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Thea Long ~ LastTrainToClarksville.com

It Just Might Be OK To Be Selfish!

I was doing a little reading from the book, "Little Red Book of Selling". If you don't have it, it is something to have on your nightstand and read a little at a time before bed.

One topic that has always been hard for me is being selfish. I have a hard enough time sitting still and just watching t.v. or what about a bubble bath with candles? I just can't seem to do that. I feel I could be doing something a little bit more important than pampering myself. BUT we all need pampering. We all need to be selfish and ..... it's OK!

"In order for you to be the BEST you can be for others, first you must be BEST for yourself"

This isn't just for selling but in any area of your life. Are you a Mom or Dad? Do you want to be the best? Well first you have to be the best for yourself! Like the book says, "If you think about it long enough you will come to realize that your short comings in all of your endeavors stem from the fact you're not being the best person you can be FIRST."

So, I guess I will go and take that bubble bath! Dang, I don't have any bubbles. Can you use dish washing liquid? Now that was a joke!!! :)

Candy For The Mind

Halloween is quickly coming up and some of you might be taking your children around the neighborhood to show off their costumes but mainly to get CANDY! Or maybe do the alternative to Halloween and go to your local church for Fall Celebrations where candy and games to play are. Below are alternatives, some tips for treats and check out your local churches for their schedule for fall festivals.

ASPU, Austin Peay State University, has an online campus alternative for safe trick or treating. It's called G.H.O.S.T. (Great Halloween Options for Safe Trick or Treating) Candy for the Mind! The honor Society PKP (Phi Kappa Phi) collects books this time of the year to give out instead of candy. G.H.O.S.T. is scheduled for October 26th from 4-6. If you are interested in donating books, they will have a box outside of the Woodward Library on Campus and be sure you drop off your books before October 22.

Here are some tips for trick or treating:

  • Children shouldn't snack while they're out trick-or-treating. They should wait until they get home and you, the parent, have had a chance to inspect the handouts. To help prevent children from munching, give them a snack or light meal before they go-don't send them out on an empty stomach

  • Tell children not to accept-and, especially, not to eat-anything that isn't commercially wrapped! This is where it gets dangerous. I have heard of blades, even needles in the apples. You also don't know how clean someones kitchen is. Especially someone you don't know! So, don't eat someone else's baking. You really don't know what they could have put in it or on it!

  • When children bring their treats home, discard any homemade candy or baked goods. Parents of young children should also remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies or small toys.

  • Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.

  • If juice or cider is served to children at Halloween parties, make sure it is pasteurized or otherwise treated to destroy harmful bacteria. Juice or cider that has not been treated will say so on the label. I just would eliminate your child from drinking anything from anyone's home that you don't trust. YOU are the parent, not I, so trust your gut.

I am a Mom of 3 teenagers now and when the kids were younger, we took them trick or treating. As they got a little older and we were back in the states I wondered if it really was a good idea to even take my kids to strangers doors and ask for candy? We don't know these people. Sure they might look nice but didn't Jeffrey Dahmer? Or are we showing the next pedophile their victim? I was young when my kids were young, I thought what could the harm be? I did it. Why can't they enjoy what I enjoyed? So just be safe and aware of their surroundings. Children are abducted on nights like these, even in the daylight. Even teens! You will see alot of teens that aren't ready to be a "big kid" now and try and dress up enough to where they still look "cool" yet can still get some free candy! The churches around town offer free candy too. I think it would be safer to go there. Sure it would also be more gas to drive out of your way BUT which is better, a safer environment or a little bit more of your time and gas?

In this day and time alot of us in subdivisions keep to ourselves. We don't know our neighbor. Yet we are willing to take our kids to these unknown homes and ask for candy or you might even get food? This could be a way to realize that we need to know who our neighbors are. After Halloween, try and take time to go and introduce yourself.

Please be safe!

What Is Hope Now?

Ok, so I was listening to the President yesterday morning when he was talking about the people who are losing their homes and that there is a program called Hope Now.

What is Hope Now?

Never heard of it before but it has been around. In the state of TN the number of home owners that received help from the program from July 2007 to July 2008 were over 41,545 that avoided foreclosure. Of those, 30,730 Tennessee homeowners received repayment plans: 11,960 prime borrowers and 18,769 subprime borrowers. In that same time period, 10,815 Tennessee homeowners received loan modifications: 2,772 prime borrowers and 8,043 subprime borrowers.

Hope Now is the industry created alliance of mortgage servicers, investers, counselors, and other mortgage market participants that has developed and is implementing a coordinated plan to help as many homeowners as possible prevent foreclosure and stay in their homes.

Check it out, it might be something a client of yours could use!

Here's The Best Of Clarksville

Best of Clarksville was last night and it was such an awesome event! Thank you Saturn for allowing us all to use the property to bring us all together.

Below are some pictures I took of the event. It wasn't hot and it wasn't cold. The weather was just perfect. It was really packed and I believe the March of Dimes earned $9000 more than last year. (Please correct me if I am wrong)

Starbucks - Best of Clarksville Cherry Lane - Best of Clarksville

Below are the winners of Best of Clarksville ~ Congratulations to each of you!!

* Assisted Living Facility - Fieldstone Place
* Auto Window Tint Store - Ziebart
* Bakery - Silke's
* Bank/ Credit Union - F&M
* Barbecue - Gold Rule
* Bridal Shop - Brides Boutique
* Car Audio Store - Best Buy
* Children's Clothing Store - Wal-Mart
* Chiropractor - Dr. Allen
* Coffee Shop - Starbucks
* Computer Store - Best Buy
* Dance Studio - Dance Force
* Day Care - Little Country Schoolhouse
* Dental Facility - Back to Basics
* Drug Store - Walgreen's
* Electronics Store - Best Buy
* Engraving / Trophy Shop - It's Time Clock Shop
* Florist - Sango Village Florist
* German Restaurant -Silke's
* Gift Store-Cherry Lane
* Hair Salon-The Chameleon
* Health Club/Gym-YMCA
* Hobby/Craft Store-Scrappin' Ever After
* Hotel-Riverview Inn
* Ice Cream/Smoothie/Milkshake - Coldstone Creamery
* Investment/Insurance Co.- Farm Bureau
* Italian Restaurant - Olive Garden
* Jewelry Store - McKenzie & Smiley
* Men's Clothing Store- Unique Menswear
* Mexican Restaurant-Don Pancho's
* Music Store-Mary's Music
* New Restaurant - Old Chicago
* Night Club -Kicker's
* Optical Store- Lenscrafters
* Optometrist-Dr. Gary Radish
* Oriental Restaurant -Jade Dragon
* Outdoor Sporting Goods - Play It Again Sports
* Pet Store- Pet Palace
* Place for Family Fun- Great Escape
* Place to Buy Furniture-Furniture Connection
* Place to Buy Sushi -Kohana
* Place to Buy a Boat - Bill Roberts/Thunder Rd
* Place to Buy a Car -Jenkins & Wynne
* Place to Get a Beer - Old Chicago
* Place to Get a Burger - Cheeseburger Charley's
* Place to Get a Margarita - Don Pancho's
* Place to Get a Pizza - Old Chicago
* Place to Get a Steak - Outback
* Print/Copy Shop - FedEx Kinko's
* Real Estate Agency - Keller Williams
* Rent Car/Truck - Enterprise
* Restaurant - Longhorn
* Restaurant Wait Staff - Outback
* Sandwich Shop-Subway
* Sign Shop-Signs Now
* Spa/Beauty Treatment-Eden Day Spa
* Staffing Agency - Kelly Services
* Studio Photographer- Barbee's Studio
* Travel Agency - Clarksville Travel
* Veterinarian - Family Pet Hospital
*Wheel/Tire Shop - Wheel Shop

Back On My Feet Again!

As a Christian music artist, Michael English sold a tremendous amount of records, had an array of number one hits on the radio charts and won nearly every Dove Award known to man, including "Artist of the Year" and "Best Male Vocalist" during the course of his career.

But 12 years ago, Michael English fell from the pinnacle of the Christian music world. Public shame, divorce, broken relationships, drug addiciton, an affair and homelessness took his career to a screeching halt. Soon enough, his addiction to painkillers led to the demise of all things Christian in his life.

"When the lowest thing that could possibly happen happens; don't give up, because you might be missing a blessing down the road, says English. When I started driving my own life, as though God were like some kind of global positioning system that I could choose to follow or ignore, I turned down dead ends and dark alleys, thinging they were going to lead me somewhere."

At concerts Michael shares his compelling story. His personal journey is one that encourages people in their Christian walk and inspires many as they find their way home. Come join the Champions as we rejoice with Michael English!