And so on and so on.

Back in the 1970s/early 80s there was a series of TV commercials that featured a young woman who cheerfully recounted how she “told two friends about Faberge Organics Shampoo, and they told two friends, and so on, and so on” as her image multiplie over and over on the screen. I admit, it was an annoying commercial, but it was a great representation of viral marketing, long before viral marketing grew teeth, thanks in large part to the advent of the Internet.

Today, this kind of friend-to-friend grassroots networking is crucial for small businesses. Catherine Howe, designer and owner of Beadiful Jewelry, understands this and makes it her mission to connect up-and-coming female business owners through her regular Dish It Out social networking events.

Her most recent event was held last week at the fabulously hip Vlora Restaurant on Boylston Street in downtown Boston. Owners Cindy Tsai & Aldo Velaj graciously hosted the event, providing sparkling pink Proseco (gotta have some pink to really celebrate girl power) and delicious passed hors d’ourves, including mini crabcakes, watermelon & feta tidbits, baked figs stuffed with goat cheese, and my personal favorite buttery filo-wrapped spinach triangles…MMMMmmmm good! My mouth is watering remembering them.

About 15 women turned out for the event and it was a great evening of socializing, sharing and gabbing about the challenges and rewards of owning our own businesses. Poor Andy stayed at home, sulking that he couldn’t come out and play with all the girls!

Among those in attendance was our fabulous bride from this summer, Sandee Tisdale, who last year, with her dear friend Kristen Parker, launched Perfecting Expecting, Boston’s premier baby planning company that helps new parents ease into the often scary transition of parenthood.

A newcomer to the group was the uber-talented Kerry Murphy, owner of Ever After Book, the ultimate fairytale wedding album. Kerry designs the most gorgeous wedding albums that combine fabulous photos with the couple’s personalized love story. She is not only incredibly talented, but she loves what she does and that huge heart of hers shines through in all of her books.

Another book-maker of sorts on hand for the event was Alyssa Gusenoff, author of Mocktails For Moms-To-Be, a very clever book offering a pitcherful of delicious non-alcoholic drinks designed specifically for moms-to-be. Alyssa, who lives in Newton with her husband, concocted the recipies when pregnant with their son, Zachary.

Sharon Gavini Reilly is the creative mind behind Cool Dog Productions. Using photos and video footage, Sharon creates beautiful personal documentaries to celebrate & commemorate special life events, including weddings, birth annoucements, even Valentine’s Day. Her editing is wonderful and really strikes an emotional chord. The holiday e-card she sent us featuring her son, Nate, talking about the family’s past year had me laughing and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside! So sweet!

Last week’s Dish It Out was the second time I had the pleasure of meeting Nirva Derbekyan, a super sweet woman and incredibly talented fashion designer. Her delicious designs can be seen at Matsu on Newbury Street in Boston, Sonia’s Boutique in Lexington and Stil in The Mall at Chestnut Hill.

Also in the group are another jewelry designer, an opera singer, graphic designer, public relations mogul, yoga studio owner, and guide book author. It really is a fabulous group of talented women of which I feel honored to be included.

Our next event will be held in the spring. So, if you’re a female entrepreneur, get in touch…and tell two friends!

Anyone who has spent more than an hour here with us at our home will know that we seem to attract lots of animals to our yard. It’s like Wild Kingdom here at Bello headquarters. But, this isn’t the result of some happy accident. Because, those of you who know Andy well, will also know that he goes out of his way to attract critters.

Admittedly, most of our visitors are of the feathered variety - hummingbirds, pheasants, woodpeckers, hawks, cuckoos. The list goes on. We’ve also seen some furry creatures, including squirrels…the bane of Andy’s existence.

Well, this year, with the recent snow we’ve had, evidence of a previously unseen species has suddenly appeared. And, based on its tracks, I think it’s safe to say, it’s not a bird. Check out these funky tracks leading to our shed.

Curious to know what might have caused such a shuffle from our shed to our deck, Andy went online in seach of answers. And, answers he found.

Do you think you know which animal these strange tracks belongs to? (I’ll give you a hint….the swishing pattern is a dead giveaway. And, no…it’s not a snake. Although, I admit, I did wonder for a second.)