heartbeat connection magazine

Cute DogsSweet GuysBest FriendsHolding HandsFacebook FriendsKids Parties

HIDDEN BEAUTY Corkscrew Swamp

Sanctuary: you can't help but fall in love!

LOVING QUOTES Change your thoughts,

when you read these inspirational,

loving quotes!

Top 20 Websites What makes a

website a Favorite?

ConnectionConnection

Mission:To discover the Heartbeat of Companies and how

their hearts connect with the world.

HEARTBEAT CONNECTION FEBRUARY 20111

Best Friends -Elizabeth, Hayle, MacKenzie

www.melindanagyphotography.com

Top 10 HeartBeat Connection StoriesCute Dogs, Sweet Guys, Best Friends, Holding Hands, Facebook Friends, Kids Parties, and Happy Valentines.

Cheryl Flothe'sFavorite!

What makesA website a Favorite?

Change your ThoughtsRead these inspirational loving quotes!

Corkscrew Swamp SanctuaryYou can't help but fall in love.

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Contribute to our Heartbeat Connection Magazine. Contact - Nicole Flothe

email - [email protected]

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June Edwards, Andrew Delong, Gary Ervin, Cheryl Flothe

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Online we offer companies the ability to complete our questionnaire at www.Heartbeatconnection.com to provide their explanation on how they are touching the hearts of the world. Several exclusive company reviews have been posted to our Blog.

A YEAR of HEARTSHeartbeatconnection.com's Featured Photographer, Melinda Nagy Otero, has a 365 day commitment to posting Heart pictures on her blog. We will have the opportunity of viewing the photo's on the website. Each photo has a description of what the Heart moment was all about.

HEARTS 365Day 1 - A Book for the Heart

OnlineAlways adding.

RESOURCESMOST WANTED:Websites, Online Magazines, Love Quotes, Events, and Books with a Heartbeat.

Heartbeatconnection.com

Editor NICOLE FLOTHEPhotographer MELINDA NAGY OTEROPhotographer JENNY PLOCINSKIArt Director SUZANNE ERVINManaging Editor CHERYL FLOTHE

CONNECT WWW.TWITTER.COM/TRACKTHETIMEFACEBOOK HEARTBEAT CONNECTIONhttp://on.fb.me/HeartbeatConnection

letter from the editor


letter from the editor

hile we worked on this issue the

most important day of the year

is officially here! Valentines Day

comes so that we can wish

those we love and care about

happy loving thoughts. As

research has showed a Loving

Family is the key to a stable

life.

So many people wonder how

they can be significant to the

world. I believe that when you

take the moments in life to

review what makes your

Heartbeat connect with others

you find the answer. Heartbeat

Connection has been created

for this Review to begin taking

place and continue throughout

the world. The Top 10 stories

are a way to share the

beginning of our Love Stories.

Our Sweet Treats has a special

place in my heart as it always

brightens a child's day to have

some comfort food around.

One cookie is as good as a

bandaid!

W

FAMILYFlothes in Naples Photographed by Melinda Nagy Photography

about. Loving Quotes can really change my mood

so I really enjoy being able to share these gems.

Last, but not least, the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

provides another look at natural beauty and how

special taking time to be with Mother Nature truly is.

The Top 20 Websites are significant as

they will highlight what Heartbeats are all

With love, Nicole Flothe


how I met you

Heartbeat Connection Stories about cute dogs, sweet guys, best friends and more. Straight from the heart!

he Adventure of Oscar the Dog and the Edwards Family

On January 10th 2010 a close friend of the family asked me to take care of her little dog named

Jackson for a couple of days while she went on a cruise with her family. I was not elated about the idea at first, because we did not allow dogs in our home also my husband was afraid of dogs.

My friend and I had become best friends so I felt I could not disappoint her. I decided that to honor my friendship with her and help my husband to alleviate his fear of dogs at the same time.While Jackson was at our home, I began to notice how our two children, Tamara and Hezron had taken on the responsibility of caring for, feeding, loving and playing with the dog. I sensed the calmness that it brought to our household. I found myself becoming increasingly fond of Jackson.

Some months prior to this event, Mrs. Ritter another family friend, invited my family and I to her home for a visit. She owned the most adorable dog one could ever dream of acquiring. I could remember saying to myself that if I ever were to purchase a dog, it would be that kind of breed. It was a dachshund. About three months later on a Sunday afternoon, we were scheduled to attend Faith Evangelism. This was a special program

T planned twice per year by our church, where members of the church would go door-to-door talking to people who had previously visited our church. We approached the front door of one of our prospects and knocked on the door. As the gentleman came to the door he was accompanied by this little dog. Its little head was protruding through the half opened door and it was barking loudly. Sure enough, it was a dog of the same breed and the same color as the dog I had imagined would be mine some day. I patted him on the back and I fell in love with him. We had an immediate bonding moment. I asked the owner what his name was. She exclaimed, “Kyle, and he is for sale!" I burst into joy and could barely contain my emotion. “How much are you charging for him?” I asked, even before consulting my husband. “$150.00,” she replied. I accepted her offer without wavering or reconsidering.

When I arrived at home, I conveyed the joyful news to my family. Emotions were hurled at me. My son was elated, my daughter was concerned about the financial commitment, and my husband’s fear of dogs suddenly escalated to greater heights. “Who would take care of the dog?”my husband uttered. I was on the playing field being tossed to and fro, wondering if I was making the right decision and trying to compromise to please everyone. I was under the conviction that the dog would help create a little happiness in times of stress.

how I met you


The following day our son’s anxiousness got the better of him and I was told to pick up the dog the following day. Our new pet was now home! Now came the dreaded moment of naming him. Suddenly our daughter vocalized that Kyle was not an appropriate name for the dog. We debated over some suggested names, but finally settled on the name “Oscar,” which was our daughter's choice. She chose this name after “Oscar Meyer Hotdog.” That settled it for me.

Now Oscar Meyer Edwards became the newest addition to the family. Whenever we write birthday or greeting cards to friends and family, his name is always included. Many other decisions had to be made. Our son decided that Oscar needed a jacket for the colder weather, a grooming brush, a bed, a leash, bath soap, a towel and toothpaste for proper hygiene. I could not argue with that!

I had no experience in training dogs so I once again confided in my close friend, Nicole. She taught me a few essentials to create a happy environment and a well balanced life for Oscar. He began immediately to respond to words like: come, sit, go to bed, etc. This made us so much more appreciative of the quotation, “A dog is a man’s best friend." This began to take on a new meaning in our lives.

We were rather intrigued by how responsive and well adapted Oscar had become in such a short space of time. We marveled at the new experiences every day.

During the course of time, our relationship with him grew stronger and our love for him grew deeper.

My husband had learned to overcome his phobia of dogs; we became increasingly conscious of the additional responsibilities to the family and the commitment it took to care for our new dog. We hope he understands us because he responds to our every command. It is always a joy to arrive home from work and be greeted by him with such excitement. I can now safely say that the benefits outweigh the cost.

June Edwards www.alphaaps.com

how I met youHEARTBEAT STORIES

weet GuysHow I met my sweet guy is a story my children enjoy hearing at bedtime. Back in high school I found my Sweet Guy. We spent a lot of time becoming good friends. One day we

were in Dairy Queen and one of our friends asked, "Are you dating?" We looked at each other and realized that's exactly where our relationship was headed. From that day on we were together. We have been married for 15 years now and have three beautiful children with many stories to share. We lived in Alaska for the first part of our history as a couple, then moved off to college together. Florida Sunshine is were we landed. We went back to Alaska to get married, bought our first home in Florida, and have been here ever since.

My Sweet Guy is such a doll. He takes the dog for a walk, he kisses the kids and gives them love, and he treats me with kindness and support. He is my Heartbeat Connection!

Nicole Flothe

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rue Love

There is nothing that can satisfy the deeper longings of your soul the way that TRUE LOVE can. However, there is just one small catch with this scenario. Even though some of us may have found LOVE in this life, there is still something that has not been met.

No matter how perfect you think your mate may be...your mate is still not perfect like God is, since the Bible tells us that all men and all women have sinned and have fallen way short of the glory of our God. What this means is that no matter how good of a love relationship you may have with your mate, that person is still not capable of giving you a TRUE LOVE.

Thus every single one of us still has that little hole in our soul that just cannot seem to be filled with anything else in our lives. No matter how much money we have, no matter how many material possessions we have, no matter how many loving children we have… there is still something missing and none of these things can completely fill that little hole that is in all of our souls.

God purposely left a hole and a void in each one of our souls when He created us. And the only thing that can fill this hole and void is God the Father Himself, His Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.

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There is absolutely nothing else on this earth that can fill that void. People are literally chasing the wind trying to find anything and everything to fill that void… no matter how many marriages they enter into, no matter how many toys they buy with the money they have... nothing they chase after in this life will fill that hole in their souls.

The only thing that will fill that void and hole in your soul is finding and then entering into a personal love relationship with God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. There is nothing else that will fill that void!

Since God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are perfect in Their actual natures and have no dark side to Their personalities, then They, and only They, are the only Ones who are capable of giving you TRUE LOVE.

-Pastor Andrew Delong www.tlcnaples.org

Friends

Nowadays people make friends on Facebook, at Kids' birthday parties, in classes, and sometimes through a friend-of-a-friend.

Each friend can be meaningful and sweet in their special way. We all have something to offer and I believe Friendship is the key to many peoples' hearts!

Have you ever made a friend by accident? I once was at an event and saw the staff getting slammed with purchases and thought I'd offer to help out. From that moment on my friend, Melissa, has been dear to my heart.

iMac Photo FunFriends Beth Gatrell & Nicole Flothe snap a memory!

J


Holding Hands

A few years ago, I was in the ICU hospital and my family was gathered around me. Our family has a strong faith and my wife and children wouldn't accept the doctors opinion that I only had a 5% chance to live an hour and half. My wife Suzanne and three adult children, Erin, Hunter and Nicole were at my bedside for 14+ hours per day for all 30 days while I was in a coma. They prayed and held my hands day after day, hour after hour. My wife would be on one side of the bed and one of our children would be on the other holding my hands. They were standing in the gap and The Touch of their love, comfort and LIFE was not lost on me.

I am not sure how you could get any closer to death without dying than I was. Yet today I can still feel The Touch and love of my wife and children through my hands during the 30 days I was on life support.

acksonGetting a dog for the family is a big decision and I can verify a great experience for the whole family. We had lost our dog a year earlier to a bigger dog biting him. He had been part of our family for 5 years and so it took us a while to think we were ready

to have another dog.

We went to the Pound and found some nice looking dogs, but it was closing time and we decided to check out our local mall for a puppy. When we went to the mall our son picked out our family dog. My son wanted to give the dog a name similar to his and he liked Jacksonville, so we settled on naming him Jackson.

The most amazing thing happened. Our previous dog had died from being bit by a dog that was in our neighbor's yard. I felt it would be a good thing to introduce Jackson to them upfront so they would know him. We didn't know their last name and were amazed to find Jackson was their last name.

Nicole Flothe

J

It has been documented that when a body goes into trauma and certain senses shut down the remaining senses will increase in intensity. Also it has been shown that by holding the hands of a sick or critically ill person, the physical body signs improve... heart rate slows, pulse improves, and sweating reduces.

Once a person receives The Touch, their body will start healing and calming, thus being able to better cope with whatever the situation might be. If you think about it, we humans have used hand holding all our lives to help calm a child, provide strength to others, and show love.

In my case, The Touch to my hands was elevated to healing proportions. I believe The Touch will stay with me the rest of my life. I can assure anyone that I felt The Touch of love and comfort through holding hands in my darkest hour.

Gary Ervin www.gde91.com

www.donnasharam.com The kids have fun at the parties and I enjoy a little social time out of the house as I work from home. My daughter attended her first Preschool birthday party and that is where I met Jenny, who has become such a sweet friend.

It's fun to have kids parties and we just had one. The house was full of children running around and playing games. Parents were mingling and I'll have to say, "I love a great party!"

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentines Day! Every year the special day comes for us to celebrate our loved ones and the sweet place they hold in our Heart!

May this Year bring Joy, Love, and Happiness to you and your family.

Secretariat

My family and I just finished watching the movie and the story was amazing. Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in twenty-five years, setting new race records in two of the three events that still stand today.

The horse was a large chestnut colt and was given the nickname "Big Red." Eddie Sweat was his groom and Eddie said that Secretariat was his best friend. In the show he was shown to sleep out in the stables right beside the stall.

In the fall of 1989, Secretariat died. Upon his death they found he had a significantly larger heart than normal horses. Amazing what one can do with a Big Heart!


acebook FriendsI was enjoying Facebook and seeing who my friends of friends were and found this unique artist named Donna Sharam from Australia. I friend

requested her as I thought she had some amazing art work and it would be interesting to connect.

I also have an Australian blog that I created, so we got to chatting and I did a blog post about our friendship. Facebook is an amazing way to connect with people around the world.

I believe if you are connecting from your heart you will find the people that can fill it.

Kids Parties

As a parent I have taken my kids to many birthday parties and not known the kids or the parents until I pulled up in the driveway and introduced myself. I have enjoyed meeting my children's friends and their parents.

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www.donnasharam.com The kids have fun at the parties and I enjoy a little social time out of the house as I work from home. My daughter attended her first Preschool birthday party and that is where I met Jenny, who has become such a sweet friend.

It's fun to have kids parties and we just had one. The house was full of children running around and playing games. Parents were mingling and I'll have to say, "I love a great party!"

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentines Day! Every year the special day comes for us to celebrate our loved ones and the sweet place they hold in our Heart!

May this Year bring Joy, Love, and Happiness to you and your family.

Secretariat

My family and I just finished watching the movie and the story was amazing. Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in twenty-five years, setting new race records in two of the three events that still stand today.

The horse was a large chestnut colt and was given the nickname "Big Red." Eddie Sweat was his groom and Eddie said that Secretariat was his best friend. In the show he was shown to sleep out in the stables right beside the stall.

In the fall of 1989, Secretariat died. Upon his death they found he had a significantly larger heart than normal horses. Amazing what one can do with a Big Heart!

sweet treats

sweet treats

Cheryl Flothe shares her thoughts on Valentine's Day and a special recipe!

alentine's Day

As Valentine's Day draws near, people from many countries prepare to observe this centuries old tradition. Although the exact origins are unknown, some

history shows the observance may have begun in 500 A.D. when Pope Glasius bestowed sainthood on Valentinus, a Roman priest who was arrested in 496 A.D. for marrying Christian couples during a time when Christians were being persecuted by the Romans. He was then executed for trying to convert the ruling Roman Emperor to Christianity.

Down through the ages, this priest's actions of trying to bring people together who wanted to marry, and must have been seen as such a romantic gesture that he has come to be remembered every year on February 14th. On that day people display their love, affection, or caring for others. These days, our displays of affection are carried out through many ways including cards, flowers, romantic dinners, candies, cakes, and other confections. I found the recipe below for Flourless Chocolate Cake in the February 6, 2011 edition of Parade Magazine. Ingrid Michaelson, the person who submitted the recipe to Parade, said this simple cake receives rave reviews from anyone who eats it. Enjoy!

Cheryl Flothe

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Flourless Chocolate Cake

7 oz. really good (45-50% cocoa) semisweet chocolate3/4 cup butter1 cup sugar, divided4 eggs, separated

1. Preheat oven to 300 degree F. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Stir together half the sugar and four egg yolks; add to melted chocolate concoction.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites, slowly add remaining 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold mixture into chocolate. Pour into a greased 9-inch cake pan.

3. Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Cool 30 minutes before removing from pan. Dust with powdered sugar.

websites & quotes


Top 20 Websites - What makes a website a Favorite?As I was at a Investment conference over the weekend, I thought about what makes a favorite website. I created a list, including those sites that offer me balance in my life: Social Media, Motivational and Mental Support, Search Engines, Healthy sites, Art Sites, food, service and Financial sites were at the top.

I spend quite a bit of time on Social Media usually checking the status once or twice a day. It's like the heartbeat of my internet family. I can check in on my cousins in Canada, chat with my local friends, and read quick updates on what's going on in the news. My favorite Social Media sites are #1 Facebook, then #2 twitter and #3 youtube.

#4 is Google. This useful site is like my second mind. If I have a question I type in the topic of interest and see what results are available. Within seconds I get my answer or research to provide me with a better understanding. #5 Yahoo and #6 Bing I also use on occasion.

I then surf around the internet looking for resources to support my interests and hobbies. A Motivational & Mental support site I've found and rank #7 is KLEMMER. They offer educational articles on how to improve your confidence and help support you in developing your unique purpose. #8 is Tom Haupt's website which offers ways to take action in daily, weekly and future goals!

For Entertainment, #9 Eonline is fun and I also enjoy #10, Oprah.

Health sites are important as they provide updates on new discoveries and I love getting news to support my Nursing degree: #11 RN, #12 Healthy Living Concierge, #13 WebMD, #14 KidsHealth, and #15 Family.

Service sites finish the final 5 of the Top 20 Favorite websites: #16 Food Network, #17 Flickr, #18 Kiplinger, #19 Entrepreneur, and #20 National Geographic.

websites & quotesFAVORITES

OVING QUOTESChange your thoughts when you read these inspirational, loving quotes!

To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with. Mark

Twain

Everything comes to us from others. To Be is to belong to someone. Jean-Paul Sartre

To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage. Lao-Tzu

Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. Mother Teresa

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do...but how much love we put in that action. Mother Teresa

The more I think about it, the more I realize there is nothing more artistic that to love others. Vincent Van Gogh

The best way to know God is to love many things. Vincent Van Gogh

If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever. Alfred Lord Tennyson

We were given: Two hands to hold. Two legs to walk. Two eyes to see. Two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else. For us to find. Unknown

L

corkscrew swamp

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corkscrew swamp

You can't help but fall in love!

he Heartbeat of the Swamp

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was established in 1954. Known as the crown jewel of the Audobon Society, it was developed to preserve the special wildlife, old

growth, Bald Cypress trees and unique ecosystem of the area.

The lifeblood of Corkscrew Swamp is water - and its pulse can be measured in daily and seasonal water level changes. The water is at its highest during the summer and tall "wet" season and then drops steadily through the winter "dry" season, sometimes drying the forest floor completely in late spring. This dry-down is natural and necessary for wading bird feeding and cypress seeding regeneration.

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Research instruments, like the water level recorder on the left, can help provide Corkscrew's managers with a better understanding of the Swamp's natural rhythm by graphing the changes caused by both daily rainstorms and annual wet/dry cycles. Gathered over many years, this data is vital to maintaining and protecting this hydrological rhythm, the true heartbeat of the Bald cypress swamp.

The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has a 2.25 mile raised boardwalk that allows people to see four distinct environments: a pine upland, a wet prairie a cypress forest, and a marsh. Signs along the boardwalk and

Volunteers are available as a resource to answer questions.

Wildlife changes throughout the year and can include alligators, deer, snakes, raccoons ibis, spoonbills, and insects, and much more!

There is also a really nice Gift shop that we usually visit on our way out...they always seem to have unique animal postcards, pens, hats, and t-shirts.

Nicole Flothe

Plocinski Photography



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