There’s something to be said for online chat and texting. 

Chat is pretty much real-time communication and can be very useful, whether at work, online, through my email account, through Facebook, etc. 

Yesterday a gal in my Freedom Trader group arranged hotel  accommocations for a training we’ll be attending together.  Back and forth online to get all the info out there.  We don’t know each other but I guarantee we’ll be friends after the conference.

Later she texted me – since I was on a training call I wasn’t looking at the computer and I could text back so that we took care of the details.

You know, I resisted texting for a long time.  But my daughter’s house manager is hard to get by phone – lots of phone tagging, you’d think she’d lose weight with the effort….  Anyway she suggested the easiest way to get hold of her was by text, so I was dragged finally into the texting world.  I’m not a pro, however, I refuse to use lots of abbreviations and want to spell out most words.   I did have the foresight to get a phone that has the QWERT keyboard.  Otherwise I’d never text!

I’m not ready for the smart phones.  Someday – when I’m forced to….

So here’s to chat and texting.

Wendy Weber, the Singing Network Marketer

If you were at any of the musical events in which I have participated during the last two weeks, hopefully they would have been music to your ears.

I love harmony and enjoy singing in choirs.  I also enjoy and am good at creating parodies and some original music, so the other week I participated in my company’s United Way kick-off ceremonies by singing parodies I wrote with accompaniment by my ukulele and a CD I created with my electronic piano and my Mac.    Great fun – I do this every year.  This was part of a talent show and last year I tied for 3rd place with the juggler.  We haven’t yet heard the results of this year’s show.

The following week, last week, our choir at work gave three concerts, which were very good.  We were in excellent harmony.  I had to switch from soprano to alto because not enough altos were able to get out of their regular jobs to participate.  Whatever makes the music!

Saturday night I participated in my Temple choir in a concert at our Selichot service, a service prior to the start of the Jewish holiday Rosh Ha Shanah (Head of the Year).  Most of the singers are professional singers so the quality is wonderful.  I really enjoyed doing that and the congregants who were there just loved the music.  More to come during our services.

This concert followed a study session with the Rabbi, which I attended till I had to rehearse.  There was also a wine and cheese party. But since I can’t sing after eating, especially dairy, I refrained.  Maria, who is part of our custodial family, put away a cheese plate I selected for me that I accessed from the frig before going home.  Enjoyed that later!  Can’t drink wine and drive and sing, so didn’t do that, either.

There’s something about the music, the harmony, and the wonderful acoustics in our sanctuary that just warms my heart and gives so much pleasure. 

I hope that whatever you do for fun is music to your ears…

Wendy Weber, the Singing Network Marketer

Well, I don’t know if she got this from somewhere or came up with it herself, but Liz Schreiter, another friend and mentor of mine, says:

Don’t sacrifice what you want the most by giving in to the moment.

That sounds like excellent word of wisdom

Trusting that you can see the wisdom in Liz’s words,

Wendy Weber, the Singing Network Marketer

July 29 2011 I went up the mountain from Phoenix to Lakeside where Leila’s Lions Camp Tatiyee is located. She’s been going there for about a week every summer for more years than I can remember – before divorce, before going to Camp Civitan. Probably a few years after she started her 10-year run at Arizona Cactus-Pine Girl Scout Camp Maripai – equestrian sessions.

But this one is free because the Lions Club does fundraising all year. I donate, but it makes it possible for people with limited means to go to camp – kids and adults. For some this is the only vacation they get all year. The camp is staff-heavy for the populations that come. Leila goes  to the adult mentally challenged week. They also have weeks for hearing impaired, visually impaired, multiply-challenged persons, etc.

Leila just loves to go and I enjoy retrieving her because it is a lovely trip up to the cooler mountains and get a break from the July city heat. And it’s a beautiful drive.  There are areas where we have to keep watch for elk.  Now, we’ve never seen one, but if I hit one with the car, we’re all probably totaled.

On the way home Leila told me all about the activities she did. Her friend Todd was there this year – he was absent last year because he didn’t submit his application in time and all the spots were filled. Her favorite activity is the go-karting. Leila would love to drive but will never be allowed to, so go-karting is the next best thing. She also loves to eat the kind of food she is not supposed to eat at her home for health reasons.

So we had a little rain, some sunset, and made it in time to Temple for Shabbat services. I had promised her dinner out, so we stopped at Pei Wei restaurant on the way to her house. Chinese is one of her favorites, as is Mexican food, Italian, Thai – you get the picture.

In January we will submit the camp application and medical forms for 2012 – I’m on top of it because I’d never hear the end if I didn’t submit them in time.

Wishing us years of a great coming home from camp experience,

Wendy Weber, the Singing Network Marketer