Apr
2
I’m Winning
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For the first time ever, all the number one seeds have made it to the final four. This phenomena has made all the chicks in our office winners in the pool.
If Memphis wins, Stephanie wins. If UCLA wins, Holly and I have to split the pot. I am glad to split the pot with Holly, because it alleviates some of my female guilt that would have come from being the boss and winning the whole pot.
It was really fun having the NCAA tournament in Little Rock. You don’t realize how big those players are till you stand next to one. Recently at the Tip Off Club I had my picture made with big Joe Klien, formerly an Arkansas Razorback and a Chicago Bull.
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Oct
31
I Love Change
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I love change, almost to a fault. But not just any change. Positive change. I learned a long time ago that reinvestment is the best way to improve a business. I also learned to listen to my accounting department before moving forward with any “improvements.” And so this year I waited patiently to see if Flag and Banners’ sales streak was going to last. With the bills paid and a little money in the bank, accounting finally gave me the green light to remodel our kitchen.
For 15 years we have been eating our lunches in a 10 x 20 ft. kitchenette, located in earshot of the retail sales floor. We at Flag and Banner are not shy people. We laugh alot. We speak our mind. You can imagine all the things shoppers must have heard.
Well, not anymore. With the help of a non-denominational Youth Group that meets here on Monday nights, we demolished the old kitchen and moved it to the area of the warehouse once known as “Doc’s Pool Hall.” Now our employees have a much more comfortable place to eat and our customers do not have to hear anything that might turn their stomachs. And “Doc’s Pool Hall” is now a party room which is great for small events. I can’t wait for the Youth Group to see the completed kitchen. They are coming tonight for a spoken word performance led by DJ Jennifer, from 6-7:30. I think they are going to love it.
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Oct
11
The Clinton’s Little Rock Pad
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Last night I was invited to a welcoming party, for some friends in from Hong Kong, at Bill and Hillary’s apartment in Little Rock. Their apartment is located atop his Presidential Library on the Arkansas River. The Clinton’s were not there but I got to see their modest and modern home. Designed and decorated by local designer Kaki Hockersmith, she also decorated the White House for them.
A small group of us watched the sunset on the river and then the city lights of Little Rock come up. It was breath taking. Thanks for inviting me.
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Oct
8
Dreamin
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Since I am from the South, I like leaving my g’s off words. It makes me feel like I’m writin in dialect.
Anyway, I have always thought my day-dreamin, especially during class and right before I fall asleep, have had a lot to do with my success. I am a good daydreamer. Growing up I visualized the house I wanted to live in, the building I wanted to work in, the clothes I wanted to buy and ,of course, the men I wanted to date. Did I say men? I mean man.
Now that I am older my daydreams have turned to night-dreams. I can’t sleep and I have all these really weird dreams. What do they mean? My gut feelin is, nothing, I am just brain dumpin the day’s activities. But what if I am wrong and they are tied to a more deeper meanin. Maybe even a spiritual one.
My church, Trinity Episcopal, is exploring the idea of Natural Spirituality and has begun a Sunday school class on dream studies. A thousand years ago the Christian church and dreams where united in their quest for knowledge. It is a 4 week study. I will let you know if I find out the meanin of life.
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Oct
8
Jason’s Blog
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Wow. These days, it seems, all I do is human resources. Today a rather interesting guy applied for an entry level position with my company. He is a friend of a friend. I kinda felt like we should switch places and he should be interviewing me. In fact the more I get to know him, I think he is.
Anyway, his resume is unusual, he has been a script writer for several very notable prime time TV shows, i.e. Touched By an Angel. Why is he sitting in front of me applying for an entry level job? Midlife crisis he says. I can certainly identify with that.
With all this said, look for Jason’s Blog, next to mine. He is fun to read and doesn’t really care what I think, which should make him even more fun to read. Get Jason’s macabre view as he learns the flag business and writes from the inside out about the industry and more specifically about the cast of Flag and Banner.
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Sep
19
Evening with Hillary
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If you hear Hillary Clinton talking about a 95 year old woman that told her, “I was born in 1912, when women couldn’t even vote and now I am going to live long enough to see a woman President,” she is talking about my husband’s grandmother, Hazel.
Last week Hillary Clinton came through Little Rock. My husband, Grady, and I had the privilege of escorting his 95 year old grandmother, Hazel, to Kaki Hockersmith’s Edgehill home to meet Hilary. Hazel, though conservative, has always supported the Clinton’s. Hillary saw Hazel, and as always, was gracious enough to speak to her. After Hilary spoke with Hazel, Hilary found her sound bite of the week. But, it is not just a sound bite; it is a reality check for all of us. Most of us take everything we have for granted, even voting. America is the biggest and the best, but, so was Rome once. Everything changes and we should take our elections very seriously and make sure our votes are being counted honestly.
Hillary spoke on many topics, energy, education, environment, healthcare, but what struck me the most was her concern for the future and who would be the most qualified to lead our country.
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Jul
5
Today I had an epiphany. Well not really today, I have been thinking about this ever since I heard Star Jones was leaving “The View” (The View is a woman’s talk show that comes on in the mornings on ABC). My epiphany is…I should replace Star Jones. Why not? That show is missing a real person and on the minority barometer a southern woman ranks almost as high as a black woman. I could be the Real McCoy (sorry I couldn’t resist).
My qualifications? Well, I do have the gift of gab; ask anyone that knows me. And even though I am not a professional anchor woman or movie star I do have a lot of experience with TV. Check out my Press Center. In the last three weeks I have been on TV five times and radio three. So I’m not just dreaming (well maybe a little) but I do know I am comfortable in front of a camera.
Anyway, when I heard of Star’s departure, I mildly thought to myself all the reasons I would be good at that job. I don’t know anybody that has done and seen as much as I have in my 51 years of life. And because of that I have an opinion on just about everything. For instance, this 24 year-old man works for me who raises pit bull dogs. He also has three young children. For a year I have been expounding my opinion of his poor judgment: pit bulls and children don’t mix. Sure enough, last week the pit bull took a hunk of flesh out of the back of his leg. Thank God it was not one of his children’s faces! We’ve all heard our bad decisions will come back to bite us in the ass later. Not his, this one bites him in the leg. Ouch!
Anyone out there know how to get me on The View?
Posted by kerry
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Jan
22
After more than 20 years designing and producing flags and banners, it’s not surprising that it has become our life. But what IS surprising— REALLY surprising— is that we’ve learned that flags and banners have a life, too. No, seriously— we’ve seen it.
Every flag and banner has a personality. Whether they exclaim, identify, inform or just hang around looking beautiful, they like to communicate their personalities to each other.
When they are outdoors, waving is the way they “talk.” You’ll often see an “informer” waving to an “identifier,”
or trying to get the attention a “looker.” It may seem random to most people, but every ripple, curl, fold or snap means something to another flag or banner. Even when they are hanging alone, they still send out messages
to hopefully attract a partner, or at least someone to talk to. (Well, sometimes, they are just talking to themselves, but if you ask us, that’s a call for attention,” too. And it’s not just the wind. Wind to them is like air to us. They need a good supply to feel really alive, but it’s not what controls them. No sir–ee.
Flags and banners also communicate indoors, but it’s much more subtle. There are always micro-currents of air that fuel their lives and communications even if humans can’t see them. (You know how dogs can hear and smell things we can’t? It’s the exact same thing.) Want to see something really sad? Hang a flag or banner in a perfect vacuum. Now THAT’s sad. On second thought, please don’t do it.
Anyway, that’s how flags and banners express themselves. WHAT they say will be the subject of future information in this space. (Hint: They love gossip as much as we do.) So please check back every once in a while. And if you have any of your own observations about the lives of flags and banners, please e-mail us and let us know. The more we understand all the creatures of this earth— they happier we all will be.
Waving “bye” for now,
Posted by meghan
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