I gained weight for years. When I left college I weighed 155 pounds. As soon as I found a comfortable sitdown job as a computer programmer, I began to gain weight. Very slowly - maybe a couple of oz per week.
I have been out of college for a very long time; in fact, I just received a 55 year Golden "M" from Michigan Technological University.
Over the years, I have noticed my weight gain and have tried many diets to get my "metabolism" under control. When I reached the tipping point, I joined weight watchers about 2 years ago and did see an improvement.
I recently was diagnosed with Gillain Barre Syndrom - it knocked me off my feet. I was not able to walk without a walker. Slowly, with the help of patient rehab therapists, I was able to get up and move about - first with the walker, then a cane, and now on my own. I now have CIDP and still need to continue my physical therapy.
My neurologist has told me that my best therapy is to walk everyday as far as possible. I purchased a pedometer and began counting steps. I also got on my wife's treadmill and tried to go as far as possible. At first, I could walk at 1/2 mile per hour for 5 minutes. Now I can walk 3/4 mile in 20 minutes.
Funny thing - my weight is beginning to decrease, ever so slowly -- maybe a pound a week. But I notice my legs are getting stronger, I don't get winded nearly as much and I am feeling better.
Walk to live!
bob eiferd
www.brownstownmarketplace.com
Ebay - Brownstown Marketplace
Etsy - Flat Rock Marketplace
Facebook - Robert Eiferd
Facebook - Brownstown Marketplace
Friday, November 30, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Antique Research -- 2 marks
Patricia and I vsited an estate sale a few weeks ago and found a lovely Demi Tasse set. We are trying to find treasures to offer in our Ebay store. The cups and saucers were marked on the bottom with a crown over a stylized "OH" over the word Prussia.
The beautiful matching pitcher had a different marking - the same crown over the stylized "OH" and the words Silesia and Alice.
The set is cream colored porcelain china adorned with rose backgrounds and lovely roses.
We purchased the set and brought it home. Using the search facilities provided by Google, we were able to determine the origin of this set, estimate the age, prepare a proper description for our store, and finally assign a value to the set.
I thought both the search process and the information collected was interesting and I wanted to share it as an entry in this blog.
The beautiful matching pitcher had a different marking - the same crown over the stylized "OH" and the words Silesia and Alice.
The set is cream colored porcelain china adorned with rose backgrounds and lovely roses.
We purchased the set and brought it home. Using the search facilities provided by Google, we were able to determine the origin of this set, estimate the age, prepare a proper description for our store, and finally assign a value to the set.
I thought both the search process and the information collected was interesting and I wanted to share it as an entry in this blog.
We researched porcelain marks from either Prussia or Silesia.
We found a site called www.porcelainmarksandmore where we found a link to
Silesia. Looking through all the entries on that page, we found the
link below which contained the two marks we were looking for.
Using the company name associated with the marks, we were able to find the following information.
Used around 1920, the crown over the stylized 'OH' over 'SILESIA', found in
blue or green green.
No date known, crown over stylized 'OH' over 'PRUSSIA', usually in a
green.
Silesia / Niedersalzbrunn (today Sczawienko):
[1] : Porzellanfabrik Hermann Ohme (1882 until 1930)
The factory is often incorrectly claimed to have been located in the
town of Waldenburg (today Wałbrzych), but Hermann Ohme only had a decoration
studio there and his main factory actually was in Nieder-Salzbrunn (today
Sczawienko). Niedersalzbrunn was part of the town 'Bad Salzbrunn' (today
Szczawno-Zdrój) that included the town areas 'Obersalzbrunn', 'Niedersalzbrunn'
and 'Neu Salzbrunn'; Bad Salzbrunn itself is located in the former Waldenburg
district.
Ohme mainly produced full dinner sets which were available in two
distinct types of porcelain. The so-called 'Clear Glaze' and 'Old Ivory' wares
were both made from the same quality of porcelain but the 'Old Ivory' type
received an additional light ivory colored matte glaze. The 'Clear Glaze' type,
decorated with a wide variety of floral and geometric patterns, was produced
for the European and the U.S. market; it was also the most produced type as it
was also sold as undecorated (or 'blank') porcelain in great numbers.
The customers for these blank products were not only hobbyists,
large numbers were purchased by commercial decorating firms such as Pickard and
Stouffer. For the U.S. market the 'Old Ivory' type always carried the 'Old
Ivory' brand name; other genuine 'Old Ivory' items (comparison mold/decoration)
can be found without the 'Old Ivory' mark and were mainly for the British
market. Blanks were also issued from this type of porcelain, but they are quite
rare.
In 1913 the company was owned by Hermann Ohme, E.M. Bauer and
Hermann Ohme jr. and together they further increased production for the export
market which later proved to be a fatal decision. Ignoring the first signs of
what later should become the World Financial Crisis the company tried to
further expand and in 1930 the number of employees reached a total of 400
people. As the company had only concentrated on export alone, business suddenly
dropped in the same way the financial market collapsed and the company was
forced to file for bankruptcy the same year.
We researched the term Demitasse and found the following informaton.
The History of the Demitasse Cup & Saucer
The Demitasse
(pronounced-"dem-i-tas"), originated in France in the 1800's.
Demitasse means "half-cup", due to it typically being half the size
of a full coffee cup. The purpose of the smaller half cup is for drinking
stronger coffee's such as espresso, cappuccino & Turkish coffee, typically
served after dinner. The Demitasse cup & saucer is the next size in the cup
& saucer family ( also referred to as a "Demi cup" or
"Child's size" cup & saucer ). Today's average cup measures
approximately 2-2 1/2" tall & the saucer measures approximately 4- 4
1/2" in diameter.
History of Silesia:
Wałbrzych [ˈvau̯bʐɨx] ( listen) (German: Waldenburg, Czech: Valbřich
or Valdenburk) is a city in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland,
with 120,197 inhabitants (31 December 2010). From 1975–1998 it was the capital
of Wałbrzych Voivodeship; it is now the seat of Wałbrzych County. Wałbrzych is
by far the largest city in Poland that does not itself form a separate county
(powiat), having given up that status in 2003. (The next largest such town is
Inowrocław, population 77,313.) Wałbrzych lies approximately 70 kilometres (43
mi) south-west of the regional capital Wrocław, and about 10 km from the Czech
border.
History of Bohemia
Bohemia (Czech: Čechy;[1] German:
Böhmen (help·info); Polish: Czechy; French: Bohême; Latin: Bohemia) is a
historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the
traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with
its capital in Prague. In a broader meaning, it often refers to the entire
Czech territory, including Moravia and Czech Silesia,[2] especially in
historical contexts, such as the Kingdom of Bohemia. Bohemia is a historic
country of central Europe that was a kingdom in the Holy Roman Empire and
subsequently a province in the Habsburgs’ Austrian Empire. Bohemia was bounded
on the south by Upper and Lower Austria, on the west by Bavaria, on the north
by Saxony and Lusatia, on the northeast by Silesia, and on the east by Moravia.
From 1918 to 1939 and from 1945 to 1992 it was part of Czechoslovakia, and
since 1993 it has formed much of the Czech Republic.[3]
Our final description:
Vintage Hermann Ohme 1920s Silesia Alice Prussia Demitasse Set 13 Pieces
Hand painted roses adorn this elegant Demitasse Tea Set. It features
hand painted cream flowers with green foliage and gold highlights.
The pot
measures approximately 7" by 5", the cups are 1 3/4" in height
by 2" in diameter and saucers are 4 3/8”. The base of the pot is marked
with the Hermann Ohme crown over the stylized ‘OH’, the words Silesia and Alice.
The cups and saucer are marked with the
Hermann Ohme crown over the stylized ‘OH’ and the word Prussia. The set is in
perfect condition with no chips, cracks, or marks of any kind.
This set was found at an Estate sale and would make a wonderful addition to a collector's trophies or provide an elegant way of serving Demitasse after dinner.
Check out our Ebay Store and Website - www.brownstownmarketplace.com
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Estate Sale and Birthday Party
Aug 18, 2012
Patricia and I hosted a birthday party for our two grand daughters yesterday. Although we see them often during the year, we don't see them with all their friends. Surprise, they are all growing very quickly.
Alexis is 11 and about to enter 6th grade. I had Mrs. Fields for 6th grade and she impressed on me the necessity to work hard to excel. When my corrected essays were returned, I always found lots of red marks. Thank you, Mrs. Fields.
Chloe received a bicycle for her birthday and rode off, like she had been riding for years - with training wheels, of course. There are days when I think I need training wheels.
The soon-to-be 6th graders know the words to every song on the top 20 list. One young man said, "although I know the words to all the songs, I find it hard to remember my phone number and teacher's name".
Today Patricia and I went to another Estate Sale. Lots of people were there looking for treasure. We found some great Items that I now have to research and list in my EBay Store.
Estate sales pull at my heart strings. In one way, it is sad to walk among the possesions of someone who has passed away - especially with a crowd of strangers. I noticed that I must not be alone in my feelings because everyone walks and talks softly. Perhaps they are worried about breaking something. When I find a treasure that I want to rescue, my thoughts change - now I am going to provide a good home for a prize possession of the deceased. In a way, their spirit lives on in someone else's hands. I hopefully will also make a profit in the transaction when I sell their item in my EBay Store.
I met a member of the Flat Rock City Council yesterday. He is the father of one of Alexis's friends. I told him I was in the midst of adding a community information page to my Website. He asked if I would mind promoting the Flat Rock Riverfest on September 15 & 16. I said I would love to do that. Hopefully that will drive more traffic to my website and subsequently to my EBay store. We shall see -- I am new to the Internet Marketing - Social Networking game. I will take every chance I can and try every avenue to increase traffic.
Patricia and I hosted a birthday party for our two grand daughters yesterday. Although we see them often during the year, we don't see them with all their friends. Surprise, they are all growing very quickly.
Alexis is 11 and about to enter 6th grade. I had Mrs. Fields for 6th grade and she impressed on me the necessity to work hard to excel. When my corrected essays were returned, I always found lots of red marks. Thank you, Mrs. Fields.
Chloe received a bicycle for her birthday and rode off, like she had been riding for years - with training wheels, of course. There are days when I think I need training wheels.
The soon-to-be 6th graders know the words to every song on the top 20 list. One young man said, "although I know the words to all the songs, I find it hard to remember my phone number and teacher's name".
Today Patricia and I went to another Estate Sale. Lots of people were there looking for treasure. We found some great Items that I now have to research and list in my EBay Store.
Estate sales pull at my heart strings. In one way, it is sad to walk among the possesions of someone who has passed away - especially with a crowd of strangers. I noticed that I must not be alone in my feelings because everyone walks and talks softly. Perhaps they are worried about breaking something. When I find a treasure that I want to rescue, my thoughts change - now I am going to provide a good home for a prize possession of the deceased. In a way, their spirit lives on in someone else's hands. I hopefully will also make a profit in the transaction when I sell their item in my EBay Store.
I met a member of the Flat Rock City Council yesterday. He is the father of one of Alexis's friends. I told him I was in the midst of adding a community information page to my Website. He asked if I would mind promoting the Flat Rock Riverfest on September 15 & 16. I said I would love to do that. Hopefully that will drive more traffic to my website and subsequently to my EBay store. We shall see -- I am new to the Internet Marketing - Social Networking game. I will take every chance I can and try every avenue to increase traffic.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
August 2012 -- Back to Work
While preparing for Career Number 4, Internet Sales, I have been researching marketing techniques. The necessity for creating a blog was raised as an important step by three different articles on the subject. I added an item to my todo list -- Create a Blog.
My friend @eddiehudson3 has a really cool blog. I decided to emulate eddie's sucess. When I went to create an account on BlogSpot, I found, to my surprise, that I already had a fully functional blog. I must really be getting old. I had completely forgotten that the blog existed.
It is time for an update.
I am now five years older and have watched my weight climb back to its highest point and then receed again to the 275 range. I am still on weight watchers online and try to record my food intake and activity each day.
During the five years since my last post, I accepted a position with United Airlines, working as a Reservations Agent. In that position, I sit at a computer for eight hours per day talking with customers on the phoine, providing service to help them solve travel problems. I stopped going to the gym and began wathching CNN. The result was a slow and steady weight gain.
In January of this year, I was diagnosed with Gillain Barre Syndrome. That is a condition that causes the immune system to attack the nerves in the limbs. It causes numbness, tingling, partial paralysis, loss of balance, and extreme weakness. After 5 weeks of intensive hospital rehabilitation, 6 weeks of in-home rehab, and 4 weeks of out-patient rehab, I was cleared to return to work.
My weight is back under control due to hospital food and a rededication to exercise and food tracking. I am making a promise to myself -- do not let the weight pile on.
Wish me luck --
bob eiferd
bobeiferd@aol.com
@bobeiferd
www.brownstownmarketplace.com
eBay - Brownstown Marketplace
Etsy - Flat Rock Marketplace
My friend @eddiehudson3 has a really cool blog. I decided to emulate eddie's sucess. When I went to create an account on BlogSpot, I found, to my surprise, that I already had a fully functional blog. I must really be getting old. I had completely forgotten that the blog existed.
It is time for an update.
I am now five years older and have watched my weight climb back to its highest point and then receed again to the 275 range. I am still on weight watchers online and try to record my food intake and activity each day.
During the five years since my last post, I accepted a position with United Airlines, working as a Reservations Agent. In that position, I sit at a computer for eight hours per day talking with customers on the phoine, providing service to help them solve travel problems. I stopped going to the gym and began wathching CNN. The result was a slow and steady weight gain.
In January of this year, I was diagnosed with Gillain Barre Syndrome. That is a condition that causes the immune system to attack the nerves in the limbs. It causes numbness, tingling, partial paralysis, loss of balance, and extreme weakness. After 5 weeks of intensive hospital rehabilitation, 6 weeks of in-home rehab, and 4 weeks of out-patient rehab, I was cleared to return to work.
My weight is back under control due to hospital food and a rededication to exercise and food tracking. I am making a promise to myself -- do not let the weight pile on.
Wish me luck --
bob eiferd
bobeiferd@aol.com
@bobeiferd
www.brownstownmarketplace.com
eBay - Brownstown Marketplace
Etsy - Flat Rock Marketplace
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