Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Some simple yet wise words from singer/songwriter Joan Baez

Copyright, Michael Steer.
In Forever Young, singer/songwriter Joan Baez reminds us to be hopeful for our futures; have faith that all will unfold as it should; and that we should strive to succeed, while learning and taking courage from every step. She bestows the desire that we should be righteous and true to ourselves and our convictions. She encourages us to be strong and courageous, with a firm foundation to hold us in good steed when faced with difficulty. In this, a strong mind and the knowledge and the ability to cope and, therefore, move forward positively, will enable us to maintain prolonged youth. Similarly, living in the moment; being mindful of all that surrounds us; choosing to be joyful; keeping busy as opposed to idle; doing unto others as you would wish upon yourself; and staying active for optimal health and wellbeing--all are keys to staying 'forever young'.
Forever Young
Lyrics by Joan Baez
May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.
Copyright, Tracey Vale




Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Website Design—some things to consider By Tracey Vale


The best websites are easy to navigate; easy on the eye and contain the necessary information on each page, preferably without the need to scroll down the page. Contact information should also be clearly visible.

Consider what you like or don’t like about sites you’ve visited. Personally, I like it to be clean, yet catchy, and definitely uncluttered. Avoid moving gifs, automatic audio or video (give the visitor the choice to listen or view), too many ads and banners, gaudy colours and other rapidly moving things. Slowly scrolling photos on one side or across the top, are fine as long they’re not distracting or annoying. Don't use an entrance page whereby you have to click on something in order to enter the site—the link should always take you straight to the Home page without additional steps.

Black on white is preferable for easy readability and the colours on the header should match and be identifiable with your corporate colours. Your business logo should also be prominently displayed. Information should be short and succinct as readers have a shorter attention span online and like to get the information they need in a few short paragraphs.

Each page should reflect the look and layout of the Home page and needs to include the same navigation bar.

The following links may be helpful: