Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour
Servings: 14

Ingredients:

7 slices bacon
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (8 ounce) package cream
cheese, softened 1/4 cup half-and-half
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
chives

Directions:

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove bacon from skillet, drain on paper towels and crumble.
2. Place garlic in hot bacon grease. Cook and stir until soft, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place cream cheese and half-and-half in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until blended. Stir in bacon, garlic, blue cheese and chives. Transfer mixture to a medium baking dish.
4. Bake covered in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Source:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Warm-Blue-Cheese-Dip-with-Garlic-and-Bacon/Detail.aspx

A bit of History…

The U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”[2]

In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas man named Alvin King the owner of a shoe repair shop, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into “All” Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11 to honor all veterans. With the help of U.S. Representative Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.[3]

Source Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_day

Happy Veterans day! Thank you to all who have served our country!

The Hickory II from The Jones Company – located in The Belshire Community in Spring Hill:

We are pleased to announce our New Model in The Belshire Community located in Spring Hill, TN. This home is gorgeous! Our popular Hickory II model is fully decorated and ready for touring.

Meet Tony James – Belshire’s Community Sales Manager

Call Tony at 615-302-1304 to schedule a visit, or feel free to pop in and say Hello!

Directions From Nashville: Take I-65 South to 840 West via Exit 59B. Continue, following the signs to Spring Hill/Hwy. 31. Turn left on HWY 31 (Columbia Pike). Travel approx. 4.2 miles and turn right on Belshire Way.

Hey Joe!  

What are you doing with those Stairs?

Episode 18 – Behind the Walls of a Jones Company Home

Episode 19 – Behind the Walls of a Jones Company Home

Great Article by By Kym McNicolas, Forbes.com

What you didn’t know about energy efficiency could hurt your pocketbook.

Myth #1: Closing the Vent Saves Energy
Though it seems that closing vents in unused rooms would save energy, the energy consumed by the system is at the unit itself, and restricting conditioned air at a vent termination redirects it to other locations in the house or through leaks in your duct system. Closing vents also puts backpressure on the fan that pushes the air through the system, causing it to work harder, use more energy, and wear out faster.

Myth #2: New Windows = Significant Energy Cost Savings
Replacing single-pane windows for Energy-Star rated dual-pane windows will save energy. That energy savings, however, is a function of the size and number of windows in your home, their orientation and overhangs, and the location of your house and the climate zone you are live in. This typically amounts to a small fraction of your total energy use, and given the expense of replacing windows, there are typically much more cost-effective ways to reduce your energy bills.

Myth #3: Setting Thermostat Higher Heats a Home Faster
A furnace will provide heat at its max power (or a fraction of max power for multi-stage units) when it is first turned on. So, setting the temperature higher will have little effect in how quickly a home heats.  Setting the thermostat higher does have the potential to increase the run-time of the heating system, using more energy and potentially making your home uncomfortably hot.

Myth #4: Using an Electric Space Heater Saves Money
Given that electricity is typically between four and 10 times the cost of natural gas, running just two electric space heaters can cost the equivalent of heating an entire home with a gas-powered system.

Myth #5: Leaving a Light on Uses Less Energy Than Turning It Off, Then on Again
Some people actually believe that if leaving the light on when they leave the room for a few minutes to take a restroom break, for example, is better than turning it off and then on again when they return. There is no significant additional power draw when turning on a light bulb (other than the calories you use by flipping the switch). So, turn off the lights each time you leave a room, even if for just a couple of minutes.

Source: http://green.yahoo.com/blog/guest_bloggers/130/five-energy-savings-myths.html

Don’t mess with this Charlie’s Angel, she has a caulk gun and is not afraid to use it. Brenda  is only one of the many volunteers helping The Jones Company build a Habitat for Humanity Home in Spring Hill, TN.

Dale Campbell is head of construction on this home and has really been putting in the hours. Dale always has a smile on his face and genuinely cares about the home he is building and the people he is building it for. Did I mention what a great job he is doing? Thanks Dale!

Helping build a Habitat Home is a far cry from sitting at a desk working. On this particular day, our volunteers left with caulk stuck like glue all over our hands and clothes, nail putty under our fingernails, a nose full of dust – need I say more? Ok, I will say more. We were tired and had muscles aching that we didn’t know we had. But guess what. It felt great! So great that I and many others from The Jones Company will be there with Dale next week.

How many years have you worked in new home industry? 16     

How long have you been with Jones?  Since January 2006   

Why did you choose this business?  I have a passion for construction and specifically homebuilding.  This started when I was a very small child and I loved working with my hands building things.              

How did you end up in this industry? A guidance counselor in high school suggested I look into construction management rather than simply being a carpenter and a pig farmer.  One thing led to the next and here I am in homebuilding.

Where are you originally from?   Iowa      

Name of College: University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio

Degree Received: Bachelor of Science – Construction Management; Associate of Science – Civil & Construction Engineering

Major: Construction Management       

Describe your past work experiences.  Please include what you were doing before The Jones Company:  I started out in January of 2006 as an Area Construction Manager handling the construction and warranty portion of the business.  I am the “licensed general contractor” for the TJC and thoroughly enjoy new home construction.  In 2009 our Division President Richard Chapman asked me to start managing the sales team in lieu of the construction team.  So I went out and got my real estate license and put on a suit instead of my blue jeans and boots.  What a change for me – my wife hardly recognized me the first week.  It is a pleasure working with general Realtors and our entire sales team as we promote the incredible Jones Company. Before TJC I worked for Centex Homes in Dallas, Texas.  I started out as a builder and worked my way up to a area manager position handling sales and construction for the high end condominium division called City Homes where we specialized in downtown re-development in Dallas and Fort Worth.
 During my college years I worked for a commercial general contractor MAC Construction as a superintendent for four years.  This was a great learning opportunity for me to understand the difference between commercial construction and residential home building.  It helped make my decision that homebuilding truly is my passion.            

Why did you want to work for Jones? I wanted to get a way from the “public” builder mentality where they worried more about the stock price and cared NOTHING about the value of their homes or the quality of construction presented for their customer.   

Describe your best experience or nicest compliment received from a homeowner.  The best experience I have ever had was when I built a home for Chris Snyder in Allen, Texas.  He met with me at the pre-construction meeting and explained that he did not want to see the house during construction, talk to me during the process, or even conduct a new home presentation.  He simply said when the house is 100% finished call me and I will close and move in.  His explanation was that he doesn’t get to see how his car , computer, furniture, etc. is built so why should he see how his home is built.  Nor did he like having his customers watching over his back while he was working on their product.  He simply asked me “Are you a building professional?  If so, then build me a home that I will be satisfied with.”  I diligently focused on the construction of his home and once it was finished he moved in.  Amazingly he NEVER even had a single warranty item.  I spoke with him about five years after his purchase and he was still raving about his home and how it was exactly what he wanted.   

 What is your personal philosophy that guides your work? (i.e., A job worth doing is worth doing right.)   Hard work combined with a lot of fun!  Constantly learning something new and focusing on building value for the customer.

I promised more episodes, so here you go…

Thanks Joe and Peder for demonstrating how The Jones Company builds a Smart home!

 Episode 7 - http://www.youtube.com/user/LiveJonesdotcom#p/u/6/fvUpJV9AQbg

Analysts: GM deal could spawn 6,000 additional jobs across TN 

The return of 1,700 jobs to a revived General Motors plant in Spring Hill would be just the start in terms of economic impact from the proposed agreement between the company and United Auto Workers union.

The spin-off effect of the proposal could result in a net gain of nearly 6,000 jobs for Tennessee, economists say.

Auto assembly plants have the highest economic multiplier effect in terms of job creation, said Sean McAlinden, vice president and chief economist at the Center for Automotive Research. Each auto manufacturing job created at the plant is estimated to generate an additional nine jobs in the United States. Two-and-half of those jobs would be in Tennessee.

“Its really good news for Tennessee, an automotive state with a lot of auto suppliers,” McAlinden said.  

A recent study by Business Facilities magazine ranked Tennessee’s auto manufacturing sector as the strongest in the country.

Literally thousands of components go into each vehicle. That translates to plenty of opportunities for area auto suppliers that manufacture those parts.

About 850 supplier jobs would likely be created surrounding the plant, McAlinden said.

“Suppliers will move back to the area and build facilities or fill up the ones that were there already,” McAlinden said.  Read entire article from The Nashville Business Journal…

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2011/09/21/gm-proposal-could-ripple-throught.html

Number of years working in new home industry.  8 years.

How long have you been with Jones? 2 yrs  

Why did you choose this business?  Reputation and extreme competition with the previous homebuilder I worked for . To stick it out in challenging times when many other builders were giving up- WOW – Jones kept building. I knew they obviously delivered an excellent home and had the drive to continue doing so.

  
How did you end up in this industry?  New Home Sales and the Real Estate Industry were BOOMING! It was a no brainer.

      
Where are you originally from?  Columbia TN 

Education:  Attended The University of Tennessee Knoxville with a BA in Psychology

Describe your past work experiences.  Please include what you were doing before The Jones Co.
Marketing Coordinator for Newmark Homes which included Online Sales, later becoming the Marketing Manager and doing online sales.     

Why did you want to work for Jones? 
I wanted to work for a builder who had obviously made very wise decisions in the home building industry, and several people had recommended The Jones Company to me. 
            
Describe your best experience or nicest compliment received from a homeowner.
Thank you so much for your help!….and then they PURCHASE a home.   

What is your personal philosophy that guides your work? (i.e., A job worth doing is worth doing right.)  
Do the best you can at what you do and strive to do better.  
What motivates you or what personal fulfillment do you get out of your job?
When I feel I have done all I can do, and the project I complete is exactly what was needed. Also, I love it when an elead actually thanks me for a prompt response and replies to my emails regardless of their interest.