I have discovered a great little secret in the mountains of Hiawassee, Georgia. It is a wonderful coffee house cafe called, “Mountain Perk Coffee House Cafe”. Whenever I am in the area with a extra time to kill, I always stop in to have a white chocolate latte and blueberry scone. I set up my computer and start blogging. The guys that work the counter are so friendly and the atmosphere is so relaxed that it is like sitting at home working in my kitchen.

Mountain Perk Coffee House is a fully gourmet coffee house. You can get any kind you want! They are the home of a brand of coffee called “The Dancing Goat”. I was given a sample of it today and it was the best coffee I have ever tasted. The legend of dancing goats goes as follows:

“Coffee was first discovered in what is now called Ethiopia. According to legend, the area’s
remote highlands were home to a goatherd named Kaldi. One day he noticed his goats dancing
and prancing after eating the small, red fruit of a nearby shrub. Not wishing to be left out of the
fun, Kaldi ate the coffee cherries and soon he was dancing with is goats.”

I just learned today that the staff are certified and trained Baristas, which are “bartenders in a coffee shop.” They serve organic coffees and teas from around the world. They make their own soups and sandwiches from scratch and have a variety of scones, muffins and breads. I tried a strawberry-banana smoothie today that was excellent!

The other really cool thing about this coffeehouse is that it promotes and features local artists, authors and musicians. They have writers night, which is an open mic for local writers, live music, local artist, book signings and there is a great reading area in the back that has new and used books on sale.

I highly recommend stopping by when passing through Hiawassee, you will be pleasantly surprised and extremely pleased.

My great friend and Social Media Marketing mentor, Erika Rich (now that’s a mouthful!) wrote this post the other day. It is full of great information for the Internet Marketing Newbie like me.

A small excerpt:

I came across a pretty good blog post this morning looking for permalink do’s and don’ts from my pal Vicky over at PrairieHarpy. The title is “10 Mistakes Made by Social Media Newbies” and it was written not too long ago (December 2009) by Shari Weiss and is an exceptional list for people just getting into Social Media Marketing.

It made me think about some things that have been rolling around in my head awhile and inspired me to get some of these thoughts out in writing to share with y’all….

Make sure you get over to her blog to read the rest of it. You won’t regret it.

Social Media Kick in the Pants by Erika L Rich

As you know by now I, Tracy Matlack,am the type of person who likes new adventures and challenges.  I guess that’s why when approached by my good friend Erika Rich with an idea about internet marketing, I was ready to jump in with both feet.

I have a lot of experience in working with computers and the various types of software, but I knew nothing about social networking, marketing,or blogging. To be honest, it was overwhelming to start, but my friends Erika and JoAnn Guida have taken me under their wings and have guided me through the process. There is a lot to learn!

Little by little I am getting the feel for it and am learning the ropes. I can see the big picture of what they are teaching me and how it all fits together. Now, instead of being confused and overwhelmed, I am getting excited.  The opportunities are endless.

Being a single mom of two teenagers, it is my dream to work and make a living from the comfort of my home. That dream will become a reality with a lot of hard work and determination. I have great expectations for my future and can’t wait to see the results of my efforts!