Bettina's Blog

copyright 2010 The Bettina Network, inc.

We live in a society where there is much discussion about companies - especially banks - which are too big to fail.

Is that a deflection away from the fact that actually, we live in a society where a reigning truth is today businesses can be too small to succeed. If they look successful, the load put on their backs by large busiensses increases. No one or two people do this, it is in the structure!

That is sad because small businesses are the engines which create jobs.

Boston has a group formed - the inheritors of the old "Vault" - to talk about job creation. All huge businesses - no small business executives involved. Is that to discuss job creation and do something real about it or to blow smoke in our eyes so they can continue building the wall where large corporations are on one side - where the sun shines, buildings are beautiful, money plentiful, executives very wealthy, all owners of private jets - and small businesses are on the other - where the work is hard and never ending, the stress is high and getting higher, their resources are ripped and used by those on the other side of the wall and etc? Hmmmmmmmmm, where have we seen that model?

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Labels: An editorial just because, Reader Feedback

From a bed & breakfast guest:

Your posts on using olive oil have opened the doors and windows for me. I've had a grand time with it and you have answered many quesstions I've had for years.

When I read your post about cleaning furniture with lemon juice and olive oil, I pulled out my old wooden chopping board. It is dried out horribly and I haven't used it for a couple years because I didn't know how to treat it. All the literature says clean it with white vinegar, to get rid of the smell, and then rub mineral oil into the wood. Well, I eat what I chop on the board and I was not going to eat something which had been prepared on wood cleaned with white vinegar (acetic acid) - and mineral oil (petroleum). I wouldn't put mineral oil on my food, nor would I put it on my body - which means I don't get professional massages because that is basically what is contained in their massage oil.

When I read your post I thought - what do I have to lose - so I mixed up about 2/3 cups olive oil with 1/2 lemon and went to work on the old board. The next morning I was amazed. It was beautiful. I used the entire amount of olive oil and lemon juice because the board just soaked it up. It is now showing the squares the way it did when it was new. The oil has dried and it is not greasy. I had to wipe the dried lemon off, but that took a second and I am certain the brightness and cleanness of the board is due to the lemon addition, so the extra second was worth the effort.

Thank you! I have my chopping board back; I am not afraid to use it; It is once again a beautiful addition to my kitchen and all is right with the world.

Keep on keeping on. This has made me a loyal reader of your blog and I will also tell everyone I know about this experience.

Somehow, I think this was probably how my grandmother cleaned her chopping board, but I wasn't listening, watching, or learning from her when she was around. I guess I really missed a lot from being so absent from the older women in my family. They are who should have been my role models. Wish I could pass that bit of wisdom down to my own children and future grandchildren to help make their lives easier. Better to learn from them than from the marketing media, who I learned from and because of whom I must now relearn and try to make a better life for myself than they tried to do for me.

The older women in my family had my best interest at heart, although I didn't think so at the time. They were not trying to pry all the money out of my pocketbook leaving me with health issues as a result of their wrong-headed advice. A friend of mine even bought "food grade" mineral oil as a present for me to help me with my chopping board. Food grade or not, it is still petroleum and I didn't use it, although she had all the right arguments to try to get me to use it. I sent her the link to your blog so she could see where she was really an air-head about buying the advice of those who are paid to sell bad stuff. I knew if I waited long enough something would come along to help with these little problems. One down, four hundred ninety- nine to go. Keep those posts coming! God bless you!

TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email comments to info@bettina-network.com
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IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS WHEN YOU
TRAVEL!!! 1-800-347-9166 inside U.S. or 617-497-9166 outside or inside the U.S

Labels: Guest comments, Health, Making Connections, Reader Feedback

I love your company. I wasn't really sold on traveling bed & breakfast, but after trying Bettina's I am a convert. May it and all of you live long and prosper.

I tried the olive oil and lemon juice and it was FANTASTIC!!!!! I had some left over and went about cleaning other things. Did you know the same mixture cleans brass? I hate to clean brass and we have tons of it from my just married days. We were given a lot and started collecting exquisite pieces, but they can be horrible to clean so we didn't. Some had turned quite dark. The only time any of our brass pieces were cleaned was when the woman who cleans for us had extra time and she would pick up a piece or two and rub forever. The stuff she used had a foul smell, which lingered in the house for hours.

I used the 0000 steel wool and what was left over from the olive oil and lemon juice mixture I used to clean a couple pieces of wood furniture. It is unbelievable how easy it was to clean my brass pieces - trays, statues, candles. They look beautiful - but best of all I didn't have to suit-up to spend half a day cleaning brass. I didn't even use rubber gloves and like you said, my hands are all the better for having done the work.

THANK YOU! And you know I won't ever stay anyplace else. By the time you help me get my house into a very "organic" state I won't be able to stay anyplace else. As it is, I am hooked on breakfast at Bettina's. However, I haven't turned my own kitchen organic as a result - my husband is a little unhappy paying the extra money for some organic foods, but we have gone completely organic with milk and butter. Eggs are next. Hopefully, he will relent, especially when he sees the money we are going to save on brass polish. The one we bought was VERY EXPENSIVE! I've tried to show him that you spend more on some things and less on others when you go organic - maybe this proves the case.

ed. Note: We added the bold type to this guests comments.

TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email comments to info@bettina-network.com
TO LEARN MORE about the Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com
IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS WHEN YOU
TRAVEL!!! 1-800-347-9166 inside U.S. or 617-497-9166 outside or inside the U.S

Labels: Guest comments, Health, Making Connections, Reader Feedback

A tip from a guest - sent via mail to the Bettina Network, inc.

Thanks for Bettina's Blog. I enjoy reading it and followed your suggestion of saving it for Sunday morning. It is more fun than the newspapers I read on Sundays and informative in ways no one else tells us. My experience at breakfast in the Bettina Home where I stayed was fascinating. I learned an enormous amount and was very impressed with the intellectual level of your guests.

My tip doesn't begin to meet those lofty levels, but it was astounding to me and I would like to pass it along to others.

I read your post about keeping your skin beautiful with vitamins A, E and organic powdered milk and have been using it religiously. It has done wonders for my wrinkled skin, which is smoothing out and has taken on a fantastic sheen. My husband tells me I have taken on a "glow."

I've taken your post one step further to increase the good results I get. When I rinse my face with water from my cupped hands the ten splashes you suggest, I don't dry around the eyes. I dry the rest of my face because I don't like the feeling of water dripping off my face as I wait for the water to dry, but not wiping around the eyes has done wonders for me. The skin around my eyes was puffy and wrinkly. For several months now I have not touched around the eyes, only did the ten times water splashes to my face without drying my eyes and I can't believe the difference. Imagine dewey eyes at my age.

A nurse I know said it happens because whenever you dry around your eyes you are compressing the veins and the thin skin and that is what's happening. Don't know if that's true or not and don't know if I am remembering exactly what she said, but it was something like that.

I really don't care why, I care about the results from the ten splashes and not wiping the eye area - I look well rested. I send this tip to you in exchange for your tip about what clipping the vitamins has done for the rest of my face.

ed:Note - the Blog to which the reader refers is "Bettina's Premier Beauty Secret" published in March, 2008

TO RESPOND TO THIS BLOG email comments to info@bettina-network.com
TO LEARN MORE about the Bettina Network, inc. try www.bettina-network.com
IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS WHEN YOU
TRAVEL!!! 1-800-347-9166 inside U.S. or 617-497-9166 outside or inside the U.S

Labels: Guest comments, Health and Beauty, Making Connections, Reader Feedback

I read your update on adding computers to Bettina homes.  I call only Bettina's when I travel and because of my research I mostly travel to Harvard Square Cambridge.  I wouldn't stay anyplace else.  When you leave home you leave all your conveniences.  I like to play the guitar when I get home from a tough day.  When I get to Cambridge, the home where I stay has a guitar which I take over and take to my room and play it evenings.  I've met other people who stay in your homes because they have access to other musical instruments.  Another house in Harvard Square has a harp which people can use.  I've been there to see friends staying there so I've seen and played the harp (sort of).  I met a woman there who plays beautiful harp - jazz harp, that was quite a while ago.  She played a brief concert for us and I will never forget hearing her.  Don't remember her name!

Your network is really a fantastic way to travel.

Thanks for your holiday greeting.  Keep up the good work and lots of luck in 2010!

A reader (no name please)

editors note:  Whenever we receive an email or phone call or etc.  We put your notes in Bettina's Blog, but we don't ever put your name or other identifying information unless you tell us its alright to do so.


IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS WHEN YOU
TRAVEL!!! 1-800-347-9166 inside U.S. or 617-497-9166 outside or inside the U.S

Labels: Bettina Network Info, Guest comments and talents, Making Connections, Reader Feedback, Travel Bettina Style

2009 copyright the Bettina Network, inc.

We received notes from guests about buying stock mentioned over breakfast when they stayed at a Bettina home.  Three stocks were mentioned and we have the dates the guests purchased the stock.  To keep it honest, lets take an end of the year note on what happened.

On 6/15/2009 a guest wrote about the conversation about IVAN, then selling at $1.56/share and IVN, then selling at $6.12/share.  You might check out those posts for more information.  This is only to bring those conversations up to date.
       Today IVAN is selling for $2.86/share - the energy stock
                  IVN is selling for $14.63/share - the gold mining stock

On 7/21/2009 another guest wrote about a conversation around a Bettina breakfast table about SIRI.  On that date SIRI was selling for $ .425/share.
       Today SIRI is selling for $.5895/share - the Sirius XM Radio stock

We will keep you up to date on other stock conversations and hope the people who emailed us about their purchase of these stocks will also email us when they sell.


IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS WHEN YOU
TRAVEL!!! 1-800-347-9166 inside U.S. or 617-497-9166 outside or inside the U.S

Labels: Making Connections, Reader Feedback, stock tips

I find whenever I see such controversies these days I go to Bettina's Blog to see what you have said.  You usually have a perspective most media writers don't have and a thoughtful insight I find interesting and helpful.  I looked this time and didn't find anything about the Tiger Woods business.  We would appreciate your insight and any information you have which has not appeared in the media.  Please e-mail me at the following address when you have posted a blog on Tiger Woods, but please don't publish either my name or my e-mail address.

Thanks,
A loyal guest

Labels: Guest comments, Making Connections, Reader Feedback

We just returned from a wonderful trip visiting our daughter and we stayed at one of your Bettina homes.  We had the best coconut cake I have ever had in life.  Please either send me the recipe - if you need to keep it secret - or put it on your Bettina's Blog - which I read every Sunday morning the way I used to read the New York Times.

Thanks,  We will definitely call you first.  I have never had such an experience, even in very expensive hotels.  Keep up your work, something is working.


IF YOU ENJOY OUR BLOG, USE OUR SERVICES TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS WHEN YOU TRAVEL!!! 1-800-347-9166 inside U.S. or 617-497-9166 outside or inside the U.S.

Labels: Bettina's Cookbook, Guest comments, Reader Feedback

I really appreciate your blog and your guts in putting Bank of America in your Bettina's Hall of Shame.

I have something to contribute, which is true of many banks.  You talked about overdrafts. What I see now is banks claiming to address and reduce their overdraft charges and its a joke what they are proposing.  I feel insulted!  What they need to address is the 5 business days during which they keep your deposits 'on ice'.  That is what is causing all of the overdrafts.  Your blog is the first place I've read which accurately puts the blame where it belongs.  In many cases the banks don't even tell you they put your funds on hold for five days.  I opened an account with Bank of America just recently and they held my first deposit for five days.  I couldn't believe when I went to draw cash out from an ATM machine I couldn't get five cents.  I was in a very bad situation because I had put all of my money into Bank of America and the person who opened the account said nothing to me about my not being able to access my money for five business days.

The federal reserve needs to address why it continues to give banks that huge loop hole in which they can make billions.  Banks do receive funds, even from out of state checks in much less than five days.  They are making lots of money through that loop hole.  Add that to what else they are doing with credit cards and you have an obscenity!

What are they doing? Taking money from the middle and lower middle class and yes, in many cases the upper middle class and giving it to the super rich - sometimes through the huge bonuses they pay out.  Where do you think the money comes from to pay those bonuses? From those overdraft fees, those credit card overlimit fees, those credit card interest charges at 30% from people with good credit, and on and on.

I want to add what is happening with credit cards.  Banks lowered many, many peoples credit card limits.  They claimed it was because of their bad credit and late payments.  That is a lie.  I know lots of people who had their credit card limits lowered and their debt level was lower when it was lowered than it was a year ago.  Their credit was good - they still had jobs and they had no late payments.

Why are banks lowering credit limits?  So they can collect overlimit fees.  If your credit limit is lowered - especially if you are not aware of that lowered amount - you charge over your new limit, but within your old limit and you have an overlimit fee.  Or even if you don't have anymore charges on your card you still get an overlimit fee because of the time of the month they lower it on your account and the credit card finance charges which get posted to your credit card balance throwing your account over its new limit.  Your credit card limit is generally lowered to within an amount which will cause an overlimit amount when the finance charges are added.  In some cases I know of the credit card limit is lowered to beneath your current amount due and while you don't get a fee at the time it is lowered to under your balance, you do get an overlimit fee shortly thereafter because of the addition of the finance charges and you keep getting overlimit fees unless you can come up with the money to pay the difference between your credit card new limit and your old balance.  They talk about contracts?  They throw stuff into new contracts on practically a daily basis and they don't honor contracts that they have with their customers.  They reserve the right to change the contract at any time for any reason and everything you did under the old contract is now being held under your nose in a new contract.  I've never seen anything like this before.  It is horrible and ordainary people are living under these circumstances trying to raise children, put food on the table, pay their bills and more.  This is a democratic country?  It seems to be this is a country where theft is happening legitimately by banks and other financial institutions.  The money banks are obtaining fraudulently from the American public makes Madoffs fraud look like pennies.

It is a total disgrace the way the banks are and are being allowed to rip off people.  Yours is the first voice I've heard which has put it so eloquently.  I hope you are heard.  I doubt that you will be because most of the media depends upon advertising and other monies from banks so they aren't ready to do a real indept article on all of this.

I would have thought Americans would be demonstrating in the streets against banks the way they are so shamelessly ripping off their own customers.  You said Bank of America is cannibalizing its own customers.  You didn't go far enough.  you should have said the entire banking industry - with very few exceptions - are cannibalizing their own customers. Something really drastic needs to be done about this.  The small things being done today are insulting!  The people addressing the issue must be getting money under the table from the banks because they are just letting air out of the anger of the public against the banks.

Labels: Bettina's Hall of Shame, Guest comments, Reader Feedback

Since reading your travel tip I talked to my boss.  I am leaving tomorrow for California so your suggestion is very timely.

I asked about the possibility of my company paying for the overnight postage to mail my bags instead of carrying them onto the airplane and it is a go.  Which is GGGGREAT!!!!!!  I can now travel without dragging luggage through airports; it isn't costing me anything; my company is going to save money because they don't have to reimburse me for the cost the airlines charge to carry all of the books, papers, etc. which get schlepped all over the place.

I am going to do this overnight mail going and regular (probably book rate) mail returning - which is where my company will save a few dollars.  Since I am going to a conference and would normally have a suitcase full of papers, books and more from the conference this is kind of exciting.

Hope this works as well as your travel tip indicates.

Labels: Guest comments, Making Connections, Reader Feedback, Travel Bettina Style

"Thanks for putting up the blog on stock tips. Otherwise I would not have written this one. Didn't think it was anything of interest to your blog readers.

Labels: Guest comments, Making Connections, Reader Feedback, stock tips

"Thank you for this wonderful recipe and its story. I used to take my grandchildren to tea every Saturday afternoon and they loved it. After trying your recipe I have an alternate suggestion: with my Asian background I find I am not really into cinnamon, so I used your "Dessert Breadsticks" recipe with a mixture of nutmeg and sugar. I found that much more to my taste. Perhaps some people might like to mix the cinnamon and nutmeg, but first try it with just nutmeg and sugar.

Labels: Bettina's Cookbook, Reader Feedback

Labels: Reader Feedback