What's yellow and not read all over....?

I will give you the answer as soon as I calm down (I am marinating on what I REALLY want to say about this very annoying book)
Every since the internet has become a household word and cell and smartphones came into existence, this book has become more and more annoying to me.  (Have you guessed yet)?
I do not know how to get rid of it, because there is a new edition of it every year.  Now I do not mind it's little white cousin , except, no one likes their name in it anymore.  People want privacy, and by not listing their names in the this book, they are not subject to those telemarketing calls anymore.   So they think.
I want to know who uses the Yellow pages anymore?  Yes, I know that the Yellow Pages give the listings for businesses since 1883, but this is 2013, home of the Internet, Smartphones, and home of 411, 311, and 911.   This is how I view the yellow pages (or Yellowpages which ever one you prefer):

• I have a computer, a smartphone, and an IPad.   
• They are all Google enabled.
• The home and smartphones had the capability to allowing me to push the numbers 3-1-1, 4-1-1, and the number I hope I never have to push, 9-1-1.
• I still have a mommy and a daddy who can get me any church member's phone number from a church directory I often lose for about an hour. (Only to find it when I do not need it.)
• Outlook and my smartphone have contacts on them.
• I have email

I know, some older people do not like to use the computer or a smartphone to look up stuff, and I perfectly understand that.  There has to be a way that I and others who do not like the physical Yellow Pages anymore to opt out of getting the book.
Now, the Yellow pages does have other ways for them to stay in business.   They have an app for the smartphone and tablet, a Website, a couple other things to help them keep afloat.  
Note:  You can only opt out if you are the owner of a single family dwelling.  Multi-family (AKA apartment complexes) do not count.

Have a blessed day.  

Hate Writing? Try these tips...

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I was a little girl, I disliked writing.  In this blog alone, I have mentioned that I was the worst writer in the world throughout my childhood.  I would get tons and tons of red marks, and I would often question the teacher, who made the mark, what did I do wrong.   I would listen, but it would go in one ear and out the other.  Spelling was not my friend, "I" before "e" except after "c" sent a hit man on my future writing career, and I would cry every time the teacher said the phrase, "write an essay about_______."  It is amazing  that I ended up writing not one, but 4 blogs on a variety of subjects.   Do I still have problems?  Oh yes I do.  I have to constantly proofread my work, but I have come to find that writing over the years relaxes me.   I am no longer plagued by deadlines (except my own or if I am freelancing for someone).  If I do have a deadline, I plan ahead.   I love writing.
Today, I received an email from one of newsletters I get on a daily basis.  It is called Copyblogger, and they give you tips on how to become a better blogger.  I came across today's main article titled,  9 Tips on Becoming a More Creative and Productive Writer.   You can read the rest of the article, but I am only going to highlight a couple of tips in the article.   In this article, I came across # 1 which is to take notes. We as writers should know this, but so many of us forget this important step.  At least I do.  This is extremely important if you are doing research.   Taking notes helps formulate your thoughts, give order and clarity to what you want to talk about.   In addition to the first tip, Richard M. Martin, who is the author of this article, gives these other tips:
#2 -Try freewriting.   Freewritng is a style where you just randomly write something.  Mr. Martin says that the writing itself often does not make sense, but you will have something on paper.  For example, if you do not have a subject, you can start by writing, " Today is a sunny day."   Its random, and fortunately, it is the first thing that popped into my head, because where I live is sunny and warm.   "I am bored", is the next thing that popped into my head.  It makes no sense to what I want to write about, nor does it flow from the "Today is a sunny day" sentence but I have on paper (well, the computer screen).  Try this style to see with you can come up with.   You may end up with a well-written article, and drive in traffic.
#4 -  Play with your dog.   You are stressed when you cannot think of a thing to write, and after several hours, it can be frustrating.   Just take a break is what Mr. Martin is trying to say.   If you do not have pets, clean your house, play with your children, or read a book.  Do anything that gets you mind off of the daunting task of deadlines, and endless hours of useless thought patterns.  When you are ready to continue, you will know.  The random thought will come.
#5-Give Thanks.   Thank God that you have a job that gives you the joy and the passion of writing.  Who knows, you may end up writing a gratitude piece that can wow your audience, and may even amaze yourself that you still got it.  Gratitude is the best way to get out your thoughts, like "I am thankful for today", and then explain why you are thankful.   It may also make you more appreciative of the things you have, and not worry about the things you do not have.  
#9- Take a risk.   If you do not take risks, according to Mr. Martin, "you do have a chance to fail."  another quote from the article is "to succeed, people must have the freedom to fail.   Failing is not the only thing of to taking risks, in my opinion.  You may try something new, and not only you love it, but your target audience may like it as well.  You may get a few, "don't likes" in you comments section, but that's Ok, because there is another quote, "Nothing beats a failure but a try."   If you are really not sure of it, try the that piece on a test audience.   If they love it, than the rest will.  You cannot please everyone, only yourself. (And God).
I hope these tips help you and encourage you when you are stuck.  Read the article for more of Mr. Martin's tips on the subject, and I wish you luck in getting out of your "brain fog".    Be blessed.

I may become unpopular after this post....

….But then again, I was never that popular to begin with.   I want to talk about comments.   I am not talking about comments to blogs (although I would like some every once in a while).  I am talking about comments to videos on You Tube and articles people write to inform others of their opinions, products, and other things on the web.

First of all, I think it is wonderful that these sites have a comment section after each article and video.  It lets a person know that someone has read the article.   Comments produce traffic, rather good or bad, and it shows that the writer’s opinion is not the only opinion in the world.  I have a lot of respect for the person who comments after a video or article.

What I do not like about the comment section is the nastiness that comes with it, especially if it is a video.   I was just watching a few videos highlighting some episodes of Star Trek’s Next Generation and Voyager.   There were some comments that were good, some that were in between, and there were a couple that were downright nasty.   And these were the mild ones.  I have seen videos where the comment questioned a person’s nationality (a natural hair video), cursing on a comment, calling the poster or the actors in the video names, and the list goes on and on.  

First of all, have we come to the conclusion of being true haters?  The human race in general has always been this way, but at least we had at one time soften to just our opinions about the video itself, and nothing else.  Same with articles.  The hate was always towards the article itself, not the poster, or anyone who participated in the video/article.  

Next, if you do not like something, just say you do not like it, if you have to comment, otherwise do not say anything at all.   There is a quote that says, “If you cannot say nothing nice, don’t say nothing at all.”  Period.   I usually comment to myself, then I leave.   The reason is I got into trouble a couple of times on you tube when I first started watching vidoes, and I received an email on it.   I did not like it at all.  “How dare that person email me on my comment,” I thought as I read his nasty email to me.  I deleted it, but he was right to his opinion, and me with mine.   I learned to keep my nasty little comments to myself, especially now that I have blogs, and I am getting ready to enter into the world of guest blogging.   Every article or video that a person submits to a site is not going to get rave reviews, which leads to this next point:

Write everything to the best of your ability so you can get a comment.   Last week, I took a blog writing class.  I should have done it when I started my first blog, but I couldn’t, I did not have the time, or the money if it wasn’t free.  This was one of the points the presenter said in her presentation.  Another one was to read, re-read, read it out loud, or have someone else read the article before you submit it.   The reasons why I submit my posts only a couple times a week is because I am constantly proofreading it. 

I do not have a formula for videos, because I am still learning myself.  I only have a handful of videos out in You Tube Land for a different reason that I will explain in another post.

Well in conclusion, try to leave positive comments, leave off the video and articles you hate, and the world may be a better place.  The best news is you are not stressed from watching and reading bad stuff.

Have a blessed day.

PS....Shout out to Randy @ randydavis387@gmail.com   Thanks for the comment on my last post.

Adventures into Aunthood part 2: That talk

Hello, and if you read yesterday’s episode, you should ready to hear about this one:   That talk.   I am not talking about THE Talk, which is a talk show on CBS with Julie Chen as one of the hosts, and what you do with pre-teens.  Nope, that is too easy.   I am talking about that talk that you feel like it is the parent’s job to have with THEIR child(ren).  This is THAT TALK that makes you cringe, often with no delight in it at all. That talk….well, let me set the scene up and you’ll be the judge.

When I last left you, my mom and I had a hard time last night putting 4-year old niece to bed.  I got my rest by writing part 1 of my night of aunthood, and viewing You Tube vids on my Ipad.   OK, well this morning was filled with the kids waking me up, getting them to brush their teeth, wash their face, and putting clothes on.  Breakfast was uneventful, and by then, mom had returned from her doctor’s appointment (which was the whole reason why I stayed the night, instead of going home).

The kids wanted to go outside, so I said OK to that.  Next thing I knew, nephew came in, and ratted on his sister.   She decided to become farmer niece, and pulled up one of dad’s onions that he planted two weeks ago.   The rule in the family was no one touches dad’s garden, except dad.   (It’s a running joke, you can actually get veggies out of the garden, but the onion was not ready).   Niece thought I was going to beat her (I did not, CPS, but the thought crossed my mind).  

Next, mom had to go to the grocery store for a couple of items, so off to Giant Eagle we go.   I stayed out in the car with them.  That was when “That talk” hit.   I reminded nephew that he was going to be 6 on Saturday, he said it was not true (like I was not there the day he was born), he was already 6, and his half-brothers told him that he was already 6.   I almost got into an argument with that one.  He said that his mommy (my sister) was already married, and I raised an eyebrow.   Nephew said that he and niece saw their mommy and then boyfriend, “B” did adult things with their bodies. (He actually used the actually word).  I did not know what to say at that point.  Nephew did not ask questions, neither one of them wanted no answers.   I was speechless.   This is the kind of talk I do not want to have with a 5-turning 6 years old little boy and a 4- soon to be 5 years old little girl.   It is not funny, nor is it cute.   I do not want to know my sister’s business, and yes, she was upset when she heard what he said that to me.

So why am I telling you?   To serve parents a warning:  please do not do anything that you do not want your siblings to know.  (Oops, that is three do’s, need to fix that).  I feel embarrassed finding this out from a 5 year old.   5 year olds are supposed to talk about themselves, and the latest things going on in their classroom, including the class gerbil.  The same with 4 year olds.   When did these sponges grow up?  OK, scratch that question.   When my oldest nephew was the middle one’s age, he brought home a cute little guinea pig named Hannah Banana home from school.  This was over the Christmas holiday.  I am not a rodent lover by any means necessary, but I fell in love with Hannah.   We talked about Scooby Doo, Diego (Dora the Explorer’s cousin), and what his friends were doing.   My how things changed in just those few years, because the oldest was 11 years old when the middle nephew was born.  Niece is sandwiched between her brother and the 2 turning 3 years old nephew.  

That’s another thing…Kids in this age group are sponges.  They soak up everything, and my mom gave my sister a warning about that too.   They are natural tattle-tales too.   No subject can get by a 2-10 year old.  They are the original Ma Bell.  So if you do not want anything, and I mean anything to leak out to family and friends, or even your boss, do not tell your children.  You will be fired quicker than you can say “unemployment.”  

So until next time, I will talk to you later.

Have a blessed day.

My adventures in aunt hood: the overnight guest.

Ah, the joys of aunthood, what melodies they bring.   Tonight's episode:  the overnight guest.   I have done it before, but this time, it seems that I am missing the boat.   I have covered my reaction to the first time curser, bottle feeding in the middle of the night, fights between siblings, and the smart mouth.   Have I covered it all?  NO, I have not!   I have a quote for you, and it goes like this:  " if you want to make God laugh, make plans."   Well the joke was on both my mom and me. 
I had my whole day planned; go to two computer classes, done by noon, start writing out a packet for those who join my Longaberger team, as an additional bonus outside of what the company does, read email, answer email, and finally rest and sort of goof off on social media.   A fun filled day.
I get a call from my sister to watch her kids, nephew,6 and niece, 4.   It seems that other sister baled on her at the last minute.  Neice, 7, had a concert, and my sister was not sure when she would return to watch the first sister's kids.   I called mom, because my condo was too small, and I only have one bed.  Nephew could always sleep on the couch, niece in the bed with me, but I like my bed space, and well, niece is an octopus in bed. (Very much like her mommy.)
So, we go to pick up the kids.  We knocked, called from our cell phones, left messages that we were going to leave.   When all of a sudden, my sister calls back, and says that she is coming.  She sends the kids out and brings the seats.   We are off and all is quiet, but not for long.   We get to my parents house and nephew was good,   But not neice.   Have you ever felt like a broken record?   That was me in a nutshell, and yes, I like talking to myself, especially when there should be a 4 year old little girl listening to me.   I have threat written in my voice, and as a result, it has taken two hours for two people to get one little girl to go to sleep,  I am exhausted.   Her brother, on the other hand, fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.  I talked, mom talked, I read two bedtime stories (IBooks and my IPad have officially earned their keep, because I had no children's books on the app), and the girl to this hour, has not gone to sleep.
Parents, I feel for anyone who cannot get their cute, precious little one to sleep.   What do these people eat that makes them this way?   Oh I forgot, when we were not looking, chicky-poo got to the cookies.   She had three.
 I was supposed to write a blog post on my desktop at home, instead  of on my iPad like I am doing now.
I think she is officially asleep (yep,  with torn covers off the bed).   Do I still want a little girl?  Yes I do.   This neice is not ruining the moment for me, even if she caused me to slam on the brakes when she cursed in the backseat at the age of 3.  I cannot wait until I adopt one, and I cannot wait until I see what this niece  of mine has in store for us when she turns 5 in September.   Lord, help us all.  Did I mention we are all going to Disney World in December?

Have a blessed day.

If you Give a Mom a Muffin: A Tribute to moms everywhere.

On March 5, 2013, I was just browsing through Facebook, when someone posted this poem.  It is so true of mothers to go from one activity to another so seamlessly, without missing a beat.  Sometimes I often wonder how they do it   So on this Mother's day 2013, here is a little tribute to you, and I still aspire to be among one of you one day (although some of you out there are shaking your heads and wonder why would I, lol).  So here is the poem I found and do not take credit for, By Anonymous.

 If You Give a Mom a Muffin

If you give a mom a muffin,

She’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

She’ll pour herself some.

Her 3 year old will spill the coffee.

She’ll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she’ll find dirty socks.

She’ll remember she has to do the laundry.

When she puts the laundry into the washer,

She’ll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the will remind her,

She has to plan for supper.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

She’ll look for her cookbook (“101 Things To Do With a Pound Of Hamburger”).

The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.

She will look for her checkbook.

The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her 2 year old.

She’ll smell something funny.

She’ll change the 2 year old’s diaper.

While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.

Her 5 year old will answer and hang up.

She’ll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.

Thinking off coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.

And chances are…

If she a cup of coffee,

Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

….Anonymous

Happy Mother's Day, especially to my mom, Mrs. Nellie R. Logan

What is your hobby and How do you use it?

(Please note:  I had something else planned for this spot)

Are you bored with your life?  I was....in 1997.  I was no longer a dancer, I have exhausted out my piano lessons, and the computer was not as interesting as it seemed to me at the time.  I decided to take up a new hobby, except, this hobby I tried back in the days of high school, and that was scrapbooking.   Scrapbooking was not as popular in the 1980’s as that are now.  Today, it is a billion dollar business, and the stuff you purchase today, makes you feel like you bought a lot more.   Tools of the trade are paper, paper, and more paper, but it is much more than just paper, it is metal, plastic, gadgets that help shape and mold the paper, and so forth.  From scrapbook albums, I graduated to making cards and altering items.  All of it cost money.  In 2009, I decided I no longer could support my habit, so I pulled up my glue-covered sleeves and decided to go into business.  It is one the best thing I have ever decided to do for myself and for others.  So what is your hobby?

Is it model trains, airplanes, or enjoying a pint of imported beers? Is it traveling, motorcycling, hiking, or amusement parks?  What about being a foodie, a cook, or a lover of languages?   How about robbery, shooting, or killing?  Oops, did I say a bad word or two?  Just marinade on that last sentence for a minute. 

I am not trying to be funny about the robberies, the shooting, or the killings, but it seems to me that the news (at least where I live) has at least 4-5 breaking news stories a night in the last 5 years.  I do not live in a large city like Los Angeles, Detroit, or even Miami.  It seems to me that the “hobby of the day” is to see how many people can get hurt, families being broken up, and not how many homemade greeting cards I can make in a day, and sell them on my Etsy Shop.  I want to know, if I can talk to that person right now, whoever you are, “Are you bored, jealous, or mad at someone?”  If you are, why can’t you create your own happiness, and just leave everyone else alone?

I am a fan of Young and the Restless.  If I cannot watch it that day, I tape it, or I watch it on Soap-Net.   There is a couple by the name of Kevin and Chloe.  They are the current “Goofy” couple on the show.  They want to spice up their sex life.  Kevin, who is the brother of Michael Baldwin, thinks that by becoming a modern day Robin Hood and Maid Marion or Bonnie and Clyde would do the trick, keeping things nice and steamy.  Anyway, they have been knocking off (stealing) from people’s houses, and as soon as they do that, the sex is…well, I will let you decide how it is, in case you are reading with a child on your lap or they can read.  The point to the whole story-line (which is ridiculous) is Kevin and Chloe are bored, their life seems to be boring to them (after all, how boring is running a coffee shop or working in partnership of a budding fashion designer), and they have a little girl named Dahlia.  If this is your life too, STOP AND GET A NEW HOBBY.  YOUR HOBBY STICKS.  

No amount of jail time can cure your boredom.  If you are mad at someone, stop and think about what you are doing to your family, their family, and the community.  Sometimes, that hobby can cause lock downs and evacuations.  Sometimes hatred can cause people to stop doing their own hobbies, like the woman ballroom dancer, whose foot was blown off after the Boston Marathon bombings.  Death is even worst, when you consider that 20 people in Newton, Conn will never get to know what it is like to graduate, fall in love, get married, have kids of their own, or grow old.  Think before you act. 

So my question again is, “what is your hobby?”  Is it a hobby that makes people smile, laugh, and feel insightful, or does it hurt and causes loss of a precious life that people hold so dear?  Another way of looking at this is, does your hobby cause people to rethink the laws of the land that have to do with freedom to bear arms, to speak, or find a new way of life.

Have a blessed day.