"Inch by inch, step by step...."

No, not Niagara Falls, like in the Three Stooges. "Slowly I turned, " etc etc.

Walking by faith, taking each day as it comes, following the path, entering the open door, etc.
We've all heard these maxims before, and we may have thought we were living them at times.

Typically unless there is serious illness or loss, we are not in the position to actually do so.
While we are young our parents shield us from the bad things in life.
We should not have to worry about jobs, politics or the economy.

And even though we do spend too much time doing so as adults, for the most part we are in that amorphous state of doing our jobs, maintaining our families, and living from paycheck to paycheck.

We live to please our bosses, and to keep our jobs.
It was not until the industrial age was in full swing that people started to work for someone else.
Most Americans worked for themselves, a majority at least in part were involved in agriculture.
Since all of my ancestors were farmers first and craftsmen second, I know how much faith their lives contained.
There is no controlling the weather.
Everything depends on it.
Crops carefully planted and cultivated, livestock raised from infancy, water for drinking and cleaning could all be wiped out with a bad turn of the elements.
Imagine working from springtime throughout the summer to have a severe early fall snow destroy most of the food and feed crops you have toiled to produce.
It made for a sparse Winter.

Both of my grandfathers worked away from the farm to earn extra money.
One as a carpenter for the coal mines, one as a master mason and Ice Man.
The women ran the farm in their absence.

Well, we find ourselves in that situation now.
It became obvious to me soon after I was 'downsized' (quaint term!) that I did not want to go to work for yet another company.
I've worked for all sorts. Small family run businesses, large businesses that started humbly, and most recently I went the Fortune 500 route, working for one of the oldest companies in American industry for twelve years.
A common thread amongst them all is that when it was to their benefit to cast me adrift, they did so without much personal concern. I even had one man tell me "Well, it was my boat or you." The boat was more important than my young family.

So we are starting our own business. The doors started to open for me in that direction, and it continues to be obvious to us we are pursuing the right objective.
My business partner and I hope to have the legals done by labor day.
We have a strong prospect that we will meet with next week to become our first company represented. They are local, their HQ is in RTP right here in Raleigh.
We will be manufacturers representatives. Instead of working for a company directly we act as third party sales, receiving a commission on everything we sell.
No benefits, or salaries as such. But also no boss, no vacation time, and no depending on one companies whim for our financial existence.
We hope to have six to eight such companies by the first of the year, including one Flagship line to lead our efforts..

Each day is an act of faith, there are no regular paychecks, and monthly commissions can be estimated, but may also vary wildly from month to month.

The odd thing is, my stress has greatly ebbed since I left the corporate rat race.
Everyone has noticed it, and my health has actually improved!
The nagging arthritis is still there and probably always will be, but the frequency and severity has most definitely reduced.
I'm more or less my old crazy self again as well.

It will be a long and sometimes difficult road ahead, but it is much easier to see who is in charge again.

And that dear family and friends is indeed comforting!

2LT Ariel James Harvey, Hooah!

After years of hard work, the big weekend finally came and went!
After graduating from Appalachian State University Magna Cum Laude, Ariel took the oath last Saturday and is now a Commissioned Officer.

We are honored that all in the family who could make it were in Boone to help us celebrate this milestone in his life!
You can see from the following pix that we all had a great time.

My sister hosted a fun picnic for him on Thursday night, we had a wonderful dinner at the beautiful Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock on Friday night, and lunch at the campus Broyhill Inn after the ceremony on Saturday.

In between of course, the women had plenty of opportunity to shop till they dropped.
Poor Grandma Irene was exhausted, the Queen, my sister Lily and my Aunt Kitty could and probably will shop until their last breath.

We guys just hung out.

The ceremony itself was brief, but very moving and inspirational.
The LT Col who delivered the address is an App grad himself, and he gave the young men and women some valuable advice on leadership.

His aunt and Uncle, Bev and Don Biesterfeld came, on the way to see our nephew Don at Ft Benning. Don also wears the uniform of the U.S. Army, we are proud of him!
My sister Lily, my mother's youngest sister Kitty (She and Irene are three months apart in age), Grandma Irene, Uncle Ken Wheeler all made it a special weekend!

The pictures are all over the map, but include the picnic, dinner and fun on the grounds afterwards, the ceremony itself, and the lunch after that.
I tried to include at least one picture of everyone in the family with Ariel, and a couple of happy group shots. The man who took the picture at Chetola was himself an Army vet, and his wife said "It's nice to see a family who enjoys each other!"

Ariel's ceremonial first salute was from the Battalion Sgt Major, a Green Beret with many years experience.
He told me " I was glad to see your son get infantry, he has a fine career in front of him and will be a great officer!"

Hooah, son, and Godspeed!

When the kids are quiet....

it isn't necessarily a good thing!

My Super Niece Ellie must be on vacation. Kim hasn't written about any of her exploits for some time now.
Where does a particularly rambunctious 3 1/2 year old go to unwind?
My guess is Vegas. What happens there, etc etc.

Speaking of which, the Queen and I will be making our first trip there in September.
BICSI, the professional organization I belong to has their fall conference there.
Since my former masters were too cheap to send me to Orlando in Jan per normal, I need my CEU's.
Also, we will be scheduling meetings with prospective vendors to add to our lines of representation.

Things are moving along on that front, I continue to get affirmation that this is indeed our path.
Just yesterday I was researching some companies that looked like a good fit.
One in particular is HQ'd right here in RTP in our area.
I had a friend who worked there whom I had lost contact with.
Guess who called me that afternoon after hearing what had happened to me?
You got it, that same friend.
He reminded me (I had forgotten) that when he lost his contract at UNC and was looking for work, I helped him find that position.
"It's my time to scratch your back now!" he told me.
He will get me in touch with the higher ups there to help me land that line.

The I AM doesn't usually speak to us verbally, or make the Sun go backwards.
He just makes things happen to move us where he wants us.

This is family week, Grandma Irene is already here.
I say here figuratively, she and the Queen are constantly out looking for trouble and having fun.
My Aunt Kitty and Ken are coming in tomorrow.
We will drive to Boone Thurs AM, where my sister will meet us.
Bev and Don will be there for dinner Friday and the ceremony Sat am before heading to Ft Benning to see Don before he deploys to Iraq.

Busy week!