What's the big deal about business cards?

My latest Copeland Coaching newsletter is out!  

In it, I encourage you to add business cards to your personal brand package. 

Read the entire newsletter here, and sign up to be on my mailing list!

Memphis Daily News Guest Column

I'm so excited to share with you something special I've been working on.

This week, I'm a guest columnist in the Memphis Daily News. I write about the topic of career advancement.  Check out the column by clicking the link below.  In it, I encourage you to keep up your job search this holiday season.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2013/dec/27/keeping-up-job-search-during-holidays/

Building Your Personal Brand in the New Year

My latest Copeland Coaching newsletter is available online today!

In it, I encourage you to begin building and refining your personal brand in the New Year.

Read the entire newsletter here, and sign up to be on my mailing list!

New Year, New You: Taking a Chance & Finding the Job

My third Copeland Coaching newsletter is available online today!

In it, I challenge you to step outside your comfort zone in 2014 to make it the best year yet.

As hockey legend Wayne Gretzky once said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take."

Read the entire newsletter here, and sign up to be on my mailing list!

Perfecting your pitch during the holidays with Copeland Coaching's newest newsletter

My second Copeland Coaching newsletter is available online. In it, I provide 5 tips to perfect your pitch during the holidays.  Holiday parties are the perfect opportunity to start networking, and lay the foundation for a new job in the New Year.

Read the entire newsletter here.

Happy hunting!

Happy Thanksgiving & Copeland Coaching Newsletter Sign-up

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! If you haven't had a chance yet, it's not too late to sign up for the Copeland Coaching newsletter. Look for my first newsletter to go out on Monday!

To sign-up to receive yours, click here: http://eepurl.com/IqZHH. It's quick & easy!

You're Invited: Copeland Coaching E-Newsletter Signup

Dear Friends,

Thank you for all of the support you've shown for my new career coaching venture, Copeland Coaching.  Since my e-book release last week, things have started off with a bang!

I would like to invite you to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching e-newsletter.  In the e-newsletter, I provide career advice, networking tips, and featured job postings. 

To subscribe, click here: http://eepurl.com/IqZHH.  It's easy and only takes one minute! 

Please know I take your privacy very seriously.  I will never sell or give away your e-mail address and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Have a great day, and happy hunting! Sincerely,

Angela


--
Angela Copeland
www.CopelandCoaching.com

Copeland Coaching in the Memphis Daily News

Thank you goes out to Andy Meek for featuring Copeland Coaching in the Memphis Daily News this week. Andy is an advocate for Memphis, and has supported multiple ventures and projects I've worked on over the years.

Click here for the entire article.  

Copeland Launches Career-Coaching Venture  

Memphian Angela Copeland is launching a career-coaching practice called Copeland Coaching. Copeland Coaching is offering help at all stages of the job search, including networking, interviewing and negotiation, and is helping professionals of all levels who want a career change. Copeland also has written an e-book, “Breaking the Rules and Getting the Job,” that provides practical advice for job-seekers. The book was released Monday, Oct. 28, and is available at copelandcoaching.com. For more information, contact Copeland at angela(at)copelandcoaching(dot)com

Copeland Coaching in The Commercial Appeal

I want to give a huge thank you to James Dowd at the Commercial Appeal for featuring Copeland Coaching this week.  James is a huge supporter of entrepreneurship in Memphis, and has always been so supportive of my work.

Click here for the entire article.

Copeland Coaching offering web-based job hunting services

Entrepreneur Angela Copeland has launched Copeland Coaching, a career counseling and training firm that offers services including interviewing, negotiating and networking.

Copeland, who participated in the inaugural cohort of the Seed Hatchery startup accelerator in 2011, has been involved in the career coaching industry for nearly a decade. She specializes in personal branding and maximizing Web-based platforms during job searches.

“I started coaching while attending graduate school at Pepperdine University and my professors noticed that I looked for jobs differently than the other students,” Copeland said. “They began referring students and professionals to me for career coaching and I’ve continued to coach informally since then, recently turning it into a business.”

In addition to opening her firm, Copeland has released an e-book titled “Breaking the Rules and Getting the Job” that offers practical advice for job seekers.

Volunteer Odyssey Announces Copeland Coaching Partnership

Thank you to Volunteer Odyssey who announced their partnership with Copeland Coaching yesterday on Facebook.  I work with every job seeker that goes through the Volunteer Odyssey program.  We work on career goals, networking skills, resume and cover letter writing, and informational interviewing.

From Volunteer Odyssey:

We're proud to officially announce our partnership with Copeland Coaching. This organization gives each of our job seekers individual attention and one-on-one coaching. You should check them out!

 To learn more about Volunteer Odyssey, visit their Facebook page here. 

Copeland Coaching in Paul Ryburn's Journal

I want to give a big thank you to Paul Ryburn for featuring Copeland Coaching and my e-book, "Breaking The Rules & Getting The Job," in his blog yesterday.  Click here for the entire article.

Mon Update: Copeland Coaching Launches
by Paul Ryburn

My good friend Angela Copeland is launching her new business, Copeland Coaching. Angela has been mentoring job candidates for 9 years, and has shown job seekers how to get to the head of the pack. Her e-book Breaking the Rules and Getting the Job explains what to do. Angela is available for one-on-one mentoring, interview preparation, and resume tune-up. Angela was one of the organizers of the Memphis to Moore fundraiser that raised over $25,000 for the Moore Public Schools that were devastated by tornadoes. I have known Angela for over 10 years and have worked with her on many projects for MPACT Memphis, and I recommend her highly.

Copeland Launches Career Coaching Practice

Friends, 

I’ve enjoyed sharing my journey with you this year.  From my trip around the world to the “Memphis To Moore” fundraiser, this has been a big year for me.  Today is no different.  You may have wondered why my blog posts have slowed down.  I’ve been working on something very special to share with you.  

After career coaching informally for 9 years, I’m launching my own practice: Copeland Coaching.  I provide assistance at all stages of the job-search process — including networking, interviewing and negotiation — and am available for those seeking a career change at all levels. I specialize in personal branding online, leveraging the Internet in your search, and creative job searching in a down economy.

I started coaching while attending graduate school at Pepperdine University. My professors noticed that I looked for jobs differently than the other students. They began referring students and professionals to me for career coaching, and would also ask me to give presentations on job-seeking skills. I’ve continued to coach informally since then, and recently felt called to turn it into a business.

Even more exciting, I’m launching a new e-book that I’ve written, Breaking The Rules & Getting The Job.  The book provides practical, useful advice for those looking to improve their job-seeking outcomes. It is officially being released today and can be purchased on my coaching website at www.CopelandCoaching.com.

For more information or to sign up with Copeland Coaching, contact me at Angela(at)CopelandCoaching(dot)com.  

Thank you to all of my wonderful friends who have supported me in my launch! 

Happy hunting,

Angela 

Weekend Update

I know I haven't written in a while, so here it goes.  This weekend was a pretty productive one, and here's why...


As I'm sure you know, I live in Downtown Memphis.  Because of that, the closest decent grocery store is over 20 miles away.  Driving so far to pick up random items is completely unpractical, so I've tried to change my habits.  I'm grocery shopping just one day a month and then I use the food the entire month.  Typically, I get most of the food at Costco or Whole Foods.  The Costco food is obviously in larger quantities than a normal store.  I'm also growing a garden downtown, so there's a steady flow of fresh vegetables.

[For those of you who know downtown and would suggest that I shop at Miss Cordelia's or Frank's convenience stores... I have tried every downtown option and there are three primary reasons that I don't shop at these glorified convenience stores: 
1. They are beyond expensive. With prices higher than Whole Foods, they are the highest priced game in town. 
2. Their selection is extremely small. 
3. Their food is often expired.  OFTEN.  If you shop at one of these stores, check the expiration dates on the items you buy.  I would not so much mind paying a premium to not have to drive, if either store had fresh food. I have even found expired meat in one of these stores. And, now off my soap box...]

At some point during every month it seems that the food all reaches a point where I must make a decision.  I can either stuff myself or let the food sit for another week and go bad. 

Rather than go with one of these equally bad options, I've been trying a third option.  I'm finding things that I can make with any ingredients, and then I freeze them.  This helps to keep any food from going bad, and in the long run, it saves me time at the grocery. It also creates a situation where I have fast food that's healthy - and that I know the contents of.

This weekend was one of those weekends.  These are the foods that I made:
Roasted red pepper soup
Red potato soup
Chocolate chip ice-cream
Yogurt
Pickled and canned okra
Blanched okra
Basil, tomato, & mozzarella pizza
120 Pumpkin ravioli
60 Goat cheese ravioli
Dried basil, rosemary, sage, and oregano

To be honest, I spent so much time cooking that it feels like the list should be a bit longer.  Either way, I didn't throw away much food at all, and now I have pre-made options for a while.

The ridiculous news is that my freezer is now beyond full.  I've been having similar cooking sessions for a good part of the summer.  I'm not quite ready to give up, because it would mean more grocery trips and more spoiled food. 

One of my tasks this week will be to look for a stand alone freezer.  It's a bit strange to say.  I clearly don't have much space for one.  But, the freezer in my refrigerator is absolutely full.  The question now is, do I go for a stand up freezer or a chest freezer?  I have no idea yet which I will prefer....

Here are a few photos from the weekend--

Collage Dance Collective

My blog postings have slowed down a bit lately.  I've been working on a few projects that I will share with you soon.  Stay tuned. 

My friend Mariangela contacted me today and asked that I share an event that's coming up here in Memphis.  As you know, I'm a big supporter of the arts, including dance, here in Memphis.

The Collage Dance Collective is hosting their annual Jazz Brunch.  The Collage Dance Collective's mission is to inspire the growth of ballet.  The brunch will be held on Sunday, August 25th from 1-4 PM at the Memphis Botanical Gardens.  Music will be provided by Kirk Whalum and food will be provided by Chef Erling Jensen. The cost for tickets is $100 each.  

To order tickets, call Marcellus Harper at 901-800-1873.

To learn more about the Collage Dance Collective, visit their website at http://www.collagedance.org/. 

Memphis To Moore Delivers Gym Equipment

This weekend was quite eventful.  As you probably remember, Karen Wilder Fitness donated $18,000 of gym equipment to Moore Public Schools back in June.

It was such an incredible donation.  My junior high, Highland East, lost their gym in May when the tornadoes came through Moore.  They will be able to use this equipment in the gym when they rebuild it.

Unfortunately, getting the equipment to Moore has been a point of concern.  It's an entire gym's worth of equipment, and I wasn't sure how I would get it to Moore.  The lowest estimate we received from a shipper was for thousands of dollars.

Fortunately, a friend connected me to Big League Movers here in Memphis.  Big League's owner Steve called me a few weeks ago and immediately said, "Sure, we'd like to help." My question was whether or not help meant donate.  Fortunately, Big League was totally on board.

They sent a team of 4 to Karen's fitness studio yesterday to disassemble and load the equipment.  The team worked tirelessly from 8 AM to 2 PM on Sunday.  They made sure that every piece of equipment was labeled, and put all of the small hardware pieces into labeled plastic bags to keep them together.  They also had questions about and concern for the students they were helping in Moore.

After loading the truck, they headed straight to Moore.  Its an 8 hour drive.  They will deliver the gym equipment today at 1 PM to the Moore Public Schools before heading back.  Hopefully, the delivery is much faster since they won't have to disassemble it all again.

Oh, and an important note-- they didn't put the equipment in a truck that was already heading to Moore.  They're making a special trip just to deliver the gym equipment.

I was very impressed with Big League's dedication to helping Moore Public Schools.  Thank you to both Big League and Karen Wilder for making this possible.  If you ever need a mover or a personal trainer, be sure to reach out to these folks - they're wonderful!

Both My Fox Memphis and WMC-TV covered the move. Thank you to both Sarah Bleu and Lauren Squires for their continuous coverage of our progress.  I really appreciate all of your support!

Check out the stories and video below:
Here's the My Fox Memphis coverage.
Here's the WMC-TV coverage.

Happy birthday Eric & Bar-B-Que Shop Commercial

Today was my friend Eric's birthday - happy birthday Eric!  In addition to being a great guy, Eric and his family own The Bar-B-Que Shop restaurant in Memphis.  If you haven't been, you should check it out.  They have fantastic food.

I came across this commercial for the shop today.  Thought I'd share.  If you look closely, you will spot Eric, me, and a few others.

Memphis To Moore Online Auction

If you haven't had a chance yet, please take a look at the Memphis To Moore online auction.  There are just a few days left and still a number of great items.

Here's one you should check out, a chocolate package - its a bit like chocolate of the month.  It includes one 6-piece designer chocolate gift box per month for 9 months.  The chocolates are made by Chef Rix.

Chef Phillip Ashley Rix is an award-winning chocolatier, was named one of America's Best Confectioners and Chocolatiers in 2013 by TasteTV for his dynamic ingredient combinations and unique designer chocolates.  A native Memphian, he began his journey in 2007, self-training in the difficult art of chocolate.  In 2012, he elected to exit a more than 10 year career in the creative marketing field with FedEx, UPS and Apple.  Inspired by the history, chemistry, artistry, and possibility of fine chocolate making, Chef Rix works countless hours developing the new and exciting flavors distinctive of his brand.  He incorporates fascinating ingredients like BBQ Sauce, Sweet Potato, Spanish Saffron, and Gorgonzola Dolce bleu cheese, just to name a few, with the finest Swiss chocolate to create a rare, sensory-provoking experience with every piece.

Here are a few photos.  To check out the item on the Memphis To Moore auction, click here. 100% of the money raised from the auction will go directly to the Moore Public Schools tornado relief fund.

Thanks!

Beale Street Video

Here's a new video that features Beale Street.

Shelton Clother Pink Pig Apparel Polo and Baseball Cap for Sale!

Big thank you to Shelton Clothiers and Tom Shelton for donating a polo shirt and a baseball cap to the Memphis To Moore online auction!

Check out the auction here: http://givingworks.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/moore-public-schools-disaster-relief/62088/. The winner will be able to pick the size and color that best suits them!

100% of proceeds for all items go directly to the Moore Public Schools Tornado Relief Fund.

Happy bidding!

 

Memphis To Moore - Online auction now open!

In order to continue our efforts to raise funds for the Moore Public Schools, we are hosting an online silent auction using eBay Giving Works. 100% of the purchase price will be donated to the Moore Public Schools.

Thank you to all of those who have generously donated for this cause. Auction items include a chocolate epicurean package, a dinner for two with a private chef, and OKC Thunder autographed photos just to name a few.

Check out the listings on eBay here.

The Memphis To Moore website is found here. 

Sponsors: AngelaCopeland.com, The Westin Memphis Beale Street, RedRover Sales & Marketing, Karen Wilder Fitness

Thank you for your support! :-)

James Lee House Bed and Breakfast

On Monday, I had the opportunity to see something really great happen here in Memphis.  There was a ground breaking for a new bed and breakfast on Adams: the James Lee House B&B. 

The James Lee House is located across the street from the Mollie Fontaine Lounge inside of the Victorian Village.

The house has been empty for around 50 years, and one family with a big idea was able to get this project moving.  With the help of the City of Memphis, the DMC, other community organizations, and generous donors - the ground breaking was able to happen.

It's the first step in what sounds like quite a journey to get the house ready for guests.  I had the opportunity to walk through the first floor of the home.  It's really incredible and I'm sure will make a wonderful B&B for Memphis.

Here are a few photos that I took during the ground breaking ceremony and of the James Lee House.

Fruit Leather Recipe

Today, I tried something new.  I made fruit leather using apricots.  Last week, I got a big box of apricots at Costco.  I wasn't sure of how I'd finish them all, so I started to think of ideas and came across the idea to make something similar to a Fruit Roll-up. 

First, I took the apricots out of the fridge, and left them on my kitchen counter for a few days until they were ripe.  This ensured that they really tasted like apricots, and were sweet.

I diced up around 2.5 cups of pitted apricots.  I placed them in a pan on the stove with about 3/4 cup of of raw sugar, and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. 

Once the sugar melted, I let the mixture cool a little before putting it into the blender.

I pureed the apricot mixture in the blender.  Then, I poured it out onto a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap.

I placed the cookie sheet in the oven on 200 degrees for around 6 hours, propping the door open just slightly with a wooden spoon.
When the leather is finished, it will be dry and no longer sticky.  After it dries, you can cut it into strips and store in an airtight container.  I left the plastic wrap on the back of each piece, so that it doesn't end up sticking together in the box.

Veterans Memorial Park needs your help

As you know, Veterans Memorial Park in Moore, Oklahoma was destroyed during the recent tornado in May.  This park is located next to my junior high school and across the street from my parents neighborhood.

The good news is that Coke (the soft drink company) is having a contest to revamp a community park.  The winning park will be given $100,000 for park improvements.  In this case, it would be used to completely rebuild the Veterans Memorial Park.

Unfortunately, Moore is currently in 2nd place behind another park.  I have logged on and voted.  I believe as of this morning, the park in Moore was behind by about 5K votes.

It's easy to login and vote.  I hope you will take just a few minutes (maybe 3) and vote for this park in Moore.

Here's the website that you visit: www.coke.com/parks

This is what you do after you open the website:
1. Click the "Click" icon. 

2. Enter "Moore" and "OK" in the city and state fields. And, type in "Veterans Memorial Park" into the park name field. Entering in all 3 things will save you time because it will make it easier to find.

3. Scroll down and click the "Vote Now" link.

 4. You then click login and login with Facebook.  Then you click "Vote for this Park."

That's it!  It just takes a minute.  The park has come so far, and the money would go a long way. Please take the time to vote.  Thanks!

Rich Chocolate Icecream

Today, I made up a batch of chocolate ice-cream.  It's my first try, but it came out nicely, so I wanted to share.  I completely changed the original recipe I used as reference, so this is my own recipe.

Ingredients:
2.5 ounces of semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2.5 ounces of milk chocolate, finely chopped
2.5 cups heavy cream
1.5 cups milk (I only had 1%, so that's what I used, but I'd recommend whole milk ideally)
1/2 C + 1/6 C of raw sugar
2 Tablespoons of pure vanilla extract
2.5 ounces white chocolate chips, whole
1/2 C walnuts, broken into large pieces

Finely chop the semisweet and milk chocolate together in a food processor.

Combine cream, milk, and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until mixture almost boils and chocolate is melted. Reduce heat to low.

Add in sugar and vanilla extract. Cook over low heat until slightly thickened and mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Allow to cool on counter for around 20 minutes. Allow to cool in fridge for 30 minutes. Then, allow to cool in freezer for 30 minutes.

Stir gently and pour into frozen ice-cream maker freezer bowl.  I use a Cuisinart ice-cream maker.  Turn the machine ON and let mix until mixture thickens, about 30 minutes.

Add white chocolate chips and walnut pieces and continue to mix for 5 additional minutes.

Transfer ice-cream to an airtight container and place in freezer until firm, about 2 hours.

Here's a photo. Happy eating! 

Recap of my weekend in Upstate NY

My weekend in Upstate NY turned out to be very successful. I spent quality time with an old friend, saw part of NY I never had the time to see during college, and rested up on sleep. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, I flew in on Friday, saw RPI (my college), met the animals of Five Goats Farm, and had a wonderful steak dinner with Anthony and his summer roommate Tyler. Tyler is an art student who is working at BARD College this summer-- and helping Anthony to take care of the animals. 

Anthony has 5 goats, a dog, 2 llamas, 2 ponies, honey bees, and many chickens - plus a cat he's cat sitting. He rarely gets to go away, so I'm glad I could stop by for a few days. 

It should also be noted that this year is the year of the 17-year cicadas. This was something new that I learned. Apparently these flying bugs stay underground for 17 years and then come out and eventually die- once every 17 years. This phenomena is specific to the area of Upstate NY where Anthony lives. My guess is that there may be other areas that also experience something similar, but I don't know. 

Anyway... On Saturday, we drove to take a tour of a historic home called Olana. The house was very interesting and we had a wonderful tour guide who appeared to be in her late 70s or early 80s. For dinner, we had fresh oysters and a risotto made with homemade bacon, corn, and shrimp. Not only was this good, but it inspires me to want to learn to make bacon. 

On Sunday, we visited the town of Red Hook and another neighboring town. We went to the farmers market and ate tons of great food all day long. For lunch, I had mac and cheese at a gastro pub. Dinner was at an Italian place that served fresh pasta - one of my favorites - and bread with a homemade olive oil that was by far the best I've ever tasted. 

Yesterday (Monday), we took another driving tour and visited Woodstock and a few other places. I had seen the sign for Woodstock many times, but had never stopped by. It's just about what you might expect- a sleepy little alternative town. Last night, I participated in Mexican Monday with Anthony and Tyler, eating enchiladas in front of the TV. I may have to adopt this tradition as I've been making Mexican food quite a bit lately myself. 

Today, I slept in and after a nice breakfast of fresh eggs, Anthony dropped me at the Albany Airport for my flight. Luckily, I made both of my flights. I'm now heading back to Memphis from Charlotte. 

I am hoping that tonight I will get to spend time with my friend Dan W who is moving to DC tomorrow after being accepted into medical school (congrats!!). I will miss Dan W, but I'm happy for him. And I'm sure he's ready to get his life in motion after a long stay in Memphis for grad school. 

I'm a bit nervous to get back to it this week. There are so many things going on the next few days that its going to be a challenge to keep up. Hopefully, I will find a little time here and there to relax and check out my pool. It's a luxury I haven't been able to enjoy yet this summer. 

Last but not least, I will have information soon about an online auction for Memphis To Moore. A few of the items arrived after the event, so we will be using the opportunity to create an online sale. Stay tuned for more details and let me know if you have an item that you'd like to donate for the auction. 

My friend Mark

Just posting a quick hello to my friend Mark. He has been going through chemo in Memphis and now he's in Nashville, fighting even more. 

While I was traveling, he followed my blog. And in turn I followed his blog on Caring Bridge. When I was in Sydney, I picked up the little guy below for Mark. It seems fitting. I hope that Mark is staying strong on his journey to Nashville and that he will be back to Memphis very soon. 

Here's Mark's blog: www.caringbridge.org/visit/markduncan/journal. I commend him for sharing his experience with everyone. 

Change of scenary - my trip to New York

Just after I knew what the date of the Memphis To Moore fundraiser was, I booked a flight.  I knew that after two and a half intense weeks, I would want to take a break for a few days.  Yesterday morning, I headed to Upstate New York to visit my friend Anthony.

I was scheduled to fly on US Airways.  I woke up yesterday morning to two voicemails from US Airways saying that my first flight to Charlotte was cancelled and that I would miss my flight to Albany.  My first thought was that the entire day was about to become a disaster.  (My college roommate Adam used to always say that he hated to travel with me because something would always go wrong on my trips.  He joked that I had bad travel luck.) 

Fortunately, just the opposite happened.  US Airways booked me onto two Delta flights.  When I got to the Memphis airport, I approached the priority counter to ask that they add my frequent flier number to my tickets.  This was the best decision I made all day because it resulted in me being upgraded on both of my flights to Albany.  Delta is no longer serving meals in first class for the flights I was on, but they kept my wine glass full and brought me wonderful shortbread chocolate chip cookies all day. 

On my second flight, I sat next to a man who had to be in his 90s.  He was mentally very sharp and shared his entire life story with me.  He had been married twice and both of his wives died.  His first wife had breast cancer in the 70s before there was advanced technology.  They had 5 children before she died and he was left to raise them all.  In the 90s, he finally remarried to a woman who eventually developed dementia.  He was left to care for her for 7 years before she past away 2 years ago.  He not only has a lot of grandchildren, but he also has great grandchildren and was on his way to one of their high school graduations.  He lived his entire life in New York state, but recently relocated to Nashville to be near one of his children.  The thing that struck me as a bit funny was that he was very unsure about my age.  He would say things like "I'm not sure if you are old enough to remember this movie..." (and I would think to myself "I'm not as young as I look") ..."it starred Clark Gable."  But of course, I'm not that old.  Clark Gable died almost 20 years before I was born. :-)

There was also a terribly cute family on one of my flights.  The parents had four small children.  The mother obviously liked to sew because they were all wearing outfits made with the same fabric.  Here's a photo:

I made it to Albany safely and on time.  We drove through the RPI campus and past my old house in Troy where I used to live with Adam.  It looked very much the same, although different at the same time.  The school has built a new digital technology building that looks very modern compared to the rest of the landscape.  The house I lived in looks about the same too.

After our tour of Troy, we headed an hour away to Red Hook, NY where Anthony lives and maintains his Five Goats Farm.  We had a great steak dinner last night with the intern who helping out with the farm.  This morning, I got to meet the animals which included 5 goats, 2 llamas, chickens, and bees.  Here's a photo that I took of one of the goats.

As you can see, it's been a total change of scenery.  What a nice way to unplug for a few days!