03
Jan 15
by Maryclaire Mayes

View From My Window – January 2015

Triger in snow

I had a lot of opportunity to take pictures of the last snowstorm we had. While it was all very beautiful for those of us who watch it, it was a 72 hour work day for those whose job it is to remove it. Our son, Hal and his partner Duke at Terra Mira Property management worked through the nights and days until the snow stopped so they could make sure all the properties they manage were cleared of snow and safe. While their guys worked in shifts, Hal & Duke worked through the storm with a few hours here and there for short cat naps. They are hard workers with a strong work ethic, I’m very proud of them both.  Oh and the picture is by Hal’s wife, who also works at Terra Mirra, and manages their Facebook page. She has a good eye for photography.

07
Dec 14
by Maryclaire Mayes

View From My Window – December 2014

Dean-Clara1

After 35 years of marriage my husband Dean, still amazes me. Two years ago our son Hal who had become an integral part of our business, had second thoughts of working in the skincare business for the rest of his life.  Even though it would mean major changes in Dean’s workload, he only wanted what our son wanted. He happily worked together with our son to create a smooth exit plan.  Hal  is now growing his own property management business (Terra Mira Property Management ) with his wife and his childhood best friend.

I’m not very mechanically inclined and our growth had made it necessary to bring in some machines for labeling and filling. Yes, I used to do this all by hand. So now Dean not only is managing inventory he also does areas of production that I can’t do on my own.  Our latest sale was bringing in more orders than I could possibly handle over the Thanksgiving weekend.  Dean helped pack orders when I was behind and got up early on Monday and packed a good portion of the orders before he went off to work. Yes, he still has a demanding consulting job other than Alabu.  He is so hard working.  He thanks me for putting up with him because he is so driven to accomplishment. But there would be no Alabu without him. I say thank you Dean, for always looking for ways to make my life easier and making my dreams come true.


26
Oct 14
by Maryclaire Mayes

View From My Window – November 2014

bu

When Dean came home the other afternoon he wondered where our cat Bu was. I had a very busy day and when I stopped to think about it I realized I had not seen her all day. She is a social cat who usually likes to pester me when I am working on the computer in the morning and always sits with Dean in the evening. She is usually seen around the house in various places throughout the day.

Dean and I both started searching, but Bu was not in any of her favorite spots. We searched under the furniture, in my sewing room and even in the basement where she is not allowed. I recruited our dog Chia in the search and she was eager to help, but we were no further ahead in finding Bu. Our son and his wife even searched high and low with no better luck in finding our cat. We finally concluded she must have escaped in the  darkness when Dean left the house that morning.

We were very concerned for her as she never ventures outside and it was a cold windy day. That night I posted a lost pet alert on Home again webpage ( a pet micro chip company). Later as I was walking past the basement door I flipped on the light and looked down. There was Bu sitting lazily at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for someone to let her up. We couldn’t believe she was down there, it was searched no less than 8 times by 4 different people and a dog. I guess when a cat doesn’t want to be found they won’t be, but we are vey happy she decided to grace us with her presence again.


25
Oct 14
by Maryclaire Mayes

My Very Special Blankie

my very special blankie

As some of you may know our first grand daughter Faith was born with serious heart defects and Down syndrome. She has been through two open heart surgeries and many health issues. Faith is always the strong one through all her trials giving us strength and love.

My Very Special Blankie is written by her other grandmother “Memere”. It is an endearing story of how a grand mother uses a colorful crocheted blanket that she made for her to tell  bedtime stories to the delight of her grand daughter.

Proceeds will go into an account for Faith.


05
Oct 14
by Maryclaire Mayes

5 Fall Skin Care Tips

5 Fall Skin Care Tips

1. Choose gentle cleansers that don’t strip your skin of natural oils.

2. Pick “Fragrance Free” if you have sensitive skin. “Unscented” could mean it has small amounts of fragrance to mask the odors of ingredients. (all of Alabu’s unscented products are fragrance free)

3. Skip toners, if you are using a gentle cleanser you don’t need them and they dry out your skin.

4. Moisturize after you cleanse. Plant-based moisturizers that include natural oils, and essential fatty acids penetrate skin better and contain beneficial nutrients for your skin.

5. Hydrate; make sure you are drinking enough water. We tend not to get as thirsty in the fall & winter but our body still needs it.