Women on the Verge VLog


Member - Marcia Reynolds 


Her mission, her focus and her belief in community

Check it out on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/womenontheverge

Last month, I received an email from PETA asking if I would be willing to participate in their 30 Day Vegan challenge. Since I have been a vegetarian for 5 years, and have been thinking about going "all the way" and becoming vegan, I looked at this as an opportunity, a sort of coming of age. I was ready to take on this challenge, or so I thought.

Why is This Such a Challenge?

Eating out. Sounds simple right? Try having a simple meal in say... an Italian restaurant. Cheese is everywhere. Parmesan, rears it's stinky feet scent every where - on pasta, on salad, on top of spaghetti, all covered with snow... oh that's another song. Well... it's part of being a vegan. You have to ask a lot of questions from the wait staff. You have to sound like Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally", "Is the soup made with chicken or beef stock?" "Are there eggs in your veggie burger?" "Can I have double salad, since your rice is made with chicken stock?" You can't be afraid to speak up, otherwise, after clearing out your system of all animal-related/made products, you could make yourself very sick.

Everyone assumes you are an activist who stands on your self-made pedestal to look down upon the people who ingest animal carcasses and frown... what a bunch of hooey. I will tell you a little secret, being vegan has made me calmer and less concerned about what other people are doing - more concerned about what I am doing. How can I walk my talk? I really don't want to spend the energy defending my eating habits, nor trying to convert you or anyone else into eating vegan. This is my journey, your journey is yours. Maybe we'll meet in the middle somewhere and I am totally cool with that.

People, even strangers feel the need to explain to you why they are not vegan. Why? It's not an easy path to take. No problemo, people. Eat what you want - have it your way, as Burger King would say.

Pizza and Lasagne - need I say more? I do miss them.

OMG! Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me There's a Detox Element?

The first two weeks of being a vegan were not fun, in fact, I would even describe them as painful and even sometimes gross. Even though I was vegetarian prior to going vegan, I still endured a nasty detox.

Detox included:

• Having a brain splitting headache for 3 days in a row. Coffee? Cheese? Withdrawal stinks!

• I had more snot coming out of me for the first two weeks than I have had in my life. It was like I was leaking old dairy... nasty.

• And - here's where it get really gross. How many times can one human go to the bathroom? Really! I was ready to buy stock in toilet tissue.

If you ever take on a vegan challenge like this, please be aware, it doesn't start very pretty, and you will truly wonder how healthy your previous food choices were.

Yes, There Have Been Benefits

It wasn't all gross and challenging, there have been some shining moments in my vegan experience so far.:

I have more energy than I have ever had in my life... scary, but true. I had read that this is one of the benefits and it is a fact. I am having a blast with it (and getting tons of things done). It is most noticeable to me in my daily yoga practice.

My nails are like well... nails. They are so strong and growing so fast, it's amazing! I had a split in three of my nails for years - no more. The splits have split.

Cost of food has gone down tremendously. I didn't think that I would notice much of a change between being vegan and vegetarian in my grocery bill, but good/organic yogurt and cheese are expensive. Also, not many vegan prepared foods are available, so I have had to cook more - this saves money.

I have a smaller carbon footprint. Most of my diet has become local-grown, organic produce. It is an absolutely beautiful, colorful and healing way to eat.

I am now less snotty than ever. It is super helpful with my morning yoga routine to finally be able to truly "use the breath".

Less stinky poos... okay, this is going down the drain. Most polite people won't discuss this subject, but if you would like to improve the scent of your B.M.s, simply eliminate all dairy, eggs and flesh from your food intake.

Less cellulite. I said less, not none, but I'll take the improvement, thank you very much. It's only been a month, so I am hoping that this is something that will improve even more with time. Wouldn't that be a wonderful miracle? I don't know the science behind this - if there is any. I can only speak for myself.

I like myself more... this one I can't explain. Maybe someone can explain it to me.

Busting Out My Crystal Ball - Looking Ahead

Do I want to spend the rest of my life without pizza as I know it today? No more gushy slab of lasagne? Truth is, yes. As much as I miss those things, I have found ways to have my pizza and eat it, too. I have found a rice cheese I like, made by Rice Dreams. I still make great quesadillas, pizza and yes - lasagne - all with rice cheese instead of the dairy variety.

I have decided I like feeling more energized, more connected, more alive. I like the way my desk looks right now - clean and clear, just like my skin. It's marvelous.

And lastly, my family has been great about it. They are not vegans. They are not even vegetarians, but they sit at my table and eat whatever I place in front of them - vegan chocolate whacky cake, black bean chili, vegan banana pancakes and even vegan corn bread. And they never have complained. Not once.

Ana Lewis - CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc and Founder of Women on the Verge

Welcome to our first Vlog! I thought I would take you on a little mini-tour of the office and my commute. No visit to the

Co-Op Web office would be complete without an introduction to Cousteau, the most fabulous Newfie in the land.
Please click on Cousteau's photo and enjoy the tour.

Thank you!

Ana Lewis
CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc.

The most beautiful girl in the world is not happy with the way she looks. She picks herself apart in the mirror every day. She's disgusted with what she sees as her flabby thighs, her too small breasts, her muffin top and her "pelican" nose. You look at her with love, you tell her she's phenomenal, you praise her daily and she is still hung up on her looks. Your 14 year old daughter... and now, she can do something about it. Heck some of her friends are doing it, why can't she? Wouldn't it be a great sweet 16 birthday gift? Plastic surgery.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS),teenagers who want to have plastic surgery usually have different motivations and goals than adults. They often have plastic surgery to improve physical characteristics they feel are awkward or flawed, that if left uncorrected, may affect them well into adulthood. Teens tend to have plastic surgery to fit in with peers, to look similar. However, adults tend to have plastic surgery to standout from others. The ASPS states, more than 219,000 cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed on people age 13-19 in 2008.

Plastic surgery amongst teens is becoming more commonplace. In a podcast transcript from Today in Plastic Surgery (an ASPS radio show), the patient (who remained anonymous during the interview) said, "My biggest reservation on having plastic surgery was that I didn't want to be placed in the stereotypical high school graduation gift of plastic surgery from my parents." Stereotypical? Gosh, I got a pen when I graduated. Are we becoming too lackadaisical about using a scalpel to make changes in our lives?

There are real risks involved in plastic surgery. The ASPS reminds us, not every teenager seeking plastic surgery is well suited for an operation. Teens must demonstrate emotional maturity and an understanding of the limitations of plastic surgery.  The ASPS cautions teenagers and parents to keep in mind that plastic surgery is real surgery. Parents and children also should be aware that guidelines do exist for younger patients. Facial plastic surgery generally should not be done on anyone until facial growth is complete. For a female, that happens by about age 14; for a male, it's about age 15. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will not allow breast augmentation to be done on anyone younger than 18, and most surgeons will refuse to perform liposuction on anyone younger than 17 or 18.

And, please don't forget, in many cases, we do have options. TeenHealth.com reminds us,
before moving ahead with any kind of plastic surgery, parents and teens are encouraged to remember that surgeries are never risk-free. We should read up about any possible complications and be sure we can handle the risks involved. A real awareness of the risks can prompt parents and children to pursue non-surgical options for changing body image, such as diet and exercise.

Unfortunately body dysmorphic disorder, also known as BDD and "imagined ugliness", the disorder affiliated with plastic surgery addiction, is also rearing it's ugly head with teenagers. In an article in the Washington Post, plastic surgeon, Dr. Csaba L Magassy noted that some of his patients undergo more than one surgery - often at the same time. A common combo is getting a smaller nose and bigger breasts. And, of Dr. Massey's 100 teenage girls he has given breast implants to in the past year, 20 of them had an accompanying tummy tuck or liposuction.

What do we do now? We talk about it. We exercise our rights to love ourselves, and as women - we set the example. If we don't practice acceptance with ourselves, then how can we expect our daughters to do so?

TeenHealth.com offers some very good suggestions in how to get this conversation started. Here are a few things to think about if you're considering plastic surgery:

- Almost all teens (and many adults) are self-conscious about their bodies. Almost everyone wishes there were a thing or two that could be changed. A lot of this self-consciousness goes away with time. Ask yourself if you're considering plastic surgery because you want it for yourself or whether it's to please someone else.

- A person's body continues to change through the teen years. Body parts that might appear too large or too small now can become more proportionate over time. Sometimes, for example, what seems like a big nose looks more the right size as the rest of the person's face catches up during growth.

- Getting in good shape through appropriate weight control and exercise can do great things for a person's looks without surgery. It's never a good idea to choose plastic surgery as a first option for something like weight loss that can be corrected in a nonsurgical manner. Gastric bypass or liposuction may seem like quick and easy fixes compared with sticking to a diet. Both of these procedures, however, carry far greater risks than dieting, and doctors should reserve them for extreme cases when all other options have failed.

- Some people's emotions have a really big effect on how they think they look. People who are depressed, extremely self-critical, or have a distorted view of what they really look like sometimes think that changing their looks will solve their problems. In these cases, it won't. Working out the emotional problem with the help of a trained therapist is a better bet. In fact, many doctors won't perform plastic surgery on teens who are depressed or have other mental health problems until these problems are treated first.

We will be discussing this further in our Women on the Verge BlogTalkRadio show, Free to Be. Please join me (Ana Lewis) along with Melissa Wardy, J. Brianne (BRIE) Widaman and Elin Waldal as we will discuss this very heartfelt topic. Our show is live, every Wednesday, 10am PST / 1pm ET at http://blogtalkradio.com/womenontheverge . Please join us and share your thoughts and experiences.

During the June Mothers on the Verge show, I asked WOTV member, Kadi Prescott about a vision board that she showcased during one of her tweets. She talked about how she got the idea from the book, The Secret and as I had already read the book, I thought maybe I could utilize this tool and her discussion of it was a friendly reminder.

I was easily able to find an application to build a Dream Board of my own on Oprah.com. This wonderful application is super easy to use and can be customized to your own dreams, visions, goals and ideas.

I built my Dream Board about a month ago and have it up as the wallpaper on my computer. I am amazed by how easy it has been to make my dreams come true when I see them every day. I have already almost met all of my goals and the ones that I am still working on, have been very quietly reminding me daily of what I need to do in order to remain focused.

Check out the O Dream Board for yourself: http://www.oprah.com/packages/o-dream-board.html

Ana Lewis, founder of Women on the Verge and CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc.

The Best Things on the Internet are Free - July Edition: Since 1994, we always believed the best part of the Internet is FREE.

• TripIt - organizes your plans in a master travel itinerary that's easy to share and access. Everything is organized in one place, regardless of where you book. http://www.tripit.com/
  
  
• Bartleby- provides you with unlimited access to various books and other information free of charge. The categories are reference, verse, fiction, and nonfiction, including encyclopedias and other reference books. http://www.bartleby.com/

• 5 Minute Media -is the leading syndication platform for broadband instructional, knowledge and lifestyle videos. Their library includes tens of thousands of videos across 20 categories and 140 subcategories, which are professionally produced and brand-safe. http://www.5min.com/

• 1-800-FREE-411 - Simply dial 1-800-FREE411 and get the listing you need for free. It's just like 411, only better because it doesn't cost anything. http://www.free411.com/

• XMarks - Install Xmarks on each computer you use, and it seamlessly integrates with your web browser and keeps your bookmarks in sync. http://www.xmarks.com/

• Animoto - Turn your photos & videos into pure amazing. Animoto automatically produces beautifully orchestrated, completely unique video pieces from your photos, video clips and music. http://animoto.com/

This is a monthly column that is originally posted on Co-Op Web.com

One of the problems I have had through the years in achieving goals, is brain clutter. I think that I am not alone. How do we get rid of the brain clutter and focus in order to reach the goals that are truly important to us? I read a recent article about one way to accomplish this very task: Choose One Word for the year to become your own personal mantra and focus.

In preparation for our upcoming, Living the Dream show, I asked our panelists, Karen Monroy, Marcia Reynolds and  to come up with their very own One Word for the year. Each panelist will choose her word and then discuss on the show, why that word was chosen and what that word means to her. We will be able to see how women who have been able to live their dreams process this challenge and work through it - and learn from their experiences and choices.

What word would you choose to focus on for a whole year? How would you choose that word?

I will share my own personal experience with you on my one word.: After much thought, I chose the word ONENESS. I chose this word because it is my own personal, daily endeavor. Sometimes I feel the wonder of Oneness, sometimes I don't. That's being honest. I would like to feel it more and I would like to get better at it. But, since this is a learn as you go project, I can only tell you what I have learned so far and how my word has helped me.

What I have learned from Oneness thus far:

1. That we are all much more connected than we realize

2. That listening to intuition is part of Oneness

3. That acceptance is key to Oneness - self acceptance and acceptance of others

4. That for me, becoming vegan has aided me in Oneness. If I am not ingested anything that was harmed, scared or killed for my nourishment, my food is kinder and gentler and so am I.

5. That only if I am living in the Now, will I have Oneness. Living in the Now is key.

Please share your One Word with us - your reasons, your lessons and listen to the show, Living the Dream , on Wednesday, July 21st - 10am PST, 1pm ET to gather more ways to help make your One Word a reality for this year.

Many of my female friends have been with me for decades. They have lasted longer than any boyfriend, hairdresser or home I have lived in. We have endured births, marriages, divorces, graduations and for some - even becoming grandmothers. Some of my current-day friends even endured the hormonal tidal wave called junior high school with me.

Looking back on various times in my life, I have been fearless. Taking big risks - starting a new business, traveling anywhere, speaking in public and even raising three children mostly on my own. I found that those fearless periods also run in conjunction with the times in my life that I was surrounded by female energy. I could not have raised my three kids without my girlfriends. In other words, my girlfriends not only empowered me, they emblazoned me.

Then, I can also look at various times in my life when I have been paralyzed by fear - not wanting to leave the house or office, not wanting to enter public restrooms or touch door handles due to a fear of germs and even clinging to a man, in hopes he could make it all better.

A few years ago, I started experiencing a sister-energy droughtin my day-to-day existence. I got married and many of my girlfriends relocated or already lived out of town. To top it off, my daughter grew up and moved out of my home. So, even her female energy was gone. Now, I am the only female in a house surrounded by males. My husband, stepson and dog - all testosterone carriers. Even our fish was a male betta - and guess what they do to females? Beat them up, then eat them. Lovely. In addition to this, we moved to the outskirts of town, which separated me even further from my in-town friends.

One day, last September, I decided to take the leap and reignite a group that I had started over 10 years ago, Women on the Verge. Suddenly my life was filled with female energy. Supportive, loving, laughing, crying, real female energy. The kind you can tell your deepest secrets to and still get a hug. The kind that shares even when they are tired. The kind that cheers with you during your triumphs and helps you keep walking when you fall. Beautiful.

In my thirst for female energy, I got so absorbed in the consumption, so inspired by the strength, I didn't even realize fully what was happening.

It was the Women on the Verge BlogTalkRadio Show that woke me up. Every Wednesday, I get to talk to smart, funny, beautiful women. Not just talk - but have real discussions about real topics that affect many of us. It's been cathartic. Suddenly I woke up. This is what I have been missing!

As wonderful and supportive as my husband is, he's not my girlfriend. As cute as the line, "My husband is my best friend." sounds - cute is not good enough.

During our "Living the Dream" radio show, we discussed how important it is for us to have a supportive community of women who have our back. The term "supportive women" is becoming more the norm. Jane Devin used the unscientific statistics of 80%/20%, however, I think that she is about right in her guesstimate. 80% of our female friends are supportive and 20% are not. Unfortunately, it's the 20% who get the most media attention and get the stereotype "mean girl" pin on their lapel.

The entire panel (Karen Monroy, Marcia Reynolds, Jane Devin and I) agreed that we need to pioneer efforts to make that 80% percentage even higher. That we are "evolving" as multi-roled women whose basic instinct is to be nurturing and supportive.

Here are three simple ways you can be supportive of your "sisters":

1.Listen with a compassionate heart
2.Let people be who they are, where they are
3.Share your sincere, heartfelt thoughts

Every day we make the choice to seize the opportunity to be supporting, accepting and nurturing to our "sisters" and feel empowered by their presence.

Ana Lewis is the founder of Women on the Verge, CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc and has one sibling - a very evolved brother named Oscar, whose wife, Kris is a member of WOTV and my "sister".

I recently read a story that described the work schedule of a small village in India. In this very old, thriving farm village they practice a very unique work schedule. Work for 3 hours, take a break for lunch and rest for 3 hours, then get back to work for 3 hours. The entire village works this way, and probably always has. This work method intrigued me, as I have never believed that the 8 hour work day that we practice in the U.S has been most beneficial for optimal energy and performance.

So I tried it. I also added in additional 3 hour segments, basically breaking my entire day into 3 hour segments. Here's an average day:

- Wake-up at 5am - 8am - Yoga, breakfast and shower
- Work - 8am - 11am - work on Co-Op Web and WOTV projects, write.
- Break at 11am - 2pm - lunch, no phone, no computer - everything is shut off.
- Work 2pm - 5pm - do design projects, meetings and phone calls with clients.

The benefits I have noticed so far are wonderful.:

1.My eyes aren't burning at the end of the day
2.In the past, I would run out of energy by the mid-afternoon and it would result in me being less effective and unable to focus on a project as well.
3.I have always been a morning person, taking a break in the middle of the day allows for me to have two "mornings". I have a burst of energy in the afternoon after the rest.
4.I have been much more productive, accomplishing my "list" for the day (I don't like lists, so it's a virtual list.)
5.I am finding more balance (living without a cell phone and computer for 3 hours in the middle of the day was my biggest challenge.)

I realize that since I work for myself at a home-based office, my schedule can be more flexible. I don't have a daily commute and I can make my own hours. Would a schedule like this work for you? Do you have the flexibility to break your day into 3 hour segments? There are so many ways to create a flexible work schedule that works for you and your work environment. Perhaps discussing flexible work schedules with your employer, using some of the data from companies who are trying it with success. Many large employers are adopting more flexible work schedules and are seeing some of the same benefits that I have witnessed.

According to Wikipedia, recent studies supporting a four day work week have shown that reduced work hours not only increase consumption and invigorates the economy but also improve worker's level of education (due to having extra time to take classes and courses), worker's health (less work-related stress and extra time for exercise), and saves money on daycare costs and transportation, which in turn helps the environment with less carbon-related emissions. The aggregate of all these extra benefits, actually improves overall productivity, since workers can be more productive on a per-hour basis, due to improved health, reduced stress and better overall quality of life.

The village I refer to in India, is not the only place that practices shorter work weeks, even an industrialized nation, such as France, has adopted a 35 hour work week, that started in February, 2000. The 35 hour work week was initially imposed to yield more work from employees and at the same time help remedy unemployment, since a decrease of 10% of hours, would require firms to hire more workers. Perhaps it's time for the United States to take a look at this type of work environment in order to put more of our people to work and reduce our unemployment rate.

Then again, there's the other side of the scale. Who said too much of a good thing is bad? The Kapauku people of Papua think it is bad luck to work two consecutive days. The !Kung Bushmen work just two-and-a-half days per week, rarely more than six hours per day. The work week in Samoa is approximately 30 hours, and though average annual Samoan cash income is relatively low, by some measures, the Samoan standard of living is quite good.

Ana Lewis, founder of WomenontheVerge.net and CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc.

Thank you to our members: Kadi Prescott, Jessica Pieklo and Elle Sharpe for being a wonderful panel on MOTHERS ON THE VERGE, today on the Women on the Verge Radio Show.

We laughed a lot, which shows me that being a mom and building a career or a business at the same time requires a great sense of humor.  Please tune in and laugh with us. 

However, not all of it was laughter, we had some sad news regarding Elle, as her health has taken a downturn.  Please send prayers to Elle and her family, so that she can come back to us with her passion and beauty gracing our lives and community.


Please join us every Wednesday at 10am, PST time, 1pm ET for the Women on the Verge Radio Show. Next week our topic will be "Living the Dream" and our member guests will be Dr. Karen Monroy, Marcia Reynolds and Jane Devin.

Family - Heritage - Resolve

These are the words used by Pamela Ferris-Olson in our panel discussion on the Minority Women in Leadership radio show. She used the words, family, heritage and resolve to express this as the common foundation for minority women who are able to rise above their stereotyped roles and to have the confidence to move within their own skin, thus creating their own paths.

All of us on the panel agreed with her. Dawn RiversBaker said her mother was the strength that made sure she didn't turn out to be a 15 year old pregnant girl, regardless of being raised in the projects. Elianne Ramos' parents would not buy her and her sister a kitchen set in order to instill in them that they had more choices, and to encourage them to explore their opportunities to get an education. My brother refused to let me go out of the house with what he called "too much" make-up, because he did not want me to be stereotyped.

As a result, some of us have had to do a bit of rowing upstream. Ursula M. Burns put it very well, "Stuff happens to you, and then there's stuff that you happen to." Ms. Burns was raised by a single mother in a New York city housing project. She grew up and obtain a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of NYU in 1980 and a master of science in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University a year later. She initially worked at Xerox in 1980 as a summer intern. In 2009, she became the first African-American woman to be named the CEO of a Fortune 500 company (Xerox).

Like our panel, Ms. Burns is a shining example of the words family, heritage and resolve. That simple trinity seems to be the key to finding your way as a minority girl or boy in our contemporary world.

The question we need to ask ourselves is - does it really matter what color our skin is? If we listen to our family, stand by our heritage and have inner resolve, doesn't that empower us to move forward and shed the stereotype? To simply be ourselves? To not try to please others? To not worry about conforming?

Ms. Ferris-Olson talked about her own yearnings for that feeling of heritage. She made me feel like heritage is so grand and I realized - so taken for granted, that we forget that it is the path that has been carved out under our feet for us. That so many of our ancestors had to do that carving, so our day-to-day is just a little easier. That we are responsible for continuing that path for our daughters and sons, so that they may be able to feel the solid ground of heritage.

In the United States, it seems a very popular view is for all of us to conform - to be American or get out. Even though, all of us, except for Native Americans are from immigrants, that path worn down by generations is forgotten. That path that can unite us is overlooked.

Living 60 miles from the Mexican border, has brought me some very unfortunate moments. I have witnessed a man yelling at the PA system at Home Depot, because there was an announcement made in both English and Spanish. "Speak English, you moron!" the man shouted. I was saddened by his performance. Did that man never have a relative who did not speak English? I highly doubt that, but maybe it was so long ago, he forgot. Did that man realize that Mexican nationals bring in millions (maybe even billions) of dollars to our economy? The number one destination in the entire state of Arizona for visitors from Mexico is one of the malls in Tucson. Number one.

Perhaps all of us need to remember our heritage, because whether it's in our face, deeply ingrained in our daily upbringing or simply a quiet space in our hearts - it's there. It's always there. And perhaps, in finding that voice that speaks to us of our heritage, we can feel the stern lessons from our mothers and fathers and even gain that much needed resolve as a result.

We had so much fun on the WOTV Radio Show.  Thank you to our member guests:  Dawn RiversBaker, Elianne Ramos and Pamela Ferris-Olson  for the wonderful discussion and vibrant time.  I had more fun than I imagined!

Listen to the show: Women on the Verge on BlogTalkRadio

When I first started in the Internet industry, in 1994, with the exception of the office receptionist, there were no other females in the office. I came in as the only person with design experience, as a clothing designer. I was surrounded by programmers, a superb sales force and uber-brilliant-techno-geeks - all of the male variety. The office was so testosterone overloaded, Friday afternoons (traditionally slow in the industry) were spent either at the local strip joint or by playing pool. When I decided to go on my own and start Co-Op Web, I immediately looked for what I thought were the rarities on the Internet - women.

I found a wonderful women's site, called Pleiades, (which is no longer in existence), however, because there were so few of us, we became bonded to each other. We did business together, talked to each other daily and supported each other in this very new industry. A handful of those women I still do business with today and some are members of our site, Women on the Verge.

Well, the face of the Internet is a-changin' and guess who's at the helm? Women!

Check it out the numbers:

- The Total Worldwide - 51% of all Internet users in the US are women (five million more than men), according to eMarketer.

- Online Banking - women edge out men: In 2002, men represented the majority of online bill payers, at 61 percent, and they maintained the lead in usage of the service through 2009. In 2010 the tables turned, with women edging ahead to represent 51 percent of online bill payers.

- On Seeking Medical Advice - Nearly half of women seeking health answers online do so first, before talking to their doctors or family members, according to a Harris Interactive poll, conducted on behalf of iVillage, an online community for women.

- Average Time Spent Online Daily - 17.5 minutes per day among females 15-48 and 15.7 minutes per day among males in the same age group.

- Social Networking - Hubspot looked at 9 million Twitter accounts--excluding outliers, like celebrities--and concluded that women are "more social" on Twitter than men. HubSpot found that although men and women have an equitable number of followers, women tend to tweet and follow more--12% and 2% more than men, respectively. Separate research into Twitter's demographics found that women also slightly outnumber men (53% vs. 47%).

- TV vs the Internet - 61 percent of women surveyed said they would rather lose TV for two weeks, then have their Internet access taken for one.

The biggest sign of all that women love the Internet and consider it to be an important part of their lives is this statistic: 46 percent of women and 30 percent of men said they would give up sex for two weeks rather than give up Internet access for the same two week period.

Ana Lewis, founder of WomenontheVerge.net and CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc.

My wardrobe was in need of a spring/summer refresher and there, on my online shopping screen was the most divine night gown I have ever seen. Spaghetti straps, body draping, soft, natural fibers and sexy as a whisper. I had to have it.

It came to my door in the tiniest of packages... and I was feeling a bit guilty about the price. Geez, all that money for this tiny slip of a nightgown? Then I tried it on. Oh my goodness! It felt like I was wearing a summer breeze. That's all. So very pretty, so very soft and so very, very comfortable.

Thus began my obsession with pretty nightgowns.

When you think about it, is there a better place to feel pretty than in bed? Is there a better time to feel comfortable and sexy simultaneously? I have been combing the Internet in search of pretty nightgowns, and they are not easy to find. My few chosen have had to follow strict guidelines - and ALL must be met. They must be pretty, soft and comfortable. If they are natural fibers - even better and if they are sexy, too - they are in my closet in a 1-click buying spree minute.

The worst part about getting treasured nighties, is you don't want to take them off. Working, doing yoga, laundry, and writing - all things you can do in jammies, I am here to report.

Recently I watched a video of Oprah Winfrey talking to Geneen Roth, author of Women Food and God, regarding a time that Oprah forgot her loveliness. Oprah points to this gi-normous photo of the cover of O magazine showcasing her previously svelte, weight-loss body next to her current day, weight-back-on body. The caption read, "How did I let this happen again?"

Tears welled up in Oprah's eyes as she admitted she was not kind to herself in deciding on this cover. Just looking at her face, and through her self-deprecating jokes, you can see that she had publicly humiliated herself with this cover. Punishing herself for gaining the weight back. As she so aptly put it, she shamed herself. She thought her thinner self was worthy of love and admiration, but her heavier self was only worthy of self-loathing.

As I watched Oprah's admission, I was horrified. Screaming in my head, "Oprah, you are still you! We love you - the inside of you! I could care less what the scale says, it changes nothing about how I feel about you and what you generously give to this universe." Then I thought... wow. Why haven't I been able to say that to myself? Why do I consistently beat myself up in my head, allowing "the voice" (Radio Station KFKD as Anne Lamont so colorfully calls it) to berate me for having a piece of cake or not having perfect thighs? Shouldn't I be able to love myself no matter what - regardless of what the scale says? The truth is yes. But it's a challenge.

Over the past couple of days, I practiced being kind to myself. I got rid of the mood-changing scale and told myself that I am lovely. I thanked God for my strong beautiful body and made a promise to myself to shut down Radio KFKD and enjoy being me and listen and trust my body. Trust my body to tell me when it is hungry, tired, wants to do yoga or yes - wants chocolate.

I am still learning and I know that a lifetime of beating myself up inside will take a conscience effort to reverse. However, if the smile on my face and the gratitude in my heart are an indicator of my journey ahead - I am on board.

I am currently reading Women Food and God, by Geneen Roth, recommended to me by my dear friend, Pam Symank. Please check it out and let me know what you think.

Ana Lewis, Founder of Women on the Verge, CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc.

Every morning we have a quote on the Twitter @womenontheverge and this morning'a quote was, "If you can't laugh about sex, you shouldn't be doing it." -- Sue Johanson

Question of the Day:
Do you know of a funny sex story that can be shared and make us laugh?

Every morning we have a quote on the Twitter @womenontheverge and this morning'a quote, "Though I have no productive worth, I have a certain value as an indestructible quantity." -- Alice James

Alice James (August 7, 1848 - March 6, 1892) - is best-known post humously for her diary writing, which was witheld for many years due to some of its acerbic content and sharp comments about people (along with their names).  She suffered psychological and physical problems that would end her life at age 43.  The diary has made James something of a feminist icon: she was seen as struggling through her illnesses to find her own voice.

James' quote, citing her "certain value as an indestructible quantity" brings me to our question of the day. 

What is your indestructible quantity?  Do you believe that everyone has an indestructible quantity that gives them a value that is not measureable in standard terms?

Recently on Facebook, I posted that I resisted getting a Kindle until recently because I thought I would be annoyed by reading a book on a screen, while, in fact, it is not bothering me one tiny bit. Not at all. I received several comments on the post, most of them from people who use and love their Kindle. What do you think?

Here are some reasons to love an eReader:

1. Saves paper. Last year 1.45 million tons of paper were used to print books. That's 25 million trees. If we want to save the paper book industry, we need to do better than this, by utilizing recycled paper more for book printing.

2. Books cost a lot less when they're digital.

3. A new book comes out? You get it in 60 seconds. No waiting.

4. There are some good places to download free books. Most classics are available to download for free. Most top ten bestsellers are not.

5. I am running out of space on my book shelves... need to buy more shelves, get rid of books (nooo!!!!) or buy more digitally.

6. With an eReader, no one but me can tell when I am reading smut... silly addictions!

7. Accessibility features: lighter weight than a book, a read-to-me audio option and choice of text size.

8. Free book samples. I love this. I almost always download the sample first chapters to see if I can get into a book or not. You can't do that at the bookstore.

Here are some reasons to not like eReaders:

1. No sharing. I immediately wrote to Amazon (an received an immediate reply) asking them to please consider having a "Kindle Share Network" - for a person to be networked with their friends and family, who also own Kindles, to be able to share their favorite book purchases - just like we do with physical books. So far, Amazon is not considering it, but I think it would be great to rally them to consider opening up a "Share Network".

2. You can't "borrow" books like you can a library.

3. I love bookstores... hate to think that more people purchasing digital books means a future with fewer bookstores. Sad...

4. Not all that green. Yup, you save trees, paper and gasoline it takes to ship and shop. But with the materials, manufacturing, and the shipping on an eReader, it takes about 50 - 100 books to ecologically "break-even". (Being the book-a-holic that I am this can be done in about a year. )

5. Recycling an eReader runs into the same problems as recycling a computer - the toxic effects of this type of e-waste have been well documented and quite scary.

For now, I will be a fan of both, but I am wondering how I will feel in about 5 years. Will my Kindle be obsolete? Or will I be back to paper books? What will my nightstand (which now has a 12 inch pile of books) look like in 2015? What will your's look like?


Ana Lewis, founder of WomenontheVerge.net and CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc.

My husband and I have a great relationship. We understand each other very well on almost every subject. We are politically alike, our core values are the same in regard to family, honesty and trust. We laugh a lot and we love a lot in our home. One thing seems to repeatedly stick in our craws. Money.

We have differences in opinion on how money should be saved and how it should be spent. I spent most of my life working for myself, so savings accounts, stock portfolios and our home/real estate are sacred. I sock money away in various accounts like there's a million tomorrows. Plus, in addition to all of this, I hide money. When I die, it will be a freakin' treasure hunt in our home to see where I thought of next. I attribute it to all of my years (15 ) to being a single mother. Having the emergency of the week and making sure that I could work for myself and raise my own children. My children never spent a second in daycare. I gardened and fed us from that bounty. I nursed each one of them until they were 2 years old and I worked from home almost the entire time. Yep, I saved.

Then I got married to a man who spent his life in the Air Force. He retired after 21 years of service and has a full, lifetime pension that comes like clockwork every single month. He went back to school after retirement, so now he also works full-time at the local community college as an instructor and is building further retirement benefits from there. He doesn't feel the choke that I feel about a savings account. He doesn't study the stock market and decide which investments pay the best monthly dividends. He just works and smiles because he "knows" he has it all taken care of, due to his long years of service.

So, how do we meet in the middle? I told him that we have the best of both worlds. A savings and a regular income during retirement. While he did not disagree with me, he also would really like it if I would release the death grip I have on the savings account. I tried that before. It didn't work. He likes to spend. We went to Europe, bought a beautiful hot tub, two luxury cars and did some construction on our home - with our savings. The entire time, I was hyperventilating. He laughed and told me it was going to be fine. And he is right, it is fine, but my savings account looked beat up. Bad. Worse than when Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear off bad... well, not that bad, but bad.

Now we are trying something new. It's our latest test. Let's see how it works. He stays out of my way and I stay out of his. He is in charge of building the monthly income. I am in charge of building the nest egg. I like that. It inspires me in a ridiculously giddy way. I like pulling out the saving calculators, researching stocks, using different accounts for different purposes and setting up the goals and auto-transfers from account to account. Makes me feel all funny inside. Like I have a new toy, only I saved the money instead of spending it. Am I weird?

I guess, money would be considered a dirty word, seeing how excited I get over making goals and meeting them. But I would like for it to not be so dirty when trying to discuss the topic with my husband. We're trying...

There's a contest for Bad Poetry going on at Chip MacGregor and here are my two entries.  I ahve tons o fbad poetry to choose from, so I chose two of my favorite baddies.  See what you think.  Bad enough to be a winner?  I guess we'll see.

____

Hot Headed

Once upon a soup is our tale

The way to a man's heart without fail

Chicken, tomatillos, lime and rice

Roasted hot peppers and plenty of spice

The resulting concoction was a brew on the senses

Our desire, it mounted, knocking down all our fences

The domain of the bedroom was entered with force

Urgency on display - the aim? Intercourse

I went down on my knees to worship the rod

And said to myself, "Oh yes, there's a God."

The burning sensation I thought was desire

My mouth was aflame

And his loins burned from fire

My hands were the culprit

Flaunting thick skin with vain

But we now know jalapenos and love equal pain.

___

The Stain

There once was a stain on the bed

Mysterious, untrustworthy and dead

We poked and we prodded

We questioned and plotted

Our findings, they filled us with dread

We turned on the light

Examined our plight

Oh damn, we wished it was red

___

Have some bad poetry yoou thinks awful enough to win? Go to: http://chipmacgregor.typepad.com/main/ - post your poetry as a comment and you may win the Grand Prize!  A copy of what has been called "the worst self-published book ever." How to Good-bye Depression is the product of that great writing mind Hiroyuki Nishigaki, who added to its fame by creating this winning subtitle: If You Constrict Anus 100 Times Every Day. Malarky? or Effective Way? (No, I'm not making this up. That's the subtitle. Complete with punctuation errors.)

Have fun!

Ana Lewis, founder of Women on the Verge.net

The Best Things on the Internet are Free - May Edition:

- Popurls - (it rhymes with popular) brings us tons of information in one setting in up-to-the-moment headlines from the biggest and most popular news and opinion sites, blogs and vlogs onto one giant Web page for you to graze through. - http://popurls.com/

- Metacritic - compiles reviews from respected critics and publications for movies, DVDs, music, television and games. Their unique Metascores show the critical consensus at a glance by taking a weighted average of critic grades.- http://www.metacritic.com/

- Pollster -aggregates tons of data, and it has a Web interface that allows you to remix it on the fly - changing the algorithm. Play with the polls - on a local and national level and have some geeky fun. - http://www.pollster.com/

- CouchSurfing - an international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals in over 230 countries and territories around the world. People come together for cultural exchange, friendship, and learning experiences. - http://www.couchsurfing.org/

- Mint - Free Personal Finance. Download and categorize your balances and transactions automatically every day- making it effortless to see graphs of your spending, income, balances, and net worth. - http://www.mint.com/

- Issuu - an online newsstand with infinite shelf space, hundreds of interesting micro-publishing projects and a slick online reader. Spending time browsing through the titles that are archived on the site comes so close to the feel of the actual thing. - http://issuu.com/

Ana Lewis, CEO, MPM, PME of Co-Op Web, Inc.

Be still my heart! I just received notification that my pre-ordered copy of the latest Sookie Stackhouse novel is on its way!

Yes, I am addicted to serial novels. Particularly those on the funny/sleazy/sci-fi/fantasy side. Pure Paperback Pleasure. Industrial strength light reading. Get me lost in the tough-bitch character any day.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Sookie Stackhouse, the mind-reading, sexy vampire lover, by Charlaine Harris (the HBO series, True Blood is based on these books), a waitress in a small town in Louisiana, lives in her grandmother's old house, has a brother who gets laid more than the flowers in my garden and has deep connections to the vampire world - where everyone is hot and sexy. She has a flare for putting on the most outrageous matchy-match outfits (can anyone say PINK!?) and her ditzy sense of humor makes me laugh out loud.

Mercy Thompson, raised by werewolves, this much tattooed mechanic girl has canine tendencies of her own. She changes at will to a coyote, which gives her special powers to help solve crimes in eastern Washington state committed by vampires, faeries and werewolves. Patricia Briggs brings us this saucy, rule breaking woman, who lives in a trailer next door to her werewolf/boyfriend and his daughter - with her old boyfriend as her roommate.

Claire Randall, the time-traveling physician, with the hottest, kilt-wearing, 18th century Scottish husband, Jamie is brought to us by Diana Gabaldon. Claire is the all-time queen in my book. She is intelligent, brilliant, sensible and I could seriously be her friend... if she was real. But I know, sadly, she is not. She travels through the centuries via some Stonehenge type figuration in Scotland and gives us quite the lesson in American and European history during her adventures. Forever at her side is her big, handsome, hulk of a perfect auburn-haired specimen, Jamie, her husband... yup, could be friends with him, too. As soon as I wipe the drool off my face, so I could be more presentable... oh yeah, he's not real either.

I have often wondered why do I, capital L, Love these books? What makes me pre-order them, only to devour them in about two days time? Then insatiably, anxiously await the next installment to the series? Could it be these women take no crap? Could it be their intelligence? Their gifts? Their sense of humor? Yes, yes, yes and yes! I also think that since I am hopelessly addicted to reading in general, with series like these, the stories never end. Yes!!!

Dr. Aumatma (Binal) Shah went to Naturopathic school to be of service to mankind, and help us dhe does - for free.  She founded a medical facility named the Karma Clininc, where she provides all of her services free of charge. 

Dr. Shah's belief is that the Universe will take care of her and some how, some way, it does.  Please watch this  You Tube Video
and see the light of this beautiful spirit in action.  Also visit her website: http://karmaclinic.org , if you would like to find out more or to try to help her out with a donation.

Sisters and Brothers of the Internet, aka Netizens, it may seem strange to compare the World Wide Web to the spiritual concept of Oneness, meaning we are all connected as one, that we recognize the whole and we are all part of the whole - not separate from each other. However, connected and part of the whole is what we are.

The web is global, owned by no one and it is infinite. There are currently more than 1.67 billion people throughout the world communicating via the web in more than 34 languages. And the best part? There's always room for more.

If you think about our Oneness spiritually - we are connected via the air we breath, the sky above, our oceans and our earth. The Internet is a manifestation of physical connection that we can actually see. The word Internet is derived from the term interconnection networks - we are entwined via the web with each other. An amazing view of global Internet activity showcases how very connected we are.

How do we appreciate our Oneness? Know our audience, know our brethren.:

- Our audience is ageless - Perhaps the oldest known person online (105 year old Audrey Stubbart) might have visited your site, or young students in China. Your site is available to all.

- Our audience is genderless - in the U.S. 78% of all males are on the Internet, 75% of all females - it's almost even.

- Our audience is virtual - it crosses all boundaries - geographical and political.

- Our audience is like a family - with different viewpoints, passions and ideals - and we still respect them.

Just imagine, reaching through your computer screen and physically touching all 1.67 billion people. They are that close. They are that connected to you. You would suddenly care about them - are they hungry? Are they scared? Do they have water to drink? Are they safe? You wouldn't care about their sexual preference or their race. You wouldn't care if they were a man or a woman, elderly, a child. You can approach them anytime of the day or night. Seek help from them, offer help of your own. You are literally connected to them - just like family. You will agree with them and disagree with them, but allow them their time of expression and not take it personally - you are sharing the Oneness with them no matter what.

Think of this when you sit at your computer, on the Internet and contemplate the vastness and the Oneness of it and know the mantra, "We're all in this together."

Ana Lewis, CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc and Founder of WomenontheVerge.net

Part 1 - the birth

It was 1982 in a Seattle suburb, when I realized I needed to work. Our little family of three - dad, mom and baby boy led a simple, frugal, active life. Container gardening on our small patio, owing one car, walking to the grocery store, daily runs at the nearby track and visiting the u-pick farms for annual canning and freezing fruits and vegetables. To the outside world,we were living a nice life as a young family, but for me, something was missing.

The missing link for me wasn't money or things - as we lived within our means. It wasn't boredom or loneliness - as we were constantly busy. It was fear. I was afraid of being 100% financially dependent on another human being. It would eat away at me and my then husband could not understand my fear at all.

Luckily I had girlfriends. Lots of them, mostly through my La Leche League group. I admitted to everyone at a meeting that I wanted to find a way to work/earn, but did not want to leave my son. The ideas came pouring in: How about you become a doula? We can landscape together! You're creative - let's make things! Such a supportive and wonderful group of mothers. I decided to go to one of the member's homes and check out her chocolate making business and the choice proved to be the right one for me.

Surrounded by evergreens in the classic Seattle motif, my friend's home was spacious, warm, inviting and chaotic. Mothers and children were everywhere! Business was booming and candy makers, wrappers, packagers took up every possible space of table top, as the children played together. It was like a working playgroup. We pack our lunches three days a week and went to work and play. My son carefully helped pack his lunch - choosing healthy snacks and drinks and caressing his "big boy" lunchbox while "we" went to work.

After being part of the chaos for six months, the business owner asked me if I would like to be a partner. I would need to get my kitchen inspected by the health department, get my own business license and therefore, double our work space. I jumped at the opportunity and within the first month, I tripled my income - while working from my own home and on my own schedule.

We were very busy. Orders were coming in daily and it got especially nutso when I gave birth to my second son in the autumn of 1983. I learned 2 very important lessons during that time.: 1. you should probably wait more than 3 days post-partum before going back to work. And 2. Tears and chocolate don't mix well. My mother was very upset with me for resuming work so quickly and I paid with a fever and exhaustion.

I was a mess. I was too young to know that the world does not end if an order is delayed. But nooooo! I packed up my newborn son into his Snuggly and wore him all day long so I could work, while my oldest son played with his friends and rode his Big Wheel all around the house.

My then husband thought I had lost my mind. The chaos spread to our home. Cases and cases of chocolate filled our pantry. Children were everywhere. I was thrilled. "Are you deaf?" he would ask me. No, but for some reason, the sounds of the children playing, laughing and singing never bothered me. And, lucky for me, it never interfered with my ability to focus and work.

In order to prove that we didn't "need" my income, my then husband (he was quite macho and that's one of the reasons we are not still married) asked that instead of me helping pay the bills, I would deposit the money I earned into our joint savings account. I was okay with that, as eventually that money accumulated enough to allow us a to put a down payment on our first home.

While my inspiration was fear, my ultimate goal to be with my children was met, my journey as an entrepreneurial mother began, and continues to this day.

Next segment will talk about our relocation and how that impacted my journey.

Please feel free to add your own stories here. How did you begin? What was your driving force? Your inspiration? Do you have any questions? Thoughts? Ideas you would like to toss around?

Ana Lewis, CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc. and Founder of WomenontheVerge.net

Morning greeted me with a little bit of overcast during my yoga practice. The sun worked hard to burn off the clouds and was rewarded with a grand entrance, giving me the inspiration to go out in the crisp air and harvest from my garden.

The first crop of artichokes called my name as they are now fist sized and beginning to open their leaves. When you pick them at fist-size, they rarely have a bed of thorns in the middle, thus making their heart vulnerable and the most delectable of tender.

Roses were bursting with color. I buy both roses and fingernail polish when I like the names. My favorite is the Rio Samba - she is a sunshine yellow in the center that gradates to a hot pink on the edges. She is festive and bountiful and was generous enough for a beautiful bouquet that I accented with tall rosemary branches and soft fennel ferns.

Swiss chard filled my basket to the brim. It's nutty flavor will be a treat with dinner. I love it with potatoes, rice, or even by itself. The crop is generous and the bunnies stayed away, so I am set for a little while.

Scented herbs exploded my senses - mint for my water, thyme to use with the swiss chard, cilantro for my avocado - tomato salad and basil for my ravioli dinner. What a treat.

I think I have a favorite, and for a split second, I do. I hold the beginnings of a globe artichoke in my palm - and that one is my favorite. I inhale fennel - and that one becomes my new favorite. Then I behold the majesty of the rose - and she is my new and final most favorite. Until next time.

Have a wonderful Earth Day. Toast the day with a sip of Mother Earth's water, inhale her fragrance, tell her she's beautiful and give her a squeeze and a feel. She deserves it.

Ana Lewis

In an attempt to make clearing the clutter from your website sound like more fun than pulling weeds, I have created this handy-dandy checklist with some free software to help you make your website the shining portrait of your business and a true reflection of your values. Make this list an annual review of your site. Using a date, like Earth Day to spring clean, clear the clutter and conduct major updates will make it not seem so overwhelming.

There are some items you should do monthly, weekly or even daily - simple updates, blog posts, specials, news and events - all should be done as required. The list below is to do annually, page-by-page and dot by dot... heck, you paid for it, might as well keep it up. Just like putting oil in your car, it's the regular maintenance that will keep your website humming.:

1. Check Your Site in Various Browsers: Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Internet Explorer. An easy (and free) piece of software to use is Browser Shots: http://browsershots.org - type in your URL and in a few minutes it will show you how your site looks in various browsers.

2. Check Your Links - The easiest way to do this is to set it up to be checked automatically for you. A free software named Link Tiger http://www.linktiger.com/ will do just that and send you emails anytime there is a broken link on your site that needs repair.

3. Check Your Site's Rankings - Alexa.com is one of the best known and most widely used. Go to http://www.alexa.com/ , set up an account and then get back more information than you will know what to do with... it's a little bit humbling to see ba-zillions of websites and to try to get excited about ranking in the 6 figures...

4. Feedback Forms - fill them all out, update the software (always new updates available) , and make sure that they are all working properly, going to the right people and still requesting relevant information.

5. Update Your About Section - update your staff, add photos, add awards and certifications, edit content.

6. Check Any and All Flash Files and Videos - when was the last time you sat through your entire Flash introduction? Do you have additional videos to upload? Do you also have them uploaded on YouTube? If they are your videos, establish an account (or add to your current one) and send out your updated Flash and video content via Twitter and Facebook to promote.

7. Work samples / Portfolio - make sure this area really speaks for your business - update and add photos, add more links, eliminate old links, do a more thorough cleansing than simply adding new content.

8. Clean Out Your Email List - are your newsletters going to people who really want to get them? Send them an annual confirmation email in an attempt to keep your list limited to only the people that really want to receive your information. These are your best, best, best customers.

9. Newsletters - is it time to update your look? Your information? Your send out frequency? Now is a good time to think about that. Is your email newsletter available on your website? Some people may want to read it at a later date, or having it available online may encourage more new sign ups.

10. Social Network Links - are all of your Social Media links available on your website? Can people follow you on Twitter through a single click? If not, time to add those links to your site.

11. Analyze Your Visitor Statistics - your host should offer you a link (for free) on viewing your statistics. How do your visitors look today compared to a year ago? Where can you improve? Which pages are gaining the highest traffic? Where is your traffic coming from? For example, if your highest traffic is coming from Twitter, whenever you have a site update, please make sure you post a tweet encouraging your friends to come and see your news.

12. Give Your Site a New Toy - maybe offer some new information, add a calendar, perhaps add your RSS feed from your blog, or even monetize your site. Do one thing for to make your site more profitable and give yourself a little more motivation to make it fun.

Have a great Earth Day cleaning out and updating your website. It will smell April fresh when your done. Could smell-a-vision be coming soon?

Ana Lewis is a Certified Master Project Manager (MPM), Project Manager for E-Business (PME) and CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc.

hummingbird's joy shines,
in your golden lock


tiny, graceful feet,
longing to dance

hands that cooked gourmet meals,
strong and supportive

the scent of soap and incense,
cling to your clothes

a home filled with shining light,
surrounds you

spanish guitars and mantras,
fill your air

little pitter-patter feet,
trail you

new mothers seek,
your free information

stubbornness reigns,
moving forward

shell-shocked eyes
looking haunted

nights are tortured,
thoughts of the future

car gathers dust in the garage,
keys are hidden

gather up strength,
facing the day

the edge of tears fills your throat,
insides choking

walker sits by your side,
a loyal friend

ringing phone throughout the day,
always loving

gracious and giving,
you'll always be

laughter at little things,
sing in your heart

sudden sadness,
overwhelms you

sensitivity and kindness,
means the world

daily silence,
keeps you whole

positive outlook,
puppies nestling

flowers blooming,
inside and out

warm embraces remembering
the two sides of you



Dedicated to my very dear, beautiful friend, Karen Storek who shares with us her journey of ALS/PLS disease.

This is the second in a series of four articles celebrating Earth Day - April 22, 2010.

It's a little bit challenging to show Mother Earth you love her while you work on your computer everyday, however there are numerous ways you can use your little energy consuming laptop to help our planet.

Here are 10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Online:

1. Spring clean your website. Update your information, get rid of things that are no long relevant. Update your photos and graphics. You will feel like you got a new site, it will be less expensive and give you that geeky fresh tingly feeling.

2. Donate your old computers to worthy organizations. The list provided by the Environmental Protection Agency is most helpful.

3. Send an email to your favorite green companies commending them for the job they are doing and thanking them for doing their part in helping our planet.

4. Familiarize yourself with Freecycle.net: Freecycling is when a person passes on, for free, an unwanted item to another person who needs that item. From silverware to mobile homes, people worldwide are choosing to freecycle rather than discard. The practice frees up space in landfills and cuts down on the need to manufacture new goods.

5. Sign an environment and/or wildlife petition via Care2.org: Take action with hundreds of online petitions about the environment, wildlife, endangered species, environmental health, global warming, climate change, national parks and forests, the Arctic, oceans, oil drilling, air pollution, water pollution, the rainforest and more.

6. Visit EarthDay.org - Type in your zip code and get a full list of events in your area.

7. Plan your next vacation online and make it an eco-vacation. The International Ecotourism Society offers plans promoting responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.

8. Take an Earth Day Quiz and find out how green you really, really, really are. Are You Living Green?

9. Watch an environmental movie online for free. SnagFilms.com has a library of over 1000 documentaries to choose from.

10. Give up your cup of coffee while your in front of your computer on April 22. Why? Unless you are living in Hawaii, there are no locally grown coffee beans in the U.S. Kind of a bummer...

Originally posted on Co-Op Web.com

he stereotypes are very telling - we're hippies, wimps, can't hold a job, wear funny looking clothes, ugly shoes, have pasty skin, are scary PETA activists, angry, wirey grey-haired, cultish and trying to push our animal loving religion down the throats of everyone else and treehugger. Really? Is this the vegetarian / vegan you know? Or has the stereotype taken over the reality?

I came to realize that the vegetarians I know are really beautiful people - inside and out. Yes, we love our dogs and cats, sure. But don't we all? We do things that other people think we don't - color our hair, get pedicures and manicures, eat french fries, drink coffee and can even cohabitate with omnivores. The truth is, we may do all of these things and more, but we try our best to do them conscientiously. Color our hair with less harmful chemicals, use vegan nail polishes, drink organic/fair market coffees and teas, eat homemade french fries (usually baked, not fried) and typically improve (not change) the diets of the people we live with and love - such as our spouses and children. Trying to live conscientiously - that's all.

Evolving Humans
Truth is, according to Vegetarian Resource Group (among others), current-day humans have evolved to the point to we are meant to be omnivores, due to our ability to digest meat. Now don't get me wrong, it is believed that we did not start out that way. In the beginning, we were vegetarians. We have blunt teeth and long intestinal tracts - all signs of our vegetarian origins. However, we are survivors. During the some huge environmental changes that occurred 3-4 million years ago, our forests and jungles were depleted, our need to survive taught us to hunt and kill for nourishment. Thus, came our evolution to current-day omnivores.

Why the Stereotypes Don't Work:
There are too many of us. In the U.S., there are 7.3 million vegetarians, about 3.2 %. Throughout the world, the number is much different, it is closer to more than 50%. Several religions practice vegetarianism - Hinduism, Rastafaris, Hare Krishnas, some Buddhists, some Sikhs, Seventh Day Adventists, to name a few. There are millions of people who don't eat flesh of any sort every day, due to religious reasons alone. Mahayana Buddism encourages vegetarianism as beneficial for developing compassion.

Taking the Stereotypes to the Mat. Let's get clearer picture of one of the fastest growing segments of the world (according to Wikipedia) - The Vegetarian.:

We're Wimps:
One famous vegetarian, Clint Eastwood, might disagree with you on that. There's no way he could have gotten away with that smokey glare when he would dare you to make his day, if he was considered a wimp, due to the stereotype of being vegetarian.

We're Hippies:
I really don't think that Pamela Anderson is a hippy, do you? She has a mold all her own as one of PETA's most outspoken celebrities. I am an all-natural kind of woman, and Pamela Anderson makes me proud. That should say something.

Can't Hold a Job:
Goodness! That one is harsh. I have been the president of my own company for more than 12 years. I have been in the same industry for 16 years. We are considered veterans in the Internet industry. And, we're small-fry. There are so many famous, well-known vegetarians that prove this totally wrong - how about: Paul McCartney? A decades-long vegetarian. Surely, he would be considered gainfully employed. Russell Simmons, Dustin Hoffman, Jamie Lee Curtis - all veterans of their craft.

Wear Funny Looking Clothes:
There are so many beautiful, well-dressed vegetarians out there, so many that I am only going to name a few, but how's Carrie Underwood, Alec Baldwin, Alicia Silverstone and fashion designer, Stella McCartney? Posh veggies, for sure.

Wear Ugly Shoes:
I personally have never worn a pair of Birkenstocks in my life. I won't. I really like pretty shoes. I know I am not the only one. Ana Brett, Kundalini Yoga teacher, fellow veggie and DVD star, has offered shoes she can't live with out on her website, raviana.com. Boots, high-top tennis and strappy sandals reign. Not a sensible shoe in the lot. Also check out fashionably heeled veggie stars - Natalie Portman, Janet Jackson and Shania Twain

Have Pasty Skin:
Sometimes we need some additional help in this area via vitamin supplements. I take occasional iron and daily B-12 to keep the skin a-glowing. If you ever think that veggies look pasty - check out the healthy glows of athletes Chris Evert, Prince Fielder, Carl Lewis, Tony Gonzalez and Desmond Howard.

Are Scary PETA Activists:
Granted, PETA has gotten a very bad rap for being negative, but they really do have a good message. Their new spokespeople are giving them a new lease on a positive life. Some of their new ads star Eva Mendes, Perez Hilton and Joaquin Phoenix. What's not to love about that?

Angry:
This stereotype is the easiest to knock down. Two famous vegetarians: Mahatma Ghandi and His Holiness the Dali Lama. Enough said.

Wirey Grey-Haired:
Joe Namath, B.B. King and Bob Barker, Brigitte Bardot, Dyan Cannon, Yoko Ono, Valerie Harper - all going strong and looking fabulous!

Cultish and trying to push our animal loving religion down the throats of everyone else:
According to Vegetarian Times, a large percentage of vegetarians surveyed turned to a plant-based diet for health reasons - to improve their health, as a natural approach to wellness, because of food-safety concerns, to maintain a healthy weight and even to weigh less. A smaller percentage became vegetarians for environmental concerns and animal welfare. The larger percentage would indicate that Health-Nuts would be the Cult to resist.

Are Treehuggers:
Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, puts it best, "The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has estimated that direct emissions from meat production account for about 18% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions. So I want to highlight the fact that among options for mitigating climate change, changing diets is something one should consider. "   I guess, this is one stereotype that might stick...

Ana Lewis

Resources:
Wikipedia.com
Peta.org
Vegetarian Starter Kit by PETA

Today I went to the health food store and bought like a single person. All of the snack foods I crave, all of the body soaps I like, and even a vegan lunch that was new and adventurous for me. While the kale "sunshine salad" was a bit too onion-y for me, the rest felt extravagant. Who am I, a mother of 5 to go to the store and not buy everyone else's stuff? Who am I to get special toothpaste and pizzas no one else will like or eat? Truly it was wonderful.

Have you ever thought about that? What would you buy at the grocery store if you didn't have to worry about pleasing anyone else? I know that this is a reality for some, for me, it's a rarity. Not that I am unhappy with my choices, sometimes it's fun to visit the other side of the fence, romp around, then come back home.

After I was satiated at Whole Foods, I took my vegan lunch and went to the dog park (without Cousteau) and ate. Watched the dogs chase their balls and ate TWO salads - and no one was there to whine about it. It was silent, because my windows were up. The sky glowed blue through my sunroof, the trees budded around me and the park was alive with happy dogs. Glorious.

Why did I do all of this? Well, this morning started out with my usual 5am yoga practice, then I hurriedly worked for a few minutes, jumped in the shower and went to my doctor's office for my annual physical. Yup - the works. Pap smear, blood work, EKG, all of my vitals and ended with a good crunch (my doctor is a DO, so I get "crunched" as often as possible to keep in alignment.)

I don't know about you, but my annual physical is much dreaded. While on one hand, I am grateful to be one of those few Americans with good health insurance, I still don't like to go to the doctor - and I love my doctor! He and I have the same beliefs about working towards prevention vs. reaction to our health. He is the last person to recommend surgery and I like that a lot. He is always telling me horror stories about people who went under the knife without trying other methods first. Gall bladders removed, knees replaced, spinal columns fused - he will not authorize that as a first resort. He wants to see us work in a natural way as much as possible to see results. I can deal with that. I appreciate that. And still, I don't like to go.

Treating myself to a wicked Whole Foods trip wasn't so bad. I could also look at it as continuing the trend of healthy eating as much as I can. My doctor told me I am his poster child for going natural. Now that, I really like to hear. Music to my ears. I will hum that tune to myself when I crack open that organic wine I bought earlier today. Chocolate anyone?

Ana Lewis

On April 22nd, our planet celebrates its 40th Earth Day. I am a strong proponent that it's the little changes that can help make big change in our businesses and ultimately our lives. Listed below are some small changes to make that can help save our environment and it is all via our websites - so it is super easy to implement.:

• Use Your Website As Your Company's Brochure - save a tree and your wallet. Your customers will become accustomed to viewing your site online and getting the most up-to-date information as it can be updated on the fly.
• Offer Your Catalog Online Only - imagine if Amazon printed out their online catalog. My gosh! It would never be current and it would weigh more than my dog, Cousteau (150 lbs). This would enable you to have an even larger offering of products, while keeping your inventory up-to-date.
• Use Online Marketing - as a primary source to get your message out. The advantages of this are saved money, saved environment and you can view the open rates and statistics to see true effectiveness of your campaigns.
• Use Social Media - Twitter and Facebook can offer you some quick information updates to your customers that nothing else can beat in terms of ROI. 140 characters can turn your new product viral. Take advantage of this and save some hard earned money.
• Blog - Internet Karma - that's what blogging truly is. Give. Give your knowledge, give your information, give your expertise and watch your returns. Your information will be more valuable than any brochure spouting your amazing talents. It's a wonderful, green and generous way to get the word out about your business.
• EFax - we use this service, but there are others out there. Use your email box to get faxes. It is a super paper saver and uses less energy having one less business appliance.
• Utilize YouTube - it's free, it's fab and even sometimes viral. Get a free YouTube account and post your business videos, link to your website, send out links via Twitter and Facebook - and you will get the word out.
• Produce Quotes, Invoices, and Checklists Right On Your Website - On our tools tab on our website, we offer online quotes, invoices and checklists for you to use. One of the ways we would waste the most amount of paper is by producing a quote. Our quotes usually ranged from 7 to 35 pages. Eek! And, of course a meeting would mean creating duplicates. It saves money and time for everyone.
• Use Skype - need to conduct a meeting? Why not do it over Skype? Everyone can meet from their own office, thus reducing transportation costs. Especially awesome for long-distance meetings.
• Offer Newsletters and Annual Reports Online Only - this one is a pet peeve of mine. We donate to a lot of organizations every month. (See our list of charities) So many non-profits send us their Annual Report and Newsletter via snail mail! My gosh! Do I really want our donation to go to paying for all that printing and postage? Not really. I would prefer that what we donated would go to the people that we are trying to help out. That is one of the reasons I chose CASA as our Charity of the Month for April. They sent me a postcard last month asking me to view their newsletter online. They are saving the money from printing, thus making sure that the children that they support get the benefits of the donations we make.

There are so many small ways we can make a big difference on our environment - our beautiful planet. Please make a commitment to green your business in one way this year. You will feel good about it and maybe even save a little green while you're at it. Please share your website green ideas below in our comments.

Ana Lewis, Co-Op Web, Inc.

Okay, I was all ready, on this Meatless Monday, to blog in defense of Dr. Sue Johanson, who in her show,Talk Sex with Sue Johanson, in a segment called Hard to Swallow , tells a caller to tell her husband to "give up meat" to help improve the taste of his semen. Johanson goes on to say, "vegetarians, vegans who only eat fruits and vegetables...their ejaculate is sweet and nut-like, whereas males who eat meat, their ejaculate tastes bitter, like burnt leather."

On Friday, April Fool's Day, a site named Super Vegan reported that, the sex educator, Dr. Johanson was being sued by the American Meat Institute for her statement, calling it "unsubstantiated claims based on limited or anecdotal evidence.". It was an April Fools joke... and I fell for it. I got mad at the American Meat Institute - why would they pick on a kindly woman in her eighties?!  Actually not them.

I researched over the weekend, thousands and thousands of claims that showcased the octogenarian is correct. Both men and women who are vegetarian or vegans do in fact taste better! It was told in several variations, both men and women should give up the following items in order to smell and taste better down south:

• Meat
• Fish (apparently really important to give up)
• Caffeine
• Smoking
• Dairy
• Cabbage (probably more to do with gas)
• Onions
• Garlic

Alcohol is also on the list, but I think more people not only taste better when we include alcohol, but they probably even look better.

I learned additional things while researching whether or not Dr. Johanson's information was substantiated or not. Those I will share with my husband. I am done embarrassing myself.

Ana Lewis

The Best Things on the Internet are Free -- April 2010 Edition:

• Academic Earth - Free online video courses from leading universities. - http://www.academicearth.org/

• Internet Archive - This is really fun. See what different websites looked like years ago on the Wayback Machine. This site is a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. http://www.archive.org/

• Consumer Search - find product reviews and reports. Probably one of the most comprehensive consumer review sites on the Internet. http://www.consumersearch.com/

• Supercook - Don't know what to make for dinner? Try this new recipe search engine that finds recipes you can make with only the ingredients you have at home. To begin, simply start adding ingredients you have in pantry. The more ingredients you add, the better the results will be. http://www.supercook.com/

• Visuwords - For a word geek, this is super fun. Try this graphical dictionary. Find not only the meanings, but also their associations with other words and concepts. Produce diagrams reminiscent of a neural net. Learn how words associate. http://www.visuwords.com/

• WorldWide Telescope - Take Google Earth to the next level. enables your computer to function as a virtual telescope, bringing together imagery from the best ground and space-based telescopes in the world. http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx
  
  
  

Originally Posted at Co-OpWeb.com

Mr. Rogers swam daily and kept his weight at 143 pounds, because those are the numbers that align with the words "I love you". Gertrude Stein would sit in her parked car everyday and write poetry. President Barack Obama, starts every day at 6:45 am with a workout and no matter how long his work day is, he always stops to have dinner with his family. Daily Rituals.

As a long-time work at home mother, I have been very much about daily rituals. I wake at 5:15 and practice Kundalini Yoga with the sunrise as my only light. I follow that with a 30 minute meditation, then have a three fruit, green smoothy while sitting with my husband for his breakfast before we both head off to our work. This is daily ritual helps me to stay focused and balanced and ready to begin my day.

As comfortable and reassuring as daily rituals are, sometimes they get a little shaken - like mine are now. As welcoming as growth and the changes that I have in my life are, I am having to re-think my day. Re-design the work portion of my daily ritual.

My balancing act is now a little different with only one child remaining at home - and he is only here part-time - so I can focus on me. What a concept! Now I can write! I can run my business, be a leader in our Women on the Verge Community and garden. Wow!

Here's where I need your help, my sisters in business and life. What are your rituals? If you're a writer, how do you incorporate writing into everyday? How do you incorporate your passion into your daily living? What times of the day are you most creative and alive? The age old question asked to women since the beginning of time.: How do you do it?

I found this post from a year and a half ago on my blog and thought I would share it here, since it still feels relevant and close to my heart.

_____

So many times recently I have sat down to write, only to get my mind moving in a hundred different directions on what I would like to talk about. So much to catch up on.

First of all, I wanted to give a little update on my yoga practice. In Kundalini Yoga, is recommended to practice a technique for 40 days minimum. So, in accordance with that, I used a dvd by Ravi Singh and Ana Brett called, "Journey through the Chakras". I practiced daily for the entire month of October and the first half of November. I LOVE this dvd. Please do try it for a terrific way to open up your chakras and get to the true you.

Second, through this set, I started (and finished) a ba-zillion things. I did tons of home projects and planted an herb garden. These two things may not seem like a lot, but they really stem from the realization that only I can make my dreams come true.

For example, one dream - to have an indepth herb garden. I have always grown herbs, however, I wanted to really, really grow herbs. Make them special and have a lot of them to choose from. If I ever grow up, maybe someday I will be an herbalist. The lore behind them, not to mention using them for cooking, medicine, drinks and to simply sit near them and inhale -- all enchant my every sense.

Our home. Greg and I have spoken about our home and all of the things that we wanted to do to make it ours. These past months, we have rearranged bedrooms, painted half the house and created a colorful/cheery/sunny/delightful kitchen. We are far from done, but it's been quite cleansing to remove old wallpaper, get bold with colors and to make the little things matter.

Making our own dreams come true... it's magic.

Originally posted on Ana Lewis' blog, Under the Tuccson Sun in November of 2008

You have spent years growing and nurturing an opt-in email list and everyone you know is on Twitter and Facebook - does this make your email list obsolete? In a word, No. But it does mean that the rules are a-changin' and you will need to treat it differently now in order to get the most from it and have your emails read.

Let's face reality:

• Spam filters have increased so the chances of your email reaching your audience have decreased.
• Too often mass emails are automatically delivered directly to the Junk Folder.
• Open rates are lower. In a report by Implix, which analyzed 1,652,000,000 emails sent between July and December, 2009, the average open rate in North America was 10.76%
• Social Networking will be replacing email as the primary form of interpersonal communication by 20% of business owners by 2014 according to a study by Gartner.

Given these challenges we also have to get real with how we really feel about email:

• According to Wikipedia, 78% of all email is spam.
• We have become somewhat immune to email messages. How many times have you signed up on an email list only to delete their emails before even reading them? Or worse, sign-up for a list and when they start sending you daily emails, you wish you hadn't?
• Yet, email is the most important form of communication on the Internet. In fact, the use of email predates the creation of the web browser - so it's not going away.
• We still love it and use it daily. When we don't have it, it feels like 're being punished... we get it on our phones, our computers and it's become extremely valuable in our work and day-to-day living.

How do we use email marketing in coordination with other forms of e-marketing? Depends on the audience.:

• Twitter - Your audience is vast, global, powerful and diverse and most of your followers don't know you personally. Use your best manners here. Don't blab about breakfast and don't blah-blah-blah about only business. Make only 10% of your tweets about business - the rest to showcase snippets of who you are and how it pertains to the ways you do business. Showcase your best, most authentic self - be generous - retweet as much as possible. And for goodness sake, unless you're Oprah, keep your list clean by following people back who aren't spammers.Unlike email - you are encouraged to talk to your Twitter followers many times a day. Show them the love, as it is highly recommended.

• Blog - you write a blog - so don't let it just sit there! Utilize Twitter, Facebook and email marketing to promote it! Also, even better, become an online community joiner. You can post your blogs and RSS feeds on numerous sites, including: SheWrites, Women on the Verge and Care2 - just to name a few.

• Facebook - Here you can get more personal. Your audience is more intimate and limited - only open to FB members and 5000 maximum friends. On your fan page, only talk business. Once a day, twice a day maximum. Showcase your achievements, give your fans news, comment on their news. As long as you don't abuse your friends by blabbing their ears off, it's all good.

• Email - Your most intimate and targeted audience. Treat this one very specially. Exactly as you would like to be treated. Nurture this audience by standing by the following rules:

1. Only use your opt-in list
2. Keep your topic relevant
3. Don't over mail
4. Incorporate your personality - be authentic
5. Use beautiful design - ugly doesn't get open
6. Ask yourself this question for each send-out: "What's in this email for my most important audience?"

With email, you have to give your audience something they'll actually open - so make it worthy. Give to your audience. A coupon, a special offer, information - something for free to that audience to show them the love for being the most important.

Get the Most from Your Efforts: By utilizing each tool to it's fullest and targeting your specific audience, you will soon realize that your message will be listened to more fully and even eagerly anticipated.

I practice Kundalini Yoga everyday at about 5ish - 7ish in the morning. Two of my favorite teachers are Ana Brett and Ravi Singh who are kind enough to supply us with some super valuable information and some of the best DVDs for practicing at home.

Below is a quiz that I received from them in email, recently, that has really been helping me in my practice. Check it out and see if it can help you, too. The videos that they mention at the end are from their collection. You can sign up for their email list or find out more by visiting http://raviana.com/

______

The Ultimate Chakra Quiz

Chakras are energy distribution centers along the spine which are etheric counterparts to important nerve plexi or glands. The chakras are the complete spectrum of the human experience. When energy is blocked in any of the chakras, it translates as corresponding blocks in our lives. We want to allow for the free flow of energy throughout the chakra system so that we can be firing on all cylinders. To complete the following questionnaire, please cut and paste the questions and answers and circle the answers which most closely approximates your preference.

***
There are no right or wrong answers. Each of us has a basic orientation with regard to the chakras, and THEY'RE ALL GOOD. More than one answer may apply to you, but for the sake of this quiz, pick the answer which most resonates with you.

1. Which of these is MOST important to you:

1. loyalty to a person(s), a cause, philosophy, or teaching
2. freedom
3. expression
4. bliss

2. Do you fantasize MOST about:

1. having your ideal body
2. sex
3. success
4. creative fulfillment

3. Do you think of God:

1. when you in a tight spot and need some Divine Intervention
2. when you see something beautiful in nature
3. when you're trying to be the best that you can be
4. when you're feeling expansive and open

4. Do your think that reincarnation is:

1. too New Age for your taste
2. a cool idea
3. not worth thinking about while I am still working on this life!
4. part of the fabric of existence

5. Do you base your relationships on:

1. security
2. excitement and passion
3. love
4. shared destiny

6. When you are having an argument with someone, with whom you intensely disagree, do you:

1. fight to the bitter end to assert your point/and or retreat into yourself and get angrier by the minute.
2. enjoy the dance
3. say what needs to be said to further your goals
4. open yourself to the flow of new information

7. Is creativity:

1. a driving force in your life
2. an exquisite and beautiful experience
3. the key to success
4. a doorway to the sublime

8. Would a memorable New Year's Eve be:

1. partying all night and going home at dawn
2. spending time with an important person in your life
3. giving a party for the important people in your life
4. taking part in a group meditation/chanting event

9. If you were given a gift of a million dollars, would you:

1. put the money in a retirement account
2. let yourself experience the kind of luxury you've never been able to afford
3. give the money to good causes
4. open a retreat center

10. Describe the relationship with your parents and siblings:

1. family is everything
2. contentious
3. you stay as far away from them as you can
4. respectful

11. Which type of music most resonates with your soul:

1. raw blues
2. alternative rock
3. classical music
4. world music

12. Which type of food do you find most satisfying:

1. sweet and substantial
2. hot and spicy anything
3. a meal prepared by a gourmet chef
4. light and pure.

Now add the numbers of the questions you selected. For instance, if you picked #4 for each question, then your total would be 48 (12 x 4). Compare your sum with the chart below to find the chakra which is your basic orientation.

1st chakra 12 - 16
2nd chakra 17- 21
3rd chakra 22 - 26
4th chakra 27 - 31
5th chakra 32 - 36
6th chakra 37 - 41
7th chakra 42 - 46
8th chakra 47 - 48

To insure that our lives are in balance, it is important to balance the chakra which is our basic orientation with its polarity.

"Good for the body
is the work of the body. Good for the soul is the work of the soul.
And good for either is the work of the other."

--Henry David Thoreau

So, if you are a:

1st chakra person (earthy and loyal) then you might want to give some attention to the 7th chakra (expansive and open).

2nd chakra person (sensual and creative) you might want to give some attention to the 6th chakra (visionary and intutive)

3rd chakra person (focused and fearless) you might want to give some attention to your 4th chakra (compassionate and soulful)

4th chakra person (compassionate and soulful) you might want to give some attention to your 3rd chakra (focused and fearless)

5th chakra person (productive and direct) you might want to give some attention to your 8th chakra (radiant and receptive)

6th chakra person (visionary and intutive) you might want to give some attention to your 2nd chakra (sensual and creative)

7th chakra person (expansive and open) you might want to give some attention to your 1st chakra ((earthy and loyal)

8th chakra person (radiant and receptive) you might want to give some attention to your 5th chakra (productive and direct)

to work on the 1st chakra walk barefoot on earth. Stay steady. Commit to your commitments! We recommend the Foundation exercises in Journey thru the Chakras DVD

to work on the 2nd chakra practice letting go. Express yourself. We recommend the Potency & Fertility segment on our Yoga House Call DVD

to work on the 3rd chakra go forward into your fears. Do what you've been afraid to do. We recommend our Navel Power DVD

to work on the 4th chakra know that the other person is you. Be a team player. We recommend Heart Center mantra chant on our Solar Power DVD

to work on the 5th chakra say it loud and say it proud. Sing. Be direct. Do what you say. We recommend the Throat Chakra exercises and meditation on our Journey thru the Chakras DVD. The meditation in that segment (which uses the mantra Sat Nam 6x Wahay Guru, should be practiced for 11 min. per day

to work on the 6th chakra hear what's not being said. Be willing to see what is. We recommend the All & Everything Meditation on our Kundalini Yoga Meditation DVD

to work on the 7th chakra be wiling to let go and let God. We recommend the Deep Meditation Into Stillness on our Kundalini Yoga Meditation DVD

to work on the 8th chakra feel radiant. We recommend the Chakra 6,7,8, segment on our Journey thru the Chakras DVD

Yesterday I had a discussion with my husband about an article I read regarding eating right for hypothyroidism, which is something I have dealt with for about ten years.

The article titled, "Is Your Thyroid Making You Fat?" , contains a list of goitrogens, foods that hinder the absorption of thyroid medications.  This list includes: soy (which is in everything), strawberries, pears, peaches, broccoli and cauliflower, among a long list of others - all usual visitors in my weekly digestive tract.  I am supposed to avoid these otherwise healthy foods, because they apparently tax my already tired thyroid gland.

Come on!!  I already eat a vegetarian diet (have for years), practice yoga daily, use natural products on my skin, hair nails and teeth, floss daily, don't drink coffee, grow an organic garden, volunteer as a court advocate for a child, am a mother of five and run my own business.   Wah!!

This latest news of so many of my favorite foods being goitrogens has brought out my inner whiner and knocked me for a loop.  What the heck?  I try so hard.  Is this the reason that my weight stays the same, like it's embedded in concrete?  Is food so important to me that I obsess over these details?

Yesterday I was feeling rebellious and mostly sorry for myself, so I decided to eat the most delicious meal I could think of that is vegetarian (not vegan, which I mostly do).   Let me tell you, those chile relleno, salad, black beans and glass of cabernet never tasted so good. Please feel free to join my pity party. 

We'll be sure to have non-goitrogen veggies and dip - with plenty of wine.

Originally published by Ana Lewis on her personal blog, Under the Tucson Sun

What has become a win-win situation between web design firms and businesses is being exercised in the latest redesign of the Acacia / Marketplace/ Tohono Chul Tea Room website(s). A situation of mutual respect for the design firm, Co-Op Web, the business, Acacia and the economy.

The owners of the Acacia family of restaurants, Albert Hall and Lila Yamashiro and Ana Lewis, CEO of Co-Op Web, decided that a new site redesign needed to happen, especially in light of the addition of the Marketplace and the Tea Room. However, the economy was not cooperating with the expansion needs. So, we came up with a compromise. 

Co-Op Web designed the new site and installed a Client Management System (CMS), and Acacia input the site's content. Now, CMS's are not new, we have been installing them for years, what makes this unusual is the collaborative effort, which, in this case, started from the point of conception. Typically we design, install, put in the content and hand it over to the client to manage. In this case, we were all involved during the construction. It took a little more time, but both client and designer had a hand in the entire birthing of this tri-fold site.

The result is as follows:

• Acacia: kryptonite and glass were the color motif used to create this contemporary site. We thought this custom color was perfect to showcase Albert Hall's award-winning culinary skills most effectively. We utilized a Flash intro with his food shots for a clean, polished look. http://acaciatucson.com

• The Marketplace: Take-out with style is what the Marketplace brings to us - so we got personal. Acacia provided us with line-drawings of Albert at work. The concentration and realness in those drawings helps to make this a more intimate experience - one you can take home. http://acaciatucson.com/marketplace/

• Tohono Chul Tea Room: a welcoming historic home located in a natural desert park, a haven for bird-watchers and the best prickly pear lemonade in town is the setting for an Albert Hall culinary experience. We used sepia tones to bring out the history, with a colored photo of the outdoor patio dining, to illustrate this very special place in the Sonoran desert. http://www.acaciatucson.com/tohono/

Please visit this collaborative effort between business and design firm and let us know if your company would like to be considered for the same.

Ana Lewis, CEO, Co-Op Web, Inc.

About five years ago, our family started celebrating Meatless Monday. None of us were vegetarians, none of us had heard of the campaigns started by Paul McCartney or John Hopkins University.  We only wanted to improve our diets and health.

For the first two years we planned weekly for our one meatless day - breakfast lunch and dinner - may no flesh cross our lips.  We had roasted veggie lasagna, portobello mushroom burgers and asparagus tarts.  Best of all?  No one complained.  No one missed a beefy Monday.  The result was healthy weight, blood pressure and improved energy across the board.  And, less after-dinner bloat.

However, different from the rest of the family, this experience affecting me more strongly.  I increased my yoga practice from two-three days a week practice to daily Kundalini Yoga and meditation.  Around this time, I also read (and took the online classes) A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.  I suddenly got very sick - and it lasted for two weeks.   I am not  a doctor, but my gut tells me that I was detoxing.  I couldn\'t possibly consider eating any flesh of any kind.  I completely lost all desire for it.

Since that two weeks of presumed detox, I have not partaken in consuming anything that had a face or a mother.  No fish, no fowl, no four-leggers cross my plate or palate.

And you know what?  My family did not join me.  They have been content in the weekly Meatless Monday celebration and living the life of an omnivore.  And that\'s okay.  They know that if I am cooking, chicken is NOT for dinner.  In lieu of having to cook for themselves, they typically end up eating the vegetarian dinner I prepare.  Since I always make enough for everyone, as sharing fresh fruits and veggies is a joy - that is cool with me, too.

We are living proof that herbivores and omnivores can co-exist peacefully.

Ana Lewis

Thank you for opening up your heart and letting me in to be a part of your healing

Thank you for listening to my fears, my tears, my pleading for you to get better.

Thank you for approaching addiction and depression with an open mind and letting your family machete their way to the core of you.

Thank you for believing in yourself enough to take on some tough issues.

Thank you for being a kind and loving daughter to me a little bit everyday.  Some days, those moments were all I held on to. Other days, the loving became you.

Thank you for allowing people who love you and even strangers into your heart to help.

Thank you for going animal on yourself and pullling out that person who strives for a personal best.

Thank you for being such a good mommy to your puppies. They love you so much. Let them be your inspiration to have a little bit of sunshine in your life daily.

Thank you for making every moment a song. That little part of you was lost for so long and now, once again, every little part of life is a musical.

I love you very much and it is so wonderful to have you back.

Mommy

On the Co-Op Web site, we offer a lot of free information about how to build and utilize your business website. We believe in the free of the Internet, and as a result, I have compiled a long list of freebies available on the 'net. Today I refine this list to include only My Top 16 Favorite Freebies.:

• Twitter – one-liners to answer the question, “what are you doing?” – http://twitter.com/
• Facebook – social networking – http://FaceBook.com
• Blogger -create your own blog, chose from several themes (my personal blog is from blogger) – http://blogger.com
• Women on the Verge – community for womens’ voices to be heard - womenontheverge.net
• Meatless Monday – One day a week give up meat. Join the movement and save up to $1500 per year on your grocery bill. http://www.meatlessmonday.com/
• Smartmoney – Good, solid advice. Now that Bernanke says the recession is o-v-e-r. I like the sound of that, no matter what. http://www.smartmoney.com/
• Newseum – Front Pages from top Newspapers throughout the US. http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/
• Wikipedia – what the Internet is all about. Everything. http://wikipedia.org/
• Butterscotch – tutorial on how to use anything on the Internet – in video tutorials. – http://butterscotch.com
• TinyURL – Web addresses are annoyingly long and unwieldy — especially when you’re displaying search results from just about any website. If you want to cut a seemingly infinite URL down to size, head to: http://tinyurl.com/
• AVG Anti-virus -even the free version is awesome – http://free.avg.com/
• Google Earth -spooky big brother-like – http://earth.google.com/

• YouTube – This is fun- but it is also a valuable business tool. It’s a gem. http://www.youtube.com/
• YogaToday – Wake up each morning to a free one-hour yoga class from beautiful Jackson Hole, Wyoming. http://www.yogatoday.com/
• Pandora Radio – music, you choose and create stations – http://Pandora.com
• Thunderbird -email software like Outlook, only better. http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/

To see our complete list please visit our free pages.

Ana Lewis, CEO, MPM, PME of Co-Op Web, Inc.

CeeCee Honeycutt spent the first twelve years of her life taking care of her mentally-ill, has-been beauty queen mother, who spent her rollercoaster days in their small town, Ohio, streets adorned in goodwill prom dresses, red shoes and tiara with a face of smudged make-up. 

Ostracized by her classmates because of her notorious mother, CeeCee found solace and friendship amongst her books and studies. One fateful day, CeeCee's life made an abrupt change.  Her mother was knocked right out of her red shoes by an ice cream truck and killed.  Great-Aunt Tootie got wind of this tragic event and drove her vintage convertible from her lucious, historic home in Savannah, Georgia, taking CeeCee under her wing.

Thus begins CeeCee's journey to the healing warmth of a Savannah summer, surrounded by a gaggle of nurturing, wise, no-excuses women.  CeeCee's life soon becomes filled with the fragrance of lush floral gardens and hilariously real moments in what seemingly appears to be a town run by strong women. 

The author (and Women on the Verge member), Beth Hoffman, does such an excellent job with her character development, you can literally smell the wine on neighbor, Thelma Rae Goodpepper's breath, hear the cackle of Miz Hobb's nosey questions and feel the warmth and love of a big bosom hug from Oletta.

Southern hospitality reins in Saving CeeCee Honeycutt as you will feel welcome and charmed to enjoy every last morsel.

Currently, approximately 5000 followers and members combined share the WOTV community, still in it's infancy.  I would say that we are not alone in our thinking that community and sharing on the Internet is a wonderful place to be, grow and believe.

Ana Lewis, CEO, Co-Op Web, Inc.

What would your super power be?  And how would you make it come to life in your human form?

Ana Lewis
CEO, MPM, MPE of Co-Op Web, Inc

As a wife, mother and previous lover of anything Elizabeth Gilbert, I am sad to  say that I am having tremendous difficulty getting through Gilbert's latest bestseller, Committed.

I too, was very scared to enter my marriage, especially after having survived two previous divorces, so I thought I might gather some inspiration from Ms. Gilbert as she "makes peace with marriage" (as the sub-title proclaims.  After all, I found tremendous inspiration in
Eat, Pray, Love. 

Eat, Pray, Love is listed as one of my all-time favorite non-fiction  books.  There was courage, inspiration, tears, heartbreak, laughter, humility and love in those pages.  I read the book and carried it around for days, as I didn't want to lose the flavor.

Committed has not hit me the same.  I hear Ms. Gilbert whining and complaining about a very real situation many people are facing in our country.  Loving someone who can't enter the country because of Homeland Security.  Only problem is, most of them are unable to financial accommodate themselves with a year of traveling TOGETHER.  Ms. Gilbert loses scope of that very quickly and sinks into crybaby mode... briniging to mind, she spent many of the first pages in Eat, Pray, Love in the same vein.

I must declare, that not all was annoying about Committed.  I adored Gilbert's stories from some of the families and women in the villages she visited and interviewed about marriage in her travels with Felipe (her now husband).  The wisdom and clarity they shared in the most matter-of-fact and uncomplicated of terms, typically made me feel light from the beauty in their simplicity and wisdom.

I do wish she talked about Felipe more.  He seems hilarious and when she quoted him, I could almost see his attitude and twinkle - even though I have never met or seen him.  The tiny morsels she feeds us of him, made me hunger for more.  He has a totally different zest for life than she does.  While she's the gypsy, he's the comfortable bed you miss when you're away.

Committed is a very real and raw account of Gilbert's internal trials about getting married, I do think that there are a lot of people who will get a lot out of her imparted lessons and the journey she shares. 

Original post by Ana Lewis' - Under the Tucson Sun

She was not afraid of Deat
Talked about it like the weather
I want to die quickly and in my sleep
She made her request
And she did

It was her heart that
killed her
generous
passionate
active
angry
dramatic
talented
heart

Her generosity touched so many
Watched the news
With her checkbook in hand
Ready to help the family
In need


She was generous
With her time
Brother, dad and I
Were never told she was
Too busy -
to help with school projects
to take a class with us
to travel all over the world
to attend a game

She was passionate
about her music
Her piano was her dearest friend
She would visit her daily
Sometimes to cry
Sometimes to sing
Always with heart

She was passionate about family
Not even the Devil himself could get
between her and her family, she would say.
Her loyalty showcased
Her truth

Anger ran deep
Like a hidden tumor
She wanted to keep secret,
But couldn't
Angry at a mother who was selfish
Angry at herself for eating through it
Angry at her children for taking her for granted
Anger was the Pac-Man that ate her
Magnificent heart

Drama was her middle name
Willing to perform
Ham-it-up
Sing
At any time or place
She dressed in colors
Played with her hair
Bought BIG toys
And laughed
Real loud

She'll do anything
We thought
She'd ask the embarrassing question
Try new styles
Skinny dip with friends
Secretly go to the amusement park
while everyone was working

Her talent was vast
Numerous instruments
Were lured by her hands
Many sports her calling
She called herself a Jack of all trades
And she was

Laying carpet
hanging wallpaper
building shelves
Home was a museum
To her talents and constant activity
Quirky furniture with dioramas of western scenes
Clock that cracked a whip on the hour
And treasures given to her by famous and
Not so famous friends

She communicated her heart through
Her voice
Anytime in the brightest of day
In the darkest of night
I can hear her voice
Call me Sweetheart

With Love and Gratitude to my mother, Josie Gonzales, 1940 - 1988

Ana Lewis

As a designer, I find it fun and inspirational to work on my clients' websites. I get excited by the possibilities, sometimes to the point of scaring them into hiding their coffee pots and other things that might add to my already high energy level.

The Internet is a wonderful medium for a person like me, who not only appreciates the creative side, but also the business side. The global opportunities - the ability to communicate and reach out to people all over - simply by being present. The Internet is the great equalizer. You can have a presence right next to business giants like Microsoft.com and Adobe.com - and pay the same amount of money for your domain, have access to some of the same software and build and design to your heart's content.

Currently, I am working on my own website for Co-OpWeb.com. I try to do this about once every 18 months. Everytime, the design is a showcase of the times we are living in - what new software can I test? What new toys can I play with? Everytime, I learn something new about myself and my business.

This time I am playing with some of the free softwares we offer on our servers. Most of our sites are hard-coded and do not utilize free software, but times-are-a-changin'. Our times are calling for everyone to be able to be more self-sufficient. We still want the same things, we just have to be more conscientious about how we get it and go about doing it.

We built Women on the Verge entirely on free software. It was a little buggy, but the site is up, fun and growing and I am learning a lot on the way. We utilized Dolphin, a community software, typically used for dating sites. We customized it to meet our own needs, got some help from our own programming staff and are making it work, riding through the little bumps along the way.

For the new Co-Op Web site, we are utilizing some of the same thoughts and energy. Offer as much as we can for free, and show people some of the things that have taken us over a decade to learn. It's a great feeling to share like that and I am enjoying this site more than I have any previous re-build.

I think the most important lesson is this - Make your website speak for you. Make sure your voice rings true in it's design, concept and capabilities. If you enjoy giving to your community - showcase that! Let people know who you are and what you believe in, by your web presence. You don't even have to bang people over the head with your ideas. If you appreciate beauty - make your site beautiful.

Sometimes it's easiest to brainstorm with a professional in how to best communicate who you are (that's my favorite part of my business) and sometimes you can best do it on your own - just by listening to yourself. Regardless of how you get the message out, just make sure that you are staying true to who you are and what the business would like to communicate - beyond the business of business.

New and Valuable information we will be offering on the Co-Op Web site. (please visit us when we're done!):

1. Do-it-Yourself section - Yes you can! And we give you the tools in which to do so.

2. The most common question I get is,"How much will it cost?" This will have a form that must now be filled out by all new/potential clients.

3. Free matters - see how you can best utilize the Internet via free applications and software. We have a growing and monthly updated list.

4. Community - The Internet is global and I believe the best way to be found is by participating in community. Please check out our newest community, Women on the Verge, to see how wonderful it truly is.

6. WordPress - While we have worked on WordPress for many of our clients, I decided to try it out for ourselves, too, with our own site The software is offered on the servers that we host on and it's free!

The new Co-Op Web site is nearly finished. I will announce when it's ready for prime-time and ready for your feedback.

Thank you,

Ana Lewis
CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc.
Master Project Manager
Project Manager E-Business

Originally posted on Ana's blog, Under the Tucson Sun

Awakening

Voice whispering to me
The quiet of dawn
My heart smiles
Laughter swells
Anticipation of the day
Stroke from my husband
Yoga mat beckons
Warm breakfast

Words on a page
Call from a child
Dog at my feet
Brisk morning air
Riding my passion
Thoughts for the day...