Check out our January newsletter!
JAN 2020
DIGITALPRINTINK.NET 40 YEARS AND COUNTING WHAT’S NEW ... G reetings and happy New Year to you. As we transition into the new year by saying goodbye to 2019, I hope this newsletter finds you healthy, happy, and feeling terrific! If not, I hope you soon will be.
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Reflecting on 2019 and Looking Ahead to the New Decade
Everyone made it back from DPI’s short vacation during Christmas week. Thank you for allowing us that time away. No one traveled very far, but we did enjoy the time we spent with our families. Molly in customer service traveled to Perryville, while Olivia in pre-press traveled to Hartville. They were some of our farthest travelers! As we begin this new year, I wanted to share some of the many new things that happened at DPI Printing & Signs. One of our biggest moves was our expansion into the large sign business. I’m proud of the employees who had to get outside their comfort zones to learn new skills and make this possible. We have a wonderful team that believes in looking for a way rather than an excuse . Anytime you grow 2000% in one division, it’s new skills that make this possible. “We have a wonderful team that believes in looking for a way rather than an excuse .”
This is a picture I found from prior sheep days.
We added several new employees last year, which means there has been a lot
of training and learning around the DPI Printing & Signs office. The additions have been worth it, and I really appreciate Laurie, Cortney, and Wanda for helping our new employees learn the DPI way. On a more personal note, there were many life changes for our DPI team. We had employees lose family members, help with aging parents, and one of us even got married. For me, 2019 was the year I decided to get back into raising sheep and Jan and I watched our granddaughter, Sydney Grace, head off to college. We were sad but also excited for her next adventure. As much as we may want things to remain the same, the fact is that change happens, and sometimes it happens a lot. One of my favorite phrases when facing these changes is “This too shall pass.” We can always count on the hope that comes from change, whether it’s the hope of a new year, or the thought that things will be better in the future. There’s a well- known quote that I’ve always loved to remember when I’m looking ahead: “A man is about as happy as he makes up his mind to be.” As we turn the page to another new year, know that any change begins with a thought and is followed by action. If DPI can help you anticipate changes in your business, give us a call or email info@digitalprintink.net.
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A Birthday? Elementary.
CAN YOUR FAMILY SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF SHERLOCK HOLMES’ BIRTHDAY?
1. Read: Dive into the original stories that created the world’s most famous detective. Read and exchange the books as a family, or have your little one practice reading out loud before bedtime. There’s no better way to experience the stories that have captivated audiences than by rereading them in any order, and you just may find a clue others have missed. 2. Research: Channel Holmes and Dr. Watson and become detectives yourselves! Read up on the clues, examine all the angles, and see what you discover about this mysterious birthday. 3. Host a Party: Host a Sherlock-themed bash to celebrate the famed supersleuth’s birthday! Debate the clues of Holmes’ mysterious birthday, and see if any of your guests have interesting theories.
Readers have loved adventuring with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson as they solve some of England’s most dastardly mysteries for the past 100 years, but there’s one huge mystery that no one can seem to solve: When is Sherlock Holmes’ birthday? On Jan. 6, 2020, Holmes fans will celebrate the famed fictional detective’s 166th birthday, but it’s a day author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle never specified in any of the books. In “His Last Bow,” Doyle describes Holmes as 60 years old in the year 1914. That places Holmes’ birth year in 1854, but why was Jan. 6 chosen as his day of birth? In the 1930s, Holmes superfan, journalist, and novelist Christopher Morley decided Jan. 6 must be Holmes’ birthday because an astrologer suggested it. Fans doubled down on this belief because Holmes quotes William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” twice in the series — the only literary work he ever mentions — and Jan. 6 is 12 days after Christmas. Additionally, in “The Valley of Fear,” Holmes wakes up disoriented on Jan. 7, almost as if he was out the night before celebrating something special!
We may never know the day the world’s most beloved inspector was born in fictional London, but as Holmes himself said, “... When you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
So, are you and your family up to the challenge of solving this mystery? Here are a few ways you can put the clues together.
WINTER BLUES?
Check Out These Local Attractions
As the holiday magic wears off, the winter blues may be settling in. Don’t spend the winter pulling your hair out with cabin fever! Instead, check out these local, family-friendly attractions. DISCOVERY CENTER OF SPRINGFIELD 438 E. St. Louis St., Springfield
Cedar is a resort in the middle of the wilderness that’s sure to cure your cabin fever. Challenge your family to a friendly go-kart race, or practice your swing at the golf simulator. Other attractions include laser tag, an arcade, a climbing wall, underwater-themed bowling, and the specialty “spin” and “flip” zones. And don’t fret over dinner! Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl & Grill is available on-site. Learn more about your next winter adventure at BigCedar.com . JORDAN VALLEY ICE PARK PUBLIC ICE SKATING 635 E. Trafficway, Springfield
What could be better than a day of fun and education? Your family will find that and so much more at the Discovery Center of Springfield. With rotating programs, exhibits,
and special features, the center has something for every kid. Let your toddler explore the world on the first floor, or let your little scientist run wild through the second-floor exhibits. You can even travel to space in the center’s astronomy exhibit! Learn more about the various exhibits, and discover what’s on the docket for events this January at DiscoveryCenter.org . FUN MOUNTAIN AT BIG CEDAR LODGE 190 Top of the Rock Road, Ridgedale
Of course, no January to-do list would be complete without a quintessential winter activity. Strap on your skates during public skating hours at Jordan Valley Ice Park. The rink is open seven days each week during various times starting in the early afternoon and stretching into the
Explore the sea, race against your family, or climb along the treetops without ever leaving the Ozarks this winter. Fun Mountain at Big
evening. Start a new family tradition this January, or host a skating party with your kid’s class! Be sure to check ParkBoard.org/Calendar for more information and public skating times.
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THROW AWAY YOUR RESOLUTIONS And Set Alternative Goals for the New Year
At the start of each new year, about half of all Americans set at least one New Year’s resolution, a promise to themselves that they will thrive in the coming year. Unfortunately, research from YouGov Omnibus, an international market research firm, found that only 1 in 5 Americans stuck to their resolutions. The fallibility of New Year’s resolutions is why few successful CEOs or leaders bother making them. Around this time of year, plenty of articles pop up with hot takes like, “Don’t set New Year’s resolutions; make goals instead!” Unfortunately, if you haven’t been making goals already, you’ve likely been setting yourself up for failure. Setting goals, achieving them, and making new ones should be a habit all year long, not
Hoppin’ John
A traditional New Year’s favorite in the South, Hoppin’ John includes black-eyed peas that are said to represent coins, a sign of prosperity for the coming year. It’s usually served alongside collard greens, which represent cash.
just something you do on Jan. 1. The start of a new year is still a great time to reflect and strategize, but rather than fall on an old cliche, take a page from two of the most successful people in business. Reflect on 2019 with Tim Ferriss. For decades, entrepreneur and best-selling author Tim Ferriss made New Year’s resolutions every year. Then, he developed a better strategy. “I have found ‘past year reviews’ (PYR) more informed, valuable, and actionable than half-blindly looking forward with broad resolutions,” Ferriss said in a 2018 blog post. At the start of each year, Ferriss spends an hour going through his calendar from the past 12 months and making a note of every person, activity, or commitment that sparked the strongest emotions, both positive and negative. The most positive events get rescheduled immediately for the new year. Meanwhile, the negative ones get put on a “Not-To-Do List” and hung up where Ferriss can see them. Pick a word of the year with Melinda Gates. “I do believe in starting the new year with new resolve,” says Melinda Gates, co- founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, “but instead of adopting a resolution, I choose a word of the year — a word that encapsulates my aspirations for the 12 months ahead.” Gates says that words like “spacious” or “grace” have helped her center herself and serve as a reminder about what she really wants to focus on. In 2019, Gates chose the word “shine,” stating that, “It’s a reminder for all of us to turn on the lights inside of us, lift each other up, and shine together.”
Ingredients
• • • • • •
1 cup dried black-eyed peas
5–6 cups water
1 dried hot pepper, optional (arbol and Calabrian are great options)
1 smoked ham hock 1 medium onion, diced 1 cup long-grain white rice
Directions
1. Wash and sort peas. 2. In a saucepan, cover peas with water, discarding any that float. 3. Add pepper, ham hock, and onion.
Gently boil and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until peas are just tender, about 90 minutes. At this point, you should have about 2 cups of liquid remaining.
4. Add rice, cover, drop heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes, undisturbed. 5. Remove from heat and let steam for an additional 10 minutes, still covered. 6. Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and serve.
Inspired by Epicurious
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What’s New ...
Do You Know When Sherlock Holmes Was Born? Cure Your Winter Blues at These Local Attractions Are New Year’s Resolutions a Waste of Time? Hoppin’ John
The Sweetest Crime in History
M aple syrup holds a proud place in the history and culture of Quebec, Canada. It’s also a big part of Quebec’s economy, with 72% of the world’s maple syrup produced in Quebec alone. Due to tactics employed by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (FPAQ), the NPR-backed podcast “The Indicator” estimates that maple syrup is valued at approximately $1,300 per barrel — over 20 times more than crude oil. The FPAQ controls the available syrup supply, never releasing enough maple syrup to meet demand, which increases the price. As a result, most of the world’s maple syrup is stored in various reserves. Between 2011 and 2012, a group of thieves decided to liberate the syrup from an FPAQ facility in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Quebec. Stealing syrup from Canada doesn’t sound as glamorous as stealing cash from a Vegas casino, but their plan could rival the plot of “Ocean’s Eleven.” At the FPAQ facility, syrup was stored in unmarked metal barrels and only inspected once a year. The heist, led by a man named Richard Vallières, involved transporting the barrels to a remote sugar shack in the Canadian wilderness, where
History’s Sweetest Theft The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist
they siphoned off the maple syrup, refilled the barrels with water, and returned the barrels to the facility. The stolen syrup was then trucked east to New Brunswick and south across the border into Vermont. Wisely, the thieves sold their ill-gotten goods in small batches, avoiding suspicion from legitimate syrup distributors. In what is now known as the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, thieves made off with 10,000 barrels of maple syrup valued at $18.7 million. This remains one of the most costly heists in Canadian history. Vallières himself became a millionaire and took his family on three tropical vacations in one year. Unfortunately, the thieves got sloppy and stopped refilling the barrels with water. When an FPAQ inspector visited the targeted facility in the fall of 2012, he accidentally knocked over one of the empty barrels. The inspector alerted the police, who would go on to arrest 17 men in connection to the theft, including Vallières himself. Police were then able to recover hundreds of barrels of the stolen syrup, but most of it was never recovered — likely lost to pancake breakfasts far away.
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