Amazing…isn’t it?
As I sat down to write my blog today I had a few different ideas come to mind. However, 
one kept reoccuring the longer I thought about it. I have been fortunate in my lifetime to have known 5 of my great grandparents. And even more fortunately, to this day, I am still very blessed to have 2 great grandparents in my life. This past week, on August 27th, my great grandpa Sherburne, turned 103. And coming up on September 7th my great grandma Edna, is turning 96 years young.
When I think about all of the events and moments they have experienced in their lives, it is truly amazing and mind boggling. Just think of it…the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Civil Right Movement, the Assassination of JFK, the invention of the computer, the explosion of the Challenger, Columbine, the first Republican female Vice Presidential candidate, and the first African American Presidential candidate, of course I could go on and on, but it is truly AMAZING!
With all of their life experiences, I have gained great wisdom and hope from their stories of struggle and success. I am thankful each day that they have enriched and helped mold my life, and the lives of others around them.
Happy Birthday Grandpa & Grandma!!
Feel free to share…
Angie
Posted in Uncategorized on September 5th, 2008 by Angie | | 0 Comments
Recognizing 5 Years Of Dedication And Loyalty!
We’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate two of our team members, Jon “Pipe” Pipenhagen, (saw operator/fabricator), and Cheryl Bodin, (Customer Service Representative), on 5 years of dedication and loyalty to PGC. Both team members have been an important part of the PGC team, and play important roles for our customers.
Yesterday, the entire PGC team celebrated their accomplishments with some festivities and cake. The day was extra special for Pipe, as he also celebrated his 50th birthday! Congratulations!
Following are some photos from the event I wanted to share:
Posted in Company on September 4th, 2008 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Recipe: King’s Wings
Here it is! My prized chicken wing recipe, which has been a favorite in my family for years. They are easy to make and still my favorite.
King’s Wings
1 package frozen chicken wings, or other prepared chicken wings (thawed)
1 bottle soy sauce
1 bottle tabasco sauce
Perpare grill. Place chicken wings on hot grill and turn frequently. Baste with prepared mixture of soy sauce and tabasco sauce. I usually use equal parts of each. (Half bottle of soy sauce and equal amount of tabasco, but this is definitely to taste.) They are fairly hot this way. You can experiment with the mix and make it to your liking.
Enjoy!
Barb
Posted in Cooking in your kitchen on August 29th, 2008 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Stay Productive With To-Do Lists!
I don’t know about you, but I am one on those people that likes lists. They not only help me stay organized, but I just seem to get way more accomplished when I write things down. Right now, we are in the process of moving, and I don’t know what I’d do without my lists. The process of moving can feel overwhelming at times, but by writing tasks down to complete, I at least feel that I’m making progress and getting somewhere.
Like many others, I use to-do lists both at work and at home to help me keep track of projects and tasks that need to get completed. Some people however, feel trapped by lists because they always feel like there is something that has to be done. (e.g. When I get this done, I can do that.) According to When To-Do Lists Take Over, an article found in the April/May 2007 issue of Body + Soul magazine, “It’s a common but deadly trap in which we use to-do lists to put off the present and focus, instead, on the future — either waiting for it to begin or hurrying to get there. We instead need to think of lists as tools by which you learn to live each moment.” Often it is a better idea to write down just those things that can be accomplished in a day.
Following are a few links for some online To-Do Lists to help you stay organized:
http://www.solutionwatch.com/450/25-to-do-lists-to-stay-productive/
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Uncategorized on August 28th, 2008 by Barb | | 2 Comments
Pickle Juice Popsicles?…Only At The Minnesota State Fair!
Last Friday, I got a chance to visit this year’s Minnesota State Fair. It was a hot and humid day, so the majority of our time was spent outside people watching, as the indoor exhibits were much too stuffy! The whole day I was anticipating the Grandstand event of the evening…Brad Paisley with special guests, Jewel, and Chuck Wicks. 
Before the concert, we had a great day and saw some very interesting events, including a marriage proposal on the 5:00 p.m. Kare 11 newscast, polka dancing at the International Bazaar stage, and of course, all of the interesting food stands!
I don’t know about you, but every year, I look forward to hearing what the new food “on a stick,” will be at the fair. This year, I had heard a lot about chocolate covered bacon, and pickle juice popsicles. While both of these sounded interesting, I was not brave enough to try either. Maybe I am boring…or traditional, but I stuck to the old stand-by’s of french fries and corn dogs. Take a look at some of the photos below for other strange, but interesting items on a stick.
We finished the day off with the big finale, the Brad Paisley concert. He played all of my favorites, including Waitin’ on a Woman, Whiskey Lullaby, I’m Still a Guy, Letter to Me, Mud on the Tires, She’s Everything, and Celebrity. It was great!
I hope you get a chance to experience the fair this year!!
Feel free to share…
Angie
Posted in Uncategorized on August 25th, 2008 by Angie | | 2 Comments
Get The Straight Facts On Radon And Granite Countertops!
Unfortunately, there are still rumors and mis-leading information going around about radon and granite countertops. The scare, which was prompted by claims made by an independent group funded by two engineered stone manufacturers, has some consumers confused and questioning the safety of granite countertops. While it is true that granites contain material that can produce minute amounts of radon gas, it is in fact, literally insignificant when mixed with the rest of the air throughout a house. Most radon found in homes comes from ground soil, well water, etc.
It is sad when anyone, especially a competing product/company, would use scare tactics, and mis-leading information to try and gain market share. The stone industry however, is fighting back. The MIA, Marble Institute of America, has talked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to facilitate new scientific standards for testing granite countertops for radon and is also working with the scientific community, etc.
If you have any questions, or concerns, please feel free to contact us. You can also research the topic further by investigating following links.
For information from an independent website, please click on the link below:
http://www.radon.com/radon/granite.html
For more information from the MIA, Marble Institute of America, please click on the link below:
http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/granite_radoninfo.cfm
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite, Company, Industry News on August 21st, 2008 by Barb | | 3 Comments
Now That’s Refreshing!
I don’t know about you, but I don’t watch much TV these days. I kind of boycotted it over the last several years because of all of those reality TV shows. Sure I catch some TV from time to time, but I much prefer the good old sit-coms, an interesting series, or a good movie.
Anyway—it has been refreshing the last week, or so watching the Olympics! I’ve always enjoyed the spirit of all of the various countries coming together, as well as the competition. My favorite event has always been gymnastics! There’s just something about the strength, endurance, and elegance that has always drawn me to it. Last night, I was able to catch the girls un-even parallel bars event. Although there were some fantastic performances, I’m not sure I agree with the out-come, and their new tie-breaking rule. If it were my decision, I would have given both the USA and China a gold. Life isn’t always fair…but that’s another whole blog.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Uncategorized on August 19th, 2008 by Barb | | 0 Comments
When It Comes To Granite Countertops—Should I Go With The Flow?
I recently wrote about flowing issues in our Summer 2008, Paramount Peeks quarterly newsletter, but since not everyone receives it, I thought I’d address it here as well.
When our customers select a flowing granite for their countertops, we often times get asked the question, “Will your installers be able to match the flow where my countertops needs to be seamed?”
The answer to that question is, “We will do our best.” While some granite’s are consistent in their overall look and feel, there are a lot of colors available that are not. Many granite’s have flow, and movement, which make them unique and truly beautiful, but these characteristics can sometimes pose some issues when it comes to seaming.
At PGC, we always strive to match the flow on pieces, but it just isn’t always possible. Our pricing structure is calculated and based on the total square footage needed for a job. Slabs are then ordered based on this square footage to accommodate all pieces being cut from the pre-determined number of slabs. The lay-out process for flowing granite’s can sometimes be a bit tricky for several reasons. First of all, there might not be enough material available to get a piece to flow a certain way. Secondly, depending on the color selected, there might not be another area of the slab that even matches. A third reason laying out a flowing granite might be tricky and cause mis-match is the slab length itself. If the slab is not long enough to accommodate a piece, another one would have to seam up to it that might not match.
If you select a flowing granite for your countertops, please make sure that you realize that a consistent, picture perfect seam is not always possible. If you are concerned about flow match, you might want to consider a granite that is more consistent.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite, Company on August 14th, 2008 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Recipe: Ginger Snap Ice Cream Sandwiches
Here’s a recipe I came across the other day that sounded like a good treat for a hot summer’s day. It’s a great recipe to share with kids to get them involved with some cooking fun!
Ginger Snap Ice Cream Sandwiches
| 1 Stick unsalted butter; | 1/4 ts Ground allspice |
| 1/2 c Granulated sugar plus | 1 ts Baking soda |
| ; coating the cookies | 3/4 ts Salt |
| 1/2 c Firmly packed light brown | Ice Cream |
| 1/3 c Unsulfured molasses | 1 c Shelled natural pistachio |
| 1 lg Egg | or other chopped nuts |
| 2 c All-purpose flour | 1 tsp. cinnamon |
| 2 1/2 ts Ground ginger |
Make the gingersnaps: Preheat the oven to 350F. In a bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, and the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, add egg and the molasses, and beat the mixture until it is smooth. In another bowl whisk together the flour, the ginger, the cinnamon, the allspice, the baking soda, and the salt, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and stir the mixture until it forms a soft dough. Form the dough into 24 balls (each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter), roll the balls in the additional granulated sugar, coating them, and arrange them 2 inches apart on buttered baking sheets. Bake the gingersnaps in batches in the middle of the oven for 13 to 15 minutes, until they are crisp and cracked but still soft inside, and let them cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer the gingersnaps with a metal spatula to racks and let them cool completely. Sandwich a scoop of the ice cream between 2 of the gingersnaps, pressing the cookies together, form 11 more sandwiches in the same manner, and roll the edges in the pistachios, or other type of nut if desired. Freeze the sandwiches on a tray, covered, until they are hard. The sandwiches may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and frozen. Makes 12 ice cream sandwiches.
Note: This recipe called for lemon ice cream, but you can use vanilla, coffee, chocolate chip, etc. Coffee-chocolate chip sounds good to me!
Enjoy!
Barb
Posted in Cooking in your kitchen on August 8th, 2008 by Barb | | 0 Comments
There’s Nothing Like The Aesthetic Appeal Of Genuine Stone!
When it comes to building, remodeling, and decorating, there’s nothing like the aesthetic appeal of genuine stone for countertops, flooring, backspashes, etc. With its unique material composition, granite provides an unmatched beauty. Granite makes up approximately 75% of the earth’s crust and contains various natural occuring minerals such as feldspar, quartz, mica, etc., which make each color distinct with a look all its own.
Many consumers are attracted to granite because of its natural occuring quartz. Some granite colors contain large areas of quartz that actually give you the visual appeal of looking down into the stone. Other granite colors may contain smaller areas of quartz throughout. Other consumers are drawn to the reflective, mirror-like mica, which is prominent in some colors. Still others are drawn to the veining and movement of some stones, and some are drawn to those granite colors consistent in their overall look.
Marble, slate, soapstone, travertine, and onyx are some other popular stones used in building and remodeling. They are often used in combination with granite countertops to compliment a room.
Whatever your stone preference, you can’t go wrong the lasting visual appeal of genuine stone! To learn more about genuine stone, please feel free to visit the MIA, Marble Institute of America website.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Following are a few photo’s I wanted to share:
Granite: Black Polar Russian (Large areas of mica and quartz)
Granite: Black Polar Russian; Slate backsplash
Posted in Granite, Company, Industry News on August 7th, 2008 by Barb | | 0 Comments
