Inspired Employee

I’ve just begun to enjoy sauerkraut, and learning about this award-winning local sauerkraut has me yearning to taste it! You can check out Farmhouse Culture, a Santa Cruz-based business that sells at the SM Farmers’ Market, has recieved the 2012 Good Food Award for Smoked Jalapeño Sauerkraut. It’s good on quesadillas, with potatoes, as a side and instead of a traditional salad… hundreds of products were entered into the 2nd annual competition recognizing artisan food producers across eight categories and five regions.
The awards take “a comprehensive view, honoring people who make food that is delicious, respectful of the environment, and connected to communities and cultural traditions.” says the founder Kathryn Lukas of Farmhouse Culture.
Join in the food extravaganza! College of San Mateo (CSM) is close by, has plenty of parking and is easy to get to, and with the sweeping views of the bay area it is a great place for a picnic.
San Mateo Farmers’ Market at CSM every Saturday from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The market is open year-round, rain or shine, and typically features more than 80 farmers and food producers.

February 1st, 2012 | Tags: CSM, Farmhouse Culture, food awards, sauerkraut, sourkraut | Category: events | Leave a comment

As you open your pockets for the next natural disaster, please keep these facts in mind:

· The American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha J. Evans salary for the year was $651,957 plus expenses

· The United Way President Brian Gallagher receives a $375,000 base salary along with numerous expense benefits.

· UNICEF CEO Caryl M. Stern receives $1,200,000 per year (100k per month) plus all expenses including a ROLLS ROYCE . Less than 5 cents of your donated dollar goes to the cause.

GO “GREEN” INSTEAD AND PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE IT WILL DO SOME GOOD:

· The Salvation Army’s Commissioner Todd Bassett receives a small salary of only $13,000 per year (plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar organization. 96 percent of donated dollars go to the cause.

· The American Legion National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

· The Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their
families and youth!

· The Disabled American Veterans National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

· The Military Order of Purple Hearts National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

· The Vietnam Veterans Association National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

Editor’s Note:
Please share this with everyone you can. The military service organizations will also put your energy and talent to good use, so get involved. Your time can help with everything from BINGO games to reading material to a Veteran who needs this assistance. These groups are in every community and your time spent is so rewarding.
I volunteer at American Legion Post 105 and I find my enjoyment in giving back just a little to those that give SO MUCH. Thanks.

February 1st, 2012 | Tags: American Legion, American Red Cross, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of Purple Hearts, Salvation Army, UNICEF, United Way, VFW | Category: Hall of Shame, Ideas, gratitude | Leave a comment

My cousins always appreciate great service, and they are stellar examples of going the next step and sending recognition. They are very vocal about recalling the customer care and consistent service our Postal Workers have given us….. through rain, sleet and snow or in LA they have traffic jams, road rage and 100+ degree days. Imagine delivering mail, every day, every way, putting up with decades of  bureaucratic apathy and now disrespect.
TRY THIS If you want to honor them:
on a BOX on mandarin oranges, attach this note, and use your own name.
Deliver the box of oranges to your local post office.
That’s what they did in Sherman Oaks and I applaud their enthusiasm.

Dear Postal Workers,

We are sorry for what you are going through. You must feel under-rated and overlooked. But, not for us. We thank you for the decades of service we have enjoyed from the USPS. Hope these bring a little sweetness in these bitter times.

Sincerely,

Eileen and Judith

December 12th, 2011 | Tags: customer care, rain, sleet, snow, USPS | Category: Employee Recognition, Ideas, gratitude | Leave a comment

Went to see Heart of a Soldier tonight, about 9/11 and so much more, about patriotism, preparedness, service, warfare, training. It is an Opera! It is debuting in SF.

It spanned one soldiers life from WWII and being a little scared boy befriended by yanks in Cornwall in 1944 to 9/11. I don’t know how they were inspired to produce it, but it was like a sensory explosion for me. The set and costumes were so creative and well done; they enhanced the story and made you feel part of the timeframe. This amazing performance made me cry big crocodile tears, especially when the firefighters ran in and up the stairs of the tower. It honors the hero Rick Rescorla, and so many others. The portrayal of what our combat troops go through in Vietnam is particularly moving as the history of the hero is described through his life.

September 8th, 2011 | Tags: Heart of a Soldier, Opera, patriotism, preparedness, Rick Rescorla, service, SF Opera Debut, Training, warfare | Category: Building Skills, Creating a Recognition Program, events | Leave a comment

Find out which companies in your area are exporting jobs, laying off workers, endangering workers’ health or involved in cases of violations of workers’ rights. The database contains information on more than 400,000 companies nationwide.  http://www.workingamerica.org/jobtracker/

This site is explained in this video clip:

http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/hartmann-corps-getting-job-creation-tax-breaks-while-outsourcing-us-jobs

August 25th, 2011 | Tags: company information, company job practices, database, job tracker, working america | Category: Hall of Shame, Laid Off Employees | Leave a comment

Volunteer with

Redwood City Post 105

on the Annual

Refreshments Detail

Golden Gate National Cemetery

Saturday, May 28, 2011

06:30am ‘til the Last Flag Is Placed

Help Setup & Serve

Coffee, Cocoa, Tea & Donuts

To Scouts, Parents, Veterans and Other Volunteers

Bringing Veterans and Families Together to Honor

Those That Died for Our Freedom

May 25th, 2011 | Tags: American Legion, flags, memorial day, post 105, Veterans | Category: Uncategorized | Comments (167)

This is a PBS HOME VIDEO series of 11 shows, hosted by journalist Robert Mac Neil. The 60 minute show that I watched was about “writing the experience” and recording the pain, hurt, sorrow, pride that doesn’t lend itself to a casual conversation. Most Vets that I know, don’t discuss their war experiences. My Dad never mentioned a word and he was in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He wasn’t a hero to himself, and I couldn’t have understood. My son is in the Air Force and doesn’t describe what he knows either.

This isolation can be so devastating on families and friends. This series offers a look at these experiences, and a voice to the American troops in a mixture of art, verse, letters, interviews, photos and video. It is mesmerizing and makes me feel included, somehow.

To all our Vets and Active Duty Millitary, THANKS FOR SERVING, I remember you, and our country remembers you on this Memorial Day.

May 24th, 2011 | Tags: essays by soldiers, Iraq, poetry on war, Vets, war on terror, writing the wartime experience | Category: events | Leave a comment

Do you know a Veteran or someone in the military. It is time to say THANK YOU. Remembering and recognition are so important to our troops. YOU can get involved, by volunteering with the American Legion posts to put flags at the National Cememtaries located throughout the country. Redwood City Post 105 is placing flags at the GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL CEMETERY in San Bruno. They do this with the Boy Scouts.  This is their press release:

Redwood City Post 105, the American Legion will be on site at Golden Gate National Cemetery to serve 3,000 cups of hot chocolate, coffee or tea and donuts to the boy scouts, their families and visiting Veterans.

That is this Saturday Morning, March 28, 2011. People start arriving at 7:00am. the Cemetary is locate off 280 at Sneath Lane. We gather and serve up the left side of the hill after you enter. Park as instructed and walk over to the serving area. If you would like to help out, please give Post Commander Romie  Bassetto a call  at 650.207.0426.

May 24th, 2011 | Tags: American Legion Post 105, Boy Scouts, flags, Golden Gate Cemetary, Romie Bassetto, Veterans, Vets | Category: events, gratitude | Comments (110)

Sitting is a killer, GET UP AND MOVING!! The simple act of WALKING  boosts your metabolism, helps you get ready for the next task, jump starts your creativity. Take your team on a “walking meeting”, schedule a walk to the farmer’s market during lunch, get outside and start energizing.

INC. has a great article with advice for the sedentary office worker!

Healthy employees make for more productive employees, for instance. One Australian study found that “the healthiest employees are nearly three times more productive while at work than the least healthy—140 effective working hours per month versus 45 effective hours worked per month.”

Have you heard of RX Nature…. that’s when your Doctor prescribes a course of  (not antibiotics) EXERCISE to help you stay healthy. This is serious business for companies. Lost work time, low performance, and exhaustion can all lead to mistakes and company doldrums. Here is another inspiring article from INC. on steps you can take.

Getting rid of stress by moving is the perfect recipe for better health! I’m going for a hike right now. Hope to see you on the trails!

May 5th, 2011 | Tags: breaks, creativity, destress, exercise, fitness, gym, healthy employees, increase motivation, productivity, RX Nature, stress, walk | Category: Ideas, Team Building, events | Comments (99)