Romance Ode

Poetic Romance

Romance is conveyed in so many different ways.

One less commonly used is the medium of poetry. Sometimes words penned on the page put across our feelings to someone else so deeply that we are moved to tears. Moved to compassion. Moved to passion in ways we would never before have thought possible. And yet, we find ourselves feeling as we have never felt. Holding as we have never embraced before. Touching gently and intimately as we would never have imagined before. And it was the power of words, the touch of the breath of eros upon our lips, our hearts, and our minds that has created within us this mood of sweet closeness, such warm intimacy.

Words have power and they have deep meaning. Words have caused individuals and nations to rise and become great. Words have tenderness as they gently play the music on the strings of our heart. Words arouse us and gently lay us to rest. Words soothe our longing hearts and aching souls. Words move us to become so much more than we are. They lift us so much higher than we have ever been.

Romance through words can be the healing balm to our troubled heart after a challenging day. Words are the whispers of the gentle soul upon the flesh of our anxious frame. Words convey the conversations of our hands as we slowly caress the softness of the tender soul.

Read gently the searchings, the sharing of the heart:

“Breathless”

I quiver with anticipation
Ache for the moment
Breathlessly I long
To hear the sound of your voice;
It is only but a moment
Though it seems to take forever
Until we are together
Sharing heart, thought, mind and voice
Enjoying the depth of such
Awesome company!
Then once again
I find myself waiting
For our next precious moment;
Breathlessly waiting
I quiver with anticipation!

"If You Are There"
(From the epic poem, "The Crusader")

My love for you shall grow every day
Eternal happiness, too.
Our light will shine that all may see
What caring and loving can do.

Reach out and place your hand in mine
Together we'll find the way;
Forever we'll seek for the paths of truth
Our love growing day by day.

And then, at last, when here we're through,
Eternal glory we'll share.
Forever true, wherever we are
The farthest star
Is heaven, if you are there,
Is heaven, if you are there!

Bobby Ellen Glenn has been writing for over 30 years, and is the managing director of Blue Romance http://www.moonlitefire.blogspot.com), a site for the promotion of things romantic. Any element of "positive" romance is sought for.

Coin Collecting Poem

Coin Collecting: Coin Collecting Q&As

How do I determine if my old coins are worth anything?

Although there are exceptions, most old coins are not particularly valuable unless they are very well preserved. The best starting place for an idea of their worth is to visit the reference section of your local library. There are numerous catalogues, some for specific countries. A good general volume is the Standard Catalogue of World Coins. It offers a complete list of almost everything.

I understand older money is worth more than face value because of the silver content, is that true?

Canadian coins, from those with a face value between 10 cents and $1, and struck before 1968 are between 50 and 92 percent silver, depending on the coin and year. They are worth a bit more than face value, depending on the price of silver. If coins are in good condition, the collector's value may be even higher.

Will I ever find anything valuable in my pocket change?

Possibly. In 1991, only 459,000 25-cent coins were struck (the annual number is usually closer to 100 million). 'Mint State' versions of these coins are worth about $8. The 1973 25-cent coin and the 1969 ten-cent coin were also struck in smaller than normal numbers.

Are coins a good investment?

Yes and no. Some people have made a lot of money buying and selling coins, others have lost fortunes. If you are serious about investing in numismatics, first spend a bit of time learning. Most successful investors were knowledgeable collectors first. Good quality coins purchased at reasonable prices will appreciate, but probably no better or worse than other investments. The difference is that you'll be buying something you love, instead of things like shares in companies you know nothing about or T-Bills. Perhaps one day the coin you bought last year will have gone up in value, but the idea is to buy it so you can enjoy it now, and for as long as you own it.

For more answers to coin collecting questions, and ideas on what to collect, visit the Royal Canadian Mint website at http://www.mint.ca.

AUTHOR News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

Play With Children Serenade

Get Down (On The Floor!) And Play With Your Children

When was the last time you and your kids rolled around on the floor together laughing yourselves silly? If you're like me, it may have been a while! Sometimes I get caught up in household chores, give errands a priority or answer the phone when I know I should let it ring, instead of making time for my two daughters. It's not that I don't play with them; just the opposite is true. It simply seems as if I'm trying to fit them into my daily schedule when in fact I should be scheduling my day around them. I used to be a planner. I would try to organize activities that I thought my girls would learn something from. I'm now much more free and spontaneous with them and I've discovered that at their respective ages of four and 20 months that this is the type of play they prefer. Here are some suggestions on how you can be more spontaneous with your children:

1. Play "Chase Around The House" - Kids love to be chased, especially if you're making a roaring or growling noise while you're doing it. You'd be surprised how fast their little legs can carry them. This exercise is sure get you're heart rate up and tone your glutes as well!

2. Have a Pillow Fight - Make sure the pillows are small and not too heavy. Throw cushions work best for this activity. Lay a few ground rules, such as not hitting in the face or on the head and when somebody yells: "stop", then stop.

3. How Many Times Can Each of You Hop on One Foot - Again, a great cardiovascular activity for you and the kids. Alternate feet and vary the directions you're hopping in. This is good for your children's coordination and learning left and right, forwards and backwards.

4. Pretend You're Animals- Play a guessing game of what animal Sally is by the sounds she makes and the way she moves. Children love to imitate animals and can imitate various animals from a young age.

5. Tickle Each other when you've run out of ideas, then a good old-fashioned tickle fight is the answer. Again, don't tickle too hard and when someone (possibly you!) yells stop, then the tickler must stop. At our house, this game always ends with a kiss!

These activities take little time play and benefit you and your children greatly. They are highly interactive, involve a lot of laughter and take no preparation. They also let your children know that you enjoy being with them and that they make great playmates.

Heidi Hoff, Editor, Preschool Planet, Subscribe and get "100 Things to Make From a Cardboard Box" free! http://www.preschoolplanet.com.

Potential Customers Trust Promotion Opus

Creating Trust

It can be difficult, at best, to do business on the Internet.

Okay, you and I LIVE out here. We have grown to rely and trust the Internet. We have friends. We shop, we bank, we do business.We order take out, we even fall in love. We have found ways to do almost all of our daily tasks out here in cyber space. We hear daily of all of the people signing on for the first time.

So how could it be so hard to sell our wares?

Well, it's the trust factor. Jupiter Communications, one of the leading providers of research on Internet commerce, recently revealed studies that showed 64 percent of online consumers are unlikely to trust a website.

Our customers don't have the advantage of seeing our trustworthy faces. Getting to know us. Developing a relationship with us.

Then how do we go about alleviating the fears of our potential customers? Here are a few suggestions bound to set you on the right path.

- BE HONEST.
Don't make promises that you can't keep, or claims that you can't back up.

- MAKE THEIR INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE AND UPDATABLE.
Make sure that your customers know what information you gather at your website and what you do with it. If you store profiles at your site, make them accessible to your customers or give them away to update it or make changes.

- HONOR YOUR CUSTOMERS' PRIVACY.
If you sell directly from your site, it is important that you know, and adhere, to consumer privacy practices. Make sure that your customers understand your secure sales process and that they know what you do with their information (particularly credit card information) after the sale.

- COMMUNICATE!
Publish an ezine or newsletter to help customers get to know you better. Host chats and/ or discussion boards and promptly and accurately answer your Email. (This means that you should actually READ your Email before replying!)

- EDUCATE YOUR CUSTOMER AND OFFER IMPECABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Make sure that they know how to use your product. Offer quick and responsive support and guidance. If a customer has a problem, don't try to sweep it under the rug! Take care of it as quickly and as graciously as possible. It is a fact that 98 percent of people will continue to use a business even AFTER they have had a problem, if their problem was resolved in a prompt and courteous manner.

- GUARD YOUR REPUTATION!
Stress the benefits of your product over another without insulting the other product. Stay clear of the dirty politics tactics. It doesn't do much for your reputation.

- OFFER MONEY BACK GUARANTEES,
whenever possible, then honor them quickly.

- MAKE TESTIMONIALS AVAILABLE,
and encourage visitors to check with other customers before they purchase products or services from you.

- BE CLEAR AND COMPLETE WITH YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
Include your business name, address, and phone number. Adding names and pictures of yourself or your employees can help visitors feel more confident and comfortable.
How can we alleviate the fears of our potential customers? Trust is something that takes time to earn. But the more you concentrate on your customer service, and the more responsible you act with their information and concerns, the quicker you will build a loyal customer base.

Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are successful and worthwhile businesses! Give your customers a reason to trust you, and they will!

Mari Peckham is the President of Peckham Enterprises and webmistress of PowerPromoPlus, your online advertising solution at: http://www.powerpromoplus.com.

Musician Employment Prospects Verse

How To Improve Your Employment Prospects as a Musician

How do you expand your opportunities to work in the music business? How do you improve your employment prospects? The key to doing that is developing your versatility. There are many ways of expanding what you already know how to do as a musician. It's all about using the skills that you already possess and channeling them towards related fields.

Ask yourself what your most basic skill is. Let's say you play the guitar. You will find that there are several related instruments that you can easily adapt your skill to. Instead of limiting yourself to the guitar or one kind of guitar, why not expand your employment opportunities? Why not learn to play related instruments?

There are so many guitar related instruments. How about the acoustic guitar, electric guitar, twelve-string guitar, five-string banjo, tenor banjo, ukulele, mandolin, pedal steel guitar, and so on?

You can even learn different styles of playing. Learn to use finger picks. Learn to play both pick style and finger style. Electric guitarists should probably own both jazz and rock guitars. By doing this you increase your musical scope and you will be able to take on new projects easily. There will be more variety in the music that you play. Your arrangements will not all sound the same.

You can apply the examples mentioned above to all instruments and musical skills. Let's look at a few others.

Another example is bass players. The same can be said of them. Instead of limiting themselves to the electric bass, they can learn to use a bow, play related instruments like the upright acoustic bass, learn to play both fretted and fretless basses, and use effects pedals.

Keyboard players should own more than one synthesizer. How about learning to play related instruments like organ, harpsichord and piano? Why not learn about MIDI and hook various keyboards together, along with a PC?

I could go on and on mentioning various instruments and skills and how a musician can become more versatile. Musicians must simply start with their most basic skill and expand it. This is an excellent way of ensuring that you excel in the music business.

The world is a very competitive one and you must continue to be competitive. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Add some variety and you may be surprised at how far you can reach; and how much more money you can be making.

Mantius Cazaubon offers lots of valuable songwriting tips, techniques, suggestions and advice on his site http://www.ultimatesongwriting.com. Visit it for the ultimate truth about lyric writing and songwriting.