The Duchess of Earle just crossed paths with a saying that impresses her today - one of those unattributed things that pops up in one’s life and arrests one’s attention. This idea is spurring the Duchess on this morning - and that’s a good thing. Actually, that’s a GREAT thing! :) Matter of fact, it’s so great that she thought she’d immediately post it here for sharing, in hopes that it will spur her readers on to plan their work and work their plan:
The Duchess of Earle breaks her blogging hiatus with a cheery little video that crossed her path today. Much has changed in the time since she last blogged and she is just starting to get back in the saddle. This video bespeaks the ageless attitude of joy and what it does for one’s perspective as life rolls along. These folks are having FUN, as they should be, even at an advanced age. So the Duchess hopes you’ll enjoy as much as she did this long-time wed couple and their talent.
Well, it’s midnight and the Duchess of Earle is almost ready to climb the wooden hill to catch a little shut-eye, but she cannot resist logging into her blog to share this video with her readers. It is one that was shared with her today by a friend and business associate. She finds it a valuable and encouraging reminder of what every one of us is all about. So, even when the going gets tough, hang in there, friends! The Duchess believes that, because our tapped and untapped abilities and possibilities are so great, there really isn’t a one of us that couldn’t do more than we’re doing. So, as another business associate likes to say, “Go forth and conquer!” Even in these most trying times, what ever it is you need to do, you CAN do it! :)
The Duchess of Earle came across this quote today and thought to share it with her readers. She finds it encouraging as she treads the road toward greater dominion over the processes of internet marketing, building businesses online and offline, networking, etc.
“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and the glory of the climb.” ~~~ Sir Winston Churchill
And here is a bonus set of quotes from the same wise and articulate gentleman:
Well, when the Duchess of Earle talks real estate investing, she is usually discussing things like short sales - such things as occur when missed payments and foreclosure enter the picture, things that used to be mysterious to the average Joe, but have come to be more widely known due to the nation’s present financial climate. But today she shares with her readers a little different slant on real estate matters. Different - and yet not at all so, for the task of making one’s house payment looms as a large challenge to many families these days.
While reading today’s edition of the Star Tribune, newspaper of the Twin Cities (for those of you outside the area that means Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota), she encountered an article about a Minnesota artist in a pickle about how to pay her mortgage next week. Melissa Robinson, of Cold Spring, has decided “to do something bold and dramatic.” She has put her life’s work of original art on eBay in the effort to market her way to making her house payment.
So the Duchess, who got into the real estate forum in the first place because of a friend who was facing foreclosure and divorce all at once, and who has an interest in helping people out when she can, has decided to write this post in the effort to assist this fellow Minnesotan in her attempt to make her payment.
The Duchess has gone both to eBay and Ms. Robinson’s two sites to take a peek. The works she finds are simple, folk art-type originals, some with words incorporated into the paintings, some not. It’s a rather whimsical style she has - trees float in the atmosphere, a cabin in the woods emits heart-shaped puffs of smoke, ducks ride bicycles and bird-shaped snow sculptures sport colorful winter gloves for combs and wear party-hat beaks (please note that not all works mentioned in this article are on eBay - some are on her website). In addition to such fun things, there are more thoughtful and inspirational/motivational pieces, charming in their simplicity and ability to please the eye. A tree standing in the middle of four blocks of color makes this writer think a bit of Paul Klee’s art. Many of the works are current too - one depicts an airplane in the Hudson River. The Duchess also located on the web a portrait of our new President Barack Obama, though this work is not amongst those shown as being for sale.
Now please know, dear readers, the Duchess does not personally know this lady, has never heard of her until the reading of this morning’s paper, but she puts this blogpost into the ether in hopes that someone out there will find an available piece appealing and take action. The newspaper article quotes Ms. Robinson as saying that the opening eBay prices are waaaay below what things have sold for on her website in the past, so if you’re an art lover you’ve got a rare opportunity - both to get a bargain on something you can enjoy for a long time and to help a fellow human being out of a jam. Even if the style is not for you, the Duchess hopes you’ll get a day-brightening smile or two, just for the experience of looking around on the eBay postings and Robinson’s website.
The Duchess closes this post with all best wishes to Melissa A. Robinson in her efforts to make that payment! You go, Girl!
The Duchess of Earle has decided to watch for inspirational, motivational quotes to share with her readers. She’s a bit behind in sharing this one, since New Year’s Day was this past Thursday, but she still thinks it’s worth sharing and hopes you’ll find it encouraging.
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day. ” ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Let us all open that new book and get busy writing the pages for 2009 - and may they be well-written with words and experiences of prosperity and progressive thoughts and deeds by the end of the year!
