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INTERESTING AND UNUSUAL JOB OPPORTUNITIES

September 28th, 2010

NOLA Business Alliance – Chief Executive Officer
Application Deadline: October 15, 2010

“NEW ORLEANS – The Board of NOLA Business Alliance is now seeking a Chief Executive Officer. For the right individual, the CEO position could be an extraordinary opportunity – to lead a critical new organization, for a world-famous city heading in a promising new direction.

The CEO will lead NOLA Business Alliance’s economic development efforts in New Orleans to attract new business and industry into the area, retain existing businesses and promote new business development efforts. The CEO will report to the 17-member Board of Directors, and specifically to the Executive Committee and its Chairman.

Other important working relationships include: owners/executives of businesses with operations in New Orleans; representatives of prospective businesses, both domestic and international; representatives of other economic development organizations in Louisiana, chambers of commerce, port authorities and other entities; the Governor and his administration; federal officials and members of the media.

Anticipated compensation is to be in the range of $150,000-$200,000 per year, commensurate with experience and salary history, in addition to a competitive benefits package.

Major Duties and Responsibilities of the CEO

Overall management and performance of the NOLA Business Alliance
Develop and implement the organization’s vision and mission
Develop and implement the economic development strategic plan
In partnership with the Mayor, GNO, Inc. and others, recruit new businesses to Orleans Parish
Develop a proactive effort to retain existing businesses and help them expand
Build collaborative partnerships, align organization’s activities, and structure development plans with both local, regional, state and federal economic development organizations and stakeholders
Advise the Board of economic development issues that affect Orleans Parish’s economic strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats on a regular basis
Prepare and execute an annual operating budget and economic development plans
Identify and procure new sources of revenue to support the general organization purposes as well as specific programs
Hire and manage a professional staff capable of meeting the goals of the organization
Create and manage measurable performance benchmarks for staff and organization
Serve as a spokesperson with the media and as primary liaison with elected and appointed governmental officials, major trade and professional organizations and other constituencies
Represent the City of New Orleans at official functions on local, regional, state, national and international levels

Minimum Qualifications of the CEO

A bachelor’s degree is required; an advanced degree in business, law, public administration or related discipline is preferred.
Five to ten years of progressively responsible experience in economic development or comparable experience in public administration, business administration, not-for-profit organization or closely related field.
CEcD designation a plus, but is not required.
Residency in Orleans Parish upon accepting the position.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities of the CEO

Economic development: economic development experience and expertise that has led to a comprehensive knowledge of the principles and practices of economic development. This includes the full range of economic development skills, retention, entrepreneurship, marketing, economic development finance, real estate development, redevelopment and tech-led economic development.
Government relations: experience in the process of local, state, regional and national government and government organizations.
Fiscal management: demonstrated ability to manage financial affairs of an organization.
Communication: strong background in interacting and communicating with multiple audiences at the public, private and media level.
Organization management: ability to analyze, assess and direct operations for the entire organization; establish and implement program procedures, policies or guidelines. Experience with governance issues and Board of Director interactions.
Public/private relationships: demonstrated track record of developing effective partnerships between the public and private sector. Must be able to establish and maintain strong work rapport with leading government officials, business executives, and community leaders.
Community/regional development: effectively manages interactions with community and regional organizations.
Management experience: strong human resource and staff development skills, can effectively coach, mentor and empower a staff and create a team focus.
Strategic planning: experience in developing and implementing strategic plans.
Entrepreneurial: takes initiative; a proactive person who demonstrates leading edge thinking with strong initiative and results oriented personality.
Key Personal Traits of CEO

Collaborative: demonstrates a willingness and ability to work with and through others; values consensus-building. Must be able to seamlessly interact in a synergetic environment that exists between local, state and federal officials.
Communication skills: excellent listener; outstanding written and oral communication skills; effective presentation skills to multiple audiences.
Leadership: a take-charge individual with vision and the means to get there; can lead change, manage, motivate, challenge and delegate to others.
Energetic: a self-starter; genuinely enthusiastic; strong personal work ethic.
Organization skills: results oriented; meets established goals and objectives.
Ethical: possesses honesty, integrity and the highest ethical and moral standards.
Analytical: a problem-solver with the ability to analyze problems carefully and conceptualize solutions.
Political savvy: able to maneuver through complex situations effectively and quietly to leverage local, regional, state and federal economy and resources.
Strategic thinker: has the vision to see beyond daily operations toward broader strategic goals; understands “the big picture.”
Application Deadline and Procedure

Interested applicants should send a letter of interest, a resume and salary history by email to Patrick McHugh at pmchugh@iedconline.org no later than midnight CT on October 15, 2010.

NOLA Business Alliance Structure and Mission

The NOLA Business Alliance is a not-for-profit corporation that will serve as the City of New Orleans’ official public-private partnership for economic development. Its mission is to grow jobs and wealth in the City of New Orleans, with a focus on business retention, business expansion, prospect engagement, prospect negotiation, small business services, entrepreneurship and strategic planning.

A start-up organization, its formation and its Board were announced by Mayor Mitch Landrieu on August 13, 2010. It is led by a 17-member Board of Directors composed of a cross section of New Orleans leaders including the Mayor and a variety of business professionals. To fund the operations of this public-private partnership, the City of New Orleans will contribute $1.5 million from its Economic Development Fund and the private sector will contribute a minimum of $500,000 annually.

The “new” New Orleans – the New Orleans that is emerging from the extraordinary challenge of Hurricane Katrina – is a place of remarkable potential. The culture and history that have made New Orleans a beloved international city are being celebrated with renewed pride, while the issues that have kept New Orleans from reaching its full potential are being addressed with unprecedented vigor and success. In the five years since Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has created and maintained over 90,000 jobs bringing local employment up to 86% of pre-storm levels. The City has been touted as one of the top cities in the nation where Americans are relocating and a “hive of entrepreneurial initiative.” For more information on the City’s progress in the aftermath of the storm, see, for example, An Overview of New Orleans Index at Five: From Recovery to Transformation and Twenty Indicators Measuring Greater New Orleans’ Progress Toward Prosperity (http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2007/08neworleansindex.aspx).

A major driver of this turn-around will be economic development: the creation of quality, high-paying jobs and the growth of successful businesses. To this point, however, New Orleans has lacked an organization with the mandate and resources to lead economic development for the City. Now, that has changed. The newly created NOLA Business Alliance, working in close partnership with the City and the Mayor, will be that leading economic development entity and will drive the economic success of the “new” New Orleans.

***

NOLA Business Alliance is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by state or federal law.”

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Posted in Job Opportunities | No Comments »

What Causes Obesity in Children?

September 14th, 2010

What follows is a synopsis of a breakfast discussion and a copy of what I put on Linkedin because the breakfast discussion and the question under the “White House Linkedin Group” were the same. The Linkedin question was “What causes obesity in children?” The Bettina breakfast discussion was – why is it so hard to control your weight when you are very careful with what you eat, but gain weight anyway. In neither discussion did the food industry come in for much of the blame for these weight-gain epidemcs.

What wasn’t in my Linkedin response, but should have been is the fact that growth hormones are put in meat these days – including meat called “natural.” When it isn’t given as injections or other ways, but in the food the animal eats – that gets around the labels. The big difference between “natural” and “organic” in meat is in what the animal is fed. Those growth hormones don’t stop at one generation.  They pass on to you who eats the food. So, you eat one pound of food and it acts -for example – in your body as though it was three pounds of food.  Now do you still wonder where the weight gain is coming from?You can make many claims if you word them so that they avoid what is real and makes the public think they are getting something that is not actually what they are getting.

“Marceline Donaldson – from Linkedin – • I am amazed at the variety of comments on this question when the answer is really very simple. I am also equally amazed at how far we are willing to spread the blame when the blame lies with our food processing industry which is trying to maximize profits and they do it by maximizing the shelf life of food doing whatever they have to do to get more for less.  It isn’t parents or teachers or any of the various peoples being blamed. Having worked in the food industry I was amazed at a very young age at how food is treated and then sold to the unknowing and unsuspecting public. I had no idea another human being would so jeopardize my health to help a company for whom they worked make more money at my and their expense. There was a disconnect – big time – between food processing and the end result of what happens to who eats the food.

We put antibiotics in food as though there are no repercussions and then blame the appearance of superbugs immune to antibiotics, on India We put pesticides in flour to kill the bugs which grow because flour is kept in silos and of course bugs are in the flour and the silos. We then sell that pesticide and bug ridden flour to the public. We put dirt in flour to increase the profits because the FDA only requires flour to be a little less than 100% pure, the balance is in dirt shoveled into the flour to make up the additional weight giving the company the additional profits. I could go on for pages – we do nothing about any of this, except let it ride.

We allow fruit to be picked green, ship it around the country gassing the fruit so it arrives at its destination looking as though it is fresh and ripe with the public buying and not eating foul tasting fruit.

We raise our meat and chickens in foul and filthy conditions, but make them look good at the end through packaging and wonder where the obesity comes from? And the illness?

Wake up folks! You are being poisoned and are denying and not wanting to know or acknowledge the truth.

My time spent working in the food industry means I have never since used white flour or flour that was not organic. My husband spent time working around sugar and won’t touch white sugar because of seeing the men working there spitting tobacco juice into the sugar which was then packaged for human consumption. We’ve both seen the conditions under which chickens are raised and eggs collected and we are surprised when there is a huge egg recall? we only eat organic eggs and ones from farms we’ve seen and know how the chickens are raised, what they are fed, etc. We’ve seen dairy farms where instead of requiring that dairy farms be clean we require that the milk be pasteurized and now we are finding ‘ultra pasteurized’ milk on the shelves. Why? Shef life. What nutrients are left in that ‘ultra pasteurized’ milk? None. There is no difference between drinking that milk and eating junk food – both will ruin your health.

Our current food industry is a disgrace! And we blame others for our sins committed against ourselves, our children and our unborn grand and great grandchildren who will be more disease ridden than we are and more ignorant of what is happening with their food supply.”

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

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Unusual and Interesting Job Opportunities

August 21st, 2010

FRENCH MARKET CORPORATION
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION AVAILABLE

The French Market Corporation, a public benefit corporation of the City of New Orleans is seeking qualified applicants for the unclassified position of Executive Director. The Executive Director’s position is charged with the Real Estate and Financial Management of the French Market Corporation and the Upper Pontalba Building Restoration Corporation, two of New Orleans’ historic properties, encompassing forty-two commercial spaces and fifty residential units located in the Vieux Carre District.
Candidate must have a minimum of 5 years management experience with emphasis in overseeing all aspects of management and operations, including but not limited to leasing, tenant relations, business planning and financial management, marketing, capital improvements, facilities and operational management and control of all maintenance, inspection and safety functions. Preference to candidate with 5 or more years experience in real estate management. Candidate must also perform other duties as required with respect to running a Corporation.

Education Background:

Bachelor’s degree in either business, management and/or retail real-estate, or related field
Extensive knowledge of retail real estate industry
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Personal Qualifications:

Ability to oversee all management aspects of running a retail development
Strong business acumen and technical knowledge of Commercial Facilities
Understanding of tenant mix and zoning
Knowledge of managing leasing contracts and strong negotiations skills
Excellent Customer Service skills
Sound working knowledge of computer software applications
Please forward resume and/or inquiries via email to Charles Napoli, President at cjnapoli@earthlink.net by 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 24, 2010.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

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La Provence – Restaurant Review

August 13th, 2010

copyright 2010 The Bettina Network, inc.

105 Thoreau Street………. ….. …….. ……Weekdays: 7am-7pm
Concord, MA. 01742………. ….. ……………Saturday: 7am-5:30pm
phone: 978 371 7428 fax: 978 287 4221…………..Sunday: closed
web site: www.laprovence.us

We spent an incredible day sightseeing in Concord, MA. and then looked around to find someplace to eat which was not too formal, had great food and a nice environment. We found La Provence.

The menu for a deli-type restaurant was great. The food lived up to its reputation. We found La Provence by asking someone on the street, who looked as though they lived in Concord, for a great place to eat. Without hesitation, they said La Provence. We asked if they had eaten there and they said at least two to three times a week. Once we’d finished lunch we knew why they chose to frequent this restaurant.

I was able to have a paté and cheese sandwich. The paté did not disappoint and combined with brie cheese it was a cybarite’s dream and at a reasonable cost. We went back later and had Salmon au Champagne and took home a light and dark chocolate mousse cake which lasted about two hours.

Situated across the street from the train station, La Provence held its own in this place surrounded by so much history. A touch of France in the middle of an English story.

We spent time looking out the large windows watching the people go by and commenting on the incredible diversity of people coming and going. We were tempted to sit at the tables outside under the canopy, but it was hot and it was much better to look out at those sitting outside from an air conditioned space.

We would return to La Provence in a heart-beat and will remember the food for a good long time.
We can recommend La Provence without hesitation or reservations.

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______________________________________________________________

Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

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Introducing the Philippa Schuyler Committee

August 12th, 2010

Ed Note: The Bettina Network, inc. is one of the organizations supporting this committee. If you are interested in working on this project-contributing-knowing more about it, please call or email Marceline Donaldson at bettinanetwork@comcast.net.

A committee has formed and started its work of research and remembering, to bring back to public consciousness and its proper place in the world’s history – the enormous talent and sheer brilliance of Philippa Schuyler.

Ms. Schuyler was a child prodigy, who was known the world over as a great composer and pianist. She played for kings and queens; heads of state; emperors and their subjects; and ordinary folks like us. She played major concerts in South America, Asia, many countries in Africa, Europe, Scandinavia, – she played in just about every country in the world. Her concerts were always filled to capacity and people gathered to see Philippa wherever she travelled. Ms. Schuyler lived from 1931-1967.

The daughter of George Schuyler, editor and publisher of the Pittsburgh Courier and Josephine Cogswell Schuyer, artist, – Philippa was recognized as extremely talented and a young genius by the time she was three years old. She composed over 200 pieces and very early on, critics compared her to a young Mozart.

In addition to her life as a composer and concert pianist, Ms. Schuyler was also a journalist. She followed in her fathers foot-steps with investigative reporting pieces which she researched and wrote, while travelling to play concerts in different places. One well known article written by Philippa was her report on the death of Patrice Lumumba. Because it was a controversial piece and other media outlets did not believe what she wrote was factual, the only paper which published this article,at the time, was the Union Leader of New Hampshire. William Loeb, then publisher of the Union Leader was a friend of George Schuyler and he was a fan and friend of Philippa’s. Mr. Loeb gambled, that from what he knew of the family, the article was accurate. The controversy died out when the State Department, some seven months later, came out with the results of its investigation. Philippa’s article was very accurate as to the details of Lumumba’s death and the articles published and accepted by other media as a description of how Lumumba died, were wrong. Several media outlets had to backtrack and apologize for their misinformation – several didn’t bother, just kept going and printed the accurate version without acknowledging their mistakes.

Philippa was killed in Vietnam in 1967. She was there to play concerts for the United States’ troops. After her concerts she helped Catholic Charities move Vietnamese orphans to places where they could receive care. And in the midst of all this activity, Philippa wrote several articles on the war, as she experienced it and as the many contacts she had in the country gave her information that at the time was not accessible to others. If you would like to know more about how Philippa died in Vietnam you can read the record of the Congressional investigation into her death, which goes into detail.

One goal of the Schuyler Committee is to re-introduce Philippa Schuylers’ music to symphony orchestras around the United States and to performing musicians to have them add her music to their repertoires. Music Ms. Schuyler composed was played, before her death, by the New York Philharmonic and several other major symphony orchestras. These concerts showcased and acknowledged Philippa’s musical genius.

Today, through the efforts of the Schuyler Committee, Philippa’s music will become a regular part of classical concerts. The Committee is also encouraging musicians to transcribe her music for their instruments so it can be performed by a wider variety of people on their concert programs.

Another goal, as a permanent legacy, the Schuyler Committee will also bring together a symphony orchestra which will remain after this project is finished. This orchestra will be a very diverse group of people of all colors and from all parts of the country. It will have traits and repertoire reminiscent of current symphony orchestras, but it will also incorporate the classical music of Africa, African Americans, South Americans, Caribbeans, Middle Easterners, etc. There will be every shade and kind of person in the orchestra. It will not be an example of nor affected by the still and continuing colonialization of classical music which has existed and continues to exist, but it will be what we hope is a stunning example of reproducing – live and in recordings – the music the world has and will produce.

It is clear such a symphony orchestra is possible and it is equally clear there are excellent musicians available to carry it off. That will be the legacy of the Schuyler Committee when it goes out of business.

The Committee operates as a network, not as another organization one joins. The work of the committee is taken up by those who find it is something they can do and have the talent and resources to accomplish.

The new symphony orchestra is a very fitting end-result of the Schuyler Committee since Philippa’s struggle all of her life was for her music to be heard as the music she produced, not as music produced by a “Negro” – which was the term of her time. Remembering that she played every place except for White America and Northern Europe and England until she attempted to change her identity to something other than “Negro” – at which time her geograpical concertizing expanded to include the above areas. Before that change of identity she was stymied and appeared in the United States mostly in front of African American audiences and in the rest of the world she concertized in Africa, the Middle East, South America, etc.

To hear an internet radio interview on Philippa Schuyler and this committee try www.artistfirst.com
Click on the picture of Dr. Faye Williams and it will take you to the archives. In the archives is the radio interview.

Members of the Schuyler Committee currently include:

Ann Bennett, Independent Film Professional – New York, N. Y.
The Rev. Dr. Robert Bennett – retired Episcopal clergy – Cambridge, MA
Stanford J. Carter, mentor 100 Black men in America – DeQuincy, LA.
Amb. Harold E. Doley, Jr. – founder and Chairman Emeritus, Doley Securities – Irvington, N. Y.
Marceline Donaldson, entrepreneur – Cambridge, MA.
Walter J. Foley, Executive Director, Trinity Fund Raising Consultants of L.I. – Walpole, MA.
Ruth Hill – Oral History Coordinator, Schlesinger Library/Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
Annette LeBlanc – International Trader – Takoma Park, MD
Dr. Robert Perry – physics teacher – New Orleans, LA.
Regina Reed, Realtor – Minnetonka, MN.
The Rev. George Thomas, retired Congregational (UCC) clergy – Atlanta, GA.
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. – National Chair, National Congress of Black Women, inc. – Washington, D. C.
Charles Wynder, Jr. – attorney and seminarian, Cambridge, MA.
Bethany Dickerson Wynder – program director, Phelps Stokes, Cambridge, MA.

questions or for more information: contact Marceline Donaldson 1-800-347-9166 or outside the U. S. 617 497 9166
email: bettinanetwork@comcast.net

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Learn More About How We Use Your Donation!

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______________________________________________________________

Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE try www.bettina-network.com

 

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I tried Bettina’s Coconut Cake

August 11th, 2010

THIS WAS SENT TO US BY A VERY LOYAL GUEST. SOMEONE WHO HAS USED THE BETTINA NETWORK FOR OVER 10 YEARS. WE ARE DELIGHTED SHE IS NOW FOLLOWING US ON BETTINA’s BLOG.

The cake was stupendous. I had requests for cakes from everyone I know. That’s not a good thing because I am not a bakery and am so busy I don’t know how I found the time to bake the Bettina’s Coconut Cake.

I learned a little when making this cake that I would like to share with you. The greatness of this cake, for me, is the icing. I have been trying to make a good butter cream icing and haven’t been able to get it right. This recipe did it for me.

I used one cup organic turbinado sugar in a Corning glass saucepan with one cup water. I heated this until it reached 240 degrees – following your directions. When it got close, I put three egg whites into a mixer and let it go until the egg whites were stiff. I then poured the hot simple syrup into the egg whites and let it beat until it looked like the marshmallows I tried from your recipes. That was great. Then I added three sticks of organic lightly salted butter – (I used Organic Valley), putting in one small pat at a time. After about 15 minutes of letting the mixer beat at almost high speed I had the best butter cream icing I have ever tasted. I worried when I started about how much butter I would use and didn’t want to use a couple pounds which other recipes call for. I decided the number of sticks of butter I would use would equal the number of egg whites. I have no logic for that decision, it just popped in my head because I didn’t want to spend any more money on this cake. A huge investment in butter seemed a waste.

I was a bit worried because when I saw the icing look like liquid again I was panic stricken, but kept my ground because I didn’t want to use anymore butter.

The texture and taste of this butter cream is unbelievable. When put on the 1-2-3-4 cake the combination was shameful it was so good. The cake lasted about an hour. Oh! I also put powdered organic vanilla powder – one teaspoon – in the icing. You recommended that several blogs ago and I experimented with it because I don’t particularly like the vanilla extract which seems to be held together by alcohol.

I am going to use your cake recipe for every cake I make. It beats those boxed cakes and doesn’t take that much more time to make, especially compared to the difference in the results. One can forget how good a cake made from scratch can taste and how easy it is to make.

I love the way the organic coconut milk adds something to the cake that you can’t quite put your finger on and we all now know that Coconut Milk, etc. is exceptionally healthy. I’ve thrown out my cooking oils and cook exclusively with Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. The smell and taste it adds is great.

Thanks! Keep those recipe’s coming. I will probably lose my job if I spend anymore time in the kitchen, but the results would be worth it. Your recipe’s are dynamite. Of course, then you would have to give me a job working in your test kitchen – if you have one. Something you are doing is turning out these great dishes.

A VERY LOYAL GUEST AND BLOG READER. (PLEASE DON’T USE MY NAME).

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Posted in Bettina's Cookbook, Guest comments, Making Connections | No Comments »

Looking for a different and interesting JOB?

July 21st, 2010

Waltham Land Trust
July 18, 2010
Dear Friend,

The Waltham Land Trust is looking for a Program Director for our all-volunteer orgranization. This person will provide fundraising and general operations support to our Board of Directors. A detailed job description follows and is also located at www.walthamlandtrust.org/.

If you are interested, or if you know someone who might be interested in this exciting opportunity, please share this information with them. A cover letter and resume need to be emailed to resumes@walthamlandtrust.org by July 31.

Job Description

The Waltham Land Trust, a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation in Waltham, Massachusetts is seeking an independent contractor to serve as Program Director for this all-volunteer organization
.
Overview:

The position of Program Director is designed to provide fundraising and general operations support to the Board of Directors. This independent contractor position has flexible hours, but the engagement is for approximately 1500 hours a year with a stipend of approximately $35,000. The Program Director must be available evenings and some weekends for committee meetings and events.

Duties and Responsibilities:
I. Membership – Support expansion and tracking of the membership through recruitment of new members, creation of membership programs (educational events, walks, trailblazing and similar activities), maintenance of member and donor databases, support of newsletter production and regular communication with members, donors and community groups.

II. Volunteer Coordination – Organize and work with Land Trust committees and volunteer groups in making presentations, organizing educational events, walks, open space clean-up projects and similar activities.

III. Fundraising – Assist the board in implementing the fundraising plan by researching and writing grants, preparing solicitations and acknowledgements, organizing special events and other funding strategies and tasks.

IV. Administrative – Provide general support to the Board of Directors and committees by serving as the primary liaison for the organization and by processing contributions, maintaining the website, and managing daily phone and e-mail messages. Maintain the WLT office, equipment and files; order supplies, and perform related administrative tasks.

V. Any other agreed duties.

The land trust is looking for a person who demonstrates the following skills and attributes:

Outstanding organizational skills, strong oral and written communication skills, and excellent interpersonal skills;
Technological skills:
Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel, on Mac or Windows;
Proficiency with email, the primary communication tool of the organization;
Desirable: familiarity with Constant Contact or other email group broadcasting services, Adobe InDesign or other page layout software, Filemaker Pro or other database software, Plone or other CMS/Portal web content creation and editing, and ArcView or other GIS mapping software;
Ability to walk on trails, lift a weight of 15-20 pounds, drive to program locations in Waltham and elsewhere in New England;
Ability to balance competing priorities and deadlines;
Works well independently, is a self-starter able to handle multiple tasks;
Reliability and flexibility;
Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues;

Please send cover letter and resume via email by July 31st: resumes@walthamlandtrust.org

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Posted in Making Connections | No Comments »

In Memory of Jaki Leverson – An email response.

July 14th, 2010

Dear Bettina,

my name is xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx. I was a student of Jaki Leverson’s in the Tufts-in-London program in 1983-84. I just learned that she died and am full of sadness. I remained in touch with Jaki ever since college and visited her in London every couple of years. I last saw her in August 2008. Jaki was one of the most decent, kind people I’ve ever known. Her dedication to her work and to her students was incredible. And as you said, she was a true citizen of the world. I will miss her.

Sincerely,
xxxxxxxxxxxx

ed note: The above email was received by us 7/12/2010 and we wanted to share it with you, our readers. Per our policy, the name of the person sending the email is not included.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

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Posted in Jaki Leverson, Making Connections, Memorials, Reader Feedback | No Comments »

Harvest Restaurant

July 13th, 2010

copyright the Bettina Network, inc. 2010

44 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA. 02138
617 868 2255

Hours: Mon-Th 12pm-10pm
Fri-Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 11:30am-10pm

We were roaming around Concord, MA., went into a beautiful modern art gallery and heard about the Harvest Restaurant’s history. The person in the store lived in Cambridge, once upon a time, and her husband worked at the Harvest so we got an earful. We were on our way to reviewing another restaurant, but after that conversation, which was fantastic with lots of history we didn’t know, we decided to stop in for lunch and maybe dinner to take another look at the Harvest Restaurant in Cambridge.

The history was intriguing. Many of the ‘greats’ in the restaurant world in Cambridge/Boston started out at the Harvest Restaurant or worked there at some point in their career. The Harvest and Design Resource – a great place to shop, once upon a time – were connected by the same ownership and we had just enjoyed the retrospective display in the window of the old Design Resource while it waited for a new store to open. The Marimekko fabrics and other items once considered consumer items, now in the area called art were beautifully presented.

Lydia Shire, Chris Shlesinger, and we heard, but couldn’t verify that even Jasper White worked at the Harvest. We couldn’t verify any of the stories we heard because we called the Harvest’s PR person, who was in a hurry and didn’t have time to talk with us. We asked our questions, she promised she would send info on the Harvest’s history – weeks ago. We are still waiting for either a return phone call or marketing information.

That is symbolic of our entire experience.

Our first trip to the Harvest was for lunch on a week day. The restaurant was only about 1/3 full. We were happy about that. Service would be great, no crowds with which to contend, no running out of dishes on the menu, etc.

When we walked in we were confronted with large flower arrangements, which were exquisite, but looked as though the florist had just arrived and put them wherever there was space – pushing some things out of the way to make room for the flowers. That was disappointing. The Harvest would have looked better without the flowers. Someone’s aesthetic sense is missing.

We looked at the menu and looked and looked and looked. It was hard deciding what to order, because nothing really struck us as great for lunch. I came from a place which cooks great rabbit, but somehow Bacon Wrapped Rabbit Leg with grilled nectarine foie gras stuffing just didn’t do it. My food memories growing-up include foie gras and great bread for breakfast and an even greater foie gras for dinner or a late evening snack. The thought of eating a grilled nectarine foie gras – stuffed into a rabbits leg which was wrapped with bacon, just spoiled all those memories so I bypassed that item.

After taking a long time to decide we settled on hamburgers. Going to an upscale restaurant for fast food was just debilitating. There were three of us and we all settled on the hamburgers for lack of being enticed by anything else. The hamburgers were a forced selection, – since we were there we had to choose something. It was not a choice we jumped for joy about.

When the food arrived, it was disappointing! The burger was alright; the aioli good; there were huge proportions; the fries were good; the bread not so great; way to much raw onion – a huge thick slice of raw red onion on the sandwich overpowered everything else. Since we had a meeting to go to after lunch and didn’t want to run everybody out of the room with our after lunch bodily smells, we took the onion off the sandwich. A smaller, thinner slice might have held its own, but this was way over the wrong top.

For an upscale restaurant, it was a decidedly downscale meal. The service was more than adequate, but the wait people were totally lacking in energy. I wondered if they would make it through the meal.

We were bothered by flies throughout our meal and we chose to sit inside so we wouldn’t have to worry about the insects. A fly settled in the rim of the glass at the empty table next to us and stayed there for over an hour. Could that be why many restaurants turn their glasses upside down once a table has been set? – to keep tiny, unwanted intruders out of the crystal and off the porcelain? It was more than a little upsetting to have to battle flies, but we weren’t excited about the food anyway so we skipped dessert, ignored the coffee and left most of the food uneaten.

Because the room was not full the table arrangements didn’t bother us. If it had been filled we would have left before ordering. Somehow, we didn’t expect to see tables lined up along the wall – one table after another, where you would probably elbow your neighbor at the next table before the end of the meal because there wasn’t room to eat with any sense of privacy and distance from others trying to do the same thing. Stuff another table along the wall and push them all closer together to accommodate the extra service for another party – seemed to be the ethos!

All in all – too much money – for a forced upscale-wanna-be menu. One choice we skipped over was a Burgundy Escargot Tart with Chorizo Butter. We wondered what Chorizo butter would do to the Escargot – a delicate taste mixed with – what – butter whipped with chorizo sausage? It sounded greasy, unappetizing and we just couldn’t imagine ordering it.

Would we return? Uh-Uh! We did, however, for dinner – to make sure we weren’t judging on just one visit where things could have been a bit off that day. Dinner wasn’t any better. Especially since NOTHING was organic. The only item close was the “natural” Boyden Farm Vermont Burger. For the same money they could have made that burger an Organic one.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Posted in Making Connections, Restaurant Review | No Comments »

Searching for Goats MILK!

July 8th, 2010

We are searching for Organic Whole Raw Goats Milk Kefir! If we can’t find the Organic Whole Raw Goats Milk Kefir – if you know of a source for Organic Whole Raw Goats Milk let us know that to – we will make our own Kefir.

We have received lots of mail about one of our bed & breakfast home’s morning Smoothie Drink which is available to their bed and breakfast guests as an addition to or instead of the regular breakfasts they prepare. We would like to make the recipe and information available on the Blog, but sources for the Goats Milk are impossible to find – except in the most hidden places. What country is this? A democracy? Or has our open government been replaced with a dictatorship when we weren’t looking?

Don’t know why those foods that are best for us are the hardest to find? Are we being marketed and programmed into sickness and problem health issues?

The smoothie made with Organic Raw Goats’ Milk Kefir is getting rave reviews from some of our guests. One guest credits it with getting rid of his “pot belly” which he cultivated by drinking beer and which exercise did nothing to flatten.

The recipe:

Put the following in a blender –
1 cup organic raw whole goat’s milk kefir
Add a frozen packet of your favorite organic fruit – blackberries, pinneapple, cherries, strawberries, etc.
Add one organic banana – very ripe
Add organic maple syrup to taste

If you like your smoothie very cold and a little like a soft ice cream add about 4 ice cubes
If you prefer your smoothie more liquid, don’t add the ice cubes and you will get a wonderful thick drink.

Blend for several minutes – depending upon how you want the outcome – experiment until you get your favorite consistency.

We’ve started trying it, but can’t get the proper milk. We are using organic whole milk pasteurized cows milk kefir. Its still good, but not as healthy, nor does it give the kind of results the organic raw whole goat’s milk kefir is giving and we are jealous of the results and frustrated in this search.

At least we can find the organic whole milk – Lifeway is the only label we’ve found selling the organic whole cow’s milk kefir.

I am sure you all know the difference between the whole milk and low fat. We are discovering claims that low fat is what is producing the osteoporosis epidemic. All the research we’ve done and the breakfast discussions we’ve been made aware of talk about the difference and the false bill of goods, particularly women, have been sold thinking low fat milk products will help them control their weight and provide their needed calcium, etc.

Apparently, milk fat and milk protein have to be present in the body at the exact same time and the only way that can happen is if your milk is “whole”. All the unnatural things that are being done to milk is amazing. What ever happened to good, plain, clean milk straight from the animal without all the expensive equipment now needed to produce a bottle of milk to sell to consumers. It certainly has limited who can go into the dairy business and produce the end product – And, especially – who receives the real profit from milk. It looks as though that will not be the farmer with the dairy animals producing the milk. That is only the first step – after which those who make the real profit on milk step in, collect milk from many dairy farmers and up the price beyond anything any dairy farmer could hope to make.

There have been some hot breakfast table discussions about milk lately. We buy organic milk, but hadn’t thought much beyond that. We now have been pushed to look at a lot more and think carefully about this whole topic. There is even a bit of controversy over kefir. Are there 10 or 12 probiotics in Kefir or are there 36 and are we being short changed even in that area?

Bed and breakfast opens doors we didn’t even realize were doors and throws open windows we couldn’t see through. What a startling new view through those windows with the painted glass panes. This milk business is certainly an area that has us dizzy. And it all started with smoothies for breakfast.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Posted in Bettina's Cookbook, Food Shopping, Guest comments, Health, Making Connections, Shopping | No Comments »

A Harp Concert at King’s Chapel

June 22nd, 2010

copyright 2010 the Bettina Network, inc.

(If you would like to know more about King’s Chapel, another Bettina’s Blog reviews King’s Chapel and it is also included in Bettina’s Menu of Events.)

On Tuesday, June 15th at 12:15pm there was a wonderful harp concert in King’s Chapel. The harpist was Franziska Huhn

Her concert included the Ciaccona from J. S. Bach’s Partita in D minor for solo violin (BWV 1004). It was amazing to hear this piece played on the harp. The ciaccona is considered a pinnacle of the solo violin repertoire and has been transcribed for other instruments – the piano, the full orchestra, the guitar, organ and others. Franziska played the Ciaccona brilliantly and set in the background of King’s Chapel the incredible feelings this piece generates came through the harp playing and made the afternoon.

Also included in this concert was Bach’s French Suite no. 5, BWV 816. Written by J. S. Bach for the clavier, Ms. Huhn transcribed these pieces for the harp. I thought I would share with you the musicians thoughts about the French Suite and her transcription.

A lot of movements have melodies based on arpeggios and some on scales, allowing for a sonority that should work well on the harp. I have had the French Suite on my mind since I first read through it in 2000. I thought then it would work beautifully on the harp and finally I decided to sit down and do the transcription.

All of the movements can be played in the original key and all voicings can be left intact. The only movement which proved tricky was the gigue. It has fast moving left hand lines which can easily lose their clarity on the lower register of the harp. That area tends to build up a lot of vibrations and clarity of lines can easily be lost. In Bach, both lines – the melody as well as the bass line – are equally important, so it is critical that the lines are clear. In later periods the melody rules and the left hand is “serving” the right hand, but in Bach they are equal partners. In the gigue, it took several small discrete register changes of the left hand to make sure it could be heard clearly.

Overall, the character of the Suite is very intimate and personal. It is not a large showy piece, which is one reason I love to play it and thoroughly enjoyed transcribing it for the harp. In this concert, it was a great contrast to the much more extroverted style of the Chaconne.

Ms. Huhn is a rising young musician who has an international resumé of concerts performed throughout the United States as well as Poland, Turkey, Georgia, Luthuania, Norway, Russia, Syria, Germany, Pakistan and more with several concerts performed for German Presidents – both Johannes Rau and Horst Koehler. Ms. Huhn performs as a substitute harpist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, plays regularly with several chamber groups and studied with both Lucille Lawrence and Ann Hobson Pilot, among others. She serves as harp faculty at the New England Conservatory and Longy School of Music, received the Artists’s Diploma from the Conservatory in 2005 and has several harp albums available for purchase. She is the Assistant Director of the Harp Seminar at Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute and the above is only a partial list of Ms. Huhn’s musical accomplishments. We know you will hear a lot about Ms. Huhn in the future and hope you take the opportunity to hear her play when she appears in your area of the world or when you are travelling to where Ms. Huhn is performing.

If you would like to follow Ms. Huhn’s career you will find her on the web at www.FranziskaHuhn.de.

She is also an important part of the Bettina Network, inc. and has been for over a decade.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Posted in Guest comments and talents, Making Connections, Review of Local Attraction | No Comments »

Good News in New Orleans

June 19th, 2010

copyright 2010 The Bettina Network, inc.
sent by a guest

There are many catastrophes in the Gulf these days. Most of the news emanating therefrom is dismal and seems as though the place is falling apart. This news, however, is good and may help the light to shine through and the creation of a new and better day for New Orleans. New Orleans has a new Labyrinth. It is beautiful; well sited; and wonderful to walk.

check out: www.labyrinthataudubonpark.org

“Purpose of the labyrinth
The Labyrinth at Audubon Park has been waiting for its own timing and purpose and that purpose has now become clear, particularly as New Orleans is consumed by the gutting of homes, the rebuilding of levees and the removing of debris from many neighborhoods. The labyrinth stands as a symbol of hope and will offer the New Orleans community a place to heal, to walk together, and to celebrate new life.

Who did this?
The labyrinth has been a five-year collaborative effort of the Audubon Nature Institute and The Friends of The Labyrinth at Audubon Park. One of America’s most well-known creators of labyrinths, Marty Kermeen of Labyrinths in Stone, was commissioned to construct it in Audubon Park.

Where
The permanent labyrinth is located among the oak and sycamore trees on Audubon Park’s East Drive where Laurel Street meets Audubon Park near the Tree of Life. View map

Walking the Labyrinth
The labyrinth’s archetypal symbol of the spiral is the universal representation of transformation. The labyrinth is a tool that provides a sacred place for meditation, centering, and healing. A labyrinth is a walking meditation. All people and all cultures are invited to journey along the labyrinth. As in life, you will encounter many turns. Trust the path. There is no right or wrong way to walk a labyrinth. There are no tricks or decisions, just follow the single path, one foot in front of the other, until you reach the center. Return along that same path.

Our thanks for this bit of heaven on earth goes to: The Friends of The Labyrinth at Audubon Park
They are a non-profit organization whose mission is to build and support the first permanent labyrinth for the New Orleans community. The Friends are also active in projects to educate the public about the history of the ancient labyrinth and to raise awareness about the resurgence of the labyrinth as a meditative and spiritual tool.”

(Ed. Note) Most of the above in quotes was taken directly from the New Orleans Labyrinth’s web site.

Our thanks for letting us know about this new Labyrinth goes to Anne Gordon, whose book – “Numina” will soon be followed by another on Trees. We hope you have purchased a copy and have read through. When you have finished reading “Numina” you know you have been changed, but you aren’t sure what happened. It is a very good life experience.

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Learn More About How We Use Your Donation!

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Posted in Guest comments, Labyrinth | No Comments »

In Memory of Jaki Leverson

June 9th, 2010

.
May 28, 2010, Jaki Leverson died.

There is much joy in bed and breakfast, much happiness, laughter, sharing, but there is also grief and pain.

Jaki Leverson was a guest in our homes from 1990 until she could no longer travel from London to the United States in 2008. We kept in touch via e-mail and messages from friends of Jaki’s who travelled to Boston and stayed with us at her recommendation. Even though we realized she was quite ill, we put aside the possibility of not seeing her again and kept her in our prayers.

It is very difficult to say good-bye to someone you’ve known for many years. It is saying goodbye to a very good friend. Twice a year, for two weeks, from 1990 through 2007, we spent many memorable breakfasts with Jaki and sometimes dinner. Some of you who read the blog to keep up with what’s happening in the Bettina Network may remember Jaki. She crossed paths with many guests while she was here and several of you have asked about her over the past couple years.

Jaki shared many stories with us around the breakfast table. One that stands out was the story of her trip to Spain. She was travelling with a group in Youth Hostels. At one hostel, the people weren’t giving them any “respect”. They couldn’t get any information, couldn’t get clean sheets, soap, some parts of the hostel needed a good scrubbing and Jaki tried to get attention to these things for her group, without success. Our breakfast table conversation had been about Germans who take no nonsense and insist on everything being just so – the mythological perfection of the German traveller. Jaki had not been enamored when meeting Germans in her travel who were insistent on perfection, they seemed such a nuisance. But during this trip to Spain, after her many failed attempts, into the hostel came a very matronly, Germanic woman with her group and she took over. Jaki said she was never so glad to see anyone as she was to see this woman from Germany, who in short order had clean sheets on the beds, soap in proper dispensers, workers at the hostel scrubbing everything and order reigning.

Jaki’s big concern, when in Cambridge, was for her mother, whom she worried and talked about. Her experiences from childhood and her current times with her mother were joyful. She expected to take care of her mother through the end of her mother’s life, but fate had it otherwise. She is now survived by her mother. For as long as her mother lives, we are sure Jaki’s spirit will always be close to her. Jaki’s regular routine, almost daily, was the telephone call from her mother – which generally came about breakfast time. The love and concern they had for each other stands out for us as a bond that endures.

Jaki was the long-time Resident Director of the Tufts-in-London and Tufts-in-Oxford programs. She was a scholar in International Politics and History, with a BSc from University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and an M.Litt at Linacre College, University of Oxford. She taught at Oxford, Cambridge and the American Institute for Foreign Study prior to her appointment at Tufts University. She also worked in Israel, Italy and Japan at various points in her career. She was truly a citizen of the world and it showed in her life – her interests, her wisdom, her experience and the way she was able to interact with everyone.

We will miss you Jaki Leverson. May God’s love permeate your new life. You will be remembered at Bettina’s for years to come and I am sure you know there will be Jaki stories told around the breakfast table.

_________________________________________________________-

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______________________________________________________________

Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

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Posted in Making Connections, Preserving Family History and Stories | No Comments »

Soap for Leg Cramps

June 6th, 2010

copyright 2010 The Bettina Network, inc.
by Marceline Donaldson

We have had interesting guests who have given us much over breakfast. Our knowledge and wisdom has increased exponentially. I don’t know of any school, degree, or learning center of any kind which is better. This mornings breakfast, however, left us amazed – and don’t you know it had a New Orleans connection.

We had a guest who asked for a bar of soap. We do get such requests every once in awhile, but generally from people who are not accustomed to using the organic liquid soap we provide in the bathrooms. This requesst for soap was different. This guest – with Mobile, Alabama connections – needed a bar of soap because he has leg cramps and is accustomed to putting a bar of soap under the bottom sheet so he can sleep without leg cramps bothering him.

Now I believe in this kind of ‘medicine’, however this was a bit much, even for me. So I did a bit of research and found several new sources of information.

If you have leg cramps and want to try it, it is supposed to work with all soaps except Dove and Dial. No one knows why it works nor why it does not work with those two bars of soap. Since we gave him a bar of Dove soap – we put a bar of Irish Spring soap in his room while he was out so he wouldn’t have to spend a night with leg cramps.

We discovered a new source of information you might like to check out. This information is on the web at AskDrGottMD.com. We have reprinted below what Dr. Gott had to say about nocturnal leg cramps.

DEAR READER: Since I first published this remedy for nocturnal leg cramps, I have received dozens of letters from readers who endorsed this novel approach.

Recently, I also received mail from patients with restless legs syndrome, a serious and uncomfortable disorder of unknown cause. These RLS patients have had success with the soap.

Although it would be irresponsible of me to endorse this as a cure for RLS, the initial responses have been overwhelming. I’ll update you in a future column as I receive more feedback from readers.

To review the technique briefly for people who may have missed previous columns, here is what to do: Take a bar of soap (large or small, new or used, but no Dial or Dove) and place it under the bottom sheet of the bed in the area of the feet and legs. Go to sleep and see what happens. If you sleep, undisturbed by leg cramps or RLS for a full night, let me know. Of course, write me if the technique is ineffective. I’m looking for honest and objective analyses.

Of course, Dr. Gott has a New Orleans connection – his medical degree is from Tulane Medical School. Before you think any other thoughts, he meets the Northeastern Establishments criteria for credibility by also being a graduate of Princeton University. He writes several medical columns and you can get many of his past articles and columns through his web site and several other sites – just Google or Yahoo Dr. Peter H. Gott and see what turns up.

I was a little wary of this advice because the couple claimed at breakfast that Mardi Gras first happened in Mobile, Alabama before Mobile folks brought it to New Orleans. Now that is rumor spreading that we have very little patience for so I was all ready to throw out this soap business, until I realized I should put aside my prejudices and listen, thereby learning a lot.

See: AskDrGott.com His His daily column has been syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association since 1984. Via postal mail Dr. Peter Gott, P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039.

In this bed and breakfast business you never know what tomorrow will bring or who will cross the sill of your door bringing information you didn’t know you needed or that existed and we thank God for it every single day.

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Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

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Posted in Guest comments, Health, Making Connections | No Comments »

Mosquitos and Vitamin B1

May 29th, 2010

copyright 2010 The Bettina Network, inc.

We talked about many remedies for mosquitoes at breakfast this morning. The one we all decided to try is Vitamin B1. This conversation took over breakfast because my beautiful garden can’t be enjoyed without enduring mosquito bites and everyone was scratching from spending time outside.

One of our bed & breakfast guests gave her children Vitamin B1 before they went out to play. She didn’t believe in mosquito repellants. Since her children are all grown and have families of their own, this remedy must have been around for quite awhile. She didn’t ever use mosquito repellants because she thought they were probably harmful over the long term. The rest of us were amazed at the thought that something so simple, healthy and readily available could be used to repel mosquitoes.

The table pretty much divided into pro-mosquito repellant people and anti-mosquito repellant people.

I tried it and within 1/2 hour my skin had this slight mosquito repellant smell to it. Going out into the garden I was not bothered my mosquitoes for the rest of the day as I spent my time weeding, and spreading compost. Hope it helps Bettina Blog readers.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

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IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

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Posted in Health, Making Connections, Who are the Bettina Families | No Comments »

Red Tea – Po Er

May 27th, 2010

copyright 2010 The Bettina Network, inc.

We had a magnificent tea, made and served at breakfast by a bed & breakfast guest. It was an incredible experience and we wanted to share it with you. The guests carry the makings for this tea in a special box wherever they travel. The tea itself looked like a sheet of dark green paper and they cut the tip of the square of this ‘tea sheet’ and it made a huge pot of tea. So much for our tea bags, which make one cup.

INGREDIENTS:

5 Chrysanthemums (they used dried)

5 rose buds (also dried, but you could use fresh flowers if they have not been sprayed, etc.)

Tibetan red flower (small amount – they used two pieces)

Ling chi (mushroom chopped in pieces)

Tea (red, green, black, white – any kind)

Pour hot water over all and let this sit for 15 minutes

Add milk – honey – and drink.

Enjoy this unusual treat.

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Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

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IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

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Posted in Bettina's Cookbook, Making Connections | No Comments »

Grits, Shrimp and Greens

May 25th, 2010

copyright 2010 The Bettina Network, inc.

We combined two recipe’s from two different guests who told us one way they make grits. Both are from the deep south – one from Mississippi, one from Tennessee. We think, in this combination, we have found an outstanding way to make grits.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups organic yellow grits (we prefer Arrowhead Mills)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper – I would not add salt to this. Save your himalayan salt for
guests to add according to their tastes.

6 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth or any kind of broth you make and keep for cooking or
some of the soup you keep in the refrigerator and add to periodically.

Collard greens, spinach or any other kind of chopped greens.

One nice-sized organic yellow onion, chopped fine.

2 1/2 cups Parmesan Reggiano Cheese – nothing else tastes quite the same

One recipe calls for 1 cup cooked bacon. One recipe calls for a couple cups of raw chopped
shrimp. We would give you another alternative – wild caught raw bay scallops. If you feel
particularly flushed with money a really spectacular grits dish would combine all three –
bacon, shrimp and scallops.

PROCESS

Put cream and broth or cream and milk (which can be substituted for broth), in a glass pot and bring it to a boil. Add grits while whirling the milk with a wire whisk so you avoid lumps.

Put greens and chopped onion in the broth/milk/grits and stir the liquids from time to time.

Add cayenne pepper, cheese, raw shrimp and whatever else you decide to put in the grits.
Constantly stir to keep from getting lumps until you are happy the grits is on its way to cooking nicely on its own.

Pour into a greased baking dish and sprinkle with the bacon (if you decided to use bacon), and extra cheese to make the top nicely browned and bubbly.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

We owe a huge thank you to Marilee and Sherry. They haven’t met, but their grits recipes have combined to make a superb breakfast dish.

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______________________________________________________________

Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Posted in Bettina's Cookbook, Making Connections | No Comments »

A New House in the Bettina Network

May 11th, 2010

copyright 2010 The Bettina Network, inc.

In CONCORD, MA. – This home is for all of you who love American history and want to explore some of its beginnings and important early events. Not to mention those who love music, outdoor activities, small festivals with meaning, historical sites, really old homes and especially those looking for a bucolic-quiet-pastoral-retreat getaway.

This “new” home to the Bettina Network dates back to the 18th century. It has all the modern conveniences, but the home, as it was originally built, is still intact. There are many fireplaces in this home, which have not been fancied-up and ruined – they work and are wonderful to sit in front of during those cold, snowy, wintry days. Breakfast, with bread baked from scratch, home-made yogurt, granola and more keep you enjoying your stay and particularly appreciating the family and how they extend themselves for you.

If you love walking around and looking at construction from the 18th century; in a home with old beams and floors in tact; BUT you also want your Wireless, your satellite TV and your modern bath; – AND you enjoy having breakfast at a table facing a large picture window where you can look out over a garden with birds and other small animals frolicking, eating, playing – this is the ideal place for you.

Have you thought of visiting Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, the Old Manse, North Bridge, Orchard House, Wayside Minuteman National Historical Park, Estabrook Woods – stop thinking about it and make reservations to stay where it will take only minutes for you to reach so many wonderful places full of national memories and historical events. You will still be only 20 miles from Boston/Cambridge and a short drive to the highway to take you to the ‘city’. You can hike, bike, boat, fish, skate, go horseback riding, visit and swim in Walden Pond. In winter you can go snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and in any season sit outside your room on the grass where you can read Henry David Thoreau’s Novel “Walden, Or, Life in the Woods” in authentic territory.

It is also a place to have a lovely wedding, birthday party, anniversary celebration or small meeting. A colonial farmhouse – furnished in a style which maintains the integrity of its origins. It is full of music, a grand piano and other instruments. To the musicians among us – avoid those anxiety attacks, don’t stay where you are away from your music, stay where you have a small vacation from your music, but access to other musicians, musical events and music lessons which you can give or take.

What more can we say!!!!!!!! It is a Bettina home with an authentic Bettina family.

Call us for more information and to make reservation.

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______________________________________________________________

Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK ACCOMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!

1-800-347-9166 inside the U. S. or 617 497 9166 outside or inside the U. S.

Posted in A new home in the Bettina Network, Bettina Network Info, Who are the Bettina Families | No Comments »

A Memorial to "Brother Blue"

May 9th, 2010

Copyright 2010 The Bettina Network, inc.

We spent Saturday at a memorial service to Brother Blue – Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill. I say “we spent Saturday” because it started about noon and went on until about 4pm. At no time during those four hours did you want to leave. There were several hundred people present, coming from far and near – Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas, Canada, California – to name a few places of which we were aware.

Ruth Hill, Brother Blue’s wife, organized a remembrance of her husband which will last in memory as long as Hugh lasts in memory.

Some of you, who frequented Harvard Square, may remember Brother Blue. He was the “Character” dressed in blue, preaching, praising, storytelling, making you feel special as one of God’s chosen. When he raised his hand to welcome you showing you his palm, on which a beautiful butterfly had been painted, letting God’s blessings fly out to greet you – it was his version of the open, giving hand.

The service started with a procession into St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Boston which set the tone and called Brother Blue back for this performance in his honor. Tejo Ologboni, drummer, led the procession. He is amazing performing by himself, but leading this procession it was as though the roof lifted off the Cathedral, light shone in and the colorful Butterfly Puppets appeared following Ologboni. Their wings moved as butterfly wings move, their faces were bright and lit up with smiles that woke those in the congregation who Tejo Ologboni hadn’t yet touched – if such existed.

Memorial services tend to be beautiful, sad, very tearful with much longing and regret from missed opportunities hanging in the air, during and after. This one started with incredible light, color, shouts of joy, drums and more.

It was the first time I saw Brother Blue in the context of his community and it was glorious to see! We mostly saw him with Ruth, his wife, by his side telling stories, exorting, praising and calling those who passed by to be their best selves. In the context of his community you understood, finally, who Blue was and what his life had been about. “…I see through a mirror dimly, but then face to face…” could characterize this event.

A very long succession of people brought their talents and their being to pay tribute to Brother Blue.
Warren Senders – composer/musician from New England Conservatory composed, sang and got the audience caught up, with great gusto, in the chorus to his song which went:

“My brother Blue, My Brother Blue,
he was the kindest man I ever knew
he took your light and shined it back on you!”

The politicians were there and they normally dampen down any event they attend. These politicians must have been carefully chosen because they added to the remembrance and took it to a higher plane – Charles Yancey from the Boston City Council – who made us remember that Blue was the Official Storyteller of Boston, Alice Wolf from the MA. House of Representatives reminded us that he was also the Official Storyteller of Cambridge and had received many other honors as well; Kenneth Reeves from the Cambridge City Council; Byron Rushing also from the MA. House of Representatives who reminded us that we are in Blue’s story because he put us there and then he insisted on our being in everyone else’s story. Steven Tolman from the MA Senate said what Blue meant to him and the affect he had on Tolmans running for the Senate.

Blue was a storyteller, preacher, prophesied, danced, entertained. He had several mantras – one “The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love and to be loved in return.” And he clearly spoke that from a marriage which was an example of love and love returned.

A powerful performance was by Wendy Jehlen, dancer/Choreographer, Director Anikai Dance. The music to which she danced was a recording of Brother Blue’s breath. It was very moving and magnificent. Once you die, the one physical thing you no longer have is your breath – one thing you can no longer do is breathe. Your body begins to deteriorate because the breath which circulates the oxygen to keep you moving and living is gone. For a few very exquisite moments, Ms. Jehlen brought back Brother Blue’s breath and breathing.

Those gathered to remember Blue in the Cambridge/Boston area were the most truly diverse group I have ever seen in that area. When you die, your funeral and your memorial service say much about how you lived. As I looked around the Cathedral and saw the great diversity of people there to remember Brother Blue, it was a testament to his life. White, Black, Asian, Indian (both East and American), very prominent citizens, those who were clearly living on the edge, in various kinds of dress and comfortable in their clothes. And it was a group of people who lingered and talked in groups at the end of the remembrance and went from group to group even talking to those they did not know in a joyful, light-infused, animated conversation. A rare occurrence in this world.

Byron Rushing reminded us that one form of Brother Blues dialogue was “Praise Poetry” which came from Africa and was meant to authenticate who you are – not who the speaker is! Many spoke on the effect Blue had on them when they were in his audience. Rushing spoke on the effect it had on you when Blue was in your audience. It was a profound testament to the man we were remembering.

With Guy Davis‘ presentation – storyteller, actor, blues musician – there was dancing in the aisle and he was beautiful and extremely talented. Elizabeth Morse‘s harp music was a beautiful meditation which brought us back to the sacred. Ms. Morse is someone Blue asked to accompany him over the years.

Eliot Fisk, classical guitarist, was the final person giving a testament to Blue and it was a musical gem.

I saw, for the first time, the power of the Story. We heard about Dr. Hill’s end time in a rehab facility, which will never be the same again, and it was beautiful because you knew through the story that he didn’t ever lose his humanity or identity or interest in others, nor did he stop blessing others. The story about the “Star Child” – one born prematurely and on the life support systems in which we put some of our children – being told stories by his father with his head pressed against the plexiglass and we heard the father’s promise to continue to tell to bring his child in, the way an air traffic controller brings in an airplane.

It was the remembrance of and homage to a man who made his vulnerabilities into a tower of strength and shared his light and blessings with others. It all ended with a video of Hugh Hill over the years. His voice narrated the message which is one he preached over and over again during his life. It was all done with the background music being different renditions of America the Beautiful.

You left knowing your life had been touched by a truly great human being, who walked this earth in his bare feet and brought goodness, kindness and love to many as you heard story after story of how he so positively affected the lives of literally thousands of people.

Our “Praise Poetry” to Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill comes from his obituary: “Most often known as “Brother Blue” Dr. Hill has degrees from Harvard, Yale and the Union Graduate School…. He wanted his stories to be ‘bread for the mind, the imagination, the heart, the soul. He said, ‘I SOUL my stories out, to speak from the middle of the middle of me to the middle of the middle of you…..’ He presented workshops in prisons, schools, colleges and universities, libraries, and conferences and told stories before countless audiences via radio and television, and in person in streets, parks, and festivals in the U. S. Canada, Europe, South Africa and the Bahamas. Among them were First Night Boston, the World’s Fair in New Orleans, Lincoln Center, Spoleto Festival, United Nations Habitat Forum, yukon Storytelling Festival, the National Storytelling Festival and Sharing the Fire in New England. He received many awards and was storyteller-in-residence for the Harvard Law School’s Saturday School and much more.”

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Learn More About How We Use Your Donation!

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______________________________________________________________

Want to join us? Have a home that you want to open to become one of Bettina Network’s Hedge Schools? Call us and lets talk – or email us.

Ed. Note: Members of the Bettina Network Lifestyle Community can contribute to the Bettina Network Blog whenever they have anything they want to say and be heard by this fantastic group of people. Send your blog to bettinanetwork@comcast.net or mail it to us at P. O. Box 380585 Cambridge, MA. 02238 or call us on the telephone at 617-497-9166 to tell us what you want to say and we will write it for you.

Volunteer with Bettina Network Foundation, inc. to work estate sales; to help move items from one home to another; to contribute your ideas on how we can better use our resources in this effort to relieve and eliminate homelessness and poverty. We also need photographers; designers; and more. However much or little time you have, we are grateful.

Send your event information to be included in Bettina Network’s Menu of Events to: bettina-network@comcast.net

This is a curated blog so you cannot write your responses at the end of each entry. TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email bettina-network@comcast.net or info@bettina-network.com

TO LEARN MORE about Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com

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ACRI, the stock we are buying

May 3rd, 2010

Moved from .060 where it closed on Friday to .0737 today. We think the move came from a press release from the company which talked about a new Purchase Order it received for product to be delivered in two weeks:

“Acro, Inc. Receives Purchase Order for ACRO-ETK5 Plus Explosives Detection Kit From Government Agency
9:04a ET May 3, 2010 (Market Wire)
Acro, Inc. (OTCBB: ACRI), a leading manufacturer of explosive detection solutions for the homeland security market and related sectors, today announced a new purchase order for its popular ACRO-ETK5 Plus explosives detection kit from an international government agency. The purchase order will be shipped in two weeks, and will be used in the field to detect a wide range of materials used in explosives.

“This product has been successfully used by Israeli Port Authorities and security forces of other countries around the world,” said Gadi Aner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Acro, Inc. “This newest purchase order demonstrates our ability to successfully grow our base of customers and increase market adoption for our products.”

The ETK5 Plus enables simple, rapid and reliable detection of persons engaged in preparing, handling or carrying explosive charges and allows for fast screening of suspects in the field. The kit aids in detection through exposure and proof of contact contamination of various surfaces by explosives.”

ACRI has a product which can be used by companies around the world and it looks as though it is beginning to get its groove on. Hopefully, it will continue to move up as more such orders come pouring in.

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