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Strict Liability

Strict Liability

Personal injury is defined as harm to a person’s body, emotions, or mind. Personal injury law provides a legal means for injury victims to seek compensation for damages.

An accident victim may file a personal injury lawsuit seeking compensation for non-economic damages and economic damages

Examples of situations that could give rise to a personal injury claim include, but are not limited to:

Most personal injury claims are based on negligence. However, some personal injury cases could involve allegations of strict liability.

Three Types of Personal Injury Cases

Personal injury cases can be sorted into three types.

Negligence claims require that you prove the defendant:

  • Owed you a duty of care
  • Breached the duty of care
  • The breach caused your injury
  • You sustained damages because of the breach and injury

The case involves proving that the party did not act with the same level of care as a person of ordinary reasonableness and prudence would have acted in a similar situation. Traffic accidents and slip and fall accidents are examples of negligence claims.

Intentional Injuries

These cases involve someone intentionally engaging in an activity they knew or should have known would result in an injury. Assault, battery, or aiming a loaded firearm at someone are all cases that may fall under this category. Some individuals could be arrested for causing intentional injuries if their actions break the law.

However, a criminal action is separate and apart from any civil claim that a person might have for an intentional injury. You will still need to prove negligence as a basis for intentional tort cases.

Strict Liability

Strict liability holds parties accountable for loss or harm caused by their actions. However, strict liability laws do not require the plaintiff to prove that the defendant was negligent or committed intentional wrongdoing. The law of strict liability means that a defendant can be held strictly liable for an injury without the need to prove fault or intent.

When Does Strict Liability Apply in Personal Injury Cases?

There are three basic types of personal injury cases where strict liability may apply:

Products Liability

Product liability cases are common personal injury cases involving strict liability. There is no need to prove that the manufacturer intended to injure someone or was negligent. The fact that the product was defective and caused an injury is sufficient to assert absolute liability.

Product liability cases may involve a design defect or a manufacturing defect. It can also center around a failure to provide adequate warnings or instructions for use.

Animal Attacks and Dog Bites

Oklahoma laws hold dog owners and animal owners strictly liable for attacks and dog bites. The owner is automatically liable for damages caused by their dog or other animal when it bites or attacks without provocation.

Other parties could be liable under negligence laws, if that party owed the victim a duty of care. However, owners remain strictly liable for damages.

Abnormally or Inherently Dangerous Activities

Strict liability also applies in cases involving abnormally dangerous activities or inherently dangerous activities. The cases involve an activity that carries a substantial risk of injury to the person involved in the activity and other individuals. For example, transporters of hazardous materials are under strict liability for damages caused by injuries or accidents.

In a case involving inherently dangerous activities, the plaintiff would need to show that the defendant engaged in the activity, that the plaintiff was harmed, and the activity was a substantial factor in causing the harm. The plaintiff must also prove that the harm sustained would be harm that could reasonably be anticipated due to the risk created by the activity.

Strict Liability Can Also Relate to Criminal Matters

Individuals can be held liable for damages in strict liability crimes regardless of the person’s intent or mental state (mens rea) when he committed the act. The defendant’s activity is the key to the case. Statutory rape and selling alcohol to minors are examples of strict liability crimes. A person could be held strictly liable for damages for statutory rape even if the person thought the other person was of age and the sex was consensual.

The law states sex with a minor is illegal. Likewise, a person can be guilty of selling alcohol to a minor even if the minor had a fake ID and the person thought the minor was over 21 years of age.

Contact Our Oklahoma Personal Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Deciding whether strict liability applies in a case can be complicated. Our attorneys conduct a thorough investigation and law review to determine if you have a claim under strict liability. Call our office now for your free consultation with an Oklahoma personal injury attorney.


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Lake Buena Vista Holidays

Family fun near Florida's biggest & best theme parks

Holidays in Lake Buena Vista

On your Lake Buena Vista holidays you’ll quickly be acquainted with the local fare and friendly residents. With great dining experiences and wonderful bars, there’s more to keep you occupied than the amazing world-renowned theme parks we know and love.

Great Reasons to Holiday in Lake Buena Vista

  • Wonderful water parks such as Wet ‘n Wild, Sea World, and Disney’s Blizzard Beach
  • The thrilling Universal Studios and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
  • Friendly people to make your stay a special one!
  • Great shopping locations in Disney Springs and Belz Factory Outlet World
  • A host of amazing eateries for foodies to indulge in
  • Great golf courses
  • You can’t leave without checking out Disney World!

Things to do Whilst on Holiday

If you need a thrill, make your way into Central Florida and to the numerous water parks such as Wet ‘n Wild, Sea World, and Disney’s very own Blizzard Beach.

There are themed restaurants (like a medieval times dining experience and more) to satisfy appetites and entertain you at the same time. There are great nightclubs, live entertainment establishments and cinemas to enjoy. With all of the amenities and attractions of an Orlando location, Lake Buena Vista will not disappoint!

The weather here is quite similar to that of the rest of Orlando, and you’ll experience two very different seasons with a hot and wet season and a warm and dry season; the former occurring from June to September and the latter from October to May. Be prepared for some very humid weather as this top tourist destination is located near the Tropic or Cancer!

Interesting Facts About Lake Buena Vista

  • State – Florida
  • County – Orange County
  • Area – 4.9 sq. miles

Lake Buena Vista Holidays 2021 / 2022

Please bear in mind that in order to take advantage of some of the current deals that we may have, give us a call and book your 2021 /2022 holidays early. Want something more? No problem! We can organise a multi-centre holiday to another one of our U.S. destinations. With an extensive range of luxury all inclusive holidays, and experience in sending people away for their weddings and honeymoons, we can cater for all needs.

Top Picks

Blue Tree Resort

4* out of 5 stars

Choose between cosy one-bedroom or family-size two bedroom suites at this fantastic Florida resort where relaxation and adventure go hand-in-hand.

Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista

3* out of 5 stars

Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista is perfectly located just ten minutes from Disney Springs and offers guests great value.

Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort

4* out of 5 stars

Enjoy the unique magic and majesty that only Disney can provide at this stunning five-star resort. Character dining plus spa & retail therapy round off the experience.

Useful information

  • Local time GMT (-6)
  • Currency US Dollar
  • Language English
  • Location Orlando
  • Telephone code +1 407
  • Flying time 8 hours & 30 minutes

Destination map

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Corporate social responsibility

A shared vision of corporate citizenship
The environment, fair operating practices, diversity, support for the local community, sustainable and socially responsible procurement processes... The different aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) form an integral part of Keolis’ business plan. In addition, the Group engages in regular dialogue with stakeholders to share results and foster strategic thinking.

Driving Progress Responsibly

Keolis Group's Corporate Social Responsibility is based on two main conditions: respect of the rules and policies of the Group, consistent with the principles of the United Nations Global Compact and dialogue with our customers and other stakeholders.

These two main conditions are supplemented by four commitments: enrich the Customer Experience, guarantee the safety of our employees, provide them with an equitable and inclusive work environment which respects their diversity, limit our impacts on the environment and become actively involved in all the territories we serve.

Protecting the environment

Keolis is the first public transport operator to receive ISO 14001 certification for its environmental approach, and places great importance on helping subsidiaries reduce their environmental impact.

The Group's environmental policy is founded on two types of commitments:

  • compliance with environmental and contractual regulations and requirements
  • prevention of pollution
  • continuous improvement

  • optimisation of energy consumption
  • improvement of waste management
  • reduction in the consumption of drinking water for industrial uses.

Respecting fair practices

Keolis pursues strict compliance with business ethics, and aligns its practices with the highest standards. The Group has developed an ethics and compliance programme with a clear set of rules and principles that are applicable every day. The programme is implemented across all countries, via numerous awareness-raising and training initiatives; helping employees address the risks they may face in their work and adopt the “right attitude” within the scope of their particular responsibilities..

The three focuses of the Group’s ethics and compliance programme:

  1. Strict respect of free and fair competition
  2. Prevention of corruption and fraud
  3. Protection of personal data

Fostering diversity

Keolis is dedicated to diversity and inclusion. The Group strives to ensure a fair working environment in which all employees feel listened to and supported, motivating them to give their very best. For the last ten years, Keolis has undertaken initiatives to promote professional equality between men and women, to achieve gender diversity across all business lines, and to improve women’s access to management positions. Keolis S.A. holds the Equality Label since 2010, and in 2016 the Group received the GEEIS label (Gender Equality European and International Standard).

Working in local communities

Keolis is more than just a transport operator. Each subsidiary contributes to the economic, educational and cultural development of local communities. This commitment takes many forms, and includes working with local and socially responsible suppliers, employing people from disadvantaged backgrounds, school visits, and partnerships with cultural organisations.

Corporate social responsibility is composed of different topics, and involves several business units. The Group Executive Committee meets regularly to discuss developments and make structural decisions. The publication of results coincides with the annual renewal (since 2004) of our commitment to the principles of the UN Global Compact.

Anne-Blandine Dassencourt, Deputy Director, Health, Safety & Environment


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Lady MacBeth enjoys an east-coast summer. (Contributed photo)

Lady MacBeth enjoys an east-coast summer. (Contributed photo)

Former B.C. crime reporter pens debut children’s book

Thom Barker channels his giant dog’s phobias into theme exploring critical thinking

A good reporter follows a solid lead and always protects their source. A good dog, by contrast, follows loyally but will always break away to protect their pack. So when that dog is a giant, intimidating Newfoundland breed afraid of everything from dark stairwells to paper bags, a good reporter will wonder why. When that reporter is someone like Thom Barker it’s not just enough to find the answers, but follow the peculiar story to the end — in this case to the writing of his debut children’s book exploring the theme of unfounded fears and critical-thinking.

Now in its second release, Lady MacBeth afraid of the stairs is based on Barker’s real life dog and her odd-ball journey of conquering this fear when one day she is given a small but significant reason to doubt her own thinking.

“I really hope more than anything children are entertained by it,” Barker says. “Of course, confronting fears is a standard children’s book theme, so if it is entertaining, perhaps in a small way it will help children develop the skepticism they need to become critically-thinking adults.

Regular readers may remember Barker from his days about 13 years ago at the Interior News in Smithers. His stories were regularly shared with Black Press newspapers across B.C. He was in the Houston RCMP detachment less than an hour after the fatal, in-custody shooting of Ian Bush, and subsequently won a national award of excellence for his reporting on the inquiry. A Smithers crime series, on what was then B.C.’s “crime capital”, won him a dozen more accolades from journalism institutions in both Canada and the United States. In other words, he’s not known for fluff pieces. This foray into children’s books is a surprising turn for Barker, now a grandfather of two, until the adult readers see the similarities of Lady MacBeth’s fears, and the culture of fear underlying many of today’s news headlines.

READ MORE: Award-winning author and speaker presents to child service workers

“Critical thinking is important for everybody,” Barker says. “With all of the misinformation and disinformation going around on the Internet, particularly social media, you have to be able to discern what’s real and what’s not. Be able to question whatever is put before you, including your own gut instincts and fears.”

To be fair, Lady MacBeth is not afraid of all stairs, just these stairs in the Labrador home Barker shares with his wife Lorraine (whom he met in Smithers). For safety concerns they had blocked off the staircase when Lady was a pup, and Barker suspects her curiosity of what lurked beyond the barricade mutated into fear as she matured. Why she’s afraid of everything else is a mystery (a tennis racket, a bicycle, a tin can) but a good motivator for Barker to document Lady’s adventures in the world of fiction.

Thom Barker

“I never wanted to be a children’s author, but the story kept coming to me through the rhythm of walking with Lady. She’d always stop to bark at a tire, or whatever, and the theme was fortuitous. Fear is something that everybody deals with at all points in their life, and it’s certainly something that resonates with kids.”

To illustrate this with humour and a light step, Barker turned to long-time friend Dave Rheaume, with whom he shared a passion as a child for co-creating comic books and homemade films. Rheaume brings what Barker calls a “historical-retro feel” to the book. An emerging theme with reader reviews indicate children find the paintings whimsical while parents and grandparents find them nostalgic.

“What I loved about the book is the idea that you have this large, powerful being that still has these phobias,” Rheaume says. “To see that such a a strong powerful beast, that’s basically the same size as a human, can still have the same sort of hangups and phobias and fears that all of us have makes her very relatable.”

READ MORE: UBC study focuses on reducing the fear of being too happy

Provided the second release of the self-published book goes well, Barker and Rheaume are already planning a series they’ll pitch to traditional publishers next year. The series will begin with titles like Lady MacBeth takes a bath, Lady MacBeth finds a dinosaur bone and Lady MacBeth goes to the big city.

Lady MacBeth afraid of the stairs is available on

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Lady MacBeth in Kaipokok, Newfoundland And Labrador. (Contributed photo)

Lady MacBeth in Kaipokok, Newfoundland And Labrador. (Contributed photo)


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The 'C' Word!

I know, I know, it's still 3 months away - however, us crafters are preparing like crazing so that you can do your Christmas shopping at your leisure.

I'm currently furiously making lots of new pieces for my 6-week stint at Blackthorpe Barn where the most magical Christmas event is open to the public for their shopping delight! British Crafts at Blackthorpe Barn is a sight to behold - with my fellow crafters, we make a pretty picture and the Barn itself really is an incredible place, full of amazing makers and sellers. Shopping local, buying presents from independent creators really is a great thing to do - and we're a rather nice bunch to do business with!

So, from 11th November until 17th December that's where you'll find me - just giving you a heads-up :)

Featured Posts


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Episode 28 Kinship Landing

Kinship Landing
29th, 2021
Keyhole - Digital Marketing Agency - Joe Dudeck
Joe Dudeck
President + Founder
Categories: Interviews, Podcast
29th, 2021
Keyhole - Digital Marketing Agency - Joe Dudeck
Joe Dudeck
President + Founder
Categories: Interviews, Podcast
Kinship Landing - Bobby Mikulas - Colorado Springs
"You realize there's a lot of wonderful ways to live life...If the people who live in COS can interact with people from every corner of the globe, that's a good thing for our community because we have lessons to learn from people in South and Central America who really embody family as the hub of their life. We have things to learn from people in Italy who are very careful not to let that work life balance get off kilter. We have things to learn from everyone all over the world. And we can take those things and transcribe them in a way that makes sense here in COS. We have things to learn here as a community from everyone who's visiting us."
Bobby Mikulas, Kinship Landing

Bobby and Brooke Mikulas are the founders and owners of Kinship Landing, a boutique hotel, cafe/bar, and event space in downtown Colorado Springs. “Built with exploring in mind,” Kinship Landing is more than just a place to spend the night. Acting as a personalized resource hub for both tourists and townies, the Kinship team provides recommendations for how to experience the Springs like a local through craft dining, culture, recreational activities, and more.

Kinship Landing logo - Colorado Springs

In this episode, discover the journey that led this husband/wife team toward a livelihood of hospitality, from family values instilled at birth to a life-changing trip around the world.

Listen to our conversation for a meaningful perspective on belonging and being a good neighbor. For more local entrepreneurial interviews, visit our full library.

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Joe: Hi there. I’m Joe Dudeck, president and founder of Keyhole Marketing.

Shannon: And I’m Shannon Jirik. I work for Keyhole as the assistant brand manager.

Joe: And this is Metaphorically Speaking, a podcast that explores the mysterious side of marketing.

Shannon: We had a super meaningful conversation on this episode with Bobby, who is the founder and owner of Kinship Landing, which is a boutique hotel, cafe and event space in downtown Colorado Springs.

Joe: Yeah, it was great. We certainly wished to have both Bobby and his wife, Brooke, on the podcast, but unfortunately right before the recording, she got pulled away to work the front desk. But you know that happens in small businesses. Somebody’s got to pick up the slack somewhere, and we certainly rolled with it as much as we could.

Shannon: Absolutely. We’re so grateful to Bobby for giving us some time. As you mentioned, Joe, this is a husband and wife team. They met in high school, fell in love, got married young, and just discovered that they had very similar passions for hospitality, for travel, for just being a good community member and neighbor. And they have a really unique story, just talking specifically about this long trip that they went on, you know, when they were young. They saved for seven years and planned a trip around the world, essentially staying in hostels and, you know, shared spaces and just discovering culture around the world and discovering how they want it to be able to bring that back to their community.

Joe: Yeah, that was the most intriguing part to me about the podcast was just how they made that trip very intentional. They didn’t just pack their bags and make this just this self-serving trip of wanting to take in all the sights and sounds and foods — which also is awesome. But they were very intentional about setting the trip in a certain way. And he talks about the phases that they navigated the trip through, which was certainly interesting. And I loved, you know, just how it then fed their desire to be hospitable in their community. And they have done, I’m not sure how it’s worked during the COVID world, but they had done prior to COVID, you know, these community nights in their back yard, having up to 150 people back there.

So it’s definitely something that is just inside of them that they can help produce. And so Kinship Landing is a great by-product of that.

Shannon: Absolutely. And if you’re not familiar with the hotel itself, they have some really unique spaces, again, inspired by their travels together. Just some really cool, unique spaces, like a camping room where you can rent gear, you know, and spend the night under the stars with the mountain views and just really beautiful, unique spaces that are also affordable and designed for even local people too. Not just people coming from out of town, but really getting the local community plugged into where they are. So I love that.

Joe: Yeah. They love the collision, I guess you would say of tourists versus local. And so yeah, they would love for locals to get out of their house for a little bit, spend a weekend, spend a night in their hotel, just as much as the traveler who’s visiting for a weekend would. They’d love for them to stay there too. So it’s really great to kind of, again, intentionality of the space and the way they design these places.

Shannon: Absolutely. So thank you to Bobby for chatting with us. And we look forward to having you guys listen to the episode.

Joe: So I know you and your wife both grew up in Colorado Springs, met each other in high school. What was the kind of initial spark there? What stood out to each other as you recall it?

Bobby: Oh, man. Well, we grew up in Monument. I was in Monument from third grade on before that in Colorado Springs. So coming back to Colorado Springs in 2010, after some time in college was like rediscovering a new city because we really came south of North Academy living in Monument. I went to 32 blue for a couple of concerts growing up and that’s about it.

But I met Brooke my sophomore year of high school and, you know, we had a lot of shared interests. She had a locker next to my younger brother. So I ran into her a bit there. Both of us were pretty committed and pretty focused on our faith pursuit at the time. And that was a great binding agent for our friendship and love being outside, did a lot of hiking and fishing together. Our families ran in mutual circles. And so we found ourselves on the same trip, a boating trip, out in Missouri one year. And that’s the short answer to your question. I was struck with all these emotions when you said, what did you first, what was the first spark? I was like, well, she was pretty good looking and really nice to be around.

Joe: That’s awesome. Yeah. I was kind of asked a little bit of my own background and when I, you know, had girlfriends or people I was interested back then it was, it was short-lived for sure. So it’s kind of interesting to see how it sort of started there and it really moved pretty quickly. Cause you got married what…five years later?

Bobby: Six years later. We met in, I want to say 2003, something like that. And we got married in 2010. Okay. So yeah, it was sometime we got married about halfway through college.

Joe: What, what was the… Yeah, kind of walk me through a little bit of like sort of, you know, some people might consider that a fast track to marriage. Was that like how early on in your relationship did marriage sort of become something that you started thinking about? Like this might be where this is headed and maybe pretty quickly.

I know my wife and I were married pretty young and that was mostly, we were 22 and 24. I thought that was pretty young. And that was mostly from our parents’ desire to basically tie the knot for us if they could. But I was curious sort of like, you know, how that, how that came around, maybe. So in a lot of people’s minds so quickly. Yeah.

Bobby: Aziz Ansari has got a funny book called Modern Romance and his, some of his research or the research they did for that book helped lead to some conclusions that support, you know, marrying people in your proximal community and earlier, but the short answer to your question is that I knew I would not be married until I was at least 30 and marriage was not a word I like to use very much. I was dating Brooke with no intention of really marrying her any time in the near future. Of course I could imagine that scenario one time or sometime in the future, but Brooke and I couldn’t be more different.

She was, she was probably envisioning a marriage like about the timeline we did. I’m not sure that that was something, she was more comfortable thinking about that we really didn’t talk about marriage for years and years until we did. And then we got married. I was 22. I was 22 when we got married. I was 21. I was 21. Just about to be 22 and Brooke was 20. So I was her newly signed legal guardian so she could get, have a good time drinking at our wedding.

Joe: That’s awesome. What, I mean, you’ve got, what about 10 years under your, under your belt now as far as marriage. I mean, I know that my wife and I, again, we did have a lot of autonomy over our, over our lives. At that point, our parents were kind of dictating the terms in a lot of ways, even though I had moved out and lived in Chicago, there was a lot of pressure to get, to get married. And I know that we kind of rewrite history a little bit in our minds to think like, you know, we would have loved to have waited longer. Maybe, you know, certainly dated longer. Do you guys, now that you’re 10 years in, you know, kind of make any thoughts or changes of that or are you sort of happy with, you know, that was, that was the right time and the right way to go.

Bobby: I think for us it was right. Everyone is different. Everyone’s got their thing that works for them. For us, it’s been a blast. It’s been, it’s been a wild ride and a fun ride. And you know, we had a lot of fun the first five, six, seven years of our marriage. We still have a lot of fun, but I don’t think I would change it. Had I never met Brooke then maybe I would have forecasted a different scenario, but she’s, she’s great. I love being around her still. And so it was a good, it was a good path for us and I don’t think I’d anything different.

Joe: Yeah. Normally I don’t tend, tend to camp out too long on the marriage. But obviously with you guys working together, I was really curious kind of how that all came together. What were your childhoods like in the Springs? I mean, what did you, did you have aspirations, dreams about your city things you were like, I can’t wait to do this for our city one day or, or, you know, I don’t know how, what, what was that like?

Bobby: I bailed out in 2007, heading towards Boulder, Colorado, reluctantly, staying in the state, knowing that I would never live in Colorado Springs or Monument. It’s just wasn’t a place that I envisioned my future being, at least not at that time. So we were civically engaged if you want to use that type of language in Monument, you know, on, on sports teams. And my parents helped plant a church when I was in fifth grade. So we were part of that whole thing and showing up to community gatherings and things like that. So certainly involved, but I didn’t really have vision for contributing, especially not to the downtown urban core of Colorado Springs, which is where most of our focus is these days; that was not on my radar until later, until after we’d boomeranged back to Colorado Springs and really began to recognize, at least for me, began to recognize number one, this place is pretty, pretty great actually.

And number two, there’s a lot of opportunity here, a lot of opportunity that you might not find in other cities or other regions and a lot of opportunity to inform progress because it is certainly growing and will continue to grow and there’s opportunity to inform that growth a little bit. So that was when I think the light bulb clicked for me a little bit. It was man, this is a place I love people I love and there’s space for my voice and energy here, and access. I mean, you could meet with the mayor, you know, pretty easily if you wanted to.

Joe: That’s awesome. What were, you know, you guys are, I don’t know what the right word is. Obsessed. Passionate maybe is a better word with hospitality. And I’ve read a few stories of just your opening your house up to the local community and, and you certainly have some Airbnbs you run as well, but do you have any memories when you were kids like where this hospitality bent was first formed? Was there people in your lives or experiences that you, you, that you had with, you went through that just instilled that within you?

Bobby: For sure. I mean, I’ll repeat another comment. Everyone’s got their own way of doing things and stuff that works for them. So Brooke and I… I’m sure there are many people this would work as just as well for them as it does for us, but getting married early, doing a lot of things together. For example, starting and running and owning a business and working together, living with other people. We’ve only ever lived on our own in the house that we currently live in. We bought that 2012. We only ever lived by ourselves there for about a year out of the last eight years. We always have at least a couple of roommates or housemates or guests with us. And so that, that just works for us to be in that communal environment. You know, people, especially when we first bought the house and invited a flock of friends to live with us, there was a lot of like, I don’t think you want to do that.

You’re, you’re married. That’s not a good idea, but it just, it works for us. And I think part of that is when you have people around you that you let in and you choose to be open and vulnerable and honest and courageous in your speech and action, there’s this opportunity for them to hold a mirror up and show you who you are and how you can grow and how you can change and what’s great about you and really help inform and reveal your identity. And I think as we understand ourselves more honestly and truly, we can take that understanding and translate to action in our community and let our identity start to contribute to the communities around us. But to speak to your question, I have very vivid and fond memories of this type of hospitality being expressed in my home growing up.

We would host foreign exchange students on a couple of different accounts and our house just always seemed to be a place where people could be if they wanted to be. I think this is largely driven by my mom. I know my dad would be rolling his eyes. We’d have 60 or a hundred kids in the basement for youth group once a week, trying to kick the ceiling and wrestle and my dad just would roll his eyes. And of course my mom loved it, that that was our home that that was happening. But I do remember growing up with people living in one of our basement rooms for a time in between transition or having foreign exchange students live with us and kind of helping them out of another scenario that wasn’t good.

And I was always drawn to maybe, I don’t know if you call it the “outsider” or something. I’m drawn to people who were on the fringe and, and maybe looking in. So I just, I love helping connect people to what they’re looking for. And usually that’s belonging. That’s usually what most people are looking for, but it’s so fun to help people find the resources that they need beyond themselves. And beyond me too, like the best scenarios, people don’t remember my name or remember any interaction with me, but they have found belonging and fulfillment as a result of some tiny little trickles that I may have been lucky to be a part of.

Joe: Yeah. Yeah. So it was experiences that you may not even recall, but it was super important for them and transform the way they orient life.

Bobby: Anchoring just happens beyond me. You know, we first moved to Colorado Springs. We didn’t have any friends. Cause all of our friends were either in Monument or had scattered about. We had one friend, her name was Becca. We started hosting community nights in our apartment off Garden of the Gods road. And we would invite anyone we met that we thought might be looking for friendship, cause we were as well. So we would just say, we’re going to have beer, bring some food and a gas station clerk a guy we met at the grocery store, if you want to swing by here’s our apartment number, we’re just gonna be hanging out and going into a way for us to meet a lot of friends. It, it got to the point where we didn’t really like have that same need for a bunch of new relationships, but we recognized other people did.

So we would have massive community nights in our home and we continue those throughout the year? And the mark of success there is people didn’t know it was our house. They didn’t know who we were and they just showed up to these events. And in the best case scenarios, they were connected to the things they were looking for: jobs, girlfriends, hobbies, climbing partner, beer, whatever it is.

Joe: Yeah. It’s beautiful. Yeah. We, when we moved out here from Indiana, that was kind of our intention with this house. We got one that’s definitely larger than we need on a daily basis, but we’ve had so many guests out here and just, just love opening the house and we have a child who’s a consummate extrovert. So he’s, he’s dying for people to come over and entertain.

Shannon: Okay, Joe. So I know it’s been a long time for you, but I want to know if you remember getting grades back in school.

Joe: Oh gosh decades. Yeah. I think they brought them on a little slate chalkboards that we would carry like to, and from school both ways, you know, through the Prairie school. Yeah.

Shannon: Oh yes. Wow. You’ve dated yourself. Okay.

Joe: Why do you ask? So you can rub in how much better you are than I was in school.

Shannon: Oh, you know, you know, I love to do that, but I’m going to spare you this time. No, I’m asking because that’s exactly what we hand out to small business owners with our score sheet, marketing assessment, just an overall grade of their current marketing efforts.

Joe: Yeah. I love those. Maybe it’s just cause I love finally giving out a grant for, to get into here.

Shannon: Yeah, in this assessment, we just check five pieces of your marketing story. So your brand content, SEO, social media and photography, and just give a final score out of a hundred points, kind of showing how well you’re doing and sharing your compelling story to prospective customers who may know nothing about you.

Joe: Yeah. I think what I love best about him other than the grade, it’s just that we don’t just Pat them on the back and wish them the best and say, good luck out there. We’ll get like your teacher said, yeah, exactly. It turned out, but we give them a score. And then we actually give them some top strengths that they’re currently just killing it with and some top opportunities to pursue and then really just give them some low hanging fruit that they could go after, right away and start to start to find those prospects and customers.

Shannon: Absolutely. I think it can just really help you understand quickly how to stand out in the crowd. So if you’re a small business owner and you would love some feedback on the strength of your story and how well you stand out from the competition, visit keyholemarketing.us/marketing-scorecard today to sign up. And we would love to give you that grade!

Joe: Talk about a little bit as we transition into the business idea — Kinship Landing — obviously from what I’ve, from what I’ve read that sort of came about as a, the trip you took around the world. Was that something that you, that idea had already been sparked before you went on a trip or was it while you were, while you were traveling, that thing came together.

Bobby: So the idea of hospitality being a significant part of our life was always in my heart and mind and for sure Brooke’s, that was expressed in our home. We’ve got a little mother-in-law suite in our backyard where friends and family were living. So hospitality as a passion was not sparked on the trip — that was deep within us. A hotel in downtown Colorado Springs…that was not deep within us. That that was something that came as a result of really two things. One is certainly the trip. The trip was the catalyzing event that opened our eyes to the idea of a hospitality concept in downtown Colorado Springs. But using the word hotel is not really something we started to do until we got back from that trip and started putting together the business model based on the needs in the city, what would actually pencil on paper financially, what we were passionate about interested in, and that came by working with our partner, Nate Grim and early founders, Jason Phillips and Lauren Lancaster and a hospitality concept in downtown Colorado Springs started to take the form that it is now as a result of that team really building something out beyond what Brooke and I probably would’ve come up with on her own.

But yeah, I mean the catalyzing event was for sure the trip being the recipient of outrageous hospitality and hostels and Airbnbs and bungalows and homestays, it, it clicked the light bulb on. I was like, we, we have to offer this in Colorado Springs. I remember my friend, Amber asking us a question. What are you guys uniquely qualified to do that no one else can do in Colorado Springs?

And you have to be okay sounding like an arrogant person answering that question. But one answer was a really cool place for people who are traveling to sleep because we can identify with the points of pain and moments of delight that travelers have had because we’ve been traveling the world for a year, living out of our backpack and we know the Springs really well, so we can help connect those people. And we can help connect people who live here to people who aren’t from here. Cause that’s cool too. So that question really pushed us into that concept as well as just being the recipient like I said, of just unmerited grace and generosity and kindness and adventure.

Joe: Yeah. How did, and maybe this is just me. I always feel like I have some amazing ideas on trips or vacations, at least that in my own mind, they seem, they seem awesome. And then, you know, you come back to reality and, and they fade away, something else comes up on the, on the radar and it never does come to fruition. What was it about this idea that just kept burning? Or how did you keep it burning when you came back to make sure it wasn’t just a vacation idea, trip idea, but actually became something real.

Bobby: Yeah. I mean, I think there’s a difference between an idea you have and an intention towards the right idea. So we, you can ask Brooke, she basically lives with three children, our two boys and myself. And so we have to have structure with children. They just, they thrive under structure and that’s the same with me and any adult. So we structured our trip in three segments. The first was to just rest. The second was to dream. And then the third was to plan, and I remember I’m always coming up with ideas and throwing these ideas at Brooke the first two months of our trip. And she’s like, stop, I’m resting. Don’t, don’t tell me what we’re going to do. Or any ideas you have, we’re resting, we’re chilling, we’re letting the cortisol levels go down.

And then we started to dream and we narrowed those dreams down to a couple of options that all probably would have been pretty cool, and ultimately picked one. And the answer to your question, I’m giving you is that picking one, like we are doing this until it doesn’t, it doesn’t or can’t work. And so the second half of our trip, we’re spending our vacation days writing business plans and doing research and looking at other models and talking to hotel owners. And then when we came back to Colorado Springs, we turned down positions at companies that we really respected that we would have loved to work at because we were fully committed to this. So I think an idea is great when that idea becomes what you are doing.

That’s that’s the reality in life. This is happening. That’s when it shifts into something different and that kind of all-in commitment can really be exemplified in the language you use. We didn’t go meet with the downtown partnership and tell them we’re thinking about doing a hospitality concept. We said, we are bringing a hospitality concept to downtown Colorado Springs and want to help understand how we can make that better. But it wasn’t like, I wonder if this will happen, Brooke and I, when we got back, we said, we’re going to give this project two years of our all-in, full commitment. And we might obtain a ton of debt. We might, it might not work, but for two years, the answer is no, you keep moving forward.

Even if there’s a problem or hurdle, the answer is we were doing this all-in for two years until we just can’t anymore. And if it wasn’t that type of all-in commitment, I just, I can tell, tell you about at least five conversations that would have pushed it towards eh, let’s just not do it anymore.

Joe: Yeah. I love that. I love that intentionality with the trip and how you built that out. I know you’re really intentional about creating a space where locals and travelers can collide. Why, why is that collision so important to you? And how are you creating some of those?

Bobby: Yeah, I love that question. Thanks for asking it. In Colorado Springs, we’re so lucky cause it’s amazing here. Amazing people, amazing landscape. We have 25 million visitors to the area every year. And when you’re very lucky to be able to travel the world, like we were, you quickly realize America is not the only country in the world. As a matter of fact, there are people on the other side of the world with very real lives, solving very real problems that have never even heard of Colorado Springs. Don’t know where Nevada Avenue or Colorado Avenue is. And they’re doing just fine.

So some of our trip was just asking the question, how does the world do fill in the blank: healthcare, childcare, education, food, leisure, work-life balance. You know, how do you do that in Italy? How do you do that in Zambia? How do you do that in Thailand? And you realize there’s a lot of wonderful ways to live life, including the ways we live them here in America. But beyond that. And so if the people who live in Colorado Springs can interact with people from every corner of the globe, that’s a good thing for our community because we have lessons to learn from people in South America, who, and Central America who really embody family as the hub of their life.

And we have things to learn from people in Italy, who, who are very careful not to let that work-life balance get off kilter. And we have things to learn from, you know, everyone all over the world and we can take those things and transcribe them in a way that makes sense here in Colorado Springs. So that’s the first thing is we have things to learn here as a community from everyone who’s visiting us. And then the second is people who are coming here and people like you, Joe, and me, when we travel, we want to get the essence of where we travel, generally speaking. There’s time and place for like bottomless margaritas on the beach and you just sleep for a week. That’s a great trip too. But a lot of the times when I’m traveling it’s man, what, what does Banff Canada or Jasper Canada actually look and feel like on a local level?

And what does the day to day rhythm of climbing and eating and sleeping and working look like for these full-time mountaineers. I want to understand what that life actually is. And so these people who are coming to Colorado Springs, many of them are longing for that authentic connection to the local scene: local art, local music, local food, local outdoor recreation in a way that doesn’t feel like a tourist thing, but that is true to the place. And so that’s the other part of that connection is making sure that people are traveling here have a way to access authentic local, a local experience, which is why the main level of our hotel is really for people who live here first, because people who sleep here a great chance to find the local scene without leaving property and hopefully quickly leave property to go experience the best of our region.

Joe: Yeah. I love that. We lived in Chicago for five years and we constantly encountered people who grew up there and had never been to the art museum and had never gone to some local bars or restaurants. And we were always intentional about trying to be a tourist in that area. If we knew we weren’t going to live there forever. So we try to take in as much as we could, but it was always just surprising to us how many had not really ventured out in their own town very much.

Bobby: And that’s okay. Not everyone has that desire, but if you just push a little bit harder, you can usually find some pretty good stuff.

Joe: For sure. For sure. One more question. Obviously 2020 everybody knows how hard that was on the hospitality industry. But you know, rather than asking, you know, what were some of those hardships that you endured? What, why do you think your space might be even more necessary today than it was before COVID’s arrival?

Bobby: Sure. Well, I’ve used this word a lot in this time, which I don’t typically find myself using, but belonging is something we’re all looking for. And when you are alone in your house for a year, that sense of belonging to something beyond yourself, bigger than yourself gets really tough. Zoom can only go so far. So I think after the events of the last year, our community and the world in general is looking for a place to express that interconnectedness, to express that belonging to something bigger and belonging to place, especially. It’s so fun to know that you are a contributing member of a space or a place like Colorado Springs.

So I would say just the culture of the world is ripe for belonging to be manifested. And in ways that turns into action, like, you know, book clubs that are meeting together in person and trail building and trail cleanup groups that are going and doing things in person in real life, real, tangible things. So I think Kinship Landing is a space where that expression of belonging, that expression of friendship and connectedness can happen organically. At least that’s the hope.

Joe: Yeah. That’s what I experienced when I was there. I mean, it was just, it’s always great to have a vision on paper and try to create that space, but I can attest to living it out in there. And it was just, it’s always a place where you see community come together and you don’t, and you don’t know who’s a tourist, who’s a local and everybody’s just interacting. And even with all the restrictions and boundaries, it still works really well. I can’t wait till it continues to open up more and you can, you can really get the heart of what you’re trying to create there.

Bobby: Good. Well, I’m so glad you experienced that. Like, like community nights, if we’re doing anything, right you know, one, two, three years from now that type of culture will be propagating itself and no matter who is or is not there, it will be a space where stories are shared, where courage is expressed and transmitted and where those organic friendships and relationships happen and inspire people to go do great things in the world.

Joe: Yeah, for sure. Well, thanks so much for the time today. Can’t wait to head down there and get a room for a night and check it out for real.

Bobby: Yeah, no problem. Love chatting with you a little bit and would love to see you stay overnight. It’s a gift to be here, at least in my, in my opinion, in my experience. So hopefully you can find some respite there. The one thing I always try to tell people who live here in Colorado Springs, if you can do anything to help me, it’s really two things. Number one: host people in your home when they come to town, that’s the best hospitality they’re gonna, they’re gonna find memories sleeping in someone’s home, who lives here, that they can’t find elsewhere. And then number two is just be here. Like you have been, it sounds like already, you know, people make the place at Kinship Landing. And so for this space to be filled with real live human beings, with real stories and interesting and unique language and perspectives, that’s what’s gonna set us apart from another place that you can sleep.

Joe: Yeah. I love that. Thanks so much again.

Bobby: Okay, Joe. Thanks for time. I’ll see you around. I hope.

Joe: Yep. That sounds great.

Bobby: All right. Cheers, man.

Shannon: You’ve been listening to the Metaphorically Speaking podcast. At Keyhole Marketing, we tell big stories for small businesses. If you’re in the Colorado Springs area and ready to tell your business story, we’d love to come alongside you and help you with your content, branding, SEO, social media, or photography needs. For an instant glimpse at your current marketing strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, take our free marketing assessment at keyholemarketing.us/marketing-assessment, or send us an email at hi@keyholemarketing.us and let us know how we can help tell your story.

Metaphorically Speaking Ep9: Science of Fear
Fear plays a critical role in the human body’s makeup and ultimately exists to keep us alive. In this episode,...
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My Blog

The Divine Feminine is rising

Posted on May 11, 2020 at 8:56 AM Comments comments (3306)
5th April, 2020
Merlia - The Divine Feminine and Unconditional Love
Hello this is Merlia, we haven't spoken for a while, but now is the time.
The Divine Feminine is rising.  The Divine Feminine is changing, growing stronger, not just in females, but also in the males.  Balancing male and female, not dominant, just equal.  This is as it should be.  The male energy and the female energy, both compliment each other.  Both are there for a purpose.
But for too long the male energy has had the dominance and now it is time to balance, to balance the feminine with the masculine.  And the feminine is rising to this challenge now.  As I said before, not just within the females, but within the males as well.  For females also have a masculine side and so the males have a feminine side. This is as it should be.  Balanced, balanced  energy, neither too dominant, each  working together in cohesion, working together to make the world a better place.
And it is becoming a better place.  You may not feel this right now, for you are going through a hard time on planet Earth, on planet Gaia.  But this is changing the energy, this is changing everything for you.  So do not fear, but instead go into Love, Unconditional Love.  Send out Unconditional Love to everyone on the planet, especially those in fear.  For there is much fear on the planet now, but fear is not good, anxiety is not good, stress is not good.
 So send out that unconditional Love to allay those fears, to allay the stress, to allay the negativity and to bring everything into positivity.  So that Gaia may rise higher and higher, for a new Portal has opened and the energy is pouring in.  Allow yourself to flow with this energy.  Allow yourself to flow.  Put no barricades up with fears or stress, instead open yourselves to Love, the purest Love, Unconditional Love and allow this to be within your soul, your heart, your mind.  Allow this to be You, totally You, Unconditional Love, for that is the God energy, the Creator energy, the strongest energy of them all. So be in the Love, the Unconditional Love with the Divine Feminine.
Thank you dear friends, thank you.  I am Merlia.

Channelled through Pamela Goodall

Love and Separation

Posted on May 11, 2020 at 8:49 AM Comments comments (305)
18th April 2020
Channelling from David, King David of the Bible - Love and Separation
Hello this is David.  I come to you tonight to speak of love and separation.  At the moment most people on your planet are feeling this separation due to the fact that you are having to isolate for the good of all. This is so you don't pass the virus willy nilly between you and make it worse.
During the Black Death, those who had money isolated themselves as much as they could.  This saved some at that time, but not all.  For those who had already contacted the Black Death took it with them.
Now you are being asked to keep separate, to not pass this deadly virus to others. You find this hard but know that it will not be forever, there will come a time when once more you can walk around your country and mix with others.
However, be patient, what would be the good of mixing with others too quickly.  The virus would be free to jump from person to person if this was so.  So be patient and stay separate as much as possible.  Remember that as well as taking practical steps, there are spiritual solutions too.
Create a Ball of Light around you for protection.  Make this ball of Christ Consciousness Golden Light and with sparkles of Archangel Michael's Blue of Protection.  Fill the ball with the Adamantine/Diamond Light of God/Creator.  In this way you will keep yourself in high vibration, so that low vibration cannot reach you. You are protected.
Do this for others who you love and put balls of protection around your houses.  Keep your energy high and know that this is good.
I am David, King David from your Bible and I love you all dearly.

Channelled by Pamela Goodall.

Change the Energy

Posted on July 9, 2018 at 7:43 AM Comments comments (165)

Io - 4th July 2018 - Change the Energy
This is Io, hello it's nice again to be here.  I always love coming and visiting your planet before I come in and after we've spoken, I go and look around the planet.  I just love it, it's so beautiful.  I can't believe how people could destroy it so.  And I know that many people on this planet, on Gaia, are horrified at what's been done to the planet too.
So what can you do about it?  You can ask your governments to tell the businesses to stop creating plastic.  That would be one good thing.  And then you know that energy can be changed.  You know this, your scientists have told you.  Einstein told you everything in energy.  Energy can't go away, energy can only be changed.
So if everything is energy, plastic is energy and plastic can be changed, from plastic energy to pure energy.  So why wouldn't you do that.  The more of you that do it, the more plastic will be changed, so just change it.  Change it, it's so wonderful when you can do things and just change your planet.  You know this is possible.
And send love to your planet, your planet so needs your love, your Mother Gaia needs your love.  She doesn't actually need you, but she does need love.  Mother Gaia/Earth will survive, but the human race needs to change its habits if it wants to survive.  Change your planet, change your ways, and then you can dissolve the plastic into pure energy by sending it love, by matching the frequency to pure energy.
Just one small bit and then a bit more and then a bit more.  And as each one of you starts to do this more parts of the planet will be cleared and cleansed.  It can be done, it's been done on other worlds.  Don't think you're the first, other worlds too have tried to destroy their planet.  But then they realised in time and so you can do this too.
We can send you love, we can send support, but you must do this work.  You the people of Earth.  We know you can do it.  We believe in you.  I am Io.
Io is one of the three Arcturians who used to send me words.  Now he comes within me to channel.  Pamela Goodall

Clear Out Your Life

Posted on July 25, 2017 at 9:03 AM Comments comments (527)
23rd July 2017 - Clear Out Your Life

We are the Arcturians.  well the pace is picking up for now the Lion's Gate is opening and stronger and higher energies are being sent to Gaia, to your world.
if you haven't done so already, it really is time to clear out your life.  Clean and clear your home, then clean and clear yourself.  Discard old habits.  Release old thought patterns.  Remove all negative emotions that are still held in your body.
Forgive those that have hurt you in thought, word or deed.  Then forgive yourself for negative things you have thought, said or done, even if you did those things without thought of the consequences.  (Remember that to forgive someone you do not have to condone what they did.)
Then learn to love each and every one of you.  Did not Jesus when on your planet say that everyone was your neighbour.  All humans are loved unconditionally by God the Creator because they are the Children of God the Creator.  Learn to love unconditionally in the same way.  (Remember that to send love to a person you do not have to like them.)
As you release, forgive and love you allow yourself to carry more light and to raise yourself in a higher consciousness and you flow, not flounder, through the stronger waves of energy that are coming.
So well done all humans who do this, for then you can help your planet light up and overcome the darkness upon her.  You become a Lightworker, working for the whole planet and as you do so you work for the whole galaxy and all of creation.  So well done.
Explanations in italics by Pamela  Goodall.
Channelled by Pamela Goodall

Lumps and Bumps

Posted on June 1, 2017 at 2:28 PM Comments comments (1896)

1st June 2017
Hello, Antilles here.  This is not what you expected is it?  You expected everything to fit into place and everything would sail nicely along towards peace after your year 2012.
Well you've hit a few lumps and bumps.  It was never predicted for everything to go easy.  Lightworkers may work in the Light and expect things to flow.  But don't forget you have third dimensional beings still on your planet.  They don't want things to change, so what do they do?  Well of course they provide the lumps and bumps you have experienced.
We know that this will sound as though we treat what's happening on your planet lightly.  Not so.  We too had to pass through this process to get to peace.  Do you think you are the only planet to have wars.  Not so.  Many do.   Some, like mine, manage to bring the love and light and disperse war and negativity, so there could be peace.
So do not despair.  Others have gone through this before and won.  You too can win.  You can win peace.  So spread more and more Light and Love upon your planet so this may happen.  Live in the Light.

Relax in the Incoming Energies

Posted on March 27, 2017 at 6:59 AM Comments comments (389)

25 March 2017
Antilles here.  As you so rightly think it is time to relax and go with the flow.  As higher energies reach your planet, it is difficult for you to relax.   Humans, it seems, tense up instead.
It is now time to learn to relax in the newer energy.  As you relax you will find things work more easily for you.  The more you tense up, the harder things will be.  So relax.
Think of this as what you give out, so you receive.  You understand that concept.  You know that if you go into a room of angry people it attracts you to be angry.  When people are angry nothing gets done.
If instead you give out a relaxed and restful energy, this is what you receive and so things happen easily for you.
So try to stop being frustrated by this new energy, learn to live within it.  When you learn to live in a relaxed way and go with the flow, then everything will sort itself out and work more easily for you.
This works with everything on your planet.  Do not get into anger, instead be empathetic and understanding.  Realise that people and things that frustrate you are working for your highest good, for they are teaching you.
It is okay to be passionate about your work, cause or your planet, as long as it is for the highest good of all and you are not in a negative emotion.
Working together in a safe relaxed way, giving out only good will bring the same back to you.  So relax my friends.  Relax and go with the flow.  Each and every one of you will benefit from doing this.  So relax.
Blessings to you all.

Channelled by Pamela Goodall

Moving On Up

Posted on February 23, 2017 at 11:47 AM Comments comments (98)

22nd February 2017

Hello we are the Arcturians.  The earth, your world, is moving on up and is in another energy.  This is hard for you to cope for you have never felt this before.  This is refined energy of the fifth dimension, so therefore you need to refine yourself.  How do you do this?

First you release all or most of the negativity within you.  Then clear and cleanse yourself, your aura and your chakras.  Also balance your Yin/Yang energy, this is the male/female energy within each and everyone of you.

It is helpful to you if you love yourselves, not only your soul, but your bodies and minds too.  For love is always the answer.  Love defines who you are.  Love refines you.  As you become lighter having removed negativity in your body and mind, so you move on up through the layers of each dimension.  Allow yourselves to grow.

Many of you are having what you call Ascension Symptoms.  Send love to all symptoms that you feel.  Each of you is being adjusted to the new energy so allow this to happen and send love to your body and mind.

Allow new thoughts to arrive, even if you feel they may be strange.  Perhaps as you grow or talk to others you will find they are not so strange.

So allow yourself to relax and go with the flow.  This is the easiest way for you as a soul in a human body.  Just relax and send yourself love.  Love conquers all and will see you through.

You are doing magnificently.  So well done.

We are all Love and Light

Posted on February 11, 2017 at 8:42 AM Comments comments (136)

10 February 2017

Antilles here.  So nice to communicate with you and to be able to pass messages of love and light.

For we are all love and light, did you know that?  All of creation is made of love and light, nothing more, nothing less, just love ad light energy.

For love and light are energies, energies of the creator, who is the one and only.  We are all part of the Creator, for we are made of God particles which are Love and Light.

You often say "All is One" and so it is, for everything is the Creator, just being seen as different densities of energy.

So love one another, how can you not love your Creator, who is within you.  And indeed how can you not love yourselves, for you are God the Creator.  And so it is.

Many of you are feeling unbalanced

Posted on February 9, 2017 at 9:23 AM Comments comments (215)

8th February 2017
I am Antilles. I come from far away, from another star system, which is the other side of our galaxy, which you call the Milky Way.  I come in love and light and I work for the Creator and the highest good.
Many of you are feeling unbalanced and wondering why this is.  Do not worry my friends, this is all part of the acceleration of the ascension system for your planet Gaia/Earth.  Soon this will pass and things will settle again.  Realise that nothing is as it once was.  When a planet ascends, then the energy changes to a lighter energy.
You must stay grounded for it is too easy to fly away into the sunset and never be seen again in this energy.  You cannot be too airy fairy.  Ground yourself into the new energy.  You can do it.  Then learn to live and work in this new lighter energy.
Yes I have heard that many of you are flustered by what is happening on your planet.  Do you expect no disturbance when a new energy comes in.
Continue with your work Lightworkers.  Bring even more light.  Show it to the world.  Send it to the world.  Shine as you have never shone before, so that others will want to be like you in the Light.  Allow yourselves to shine more and more brightly and send it to Gaia.  Send it deep into the earth so that Mother Gaia can work with the light to repair your world, for your world has been greatly damaged.  Help it now to repair.  Do your bit by sending light and also by physically doing what you can to help.  In this way together you will restore your beautiful planet.
I am come to help by sending much light to your planet.  My planet has already ascended and I have been called to help yours.
Do not despair with the darkness you see on the surface, it is a small part of what is happening on Gaia.  Never despair.  Your planet is on the way to Ascension.  Give thanks and blessings, as I do.
I am Antilles.
Channelled by Pamela Goodall

Let it Go

Posted on November 27, 2016 at 9:50 AM Comments comments (122)

24th Nov 2016

Hello we are the Arcturians.  What a busy time of year, for all of you are busy in different ways.  Each of you is going through a discovery of yourself.  It may be a memory which needs to be healed.  It may be a hardship that you conquer and so learn the lesson.  It may be a disease or disability to also learn compassion for yourself and others.  Everyone is going through some darkness and the joy is when each person releases that darkness and therefore becomes more loving and also lighter.

Release all you have been holding onto, it is time to let go.  Let go of old thoughts and accept new ways of thinking.  Let go of bodily pain and send it light and love.  Allow the body to heal itself.  It is possible, although humans find this extremely hard to accept and do.

Let go of all old emotions of negativity for they are doing you harm.  Release them with love. When emotions are released from the body, the body becomes lighter and your soul glows.

Let go of all in your life that does not feel right to you.  Follow your intuition, your instinct, your gut to release anything, anybody and everything that is no longer of use to you.

In this way you will become a lighter being, able to look upon the world with more love.  To know that the world is wonderful, with just a few spots of darkness needing to be healed by the Light and Love.

As each of you become lighter, so does your world, Gaia.  As more and more people become light and love, they automatically send this out, so the dark spots are lightened.  Darkness cannot live in the light.  Light overcomes the dark.  You know that if you switch on the light in a room or light a candle or switch on a torch that in these ways you banish darkness.

Banish the darkness of your world by being a candle and with so many people being candles of light, darkness must disappear.

Earthlings you are stronger than you realise.  Light your heart candles and glow.

Channelled by Pamela Goodall.


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Handmade lint-free kilim from natural wool. Size 140×96 cm.

Kilim with traditional elements of the Carpathian pattern, the ornament is simple, but very popular and beloved, so we make it in different colors. Cinnamon and chocolate – a bright, warm, tasty kilimok inspired by nature and tradition.

Ideal for chalet and ethno style interiors.

Additional information

Weight1 kg
Dimensions65 x 137 cm

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Kim Moke - Authenticity Coach - Speaker
Kim Moke - Authenticity Coach - Speaker

Our exceptionally rated business seminars train soft skills and inspired performance through storytelling and the arts.

Kim Moke, Authenticity Coach leads unique Team Building and Executive Leadership seminars to improve presentation, interpersonal relationships and collaboration.
These 360 – degree interdisciplinary theater experiences are for professionals and businesses that strive for excellence in empathetic communication, personal development and new parameters.

Our specially designed Arts meet Business Me to We seminars incorporate doing, experimentation and courage to reinforce innovative communication and self-discovery. Leaders are prodded out of their safe space and become involved and engaged with themselves and their colleagues. They cross the border of self and learn to recognize the social aspect of what they do and how it can help the company.

Unlike other seminars participants “do it” first and discuss afterwards. All seminars combine various elements of artistic experimentation such as role-playing, language challenges, music and movement to physicalize the learning process. They “save” their new knowledge through mind – body activity.

This process has received consistently high ratings from business leaders worldwide.

Think Less –
Feel More!

Who is Kim Moke.

Kim Moke Portrait

Kim Moke brings the creative arts into Executive Education Leadership programs addressing empathy, risk taking, self-reflection, courage and team awareness. Her goals for establishing high quality standards in the arts
has evolved into a unique combination of business training with artistic vision.

She is a global Changemaker for Leadership. Her diversified clients include top executives from the Auto-, Chemical- and Banking- industries and her evaluations are repeatedly in the highest percentile.

Kim creates projects for The London Business School and other institutions, and has presented seminars in Asia, South America, the USA and Europe. For decades as a artist, business owner and artistic director (educational institute) she has witnessed a significant change in the business world on a first hand basis: the Industrial Revolution top-down model is disappearing and The Digital Revolution is quickly transforming the workplace into a horizontal world of networking, sharing and direct communication flattening most hierarchies.

As a result Soft Skills i.e. People Skills are becoming immensely more important for leaders and teams.

With her coaching and modules Kim has proven that immersion into the theater arts reframes viewpoints and allows for change – individually and in a team. Risk taking, courage, self-confidence and trust are necessary to solve the challenges. People balance Thinking and Sensing.

years of experience as entrepreneur, artistic director and business owner

years global leadership and team building programs

self designed international projects USA, Asia, Europe, South America

global participants: performers, executives and business

  • Executive Leadership Seminars
  • 100 $
  • What if we are not who we think we are?
  • Authentic Team Building Seminars
  • 100 $
  • Want to inspire your workforce?
  • Creative CEO Coaching
  • 100 $
  • What role are you playing?

“Alternative AI – Using Artistic Intelligence for Suprapersonal Development”

Industry Forum Automotive: Munich, Germany

Industry Forum Retail: Cologne, Germany

Alternative AI – Using Artistic Intelligence for Suprapersonal Development

My team of facilitators are experienced international professionals from the theater, music and dance world

Effective to stretch, to bring me out of my comfort zone.

A very interesting and unusual experience. You won't find it anywhere else

CEO Coaching

Interesting, unusual and energizing.

Kim Moke Stage Consult
Röntgenstrasse 53
D – 22335 Hamburg
Mobile: +49 173 354 3968

Graphic Recording: Beatrice Baumgartner-Cohen
Photographer: LzMotaPhotos

Think Less – Feel More

Contact us

    What seminars are you interested in?
    Executive Leadership SeminarsAuthentic Team building SeminarsCreative CEO Coaching
    Kim Moke - Stage Consult

    Kim Moke.

    Röntgenstrasse 53, D-22335 Hamburg
    +49 173 354 3968


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The holidays are a time for baking. Deeply rooted in this tradition are rich sweet breads like stollen, panettone, babka, and brioche.

But let's face it, these breads can be projects. And in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, they might be intimidating enough to stop you in your tracks.

It doesn't have to be like that, though. Armed with the right knowledge, any baker from novice to pro can craft beautiful holiday sweet breads without anxiety. From having the right ingredients on hand to putting the finishing touches on each loaf, I’ll explain what you need to know to perfect these traditional breads (and how to keep calm in the process).

Sweet Breads
Clockwise from top: whole milk, Baker's Special Dry Milk, granulated sugar, eggs, butter.

Essential ingredients

First things first: stock your kitchen! Sweet (or enriched) breads are made from yeasted doughs that have been enriched with fat (typically butter or oil), eggs, sugar, and milk. These ingredients are what make sweet breads pillowy soft and tender. Be sure to have plenty of them on hand (along with flour, salt, and yeast) before getting to work.

In some recipes, you'll notice that instead of liquid milk we call for Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk. I'm a big fan of this ingredient simply because of its convenience.

When used in combination with water, milk powder softens and tenderizes sweet breads just as effectively as liquid milk. Yet, unlike its liquid counterparts, dry milk is shelf-stable and will stay fresh for months.

All this is not to say, however, that you have to use milk powder. You can omit it in just about any recipe that calls for it, substituting liquid milk 1:1 for water in its place.

Knead, knead, knead

In addition to having your kitchen well stocked with sweet bread essentials, you'll want to build some time into your busy holiday schedule. While sweet breads don't necessarily demand a lot of hands-on work, they do require significant kneading and resting (fermentation) periods. Fortunately, this affords you the time to check off other holiday to-do list items or simply to rest yourself.

When it comes to mixing and kneading enriched dough, a stand mixer and time are your best friends. Due to their high fat content, many enriched doughs require extensive kneading (up to 20 minutes in a mixer) once you've brought the ingredients together.

While some bakers might argue you could knead by hand, I advocate strongly for a stand mixer. You need to conserve your valuable time and energy at this time of year!

So why does enriched dough require so much kneading time? The answer goes back to the same fat that contributes to the soft, tender texture of the resulting sweet breads. Fat, whether in the form of butter, oil, and egg yolks coats the flour, causing gluten bonds to form much more slowly.

But, you do want strong gluten bonds to form. With all that fat, sweet breads need every bit of strength they can get to hold the fat in place and maintain good structure.

Testing the gluten structure

The trick to ensuring that you've achieved strong gluten formation is to perform a windowpane test. Stretch the dough (or a piece of dough) until it becomes thin enough that you can see through it. This "window" should hold for several seconds before the dough tears. If it doesn't, you'll need to mix a bit longer.

Sweet Breads
Perform the "windowpane test" to ensure full gluten development.

Take our Christmas Stollen as an example. The photo on the left shows the dough kneaded about three-quarters of the way towards full gluten development. It tears easily when stretched. The photo on the right shows what happens when the dough is kneaded all the way. It stretches easily until it's thin enough to be transparent.

Rise, ferment, and rest

Like most yeast-leavened doughs, sweet bread doughs require two fermentation phases. There's bulk fermentation, which happens just after the mixing and kneading phase. Then there's final proofing, which happens after shaping. During each of these phases, the dough (and you) can rest while the yeast gets to its own work of eating.

As it happily munches away on the sugars it finds in the flour, the yeast emits both CO2 and alcohol byproducts. These, in turn, contribute to the expansion (rising) of the dough as well as the yummy fermented flavor of the finished bread.

As I mentioned earlier, both these fermentation phases can take quite a while for sweet breads. The reason for this, again, has to do with the ingredients.

Just as fat slows down gluten formation by coating flour, it can also act as a barrier against hungry yeast. In all our recipes, the yeast first has to fight its way past butter and egg yolks before it can enjoy the sugary carbohydrate feast that flour provides. Thus, fermentation slows down as the yeast tries to overcome this fat obstacle.

The second culprit of slow fermentation, ironically, is sugar. Yeast needs moisture to thrive. Sugar, being hygroscopic (a liquid guzzler), is very good at pulling moisture away from yeast. As a result, yeast has to fight for its share of the water, which again leads to longer fermentation times.

Timing it right

With all these hindrances, it can be hard to know just how long sweet doughs need to rise. Our recipes offer a pretty good gauge of what kind of timing you can expect. But, we always like to stress that the look and feel of a dough will tell you much more than the clock.

Sweet Breads

Take our Cranberry-Orange Babka recipe, for example. The recipe states to let the dough "rise until it has just about doubled, 60 to 90 minutes." Your cue here is the word doubled rather than the minutes.

Above you can see a comparison of three babka doughs. The dough on the left has just been kneaded, the middle dough has risen for about 60 minutes, and the one on the right for about 80 minutes. In our warmish (70°F) test kitchen, it took that long for the dough to "double" and be ready for shaping.

In a cool (<65°F) kitchen, the same dough might take 90 minutes or longer. So, be sure to watch for those visual cues.

Baker's tip: Using straight-sided, conveniently-marked dough-rising buckets is a full-proof way of ensuring properly-risen dough. Tape markings on the inside or outside of a bowl will also serve the same purpose.

Make fermentation work with your schedule

What do you do when your sweet bread's schedule just doesn't quite fit with yours? Easy: extend or reduce the amount of time it spends fermenting.

Take, for example, our recipe for Brioche. After a one hour rise at room temperature, we tell you to refrigerate the dough for several hours, or overnight.

Why? Well, remember how I said a cooler kitchen will lead to longer fermentation? When it comes to working with yeast, refrigeration buys you time.

You'll need to let the yeast do some of its fermentation work at room temperature in order for it to get going. But any sweet dough, once it's about three-quarters of the way through fermentation, can be transferred to the refrigerator for at least several hours. This is true both for bulk fermentation as well as for proofing after you have shaped your dough.

There are a couple of other benefits to longer fermentation, too. More time for the yeast to work means your sweet breads will come out with more flavor. Plus, because sweet breads contain a higher proportion of fat, chilling the dough can make for much easier shaping. A firm, smooth dough is more shapeable, rollable, and twistable than one that's soft, sticky, and greasy with butter.

Now, what about the reverse? What if you want to speed up the process of fermentation? Your best bet is, again, temperature.

Yeast thrives and does its best work in a 76°F to 78°F environment. A proofer set in this range will guarantee quicker fermentation times. Or, if you don't have a proofer, a microwave or cardboard box will do the trick just as well.

Another option is to enlist the help of a strain of yeast designed specifically to tolerate the lower-moisture environment caused by sugar's liquid-guzzling tendencies. SAF Gold instant yeast does precisely that.

Check it out in our Overnight Panettone recipe. Using just 2 1/4 teaspoons of this special yeast is the equivalent of 1 tablespoon of SAF Red instant yeast. It allows for fermentation times within the 60- to 90-minute range rather than upwards of 2 hours. That's a savings of 1 to 2 hours for every batch of this fruit-studded beauty you make over the holidays! Well worth the yeast investment, in my opinion.

Optional add-ins in the cups of a muffin pan
From left to right, top to bottom: Sparkling White Sugar, fresh cranberries, dried apricots, Fruitcake Fruit BlendYuletide Cheer Spice, Rum Glaze, Swedish Pearl Sugar, marzipan, dried pineapple, Orange Jammy BitsSnow White Non-Melting Sugar, candied citrus peel, golden raisins, orange zest, dried cranberries.

Flavor enhancements

Despite the flavorful ingredients that define sweet breads, they themselves don't tend to taste strongly buttery, sweet, eggy, or milky. To enhance the flavors of these breads, bakers throughout history have added flavorful fillings, inclusions, and toppings.

Additions like spices, citrus zest, dried fruits, and nuts are especially common for holiday sweet breads. You can either knead these into the dough or turn them into a sweet filling around which you can spiral or fold the dough.

The most common way to top sweet breads is with different forms of sugar. I absolutely love the way our pearl sugar looks on just about any loaf, especially brioche and panettone. Of course, sparkling sugar is also an attractive option.

For stollen, our non-melting sugar is a great alternative to confectioners' sugar. Unlike the latter (as its name suggests) this topping sugar won't melt away before you can gift or enjoy the loaf.

Finally, I love topping my babkas with a glaze after they've baked. The drizzled effect somehow enhances the visual appeal of the loaf's natural swirls.

Sweet Breads
Clockwise from far left: Christmas Stollen, Cranberry-Orange Babka, Overnight Panettone, Brioche.

Shaping sweet breads

An added benefit of the flavor enhancements mentioned above is that they can beautify an otherwise monochromatic loaf. Shaping can be another way to achieve visual appeal.

Some sweet breads are shaped according to long-standing tradition. Stollen is a good example. Although rather unassuming-looking, the flat, folded-over shape is said to represent a swaddled baby Jesus.

Otherwise, shaping sweet breads is a simple way to add your own creative touch to these loaves. I've shown the most basic shapes above, but the possibilities are almost endless.

Make your babka loaves a bit more elaborate with just a few simple twists and turns. Or expand your braiding repertoire with brioche by tackling the four or even six-strand technique.

Sweet Breads

The finishing touch

There's a final, pre-baking step to sweet breads that sometimes goes unmentioned, but can dramatically affect the finished look and texture of your loaves. An egg wash (1 large egg beaten with a tablespoon of water), though not obligatory, transforms a matte, muted brown crust into one that's glossy and richly golden. It will also help to lock in moisture during baking, thereby preventing crumbly, dry loaves.

The difference is especially pronounced on otherwise unadorned loaves, like the two Brioche loaves pictured above. For sweet breads like stollen and babka, the egg wash is not as necessary since their beauty relies mostly on their toppings and fillings, respectively.

An egg wash also helps when using sparkling or pearl sugar. Brush the wash on before adding the sugars, and your toppings won't fall off the instant you touch or slice the bread.

Sweet Breads

Bake sweet breads to perfection (190°F)

For some sweet breads, the final stage of the process is baking. If you're not going to adorn your loaf with an ample dusting of sugar or drizzle it with a glaze after it's out of the oven, baking is your last chance to perfect it. You want to get it right!

It can be easy to underbake sweet breads. Sugar, dairy lactose, and eggs all contribute to the browning (or Maillard reaction) that occurs during baking. This means that sweet breads tend to brown quickly. While a loaf may appear done on the surface, the interior could still need more oven time.

The best way to avoid this hurdle is to invest in a good digital thermometer. You can also protect the loaf from over-browning by covering it with foil partway through baking.

You'll notice in the photo above that even though both loaves of Overnight Panettone are equally browned, the one on the left is 28°F shy of being fully baked. Since I didn't want it to get any darker, I put it back in the oven with a tin-foil hat, and 8 minutes later it was above 190°F and done.

Sweet Breads

Gifts aplenty

Whether you're sharing sweet breads with friends and family or gifting them to neighbors, teachers, and postmen, one thing's for sure: these loaves won't let you down. Every bit of planning you put into them is worth it as you witness the smiles they bring and hugs they inspire.

From stars to wreaths to charming little buns, we have dozens of holiday sweet breads to choose from. Try the ones featured in this post or discover your new favorites in our collection of sweet breads for the holidays.

Do you have a favorite sweet bread you like to bake for the holidays? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Thanks to Anne Mientka for taking the photographs for this post. And thanks to Molly Marzalek-Kelly for her long hours of baking support.

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The Author

About Charlotte Rutledge

The daughter of an Austrian baker and a French (pastry-connaisseuse) mother, Charlotte Rutledge learned to love a flakey, buttery croissant from a young age. She joined the King Arthur Flour test kitchen team in 2011 and has been developing, writing, and curating recipes ever since.

View all posts by Charlotte Rutledge


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Total loan: $1,325

Flag of Vietnam
14 Ngọc Lặc, Thanh Hóa, , Vietnam / Housing

Sơn's loan finished fundraising,
but these similar borrowers just need a little more help to reach their goals!

A loan helped to build a toilet for her family.

Sơn's story

Sơn is 55 years old and married with three children. She lives in Ngọc Lặc district, a mountainous region in Thanh Hóa, one of the poorest provinces.

She's a farmer, raising rice, chicken and ducks. The farm is small, so the income is just enough to cover living costs. Her family is a low-income household in the village.

She'd like to build a new toilet to replace the unhygienic one, but lacks credit. Sơn asked for her first loan from Thanh Hoa MFI to buy construction materials and pay laborers to build a new one.

She thanks all lenders and hopes for a bright future for her family.


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FS Level 24: The Marathon Man

Sale price$65.00

Text Type: Fiction, Narrative
Level:  24
Key Concepts:

The first marathon man ran long distances to deliver important messages to the army.

Today people run long distances called marathons for their own fitness and to achieve a personal goal.

Paired Book: Marathon Diary
Author: Mary-Anne Creasy
ISBN: 9781742341439

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