Celebrating National Library Week with a Little Free Library

April 15, 2013 1 Comment

LittleLibrary.MineralPointIt’s National Library Week and I simply must cover one of the coolest book-sharing ideas ever—the Little Free Libraries. Because they originated in Wisconsin and because Madison is so very community-minded, the town is filled with these fascinating boxes.

A few weeks ago I was strolling with my granddaughter and we came upon this library on Mineral Point Boulevard. Isn’t it just the cutest? Let me tell you, a lot of craftsmanship went into this and my outdated iPhone doesn’t do it justice. Besides missing my camera, I was also bummed we didn’t have a book with us so my granddaughter could enjoy the “take a book, leave a book” experience. Next time, for sure!

This is the third posting I’ve done on Little Free Libraries and it’s amazing how each time the idea has grown. Now their website boasts a Little Free Library map of the world!

Any Little Free Libraries near you?

Little Free Library, Mineral Point Blvd., Madison, WI

 

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Keeping My Clients in the News

April 9, 2013 Leave a Comment

Every March, Forward Mutual Insurance Company hosts its policyholders’ meeting at the Ixonia Fireman’s Hall. Yes, the company presents its annual report, but probably even more important to this faithful crowd of mutual supporters are the door prizes, tasty luncheon and gathering together with longtime friends. It’s so very Wisconsin; I love writing such news! 

Interestingly, in  a day and age when “online content marketing” is all the buzz, sometimes an old-fashioned press release in the local newspaper is still the best. For Forward Mutual, this is one of those times.

Howard Wiedenhoeft congratulations Donald Bohn, Ixonia, WI

President and CEO Howard Wiedenhoeft represented Forward Mutual Insurance Company in expressing gratitude to Donald Bohn for his years of service as treasurer of the board of directors. Bohn announced his retirement at the company’s 138th annual policyholders’ meeting.

 

BOHN RETIRES FROM FORWARD MUTUAL, NEW BOARD ELECTED

IXONIA, WI, (March 25, 2013) – Director Donald Bohn announced his retirement as a board member of Forward Mutual Insurance Company at its recent annual policyholders’ meeting. Bohn has served as treasurer for the Ixonia company since 2010.

“Don has been a strong leader for our mutual,” says Stephen Zillmer, Forward chairman of the board. “He is a quiet man, but when he speaks he has something meaningful to say. He is conservative, in that he’s careful to do what’s good and safe for the company. Yet he’s progressive, in that he supports moving into the future when he knows its best. We’re going to miss him here at Forward.”

Bohn began serving on mutual boards in 1984, when he was elected as a board of director for Watertown Mutual Insurance Company. He served as its secretary/treasurer for 12 years. In 2006, he guided Watertown Mutual through a merger with Concord Mutual Fire Insurance Company.

In 2009, Bohn once again guided Watertown Mutual through merger agreements, this time with Ixonia Mutual Insurance Company. On January 1, 2010, the two companies joined together and formally adopted the new name of Forward Mutual Insurance Company. Bohn was elected to serve as treasurer for the board.

Bohn has been a lifelong dairyman in the Watertown community and involved in local farm cooperatives. He is now retired from milking and enjoys working for Glacier Rock Farms in Lebanon, where he gives tractor rides to children visiting the farm.

Also at the meeting, policyholders re-elected David Blank, Randall Wegner and Dale Wolf to serve as board members. Other members of the board are Roger Degner, David Flood, Mark Mallow, Donald Reese, Robert Salov, Dale Zastrow and Stephen Zillmer. Zillmer serves as chairman of the board, Degner serves as vice-chairman and Reese will serve as secretary/treasurer.

Forward Mutual Insurance Company provides insurance to home and farm owners in 16 counties throughout southeast Wisconsin. It maintains a policyholders’ surplus of $5.2 million and an A.M. Best rating of A minus.

“Forward Mutual is the only town mutual in Wisconsin to have an A.M. Best rating,” says Wiedenhoeft. “As our organization grows in many ways, we’re confident about the future and await the challenges that lay ahead.”

 

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Market Now for Business Ahead

April 8, 2013 1 Comment

cuttingWood

Here in Wisconsin winter is finally loosening its hold on us. See there in the right corner of my picture, there’s even a tinge of green poking through the ground.

That’s my husband cutting wood. We burn wood for nearly all our heat so he spends many weekends sawing away. I know, with spring around the corner you wouldn’t think he’d need to do this, but the guy just never sits still. He’s also the epitome of planning ahead. Our wood storage is always filled and what he’s cutting now won’t be used until next year, or maybe even the year after that.

I posted this picture because Earth Day is coming up in two weeks. It also reminds me that I need to keep up with my marketing.

I’ve noticed an interesting pattern in the eight years I’ve been in business for myself. It seems to take a good 6-12 months to see results on my marketing efforts. This means the projects I’m working on right now are a result of the marketing I did last summer. And whether or not I have projects in my pipeline next winter depends on how much marketing I do now. Obviously, I need to keep my saws sharpened and running!

What do you think? Have any of you noticed this in your business?

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Wednesday Webs: Art and the Aging

April 4, 2013 Leave a Comment

Making Memories with Art

My grandmother was an artist and her medium of choice was needlepoint. She was a master. As a 97-year-old in her final year of life, her once sharp and active mind began to fade. Yet her memories were still very strong. Listening to her knit different eras of her life together into the same story was fascinating.

I thought of my grandmother this week as I wrote two stories for Heritage Homes in Watertown, Wis. This dedicated senior health care facility engages its residents in the most creative activities and was recently bestowed with the Alzheimer’s Association Memories in the Making® Journaling Award.

In my research, I came across these interesting sites:

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Milwaukee’s Color Rush

April 2, 2013 Leave a Comment

mamDH

Two weeks ago, I was able to drag my husband to an AIGA guided tour of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Color Rush: 75 Years of Color Photography in America. I was particularly interested in this exhibit because, back in September, the museum’s graphic design team gave us AIGAers a peek of their studio deep within the underbelly of this fascinating structure. At the time, they were designing visuals for Color Rush. It was amazing to see how much planning and work goes into such an event!

As you can see, the museum, with its Burke Brise Soleil, is art in itself. (I think my husband is too:-)

MAMsign

In fact, Milwaukee is an all-around artsy city. The Calling is a sunburst sculpture that gets a quick peek from visitors as they come out of the parking ramp and then turn towards the crosswalk over Lincoln Memorial Drive.

MAMlakefrontview

MAMchahuly

The street entrance to the museum is beautiful Windhover Hall. It has this mesmerizing span of windows overlooking the lake and a stunning glass ceiling that looks up to the underside of the Briese Soleil.

I chuckled at a toddler bouncing against the guard ropes around Chihuly’s Isola di San Giacomo in Palude Chandelier II. Needless to say, his parents were stressing out a bit about that (been there, done that). Here’s an interesting project where school children studied Chihuly at a more age-appropriate level.

MAMcolorRush

I like how they set up the entrance to the Color Rush exhibit—they prepped viewers with this incongruous black and white introduction before moving them into the gallery’s full-color displays. My photo turned out pretty cool too. Check out the contrast between the sign and the flash of blue behind it, plus the gentleman in black looking the opposite direction. How’s that for serendipity?!

MAMpiano

I love the contrast between this ornate, black, somewhat-aged piano against the clean, white lines of the side gallaria. What do you think the acoustics are in this space?

MAMarchitecture

After our tour, we headed downtown for a bite to eat. As much as I love the city of Madison, when it comes to architecture Milwaukee has it beat, hands down. Each downtown building is more historically characteristic than the next.

MAMmadersWe ate at Mader’s, one of Milwaukee’s oldest restaurants, with lots of good, German food and beer…

MAMmadersII…and vintage collectables everywhere. It was like being in another museum!

MAMdoor

And wouldn’t you know, unbeknownst to me, my phone fell out of my pocket while we dined. Mader’s graciously called me the next morning to say they found it on the floor beside our table. Oh well, a trip back into Milwaukee isn’t so bad.

Color Rush: 75 Years of Color Photography in America

The Color Rush exhibit is on from February 22-May 19, 2013. So head on down to Milwaukee’s lakefront and check it out! You’ll find lots of other interesting things to see and do as well. Milwaukee is such a beautiful city!

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