! Briards, like my other dog, Kip, are very laid back. When I got Winslow, I was surprised. He was very active for about a year. Then, he settled down and now, at two years, he is quite calm, except when meeting new dogs and people. He is a social butterfly. Wheatens are an Irish breed and I tell my friends that if Winslow were to go to a pub in Ireland, he’d be the type to buy everyone a round of drinks. He loves people! They are a wonderful breed of canine, properly described as, “a heart wrapped in fur”.
Theresa: I enjoy your food photographs and the way you have presented your dishes. Plus, you cannot go wrong with a name like Love To Eat, because most of us do. Did you come up with the idea of pairing orange with pecans? I had not thought of this before reading your recipe.
Lauren: I love to experiment with foods and flavors, but the idea of combining orange with pecans is not original. You see a number of recipes out there which include orange zest in making spiced nuts, but it’s the combination of spices, orange juice, and orange zest which give it a distinct flavor. My sister is the real expert when it comes to spiced orange nuts. Hers are the best!
Theresa: You mentioned The Rockies and bears. How do you protect yourself and your dogs when you are out walking in the wild? It is a matter of interest to me because lately I hear more and more about people or their pets being attacked by wild animals.
Lauren: Living in Florida, I’m probably not the best person to ask. I’m always wary of wildlife, and often times they don’t behave the way that you think they will. Around here, for example, a dog was recently devoured by an alligator. And if I were in the Rockies, prior to going on any hikes with any of my dogs, I would get expert advice from the locals.
Theresa: How do your dogs stay cool in Florida and is it difficult to keep them groomed with all of the humidity? Do they ever go swimming?
 Lauren Lauren: The heat index in Miami in July can reach 110 degrees, so I make it a point to take my dogs out very early in the morning. I take Kip to play ball in a large field on weekends, – Winslow does not like the game – and by the time he gets back he is pretty hot. I make it a point to hose him down around his belly, chest, butt, head, and paws so he cools down immediately. Also, he does not play for more than about fifteen minutes in the summer heat and he gets lots of water. In the summer, I shave Kip to keep him cool. So while my breeder might not be thrilled, he’s happy! Winslow I do brush and he can get matted! But he’s a good boy and understands that he will feel better after his brushing. It’s odd, but none of my dogs likes to swim. I thought Winslow would, because he is an Irish dog. This breed is known for loving water. But Winslow likes to be pushed around on his raft, not swim. However with all the splashing around he does in the raft, he does occasionally fall in the pool!
Theresa: Where do you see your blog in the next twelve months, and while your dogs watch and love to eat your cooking, will you ever lend them a voice of their own on your blog? I have a few animal blogging friends on the Internet.
Lauren: In the next twelve months I would love to have more people enjoy the recipes I have posted. I delight in reading the comments of people whom I do not know who post on my blog. It’s great to get feedback from strangers. Many of the recipes are regional, so I understand that some tropical fruit may be difficult to get to make some recipes. However, I do try to give sources so even people living in Alaska can make tropical dishes if they are interested. In the end, this is a very personal blog which serves as a platform for friends and family to have immediate access to recipes they may have tried and would like to make themselves. And as I mentioned before, it is also becoming my own personal cookbook. Perhaps in a year, I may have copies printed so I can give it to my friends and keep it as a written record for myself.
It’s funny you ask about lending a voice to the boys. I hear them all the time. Perhaps, yes, they might pipe in and write a blog at some point … I just hope they don’t spill any personal secrets!
There you have it. Lauren is going to wow us with new recipes and more antics of the boys. I think it’s great to be able to entertain these handsome pooches and that she shares her home to include such interesting personalities. We’ll be certain to check in and find out what she’s cooking and how they enjoy eating this delicious food. Lauren, thank you for spending so much time with me, and Tony. We loved every minute. Please visit Lauren and her extended family soon at Love To Eat.
By Theresa H Hall, on July 18th, 2011  I have a tendency to become attracted to those little avatars and the person lurking behind them. On BlogCatalog over the last four years I have become friends with a variety of personalities. One day I happened to notice a doll and she hadn’t removed her curlers. Every time I saw her she still had those curlers in her hair and that same exact expression on her face. After a few exchanges in Connect Discussions, I decided to mosey on over to her profile page, because I wanted to wipe that look off of her face. That never happened and I learned over the months to look forward to those big eyes and hair curlers. She had pretty good common sense and when I finally visited her blog, I got to find out she was one vivacious mom! We’ve had some very good times together.
Me: Looking back to when you were a girl of, say, seventeen … you were almost legal but not quite. Recall the rules you had to live by and how you might have felt (at that time) that they were too restrictive. On one hand you were too old to act so foolishly or childishly, and on the other you were too young to stay out past 11 PM and had to tell your parent where you were, what you were doing, and with whom you were doing it.
Describe how you got your own way, got around your parents and circumvented their rules. Most of us did this but I want to know how you did it.
Janene: My parents never set down any hard and fast rules. Instead, when I was going out that night, they’d ask me, “What time do you think you’ll be home?” No, I didn’t have a free pass to stay out as late as I wanted. I was, however, given a chance to come up with what I thought was a reasonable time, given what my plans were. I can’t say what I thought was reasonable always meshed with what they said was reasonable, but that led to some great conversations about responsibility. Man, I hated those. So I learned how to negotiate and set limits for myself. We got into a groove.
A lot of teens don’t believe parents when they say not much has changed since they were teens themselves, but it’s true. All the thoughts, feelings, social issues — they were all there. But I’ve got to say, life was simpler and safer.
Me: I’ve been over a lot of your blog and I keep seeing a reoccurring theme which is safety. It’s a good thing to think about and a good way to be. Tell me how you became so safety conscious, and what are your top ten safety instructions for your family.
Janene: Before I had kids, I thought the most important thing that parents had to do was make sure their kids turned into responsible, well-adjusted, contributing members of society. Once I had them, I realized the number one goal is just keeping them alive. That’s particularly true during the first few years. Turn your back on a toddler for two minutes and you could turn back to find them sipping from a jug of Liquid-Plumr with a crazy straw. Can’t say I don’t miss those days. As my kids got older and started taking their first steps in the real world, I realized just how dangerous the world could be. Eyes of a protective mother, I guess. Luckily, most things are avoidable if you know what to do. Knowledge is the best form of protection. I want to provide that.
As for a top ten list? I really don’t have one. I just try pushing common sense. At the same time, I find myself constantly telling them to look both ways when crossing the street, never go off with someone you don’t know and refrain from blowing their hair dry while standing in a bathtub full of water.
Me: I see you include a lot of what I know as “tongue-in-cheek” humor. You’re a bit cheeky! What’s your theory behind flavoring your posts with healthy sprinklings of mirth?
Janene: What was that Mary Poppins said? Something about a spoon full of sarcasm helping the medicine go down? Seriously, when it comes to dispensing advice, sometimes adding a little laughter makes it much easier to swallow. When I was a Girl Scout leader, I found the kids listened more when I made it fun. It also made the topics seems less taboo. They opened up. Humor can be very disarming.
Me: You ask your readers “What kind of Mom did you have?” I want you to answer this for me. Do you parent in the same manner as she or are you more or less strict?
 Janene: Surprisingly, like most teens realize when they take the quiz, my mom was (and still is) normal. Man, how I’ve tried to follow in her footsteps but sometimes I just fail miserably. The thing I like best about her parenting style is she never treated me like a baby. She was also very open and honest with me. No topic was off limits. I do that with my kids, too. It’s not always easy but, in the long run, I think it works best. As for which one of us is stricter? I think it’s a wash, though the world is a scarier place these days. Through necessity, I’ve had to be firmer when it comes to when and where my kids go.
Me: When your kids backtalk you, how do you separate the friendship and rapport you have with them one minute, and put on your hat, to turn into the Mother authority? Have you learned to balance this act or is it getting harder the older they get?
Janene: Ugh. I hate the sass. And, yes, it gets harder as they get older. Why do kids have to be so dang smart? Most of the time I have no problem arguing a point as long as my kids conduct themselves civilly. If they can’t, the conversation ends, I make a harsh ruling in my favor, and tell them to come back to me when they’re ready to talk like an adult. They usually come back. Sometimes they don’t. In those cases, I give them a while to cool down before approaching them so we can analyze the situation together.
Me: When you held your infants in your arms for the first time, how did you know which name to call them? Did you choose it ahead of time, or did you wait until you could look into their eyes?
Janene: Waiting until I looked into their eyes? I thought that only happened in movies! We had our names picked out in advance. I wish I had some great story to tell each kid, how the choosing of their names was the product of some wonderful, life affirming story or symbolic in some magical way. Truth is, we just found nice names — some tied to family, some not — that didn’t remind us of past loves or people we hated, as well as sounded good with our last name.
Me: What is the schedule like in the morning at your house? Is your family more like the Donna Reed Show, or Married With Children and why?
Janene: Talk about two extremes! I think we fall squarely in the middle. It’s kind of a crazy calm. Luckily, mornings mean low energy so it’s hard for kids to muster the strength to fight. This year I’ll have three kids going to three different schools at three different times. I’m shuddering just thinking about it. That means three different wake times, feeding times, etc. As long as everyone gets a good night’s sleep (including me) it should be fine.
Me: I see you have a heading of: Things your Mom will never say”. How did you compile this useful information? Is it something that spilled out onto the screen as you typed furiously, or did it take years for you to gather your data?
Janene: I took a day or two thinking of all the stock phrases moms use, and then gave them a little spin. It’s amazing how long many of the original sayings have been part of our consciousness. Some parenting aspects never change.
Me: Which are three of your favorites?
Janene: Hm-mm … that’s a toughie. Probably:
1. “If everyone else is doing it, I guess it’s okay.” (As if the whole ‘everyone else is doing it’ argument EVER worked for a kid. Puh-leeze.)
2. “Those “starving children” in Ethiopia? They wouldn’t eat this crap either.” (Who didn’t hear that growing up, and who wouldn’t have gladly shipped their food off to Ethiopia if their parents had let them?)
3. “You know, when you get right down to it, I am your cleaning lady!” (No mother will admit it, but it’s the sad truth. Oh, the humanity!)
Me: Do you like to travel as a family and where might you decide to vacation the next time? Will you travel by car or plane?
 Janene: We love to travel! In fact, we’re gearing up for a two-week trip to the east coast right now. We’re going all American history this time, hitting Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Mt. Vernon and Williamsburg. My kids are most excited about visiting two of America’s greatest historical sites: Hershey Park and Busch Gardens. Should be fun. As to how we’re getting there? We’ll have to drive. I’ve got to say, as much as I hate gaming devices, they can really be lifesavers on the road.
Me: However did you end up being a cool Mommy blogger and why oh why, did you choose this little doll with the curlers for your avatar? (You know I can see you coming for a mile, don’t you!) (smile)
Janene: She is pretty recognizable, isn’t she? I came across her and just fell in love. What more can I say? The way I got into blogging was pretty self-serving. My agent at the time told me I should start a blog to ‘increase my presence.’ Well, I no longer have my agent but I have my blog. It’s given me a lot of joy. It’s nice to know at least someone out there listens to me.
Me: You have a video on your blog that makes me laugh each time. Its title is: “Mom With A Cake”. Do you have a little bit of “I Love Lucy” in your personality?
Janene: I have to admit I’m a bit of a goofball with a penchant for breaking out into song or dance. Thankfully, I only do this at home in the presence of family. My kids would KILL me if I did it outside of the house. I love silly jokes and can’t pass up a good pun. What’s life if you can’t laugh at it?
Me: I remember when things were cool, neat, nifty and keen. Did you read Nancy Drew Mystery Stories as a girl and if you did, did you dream of being a little bit like her? Or, did you have another girl heroine you emulated?
Janene: I loved Nancy Drew. I read all of her books, but when it came to girl heroines I reached for the big time. It was Wonder Woman all the way. I used to spin in circles for hours in my room, believing if I really concentrated hard and did it right I could transform into her super sidekick. Plus I’d also have boobs. Big boobs.
Me: When one of the children tells you something in confidence and they make you swear you will never tell … do you?
 Janene: That depends. The only other person I would possibly tell is my husband, and they know that. If they really don’t want him to know and I don’t think it’s vital, I keep it to myself. Trust is so incredibly important. At the same time, I understand there might come a time when I have to break that rule. Some secrets are more damaging when they stay secret.
(Janene, You should coin that phrase!)
Me: Who is the tougher parent you or your husband?
Janene: That’s hard to say. I’d say my husband is stricter and expects more from the kids. I’m more flexible. At the same time, if a kid knowingly crosses one of the lines drawn in the sand, I come down harder.
Me: What is the typical birthday event at your house. Do you buy from the store or do you get into the sugar and flour to produce a homemade cake?
Janene: My daughter loves to bake and is the cake mix queen, so we rely on her for all confections. There are times, though, when a special ice cream cake request is made. Then we head to the store.
Me: Your “Why Does Mom Do That” is in keeping with an earlier question I asked about your parenting style. Can you elaborate a little for me and give me some prime examples of this strategy?
Janene: Gosh, I wish I had a good answer for that. I don’t know if I have one particular style. My kids are so different, both in personality and ages. Many times I have to parent them differently. To go into detail might embarrass the kids and that’s a big no-no in our house. My kids don’t mind my blogging as long as I don’t get too personal. If I want to reference them, I have to get their permission first.
Me: Knowing what you know about the Internet, what is the soundest and most sage advice you have to give other parents reading this today?
Janene: That you don’t have to look over your kid’s shoulder constantly, but should make it clear you can do so at any time. If your kid screams, “What about my privacy?” just say, “Nothing’s private on the Internet.” Kids need to know that whatever they say or post on the Internet can come back to haunt them later. Plus I could go on ad nauseam about people pretending to be who they’re not, but that’s been covered to death.
For all of you parents our there, if you want to read some funny stories, get hip on how to reach your children, especially teenagers, and enjoy this splendid Mother, please visit “Mom’s Are From Mars” and tell your friends to visit, too. Janene Murphy is one of our friendliest members and she is always quick to jump into our on-going discussions to spice them up. Thank you Janene for joining me today and sharing a fabulous part of your world. You might tell others you are a weird mom, but in my book your tops. Janene … you’re a really cool mom!
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