Ten Year Anniversary Celebration at Readyville Mill

Ten Year Anniversary Celebration at Readyville Mill

Readyville Mill

 Tucked away in a great spot next to the East Fork Stones River, the Readyville Mill is one of Middle Tennessee’s best kept secrets. For our ten year anniversary, Manda and I decided to grab a meal during their Saturday morning breakfast. As soon as we entered, we were met with a variety of aromas from the eatery that set our stomachs into a ferocious rumble. I had the fried vegetable frittata with sourdough toast and she had their locally famous whole-wheat pancakes with all-natural maple syrup. I devoured every morsel, short of licking the plate clean.

 After discovering the occasion of our visit, their incredibly talented in-house band, Johnny B. and the Balladeers, played for us a beautiful anniversary song. They seemed like a great group of musicians, periodically playing a mix of traditional American Music and originals and nonchalantly hanging out with the rest of us as we ate.

10 Year Anniversary Photo

The owner, Tomm Brady, wielding a cup of coffee and an equally warm smile greeted everyone as he circulated the grounds. During a brief conversation with Mr. Brady, he told us it took about five years after purchasing the property in 2006 to get the place ready for the public. He encouraged us to tour the property and to take as long as we like and was even courteous enough to snap a photo of Manda and I sitting on an outdoor deck by the riverside. 

We took a picture of the mill itself from the outside, though it looks even better from the inside. The staff was very friendly and professional and the atmosphere was charming and inviting. I would definitely recommend this destination if you’re looking for a great experience, complete with great food and more southern charm than you can shake a stick at.

My only concern is that you may have a little trouble finding the place due to a serious lack of any eye-catching signage posted on the main road. So just in case, here is a link to their website for more information: http://www.readyvillemill.com

For one last great photo... the writer in me HAD to have this one of the typewriter. Thanks goodness for good ol' Microsoft Word!

Old Typewriter at  Mill

 Daniel Wagner.

Please don't forget to share this if you enjoyed it. I welcome comments as well; the more the merrier!

The Job Hunt Begins Before Graduation

 The Job Hunt Begins Before Graduation

Rather than wait until after graduation at the end of 2014, hoping luck is on my side, I decided now was the time to begin my search for a company who would be interested in my particular skills and talents.

A good friend of mine--who happens to be part of the human resources management team for a multimillion dollar company--recommended I read a book titled "What Color is Your Parachute: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers" by Richard N. Bolles (2013 edition).

How in the world do we stand out in a crowd?

So far I have to admit, after having read the entire book cover-to-cover, it was nothing like I expected. This isn't a predictable text on how to find a job. Rather, it's a cornucopia of invaluable resources and information designed around helping you discover your potential and ultimately find and secure the perfect job or career.

Mr. Bolles takes the reader through an in-depth series of self-actualization exercises, offers a variety of job search tools and research methods, lays out the steps leading up to and including the interview process, and provides great advice for aleviating anxieties associated with salary negotiation.

I plan on starting at the beginning again and slowly working through the steps and exercises. Then, I will periodically post updates, detailing my progress; the successes and failures alike.

My work begins in chapter five: You need to understand more fully who you are. For this, I will be taking into account everything that my life experience has provided through work, play, hobbies, school, etc. and figuring out what types of things I can do. The idea is to break down everything into much simpler forms. In this case, a list of mediums that I enjoy working in (words, people, graphics, wood, etc.) and determine what skills I have already acquired that pertain to those individual mediums.

Having Trouble Landing that Job? Get an Attitude Adjustment!

 Having Trouble Landing that Job? Get an Attitude Adjustment!

With unemployment rates hovering around 8% and employers hesitant to hire during these uncertain economic times, finding a job can prove rather difficult. If you are having trouble getting a leg up against the waves of applicants trying to enter the job market, maybe you need to get an attitude adjustment.

According to Sartain (2003), "Employees with positive attitudes have a more constructive influence on the success and fulfillment of organizational goals and objectives than employees who have more education and experience but also have a negative attitude."

Many companies recognize that a positive attitude trumps technical knowledge almost every time; especially when recruiting for positions which deal directly with customers. A positive attitude permeates throughout an organization, affecting employees and customers alike. 

High enthusiasm, strong desire to learn, and self-motivation are some key characteristics that employers thirst for above all other qualifying details.

I attended a webinar through Ashford University, and had the unique opportunity to speak with actual HR job recruiters. One key point they drilled into us was to make sure you are submitting a cover letter each and every time you apply for a job. It can never hurt! Plus, it is an opportunity to show off your personality a bit through the tone of the letter.

Think of it as a sales pitch where you can express that positive forward-thinking attitude and show that you've done your research for the company you are applying for.

Current employers are still out there looking for the perfect candidates to fill spots. Don't be so pessimistic!

Get out there and keep at it. Just don't forget to smile once in awhile.  ;-) 

Daniel Wagner.

I have a plan to begin that all-important search using an excellent book as a guide. "What Color is Your Parachute: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers" by Richard N. Bolles (2013 edition). You can begin that journey with me here: http://dwcreativerse.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-job-hunt-begins-before-graduation.html

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Reference: Sartain, L. (2003). Getting extraordinary results from ordinary people. In Effron, M., Gandossy, P., & Goldsmith, M. (Eds.), Human resources in the 21st century (pp. 3–9). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Massachusetts Boys Legally Allowed in Girls Restroom?

Massachusetts Boys Legally Allowed in Girls Restroom?

Today I’d like to open up a discussion topic very near and dear to my heart; political correctness. I read an article about the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) ordering K-12 public schools to allow transgender students the use of locker rooms, bathrooms, and changing facilities of the opposite sex.

Because of certain language in the document, as long as a boy tells school officials he identifies as a girl, they must essentially bend over backwards to ensure he is treated as such.

Furthermore, if another student expresses outward discomfort—perhaps in the form of a high school girl being offended at having an anatomical male in the locker room—it is considered discrimination and is punishable according to the DESE’s “anti-bullying” policies.

Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture?

I’m all for tolerance in certain cases. Let the students identify as the opposite sex. I don’t care. But at some point, a line has to be drawn. For me, that line is drawn when my children’s safety and innocence is in jeopardy.

I have a little girl on the school basketball team. If I found that my daughter had been benched due to a boy who “felt like a girl” joining the team, I would be rather perturbed.

What’s worse is the DESE was aware that “parents and students would likely have concerns, but they dismissed such feelings as invalid” (Anderson, 2013). My question is: Who the hell is the DESE to decide whose feelings are legitimate and whose are not?

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is moving full force toward a world cursed by a disease called political correctness.

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I am so dedicated to showcasing the flawed nature behind the politically correct mindset that I have been working on an adult-oriented children’s book series titled The Politically Correct Adventures of Jesse Thynskin. If you are interested in reading a completed manuscript, please shoot me an email requesting a copy to Creativerse@yahoo.com. I would appreciate any comments and feedback.

Let all your friends know what is going on. Please don’t forget to share/like this article.

Reference:  Anderson, K. 2013. Massachusetts forces schools to let 'transgender' boys use girls' restrooms, lockers. http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/massachusetts-forces-schools-to-let-39transgender39-boys-use-girls39-restro