Encouragement: Giving and Receiving

Encouragement: Giving and Receiving

People of Interest

People of Interest

Encouragement: Giving and Receiving

Encouragement: Giving and Receiving

Lois Pantel – Butte County Humane Society Woman of Distinction

Lois Pantel – Butte County Humane Society Woman of Distinction

Dave Mahan of Sensible Cyclery

Dave Mahan of Sensible Cyclery

To Honor a Life- Update

To Honor a Life- Update

Persevere Movie

This may take a minute to post, but it is worth it! Never Give Up! Sometimes it is in dying that we are born.

Persevere Movie: In my many years of business and life, I realize that there are quite a few things that separate the good from the great. But, if you asked me to only pick one reason why some or more successful than others, I would offer you this...your willingness to PERSEVERE.

Another Event Resource

For another location to find upcoming local events check out Upcoming Events Chico.

What is of real value?

What is of real value?

Seven Days in Utopia

Seven Days in Utopia is a G-rated movie for the whole family. It begins with a Bible text, Isaiah 30:21 so from the start you know of the Christian influence. The movie is adapted from a book by David L. Cook, “Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia". After viewing the movie, visiting the websites, and reading multiple reviews, there is still much to be said.
Being positive is what ChicoTimes is about, never the less  some points about this film must be stated. The beginning story line is somewhat hard to follow as there are many flashbacks inter-spread with the opening gambit of Luke Chisholm (Lucas Black) driving then crashing his car to miss a steer. Though the flashbacks provide understanding to the character of Luke, it makes for a complicated start. Next, there are two gambling scenes.  Finally, the ending leaves you hanging, as was the writer's intent.
After a rough beginning, however, the movie takes on a Hallmark kind of a feel, but without the underlying sexual tension. Many of the tensions felt in major Hollywood productions are missing in this movie. For some this may detract from the quality, but for others it might seem just a wholesome, bygone era that we wish we could find again.
Those who are not "born of the Spirit" will find the wholesomeness of the movie challenging and even as one author wrote,"a syrup-slathered mountain of nonsense."(Peter Simek, <a title="Peter Simek's review" href="http://frontrow.dmagazine.com/2011/09/movie-review-in-the-christian-golf-drama-seven-days-in-utopia-life-is-one-endless-fairway/" target="_blank">http://frontrow.dmagazine.com</a>) Conversely, there are some very big positives for this move. Those of us who have been requesting clean, family movies have a champion in this picture. Not one obscene or even a swear word is heard through the entire movie. In the one place where the  lead character, Luke,  tries to kiss the girl (Deborah Ann Woll), she gives him a classic line, "Not yet." then smiles and says, "That doesn't mean forever." The one fight scene is quickly settled by other means. The big questions in life are asked in an understated way, What is truly important in life? and How will you be remembered when you die?
Though not everyone may agree on the theology in Seven Days in Utopia, the tragedy is in a theater seating 50 people, only 7 of us bought tickets. That is not the way to get more family friendly movies into the theater! Come on folks, Get in and view it before the screen goes dark and you ask, "Why don't they make decent movies any more?"

Watch the full theater trailer just click here.

After watching the movie if you missed the website email editor@chicotimes.com and I will send you the link.

Think Positive Thoughts to Reduce Stress

Positive thinking: Reduce stress by eliminating negative self-talk

Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. Practice overcoming negative self-talk with examples provided.

By Mayo Clinic staff Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic — and it may even affect your health.
Indeed, some studies show that personality traits like optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that typically comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair — you can learn positive thinking skills. Here's how.

Understanding positive thinking and self-talk

Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach the unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.
Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head every day. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.
If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.

The health benefits of positive thinking

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.

Identifying negative thinking

Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Here are some common forms of negative self-talk:

• Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, say you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. But you forgot one minor step. That evening, you focus only on your oversight and forget about the compliments you received.
• Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.
• Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. The drive-through coffee shop gets your order wrong and you automatically think that the rest of your day will be a disaster.
• Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad, black or white. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or that you're a total failure.

Focusing on positive thinking

You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice — you're creating a new habit, after all. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and optimistic way:

• Identify areas to change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you typically think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute or a relationship, for example. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way.
• Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.
• Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.
• Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. And learn to manage stress.
• Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.
• Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you.

Here are some examples of negative self-talk and how you can apply a positive thinking twist to them.

Negative self-talk	Positive thinking
I've never done it before.	It's an opportunity to learn something new.
It's too complicated.	I'll tackle it from a different angle.
I don't have the resources.	Necessity is the mother of invention.
I'm too lazy to get this done.	I wasn't able to fit it into my schedule but can re-examine some priorities.
There's no way it will work.	I can try to make it work.
It's too radical a change.	Let's take a chance.
No one bothers to communicate with me.	I'll see if I can open the channels of communication.
I'm not going to get any better at this.	I'll give it another try.

Practicing positive thinking every day

If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you. Plus, when you share your positive mood and positive experience, both you and those around you enjoy an emotional boost.
Practicing positive self-talk will improve your outlook. When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you're able to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.

Thank you http://www.mayoclinic.com

Thursday Night Market Sensual Enchantment

Blend into the crowd and let your sense guide you through as the Thursday Night Market assails your nerve endings. If life is how you look at things, take note of the farmer's who bring you rainbows of color in produce and flowers.

Listen as musicians treat your ears to an array of musical rhythms and sounds.  Sniff as the food venders captivate your nose with the tantalizing smell of the food you crave. Taste the delightful sensation as the food you buy slips into your mouth caressing your tongue on its way down your throat.

Look around at the eclectic mix of Vendors who offer services and goods to meet many of life's desires. The market can bring smiles as you bump into people you know or make new friends of those you don't.

Strolling around the stalls is an adventure as you never know what you might find. One booth that often attracts a crowd is an artist who paints beautiful works of art on poster paper using spray paint and pieces of folded paper. He puts on quite the show while making a work of art to be sold. Turn around and you find a place that makes kids smile as they try to win a free week at Forest Ranch Camp by playing games of skill.



A block over a clown creates balloon art while varied street musicians pluck out tunes. All of these purveyors add to the sensual appeal that is the Thursday Night Market.

Another part of the Thursday night mix for the senses happens in City Plaza. Musicians with different styles of music play throughout the evening. Each has time on the stage to share their musical talents with the visiting throng. Watch and you might catch dancers, young and old, moving to the beat.

There are just a few more weeks left to enjoy this wonderful enchantment of your senses. Make sure you invest the time to visit before it is gone.

Pirandello's Dinner Theatre Presents Joni Morris as "Patsy Cline"

<a href="http://chicotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Joni-Morris-as-Patsy-Cline.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-286" title="Joni Morris as Patsy Cline" src="http://chicotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Joni-Morris-as-Patsy-Cline.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="386" /></a>

Joni Morris Performs Patsy Cline @ Holiday Inn "Pirandello Dinner Theatre" September 30th Friday Evening.Benefit Dinner Show for "Music Conservatory Theatre Company of Chico" (MCTC)   

Morris Has Cline Down Pat” said the newspaper headlines from the San Francisco Examiner of Joni’s most recent performance there.  And the San Francisco chronicle's Date Booksection reads “It’s Patsy All Over Again” of her re-creation of the country and western legend, Patsy Cline, at the bay area’s Alcazar Theatre.

JONI MORRIS IN “A PORTRAIT OF PATSY” PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE QUEEN OF COUNTRY MUSIC

     Patsy Cline was a legend in her own time and her lights have not faded.  She is

more popular now than ever before with her heart-breaking melodies of love lost.

 Now, Joni Morris pays her own special tribute to the queen of country music and has

 been playing to sold out crowds across the country with her tribute show.  The

Holiday Inn will present Joni Morris and her musical accompanist  on Friday evening

 September 30, 2011 in Sacramento, CA.  The  performance begins at 7:30 p.m.  

     And the critics love Joni, love her voice and love her show! “Morris is more than

just an imitator.  She has the tremendous talent of her own which comes through with

 each song and sounds even better than Cline.”  Datebook (A section of San Francisco

 and Sunday Examiner & Chronicle). “A doubled-barreled voice that can belt, sob,

 exult… We’re transported back into the Golden Years of the late 50’s and 60’s,” says

Holly Johnson of the Sacramento Bee newspaper.  “A loving portrait… a polished,

 rollicking and often soulful country-western music show,” states Peter Stack of the

San Francisco Chronicle.

      

 Audiences love Joni’s tributes to the music of Patsy Cline, Connie Francis, and

Legendary Ladies in Country Music.  She is a dazzling entertainer!

You can also expect to hear a sample of Joni’s own original music in every

 show.  She adds comedy, eye-catching costumes, and lots of audience interaction to

 each performance.  This is a show no Patsy Cline fan should miss!

 

Dinner and Show $29.99 per Person...selected entree' w/full course meal & beverage.... Masone's Dinner Theatre Company of Sacramento is the New Management...at the Holiday Inn for it's Food & Beverage operation. 7 nights a week entertainment... compliments The new Dinner Theatre venue.
Call now! For reservations: 1-530-345-2491
Or purchase at Holiday Inn, 685 Manzanita Ct, Chico Ca, Doors open 6:30pm-7pm Showtime



read more ...   http://chicobillboard.blogspot.com/2011/09/joni-morris-performs-aspatsy-cline.htm

For the Love of Music

Walking out of one of our favorite eateries, La Comida, the soft sounds of a banjo greeted our ears.
This wasn't the first time we had heard Andrew Rush's simple, fun music. Banjo case at his side he doesn't ask for any money, but people enjoy the show and sometimes share. Take the time to chat with Andrew and you find his is a local boy working to make an honest living entertaining. His love of music started at Chico JR High where he took up the clarinet. He moved on to the Marching band at Chico High. He loves Chico and music. His day job is working at one of the hotels in town.
Andrew Rush is excited about the opportunity to be featured at the Farmer's Market September 22nd. Plans are he will have his new CD by then.

Take the time to find him and enjoy his easy laid back picking style with quiet acoustical backup accompaniment. See you at the Thursday Night Market.

To check the legal aspects of this story, I spoke with Tim Truby of the Chico Police Special Operations Unit. According to Officer Turby, playing on private property, such as a business, is not illegal with permission and without amplification. However, it is not legal to play music in the street or public areas without a permit. Playing with amplification is also not allowed. These violations are misdemeanors. If someone is actively soliciting funds they could be charged with panhandling, again, a misdemeanor. I appreciated Officer Truby's time in answering my questions.