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Teenagers need to feel loved and connected to their parents, according to a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association. 

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Researcher Michael Resnick, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Minnesota reported that teenagers who felt loved and connected to their parents had a significantly lower incidence of teenage pregnancy, drug use, violence, and suicide.

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So important is the bonding between children and parents that it overrides other factors traditionally linked to problem behavior, such as living in a single-parent home or spending less time with a child.

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Unfortunately, a study published in USA Today reported that "on average, parents spend less than seven minutes a week talking with their children."  That's simply not enough time to create a real bond with a child.

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One cool way we found to bond with your child (especially fathers and sons, but not exclusively) is by restoring old cars, in particular muscle cars.  You know the kind ... camaros, chevelles, novas, firebirds, and the ever famous GTO.

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We contacted the Wichita Area Chevelle Owners car club to gain a little more insight into how restoring cars can help parents bond with their kids.

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"It's about what the car represents.  Power.  Freedom. The whole Route 66 cruising-down-the-road-with-the-wind-in-your-hair-thing," explained Dave Gohring.  "For the kids, it's something cool.  For the fathers, it's nostalgic. A lot of us had one of these cars when we were teenagers or wanted one real bad.  Nothing brings a father and son together better than tearing one of these cars down to the frame and building it back up again to mint condition."

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So, is it all about working on cars?

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"Half the fun is in driving one of these babies," explained Dave.

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Dave's club regularly gets together for "dinner cruises."  Twenty-five to thirty  Chevelles, their owners and families  all arrive at the same location.  As many as 60 to 80 people show up, wives, kids, everyone. 

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"That many Chevelles in one place!!!" exclaimed Dave.  "It's quite a sight!  Very cool!"

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Join Us Backstage With Our Featured Members  >

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You Might Also Like:

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Roadside Attractions  >

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Vintage Barbershop - A Step Back in Time  >

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Return to Elegance  >

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<  Return to My Guide to the Backroads of America

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Hollywood moviemakers are masters at capturing our imaginations.  Whether it's a marshmallow man the size of a skyscraper, as seen in the hit movie "Ghostbusters," or a cultural icon such as the giant donut on the roof of Randy's Donuts seen rolling down the street in the recent apocalyptic blockbuster "2012", we are mesmerized with images that are larger than life.  The amazing theatrics of Hollywood - splashed across the big screen - thrills us, scares us, moves us, seduces us ...

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So, when we see a three-story T-Rex baring its teeth at us in front of a retail store - no question - it stops us in our tracks ...

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Commands our attention ...

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Cuts through the clutter of a busy world ...

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That is the ability Larry Schaeffer of Lifesize Statues claims is the magic his not-just-lifesize-but-lifelike statues possess.

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"A Marlin gracefully leaping out of the water in front of a fish restaurant or a talking cow in front of a dairy store or a stallion rearing back, front hoofs clawing at the sky, captures your attention," explains Schaeffer. 

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But it's not just the theatrics or the size of the statue that stops people in their tracks.  "It's the realism," points out Schaeffer.  "It can't look fake."

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What if the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park looked fake?

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What if the lion in The Chronicles of Narnia looked fake?

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Or the special effects in 2012 looked fake?

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Well, that old Hollywood Magic wouldn't be quite so magical.  The suspension of disbelief wouldn't be quite so suspended.  The experience wouldn't be quite so thrilling or scary or seductive ...

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Or memorable ...

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"What we're doing is capturing a moment in time," explained Schaeffer.  "The most dramatic moment.  The most compelling moment.  That exact moment in time when the Marlin is suspended above the water, its sword pointing towards the stars.  It's that moment that sets the stage for the imagination to kick in, allowing an experience visitors will talk about long after they leave ... an experience they find impossible to forget ... "

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Because, according to Schaeffer, "it's hard to forget a talking cow ... "

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For more information, visit:

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Lifesize Statues

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Timeless Secrets
of Loving Relationships
by Michael Traveler

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When's the last time you played in the lawn sprinkler with your spouse? Or took a walk together in the rain? Had a pillow fight? Or skipped rocks across the lake? Took the day off from work with no particular plan in mind, other than to spend the day with the one you love?
When's the last time you felt truly alive, giddy, like a little child at play? According to Wayne Misner, author of It May Seem, Men Don't Listen, people take life too seriously. "What we need to do is find the little boy and little girl within ourselves and get them to come out and play," explains Misner. "When fun is missing, the relationship is headed for trouble. So, what are you waiting for? Write her a love note, slip it in her briefcase or sack lunch ... lighten up, have fun, see who can act sillier ... " Take time out to start enjoying life ...

Misner suggests the first place to start is by making a Love List.

"Tell her that you want her in your arms ... " he writes " ... and will never let her go, that she is one of life's delicacies, that when you are near her the whole world is beautiful and full of wonder ... "

His list includes touching one another (in a non-sexual way) at least 10 times a day, complimenting one another, massaging each other's back, courting her forever (sending cards, flowers, notes ... for no reason other than you care), going on hayrides together, listening when she talks (and not trying to fix it) just listen, being affectionate.

Misner challenges men in his book to "exhibit love." He dares men to "be brave," to get in touch with their emotions, to let themselves "feel." In fact, he "double dares them." The problem isn't that men don't listen. The problem is they don't "want to feel," according to Misner. They've been conditioned to be distant, unreachable, strong.

Dr. Joan Shapiro wrote in her book MEN: A Translation for Women ... "Men are expected to be like soldiers all the time, and they come to expect this of themselves. They act brave and take charge even if others, including we women, don't overtly ask them to do so. If there is a noise in the house in the middle of the night, the man is expected to get up to investigate, even if he has no knowledge of self-defense." He's supposed to go down with the ship without showing "any feelings."

Tova Borgnine wrote in Being Married Happily Forever, "I believe it's our job as women and wives to teach our men how to be emotionally open, how to be physically close, and how to connect on a soul-deep level with the women they married. This may sound old-fashioned, or out of step with the times, but none of that matters if it's true."

So, how does one do this? Misner suggests, "You tell him you want to help him understand you." Then, both the man and woman make a list of their own personal needs, breaking their lists down into sections: rules, love, house, kids and so forth.

Once the couple starts fulfilling the items on each other's list, shared feelings of intimacy and romance will be put in place and the wheels will start turning. All of us "want to matter, to have our hearts touched in special ways and to feel precious," explains Misner.

And it all starts with having the right attitude. "Make an effort to look at the positive side of events," writes Stacey Colino in Fill Your Life With Joy. "Happy people view hardships and setbacks as temporary events or opportunities to introduce a new approach."

Misner writes: "I have found that with normal life stresses, I can unwind by doing comfort things. The trick to unwinding is to slip as many of the comfort things into your everyday life as possible."

Some of Misner's comfort things are: building a snowman and then having some hot chocolate, cooking together, going to a concert, going on a horse and carriage ride, watching a sporting event together, pitching a tent in your backyard and sleeping out for the night, gazing at the stars side by side, reading the newspaper together, flying a kite together, going hot air ballooning, sharing a sunrise or a sunset, having a slumber party and watching videos together.

It doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. The key is to reach down inside and bring the child out and let go of all the stresses of adult life. Be young again, let your imagination run wild, act like a teenager and let romance blossom. Spend the weekend in an authentic castle or hide away in one of those charming Bed and Breakfast Inns. Explore the countryside by wandering aimlessly along country backroads. Or steal away among the trees on a nature walk. All it takes is that first step ...

For more information about Misner's book, It May Seem, Men Don't Listen, click here.

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Or include a great Holiday Gift Idea?

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Or let people know about your site?

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Here's the place to Ask Us whatever question you might have about our Holiday Gift Guide and how you can be a part of it ...

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To ask a question, first you must log-in as a Roadside Cafe Member (membership is FREE; to become a member, click here), then simply post your question in the comment area below ...

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The go2Network & the Roadside Cafe are built with a new, advanced technology that empowers you to do more than was ever before possible within just a few clicks. 

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This easy-to-use technology can have you up and running within minutes, creating blogs, groups, online workshops and more in a fraction of the time it takes to learn older technology.

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But like anything that's new, it helps to have someone In-the-Know that you can count on and turn to when you need some assistance ...

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So, feel free to Ask Us for help when you need it.  We'll do all we can to help make your experience in the go2 Network as easy as 1 - 2- 3 Go!

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The Sky Is Falling ...
The following article is written by Michael Traveler,
author of Super Size Your Sales through Word-of-Mouse

 That’s what the news is reporting, not to mention your neighbors and quite a few other well-meaning folk. It’s spreading like wildfire … through word of mouth ...

Back in the 1930s, many well-meaning individuals spoke those same words, screamed them, when the stock market crashed and the banks closed and unemployment rose and the soup kitchen lines grew. All the advertising in the world couldn’t stop it.

During uncertain times, unstable times, fear runs rampant through the streets and through the hearts and minds of almost everyone, all of us and almost certainly your customers. During these times, it’s quite common to want to play it safe, to protect what we have, to stay close to those we love and wait for the storm to pass.

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Money Changes Hands In Good Times or Bad
Question is:  Will consumers be spending it with you or your competitor?

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But not everybody is waiting out the storm. Some shrewd business owners are recognizing the opportunity at hand and acting upon it. They realize that while their competitors are playing it safe, there is a massive opening in the market for them to gain control of their competitor’s neglected customers and increase their own profits through word of mouth.

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Build Your Fortune Now!

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 The reality is, whether the sky is falling or not, life still goes on. Bills still have to be paid. Children still have to be fed. Money still changes hands. The question is: will consumers be spending it with you or your competitor?

During the Great Depression, a lot of fortunes were built. We often have the mistaken impression that business came to a grinding halt, but that’s just not the case. My grandfather went from having 25 cents to his name and sleeping on a loading dock with his wife to owning a fleet of trucks. He took the last 25 cents he had in his pocket and turned it into $20 million during his lifetime. The principles that made that fortune are written about in my free e-Book, Michael Traveler's Supersize Your Sales through Word-of-Mouse.

The history books have countless reports of shrewd businessmen who cleverly reframed their customer’s perception of their business and made money during the worst of times, while their competitors were complaining about a sluggish economy and business being slow. This can be your story, too. It’s all a matter of reframing your customer’s perspective …

It’s all about changing how they see you and getting ‘em talking!

Research shows that during bad times, people want to surround themselves with things that comfort them. They want their children to feel safe and loved. They want their family close to them during times of uncertainty.

Sales of comfort items skyrocketed after 9/11.

People find reassurance in items that remind them of their childhood or better times or a place where they felt safe like their grandmother’s house. You’ll notice that publications like My Guide to the Backroads of America have a very comfy, homey look … designed to help make readers feel relaxed and warm and safe, designed to call up or produce good memories and warm feelings, to make a person feel welcome and at home ...

... designed to help spark word of mouth!

During bad times, it’s wise to align your business with warm and safe and comforting things, to do everything you can to make your potential customers feel secure. I call this evocative reframing.

By helping your customers remember that life does go on, that this too shall pass and that at least we have each other and that’s what is really most important, you are helping put their fears to rest and ignite the spirit of hope and determination, the American Spirit, the same spirit that carved a nation out of the wild frontier.

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How Do Your Customers See You?

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It really is all a matter of perspective, all about how you look at things, how you reframe your image in your customer's mind’s eye. Take the Cracker Barrel restaurants, for example. They serve basic home-cookin’, chicken and potatoes, meat loaf and green beans, pork chops and corn. Now, their food is good. But there’s a whole lot more to Cracker Barrel than just their food …

The Cracker Barrel experience begins as you walk onto a wooden porch with rocking chairs, an apple barrel and a checker board game. It continues as you walk inside to a general store, rich with nostalgic appeal from yesteryear.

You are greeted by folks dressed in clothing that fits the nostalgic atmosphere and led to wooden tables and seated in wooden chairs. The walls are adorned with more items from yesteryear and your drinks are brought to you in mason jars. Cracker Barrel is not just selling food. They’re selling a dining experience and evoking memories of yesteryear and all the good feelings that come with it, feelings of an old-time general store, grandma’s house, a taste of small town country livin’ and connecting all those feelings with the dining experience.

This is the secret to succeeding in a bad economy (or a good one), the formula for competing against larger chain stories outselling you on price. By adding value to what you sell, whether through superior customer service, atmosphere or simply by caring more …

… you win, your customers win, everybody wins.

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You Are More Than What You Sell

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After all, you are more than just a bunch of products on a shelf. You are more than just an employee, punching the clock at some big chain store, being paid minimum wage. Your current customers buy from you, because of your vast knowledge and experience. They buy from you, because of the great service you give them. They buy from you, because they have grown to trust and depend on you as a valuable resource.

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All of this is what you are actually selling.  Your knowledge.  Your service.  Trust.  This is what adds value to the experience.  This is what makes you a valuable resource and why they would entrust you with their hard-earned money. This is why your customers buy from you, rather than the big chain store. And it is this experience as a whole that you must find a way to show to potential new customers, if you want them to buy from you.

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They don’t know about your vast knowledge and experience, unless you show them. They don’t know about your outstanding customer service, unless you show them. And they may never know about either of these things, if you wait til after the sale to show them.

To learn affordable and effective ways that you can tap into the power of Word-of-Mouth (and online, Word-of-Mouse) to show potential customers up-front (before they've even spent a penny with you) about your extraordinary customer service, vast knowledge, superior service and amazing product(s), download my free e-Book, Michael Traveler's Super Size Your Sales through Word-of-Mouse and discover how you too can .

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Reserve Your Free Copy Now!

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Note: by requesting a free copy of Super Size Your Sales through Word of Mouse, you are giving us permission to contact you, in order to provide you with the ebook.  However, this does not obligate you to buy anything and your personal information (such as, your email address) will not be shared with anyone nor will you be bombarded with unsolicited emails from us.  We respect your privacy and take every measure humanly possible to respect and protect it.

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Seven Secrets of Happy Families
Have you ever wondered what it would be like
to have one of those picture perfect TV families?

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There's a magical moment when you see your baby's first smile or watch them take their first step - those moments stay with you forever - then life comes crashing in and the demands of work and the the sheer stress of everyday living begin to chip away at these moments and they become fewer and fewer.

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You find yourself trying to plug the holes in the dam, desperately searching for time, precious time to share and rediscover those magical moments.  But life sometimes is like a powerful flood pounding at the walls of the dam, punching holes in your best laid plans, demanding your attention.  First, one finger.  Then, another.  And soon, you find yourself out of fingers and toes.  And the flood's still coming ...

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The reality is that those magical moments don't take a lot of time.  What they really take is a few stolen moments here and there.

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According to a comprehensive study conducted by the National Family Strengths Research Project at the University of Alabama on what makes families happy, one does not have to move mountains to find happiness, but rather make small adjustments.

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Create a Strong Spiritual Foundation:  "Play" is a child's prayer.  A short walk through the woods can be very spiritual, if you and your child notice all the remarkable details of God's creation.

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Touch can be very powerful:  The human need for touch is well-documented.  And it doesn't take much.  A pat on the back for a job well done, a caress on the cheek to show you care.

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A clear focus on what's good about your family:  Research shows that families who appreciate the positive aspects of their lives tend to be happier.

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Laughter is still the best medicine:  By using a certain tone of voice or making a funny face, you can enforce the rules without entering into a power struggle with your child.

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Take time off without the kids:  Our kids need us, but they need all of us, not just the "used up" part.  That's why, happy parents cash in on the rejuvenating remedy of regular private time without the kids.

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Knock down the walls between work and home:  Get your child involved.  Ask their advice about some tough project you're tackling at work.  Explain to them how you fill out a form or write a memo.  If you open up to your child, then they'll feel more comfortable opening up to you.

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Just have fun:  Instead of living in constant fear that something is going to get broken, rearrange the house so that there is a space where kids can be kids.  Look for ways to have fun with your kids.

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Join Us Backstage With Our Featured Members  >* 

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You Might Also Like:

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Timeless Secrets of Loving Relationships  >

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Loving the Skin You're In  >

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The Magic of Music  > 

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<  Return to My Guide to the Backroads of America

Sharing a Vintage Christmas

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I remember the first time I visited my friend Lee's family.  We drove about two hours to a place that surprisingly is still on the map, but just barely.  Nestled among lush green rolling hills, there's a church and a handful of houses and a little bridge that skips over a small creek (where she and her sisters used to swim as young girls).  Geese waddle across the road and folks smile and wave as you pass by.

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My friend's parents live a mile or so outside of "town" on top of a big hill, crowned with tall watchful trees and during harvest surrounded by fields of golden shimmering wheat.  Three or four times a year, the children and grand-children gather on this hill in the old familiar farmhouse and fill it with laughter and love and warmth.  Grandma buzzes about the kitchen with the help of her four daughters preparing a holiday feast and grandpa props grandkids up on his knee and tells stories of fishing and hunting and the old days.

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There are no big screen TVs or expensive CD players, no designer clothes or fancy furniture, just love and caring and a strong sense of belonging to something special and real and wholesome. For me, these times were precious and I looked forward to them.  I would walk around the property, among the trees and in the fields, letting nature in all its wonder wash over me, feeling it wipe away the grime and chaos and stress of the city.  Then, I would rejoin the family and we'd talk and laugh and play games.  To me, this is what the Holidays are all about.

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And with that in mind, do we have some Holiday treats for you.  Both our Contributing Staff Writers and members have created some Holiday Blogs to warm the heart and fill the soul with the Spirit of the Season.

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A Vintage Christmas
Discover how handcrafted ornaments loving passed from generation to generation can transform the Holiday Season, transporting us back to a slower, simpler time ... this blog is filled with a sleighful of nostalgic, creative ideas ... you won't want to miss it!  Read more >

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Unplugging the Holidays
When you hear the word Christmas, does it always evoke an image of Victorian folk gripping steaming mugs of cider and singing carols around the piano and children who eyes light up at the sight of a wooden horse or hand stitched dolly?  Then, read on and find out how you can unplug the Holidays and take a step back in time this year ...  Read more >

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Book Review: Holiday picks for Children
It may be hard to see past Rudolph, Frosty, and the Grinch during the holidays, but if you look carefully, you're sure to find classic stories the kids will enjoy not just now, but throughout the year. Have a look at some of our favorites.  Read more >

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OOPS! Quick fixes for the Holidays
If I ask you to close your eyes and picture the perfect holiday dinner party, would elegantly dressed guests come to mind, sitting at an impeccably decorated table by flickering candlelight? Then you're certainly not at my house, and you can disregard this article. For the rest of you, here are some essential quick fixes for those little holiday mishaps.  Read more >

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A Journey through Christmas
In a world where crowds rush shopping malls to hunt for the season's latest, greatest, everyone's gotta have it, mass produced, here today gone tomorrow gadget, one man was being led by his love of all things Christmas past.  Read more >

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The Language of Love
This blog is not necessarily about Christmas or anything vintage, but it most certainly addresses the issue of how to communicate more lovingly with those we do love and during the Holiday Season as stresses and emotions mount, being able to communicate with one another more effectively certainly could come in handy.  Read more >

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Electronic Babysitters
During the Holiday Season (maybe more so than ever), we come to depend on Electronic Babysitters (television, DVDs and video games) to entertain the kids and free up our time to get things done.  But just how dependent upon this new technology should we become?  Read more >

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Organizing for the Holidays and throughout the Year
Trying to manage hectic schedules for work, family and life during the hectic Holiday Season can be a daunting task. So, how about we share some organizational ideas and free up some time in the long run. By sharing tips that work with each other, we will not only remove the concerns of the unknown but will encourage one another to set some time aside to actually get going on the areas that need organizing the most.   Read more >

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Jumpstarting the Holidays with Trivia
Nothing rekindles fond memories of years gone by like a game of Trivia.  Read more >

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