Janet Crook

Special Christmas with special people!

December 26, 2010 By Administrator

edmichelle

What a wonderful Christmas at the Ed and Michelle Dias home. Ruthann Clemens and I entered a home filled with fun, joy, family, food, and Lucy. Lucy is an itty bitty dachshund that we all love. We spent the afternoon and evening with Ed, Michelle, Brian Collins, and David and Janet Crook. Ed is remarkable at many levels, one of which is cooking.

He and Michelle put on a fantastic Christmas dinner. Including barbecued sweet potatoes. And there’s a delightful dish with broccoli and spinach with touches of sausage. Dribble on some freshly squeezed lemon juice, and…yum. Plus moist turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, croissants, dressing, fruit salad, and more!

Janet’s doing well with her upper arm fracture. She only forgot once while we were visiting in the living room, and reached out for something with her right hand. Unfortunately, the fracture is in her right arm.

We had such fun time visiting and reminiscing and laughing. And one of the nicest parts of the day was the fact that Ed and David pretty much cleaned up the kitchen. David got a much-deserved back, neck, and head massage.

Brian got a Kindle, which was fun, because I have one. And I was able to point him to Seth Godin’s blog post with a link to all kinds of fantastic Kindle downloads, many of them free. David enjoyed his iPod Touch.

Ruthann and I headed out into the warm, clear evening, both thankful that we’d been embraced and enchanted by some very special people. I dropped her off and went home to my two hungry but forgiving cats (they would have preferred my staying home).

West Valley Think Tank enjoys catered lunch

November 9, 2009 By Administrator

800-thinktank Today was my birthday, and I couldn’t think of anything more fun than to invite some very special people and have one of them cater the lunch.

Anne Caldwell, who is a human resources guru, is also a terrific caterer, and she came into my home this morning and took over while I went back to the office and worked. She produced lunch, and I produced Web pages and did bookwork.

Then it was time for my guests to arrive, including my brother and his camera, and we sat down to a delightful lunch. Anne is fairly new to our group, as is Julie Moran, but the rest of us, including Jen Muench and Elsbeth Oggert (who couldn’t join us today), have been part of the group for over a year.

In the picture above, from left, are Anne Caldwell, Lois Epps, Julie Moran, Janet Crook, Ruthann Clemens, Roseann Ritterby, and me.

punchbowl What do we do? Brainstorm. Help each other out with business ideas. Help with organizational ideas for small businesses and nonprofits. (One of our members is starting up a nonprofit, and another is a social worker.) Analyze projects brought in by one or another of us. Analyze and critique as needed. Learn how to use new technology. Learn how to navigate in the world of social networking.

We’re a group of authentic people who have a great deal of life experience, enthusiasm, and energy. While we certainly look back at what we’ve learned, we tend to look forward as we discover way to make our businesses work in this new age. Marketing and communication are two of our main focus points. A diverse group, which makes things very refreshing, we try to think outside the taco.

Back to Anne Caldwell. Her catering business is called “In Good Taste,” and she specializes in healthy, wholesome cuisine. The main dish and salad were delicious and colorful, and the Zero Sugar Dessert was to die for. She knows what she’s doing, and I recommend her highly. Give her a call at (602) 228-9191 to discuss how she can enhance your holiday experience. Her rates are very competitive, and she’s totally reliable.

Meeting at Arizona Center for Disability Law

March 4, 2009 By Administrator

This morning, Janet Crook and I were chauffeured by my brother, David Crook, to the Arizona Center for Disability Law, located at the Disability Empowerment Center of Arizona,

Janet and I met with Peri Jude Radecic, Kris Stocking, Elaine Timmins, and Gretchen Jacobs. We had a productive meeting and a tour of the new offices, then headed for home. David picked us up after having spent a couple of hours at Desert Botanical Garden. Below are several photos he took. When I saw the snake heads, I couldn’t help but say, “Telephoto lens?”

“Always,” he said.

Whew.

Judy’s quiet holiday season in Arizona

December 28, 2008 By Administrator

This holiday I gave my cameras a rest, and just took a few pictures. Spent a wonderful evening with brother and sister-in-law, David & Janet Crook, and another delightful evening with nephew and niece, Ed and Michelle Dias.

Here are just a few of the pictures…and I’m rested enough now to get my cameras out and take on the world. Well, at least take on Wildlife World Zoo. Tomorrow.

Hope you’re having a pleasant holiday time! Sorry I couldn’t get both cats in the picture of my living room. L’il Bear was perched opposite Shadow, but he hopped down when I went to grab my camera!