Some of my favorite quotes

• Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity (Gen. George Patton)

• You can have brilliant ideas, but if you cannot get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere (Lee Iacocca)

• Don't spend a $1.00 worth of time on a $.10 decision

• No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself,or to get all the credit for doing it (Andrew Carnegie)

• A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships were built for

List of some interesting books

You can see all the reviews I posted on Amazon....



I just finished reading an interesting book: Wai-nani: High Chiefess of Hawaii. If you want to learn about the ancient history of Hawaii this is a great book with a beautiful love story between the first high chiefess of Hawaii and its great warrior and ruler, Makaha..



Here is the list of the books:

• Talk like a winner: 21 simple rules for achieving everyday communication success


• Does God ever speak through cats?


• My funny Dad, Harry


• Grandpa's Notebooks: The evolution of an Amish soul


• Teach me, Lord to dance: An interview with Jesus


• The happiness Solution: Finding Joy and Meaning in an upside down world

I also finished reading an older book, I happened to pick up, The Hot Zone, which is a terrifying true story about a virus outbreak in 1989 in Washington DC. As the tropical wildernesses of the world are destroyed , previously unknown viruses that have lived undetected in the rain forest for eons are entering the human populations and the implications can be terrifying. It was one of those books I couldn't put down.

If you are looking for a great Daily devotional book, I am enjoying a book by Billy Graham: Unto the Hills-366 daily devotionals..

Enjoy

Does your Contractor measure up?

We recently made some 'home improvements' and they went very well, but there have been many times in the past where that had not been the case. We have had our share of nightmares with contractors and the reason was that we had skipped some essential steps (such as not getting enough bids, or checking the credentials or license of the contrators). So, I thought it would be a good time to share things we have learned along the way, and pass on the information while it is still fresh on my mind. Some of it may be old news, but it doesn't hurt to refresh our memory. Sometimes we get into trouble because we get sloppy or lazy, or too trusting and we overlook things we should have done.

I have heard that every year, the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) recieves more than 25,000 complaints against contractors in California. So, before you consider investing in a new roof, home addition, or any type of home improvement, make sure you hire a licensed contractor and negotiate a contract, where everything is spelled out, so it does not leave room for any misunderstandings or miscommunications.

Here are 10 tips that the CSLB recommends for making sure yor contractor measures up:

• Hire only licensed contractors
• Check the contractor's license number on line www.cslb.ca.gov or by phone
• Ask for 3 references and review the contractor's previous work
• Obtain at least 3 bids
• Get a written contract nd don't sign anything until you completely understand the terms
• Pay 10% down or $1000 (whichever is less). By law, a contractor cannot ask for more than this
• Don't let payments get ahead of the work. Keep records of payments
• Don't make the final payment until you are satisfied with the job
• Don't pay cash
• Keep a job file or all papers relating to your project

And, one my husband's favorite thing to do is also to take pictures of the work done, before and after. If you ever needed proof of anything, it is nice to have the pictures handy.

Hope this helps.