little decisions

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Hello and welcome to little decisions interviews! I have something very special for you today! 

I met Sandy Bird one bright and beautiful morning recently  at Lucky Dog Agility, a dog sports training facility off Arnoldsville Rd in Winterville, Ga! She was accompanied by her training dog and companion, Asta. Asta is a Pyrenean sheepdog. She looks like a typical sheepdog: grey, long haired with short but not stubby legs. I basically walked right in and immediately began asking questions of Sandra(and petting Asta of course)! Wikipedia divides dog sports into the following sports groups: QUOTE “herding, obedience, protection, pulling, racing, tracking & hunting, or water sports.”END QUOTE Dog sports are a way to build confidence in both handler and dog, as well as team work and communication. 

Agility is a niche sport all on it’s own, it’s a speed sport. So what is agility exactly?  According to Wikipedia, quote“Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles. The handler's controls are limited to voice, movement, and various body signals, requiring exceptional training of the animal and coordination of the handler.” end quote

And what about the course the dog runs for agility? Continuing from Wikipedia,quote “An agility course consists of a set of standard obstacles laid out by a judge in a design of his or her own choosing in an area of a specified size. The surface may be of grass, dirt, rubber, or special matting. Depending on the type of competition, the obstacles may be marked with numbers indicating the order in which they must be completed.

Courses are complicated enough that a dog could not complete them correctly without human direction. In competition, the handler must assess the course, decide on handling strategies, and direct the dog through the course, with precision and speed equally important. Many strategies exist to compensate for the inherent difference in human and dog speeds and the strengths and weaknesses of the various dogs and handlers.”end quote

Agility is best trained through positive reinforcement, through methods like shaping which is when a handler must patiently wait for the dog to perform a certain task and will then immediately reward the behavior. Thus trying to shape the way the animal behaves! 

Sandra has a passion for dogs and dogs sports that is quietly contagious. Being semi-retired, she now has the opportunity to take classes as well as teach them! 

Lucky dog agility is the embodiment of kindness in practice! The use of positive reinforcement for training gets the dogs and handlers excited about doing agility! Such exercises build better connections between the dog and it’s owner and all of these things create a community of kindness around dog sports!!! Please enjoy my interview with owner and operator of Lucky Dog Agility in Winterville, Sandra Bird. 

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In the ninth episode of the little decisions podcast, I, Victoria Cooper, talk about the power of listening well! . For those new to little decisions, this is a nostalgia-infused podcast focused on kindness, connection and community. I talk about these ideas through stories from the people of Athens and Winterville, Ga. This episode is titled: listen well; listening is an integral part of being kind and I believe it’s something we all struggle with. Stay tuned as I discuss kindness and learning to listen well. But Up first: housekeeping! 

Today’s housekeeping is going to be a little different! Instead of talking about the blog or youtube channel, I want to talk about the podcast so far. But I want to do that through gratitude! I am so grateful for the over 400 downloads across all platforms including Apple Podcasts and Youtube! I want to thank you for ALL the Instagram, TikTok, Facebook adds, likes, etc etc etc. You put the social in social media for sure! I am so grateful for the over 20 regular listeners I have that keep coming back every week to listen to me talk about kindness. That is really something special, and you are someone special.  If you would like to provide me feedback on my social media, episode content or anything else kindness related, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on any social media platform, @littledecisionspodcast. And that’s housekeeping. 

For this week’s words matter, I want to talk about what I mean by listen well through the  Julian Treasure’s TED talk from 2001 titled “5 ways to listen better“.

For listen up, I want to thank the following the following three influencers for their help in spreading kindness:
1st: The Art of Kindness podcast, https://theartofkindness.buzzsprout.com/ 
2nd: Poppin' Culture Podcast, https://poppinculturepodcast.com/
3rd: Erin  Whittaker-Autry of Statham,  @eringlitterunicorn on Instagram. 

For a different perspective, I make the case that spiders are actually kind. 

For Calendar, I finish explaining BeKind2HumanKind week (BK2HK) https://bk2hk.org/ 

For Kindness in Practice, I speak with Kera Felton, CEO of Kera Does It Write PR firm. kdiw.net 

Remember, you can always offer feedback to me about episode content or anything kindness related by reaching out on social media @littledecisionspodcast. 

There will be no regular episode next Thursday, only an interview! The podcast will be back Thursday, September 9th with both a new episode and new interview! 

Pineapple with Care! 

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For little decisions interview #6, Victoria sits down with her first Marigold Market vendor! 

Deijhon Yearby aka Cozy is the owner and operator of Cozy Bear Market Garden in Nicholson & host of Cozybear Farms podcast! As a solo farmer of a quarter acre of land, this is Cozy’s 2nd year as a vendor at the Marigold Market. On my first Saturday visiting the market, Cozy was incredibly welcoming and kind, he even offered to be one of my first interviews. Cozy uses his podcast, Cozybear Farms,  to help small scale farmers and gardeners to become more independent by learning some tips and tricks Cozy has acquired in his over 10 years of farming. 

Cozy is an independent minded, spirited entrepreneur. Cozy Bear Market Garden is Naturally grown which means he uses no synthetic conventional chemicals. Our interview at Pittard Park started with us talking shop about farm life as a solo farmer. 
Our Conversation quickly turned to DC VS Marvel, comic books and super heros! I’ll spare you the over 30 minutes of discussion and offer some highlights! 

As our conversation got around to the experience of going to the movies, an experience we all miss, Cozy shared an endearing story about friendship and kindness. Let’s listen to the story of the date that wasn’t a date. 

Here’s the rest of my interview with marigold market vendor Cozy of Cozy Bear Market Farms. Enjoy! 

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           For episode 8: hold on loosely, Victoria both pays tribute to the 1981 classic song by 38 special with the same name and talks about how control and kindness intersect. The episode begins with some light housekeeping. Blog updates include a new series called Simple Acts of Kindness! Victoria then discusses her plans for the Marigold Market vendor interviews. Launching alongside this episode is the first interview from that series with Diejhon Yearby aka Cozy of Cozy Bear Market Garden and Cozy Bear Farms podcast. Victoria can’t stop talking about her red manual typewriter either! 

                For the metaphorically segment, Victoria talks about what she means by control, synonyms for it and how control can sometimes be a kindness, idealistically. For the question of the week, Victoria shares feedback from several market attendees including Max & Laura, podcast superfans! Victoria then offers a special report on the naming of the firefly trail. The full story may surprise you!

                Then for market conversations, Victoria offers several quality conversations including one from repeat guest, Becky. A special calendar report on Be kind 2 Human Kind week, which begins Wednesday, is started. Willing to lend a hand Wednesday and Thoughtful Thursday are discussed in the episode with the promise of the rest saved for the next.  

                For this week’s kindness in practice, I interviewed incoming community forester, Lea Clark of Winterville. I met Lea at the Marigold Market one recent Saturday and was so excited to sit down and talk trees with her! 

    As of September 1st, Lea will be full time at the Georgia Forestry Commission as the Community Forester for Northeast Georgia. According to the Georgia Forestry Commission website,  “Community Foresters provide technical assistance to cities, counties, elementary schools, college campuses, homeowners and nonprofit organizations through the Sustainable Community Forestry Program (SCFP).” This is the culmination of years of hard work on Lea’s part.  She has been working on the county's tree inventory since Feb 2020, and last year for the Ga Forestry Commission she performed regional-level approvals for the Tree City USA and Tree Campus USA programs. Lea also chairs the Winterville Tree Commission, is on the Athens Tree Council, the Board of Directors for the Ga Tree Council, and for the Lyndon House Arts Foundation; all voluntary positions. Lea’s enthusiasm for trees and life is at the forefront of everything she does! 

                Victoria ends episode 8 of the little decisions podcast with thank you for the feedback she has received so far and for calls for more! Free stickers were promised in return for constructive feedback! Pineapple with Care!
Potpourri

https://cityofwinterville.com/tree-commission/

https://www.calmsage.com/importance-of-kindness/

https://www.traillink.com/trail/firefly-trail/ 

 https://nationaldaycalendar.com/be-kind-to-humankind-week-last-week-in-august/

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Edward smile Rodriquez drives a big, yellow van with his smiling picture on the driver’s side! He is “America’s Happiness Ambassador”

I “met” Eddy online in a Facebook group where he was discussing his plans to start a podcast of his own about his “ 10 million smiles Happiness Tour” where “your smile is your contribution to a better world”. I took a chance and asked Eddy if he would interview, he graciously agreed! 

          I didn’t know much about Edward’s story when I initially asked him to interview with the podcast, so when his website informed me that he had the same type of cancer that took my Dad almost 15 years ago, I knew it was serendipitous. Edward says through his website “I saw fighting cancer as a negative, so decided to dance with it instead.”

          “Spreading smiles, being positive and living a life of joy are some of my things”. Edward continues online, “I have no idea where this adventure will take me, how it will be funded or what is going to happen.” “I lost a child, my business, my home, got divorced and almost lost my life. I know firsthand how much difference a smile, laughter and a few words of encouragement made in my life and that I will make in the lives of others.”

    I caught up with Eddy while he is visiting the Adirondacks, in the notheastern part of NY state. We started our conversation by discussing the power behind Eddy’s story. 

          Then our conversation transitioned to talking about his 10 million smiles tour, a tour 5 years in the making. Our interview continued from there. Here is the rest of my interview with America’s Happiness Ambassador himself, Eddy Rodriquez.  

Questions Asked:
1.      Can you tell the audience your name and where you’re at right now. (in terms of state you live in) 

2.      Could you explain your “10 million smiles happiness tour” and where you’re at with it right now? 

3. What made you decide to do this tour? 

4. You explain your experience with cancer as a dance. Can you explain that further?

5. How has the pandemic and masks impacted your work with smiles. How have you tried to solve any issues that may come up from this? 

6.  Do you consider yourself a kind person?

7. What’s your biggest dream(s) in life? (Mine is for social media to be kinder)

5.      How long has this been a dream of yours? 

6.      Has anyone in your life helped you get closer to achieving this dream besides yourself? 

7.      How can I help you get a little closer to that dream? (think little decisions, action items)

8.      How do you think we can be kinder on social media? 

9.      What do you think a podcast about kindness or anything similar  can really do? (honestly)

10.    What are you here to promote and how can someone out there wanting to reach out to you best do so?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmileAndWaveAmerica 
Call: 561-506-4607 
Twitter: @SmileAndWaveAmerica 
Email: [email protected] 
Web: http://www.TheSmileAndWaveProject.com

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In episode 7, dream a little dream, Victoria talks about kindness and living out your dreams! Segments include: Housekeeping, Words Matter, Dream a little Dream movie review, Question of the Week, Colors of Kindness & Kindness in Practice. Gina Helms of Denver, CO is the guest interviewed in Kindness in Practice! 
Potpourri:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097236/trivia

https://www.fast-rewind.com/dreamalittle.htm

nikitakazakov.com 

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Victoria began her interview hours before she really asked any questions! It started with a workout as part of the ladies self-care routine. Practice what you preach. There will be hilarious video of this available on Youtube in the coming days! 

After sweating and taking care of some Marigold market business, Victoria sits down with market manager and all around kind person Sherrie Anderson to talk shop. 

Below are some of the questions Victoria and Sherrie discussed at length in this fun and funny interview! 

1.         I know the amazingly kind person you are, but the audience doesn’t yet. Can you please tell them your name and how we know each other?

2.         What are three key things someone should know about you?

3.         What gets you out of bed in the morning? 

4.         Could you describe Winterville to someone who has never been here before? 

5.         What do you see as your most important responsibilities to the Marigold Market? 

6.         How has your involvement with the Marigold market and Winterville changed you?

7.         What’s you vision for the future of the Marigold Market?

8.         What can someone out there wanting to help do to move you closer to that vision? 

9.         How do you think we can make social media kinder?

10.       You decide to literally kill someone with kindness. How do you do it?

11.       What is your favorite random act of kindness?

12.       How do you make your home full of kindness today? 

13.       Being kind to yourself is just as important as being kind to others. How are you kind to yourself these days?

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Episode Summary:

In episode 6, Victoria discusses the powerful act of assuming the best about everyone, including ourselves. Victoria begins the episode with some light housekeeping. There is lots going on with the little decisions podcast including:

      Music and better sound effects for THIS episode!

     More blog posts including one with an update on Chandler Park and another called “Rabbit Hole”. 

     War room diaries has entered double digits in number of episodes and Victoria is getting more comfortable in front of the camera! 

     Victoria begs you to tell 3 others about this podcast (recommend this episode too please) and encourages you to rate and review this podcast in Apple podcasts! 

Victoria then moves on to a new segment called Metaphorically. This is a more poetic approach to the idea of being your best and is set to some appropriately reflective music. 

Victoria then moves on to some fun quotes which are from songs that include the word best and were released between the 1970s-1990s. 

Victoria then presents some fun audio in market diaries. She shows the world she is not above recording a toddler telling her no. 

After that behind the scenes market adventure, Victoria goes to calendar and local news! 

     National bargain hunting week- 2nd week in august

    National be kind to humankind week- last week in august

     Winterville center for community & culture has new classes coming

   Other misc local events including Twilight(8/20-8/21) and Brewfest (8/28)

Victoria then tests you memory in a light hearted segment called do you member: pez dispensers. After having discovered there is a reason for the shape of the pez dispenser and how to load the candy that most people don’t know about. She leaves the audience hanging by suggesting they go to the little decisions Youtube channel to see how you’re supposed to load that contraption. 

Victoria shares a kind story because kindness is what it’s all about. 

Victoria then discusses the question of the week and more specifically, how she picked the questions this week. She spends more time on that than the actual results. 

Victoria then extends her thanks with a not-so-subtle reminder to tell three friends about this podcast because a promise is a promise. 

Potpourri (links, rando rabbit holes)

https://us.pez.com/pages/history  has a cool timeline of events

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNN-PC2BJmo 

https://cityofwinterville.com/chandler-park/ 

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Welcome

Housekeeping

    If you are now impressed with the growing popularity of this show and want to consider being a guest on the podcast, please go to littledecisionspodcast.com and click “Contact us” to reach out! Or, simply email us directly at: [email protected]! 

Question of the Week

-          True or False 1. An apology is an opportunity to be your best self when 

you weren’t before. 

                Results: 30 say true, 1 says false

-          True or False 2. An apology should 

focus on the offending behaviors, 

not the other person’s response.

                Results: 27 say true, 4 say false

-          True or False 3. There are rules to apologizing.

Results: 17 say true & 14 say false

Main Segment: Learn to apologize

Here are the 9 essential ingredients of a true apology according to Dr. Lerner. 

1.       Does not include the word “but”.

2.       Keeps the focus on your actions and not on the other person’s response. 

3.       Includes an offer of reparation or restitution that fits the situation. 

4.       Does not over do. 

5.       Doesn’t get caught up in who’s more to blame or who started it. 

6.       Requires that you do your best to avoid a repeat performance. 

7.       Should not serve to silence. 

8.       Shouldn’t be offered to make you feel better if it risks making the hurt party feel worse. 

9.       Does not ask the hurt party to do anything, not even to forgive.  

Do you remember?

                What is the Olympics you remember? At the market this weekend, I was part of a conversation about the Olympics!

Random acts of kindness

-          Over 500 pineapples, that’s amazing Caleb! 

Whatcha Doin?

                Whatcha doin is a segment inspired by the thousands upon thousands of times I’ve asked my sister Elizabeth: whatcha doin?

Links/References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Summer_Olympics

https://parkpredators.com/

https://brenebrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/quotecard_instagram-bold-1-scaled.jpg

https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=E211US714G0&p=1996+olympics

https://www.amazon.com/Anxious-People-Novel-Fredrik-Backman/dp/1501160842/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

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