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Post by dlwdwdvc on Jul 30, 2024 11:43:54 GMT -5
And continuing the Camping is everywhere theme
Today July 30 , in USATODAY newspaper Section D LIFE
Picture of new Broadway Play :
“ILLINOISE” is told thru a series of vignettes , as a group of people gather around a campfire and open up about their lives .
Traveling from Chicago last year to New York closing August 10
I plan to search for future locations
Director Justin Peck quoted in article : hopes that people are open to experiencing more stories that just happen to be in language of dance .
I am probably the only person that remembers in the 1960s going to Disneyland and enjoying the Native Indians dancing in full dance ceremonial garments on a circular stage with guests seated in the circle around them.
When DCA first opened it had a section of pine trees growing that eventually focused on the Brother Bear movie where campfire stories were told …
Also the Grand Californian had a castmember arrive in front of the grand lobby fireplace nightly to tell a story to act out as a National Parks lodge guide with Backpack and canteen attached and a wooden walking stick and told Story “I’m not Afraid”
It became so popular adults would be camping out in resort lobby waiting for him ! With or without children !
You always can remember the goood times and I think Camping will become even more popular forever!
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Post by MinnieMom on Aug 3, 2024 10:30:44 GMT -5
Thank you, dlwdwdvc. I wound up doing a version of your suggestion. It's been another crazy busy, productive week. I have now started what will be the business / self-help book that tells the deeply personal story of creating Standing Pines. I'm on the 3rd working draft of that story now. When I can grab the time, I think I need another 40-60 hours to finish current draft. Because it is such a transparent story of what really happened, I have to take a few days off after rewriting a chapter. Even if I never publish this one, writing it is a deeply cathartic and meaningful personal experience. I'm sure I'll share snippets here at some point. In other book news, we are going to publish "Forest Friends: New Noises, New Neighbors?" this month (August 2024). The artwork is complete. I simply need to do the final edit/rewrite that incorporates some of the developments in the overall story since I last focused on it in April and incorporate the feedback from the advanced readers to improve it. I also wound up going a bit more personal by getting in front of the camera again for this week's Building Memories episode. Construction overall continues to go relatively well. Best guess estimate based on remaining timeline, we will be racing to the last second to soft open on October 15 as planned. Good news is I still see that as a viable date for soft open. I posted on facebook this week that we ordered the safari glamping tent and two cabins! Already, I've had inquiries when we open reservations for these. That's a great sign! I also had another thought. I'm going to try doing a few of the Building Memories shows based on some winning styles. I've got a two-part episodes scripted that loosely follows the Modern Marvels style titled Machines Making a Modern Campground. I've got another one scripted basely loosely on the HGTV show HouseHunters on selecting the property we bought as a retrospective. Now, I've got an idea for a third homage show. I'll know next week if it might work and look forward to sharing that! |
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Post by dlwdwdvc on Aug 3, 2024 14:06:23 GMT -5
Happy Saturday to you and to all of your followers.
You are the Martha Stewart of campers .She never sleeps !
This is a big event within a 2 1/2 hour drive of Hartsville S.C.( Standing Pines ) known as the Heart of Camping in my book .
Greenville , S.C. Is on track to experience the largest event ever hosted .
The event is expected to have an economic impact of over $70 million .
From March to July 2028 ,
The 2028 US Bowling Congress Open Championship will take place at the Greenville Convention Center , attracting
55,000 bowlers . This event will require 60,000 room nights from area lodging establishments
And hopefully some campers needing the night before place to rest for early early final drive into Greenville .
I thought this might be of interest . I think I cut the article from USA Today 7/31/24
If I say Martha Stewart enough , she might be interested in investing in a Campground built by a female with loving support from family and friends always !
Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart I love Martha Stewart almost as much as Minnie Mom
Hello to Martha Stewart and best friend Snoop .
Greetings to them both
Maybe after the Paris Olympics Snoop and Martha Stewart will want to “ chat “ cause they’ll be bored and need to plan to Camp to get away from crowds
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Post by MinnieMom on Aug 8, 2024 10:05:32 GMT -5
That's so awesome!!! I'll help. Martha Stewart. Martha Stewart. Martha Stewart! (can't hurt to try!) Thanks for the info on the Greenville event! I'll look for them online today and try to reach out. Always good to make connections! This week's show focused on storm safety and rolls out an improvement - adding a second (male) narrator. www.youtube.com/live/cqfb6qF-sPo?si=IjVqUsZMavRsfJwR |
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Post by dlwdwdvc on Aug 9, 2024 11:24:02 GMT -5
Martha Stewart and best friend Snoop Dog non stop fun at the Olympics
Online USA World Ambassadors rumors … or Secretary of State to represent the party everybody would vote for in upcoming elections HAHa
Just as I was wondering Why hasn’t Martha been seen at the Olympics with Snoop?
And then the Olympic Equestrian Games watching the horses perform ( everybody knows MarthaStewart loves horses ) …
and the camera shows them both together in the crowds
Both wearing the required equestrian clothing including helmet cap and designer-made ro resemble the Olympics official outfit
Go Team USA World Ambassadors Martha Stewart and Snoop !
Just award them a Gold Medal for best of show .
Standing Pines awaits your arrival as investors! And Campers
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Post by MinnieMom on Aug 13, 2024 14:00:25 GMT -5
That would be a fun camping group - Martha Stewart and Snoop! I heard somewhere that he asked her to go with him to the equestrian events due to fear of horses. I hope that's true. What a wonderful story of reaching out and supporting each other! Here's this week's update: youtube.com/live/ZA_CPAlupOw?feature=shareWe got our first contractor booking for the month of November! That inspired me to go add an update to our google account. Standing Pines Resort is thrilled to announce our early opening on October 15, 2024, just in time for the Robinson Nuclear Power Plant outage in November. We're offering contractors a premium accommodation experience at an unbeatable value. Why Choose Standing Pines? - Convenient Location: Only 17 minutes from the plant - Spacious Sites: 109 full hook-up RV sites in our peaceful country setting - Contractor-Friendly Amenities: - High-speed Wi-Fi - On-site laundry facilities - Brand new bathhouse Special Outage Offer To celebrate our opening, we're offering an exclusive rate for outage contractors: $999 for 28 nights - Less than $36 per night! Evening Meals & Breakfast Options - Hot meals available on-site in the evenings - Miriam's, just a minute away, serves an excellent full country breakfast Coming Soon While our core amenities will be ready for your arrival, some features like our custom resort pool and mini-golf course will be available from December 1. Don't miss this opportunity to stay at South Carolina's newest campground during your outage work. Book now to secure your spot and enjoy comfort, convenience, and great value at Standing Pines Resort. |
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Post by MinnieMom on Aug 14, 2024 12:30:02 GMT -5
Random comment:
I've noticed DH is much happier in the past week. We made time at lunch today to spend with each other. I brought up this happier mood. He agrees and thinks it is tied to the construction progress.
That's a great thing!
Occasionally, I've posted here when I needed to vent. So today I'm posting to mark a very positive conversation.
We still have unforeseen challenges coming up. But now, we mostly have the whole sprawling team working on the project rowing the same way. And the communication lines are open, so that when an opportunity comes up, we can get plugged into the conversation quickly.
I'm grateful. This is a positive thing!
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Post by MinnieMom on Aug 15, 2024 9:56:05 GMT -5
It is annual board meeting time! Two of our BOD arrived last night. We had fancy snacks, drinks, lots of visiting and reviewing plans for the visit. This morning is individual work time because of some prior commitments by 2 directors for other obligations. In just over an hour, we get together again for a working lunch to review the annual report. Actually, below the full agenda. This is a mix of work and fun, which works well for us as an experience based start up with long term friends as investors/BOD. The initial comments are very positive. BOD sees the progress and is very complementary of work.
Day 1 (Wednesday - Arrival Day)
Evening (around 5 PM)
- Kelly and Laura arrive
- Welcome reception with cheese, wine, and fruit
- Informal socializing, catching up, and relaxation
Day 2 (Thursday - Key Work Day)
Morning
- Free time for calls and individual work
Lunch
- Annual Board Meeting and Project Update
- Review annual report
- Comprehensive update on Standing Pines' progress
- Discussion of strategic plans and challenges
Afternoon
- Site tour of Standing Pines property
- Highlight completed areas
- Discuss ongoing construction
- Q&A session
- Content creation session
- Record testimonials for video projects
- Capture voiceovers for planned videos
- "Behind the scenes" content for social media
- Social media consultation with guru
- Focus on stakeholder involvement in social media messaging
- Strategies for Kelly and Laura's contributions to Standing Pines' online presence
Evening
- Chamber of Commerce event at refurbished local theater
- Networking with community members
- Kelly and Laura act as Standing Pines brand ambassadors
Day 3 (Friday - Mixed Play/Work Day)
Morning
- Visit to Hartsville's regional water park
- Enjoy the lazy river and other attractions
- Discuss potential partnerships or cross-promotions
Afternoon
- Local area exploration
- Tour of Hartsville and surrounding areas
- Highlight potential attractions for Standing Pines guests
Late Afternoon
- Brainstorming session
- Leverage Kelly's HR expertise for team building strategies
- Tap into Laura's marketing and product development insights
Evening
- Feedback session
- Gather impressions, suggestions, and concerns
- Discuss future remote contributions and regular check-ins
- Farewell dinner or relaxed evening at Standing Pines
Day 4 (Saturday - Departure Day)
Morning
- Campfire cookout breakfast on the grill
- Travel to local regional medical center for outreach event
- Help set up and participate in the outreach event
Noon
- Kelly and Laura depart
Note on Networking:
Informal networking with the extended team will occur organically throughout the visit, including during the site tour and various informal conversations. This approach allows for more natural interactions and relationship-building opportunities.
Flexible Activities (to be scheduled as time allows):
- Personal work time
- Additional site tours or meetings as requested
- Informal discussions and networking
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Post by MinnieMom on Aug 19, 2024 7:00:09 GMT -5
Good Monday Morning MOs!!
This year's BOD meeting was a resounding success! We laughed, we visited, we brain stormed. We reviewed achievements and refined plans. We visited community hot spots, enjoying some upscale dining and walking the charming downtown. We attended a Chamber social event as a team. We spent so much time in the field, going over the nuts & bolts of construction. We learned, with our social media consultant doing a special targeted session for how stakeholders can support social media.
And before they left, they cut about 30 video clips for me to use in marketing. That's in addition to the ~20 minutes of video clips students and staff at the local college gave me last week!
While the actual BOD meeting was 2 full business days, we did a reception the night before and another outreach event the morning after. And while my friends didn't want or expect a dog and pony show, preparing for a productive meeting still takes time. So BOD more or less took all last week for me. I spent all day yesterday working, playing catch up. I still have significant catch up today. And it was totally worth it!
If I don't happen to cover it any other way, please remind me to come back and talk about the Mom-A-Rama event on Saturday. The local hospital took the lead on creating a new event for moms. It was fantastic! I took supplies for ~150 people and was out of everything in the first 90 minutes. This is exactly my primary target demographic - - families with young kids. So this is the type of event that is a good match for Standing Pines. Good to know for further/future outreach.
It's almost 8, gotta run. Be back soon with other updates!
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Post by MinnieMom on Aug 21, 2024 16:12:43 GMT -5
One valuable piece of feedback from BOD was to change the pinned post on Facebook and to include opening dates in every thing now. Message received and implemented! Here's the new pinned facebook post.  |
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Post by MinnieMom on Aug 21, 2024 16:16:47 GMT -5
And here's a new piece I created for posting at different small businesses around town.  We did the annual update on the vision, mission and values. I really like these changes.  And here's the thumbnail for this week's video. It's longer than recently at 20something minutes because we are rolling out a brand new concept: Wildly Comfortable Camping  And here's the link to that video: www.youtube.com/live/DPeYizTTY8k?si=hb42bCL_VScljZ8GDH and I continue doing at least two site tours a day plus the work he does every day in the field. Today, we spent time with GC in the field. Finger's crossed; we seem to have a decent plan for everything to come together here in the home stretch of construction. Exciting! |
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Post by MinnieMom on Aug 30, 2024 11:28:23 GMT -5
Happy Friday before Labor Day weekend! Here locally, it's Darlington Race Weekend. And there are a lot of extra people around. Next year, here's hoping a specific niche of that crowd is enjoying their first fantastic stay at Standing Pines!
Since I posted on last Wednesday, we have had a lot happen.
Positives
Sub contractor is making quick work of grading. It really is amazing to watch - they have the large, modern, GPS equipped systems that automate some of the process. They go so fast!
The Oasis Showers are coming along. Concrete is poured for their floors and earlier today, the back patio for the Welcome Center was poured.
Great, highly productive meeting with social media consultant. Lots of new marketing coming for Standing Pines!
The production process for building 115 picnic table is well underway. I suspect we will start showing the first finished tables sometime next week.
Challenges
The permit for the pool is now over 10 months since application. That's really bad. I've spent a lot of time the past two weeks working this. Hopefully I'll have a good update soon.
The pond liner is also a timeline issue. I need that vendor to step up a bit and have communicated that expectation.
Fun stuff
It's time to start ordering some of the fun stuff! By this time next week, I will have ordered:
-Fire rings for campsites
-Gem mining sluice
-Initial merch for gem mining and some colorful candy
-Branded merch (tees/cups) for Standing Pines and Forest Friends
-Books
And I think much more, but I'd have to check my project list as these are top of mind.
This week's video went up on Tuesday, few hours later than usual. Lots of stuff happening this week!
I'm exciting about next week's video show. I'm using AI to streamline some elements of content creation. It will be very interesting to see the reaction to that.
Happy holiday weekend everyone!
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Post by MinnieMom on Sept 2, 2024 16:24:24 GMT -5
Happy Labor Day!
Do you remember when I first shared my crazy dream of building a campground, about 2.5 years ago now? Well, after uncounted updates, triumphs, and challenges, I'm thrilled to give you a sneak peek at what Standing Pines is becoming!
This Labor Day weekend, we hit pause on construction to host some friends and experience a slice of the Standing Pines magic we're creating. I couldn't wait to share it with you all!
🎬 Check out this 2-minute video of our "test run":
From cozy mornings at the RV to splashing at Neptune Island water park, to starlit evenings around the campfire, it felt surreal to not only see but also personally experience our vision coming to life!
Some Disney-inspired touches you might spot:
🍦 Ice cream window service (hello, Storybook Treats vibes!)
🐾 Treats for four-legged friends (because every pup deserves a Pluto-perfect vacation)
👨👩👧👦 Family-centric experiences (channeling that Walt spirit)
We're now just weeks away from our soft opening on October 15, 2024! Construction will still be going at soft open, but we'll be welcoming our first guests to help us fine-tune the experience. Our grand opening, with even more amenities, is set for December 1, 2024.
I can't thank you all enough for your support, advice, and encouragement throughout this journey. Your encouragement, suggestions and cheerleading has been invaluable in shaping Standing Pines into a place where families can truly discover memories together.
Who's ready to add a stop to their next drive to Disney World to join us for some wildly comfortable camping? 🏕️✨
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Post by MinnieMom on Sept 4, 2024 8:10:52 GMT -5
Wow - 42 days to go till soft open.
It's going to be a nail biter.
Contractor asked about timing for tests for potable water system; I discussed with engineer this morning. We have to have the water system complete by Sep 23 to meet the test timelines to open Oct 15.
Nervous? Me? Oh yeah - super nervous! This was supposed to go in last month; it's not yet started.
The contractor on site can do this. It's going to be a photo finish though.
Stay tuned. I'll try to do another update with photos later this week.
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Post by Brian5581 on Sept 8, 2024 15:51:54 GMT -5
Amazing progress, Amy! Still waiting to hear when we start whittling down the contestants for Bachelor Brian…
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