How Important is Your Freedom?

Freedom: The definition of freedom can certainly mean different things to different people.  Essentially it is the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants to without restraint.  

Sometimes we are bound by circumstances out of our control.  When I was arrested I knew the officials had made a mistake and the truth would come out.  BUT.....when you are locked in a room and realize you have no rights or freedoms, your mind races and fear can overtake your thoughts.  (Read that story here)

Some people feel bound in a marriage/relationship and spend every waking moment either planning their escape or figuring out how to survive while 'incarcerated.'  Unfortunately, it is a negative state to exist in and often leads to fear, depression and even disease.  

11 Reasons Why You Should (NOT) Have a Dog as a Pet

Do you wonder whether or not you should get a dog?  You weigh the pros and cons and think about all the work....... I am sure there are circumstances where someone does not want to have a dog in their life, but I can't imagine life without a four-legged fur baby.  Some people have stated they will never get another dog when their dog passes over the rainbow.

I have rescued over 30 dogs and when one dies it is always devastating.  They can become such a major part of your life and member of your family.  But for every dog you may lose, there are hundreds of precious ones who need a home.  For the love of dogs everywhere......if you are wondering whether you should invite a dog into your life...here are some reasons to welcome this four-legged family member:

1.  You will no longer need an alarm clock.  Dogs have internal clocks with alarms that go off right

How Do You Pull Yourself Out of the Pit?

Some of you may remember my story about credit card fraud which you can read here.    Two men charged a few thousand dollars for jewelry at our store and then called their credit card company and 'reported' that they were never in the store.  The credit card company gave them their money back which means they have the merchandise plus their refund.  I spent over 30 hours on the phone (mostly on hold) over the course of a few days fighting this and was finally able to connect with a supervisor in Visa's fraud department.  What he told me was shocking!

Credit card companies will always side with the cardholder -- even when it is a fraudulent card.  It is the 'rule of law' initially set up.  Going to court to fight that decision would only be a waste of time and money.  The agent was apologetic but explained that is the law and there is nothing we can do about it.  The first time this happened to us, it cost us $6,000.  Now.....it happened again.  These thieves hit several stores in our small town the same day -- we are all up the proverbial creek.  Does that seem fair?

In the meantime, we sold a guitar amp on eBay which we hoped would help recoup our losses.  The buyer decided he did not want to keep it and sent it back but didn't pack it well and this is how it arrived.

How Important Are Holidays to You?

Are you someone who looks forward to and celebrates holidays to the fullest?  I think that most of us have a favorite holiday for specific reasons.  Time off work.  Family time together.  Dressing up.  Giving and receiving gifts.


Remember when you were a kid and it took forever for Christmas to arrive?  Every night you dreamed about that special toy you asked Santa for and hoped you'd get.  You could hardly wait for Halloween to get here so you could wear your new costume and have enough candy to last a month.  I remember hiding my stash so my parents didn't know how much I actually ate.  Thanksgiving can be so exciting with the anticipation of going to grandparents' house for a huge turkey dinner and lots of fun games. But, the best was your birthday -- that special day you didn't have to share with anyone.  It was all about you - gifts for you -- your favorite chocolate cake - and a day off from chores.

Are You Immune to Credit Card Fraud?

Every morning, the first thing I do on the computer is to check my bank accounts.  In the business account for our store, I was horrified to see a reversal of $2,300 by a credit card company.  It took some time to figure out that three weeks earlier the two young men who made purchases in our store had used a fraudulent card.  They spent a long time making a decision on what they purchased and chatted at length about their families.

We checked their driver licenses to be sure the name matched with the cards and the purchases went through without a hitch.  Even harder to believe is one of the men stayed in contact with us via email for two weeks organizing his next purchase for a custom-made ring.  Why would he give me his IP address and his name if he was scamming us?  They must have known that it would take three weeks before the credit card payment would be reversed.