tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57238185292823281622024-03-13T15:15:35.772-04:00My Ambiance LifeWriting is the soul that is teachable.Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.comBlogger514125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-22162765430549069782020-09-21T06:00:00.008-04:002020-09-21T06:00:02.434-04:00Saying Goodbye<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3RAIm74SBs/X2ekdoDajAI/AAAAAAAAcaE/7kEitFTrJQU2rEcgl3CON8T8CSFLBRJ3gCNcBGAsYHQ/s468/Saying%2BGoodbye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="468" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3RAIm74SBs/X2ekdoDajAI/AAAAAAAAcaE/7kEitFTrJQU2rEcgl3CON8T8CSFLBRJ3gCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Saying%2BGoodbye.jpg" /></a></div><br />Note: Another version of this blog post is under <a href="https://patriciallogan.com" target="_blank">The Writing Cove</a>. This was intentional to introduce the new blog to the community. This blog will be up until further notice so that if a reader wants to read the old posts, they can. A link to this blog will also be listed on The Writing Cove.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I want to thank everyone who has supported me and My Ambiance Life since 2012 when it began as My Blessed Life. I am looking forward to writing in The Writing Cove for many years to come and seeing where God will take me on this part of my journey through life.</p><p class="MsoNormal">“Write what you know” has been the motto of this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I often found myself dealing in the heart of
controversy on this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does not
matter if:</p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">I am teaching you how to
write</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">What to write</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Where to write
(journaling)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Planning your writings</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Or speaking your truth</li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is in here.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Last night, as I started preparing for the start of “The
Writing Cove” over on Godaddy (details later in this post), I realize that I am
starting a whole new chapter for this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I looked back on some of the posts I have written here on Blogger, and
there were some posts where I clapped in delight, while others, I asked myself,
“what the heck was I thinking when I wrote this?” (kindly add your own “h” word
where heck lies, LOL).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave you all,
my sad times, my happy times, times where I wanted to be the teacher, and
lastly, where I wanted you to teach me. I have and always will claim that I do
not have all the answers, but I am trying.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have hinted to you for years how dissatisfied I was with
Blogger and its limitations for growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
seems to be truer since they got a new interface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not saying to never try Blogger, and I
like Blogger, but I feel that I have outgrown it for all my blogs. In fact my
newest blog, Miss Froggy Loves Traveling never saw the light of Blogger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is over on Godaddy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are not into coding and creating
pages, you can opt for Blogger or Wordpress.com, both will give you the satisfaction
of a controlled environment, where all you have to do is write your content and
publish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recommend both equally for
beginners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are wondering if you
can intergrade affiliate marketing links in either Blogger or WordPress.com,
yes you can. This is one of the series that I have in the works for the future.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Future is now…. The Writing Cove</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With every future endeavor, you need to start with a
name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a name that tells the
reader in one sentence what the blog is about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I played with this name several times, looked it up to make sure that no
one owned this name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are shops in
various cities throughout the world, but none with the true name for a blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted The Writer’s Grove, it is actually the
name of a book (I forgot the author’s name), and it is widely published.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not about to go to court over the name of
a blog if he has the right to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the
name, “The Writer’s Coven” came to mind, and well, The Lord Steered me away
from that one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shorten it by one
letter, “The Writing Cove”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christian
Authors, I checked it, and it is sound, and safe for me to use it, both in the
biblical sense and copyright sense.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What is The Writing Cove?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Writing Cove is exactly what the name indicates,
writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it has the same
elements that the present My Ambiance Life has without the controversial topics,
you know, Politics, who is doing who in Hollywood, and “why I hate…”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing I am not steering from but will be
putting less of is things and Ideas involving Black people and people of
color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why? Because I am one. I had a
white Great-grandfather, but that is as far as it goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My father does not know that side of the
family, and I am going to leave it there.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you want to know:</p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">How to start a blog.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">What social media platforms
are right for you and your blog (hint-you cannot be devoted to all the sites
because it depends on what you want to do.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">How to journal and where
to journal</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">How to use a planner for
your benefit</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">How to start a multi-income
business without all the garbage that people feed you, successfully feed
you and your family, and not worry about not having a million dollars in
the bank. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">To be motivated mentally and
spiritually</li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then you have come to the right place<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the reasons why I have not posted anything is all
that I have mentioned above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been
working on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want everything to be
right, not perfect, only right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want
you to feel comfortable reading at your own pace and to comment at your own
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, just like everything in life, there are some rules and
regulations that need to be followed when reading my post, and they will be
listed under Policies at The Writing Cove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some of them are:</p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Play nice:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, if you are a person who likes to read posts and make comments about how bad I am, pushing your company (you will get a chance to, I promise), and issuing threats, you will be dealt with either a block or the authorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not take threats lightly</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">No cursing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please, there are ways to say things without giving God a last name or using Jesus’ name in the wrong context.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will be the first to admit that I do curse, and I am trying to get better at not doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is hard, and the Lord knows it.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">No defaming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tensions are still on the rise between the supports of the Black Lives Matter movement, the police, and the president.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The same</span> goes between the races, sexual orientation and identification, and religions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do not agree with me, fine, but do not stifle what I have to say and what I put out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone has different opinions.</li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gig writing and other matters…</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have often mentioned that one of my businesses is
freelancing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a freelance writer and
freelance graphic designer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Writing Cove, I will have a page dedicated to solicitation of my services. This
is another reason for me to switch from Blogger to WordPress.org
(Godaddy).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Google, has been kind of wishy-washy
about the whole thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While they do not
mind the advertising, they want it under their terms, and that I cannot deal
with any longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am losing money
because of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I keep hearing that the
second wave of Covid-19 is coming, and I want to be prepared in the “doing my
job” department. I want to let people know what to expect from me in the coming
months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are some of my services:</p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Blog posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will write blog posts as a guest or ghost
writer</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Resume Writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your package will include a resume/cover letter combo or CRV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot do recommendations unless you are a family member or friend and I recommend that you do not pick a stranger for those.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need to be known as a personal friend or colleague. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Binder Services. Binders
can be used in many different applications, from home use to business.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Office Services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Office, as in MS Office documents (MS
Word), Spreadsheets (Excel), Presentations (PowerPoint), Email (Outlook: coming
soon), Records (Access), basic graphics (Publisher), and virtual notebook
creation (OneNote).</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Complex Graphic services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All graphics (with the exception of simple
graphic made in MS. Publisher or Canva), will be made with PhotoShop, Illustrator,
or InDesign.</li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">Other services include card creation (greeting, post, and business
cards), Invitations (baby and wedding), memory books, and promotional items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A complete listing will be on The Writing
Cove, along with pricing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So this is a little shorter than what I am to writing, but I
want to do a proper send-off to My Ambiance Life and a proper introduction to The
Writing Cove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will post this on both blogs,
and I will have a link to My Ambiance Life in The Writing Cove, so you can read
my old posts.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As Mari Kondo says, you should say thank you to those things
that served you well in your life journey, and well, My Ambiance Life has served
me well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starting off as My Blessed Life
and now start a new chapter as The Writing Cove. Blogger has also served me
well.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I hope you will enjoy and learn from The Writing Cove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now to transition over Home Prep to its new
home. </p>Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0Columbus, OH, USA39.9611755 -82.99879419999999211.650941663821158 -118.15504419999999 68.271409336178849 -47.842544199999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-28473784808975371822020-07-27T07:00:00.009-04:002020-07-27T07:00:04.244-04:00New series: 56 My Ambiance Life things<p class="MsoNormal">Hello, long time, no see, rather no write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They say that if you think too hard,
something ugly might come up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OK, I am
the only one who said it, BUUTTT….</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I just celebrated my birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, that one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>July 21 is the date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not one to reveal my age because I do
not feel it and I do not think it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s
just say that I am a Gen X, the forgotten generation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They talk about the Baby Boomers and they
talk about the Millennials, and they talk about the older folks (my parent’s
age group) but they never talk about mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I guess that we are the people that others warn each other about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if you were born between 1964-1979, you
know exactly what I am talking about, but this is not that conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not here, and not on this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can explain further as I go through “56 My
Ambiance Life Things on that blog, or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You never know until you read all 4 blogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I say 4?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, today and for the next couple of weeks or so, I will have 56
Home Prep things on that blog, 56 My Ambiance Life things on this blog, 56 P.
Lynne Designs things on that blog and 56 Miss Froggy Loves Traveling things on
that blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each series has no rhyme or
reason except that it has to do with what each blog has in store for the
reader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In My Ambiance Life’s case, it
is about writing, blogging, and inspiration to name a few. So here’s a start.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5dvFPo4Qy6Y/Xx0A1EWapEI/AAAAAAAAcIU/zsekrPX-lBIWJ97jedRloe-y0WgN34aVACNcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Writing%2BDuring%2BConvid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5dvFPo4Qy6Y/Xx0A1EWapEI/AAAAAAAAcIU/zsekrPX-lBIWJ97jedRloe-y0WgN34aVACNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/Writing%2BDuring%2BConvid.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Today’s topic:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Writing
during Covid</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today, I want to talk about being a writer during this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can call your profession anything you
want to help you sleep at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I call
myself a writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not comfortable at
the moment of calling myself a blogger, and the reason is I am not basically at
the moment putting down my feelings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have 3 other blogs; one that covers home life (Home Prep), one that covers my
business and crafting (P. Lynne Designs), and a new one that covers travel (Miss
Froggy Loves Traveling).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have enough content
that can cover this blog (My Ambiance Life) and the other two blogs, but, as
soon as I announced that I was putting the travel section into another blog,
Covid-19 hit with a vengeance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only
place I have been since that time is to my brother’s house in Dayton, which is
an hour and a half from Columbus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Currently, if I were to go to Walt Disney World, I would
have to self-quarantine for 14 days before going into the parks, since I am
from the state of Ohio, which is now one of the high risks states in the
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, idiots who refuse to wear
a mask around here. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you are happy
about your right to not wear a mask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thanks to you, I cannot move freely throughout the country with one
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have impeded on mine.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Back to the subject….</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As you can see, I am kind of sore about that, and thanks
okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a writer (blogger or not), you
can write about your experiences with Covid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is plenty to write about, and you can put as much or as little
details as you want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> After all</span>, it is your
article/post/novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can have it fictionalized
into something like the “Virus that Ate Manhattan”, or something that Robin
Cook could only visualize in his mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humm,
I wonder if his book, Pandemic (2018) was about Covid in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The virus in the book describes a “flu-like”
virus invading parts of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is hitting to close to home.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How about writing about your personal experience with the
virus, being “Stuck in the house and in the house bored” as the famous Tik Tok video
suggests? I was thinking about trying some of the cute recipes that are on Tik
Tok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I already failed that breakfast
sandwich trick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do plan on writing about
it in my Home Prep blog and have a video on my YouTube channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me give you some other examples.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Examples for Motivational and inspirational type blog posts</i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First off, if you write motivational and/or inspirational
type blog posts or want to start one during this pandemic (or any type of blog
post for that matter), do not start on the negative side of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>February and March 2020 was a shocker in the
first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot remember in my
lifetime where I am ordered by the local or federal government to stay inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also cannot remember a time where there is
uncertainty throughout the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, by the time I was born, the civil rights movement was almost over and by
the time I started school, I was able to be in a classroom with children of different
races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never experienced a time when I
was told that I could not do something during my childhood unless my parents
did not want me to do it. They tried to give me every opportunity to make a
living, and have a better life. So, start with your own life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recall life before the pandemic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Who are you and what is your background? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Where do you live?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this, do not give out your exact location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice at the beginning of this blog post, where I mentioned where my brother lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said only the city and state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giving out your exact location can be bad for privacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">What have you been doing during this time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While you are in your home or if you are working during this time, how has it been? Have you been displaced in your job?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An example
of this would be “that as a gig worker and entrepreneur, it has not been
easy for me, but I have been trying to stay positive by improving on my
skills and creating work for myself to do.” This is how I came up with the
56 blog posts idea for all of my blogs.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You may have something similar or mention that you have been working remotely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am only mentioning things that are allowed in the United States, it may be different in your country.</li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Examples for “Home living” type blog posts</i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is easier than the motivational and inspirational
blogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason is it brings together something
that most people during this time, working in the home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not talking about your job, but renovating
and doing little remodeling jobs around the home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Have you an increase in your shopping habits? Talk about what you have bought during this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Haul videos and haul blog posts have become very popular during this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have made a couple myself.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Have you discovered a new way of cooking?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Food delivery has increased since we are still limited from going into a restaurant and having a sit-down meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">In my first “56 Home Prep things”
blog post over on my Home Prep blog, I mentioned that Uber Eats has sort of
becoming my BFF, and now I need to rediscovery my cookware and other things
because it is eating into my budget. Yes, you can get carried away with the
idea of someone bringing your food to you, and they can sit it in front of your
door with you making contact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A word of
advice, have the grocery store bring you some goodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gained 20 pounds in delivery prepared food
and my Ipad has become my new timer, LOL.</p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">How have you organized and decluttered?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talk about the space that you are trying to organize and what you want out of the space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come up with a plan and make it a
journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">My craftroom, kitchen, and home
office are three spaces that needed attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am almost done with the kitchen and home office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My main attention is now on the craftroom. For
the craftroom, I mapped out my plan, the furniture pieces, which began before
the pandemic, and now I need to order, build (most of it is from Ikea), and plop
stuff in place.</p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">For parent eyes ONLY… how have your kids faired during the pandemic?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Does your school system have at least a partial plan for August and
September?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What have you done to keep them occupied?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you considering permanent homeschooling your kids?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pet
Parents… how has your furbaby felt about you staying at home?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a niece furbaby, and I
know she is wondering why everywhere she turns, I am right there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, she has hidden from me on several occasions during this time and tried to escape, LOL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most times, she has enjoyed my company,
and I have enjoyed hers. </li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Tips on making writing work for other types of writing
besides writing in a blog…</i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You do not have to write to keep others happy in this
form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are a novelist, this is a great
time to start that novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, if
you have already written your first novel, you already know this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This advice is for those who have always
wanted to write one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, what do you write about besides the pandemic around us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You do not have to write about the pandemic
as I previously mentioned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can go to
another space in your head that speaks to your desires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this, there are some wonderful articles on
how to start a novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not a
novelist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes I wish I were that person,
or I can advise you better.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do you like poetry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Prose? A good non-fiction how-to book?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All of these would make a good book if you put your mind to it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Well, it’s the end…</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But not for long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have lots to say and not enough time to say it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some posts will be short and some long-winded, but never boring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you like this, stay tuned, there more
posts to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have any comments,
questions, and suggestions during this “challenge” (yes, I officially calling
it that), please put it in the comments section of this blog or any of my
blogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may also address it to my email
address, <a href="mailto:plogan721@att.net">plogan721@att.net</a>. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Until then, see you next time.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0Columbus, OH, USA39.9611755 -82.99879419999999211.650941663821158 -118.15504419999999 68.271409336178849 -47.842544199999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-18956678840821609182020-06-12T10:49:00.001-04:002020-06-12T10:49:18.311-04:00Erin Condren Haul<div style="width: 480px; height: 270px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" seamless="seamless" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitAllowFullScreen" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" id="okplayer" width="480" height="270" src="http://youtube.com/embed/CFR9oyPOL5Y" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 480px; height: 270px;" name="okplayer"></iframe></div>
Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-63314979355479728342020-06-11T19:49:00.001-04:002020-06-11T19:49:26.126-04:00Big Haul From Walmart |Amazon Haul |Update on Water Situation and more<div style="width: 480px; height: 270px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" seamless="seamless" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitAllowFullScreen" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" id="okplayer" width="480" height="270" src="http://youtube.com/embed/iYB82GLQsYU" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 480px; height: 270px;" name="okplayer"></iframe></div>
Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-46075593073062181312020-06-06T00:49:00.001-04:002020-06-06T00:49:29.400-04:00Dollar Tree Haul| Dealing with the world<div style="width: 480px; height: 270px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" seamless="seamless" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitAllowFullScreen" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" id="okplayer" width="480" height="270" src="http://youtube.com/embed/zxB2Iw2AWB0" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 480px; height: 270px;" name="okplayer"></iframe></div>
Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-29996447379362186512020-06-05T00:49:00.001-04:002020-06-05T00:49:13.073-04:00Cute visitor is helping me with this haul|Tonic Studios Haul|die cut collection<div style="width: 480px; height: 270px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" seamless="seamless" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitAllowFullScreen" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" id="okplayer" width="480" height="270" src="http://youtube.com/embed/xMrHzkHtJQk" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 480px; height: 270px;" name="okplayer"></iframe></div>
Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-3593279785204992422020-06-04T09:00:00.010-04:002020-06-04T09:00:02.983-04:00Taking a Mental Break<p class="MsoNormal">I am trying to switch around my blogging schedule a little
bit.<span> </span>Having Motivational Mondays are
great, but I feel at this time in our lives, we need motivation every day.<span> </span>So, until further notice, Motivational Mondays are out, and you will never know when I am will post a motivational moment
post.<span> </span>That is what I am calling them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PjPd3-Qqj4M/XtixWa21PhI/AAAAAAAAbyI/kJPq-cnHbI0_fr5KQpsa5xt9T66vIeW8ACK4BGAsYHg/s1600/take%2Ba%2Bmental%2Bbreak.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PjPd3-Qqj4M/XtixWa21PhI/AAAAAAAAbyI/kJPq-cnHbI0_fr5KQpsa5xt9T66vIeW8ACK4BGAsYHg/w400-h225/take%2Ba%2Bmental%2Bbreak.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is important to take a mental break<br />Photos by Pixabay.com</td></tr></tbody></table>Corona and #BlackLivesMatter have worn me out.<span> </span>I am exhausted, not because of what is going
on now, but what has been going on?<span> </span>I
have a question to ask, and that question is, “when does it have to be so
exhausting to have my skin color? <span> </span>Why do
I have to be the low man on the totem pole when it comes to opportunities?<span> </span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the reasons I became an entrepreneur was I got sick
and tired of being fired from the job that I was in.<span> </span>If I was not fired, I got the crappy stuff at
my job.<span> </span>Yes, I wanted to change at my job,
and I was one of the last ones to say how crappy a job was, so I left.<span> </span>To put it mildly, I got fed up at my last
job, which was a simple retail job.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When you have feelings like that, you can do one of two
things: scream or take a mental break.<span> </span>I
suggest that you take a mental break.<span>
</span>This includes taking one from all the problems of the world like Corona
and the race protests.<span> </span>It does not mean
that you do not care anymore, please no that.<span>
</span>It means that you need to take care of yourself before you end up in the
hospital or worse.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Taking a mental break can take anywhere from 5 minutes to
several hours (sleep or running errands).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yesterday, I did take a mental break.<span> </span>I did the following:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The day before, I ordered a new vacuum cleaner
because I needed one.<span> </span>I picked it up at
Walmart under order pickup at 2pm.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->After I left there, I drove to Joann’s to get
the Cricut Joy Machine and some of the accessories that came with it.<span> </span>They ran out.<span>
</span>I instead picked up the <a href="https://shrsl.com/2bdw7" target="_blank">Cricut Easy Press Mini</a>.<span> </span>Yes, I wore a mask while I was in the store.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I went by a Starbucks that was in the area.<span> </span>They already have three locations in the area.<span> </span>Why they needed a new one, I will never know.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I went by Michael’s because I insisted to get
that <a href="https://shrsl.com/2bdw3" target="_blank">Cricut Joy</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I went to my parent’s house because Tuesday, dad
wanted me to help him with something on the computer.<span> </span>I ate dinner with them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I came home and attended an online bible study. <span> </span>The message was timely and very fitting.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I made a video and edited another video.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I promoted some things on my social media.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I took some produce out of the car and started
cutting them for freezing<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I had a late online date with a guy.<span> </span>Not sure how this is going to be.<span> </span>It started on Instagram and ended in Google
Hangouts.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These are some of the things I did yesterday that made me
forget about protests, corona (except the mask thing) and that I had a curfew
at 10 PM (statewide).<span> </span>This does not
negate this issue of race. I feel much better.<span>
</span>I did not get upset, and I have two new toys to play with.<span> </span>I also received an Amazon order of a <a href="https://amzn.to/3eRcDIK" target="_blank">new water bottle</a>, when will remind me of my water intake, new craft supplies that I was
running out of.<span> </span>I also received some
<a href="https://amzn.to/2z5R1ZQ" target="_blank">Tajin</a>, which when put on mangos is the best thing in life at the moment.<span> </span>Where was this stuff all my life?<span> </span>(the Instagram guy just buzzed me.<span> </span>I hope he is not going to be a pain in my
side, a girl’s got to sleep).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So how are you going through all of this?<span> </span>I have some suggestions:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Pick your battles.<span> </span>You cannot be at every protest, social media,
and not take care of yourself.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Journal your feelings, good or bad.<span> </span>Talk about how you feel in words.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->If you are creative, now is the time to be in
your feelings and let the creative juices flow.<span>
</span>Publish them on your social media accounts if you dare.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Talk to a close friend, your spouse, parents, or
your pastor.<span> </span>If you do not feel comfortable
doing so, and your insurance allows it, talk to a counselor.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Take long walks and meditate.<span> </span>Learn to breathe through this time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Turn to God and rely on your faith.<span> </span>I know this is the hardest.<span> </span>I am struggling through it myself.<span> </span>Maybe this is a chance for God to speak
through his people for a change.<span> </span>He has
seen this stuff far too long, and he says it is time to stop.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is a short but sweet post to say that we will get
through this.<span> </span>We need to just peacefully
protest, letting those who are in charge that:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->We are tired<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->We are exhausted<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->We want the same things that you do<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->We want support<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->We want love<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->We want the killings to stop.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->We do not deserve this.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Please take care of yourself. When all else fails, including prayer, you now have my permission to scream. At least you have let the rage out, and feel better. Or do you? <o:p></o:p></p><br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0Columbus, OH, USA39.9611755 -82.99879419999999211.650941663821158 -118.15504419999999 68.271409336178849 -47.842544199999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-88414363054911110112020-06-03T23:49:00.001-04:002020-06-03T23:49:03.168-04:00Where Have I been|small haul from Scrapbook.com<div style="width: 480px; height: 270px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" seamless="seamless" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitAllowFullScreen" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" id="okplayer" width="480" height="270" src="http://youtube.com/embed/FXLSLli9ZF0" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 480px; height: 270px;" name="okplayer"></iframe></div>
Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-59617616122538076922020-06-03T09:00:00.011-04:002020-06-03T09:00:11.989-04:00 May I borrow your creative works?<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Disclaimer:</span></b><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"> P. Lynne Designs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates
Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites
to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I want to turn your attention away from Covid and away from
the riots for a moment to get back on track.<span>
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like the posts containing “Covid-19”, “Corona”, “Rona”, and
other names I have been calling it, I could be talking about racism until I am
blue in the face, stand up and sing soprano all day long.<span> </span>It is an uncomfortable subject to talk about,
but there should be active as well.<span> </span>I do
not have all the answers, but one of the actions should be an understanding of
another person’s race, gender, and culture.<span>
</span>Even to this day I never could understand the problems that others have
with African Americans and women or even American Indians.<span> </span>All three I identify with, although I do not
know what tribe my grandfather’s mother comes from. All people want to do is to
live the life given to them. It is the ones who cause the problems in the very beginning
(slavery for Africans and restrictions for First Nations and women) are the ones
who fail to understand that we are all humans and we all have needed to thrive
within this country.<span> </span>I am done with this
conversation, for now, let’s move on. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktOjs9j_3gA/XtdMMn7QEwI/AAAAAAAAbxc/JMnd6xcgmT8bJgvsv3vR8c6TzNzSenL_gCK4BGAsYHg/May%2BI%2Bborrow%2Byour%2Bcreative%2Bworks.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktOjs9j_3gA/XtdMMn7QEwI/AAAAAAAAbxc/JMnd6xcgmT8bJgvsv3vR8c6TzNzSenL_gCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h225/May%2BI%2Bborrow%2Byour%2Bcreative%2Bworks.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Different types of creative works. <br />Photos by <a href="https://www.pixabay.com" target="_blank">Pixabay.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table>I am actually a
pretty good soprano, reaching a C6 when I was a teen, for those of you who are
musicians, for the rest of you, it is called a Mezzo-Soprano.<span> </span>These days, I am just a soprano, or second
soprano, inching closer and closer to a first alto.<span> </span>Oh, I do not mind, as long as I have some ability
to still sing soprano.<span> </span>It is what I am comfortable
at.<span> </span>I blame allergies for this problem,
as well as when you age, you lose some elasticity in your vocal cords. <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In addition to being a content creator, a freelance writer
and graphic designer, and singer, I am also a musician (almost classical
trained), a dancer (ballet, jazz and contemporary, tap, and liturgical), and I know
a little bit about computer coding.<span> </span>All
of these “hats” allow me to be creative and put my stamp on a piece of music,
recording sessions, writings, choreographed works, and websites, if I put my
mind to it. This brings me to a question that was asked on <a href="https://www.quora.com/" target="_blank">Quora.com</a>, This person wanted to know if it
was “okay” to use someone’s created media in their product for a video that he
was making on YouTube.<span> </span>He did not say YouTube
per se, but I assumed that he was hinting towards YouTube or even Vimeo. He
also wanted to know if that person can sue him. My answer to that was this:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora;">“Yes, you can be sued. They might be nice and
send you a cease and desist letter, asking you to remove the music. you really
needed to ask permission from the creator if using the music is okay or not.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora;">I want to leave you with two examples. The
first one is I am also a creator of music. I am not perfect at it, and I have
not published any of it online. If I had published my latest, which is called, <u>Corners
of my Mind</u>, and someone did not ask for permission to use the music, I
would write a cease and desist letter because I feel that I could go further
with this piece of music before it was perfect in my eyes. I have several
reasons for not being satisfied with this piece of music. one of them is the
keyboard I originally recorded it on is limited in the potential that this
piece of music deserves. Most of the time, people share to let others know of
their process and to find out that someone who is too lazy to create their own
music is using a taking credit for that piece is disheartening to me. It takes
time to create a piece of music. Yes, computers make the job easier, but the
work is still there, as thoughts of music are coming from the head of composers
into something tangible for the world to enjoy, not the for the vlogger to take
credit for their own personal gain.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora;">Likewise, when I first started blogging, I used
someone’s photo, and I forgot to give that person credit. A couple of years
later, another blogger asked for my permission to use the photo. I could have
said yes, but instead, I explained the situation, then I quickly changed the
photo to prevent others from asking to use it.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora;">I am not saying that you are lazy, but you must
give credit and/or ask for permission before using the creative works of
others.”</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;"><b>Explanation of the answer.</b></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">We would all like to be
talented in the art of creating that perfect piece of music, a piece of art
that will drive millions to see it, or even a t-shirt that speaks volumes, but
not everyone can do it.<span> </span>Some people are
not interested in learning how, and there are some people who feel like they do
not have a creative bone in their body.<span>
</span>Some are too shy to do it.<span> </span>It
does not mean that you are lazy, and I do not see the problem of a person
sharing their works.<span> </span>The problem lies
when a person who worked hard on a piece is not given the credit they deserve
when someone takes a copy and puts it on their project.<span> </span></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">We have all done it, even me,
and I got caught.<span> </span>Not by the original
photographer themselves, but by another person, who wanted to share it on their
website or blog.<span> </span>I felt embarrassed by
the gesture.<span> </span>I wanted to say yes,
because I placed the perfect font on top of the photo, centered it just right,
and it was gold to me.<span> </span>When I saw it, it
was the perfect photo, and I could have placed any of my photos under the font
layer, which I should have.<span> </span>As soon as I
replied to the blogger, I quickly went to my blog and replaced it with one of
my photos.<span> </span>To be honest, I did not remember
that I had done it.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">I also explained to the
questioner on Quora that I am always nick picking about my latest piece of
music called, “Corners of my Mind”.<span> </span>I am
always changing the speed of the music, the rhythm of the drum kit, and the
instruments that would accompaniment the drum kit.<span> </span>Most of it is slight deviations of the
original song.<span> </span>For the moment, on my Casio
CTK 631 (made in 1998), I have a Rave for the drum kit (oh so 1990s), the tempo is
between 78 and 84 BPM, and I created a piano 1, an organ 2 (which is as close
to a Hammond B25 AKA church organ as I can get it), and a soft wave (I think, I
am not looking at my keyboard at the moment).<span>
</span>I have had the song in a Trance rhythm, 105 BPM, a Piano 3 (created),
saw synth, saw wave, you name it for instruments.<span> </span>I have even changed notes and transposed it
a couple of times.<span> </span>I am due for a new
keyboard, and my goal is a <a href="https://amzn.to/3gMj2Xe" target="_blank">Yamaha Modx7</a>,
which is the latest Yamaha, with all the bells and whistles to make further
changes to this song and to create plenty more with that came from.<span> </span>I have played on the <a href="https://amzn.to/3gMj2Xe" target="_blank">Yamaha Montage</a>, which is a bit pricey for
me. Apparently, Yamaha thought so too, so they created the Modx6,7, and 8 with
the Montage powerhouse inside at a lower price point. And you thought all that I
know about was social media, content, freelance writing, Disney, organization,
decorating, and graphic design.<span> </span>Give me
a musical keyboard, a tutu, and some tap shoes, and you have seen nothing
yet, LOL.<span> </span>This was the reason I talked
about Abby Lee Miller so bad back in 2012 if you have been reading this blog
that long. (to this date, it has received over 2200 views)</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora;">OK, I got off track, time to
pull it all together.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">The point I am trying to make
is If it takes that much thought into my little song, can you imagine how much
I can mix it at a recording studio with all the bells and whistles that a
recording studio can give.<span> </span>It gives me
chills when I know how much a recording engineer can do to a basic song to make
it a hit.<span> </span>It is things like these that
make a composer tell a video maker to get their own music if all that person is
going to do is make it into theme music for their little video.<span> </span><span> </span>I do
not mind sharing my music, but since I spent all this time composing and having
someone mix it for me, I better get the credit and it better get lots of air
time.<span> </span>This is the thought that goes
through people’s minds like Beyoncé and Katy Perry and companies like Disney, as
that thought turns into music like “Single Ladies”, “Roar”, and “Into the
Unknown” from Frozen 2.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">That is the reason I gave
this person the answer he or she asked.<span> </span></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">I am talking about:</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><em><span style="font-family: symbol; font-style: normal;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">Photos</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><em><span style="font-family: symbol; font-style: normal;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">Graphic designs</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><em><span style="font-family: symbol; font-style: normal;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">Poetry works</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><em><span style="font-family: symbol; font-style: normal;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">Novels and e-books</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><em><span style="font-family: symbol; font-style: normal;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">Computer programs</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><em><span style="font-family: symbol; font-style: normal;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">Prototypes of products</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">And the list goes on and on.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora;"><b>“So, Patricia, I get it. How do I solve the problem?”</b></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">First of all, do not beat
yourself up for it.<span> </span>Everyone makes
mistakes, and with mistakes, there is a solution.<span> </span>To prevent you from getting caught either by
the creator of the media you want to use or by someone who thinks that you are
the creator of the piece of media that they want to use going forward:</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><em><span style="font-family: symbol; font-style: normal;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;"><b>Ask Permission</b>.<span> </span>When you
see a piece of media that you want to use, contact the creator of that piece.<span> </span>As a writer, I put down my contact
information on every piece of a blog post when I write for someone.<span> </span>I used to do that with my own blogs, but
Google got picky.</span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora;"></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in;"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">If you are a writer, you can do that too.<span> </span>write a quick footnote like this:<span> </span></span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora;">Patricia
is the writer and owner of My Ambiance Life, Home Prep, and P. Lynne Designs blog
and website.<span> </span>If you have any questions
and/or want to reuse any of the material written in this post, please contact
her at <a href="mailto:plogan721@att.net" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;">plogan721@att.net</span></a>.</span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;"> It is simple and to the point.<span> </span>You do not have to write how you are the
president of the Yacht club, you are the parents of 15 wonderful children, or
that you own a plot of land in Shri Lanka. All of that information should be in
your bio (or should it?).</span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora;"></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><em><span style="font-family: symbol; font-style: normal;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;"><b>Give Proper Credit</b>:<span>
</span>When you contact the creator and they say it is okay to use that item, they
will often times mention how they want to be credited.<span> </span>I simply want to be credit as Patricia Logan-P.
Lynne Designs or Patricia Logan-P. Lynne Designs’ The Writing Cove if it is a
written piece.<span> </span>If you are in the US, you
should know the proper way to footnote something. Logan, Patricia, “May I borrow
your creative works”, My Ambiance Life Blog.<span>
</span>The good news is a long time ago, you had to write the whole citation.<span> </span>Now you can write a shorter version of it. The
author, the name of the post sited, and the site.</span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora;"></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><em><span style="font-family: symbol; font-style: normal;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;"><b>When the creator says no or when you cannot contact
them:</b><span> </span>It is not you.<span> </span>remember the example I gave the person on Quora.<span> </span>The piece may not be shared because it is not
ready.<span> </span>It is in process or this maybe
this person’s private piece.<span> </span>You may
wonder why share it in the first place?<span> </span>There
are many reasons why they have shared their works.<span> </span></span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora;"></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><em><span style="font-family: symbol; font-style: normal;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">Use royalty-free products.<span>
</span>For photos, I use <a href="https://www.pixabay.com/" target="_blank">Pixabay</a>.<span> </span>For music, I use <a href="https://www.epidemicsound.com/" target="_blank">Epidemic Sounds</a>.<span> </span>I do have a photographer friend who can help
me with authentic photos and videos around town or I take them myself.<span> </span>He is not free, and I would not have it any
other way because he has a family to feed.</span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora;"></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">I want to stop right here with
the last statement, a family to feed. The reason why most people do what they do
is because of the passion, the dedication to the craft, and they have bills and
a family to feed.<span> </span>What a person does 9
times out of 10 will not amount to that of a millionaire unless the money they
make either with their craft and skills, a 9-5 job, or both is to invest in
something.<span> </span>If half the things I have not
learned how to do as a child or a young adult did not earn me a seat at the
table to buy at least a tube of toothpaste, I found other ways of getting
it.<span> </span>That is what I call, earning multiple
streams of income.<span> </span>You cannot just sit
and do nothing.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">That statement I just mention
is the statement that helps me sleep at night.<span>
</span>To know that if things are done properly, we would all win.<span> </span>Asking the author for permission to use his/her
materials and finding other ways to help yours when they say “no”, will allow
you to make your passion and your job much, much easier, but hackers and
scammers just. Do. Not. Get. It.<span> </span>I hope
you do.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: lora; font-style: normal;">I am done.<span> </span>Be well. Stay safe.<span> </span>I will talk to you later.<span> </span>God bless you.</span></em><em><span style="font-family: lora;"></span></em></p><br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0Columbus, OH, USA39.9611755 -82.998794199999992-29.389526754520553 136.37620579999998 90 57.626205800000037tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-88672817905178156002020-06-01T09:00:00.012-04:002020-06-01T09:00:01.242-04:00May you please go away<p class="MsoNormal">I am looking forward to June.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>June is not my month, but it is close to my
month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>July IS my month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the month where my parents welcome
their firstborn child, ME.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will talk
about June and July in their prospective months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the meantime, I hate to do this, but it is
reflection time.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>May the pandemic</i></b></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R9qvvzu-4Ho/XtR_ktI8JoI/AAAAAAAAbwk/wM_sgO7bSMorP586I04WoWDm2Xq1EZR_QCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h266/May%2Byou%2BPlease%2BGo%2BAway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Pixabay.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">There is no doubt that May continued the lockdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t until May 16<sup>th</sup> that
things started to open back up. Was it
too soon? Probably, people are just too glad to get out. To wear a mask or not wear a mask in my opinion
is a personal preference. I prefer to
wear one for safety since I have to go visit my parents, who are elderly
and sickly. I have mentioned that in
several of my posts as of late, and I am not about to change that stance
soon. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Because of my stance, I have postponed my family’s trip to
Disney. I have mentioned in a previous
post that the trip that was canceled in October 2019 for a totally different
reason and will not be rescheduled until July 1, 2020, for the date of December
2021. I have other reasons too,
including that Walt Disney World will not accept reservations until July 1,
2020, so I have no choice.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have stepped into two stores since the state of Ohio
opened back up. It was yesterday. I had
to get an air filter from Lowes and water from Dollar tree. My air conditioner needed the filer and I
needed some water to put into my toilets.
Why? Because my water was shut off
due to an outside pipe bursting from the winter thaw. It started leaking the Thursday before, and
from where the sound was coming from, I thought that it was the next-door neighbor’s
pipe. I ignored it. I was going to take something to my parent’s
house when I found a note on my back door.
I grabbed the note and showed it to my dad, who tried to see over the
next several days on how to get the outside pipe, which was not in my fence. To make a long story short, the water was shut
off. I could not bath, wash clothes,
wash the dishes (thank God for being able to hide dirty dishes in a dishwasher),
and found out that my attic is attached to my neighbor’s attic and only
separated by a divider. Got to love the designer for these buildings.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My water is now turned back on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is in moments like these that allow me to
respect outhouses<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Lora; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: Lora; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😅</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tip:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>if you have a Dollar Tree or any dollar store, getting water from there
for $1 is wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can get $10
worth and store them in case of emergencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the emergency is over, refill and save for next time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news is water does not spoil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you feel uneasy about refilling the
bottles, buy 10 more sealed new ones for $1.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The cat is in heat again. I tell you, I feel brand new when
she does this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank God she will be
fixed soon.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>May the activist</i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I do not have to tell you about what has been going on in
the African American community and beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is another sad story of an officer overstepping his authority, and he
put his own agenda over the person who he was arresting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man died, and it took the officer’s
superior and department a day after George Floyd died to arrest the officer. At
first, it was going to be just a firing. People started peacefully protesting,
then it got out of hand from there. They are even protesting in my city. I
found out that it is only an arrest for 3rd-degree murder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it had been the opposite, George Floyd would
have been charged for 1<sup>st</sup>-degree murder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The officer needs to be charged for 1<sup>st</sup>-degree
murder. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have or will have mentioned this in my last post, but I am
tired. My people are tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you see
a photo of a tired person, it is of an African-American.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been down this road oh so many times
until we cannot count anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not
have to be doing anything but going about our day, just living in the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do I mean by that? Let see:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Going to work</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Sitting in the back yard</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Going to the mailbox</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Talking to a neighbor</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Getting something to eat</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Sleeping in our own home</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Walking the dog</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Going to the store for some skittles (remember Treyvon
Martin)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Having an outing in the park</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add sitting
in a car or having anything to do with a car (Sandra Bland and now George Floyd)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Enjoying a night of fellowshipping (the 9 that
were killed in a North Carolina Church during bible study)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Jogging (Ahmad Avery)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have a whole list of things that we want to do without
some white person getting upset, calling the police, and wasting taxpayers
money, and putting in false reports, or becoming a vigilante and take matters
into your own hands.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This started well before these incidents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The 1960s</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Jim Crow</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Sharecropping </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Slavery</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To name a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When will it end?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, I am not saying that all white people are racist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have some good, decent white friends who
have my back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all black people are cheaters
and anything else that we are being accused of. I do not want to spend any
more time on this than I have to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
started back my YouTube channel (I took a break from it), and I have addressed it
there.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, May was not a good month for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want a do-over, but, I would then ask for a
do over for a lot of months and years, including the months where I almost took
my life, the times I did not get the job I wanted, the times I ran completely
out of money and had to depend on my parents, and the times where I wished I
was taking care of someone other than myself, only to find out that in one big
swoop that ability was taken away from me.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those disappointments were replaced and filled with great
big moments of joy, happiness, “Yay, I got the job”, “yay, I have enough money
to go on that trip or to buy something I really wanted”, and “yay, I am going to
be an aunt and niece (or nephew), aunty is going to spoil you like nothing else
matters, but I am also going to teach you something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot wait until the newest Logan is old
enough for me to give her the same treatment that I gave her cousins, uncle,
and father have gotten before her. Aww, heck, she gets it now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am trying to think of an outfit that will
make my 3-month old niece look fly. (Oh, do they still say that? <b><i>Let me know in the comments section</i></b>). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is times like these that keep a person on their toes and
to remind us that everything is not always going to go our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am trying different techniques like
journaling, meditating, exercising, and being kind to myself and others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, these are angry times, and for that, I
try not to watch too much news, pray about a situation, and try to take a
positive approach, which includes trying to ignore the tyrant in the white
house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is hard when your race has once
again become the subject of white people acting ugly and black people
responding ugly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find your happiness or
calmness in the midst of this storm of illness and protests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will be surprised how much better you will
feel.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Until then, I pray that June will be the start of something
better for all of us.</p><br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0Columbus, OH, USA39.9611755 -82.99879419999999211.650941663821158 -118.15504419999999 68.271409336178849 -47.842544199999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-49215166775861156562020-05-22T11:00:00.000-04:002020-05-22T11:00:02.293-04:00I want to do something fun…My favorites so far 2020<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Lora; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Please
note: I am doing this topic for several
reasons, including that I would love to collaborate with someone both in video and
or blogging. I am also available for
freelance work. You can contact me through
my email address <a href="mailto:plogan721@att.net">plogan721@att.net</a>. I take serious people as I had a scammer back
in November for my graphic work. This caused
a major shift in how I accept writing and graphic gigs. I am not bitter about the experience and I
caught it in time, or my identity could have been compromised. Sorry, I am mentioning this on such a fun
topic as the one you are about to read.
With that being said, on with today’s topic.</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Disclaimer(s):</span></b><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> P. Lynne Designs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates
Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites
to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">P. Lynne Designs is also a participant
partner in the Erin Condren affiliate program which is designed to provide a </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Erin
Condren. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ok, that last topic took something out of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not going to lie when I say that that the blog post was the fourth one I had written and the first one I am proud of
since Corona broke out, landed in the United States, and showed herself out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I am done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
said my piece for now about her. I am ready to have some fun writing
topics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am ready for the doom and
gloom to go away for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
reminded of that last week by my pastor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I attend an online bible study via Facebook Live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is how I have been attended church
worship services too, and except for a few times when my computer has not quite
cooperated in either task or the two weeks I had to deal with my cat, Gizmo
going through heat issues. Yes, Gizmo is a girl, my girly girl, and she was
named after the Mogwai Gizmo from the movie, Gremlins, who is a boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, you can feed her after midnight,
although I do not suggest dealing with her during heat because she turns into a
little Gremlin, LOL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, she is my
little gremlin, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, My pastor said of African Americans who have been
killed in the last few months because of the continued hatred from certain types
of white folks, that you can post all you want to about how much you hate what
is happening from Trevon to Breanna, the RN who was killed because someone
reported to police about some drug activity going on in her apartment, and she
was sleeping after a grueling shift, and it was the wrong apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do not act on how much you hate it,
and make people aware of the problem in this country, then you are part of the
problem.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What does that have to do with the coronavirus?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Same thing and the best thing to do at this
point is to stay at home, wash your hands, and stay 6 feet apart.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, enough of that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VsJ53layjEg/XsYePWkgdyI/AAAAAAAAbsk/0V9Jb_GnKQAnO_0kwm_cWGQdVvavMULDgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/I%2Bwant%2Bto%2Bdo%2Bsomething%2Bfun..png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VsJ53layjEg/XsYePWkgdyI/AAAAAAAAbsk/0V9Jb_GnKQAnO_0kwm_cWGQdVvavMULDgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/I%2Bwant%2Bto%2Bdo%2Bsomething%2Bfun..png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just making a list of my favorites.<br /> (photo by Pixabay.com)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is today’s topic?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to give all my writers and journal writers a task
this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will break you out of your mode of
“normal” writing, and if this is not your thing, then try it once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may like it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I normally write about lifestyle things on my other blog,
Home Prep and those topics are on organization, decorating on a budget, and
anything that is home-related.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every
once in awhile, you would see something about travel, and the reason was I had
a travel portion on the blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found
after writing about my plans for a family Disney trip in December 2019 (see the previous post on THIS BLOG) about the problems leading to me canceling the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided it would be best if I had a
separate trip blog.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway (count how many times I write, “anyway”), I want to
write on this blog my favorite writing things or products of 2020 SO FAR. So in
no particular order, I will have my list, and I will reference them with a link
if I find the product on Amazon, <a href="https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/patricialogan0721/1" target="_blank">Erin Condren</a>, Walmart (which I do not get a commission on, but I love) or
information I think you can use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again,
you are not obligated to make a purchase.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Favorite item to use while writing:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These are routines, products, or tips that help me get into
the mood of write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lately, I have not felt like writing
much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mind had been scattered all
over the place in terms of what topics to write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember, I have chosen to write 3 blogs
(soon to be 4), and it was not the number of blogs I write in, but how I write
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the first thing I did was a
little soul searching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I turned to the
very thing that got me started writing in the first place, which I mentioned
that is was my friend, Lois, and writing in a personal journal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that journal, which is now an OneNote
Notebook on my computer, it has allowed me to really think about what I am
supposed to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the one thing that
connects me to her, even though Lois died in 2002 to advanced breast
cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another thing is surprising, my pastor also journals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He came to my congregation last year, and he
has been a blessing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is younger than
me, but I find him very relatable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is
also an accomplished author, and has written a <a href="https://amzn.to/2LzckFP" target="_blank">couple books</a> and has a <a href="https://drcharleswferguson.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally, I felt that in the year since he has
presided over the congregation (along with our “sister”, Westley United
Methodist Church), my pastor has given me some insight on how a “woman of God”,
“God’s child”, a Christian should govern over herself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next, My favorite
tea, which has to be decaf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do drink
caffeinated coffee and tea, but I need something to calm me down, especially if
I write at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started writing at
night because it was the only time that I did not have the noise of the
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up until February 25, 2020, my
nephew and his girlfriend stayed here with me until they found an apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, my great-niece came, and they are
staying with my parents until they were able to save a little money for an
apartment, which they had found, but corona reared up her head, and since he
had been working double shifts at a shipping company (due to everyone online
ordering and PPE stuff shipping in), they have not been able to move in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>since they have been gone, I still write at
night, along with my tea, which is nothing more than <a href="https://amzn.to/2X67AN1" target="_blank">Celeste Seasons fruit tea bags-assorted</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to drink Chamomile tea or CS
Sleepytime tea, but I love these teas better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think it helps Gizmo calm down that I am not moving around so much.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I use to write with?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is simple, MS Word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will
write down as much as I could, edit later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tip:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it helps to write it all
down, then come back later to edit for clarity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You may not have the same thoughts as you did when you first write it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why it takes me a long time for one
blog post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My blog post writing routine
is:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Write for the thought process<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Edit for clarity (this is where I add and take
away) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Add bullet points, bold and italic and other
ideas I want to emphasize.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Decide my font (which will go away once I start
writing this blog in WordPress format)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Paste to Blogger (or WordPress when I start
writing in that format)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Edit for Grammarly <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Finally, add my title (which is already written in
MS. Word), scheduled to publish, add Keywords/SEO, summarize, hook up my links, and
add photos and capture points. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It sounds like a lot, but it really is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not mention the hard part (yes, there
is), which is promotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I post a link
to Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Favorite ways to write.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What is that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
several ways to write, and some I like because most of the time, it is for continuity,
a flow, while others have to be for the style.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Narrative.</i><i> </i>
Most of the time, I will write in a narrative-style or first person. I am given you an account of my day, a
routine, or even a place that I have visited.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Ghost-writing.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am writing in the style of the author or blog writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it is my work, but I cannot put my name in
the by-line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The byline has to be the
person who publishes it on their blog. I cannot offer my bio either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has to look like the blog poster wrote it
themselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>
</i></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Guest-writing.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I offer to write a blog post or article for a magazine or blog to name a
few, and my name goes in the by-line, as well as my bio at the end of the
article.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Lists.</i><i> </i>
This is still fairly new to me, but I like it just the same as the other
styles of writing. For example, I can
write, “20 reasons to visit Walt Disney World”, or “20 reasons not to visit
Walt Disney World”. The trick is to do
your homework or research before attempting to create lists. I usually research to see if what I have to
say is the truth.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i>SEO/Keyword.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Okay, I will admit it, I like it and I hate it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all depends on the post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have done some ghost-writing that required
me to mention “body-building” 5 times in six 1000-word articles back in 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found that the subject was very boring, and
I had to stomach through all 6 articles that I needed to write by the end of the
week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three weeks later, I had to write
8 articles mentioning the words, “organize” and “cabinets” 8 times in 500-word
articles and I wanted to write more. So, it all depends.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Journaling.</i>
Yeah, you knew this was going to come up soon or later. I have mentioned how many times I have
enjoyed the art of journaling, decorating journals, and now I can add planners
to the mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can now journal in your
planners, and visa versa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know I am
here for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the reason I have
the horizontal version of the Erin Condren Life Planner. I am a detailed
person, and the more detail I can get, the better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, I get to put what date I want in
this planner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to the Life
Planner, I love using the Duo-tip markers, stickers (even though I make my own
as well- coming soon to my shop and website), and petite books, which are
perfect for sermon notes, goal setting, and project planning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, that is it for this round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will update later in the year with new
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, I love to write in
loungewear, and the pants I love are from Target, which is the <a href="https://goto.target.com/GMLQr" target="_blank">Women’s perfectly cozy wide-leg lounge pants by Stars Above™</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use any
top that is comfy to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now as I
write, I have on a tank top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
wintertime, I have on my Laura Ashley fluffy robe that I bought for
Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I now have to find one that
is perfect for summer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, I love writing in the dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me explain….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At night, when it is nice and quiet, and it is past midnight,
I may get into the mood of a nice fluffy robe, my sock, loungewear on, and I
turn off the overhead light in my office and have on only the lamps illuminating
my screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gives me the sense of a
warm blanket, and this is one way that I cocoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other way of cocooning is having 3-4
blankets on my bed and turning off the heat in the wintertime or turning on the
air conditioner in the summertime, and snuggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another conversation for a different day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, I also have a sense that I am in some sort of secret
cave and it is just me and the computer, then Gizmo wants something and ruins
the moment, LOL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But between the time I
settle in and Gizmo’s wanting, I can get a lot done with my writing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fact: Dealing with an almost 3-year-old cat (who is still a
kitten) is like dealing with a human toddler, but I like human toddlers better,
LOL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not have to dress this one or
listen to it say, “Mommy, mommy, mommy”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh, wait, constant meowing is the same as “mommy, mommy, mommy”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never mind, LOL.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have a good day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-91862749140825467072020-05-20T11:00:00.000-04:002020-05-21T01:14:55.977-04:00I find this a little funny, but do you like me?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, I was listening to my lovely governor, Mike DeWine,
as he gave the state’s update.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was
on YouTube and I was in the middle of organizing my pantry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After he gave the number of new Coronavirus
cases, death totals, and other numbers that would make a statistician leap for
joy, he entertained a Q and A session.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the questions that came up by a reporter address the concern of when can churches get back to regular worship (with precautions of
course), and this lovely governor looked him straight in the eye and said (I
kid you not), “we never told the churches to have social distancing”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped dead in my tracks as I listened to
the governor, and thought to myself, “You never asked for churches to practice
social distancing among the congregations?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you like us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He thought that
since the areas of retail, barbers, hair salons, doctor’s offices, and eating
places had this rule, churches would automatically fall in line, which we
did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCFSvqY3-NE/XsYNd8wTUzI/AAAAAAAAbsY/RwFmVGTP_JIUAOxXiTwlFrhvkv0kmaObwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/I%2Bfind%2Bthis%2Ba%2Blittle%2Bfunny%252C%2Bbut%2Bdo%2Byou%2Blike%2Bme.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCFSvqY3-NE/XsYNd8wTUzI/AAAAAAAAbsY/RwFmVGTP_JIUAOxXiTwlFrhvkv0kmaObwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/I%2Bfind%2Bthis%2Ba%2Blittle%2Bfunny%252C%2Bbut%2Bdo%2Byou%2Blike%2Bme.png" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is funny how the church was left out of the<br />Social distancing plan in the State of Ohio.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to throw something else into the mix, what if we did
not comply? What if we did not social distance ourselves like the rest of the establishments
in the city?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could have started
screaming about our rights to take communion, to hold choir rehearsals, and to
have church meetings, without any regard to our health and the health of
others. After all, there are some people who scream that they do have the right
to not dress in a face mask or gloves, and that right was loud and proud last
week after the retail businesses reopened their doors for the first time in 2
months of closing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would that be in the best
interest of God’s people? Probably not.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is as if Disney had said that they know what they are
doing if they had kept the parks open during this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are certain entities or industries who
think they are the exception to things such as social distancing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think about the number of groups over the
past few weeks who were armed with guns and wearing no masks as they demanded
that their state reopens for the economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They were mostly white men who are sick and tired of the government
telling them what to do in times of crisis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am tired of it too, but let us be reasonable here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I am a person with a compromised immune
system, and you sit next to me in a worship service, on the It’s a Small World
ride at Walt Disney World, on an airplane, or at a dining place, and neither
one of us has on a face mask, no gloves, and I get gravely sick, who is at
fault?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I am, but you could be equally
at fault because you are a carrier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Places
were closed so the governments could figure out a safe way to not spread the
virus, and to curve it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, Wednesday, May 20, 2020, was a very happy day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sun was out, the birds were singing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, maybe not, but at least it was not
snowing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a date with the
Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3pm the choir that I sing with on
our morning worship services did several recordings for the online service we
are now doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, why do you supposed
I am happy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us be honest for a
moment, I love my family, I really do, but this is the first time in 2 months
that I have seen my church family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, all
but one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have seen the guy who I call,
“my little brother” the Sunday before last when I picked up our dinners at the
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that time, I did not go in,
but I talk to him for a minute, only a minute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, it felt like we never socially distanced during this
time. It felt good and it felt right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
got up dressed in a skirt and a top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because I am sick of sweats
and my no bra shirts and tops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed
to dress decently anyway, so why not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two
new pieces to add to my outfit, a mask, and gloves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will not mention the details of the
recording sessions, if you follow me on social media, you will see the result
Sunday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyways I had fun for
the Lord.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After that, I went to the grocery store to get some
dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not feel ordering
takeout, going through the drive-thru, or going home to wait on GrubHub or Uber
Eats, so I picked up some sushi, tofu (which I am starting to get back into),
pizza dough for Friday night, pizzelles, and some provolone, and topped it with
Starbuck’s. (there is a Kiosk in the grocery store that I go to).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After I came home, I immediately went to Facebook live for
bible study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This topped my day, when my
pastor talked about how the church was going to recover and that we must shift
our atmosphere for a new kind of worship service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am here for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We no longer can be about “business as usual”
as worship has taken on a different kind of meaning. Yes, I do miss the
gatherings, seeing how everyone’s week has been, but to be honest, again, I do
not mind it that my pastor says that regular worship services will not resume
until September. I only hope that this does not make me too lazy that when that
alarm goes off at 7:30 am, I do not roll over until 9 am and be dressed by 9:30 am,
to be in a pew by 9:45 am, which is when worship service starts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now, I get out of bed by 8:15 AM,
breakfast by 9:45, downstairs, by 10 AM when service starts. We are done in an
hour and a half (11:30 AM), and I am getting dinner for me and my family from
the church by 12 NN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last thing I find funny is the travel restriction. I was
discussing this with my “little brother” today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was telling him that my nephew and girlfriend took my niece to meet
her other grandparents in Louisiana for the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I was explaining this to him, my “little
brother” said that he thinks it was to mainly restrict air travel, they cannot
do anything to you when you travel from state to state in a car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I walked out of the church, I agreed with
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also found it amusing that the
governor lifted travel restriction just as it is time for my nephew and
girlfriend to return to Ohio.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The moral of this whole pandemic is this…. You have to find
some humor in the whole quarantine situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know, it is no fun being sick or being the relative who received
word that a loved one or best friend has died from this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also no fun being told what to do for
the sake of others, or your health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> After all</span>,
it is your body and you will treat it as you want to treat it. There are only a
handful of people who have lived through the previous pandemic (the Spanish Flu),
and people did not know what to during that time as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They went to it by ear and took notes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there is the next pandemic, I hope they
learn from this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope there are notes
taken and stored for world leaders, scientists, and the general population, who
will say that are we going to do better than the last time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Life is slowly getting back to normalcy with a new norm
attached to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How is everyone treating
this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walt Disney World reopened Disney
Springs with new guidelines on how to shop and eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the first phase towards going back to
normal, but what is normal?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is normal the
ability to not washing your hands, tailgating both in cars and standing under
other people violating their personal space, and using cash? Can we try on
clothes to make sure they fit, only to get back home and finding yourself shipping
it back to the place you bought it from?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are still a lot of questions that must be answered before life
before the pandemic began before we can return.</div>
<br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0Columbus, OH, USA39.9611755 -82.99879419999999239.571838500000005 -83.6442412 40.3505125 -82.353347199999988tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-3435861688971295642020-05-18T10:00:00.000-04:002020-05-18T10:00:01.687-04:00 Let the flood gates begin<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-left: .25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt;">This
post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the
product links within the post, I may receive a commission for your click and purchase.
You do not have to make a purchase to enjoy this post, I only highlight
products to help with the cost of running the blog, and I only post links to products
relevant to the topic in that post and to companies I use and trust.”</span></i><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Please Note:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
started writing this blogpost in pen and paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You know, the old-fashioned way of writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got the idea from an episode from <u>Star
Trek: Voyager</u> where one of my favorite captains, Captain Janeway was sick
of technology, after dealing with species 842 and the Borg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the episode that introduced Jeri
Ryan as Seven of Nine, a former Borg drone brought back by to her human self by
The doctor, authorized by Captain Janeway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Captain Janeway decided to take to writing her captain’s log by this
method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a practice that we should
all do in the wake of this pandemic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me,
even though you are seeing my post in digital form, it was a way of getting
back to things in a natural way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UubO2S-jE3g/XsINE8p8mRI/AAAAAAAAbps/UxYN5oNiALwa5Cin2VkeXNPrInYccAFnwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Let%2Bthe%2BFlood%2BGates%2Bbegin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UubO2S-jE3g/XsINE8p8mRI/AAAAAAAAbps/UxYN5oNiALwa5Cin2VkeXNPrInYccAFnwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Let%2Bthe%2BFlood%2BGates%2Bbegin.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photo by Pixabay</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This was the week when my city reopened for retail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today was the day I ventured out to a <a href="https://www.wlwt.com/article/new-rules-for-restaurants-bars-what-the-new-norm-will-look-like-in-ohio/32460329" target="_blank">new norm of new rules</a> (other than what was already in place).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I drove, doing my errands of depositing
money in my business checking account and going to a grocery store that carried
a Starbucks kiosk, because the Starbucks down the street lied about being
open, I was thinking, “was it all worth being quarantined for the past 2 ½ months?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only difference was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus,_Ohio" target="_blank">Columbus, Ohio</a> all of
sudden looked like a Japanese prefecture, with mask-wearing people out and
about in the 70° plus weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
something that the Japanese and other Asians are used to doing, not Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Americans are used to having the freedom to do whatever we
want to do, and how we want to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
it puts us in jail, so be it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we
get out, some of us will try it again until someone ignores us, then it becomes
a norm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we have to protest, that is
fine, it makes an interesting news story locally and/or nationally.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="IntenseQuoteChar">I am not sure how I feel about
it.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OK, let me explain….</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since this whole Covid-19 started, I have been squeamish
about a few things and those are:</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><i>What is my new norm?</i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><i>How is the country
supposed to work now that there is the new little bug that can wipe us
out, especially in places like the city where I live and places that I
love, like the Caribbean and Walt Disney World.</i></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is my new norm?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have been a quiet person all my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get it from my mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I do not mind being isolated during this
time period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My only problem at first was
wearing the mask and gloves, and I get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had no problem putting them on, the problem comes because my hands are
the same size as a child. There are people who cannot be around others because
of their immune system and they are the elderly and the young.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have 6 people I have to respect that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My parents and aunt all have pre-existing
conditions and they are elderly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
a niece who will be 3 months old next week, I have a friend who also has a
pre-existing condition and a pastor who has a <a href="https://www.cigna.com/individuals-families/understanding-insurance/what-is-a-pre-existing-condition" target="_blank">pre-existing</a>
condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also have to watch it
because I have high blood pressure and I am pre-diabetic. Depending on the
doctor, I either have diabetics, or it can come at any time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, I have to watch my diet and my
weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you, Corona for giving me
the sense of ignoring those two things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am much better at doing that now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoSubtleEmphasis"><b>Also my new norm:</b></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I could tell you that I have the easiest job I could ever have, but like
most businesses, there is the struggle of getting gigs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a struggle of getting money for this
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also could say that I like
the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk00Scec3yWZY5xJ3UzbNCpnk-85RhA%3A1589600221215&ei=3V-_Xt7VDMn6sAXpnKXACw&q=what+was+in+the+first+stimulus+package+for+coronavirus&oq=was+was+in+the+first+stim&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgAMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeOgQIIxAnOgUIABCRAjoFCAAQgwE6AggAOgcIABAUEIcCOgQIABAKOggIIRAWEB0QHjoFCCEQqwI6CAgAEBYQChAeUKlMWPmjAWDNyAFoAXAAeACAAbgBiAGLGpIBBDEuMjWYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6&sclient=psy-ab" target="_blank">stimulus package</a> for small or even home businesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I do not have a small business, I have a home business, and as a home
business owner, we often get lumped in with small businesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What Is a home business?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a business that is operated out of the
home and if you do have any employees, it is usually an assistant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your revenue is lower than a small
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good year is when a person
is able to earn $1,000 plus per month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Why offer help to small businesses if big businesses get
approved?</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, to be honest, the EIDLE and the PPP portion of the first stimulus package has done nothing for me and my business because of companies
like <u>Potbelly</u> and <u>The Lakers basketball team</u>, who should not have
been allowed to apply in the first place, nor their applications should never
been approved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Potbelly has returned the
money and I believe so has The Lakers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That still does not help P. Lynne Designs. I applied twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first application was on Go Alice, while
the second application was on the SBA.gov site. I have not heard back, and I
doubt I will at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not
have any employees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is just to
maintain the business of one, and for growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The government did not handle this process very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chucked as “I am getting no help as usual”
and went about my day. Update:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last
night, I was able to file for unemployment, a right that was not given to people
like freelance writers and freelance graphic designers, which I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray and hope they approve it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>So let us go back to what I was talking about</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>THE RETAIL STORES</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do not mind the retail stores being open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally, I will not be going in the very
beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, I am having fun online
ordering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not have to worry about
donning on a mask, fighting crowds, not finding what I want. In fact, I ordered
a mystery Die cut bag from Tonic Studios at 3 am this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is how much fun I am having to order online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I can always order online, then pick up at
the store like Walmart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amazon has been my store of the hour, and ever since I was
told by my governor that even pickup was impossible in the craft stores in my
state, I said “okay”, and started ordering online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ordering online is natural for me anyway, so
it did not bother me that I could not go to any of my stores, except Ikea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is another story for another day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have been to two grocery stores since lockdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One was for last-minute stuff as I found out
just today that the second store only allows me to do pickup ordering if the
order was over $30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cat food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well my nephew came through with the cat food, so now I do not have to
buy that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is best if all stores keep in mind a level of safety. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
feeling is this since I do have pre-existing conditions, as well as my
parents, I do not want to spread the super germs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am calling Corona that until we find a vaccination
for it</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>My hardest hit yet, Walt Disney World</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am having the hardest time with a Disney Vacation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last May, I booked a stay for 12 at <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/bay-lake-tower-at-contemporary/" target="_blank">The Bay Lake Towers at The Contemporary Resort</a> (its official name) for the time
of December 15-20, 2019, with all the bells and whistles as this might be the
last vacation with my parents, who are in their 80s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was a well-meaning trip as two things went wrong from
the start:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>how to pay for a $30,627.00
trip that included a 3-bedroom villa, tickets to the parks, and a deluxe dining
plan, and how to tell a Disney-hating father that we were going to the “land of
the mouse” times 4 (The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and
The Animal Kingdom theme parks).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
would not be a requirement for my parents to go into the parks unless they
wanted to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In years past (1998, 2004,
and Disneyland in 2007 respectively), my father stayed at the resort or drove
around the property, Orlando, and surrounding cities (Cape Canaveral, Kissimmee,
and Tampa are close by).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time, my
mom, who loves the parks will join him if she wants to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is not too keen on using a riding scooter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were going to drive down instead of flying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were coming back home that Sunday so that
my siblings and my nephew and niece can get back to work by that Monday before
Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids (Nephews (age 12 and
9) and niece (11)) was being pulled out of school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ohio has a funny winter break schedule where
they are out either the day before Christmas eve or a couple of days before
Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, it would have
been fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pulled the plug on that trip
on October 15<sup>th</sup>, one month before our last cancelation date of
November 15<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not cry
because I was going to call them the day after Christmas with a new date of
December 12-19, 2020.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well with Ms. ‘Rona on the prowl, and for the first time
ever since Walt Disney opened Disneyland in 1955, all the parks were close, due
her not wanting to play fair, I decided to see what Disney is going to do with
the guidelines that they and the State of Florida government, as well as the federal government, was going to say about a reopening date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the moment, Disney reopened Shanghai
Disneyland Monday, Disney Springs, Walt Disney World’s shopping area is reopening
on May 20<sup>th</sup>, and Walt Disney World is excepting bookings starting
July 1 (it has been delayed from June 1<sup>st</sup>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do not want a vacation in 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like it is too soon to book a vacation
and go in 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I have decided to
wait until December 15-19, 2021 to take the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This all depends on two things:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the health of my parents and the health of
our savings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is one more factor
and I am not depending on whether I do or do not do for this vacation and that
is to get another Disney Vacation Club membership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will affect how we pay for this
trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naturally, this membership is a timeshare,
and <a href="https://patricialogan.blogspot.com/2017/03/lesson-2-how-to-be-time-share-owner-or.html" target="_blank">I have spoken about timeshares before on this blog.</a> That is a talk for my yet
to be created a new blog, which will be Disney-related.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took all the travel stuff off of my blog, Home
Prep because it is not related.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Some good has come out of all this…</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My stories are not all bad, in fact, some of them quite
funny.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week, a friend had a birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She announces it each year 6 days in
advance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year was no
different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I love about Facebook is
the ability to have people donate to your favorite charity in loo of presents
for your birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am going to do one,
I am not sure where yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>July 21 has not
gotten here yet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, her sister and mother thought that since Ms. ‘Rona
decided to cancel my friend’s plans, a surprise drive-by birthday salute was in
order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can I tell you that I do not know
how to do one, LOL?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, I told her mother that I was coming by via Facebook invite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have seen lineups, so I thought that I was
going to meet at her mother’s house, and we would fall in line to go to my friend’s apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, it was a surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I am one of those people who would show
up late to her own wedding if given a chance, I decided to arrive early so my
friend’s mother cannot say that I was late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, I drove to the house at 4:46 and I did not see any cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Good, I am the first one,” I thought, so I went
the next street over to turn around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay,
next thing I knew, I saw my friend’s daughter, who is 3, then my friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought, “Oh, Crap”, and I drove off to my
parent’s house who live around the corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This drive-by was at 5, so I killed some time at my parent’s house and
went back over there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turned out to
be an “individual” happy birthday, as my friend and her mother sat there while
people drove by, wishing her a happy birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It turned out great, and this goofy person now know the proper drive by,
LOL.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Business Dealings….</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was able to get some things done for my business while on
lockdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was approved for an
affiliate that I have been wanting since 2017.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You know how much I love Erin Condren products, so you will be seeing
more affiliate links from that company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As always, I only support companies that I love and believe in, and you
are not obligated to make a purchase, but it would be nice for the support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a way to put money back into my
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of these companies with affiliates,
like <a href="https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/patricialogan0721/1" target="_blank">Erin Condren</a>, Cricut, and Amazon may have links that will help you save money as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So in that case, if you need the
product, it is good to help out a blog and save money at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 324.25pt;">
I am also working on some things
that will help improve this blog, including the infamous blog move.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 324.25pt;">
Even though I was down and out
during this period of time, I am fine now and living a new norm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the moment, my state is wrapping being on
lockdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the reason for this title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let the flood gates open!!! Well, I am over
my limit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be well and safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wear a mask, and I will talk to you later.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0Columbus, OH 43215, USA39.918624213267428 -82.95421712435356236.819390213267425 -88.117791124353559 43.017858213267431 -77.790643124353565tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-91326984713981393302020-04-17T09:00:00.000-04:002020-04-17T09:00:05.690-04:00Some things have to change<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Disclaimer:</b><i> P. Lynne Designs is a participant in the
Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising
and linking to Amazon.com.</i><br />
<br />
Have you ever wanted to tackle a task that needed to be
changed in the first place?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hold that
thought for a moment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a world that for the moment everything is uncertain; your
job, your finances, your shelter, food, entertainment, or the lack of any of
these things have been questionable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This virus has even slowed down those people who have thought they were
invincible and thought that they had plenty of money to deal with the
uncertainty.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although this is not the conversation I am having today, the
one thing I do want to talk about is the word THINK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think and thinking are taking on new meanings
these days. More importantly, the question I want you to think about is, “where
will I be in 6 months? 1 year? 5 years?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will tell you that your answer for right now
is different from when that question came up if it came up at all, and some of
us knew exactly how to answer, while others struggled to get a word out of our
mouths.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fO5zAuSkvgo/XpfTaLQ16aI/AAAAAAAAbVk/cX7rbCxoZkowgzfcnEinkdQ35a4tz9sxgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Some%2Bthings%2Bhave%2Bto%2Bchange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fO5zAuSkvgo/XpfTaLQ16aI/AAAAAAAAbVk/cX7rbCxoZkowgzfcnEinkdQ35a4tz9sxgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Some%2Bthings%2Bhave%2Bto%2Bchange.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Three things</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am struggling with my business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the main topic for entrepreneurs for
the last month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all thought that this
was some cute little virus like the flu, and like the flu, it will go away, and
we will all get to laugh about the chicken soup remedies we shared online, what
happened while we were in for a week or more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, Covid-19 is not your cute little virus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This virus is like the plague, the Spanish
Flu of the early 1900s, and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
you have whole countries shutting down, telling people to wear masks and gloves
when going outside, staying 6 feet or more away from each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>S<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even shutting
down Disney parks to the point where they will be furloughing employees on
April 19 because of this pandemic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
messing with essential things like food, toilet paper, and other important
supplies, as well as people not taking things seriously, but it is
serious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My minister says that God is
asking us to do a hard reset, and re-evaluate what is more important in our
lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does not matter if you believe
in Him or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On second thought, it
really does. More on that later.</div>
school systems and all but the essential jobs
come to a screeching halt. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is to the point where the government has to help out
those people who are struggling, which we all are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A stimulus check was in order, but who will
get it and when.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are several flaws
to the check requirements, which I will not get into, but it made me put in an
application to help out my business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
signed up twice because the first one, which is a grant from a group called
Hello Alice, said that they were setting up a grant for a few select people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought it was part of the one from the SBA
(Small Business Administration).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
are separate from each other. The one from Hello Alice is not a guaranteed grant,
and neither is the one from the SBA, which I signed up for today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I signed up for the one at Hello Alice two
weeks ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where the questions I
proposed were based on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>6 months</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That is the easy question, but in a way it is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally, I want a new home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The current home is an attached condo, and
though I am blessed to have one, it would be nice to have a change of scenery
before I enter into senior citizenhood. I also want a new car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am questioning the ability that my car’s
transmission for the moment is not the best, and those who had to replace a
transmission on the car know that it is better to get a new car than a new transmission
on a car that is over 10 years old with no new models being made for this car.
(2008 Dodge Caliber).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for my business, within 6 months I would like to have more
brand recognition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>1 year.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is even harder than the last one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A year ago, I thought:</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">I would have good memories of my trip to Walt Disney World in December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to cancel it in October due to some financial situations with myself and other family members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, I had not even told my father that we were going.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">I would have more
customers and my business would be in a space away from my home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That has been delayed.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">I would have a new car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am currently having transmission problems with the current car (see under 6 months).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With this corona thing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The test drive alone will have to wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">I was going to own a house and have my second membership with Disney Vacation Club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guess what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(crickets!!)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So you see, even though these are goals, which I am not
going to talk about 5-year goals yet, change can happen any moment now, and
even if it may hurt for a moment, you have to do a few things, like readjust
and rethink.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jCwdBhlOCXA/XpfTtb8uUXI/AAAAAAAAbVs/RdC2646pc5kRJSeRFXKqkL6KZb4DVwiwgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/businessman-4929680_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jCwdBhlOCXA/XpfTtb8uUXI/AAAAAAAAbVs/RdC2646pc5kRJSeRFXKqkL6KZb4DVwiwgCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/businessman-4929680_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Pixabay (c) 2020</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Readjustment Period</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am not going to leave you hanging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> After all</span>, this is about things changing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me explain:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These days, everyone is “about doing it now or else”, but
what has this season of uncertainty has taught us.</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Life is short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of concentrating on making goals
to be completed in a day or a year from now, make sure to concentrate on “If
they are not completed by THIS DATE, reexamine and move on.”</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Maybe the task does not need to be completed NOW, if ever. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not everything is meant for you or to be done by you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>concentrate on the basics, and add things when they come up, but do not wait too late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anything, seek a second opinion on things such as remodeling a kitchen or opening a second business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Some things require a
little more, like finance (money).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I always say to budget everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For example, I have an idea to have a craft room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I talk about it all the time to family and friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know what I want in the room, which is my second bedroom. This was to be complete in
2018.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My nephew and his girlfriend moved in, and at first, it was only to be a couple of weeks, which went into a
month. There sat my second bedroom, filled with stuff that needed to be put in other spots in the condo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
gave them a task: clean out my second bedroom, and you can stay in it until you can find a place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ok,
they went to cleaning, and they stayed for 2 years until the birth of their child forced them to my parent’s home two months ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of us agreed that carrying the baby up and down the stairs would be too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now I have this empty room (well not quite, a couple pieces of their furniture is still in there), and I am ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alone the way, I had to adjust to fit things into the room for when they did move out, as well as making financial plan adjustments.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do not look at this virus as signs of defeat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of this time as a slow down period and
regroup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, consider this:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Reconnect</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Readjustments also mean reconnect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only reconnecting to things you once held
as your guiding principles and your moral values, but reconnect to family and
friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know at the moment we cannot
visit them if they are far away, but you can do other things:</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">If you have kids, take the time to <a href="https://amzn.to/2ynQTnx" target="_blank">do things with them</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they are school-aged (4-18), they may not be able to see their friends, so helping them with their schoolwork, doing activities with them, and teaching them your values is a way to connect with them, see what is going on in their head, and so on.</li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1;">Read with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mom and dad’s <a href="https://amzn.to/2KajgII" target="_blank">homeschool is in session</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are Christian (I am going by what was taught to me by my parents when I was a child), this is time to introduce them to the bible and God’s teachings and how He wants us to live.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1;">History lesson:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>if they do not know about their family history, teach it to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contact their grandparents, aunts, and uncles if you cannot remember it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teach cultural history, such as Black history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, February has passed,
but if you are Irish, Asian, even an independent woman, teach that history. Give your child a reason to know that they have come from somewhere.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1;">Go on outings…. Inside your home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, create things such as safaris, a trip to Disney, or a trip to the moon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have a cooking show (nothing that involves a stovetop), shop in your own closet.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1;">If quarantine permits,
have a real outing, but not far from your home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember 6 feet apart.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1;">Journal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have an extra notebook or two lyings around, have your child start a journal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is a good time for you to start one too.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>When it is all over….</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the governments give the okay sign to get back to
normal, it is not going to be the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
now, you should have a good sense of what is going to change for the better and
what is going to be business as usual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
one, I hope that we all will take into account to:</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Never take anything for granted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not know about other countries, but here in the United States, we have been wasteful, quick to judge and walking over each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now that everyone from the rich to the poor is basically in the same boat, I hope that we will realize that when we get back to do the norm.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Everything can change in an instant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been a month since this whole thing hit the United States. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Everything is a luxury item.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you panic, you can think the worst, from running out of products (masks, gloves, toilet paper) to not having enough money to pay bills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Big corporations, as well as the 1%, are finding out what is it like for the lower middle class to the poor to not have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it is a reminder for them when they did not have any money or maybe this is the first time (meaning they were born into money). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, they have arrived at this or because of their income they may not see that stimulus check is coming, the 1% are finding out what it is like to be denied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is kind of funny how everything is working out, but as
the title says, some things had to change…for the better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be alright if we exercise a little
faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Comment below</i></b> on
how you are adjusting and regrouping your life and how is your family dealing
with this change.</div>
<br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-76912050798346937382020-04-14T00:00:00.000-04:002020-04-14T00:00:05.270-04:00Am I Superstitious?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, In addition to a motivational Monday post, which I am
going to start back doing, I am answering a blog challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While everyone who decided to take the challenge
is on track with it, I have not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a Facebook group I am in, and though I enjoy
bringing you my thoughts, ever once in a while I like to change it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, with that being said, I will bring you my
thoughts on the subject, “am I superstitious?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Step on a crack, you’ll break your mother’s back”, black
cats crossing paths, the number 13, and my favorite one, do not walk under a ladder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of these things are the westerners believe
in when it comes to being superstitious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know everyone has their own cultural ways to things like these, I have
always been scared of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not
want to tackle getting myself killed or worse, going to hell when I was a
child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NUAxD3Lkr_c/XpUUsnpLDoI/AAAAAAAAbUs/0rIi-bzSdlUqf5Pw37alpYkddoxtegxRQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Am%2BI%2BSuperstitious.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NUAxD3Lkr_c/XpUUsnpLDoI/AAAAAAAAbUs/0rIi-bzSdlUqf5Pw37alpYkddoxtegxRQCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/Am%2BI%2BSuperstitious.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Full moons?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe
that the moon has an effect on people’s behaviors when it is full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot explain its pull, I do know that my
cat acts strange during this time (unless when she goes into heat, it happens as
the moon is full).</div>
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As a child, I cried every time I did step on a crack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mom is fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She does have back issues among other things,
but it was not because I stepped on a crack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is no scientific evidence that proves it otherwise, or millions of
mothers would be in the hospital for broken backs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are reasons for not walking under a
ladder, which has been proven to be unsafe anyways, especially when someone is
working while on a ladder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A tool or the
person can fall on you or the ladder itself could have a malfunction and potentially
fall on you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, it is not a
superstition per se, but rather good old-fashion common sense.</div>
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I do not believe in lucky numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lucky numbers to me (without doing any
research on this) is a sign of numerology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As a Christian, I am instructed by God to avoid things like numerology,
astrology, and even talking about witchcraft and sorcery. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, do I read Harry Potter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, but I do not who he is. What about Disney
since I am a fan?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that the
magic that Disney magic translates into happiness and joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is okay to have that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As long as I know that Jesus is the one who
died for me and my sins, and he is my savior, and God is my heavenly father, I
will be fine.</div>
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What about voodoo?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Some things get</span> you very crazy in the head and having you think there
is a curse on you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not from Louisiana
and neither are my parents, but it does exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A couple of my grandfather’s sisters-in-law were believed to have practiced
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mother and her siblings were
forbidden to go to their houses to visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I never have seen it, nor I never do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
know this does not have anything to do with being superstitious, but I want to
throw it out there since it belongs in the category.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HL9QspwIYNs/XpUV0TUhpaI/AAAAAAAAbU0/CZ8YLId_uqsKLf7nvt8JH4mDK2hUg4X4gCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/raven-988218_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1600" height="206" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HL9QspwIYNs/XpUV0TUhpaI/AAAAAAAAbU0/CZ8YLId_uqsKLf7nvt8JH4mDK2hUg4X4gCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/raven-988218_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Is this superstitious?</b> Image by Pixabay (c) 2020</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I do want to tell you a secret… when I was a teen, I did
believe at one time that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I was</span> clairvoyant and had ESP. I looked it up in the “E” encyclopedia (this was
pre-Wikipedia for those who want to compare the set too), and I thought I had
all the signs until my mother told me that if I believed that, I would not be
Christian and depended on God and Christian, and that having these things were
that of devil worship. Since I was
brought up in the church, I started reading about the things that were wrong in
God’s eyes and I no longer believe that I had them in the first place. Hey, as a Christian teen, there is nothing
wrong with that, as you know what is right and what is wrong, and you can steer
another person who feels the same way in the right direction towards Christ.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, this ends another short but sweet entry, that will not
get my usual “wait until morning to publish it” treatment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither will the Motivational Monday piece, which
has to do with …. Nope, you will have to wait to check it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No hints.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have any questions about this piece or have any
comments, please state them below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
look forward to reading this, and hopefully, I will start making the posts
longer (hmm, now there a hint to the Motivational Monday post).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be safe as we all get through this thing that
is currently happening in this world. If you want to comment about how you are
doing during this time, I am no expert, but I am a great listener and will let
you blow off some steam here.</div>
<br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-53975517206683530302020-04-13T05:30:00.000-04:002020-04-13T05:30:00.620-04:00This is Goodbye to Tumblr<br />
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<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
am not sure if I am saying this because I am not on Tumblr as much as I should
or what, but I am saying goodbye to this account. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
has been real, but like I said, I have not posted much on this account.
If the time comes and I want to renew, or start a brand new account, I will,
but It is time for me to say goodbye to this account of mine.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There
was a time that I would hold on to this account, and say that I will write a
post on it someday, but I really do not feel that Tumblr is not as popular as
the platforms, Blogger, which I have posted for three blogs on, and WordPress,
where I will have my business, P. Lynne Designs, as well as the same blogs I
have on Blogger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
will leave it up for a couple of days because I will refer this post to my Facebook
page My Ambiance Life, in addition to I, will have an extended copy on the Blog
post My Ambiance Life.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thank
you, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Patricia”
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Why?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There
are several reasons why I am not going to keep this account much longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are in no particular order:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I am not interested in it
any longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am trying to work on my
websites, including this one and a brand new one for my love of Disney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I have everything marked and
planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I could with the Tumblr
account as well, but to be honest, please read #1 again.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x0TGzZNUkn4/XpBIJ76bH5I/AAAAAAAAbTQ/QekFUHoXlqMB4G5WspA3esWGDX8gJ8D8ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/This%2Bis%2BGoodbye%2Bto%2BTumblr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1561" data-original-width="1600" height="312" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x0TGzZNUkn4/XpBIJ76bH5I/AAAAAAAAbTQ/QekFUHoXlqMB4G5WspA3esWGDX8gJ8D8ACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/This%2Bis%2BGoodbye%2Bto%2BTumblr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(c) 2020 By Pixabay.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I have too many blogs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put a question mark there because most
people would say that 7 blogs and a website are a little too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(three current ones and 4 to be created
ones). I have to be honest with this statement as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have known to have burnout before. Here is
the reason for the 7 blogs:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the current
ones will still be up for people to read, and I will only be writing new
stuff on the new blogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have traffic on some of the posts I’ve written,
and I would hate for the posts to be referenced to and not be there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan is as I update the old posts with
new info (A tip I learned in order to keep posts fresh and alive), the old blogs
will come down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rome was not built in a
day and neither are my blogs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Tumblr isn’t that popular in
comparison to Blogger and WordPress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So,
what does that tell you about Tumblr?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing
much, it is not popular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see Tumblr as
a posting ground for artists, musicians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I could be wrong, and I have not done any research on the site either (unless
you count now)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Let’s
see…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">According
to the article in 2011, titled “<a href="https://www.practicalecommerce.com/5-Good-Reasons-to-Use-Tumblr" target="_blank">5 Good Reasons to use Tumblr</a>”, “</span><b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Tumblr</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> is a
short-form, social blogging platform that supports rich media like videos and
photographs; is flexible in terms of design and use; absorbs posts via email,
text, or even a phone call; integrates well with other social media sites; and
is growing in popularity.</span>”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So, Tumblr is not
like Blogger or WordPress blogs in which there is more text than rich media
items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I said, I have seen blogs by artists,
musicians, photographers, and so on… This was the reason why I gravitated
towards the platform in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was (and still am) a crafter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
placed my cards, scrapbooks, and other earlier works on my little blog, but I
kept on forgetting that I had one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other
social media-type things I keep forgetting I have are:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Being on Triberr</span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2;"><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Having a Bloglovin’ account to promote my blogs</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
first one is an old way of promoting while the second way is older too, it is
still helpful in getting people to read your blog post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many, many other ways of promoting
your blog posts and that subject will be covered on another day, but now, let’s
stick to me getting rid of this Tumblr account.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Another
the reason why I do not like Tumblr is the same reason I like Blogger, the layout
never updates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Blogger, the themes
are all the same, and it has been like that forever, it seems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well when you look at how much a theme costs for
WordPress themes, you would keep the theme you have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw one for $65 last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was trying to find one for one of my blogs,
and I do not want to pay for any theme over $25.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will cover themes within the next couple of
weeks, but as a heads up, you do not want a free one either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you get a free theme for a website or
blog, you will get a stripped-down version of that theme or maybe it will not
work as well as the theme that costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus,
there may be some underlying issues that you will be able to correct once the
theme is in place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, you can always
change it if you do not like it, but now you have wasted the time of putting it
on your site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trust me, you do not need
that kind of headache.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">OK,
I have thrown myself off course, so let’s keep moving…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So,
what was I talking about…. Tumblr</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
want to talk about what made Tumblr so great back in 2011 and what you can do
now so you do not have to use the platform in 2020.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><b>1)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Visually Engaging Rich
Media</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In case you do not know what rich
media is, they are your videos, photos, audio clips, and images to name a
few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The internet has improved a lot
since 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can now safely embed
these rich media items in your Blogger and WordPress blogs and websites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I find them more superior than
Tumblr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance, I have an IFTTT
(If This, Then That) plugin that allows me to post my YouTube videos to this
blog when I make one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It publishes at
the same time as the YouTube video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
use it as a separate post, and I do not have to write anything else for that
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><b>2)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Design (Brand) Flexibility:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OK, I stand corrected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can customize your Tumblr blog, but with
the constraints of Facebook and Twitter, Tumblr does it better these social
media platforms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for Blogger and WordPress?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would have to a “No” to me. Even though
you may have to pay for the theming, you can customize it on a WordPress blog, if
you get the right one and none of the stripped-down versions I talked about earlier.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><b>3)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Advanced Email and Mobile
publishing:</b><b> </b> Nice for 2011, but today,
with most people viewing blogs on their phones and tablets, Blogger and WordPress
have really up stepped their game. In
fact, they both leave Tumblr in the dust.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><b>4)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Post to and from Facebook and
Twitter:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I call it even.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, all platforms should be able to allow
you to post share your posts to Facebook and Twitter (as well as Instagram,
Pinterest, and LinkedIn).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they do
not, that platform is behind the times.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><b>5)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Tumblr is a Rising Star:</b> let
me rephrase that…. was a rising star.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am not sure how many people have a Tumblr account and blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
titles I got from <a href="https://www.practicalecommerce.com/author/armando-roggio" target="_blank">Armando Roggio</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
does present a winning argument at the time that it was written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It allowed me to challenge myself as a writer
to make my point of view as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should
send him a copy of this post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would
like to know what his opinion about Tumblr is now and answer the question on “Should
I dump my account on Tumblr?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nah, I
already made up my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two weeks tops
if I do not forget, then it is gone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Like
I said at the beginning of this post, I am not on Tumblr much, and it has been
a good year and a half since I last looked at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As both Peter Welsh and Mari Kondo both say, “If
it does not bring you joy and you have not used it in a year, get rid of it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This goes for digital stuff as well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I would
push this post to 2000 words, but at 1418 words, I think I am good. Talk to you
later.</span></div>
<br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-84234329074886766092020-03-31T09:00:00.000-04:002020-03-31T09:00:10.462-04:00I am OK<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Disclaimer:</b><i> P. Lynne Designs is a participant in the
Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising
and linking to Amazon.com.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today is a random day of writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have never had a day like this in quite a
while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of us have never had a day
like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is called social
distancing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In many cultures that make up the human race, it is a
necessity to gather together as a community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the United States, we must gather for:</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1IQJPzt2NSs/XoGRo2UU_ZI/AAAAAAAAbJU/3aEBfzx2CtAUQaFM4-73am1S3pODaq-uACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/I%2Bam%2BOK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="510" height="252" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1IQJPzt2NSs/XoGRo2UU_ZI/AAAAAAAAbJU/3aEBfzx2CtAUQaFM4-73am1S3pODaq-uACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/I%2Bam%2BOK.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Pixaby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Social events, such as
sports, concerts and to worship</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Family events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Family is important to some people and
it does not matter if they are biological or adopted.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We work for food, clothing, shelter, and
enough money to buy the entertainment tickets, pay our tithes and offerings,
and help out with family and friends. Note:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you do not need a car in most cases, but you do need to get some mode of transportation, such as a subway/train,
bus, or Uber/Lyft/taxi services. Unless you manage to become an entrepreneur or work remotely from home through your job, chances are that you will be working with a co-worker or two.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoTitle">
<span style="font-family: Lora; font-size: 16.0pt;">Before I
begin with today’s topic of discussion</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had originally titled this piece, “Corona, Corona” (those people
of the baby boomer generation know exactly where the title was taken from, I am
slightly younger than you). I wanted to take it in another direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not an expert on all things disease-wise
and I do not want to get into a debate with anyone who is dealing with this
strain (doctors, nurses, the CDC), so I am leaving out the details of this
strain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You already have heard what to
do, and you know what your limitations are in terms of temporary restrictions
and such. Each country is different, as well as each area of that country is
different. Please be diligent and mindful of the rules and regulations that are
given to you by the people who are in charge. In other words, be safe.</div>
<div class="MsoTitle">
<span style="font-family: Lora; font-size: 16.0pt;">Now on to
today’s blog post….</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like everyone, this virus has me on edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This virus is not good for the elderly and
those with a compromised immune system, so I have a concern for my parents. </div>
<div class="MsoTitle">
<span style="font-family: Lora; font-size: 16.0pt;">The world as
we knew it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On top of that, I temporary have a cat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My nephew and his girlfriend are temporarily staying
with my parents because they just had a baby and they are finding
an apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gizmo is their cat, so
they will get her when the time comes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have two dates that I feel will be canceled due to this virus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure that everyone had that one place which
was canceled due to Covid-19.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first
one happens every first Tuesday of each month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is a woman’s business group that I belong to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope the meetings will resume in May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second date is a date I could not get out
of in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is jury duty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to go unless the courts decide to delay
jury duty, which I hope they do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I avoided
it twice in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also had planned
on going to a scrapbooking event scheduled for this weekend, but it ended up
being an online event anyway. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ohio’s governor, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/29/ohio-dewine-trump-administration-mask-ruling-154378" target="_blank">Mike DeWine</a>, has issued a “Shelter in
Place” ordinance as of 11:59pm last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have said this about Longaberger’s deadlines for shipping and sales
campaigns before, and I will say again for those in the back, “who stops or starts
anything at 11:59 pm it makes no sense?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is like any price with $.99 tacked at the end of a whole price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might as well put zeros at the end of the
price ($5.00 instead of $4.99).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
might as well say 12 am instead of 11:59pm. What does that curfew allow me to do
and not do? The same thing that I have not been able to do in the first place:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eat in restaurants, go to movies, worship at
church, shop at all hours of the night (oops, I thought that was the reason for
online shopping, LOL), drive (unless you have a job to go to), and social
mingling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that is most of the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The governor, as well as The president, does encourage everyone
to work at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem is that
most minority groups as a whole cannot afford to work from home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This includes taking online classes that
university students have to finish by the end of the semester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once done, they are officially on break until
further notice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/disneyland-walt-disney-world-closed-indefinitely-coronavirus-outbreak-1203547472/" target="_blank">The Walt Disney Company</a>, which had originally closed its Asian
parks, now has closed the North American and European parks as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gives me time to properly plan my next
vacation, which is making up for the one I had to cancel in October 2019 for
travel to Disney World in Florida in December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I will put up a report in my new Disney blog in May or sooner, so I will
not bog down this blog or Home Prep (formally known as At Home with Tricia's
Baskets). Meanwhile, Shanghai Disney is slowly getting back to normal, by
reopening the market area, Disneytown first, the parks and resorts second.
Disney has slated the reopening of both The Disneyland Resorts and Walt Disney
World Resorts as of April 1<sup>st</sup>, but that all depends on Florida’s
governor and the president, and the rule that governs this country at the time
of the reopening.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Update:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even as I
write this post, things have changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everything is canceled at the Disney American parks until further notice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The earliest booking you can make is for June
1<sup>st</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am understanding that
this is the time that the Reservation line for both resorts will be staffed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cast members (employees) will be paid until
April 18<sup>th</sup>).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/map-coronavirus-and-school-closures.html" target="_blank">Most schools are closed</a> at least until April 13.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are even out for the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that Columbus Public, one of the
largest school districts in the state of Ohio are out until April 13.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If extended, this could mean that they will
be out for the rest of the school year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Until then, most school districts, including Columbus are providing home
school assistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is so much more that we do not know about this virus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I happen to sell something during this
crisis, I am wondering how I am going to deliver it. Am I going to be able to
go to the post office?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, there
is the Disney event that I would like to attend in May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just found out that they opened up another
date for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is now a day date of May
12, which is actually the day before the date of May 13, which is still sold
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May 14 is still available as well.</div>
<div class="MsoTitle">
<span style="font-family: Lora; font-size: 16.0pt;">Things to do
if reading books, watching television, and using social media get you down:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b><span style="color: red;">Organize.</span></b><span style="color: red;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>Now it the time for <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/g3345/spring-cleaning-tips/" target="_blank">spring cleaning</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You have junk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have junk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of God’s children got junk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before this virus is over, we going to get rid of our junk, and then we going to walk around a clean house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A clean house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A clean house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We going to walk around a clean
house.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shout out to that verse
based on the Negro Spiritual, “I Got Shoes.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope I do not get kicked out of heaven for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But seriously, get rid of the junk, open up the window, and clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get rid of the cobwebs while you are at it.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b><span style="color: #2f5496; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">Take up a new hobby.</span></b><span style="color: #2f5496; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>Have you always wanted to learn
something new?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now is the time to learn how to get yourself promoted if you have a job or think that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJOe6rUXVTw" target="_blank">drawing Mickey Mouse is cool</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are free and paid courses online that will teach you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b><span style="color: #bf8f00; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 191;">Side hustle.</span></b><span style="color: #bf8f00; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>Do you have that drive to start a
business?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may not be able to go out and look at spaces to rent. (Now is not the time anyway and it is not
the first thing you do when starting one).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You can start a babysitting service for people who have to work during that time (even though my lovely governor is trying to poo-poo that plan that states you have to apply for a crisis license to keep children during this time).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about a virtual assistant?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://patricialogan.blogspot.com/2019/09/fiverr.html" target="_blank">Freelance writer</a> or graphic designer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Offer your expertise with an online course. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b><span style="color: #c00000;">Catch up on sleep.</span></b><span style="color: #c00000;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>OK, this is a stretch, especially
if you have kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am speaking
from the experience of a single woman with no kids, I can do this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am also speaking from a person who has a business I work from home. I may not be able to see clients (unless I do video conferencing, which I have not set up yet), but at present, I
can catch up with sleep.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b><span style="color: #7030a0;">Update something on your computer</span></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the things I am tackling while I
am in a sort of downtime, is updating my blogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I have explained before this pandemic,
I want to switch platforms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
now officially in a love/hate relationship with Blogger, and I have read
another blogger website, and I want off this train called Blogger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have said that Blogger is good for the person who is starting their blog, but you do not have to stay there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully, this will be completed by the end of next week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started last night, looking at WordPress themes, and I think I will be using the same theme that I have used for my P. Lynne Designs website (which is almost completed), and it is a paid theme, that uses Elementor and I think it is a go on that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw some that I
might use for my ATWTB/Home Prep blog, and my newly decided Disney blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But one blog at a time, when you have to finish your website.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Home and Business Projects.</span></b><span style="color: #00b0f0;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>This is not to be confused with the home organization,
though it could contain organizing with the project, depending on how you will use it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would start off
with this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Name your project and ask
yourself “if money was no objection, what would that project look like”? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it a big or little project?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Big as in it will cost over $350 or whatever budget over your minimum projected cost, little as under $350 or below your minimum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used $350
because that is my minimum for a big project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Minimum looks good on paper to me because I can always get $350 from my personal, personal bankers, my parents if strapped for cash and it is an emergency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not $500?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because this is the amount that if I had an emergency, my father would pay, but would get mad at me for not having in reserves.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are really a whole host of other things you can do
while you are stuck inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a
cousin whose daughter is learning how to tap dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She takes it anyway (FINALLY, I am not the
ONLY tap dancer in the family), but while she is away from her dance teacher, she
is still learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking of learning,
many schools have home school for their students, this is the time for you to
learn what your child is learning (remember CORE math, anyone?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn a new skill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are plenty of online courses to take at
little to no cost. Take a drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes,
you can go outdoors without coming into contact with people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It depends on your government's curfew.</div>
<div class="MsoTitle">
<span style="font-family: Lora; font-size: 16.0pt;">Summary/conclusion</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for me, again, I am doing my part. I had to get a couple
of items from the grocery store today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nothing major, some tomatoes and a favorite black bean and corn salsa
that I use as a sauce for spaghetti/ramen noodles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Starbucks in that store was open, so I
used my rewards card to score some major points on my Cookie Crumble Frap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will be <a href="https://amzn.to/2QPP3lZ" target="_blank">online shopping.</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope you take some lessons from this self-quarantine situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn how to appreciate all that was given to
you before this time, like freedom, perseverance, and a job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Survivor, the television show needs to go off
the air after this because we would have all survived Quarantine 2020 like
nobody’s business, and Phil needs to find a new job.</div>
<br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-27645736231545621372020-03-05T11:00:00.000-05:002020-03-05T11:00:06.239-05:00A Brand new blog, Maybe?<br />
<div class="WordSection1">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-linespan: 3; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: dropcap-dropped; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
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<span style="font-size: 60.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-text-raise: -5.5pt;">H</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
ello, my name is Patricia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am a single person with 2 nieces, 3
nephews, and love for
Disney. I aspire to work with any company that I (1) believe has most of the
values that I cherish, and (2) I have had a good rapport with now and in the
past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These qualities fit Disney for
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a little bit Disney crazy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, when I tell you that I am going to start my second blog
about going to Disney when you only have nieces and nephews, you might think
that I am a little crazy to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
first blog closed, not by the web host's hand or Disney’s but mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first blog was named cutely, but long-winded “Travelling
to the Mouse’s House”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, Travelling
was spelled with two “Ls” in it because I could not decide if I was misspelling
the word or trying to be funny about this spelling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What was it all about?</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r5-3EAVdFnU/Xl4gmMyXV2I/AAAAAAAAa4s/cFeY8O0k5D0tN4-6wzF9-o34LBqI90cwQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/A%2BBrand%2BNew%2BBlog%252C%2BMaybe.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1280" height="267" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r5-3EAVdFnU/Xl4gmMyXV2I/AAAAAAAAa4s/cFeY8O0k5D0tN4-6wzF9-o34LBqI90cwQCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/A%2BBrand%2BNew%2BBlog%252C%2BMaybe.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Pixabay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was at first about the misadventures of an Ohio woman and
her family trying to get to Disney World. When I was a child, I lived 2 hours
from Disneyland in California, and I loved it when the family came to visit, and we
would make that track up to Anaheim, and visit Mickey, Minnie, The princesses, Donald,
Goofy, Pluto, You know the rest, and had a ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we moved to the East coast and New
Jersey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want some non-Disney fun,
this was the place to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, when I was 12, we moved to Ohio, and I have been here since that time, and I have
been to Disney World a couple of times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was also part of Disney Vacation Club, which was a treat in itself,
but I had to let it go due to financial reasons.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So that is what the blog was all about.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I were to start another blog….</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
…. It would be something like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A woman and her family trying to get to
Disney World, but it would not stop there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would talk about Disney, my views on Disney, and I would even take you
along on my Disney trips.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finding a name.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I were to start another blog about Disney, the first
thing I would have is a name without the name Disney or any of its trademarks
in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disney frowns on that sort of
stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, unless you are approved
by a company, rather is a big company like Disney or Amazon, or a small home business
like mine, P. Lynne Designs, you would have to get permission to use the
name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, since I have a business, I am
not going to bother about the step I have to take in order to have something
like “Tricia’s Wonderful Disney Blog”, or “Tricia’s Mickey Trip”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will revile the name at the end of this
blog post.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finding a purpose.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I were to find a purpose about this blog, it would be all
things, Disney, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, but I have to
present it like, professional and stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I cannot be selfish about this blog either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot talk about my family all the time,
nor they would want me to either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since
almost everyone at one point or another want to at least visit Disney World
once, I have to make it that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
here is a rundown of some of the things I want to talk about:</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Lora; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: auto;" />
</span>
<div class="WordSection2">
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">The parks</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">The resorts</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">The food</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">The special events in the
park</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">Other theme parks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disney is not the only one with the theme
parks in the Central Florida area.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">The merchandise.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">Disney Plus</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">What’s showing in the
Theater</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">Disney Cruise Line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know they have one</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">Disney Vacation Club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not too many people know about this, but
it is a good investment if you visit Disney World Resorts often</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">Other Disney Parks.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Lora; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: auto;" />
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OK, that is a few of some of the things worth
mentioning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I can talk about
any and all of them, and I will at some point.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do not want to be a repeater.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the problems with my last blog about Disney was I
live up north, while Disney World is down south, and I felt that since I was
not going to the parks much, I was only repeating what was in the news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I want to report them, especially since
I do not live in the Central Florida area, but at what point do I want to sound
like I grabbed the news from the internet and run with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am determined not to let that get in my way
again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you feel like you are in a place in your blog that
sounds like you are repeating old news and things of the past, remember that
not everyone is seeing it for the 1000<sup>th</sup> time, report it like it is
your audience’s first time hearing about it. In other words, put your spin on
the news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To give an example, unless
you are not a Disney fan, everyone is going to report on the rise of ticket
prices in the Disney parks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Report that,
but put your own spins, such as your summary, good or bad, talk about your
budget as you plan your next trip as a Disney fan, or a parent with 2.5 kids
and a dog who needs boarding. I have grown as a writer since my days as the
owner of Travelling to the Mouse’s House.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finding an audience.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my other problems is when you live as “an introvert
with extrovert tendencies”, as my pastor says, is marketing this blog, and this
should not be a problem, but it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
point is not to make it a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disney
has its fans, and fans for not take lightly when you belittle their happy
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one does, when someone talks
bad about that thing they love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me, that is no problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I will report the good, bad, and ugly about Disney, but I will exercise more
on the side of good things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not
like hearing about the Walt Disney Company’s greediness, being expensive, and
trying to monopolize the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you
think that we as fans don’t know about it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The difference between a fan and a hater is we are willing to look past
the company’s faults and failures, and little ticks, while finding the good in
that little tick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Disney’s case, it
is that little tick that might mean a new ride, a new resort, or even better
service.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you explore whatever you are willing to devote your new blog too, help your reader become a forever friend of your blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may have to report some bad news, such as
your new crafting tool having some first-time flaws issues, your favorite
Harley Motorcycle has a recall, a new rule that demonetizes your blog and takes
away some of your devoted readers, but at the same time, report that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall, you want your reader
to be informed of a profitable solution that does not cost them a lot of money
for the fix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, you are here to help,
inform, and to educate.</div>
workaround
instruction how to call customer service, or that minor little discover you
have made yourself that hopefully does not violate EULA (End User License
Agreement).<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Monetization</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is by far the hardest part of owning a blog, and
although I am not an expert in this, I would like to educate and do research on
how I can fund my blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what I
am working on with the other three blogs, and I can say that it is not easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will post a longer post on the monetization of blog
posting, but there are the ways I am doing so:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Affiliate
Marketing- this is promoting business and its products.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The biggest affiliate is Amazon, but there
are others, such as Sale-a-share, CJ Affiliate, Clickbank, and many others if
you do not want to get into Amazon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
can also go to a company to see if they have an affiliate program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One example is I am a marketer of the Amazon Affiliate
program, which has many facets, including being a seller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a seller’s account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever you see this notation on a blog
post, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Disclaimer:</b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> P. Lynne Designs is a participant in the
Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising
and linking to Amazon.com. “</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p3A1011UBkU/Xl4hCqGX8BI/AAAAAAAAa40/4qfa72z0HFAp1x0HdXpsKQNLH5NMSv2xgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/blogger-3338181_1280.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="1280" height="243" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p3A1011UBkU/Xl4hCqGX8BI/AAAAAAAAa40/4qfa72z0HFAp1x0HdXpsKQNLH5NMSv2xgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/blogger-3338181_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Pixabay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On my blog post, it means that there is a product that I am
promoting on that blog post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also
means that I get a commission from your purchase, but you do not have to buy
the product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to by Amazon and the
FTC that governs all affiliate programs, including Amazon’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Freelancing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a freelancer is both writing and graphic
work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My specialties are Blog post, ghostwriting
and regular document writing, and resume writing in the writing industry. Logo,
stationery, cards (Both Business and Greeting Cards), invitations, and
copywriting for Graphic Design.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
does not mean that I do not like a challenge. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The key is to learn how to set your own prices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Setting them too high means no customers, but
setting the prices too low also means no customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set your ground rules, but offer something unique
makes a returning customer, and they will bring new customers to you. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sponsorships
and advertising: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find that this is the
oldest way to monetize your blog, and it is done by marketing another person’s
product or concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Create a
course:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People love to know how you made
a buck or two, why not sell in the form of a course. You have something that is
very valuable to the general public and plus it is a tried and true concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, I am always intrigued on the
notion of getting to a million-dollar business while in my underwear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the first course I bought in the
early 2000s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concept is sound, and
it was the same marketing concept I paid thousands of dollars for at the
university I graduated from in 2003 (thank you Dr. Otte and Franklin University-
I will be back for my master’s degree).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, I paid for this course, and I did not
see any value in it because I had already learned it some months earlier, but
that does not mean that another person who did not know this marketing concept
could not benefit from this man’s teachings.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, I do not know how many emails I have gotten of people
selling their concept of making a few extra monies for the bank account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also have taken 3 courses from a woman,
named Renae Christine, who have some of the same principles as my former university,
but the difference is she throws in a different teaching technique than any of
my instructors did at the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is also Freelance University, that I am attended right now, and it too teaches
you how to freelance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The point is how to market the course and what to charge,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Selling a book or a product:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This my last point on the subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can publish an e-book or a regular book,
which is very easy if you go through sites like Amazon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It used to take months to write down a
concept, edit, and send it to a publisher. You can now email it or send it
through Amazon’s vast website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I briefly
touched on products earlier.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, to put it together:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To recap:</div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;">The concept of your blog</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;">The approach or plan for
the blog</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;">You know your audience</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;">You have the name of your
blog, and</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;">You know what topics you are
going to cover.</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your blog is only halfway there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are going to make some money with the
blog, then you need to find ways to do that, and it varies from person to
person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let me know what you think about this concept of starting a
new blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it something you are
interested in the comments section.</div>
<br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-43811866684425728312020-02-12T08:30:00.000-05:002020-02-12T08:30:01.300-05:00How to Keep on Writing when you have writer’s block?<b>Disclaimer:</b><i> P. Lynne Designs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.</i><br />
<span style="font-family: Lora;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Lora;">Hello, today I want to continue with this sort of, kind of series on starting a blog. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YzaPAWdUYKg/XkHuKztJE2I/AAAAAAAAap8/ytEu9XYEgf44xLuEp1OcwYT2fPkvsppIACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/How%2Bto%2BKeep%2Bon%2BWriting%2Bwhen%2Byou%2Bhave%2Bwriter%25E2%2580%2599s%2Bblock%2B%2B%2528Photo%2BImage%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YzaPAWdUYKg/XkHuKztJE2I/AAAAAAAAap8/ytEu9XYEgf44xLuEp1OcwYT2fPkvsppIACNcBGAsYHQ/s400/How%2Bto%2BKeep%2Bon%2BWriting%2Bwhen%2Byou%2Bhave%2Bwriter%25E2%2580%2599s%2Bblock%2B%2B%2528Photo%2BImage%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Lora;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Lora;">Back in January, I started, sort of backward, the topic on “</span><a href="https://patricialogan.blogspot.com/2020/01/how-to-start-blog.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Lora;">How to start a blog?</span></a><span style="font-family: Lora;">” I went over the basics of picking a topic, a name for your blog, customizing it for you and your readers, and publishing your first blog. In the next post, titled cutely, “</span><a href="https://patricialogan.blogspot.com/2020/01/what-heck-is-well-nigh-and-other.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Lora;">What the heck is Well-nigh and other ponderings</span></a><span style="font-family: Lora;">”. I covered the dirty subject of using re-write software and another website that allows you to reuse a post over and over again without getting into trouble with the “copyright police” or Google with your own post. This title came about when I was not pleased with the “How to write a Blog” post, tried to re-write the post using a program online, and confused when the software suggested that I use the word, “Well-nigh” throughout the piece.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Lora;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Lora;"><i><b>Side-Note:</b></i> I found out from an article, “</span><a href="https://beautifuldawndesigns.net/the-first-blog-posts-you-should-write/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Lora;">The First Blog Posts you Should be Writing as a new Blogger</span></a><span style="font-family: Lora;">, by Beautiful Dawn, which she talks about deciding on what topics you cover in your new blog. In the article, she suggests that “cover multiple topics. The example she uses is that you can cover travel, organization, and cooking if that is what you want to talk about. Do not start a string of travel blog post, then switch to a bunch of organizational posts, then finally to cooking posts. You have to create a map to tie-in each little nugget of information for the reader. Another way is to have a common theme within your traveling, organization, and cooking themes. For example: If you are traveling to India, you can map out a plan to write about the trip and your travels, follow it by having an “Indian-inspired” organization container in your “Indian-inspired” bedroom, and conclude the trio of blog posts by cooking a posting your version of a Indian dish you had on the trip. The point is in 2020 it is okay to have a blog, especially a lifestyle blog with multiple subjects in it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Lora;">I have more on these and other subjects as I try to prepare my blog for “move out of Blogger’s backyard and into the world of WordPress” day. I figured that this whole process, which I am letting you come for the journey when be completed around May. Yes, I am taking it slow and steady. I will let you know of the official move out/in date soon. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Lora;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Lora;"><b>Today’s Topic:</b> I am stuck so I cannot write today (<i>writer's block</i>).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Lora;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Lora;">This happens to the best of writers. You get to the computer, you open up your word processing program, and WHAM! Nothing comes out. No magical moment where the brain instructs the hands to form the words to a beautifully mastered blog post. Everything you had hoped for dreamed of writing and the message you want to give to the masses is stuck at point zero. I am not talking about the computer. It’s fine. What I am talking about is that moment when you have everything planned to say, and you cannot think of a thing to say.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Lora;">This is typical of me. I start writing on a subject, let’s say Disney trips since I have not used that in a while. I have been talking about subjects, such as planning a trip, buying your tickets, making your reservations, and scheduling dining times. Everything is looking good, and I am working up a sweat. I want to keep this Disney trip thing going, but now I have run out of ideas. What do I write about next? Where does my thought process point to? Another example: You have a blog about owning your self-worth because you see that lacking in today’s society. You have been at it for a while, having Motivational Mondays, devotionals (it is a Christian blog), affirmations, and dedications to name a few. One day, a subject comes to mind that you really feel like it needs to be addressed, but you are not sure how to approach it with your audience.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Lora;">What to do when that happens?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Lora;">I am a believer in the art of “always have something to say”. Most of the time, it is a matter of knowing what to say. When that happens, try these techniques to get your creative juices started…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Lora;"><br /></span>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Lora;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><a href="https://rebeccatalley.com/how-to-fix-writers-block-use-freewriting/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Lora;">Freewriting</span></a></b><span style="font-family: Lora;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Lora;">Rebecca Talley of her self-titled blog, Rebecca Talley says to just write. Before you write, you must plan. By planning, you are mapping out how the story must begin and how it must end. This technique works best for those who are writing a book or a script, but points are taken from this technique also apply to the blog post and non-fictional writing as well. She goes on to talk about, “Think about the scene. Who is in it? What is the goal of the scene? What is the conflict? Where is it set?” I will further that sentiment by saying, “write it down in a notebook”. That way, if something or someone takes you away from the moment, you can return back to that notebook, and pick up where you left off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Lora;">She also says to write anything, even if it has nothing to do with the story or in this case, the concept of an idea. Sometimes it takes me two days to write one blog post. It is not that I am conflicted about what I want to say, but more on I might change my mind and take the concept in a different direction. She further suggests that you use a timer and write about anything that comes to mind for about 5 minutes. You would be surprised at the ideas you come up with for 5 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Lora;"><br /></span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Change of scenery</b><o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nRWqVjs2iWw/XkHuZnJJFEI/AAAAAAAAaqA/fIi4caK3iE8Fjjfek20y5v0E1CHT7WhQgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/coffee-2306471_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nRWqVjs2iWw/XkHuZnJJFEI/AAAAAAAAaqA/fIi4caK3iE8Fjjfek20y5v0E1CHT7WhQgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/coffee-2306471_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe a Change of Scenery-Pixabay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
One other suggestion is to change your scenery. By that, you are getting out of your comfort zone, that place where solitude and tranquility meet as one big pool of peacefulness, but every once in a while, the two do not go together. To return to that space, consider writing somewhere different. For example, if you like to write cuddled with a blanket and your feet up on your lounge in your bedroom, try the kitchen or the family room (make sure family members do not disturb you), or go to the library. I do not suggest a place like <a href="https://amzn.to/2UDV1sG" target="_blank">Starbucks</a> unless you can drown out the noise. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Keep a notebook of ideas</b><o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
This is a different type of <a href="https://amzn.to/2SdJjUe" target="_blank">notebook</a> than the one I mentioned under Freewriting. This is also more for the blogger who needs to come up with a topic for future references. Keep this notebook with you at all times for when those creative juices emerge. Yes, this includes keeping it by your nightstand. You can keep a traditional notebook or a digital notebook.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Quora</b><o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5MvhhSp1_U/XkHvlajHPeI/AAAAAAAAaqQ/0U0Q8VneFFAU9K9P6i9wkDPQ_Hcx-xI7ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Quora%2BWebsite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1600" height="159" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5MvhhSp1_U/XkHvlajHPeI/AAAAAAAAaqQ/0U0Q8VneFFAU9K9P6i9wkDPQ_Hcx-xI7ACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Quora%2BWebsite.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://quora.com/" target="_blank">Quora</a> Website-</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
I love <a href="https://www.quora.com/" target="_blank">Quora</a>. In case you are not familiar with the website, Quora is a place where people can ask questions and the general public answers them. The way I use this little nugget of a website is I answer the question provided to me. They are often to me through my email. I can choose to answer because I am an expert in that area, or I have experienced it at one <o:p></o:p></div>
time or another. I will answer enough to give a good answer. If I think that it is blog post-worthy, I will copy the answer before submitting it to the database, then in MS Word, I will pull up a blank document and copy the answer onto it. This blog post I am writing, and you are reading now came from a Quora question. I will sometimes omit the answer. The original concept of this blog post had my answer to the question on it, but sometimes the answer does not fit the blog post.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Writing prompts</b><o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
They are in the same category as Quora, where you are given a question to answer, and you provide the answer. My one example was a post I wrote in 2012 about <a href="https://patricialogan.blogspot.com/2012/09/writing-assignmenthow-i-spend-my-summer.html">my summer vacation</a>. I forgot where I found the prompt, it has been a while since I wrote. <i>Please excuse the typos.</i> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
There is an online event for writers every year in November called National Novel Writer’s Month or NaNoWriMo for short. It is for people who write novels, and in the past, they used to have writing prompts. Now you can easily look them up on search engines, Pinterest, and Facebook even has some groups that allow you to get you thinking about writing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, that’s the end. Not by a long shot. I want you to have a successful writing career if that is your choice. Writer’s block happens to all of us, from novelists to <a href="https://amzn.to/2vhHMDv" target="_blank">bloggers</a>, journal writers, and journalists. It is what you choose to do with that writer’s block when it comes, and I have given you 5 ways to conquer it. The point is to recognize it when it comes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Call to Action Prompt: Comment below if you have ever had this experience of writer’s block and how you solved your situation. <o:p></o:p></div>
Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-8327384446721811462020-02-10T09:00:00.000-05:002020-02-10T09:00:13.147-05:00Preparing for your next journey<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello, and welcome today’s blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to talk to you about something that
we, as humans are always looking and striving for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a series, but I want to let you know
that I am going through something.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M4DHHVgJD80/XjvDxj_nE9I/AAAAAAAAao0/Tg2KI7cdRxs00PBcBCMOuzfW-fxIbnT3gCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Preparation%2Bfor%2Byour%2Bnext%2Bjourney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="510" height="270" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M4DHHVgJD80/XjvDxj_nE9I/AAAAAAAAao0/Tg2KI7cdRxs00PBcBCMOuzfW-fxIbnT3gCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Preparation%2Bfor%2Byour%2Bnext%2Bjourney.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pixabay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am preparing to be a great aunt. My nephew and hopefully
my niece in law to be (a nicer way of saying that they are not married) are
expecting a little girl in March.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
privacy reasons, I will not disclose the baby’s name, but I love the name, in
part because it has my middle name in it, and the mother’s middle name for her
middle name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a trend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kind of wish the name was after one or both
their mothers’ or after my mother, or something like that, but this is their
baby, and as long as I can spell and pronounce the name, I am okay with it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My brother, who lives in the next city is the grandfather,
and he, of all people, is the one who suggested that we throw a baby
shower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to throw in what makes a
good baby shower in preparation for anything we do in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, this is <o:p></o:p></div>
also the way that you can set a
goal as well.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">The project.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Now, this is the easy part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to know what you will be working on
or the end goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this case, it is to
have at least a decent baby shower without no fussing or fighting among the
host(s) or guests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For my task, it is a
baby girl shower.<o:p></o:p></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">The date.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Finding a date is hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By hard, I mean finding a date that works for
at least half of the people you want to invite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The best way I found that works are to ask the guest of honor (my nephew
and niece) what day works for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
both work jobs that do require the weekend and long hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My nephew works primarily in the afternoon to
around 6 pm, while my niece works most weekends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her hours have been cut due to the pregnancy,
which also means flexibility. From there, schedule a date far enough in advance
so that if a person is working, they can ask for time off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what it means to RSVP a date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is to let the host know if this is a good
date to come or a bad date.<o:p></o:p></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">The list.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Not everyone is suitable to be in
attendance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suggest inviting people
who are close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I choose close church
members and family who live in town for my part of the list, while my niece
chooses the people she works closest too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>her parents do not live here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am not sure who my nephew's choice, and I will find out today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">The food.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
This is equally as hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because everyone has different tastes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I will advise on one thing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>finger foods. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not stress over
a big pot of Chicken and dumplings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
are having the following: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>meatballs,
subs, fruit tray, veggie tray, cupcakes, and a candy bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is a candy bar?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, you will have to come over to At Home
with Tricia's Baskets to read about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Speaking of which, by now, you are probably wondering why I would have “How
to Host a Baby Shower” in this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No,
I have not lost it, and there is an analogy between hosting a baby shower to
writing and preparing for a journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Keep reading….<o:p></o:p></div>
<ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">The Decorations and games.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
In order to entice a person to come
to future parties, there must be some fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, this is a celebration of a birth to come (or in the case of a
friend of mine, a birth that arrived before the shower).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The decorations make the place look festive
and inviting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we have a theme
(baby girl), the color is pink (the mother’s choice).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this was a gender reveal party (which is
gaining in popularity due to advancements in technology), then the colors would
be both pink and blue (or green and red-oops wrong celebration).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought and printed this little cutie, and I
have a table with the words, “Sweet Baby” on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had one mishap which is the baby will not
stay on the sign.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Games are another feature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“So what do you want to talk about” does not
work in this setting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to engage
a person, you must have something to do that is interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We played games such as ”What is in your
purse/wallet (yes there were some men-my father, brother, and nephew at the
time), The clothespin game (you cannot say “baby” or you will lose your clothes
pin), the right/left game (you pass a prize around every time the reader says
some form of left or right), and my personal favorite, the baby food game
(guess the flavor of the baby food).<o:p></o:p></div>
<ol start="6" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Presents for the baby<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
This is self-explanatory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new parents open up gifts that the
guests brought for the baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They got
mostly diapers and other practical things for her, but they also got the love
and the support from all who attended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
friend of mine could not make it, so she gave me a present at church today.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, all of this is for preparation for the birth of my
niece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once she is here, the new parents
cannot say, “we need diapers” or “we need a crib”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope, not at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What does all of this have to do with writing or creating a
blog?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will show you, but first here is
a hint:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>most of it was highlighted in my
last two posts, “<a href="https://patricialogan.blogspot.com/2020/01/how-to-start-blog.html" target="_blank">How to start a Blog</a>” and “What the<a href="https://patricialogan.blogspot.com/2020/01/what-heck-is-well-nigh-and-other.html" target="_blank"> heck is Well-nigh and other ponderings</a>”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are the steps once again to prepare for
the task at hand:<o:p></o:p></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2;">The project<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Instead of preparing for a baby
shower, you are preparing to become a freelance writer or a blog writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may not be this particular project, it may
be started a podcast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever this project,
you name it and claim it, as they say at my church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get yourself a notebook or binder, and write
it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Name your project (My Ambiance
Life Blog), and say that you are going t do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let me give you this little tip:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b>Tip:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to commit to this project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You cannot start a project than stop it
anytime you, please.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may go at your
own pace and you may have moments that you are stuck, but stick to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not give up or give in to insecurity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have an accountability partner if you must,
which is a trusted person who is going to keep you on task, but do not give up.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qu68aaaZT08/XjvE7mN0S_I/AAAAAAAAao8/THnx0b5MpY4E7i05mecg8csyX-BhWWFRgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Journey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="510" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qu68aaaZT08/XjvE7mN0S_I/AAAAAAAAao8/THnx0b5MpY4E7i05mecg8csyX-BhWWFRgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Journey.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The key to your journey is preparation-Pixabay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
During this time, you must plan out
your project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What steps are you going
to take with this project? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
currently working on my craftroom makeover project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first thing I did was the name that this is a
craftroom project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next, I did some research
on the project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the point of
this project if I did not look into the furniture to hold my supplies and
project areas, work areas, and labeling system?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It would look a mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
included looking at crafter blog posts, vlog channels from YouTube, and
planning out my budget. Also, look at where this craftroom is going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want it in the second bedroom, but it is occupied
by my nephew and niece, so I have to keep it in its current position, in the
dining room area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also have to get one
piece at a time because the area is small, and I may have to wait until they
move out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2;">The date<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Yes, you will need a start and end
date for your project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not say “ongoing”
or you will never see the end of your project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you must say ongoing, divide your project up into smaller pieces,
like this:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.75in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Organizing the embossing folders and dies-
January 20<sup>, </sup>2020 end date.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.75in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Organizing the stamps and inks-January 25, 2020
end date.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.75in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Organizing the 8.5 x 11 paper and 12 x 12 paper
pad- February 3, 2020 end date.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Do not hold to that date if you are
behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you need to stop that section
on that date and get back to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
are all sorts of ways to do it without beating yourself up for not finishing
the mini-task.<o:p></o:p></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2;">The list.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
In this case, list everything you
have to do in order to complete the task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, you may have to divide and conquer because you may not be able to
do everything in order.<o:p></o:p></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Decorations<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Now we are in the fun part, you are
going shopping if the project calls for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
For example:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my case, I do two types of shopping:
Online virtual shopping and online/offline actual shopping. With virtual
shopping, you will need an online store with a wish list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use this to your advantage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take the items from your list and look them
up in the store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the online store has
a wish list or allows you to leave things in your cart, place the items in the wish
list or shopping cart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do this to Ikea
and Amazon all the time. DO NOT CHECK OUT! REPEAT, DO NOT CHECK OUT! If your
bank has online banking, check your balance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have automatic
payments, the bill payment department may have taken the amount of your bill
out of your account, and when you go to pay for your stuff, the money may not
be there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your bank in the United
States like I do, that charge may go through, even if you do not have the money
in the bank, and this would mean an overdraft fee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that, the second reason is you may
not like it, and now it is coming to your house. Some stores may make it
impossible to return it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
“what if I am just writing a book”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You do not have to worry about this step,
unless you are shopping for new software or a new journal to write your notes
in it, then it applies, but not as detailed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Presents<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I like to call them rewards for
your labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get a published book or
blog, or in my case, I get a complete craftroom or I get to go to Disney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever you are preparing for and you are
persistent with your task, you will get to see the end results.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-85329531629750863962020-01-31T09:00:00.000-05:002020-01-31T09:00:05.737-05:00What the Heck is Well-nigh and Other Ponderings<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Subtitle-how to use rewrite software<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to interrupt your normal reading of this blog for a
very important message:<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THIS BLOG IS MOVING SOON!! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No, I mean it this time.
I have been meaning to move it to a WordPress platform for some time,
made several announcements only to not do it, and frankly for even me, it is
getting quite annoying. This is one of
the reasons why I do not have traffic on this blog anymore. I am working on that. Later on this blog post. I promise…..<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That is not why this post is being interrupted<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Disclaimer:</b><i> P. Lynne Designs is a participant in the
Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising
and linking to Amazon.com.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, I want to talk to you about one of the bad subjects
in the writing world, and that is rewrites.
After all, the world is full of rewrites, redo, remakes, sequels, and so
forth. There is nothing so far that has
been done that has not to be tested, tried, fried, dyed, laid to the side. Oops, wrong subject and wrong blog (At Home
with Tricia's Baskets needs to address this subject on hair). But the point is that if it has not been on the market before now, THEN it is new.
Otherwise, it has been done before, EXCEPT in a different way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am currently working on a blog post called “How to write a
500-Word Blog Post” or “How to start a blog”, depending on which title I am
going with. It is my new, “I am not
writing like I am mass-producing blog post” campaign challenge I am giving
myself for 2020. Here is the backstory:<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P5trWw80tqU/XivLIh0Q_jI/AAAAAAAAalA/z-WSiS3CoZ0LwGEcwVWg-dnTZWjGdEwaACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Blog%2Bpicture%2B%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="425" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P5trWw80tqU/XivLIh0Q_jI/AAAAAAAAalA/z-WSiS3CoZ0LwGEcwVWg-dnTZWjGdEwaACNcBGAsYHQ/s400/Blog%2Bpicture%2B%25231.jpg" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Image by skeeze from Pixabay</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
(Pensive Female) <o:p></o:p></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was feeling bored with this blog, all of my blogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the issues I am having is being honest
with myself, and the honest truth is I was not liking my posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are great and I love them, it was the
rest of the post from all three of my blogs that made me say, “ugh” to
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a combo of things such as
editing issues to I was not really feeling the subject I was writing
about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times, I was feeling rushed,
that “I got to make this deadline or else” feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not like the links to a blog post, I
did not like the photos, etc, and the low numbers from clicks proved it. So I
decided to take the time to evaluate each blog and each blog post and main
subjects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid #4472C4 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4472C4 1.0pt; margin-left: .6in; margin-right: .6in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #4472C4 .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-top-alt: solid #4472C4 .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent1; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 10.0pt 0in 10.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoIntenseQuote" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<b>Tip:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you are feeling bored with your blog, do a re-evaluation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not beat yourself up about it, just find the
places that need improving, even if it means to start over with a fresh
blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, before you start saying to yourself, “she is going in a
different direction and talking about something else”, the answer is “no, I am
not”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love all my subjects on all of
my blogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From writing about “how to
write a blog post” to “journaling” and now adding using planners with your
writing with My Ambiance Life, Traveling to Disney to homelife and organizing
with At Home with Tricia's Baskets, and finally crafting tutorials and product
reviews with P. Lynne Designs, there will no change in that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was unhappy with my approach to these subjects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I change anything about the
subjects it would be to split At Home with Tricia's Baskets to where the
traveling would be separated from the homelife and organizing sections, making
it two blogs again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I decided that I did not like the flow of the “500-word blog
post” post, so I turned to a blog post rewriting software program or site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must say that it was an eye-opener, and
depending on how I feel, I may do it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Word has a feature now that allows you to rewrite a line or a whole
post, but I do not think that is how this feature works, and I have to research
it a little more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is when I came across the word, Well-nigh, which sounds
like something that a British person would say, not an American, still wet
behind the ears writer like me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word
is an adverb, and it means “almost”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
I am going to show you two sentences from my post that I am still working on to
see how this word is being used.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the original sentence:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Have you ever wanted to write something you are passionate
about or have a unique skill that others crave they had?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now for the rewritten one:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Have you overly wanted to write well-nigh something you are
passionate well-nigh or have a unique skill that others require they had?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Dear rewrite
software maker:<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do not think that in my original sentence I did not have
the word “almost” in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do I need
to use the word, well-nigh”?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is what I would ask the website creators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one of the sentences, and believe it
or not, “well-nigh” is used a couple of times throughout the post. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then I decided that I must replace the word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, keep in mind that what I was about to
use was Word’s synonym checker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was
against the website’s rewrite copy of my post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The words used were:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Nearly<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Almost<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Virtually<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Just about<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am sorry to say this but just about every word in this word list does not match to what I was trying to convey in the original sentence or
the entire post.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid #4472C4 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4472C4 1.0pt; margin-left: .6in; margin-right: .6in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #4472C4 .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-top-alt: solid #4472C4 .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent1; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 10.0pt 0in 10.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoIntenseQuote" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<b>Tip:</b> The first sentence in a post after the title should set the tone for the rest of the
piece. It is not the means that ends it
all, but it should give your reader some idea of what you are trying to arrive
at. Your title tells the reader about your
subject matter.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
So, what am I trying to say about rewrite software,
websites, and all related items:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have nothing again rewrites at all IF it is your original
and YOU wrote it. What I have a problem with has to do with plagiarizing: Those that do it are too lazy to come up with
their own articles for their own blogs.
Now before I get any further, this is different from ghostwriting and
guest posting. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
With Ghostwriting, the original author is willing to not take
the credit for anything they produce for you or your company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only difference with the post, article,
or book is the original author’s name is not on the byline, the individual or
the individual’s company is on the byline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is not considered cheating at all, and in the contract, you draw up
with the author, it states that the author is not allowed to use the copy on
their blog o resell it if the post is in book form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is now considered the property of the
individual and cannot be contested in court.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Guest posting is when the author agrees to post an article
for your site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It works the same way as
if the post was written on their blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is not considered a rewrite, but the author can do a rewrite of that article
for their own blog post.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cons to rewriting a blog:<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I stated before, rewritten posts can be a problem if a
person plagiarizes the original post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Say you want to write an article about cats and the benefits
of being a cat mommy or daddy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have
never owned a cat and you have not interviewed a person who owns a cat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You just thought it was a good idea because
cat ownership is a trending topic because everyone is doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, you decided to do some research on the
subject of cat ownership, and in your research, you find this great article online about me loving being a cat aunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gizmo is not mine, she belongs to my nephew and his girlfriend who both
live with me. (True story) Instead of emailing me to as if I would give an
interview on why Gizmo makes me happy (and I would be happy to do an interview,
BTW), you take my article, use a rewrite software, and have it rewrite the
whole article for your blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
still considered stealing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may not
look like the same post to the naked eye, but if I run across it, and it sounds
like the same post I wrote, I could sue you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is one of the reasons why I do not like them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, use rewrite software and websites with a grain of salt. Use them for your own posts to do a
comparison on which version of your post you like better. When you read the rewrite, make sure that the
copy flows the same way that the original flows, if not, change it within the rewritten
copy or be willing to combine the two. Never use it to copy someone’s idea and post. If
you do, you could come off as a lazy writer, or you will be hearing from the
original author’s lawyer. If you are a
writer, there are ways to check to see if someone is copying your work or if
you have copied a passage that sounds like someone’s work. This will be the subject for this topic next time<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That is all I have to say at this time. Next subject….<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Traffic and Promotion<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is one area that I have the most problems with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not that I do not get it, it is… well….
Let me explain.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am currently on Blogger, in reality, it does not matter
what platform you are on, as long as you do the following:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Write<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Write consistently, meaning GET A SCHEDULE!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Promote what you write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meaning promoting your work on social media, groups of
social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram). Even
YouTube and newsletter count.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OK, I get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I
do not get is how many subscribers, followers, viewers, or visitors you need to have
on your blog visiting daily, weekly, and monthly in order for brands to even
consider you to write a sponsored post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For months, and sometimes even now, I am baffled to the number of clicks
needed and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On social media, you
cannot lie about these numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can sometimes
exaggerate the numbers on your actual blog, but not on social media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brand liaison can look at your profile
and tell if you have over 1000 viewers or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My question is often, “why so many?” It is the same question I ask about
my credit score, “why 800”, but that is another question for another day, and I
am not a financial guru, so I will leave the question here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, if anyone knows to “why I need a score
of 800 to have a chance to get a new home?”, comment below, and I will try to
understand it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WqdwiH1-G0/XivNWVaq_PI/AAAAAAAAalM/ozPQN1upyEwEtLbXR6FujlQW2zh0kf_jACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Blog%2Bpicture%2B%25232-marketing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="1280" height="289" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WqdwiH1-G0/XivNWVaq_PI/AAAAAAAAalM/ozPQN1upyEwEtLbXR6FujlQW2zh0kf_jACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Blog%2Bpicture%2B%25232-marketing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Image by Mary Pahlke from </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
Pixabay (Marketing)<o:p></o:p></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid #4472C4 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4472C4 1.0pt; margin-left: .6in; margin-right: .6in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #4472C4 .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-top-alt: solid #4472C4 .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent1; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 10.0pt 0in 10.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoIntenseQuote" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<b>Tip 2: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoIntenseQuote" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
Write<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoIntenseQuote" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
Write consistently, meaning get a schedule<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoIntenseQuote" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
Promote what you write<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to go over this more in detail.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Write<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
This is obvious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get into the practice of constantly writing
something if you are not used to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
does not matter if it is digital (computer) or pen and paper, but write
something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where I suggest that
you get a writing journal, and write down things such as goals you want to
achieve in the year or in your life, a bucket list, decorating or organizing
pieces in your home or office, even spiritual aspirations and affirmations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Write them in paragraph form, a proper
paragraph form. This means correct spelling, grammar, and the whole nine
yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason for this practice is
one day you may have to write something for business, or you might get a
promotion on your job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, companies
do not understand the need to write “Tyme” for “time” and other things like
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may be good for social media,
but not good for business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, some
readers do not like reading blogs that have mistakes in them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Write consistently, meaning get a schedule<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
One of the problems I do have is
being consistent with my writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get
on a roll, and for a while, it seems like I have a habit of staying on that
schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I have a falling off
period, and I do not write for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
comes with discouragement. I want to have big numbers, but I also want to
see the comments as well. One tip I find that helps with every time a person
views a YouTube video in the comments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The vlogger always asks viewers to like the video, comment, subscribe to
the channel, and share the video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I
am good at doing just that on my YouTube channel, but the same is not said on
my blogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
For schedules, you do not have to
write every day, which is what some bloggers strive for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not kill yourself to try to get a blog
post out every single day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You also have
a life as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For 2020, I am going to
try to get both blogs and videos out on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of each
week.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Lora; mso-fareast-font-family: Lora;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Promote what you write:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Promote your writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It goes back to what I said earlier in this piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also does not matter if you are an
established author, guest poster, or even if you are a ghostwriter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use your social media outlets as mentioned
before to promote your work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is crucial,
especially if you are looking for clients for freelance writing, or if you are
trying to drum up sales.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you an
author, have book signings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People love
getting that first edition of your book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you are writing more than one book in the future (think Steven King
or a Star Trek series of books), your first edition could be worth some money before
and after you have died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may not mean
much to you, but it may mean something to the person who owns a copy of your
first written a book or your family. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wow, this was a long post, the first of many, many long
posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me know in the comments what
you think of my 2000+ words per post. I will not get mad, I promise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Afterthought: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before I was about to upload this post, I was looking for some further inspiration for the word and meaning of the word re-write. I failed to issue a positive aspect of the word. I ran upon several books on <a href="https://amzn.to/37qy7J1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> that suggests a different look at this word. Look at the word and meaning of the word to make a character stronger than before. In other words, in fiction and creative writing, if you made the character seem week to the reader, the rewrite would make that same character stronger. so in this case, a rewrite is warranted. </div>
<br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-7052642804538989152020-01-28T09:00:00.000-05:002020-01-28T09:00:03.843-05:00How to Start a Blog<br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">It is the New Year, and there are people who
want to start something new and different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Writing is usually one of those hobbies that people want to start doing,
but, for the most part, they are clueless on how to start or where to start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10 years ago, I was in that same place
most people are in when the itch to start writing kicks in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved writing, but I was not sure if I had
the skills to be a writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the past,
I was that person who had tons of spelling and grammar mistakes, and I did not
care when I started my blogs. One of my problems was that I was always an
impatient writer. This lead to being a careless writer. Another problem was I
never did any research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted the
paper to be done and done quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I
did any research, I copied the text word for word without putting my spin into
what I was reading and still meaning the same thing.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wHQptzc8dss/XjAb8LUf--I/AAAAAAAAamM/GtYmMfUQFisXuVXFjO-naTCSTeMfJuUwQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/How%2Bto%2BWrite%2Ba%2BBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="1280" height="362" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wHQptzc8dss/XjAb8LUf--I/AAAAAAAAamM/GtYmMfUQFisXuVXFjO-naTCSTeMfJuUwQCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/How%2Bto%2BWrite%2Ba%2BBlog.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos from Pixabay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><i><span style="font-family: "lora";">Side Note:</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "lora";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to take
this moment to talk about the art of writing in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find writing a lost art and a lost skill.
We, as humans, may not like to write with pen and paper anymore, but in order
to write an effective paper, both in pen and paper or digitally, you need to
know how to write basic sentences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Social
media has made us lazy and I must admit at the time it includes me. We depend on
the computer to correct our mistakes and this includes, spell checkers, grammar
checkers, instead of watching what we say, and how we write it. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">You should know the difference, for example,
between words that sound the same but have two totally different meanings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You should know where to insert a comma, and
the difference between a noun, a pronoun, an adjective, and a preposition, and
how to use it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In social media, you
SHOULD ALWAYS punctate a sentence with a period (.), an exclamation point (!),
or a question mark (?), no matter what Twitter says. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A person should not try to figure out what you
are trying to say to them in a Facebook post or Tweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn how to spell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am saying this because it does not matter if
you want to be viewed as a professional writer to your friends on social media, or
when you write for a blog or a business, the rules do not change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blogs may be more relaxed, but that’s about
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, rant over. Back to my story.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">When I first started writing the papers that
my teachers wanted, I did it on a typewriter or wrote it as older people would
call, “long-hand”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time I
graduated from high school, the home computer started becoming a thing in the
household.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now we have smartphones,
tablets, and all sorts of devices that make starting a blog easy and fun to
start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key to writing is to have
content that interesting, informative, and relatable. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: "lora";">Are blogs still a thing?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">I was asked on Quora.com if starting a blog
in 2020 was a silly idea, and it is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact in an age where Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, and Snapchat are the
marketing norm, writing a blog is still relevant today, as it was over 10 years
ago when I first started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another fact
is that some bloggers use their blogs as an addition to the vlogs that they put
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blogs today are more of a marketing
tool to sell their products than to give out information about their products. For
instance, If you have a brand to promote with products to sell on your website,
you need content that promotes the very thing you want to sell.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">For example, if you are a crafter and you sell
paintings your life in the Columbus, Ohio area, You would create an e-commerce website
with portraits of downtown, the Eastside, and Southside of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You decide to create a portrait of a family
enjoying the Ohio State Fair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you
have the concept of the painting, who the family is and represent, and what
they are doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next, you create a story
about this family and why they are important on your blog website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps, you may not want to do that, but write
a post on how to bring life to your portraits or how to bring light and shadows
to portraits for intermediates or the beginnings on how to paint for
beginners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: solid #4472C4 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4472C4 1.0pt; margin-left: .6in; margin-right: .6in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #4472C4 .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-top-alt: solid #4472C4 .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent1; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 10.0pt 0in 10.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoIntenseQuote" style="margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in;">
Tip: Whatever you decide to do on your blog, make it interesting,
informative, and relatable to your website or brand.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<b><span style="font-family: "lora";">So how do you start a blog?<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">I was looking to see how you start a blog in
2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I know how, but you have to
remember that I started writing my blog 10 years ago, and well times have
changed slightly. A person I found called Blog starter suggested you start a
blog in these 6 simple steps:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>Pick
a blog name</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to me, pick a name
that is easy for a reader to remember and is not already taken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance, I wanted to name my business
and blog, P Lynn Designs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lynn is my
legalized or government middle name. Of course, the “P” stands for
Patricia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem with it is there
was already a blog with that spelling, and I did not want people and companies
I deal with to get confused with that spelling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I chose to use P. Lynne Designs because I always wanted to change the
spelling of my middle name since the 10th grade (my parents had a fit about
it), and a period (.) to further distance my blog and business from the other P
Lynn Designs. Little did I know how much the website servers hate it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Etsy still calls my shop, Plynne Designs.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>Get
your blog online</i>.</b> Yes, it is important to find a self-hosting
site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use SiteGround, and I could not
have been any happy with the site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right
now, all three blogs are still on Blogger, which is not a self-hosted
site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is owned by Google, which means
Google has a say so to the things you can and cannot do on your blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WordPress is the type of blog that most
bloggers use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, there are sites like
Wix, and it is a good blogging website, but you want something that can stand
the test of time. I am very confident in Siteground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">Also, register your blog with a domain
name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use GoDaddy, but any hosting
site that allows you to create a website or blog will allow you to create and
register a domain name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Godaddy is
cheaper for the first year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Renewals,
however, are $17.00, at least that is what I paid yesterday.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vl1iVSZ7Z3g/XjAcS34y6II/AAAAAAAAamU/jMaybLgTQkY2EYV16Y-8sP6cb4Ki_eEMQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/desktop-%2BBecca%2BClark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vl1iVSZ7Z3g/XjAcS34y6II/AAAAAAAAamU/jMaybLgTQkY2EYV16Y-8sP6cb4Ki_eEMQCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/desktop-%2BBecca%2BClark.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Becca Clark for Pixabay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "lora";">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>Customize
your blog</i>.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you have created
a blog name, registered the blog and domain name, you will want to pick a
theme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can use the default theme,
which is usually named after the year it was created (Twenty Nineteen is the
theme that is currently activated on my new My Ambiance Life site), but if I
were you, I would pick a theme that resonated with your blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twenty Nineteen is not that theme, so I will
have to change it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, choose a theme
that has a “parent-child relationship (main and sub-main pages).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could get into plug-ins later, but there
are thousands of plug-ins to suit the style you want to go into for your
blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One tip:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>do not fall in love with too many
plug-ins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason is a server is a
great big computer, and if you fill your blog with too many plug-ins, it will
take longer for the blog to load.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
your blog takes to long, you could push away some readers who only want to get
to your post, read it, make a comment, and move on. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>Write
and publish your first post</i>.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once you have customized your blog, it is time to write your first
post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important that reach your
audience and provide the answers that they seek, even if your post is for mere
entertainment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is what I do in
order to write a post from start to publish: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">With that being said, when I first write a
blog post, I plan it out. This takes about 15–20 minutes. Next, anything that I
am not familiar with, even if I am well versed in the topic, I research the
parts I am not familiar with. after the research, I write a rough draft, which
takes about an hour or two. Then I proofread and edit the post. this takes about
30 minutes. Lastly, I will add photos, affiliate links, and other things that may
draw a reader’s attention. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">I tell readers that the way to start a blog
post is to start with a concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Choose
a topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always use motorcycles as a starting point but this time I am not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let’s take Disney as a subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
know, there are Disney movies, property, theme parks, food in the theme parks,
and shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, you have to be able to
break this Whenever you write a blog, it does not matter if it is 500 words or
5000 words, always plan out your topic and do your research, especially on a
topic you are not familiar with. So, I would have to say that depending on what
I have to do that day, it will take me about 24 hours from concept to
publishing the post. This is an estimated time. Some posts may take a little
longer, while others may be shorter than 24-hours. Once you have written and
edited your post you want to <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>Promote
your blog</i>.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, if you do
not tell anyone that you have written a new blog post, how are you going to get
clicks throughs and traffic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will
admit that I have a hard time doing, and I have a degree in marketing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Silly, huh? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">There are many ways to promote your
post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Currently, I am in at least 5
groups whose sole purpose is to allow you to promote your blog posts and 3
groups that allow you to promote my YouTube channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am also on 3 Twitter groups that allow blog
post promotion, and I use Tailwind to promote my posts through Pinterest and
Instagram.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About YouTube, while you are
uploading your video to your channel, fill out your description of what the
video is about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can place a call to
action link in the description area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is where you can place a link to your blog and everything that
links your social media to both the blog and video channel.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">There are also websites that allow the
promotion of blogs as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One such
website I am on is Bloglovin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The way
Bloglovin works is you submit your blog to the site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a code you put on your blog that
allows Bloglovin to grab your post every time you post it on your blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is all there is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those in fear of coding, it is super
simple to plug it into the backend of your blog site or ask any teen to do it
for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would love to be paid a
couple of dollars for the chance to sharpen their skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is always a catch and, in this case,
follow other bloggers and like their posts.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">One word about marketing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is getting harder and harder to promote
because of states like California, who a few weeks ago passed a law that if a person does not want to receive any communication from a third-party company,
you, as the company they are communicating with have to honor that request, and
you need to display it on your blog or website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is something that requires some more discussion on the matter, and
since I live in the State of Ohio, the only way it affects me is if I am doing
business with a customer who lives in California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What you need to do is be strategic about
marketing, and research what is allowed in your state or country because if you
are not careful, marketing can cost you additional thousands of dollars over
what you have estimated the cost to be in your yearly budget.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "lora";">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>Make
money blogging</i>.</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">This is a tricky subject as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot tell you the full details on how,
except what I am trying to do, which is through affiliate marketing, sponsored
posts, and products.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: solid #4472C4 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4472C4 1.0pt; margin-left: .6in; margin-right: .6in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #4472C4 .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-top-alt: solid #4472C4 .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent1; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent1; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 10.0pt 0in 10.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoIntenseQuote" style="margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in;">
Tip: Find what works for you and your blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not try everything, because everything may
not work for you and your type of business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "lora";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "lora";">This ties into promoting your blog:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Promote companies that are in line with your
business and brand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are a
crafter, find craft companies that you use on s regular basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love my Cricut Electronic Cutting Machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been using one since 2005 when the
first one started selling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am now
using the Cricut Maker exclusively, which not only cuts paper, but Balsa Wood, Acetate,
and fabric to name a few materials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have every single type of blade this machine can use, and I have invested money
for this machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also have the older Cricut
Explore (1<sup>st</sup> edition), but it is on standby, in case something goes
wrong with the maker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It almost did 5
weeks ago when Microsoft updated the operating system, and I found out the
computer kicked out my Bluetooth for all Cricut machines because, hey, it was
not made by Microsoft (the little turds), so, I couldn't work neither machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“This
is the very reason why I do not like automatic updates, Microsoft, stop this nonsense.”
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">Yes, I sometimes promote the heck out of
Cricut machines, including the EasyPress, which I need time to learn. But if
you want to earn some money, you need to put in the work to allow your blog to
earn that extra cash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the way, Cricut
does not pay me to say these nice things about their products by giving them to
me, I buy them with my own money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is
that aspect too, which I will dive into through the year.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">Well, another long blog post is done and
ready to publish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember these 6
principles to having a profitable blog, and I just touched the surface on this
subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is plenty of content to
cover with blogging for beginners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blogging
is not for everyone, and there is a 7<sup>th</sup> principle that I have not
touched on, and that is what if you have to quit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have done that on a couple of blogs that I no
longer write, and I will touch on that topic later.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lora";">Until then, be well, and do not give up.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-48146226041042041222020-01-06T09:00:00.000-05:002020-01-06T09:00:04.378-05:00Introductory to a new year and change<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello, and welcome to 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> This post is in place of the Motivational Monday I usually have for a Monday post. I will start back to regular Motivational Mondays next week. </span>There is so much to see and do in my life until I have to explain it
along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I get into today’s
topic, let me revisit a few things:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>2019 the year of mystery and misery…<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will
admit that I had a bad year, but who hasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am going to tell you right now that as long as you are going to be
alive, you are going to go through something.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2019 was a year of first-time losses in a very long time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last person I lost that was close in my
family (meaning biological) was my grandmother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was 2003.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2019, I lost an
aunt in Indianapolis, IN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>she just
turned 84 in September.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was my uncle’s
wife, who is my mother’s brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
second person died Monday, December 30<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was my mother sister who lived in Bessemer,
AL, she was 79. So, as my brother would tell me on the phone yesterday, it is
starting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mother’s siblings are dying,
but I do not look at it that way, as we are all dying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not know when and how we are
dying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The moment that a baby takes its
first breath, on second thought, when it is conceived, that baby is dying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may live to be born or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A friend of mines baby did that 6 years
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She died the moment she was born. Then
again, that baby may live to be 100 years old or more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all depends on how it is taken care of by
the parents and other caregivers, and how they decide to take care of themselves
once they turn 18 years old.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2AStLEWM2IM/XhFFXeo_-vI/AAAAAAAAafQ/iRHD-ubJeX0sQdjDzrHIXie18527G7ElQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Introductory%2Bto%2Ba%2Bnew%2Byear%2Band%2Bchange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="389" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2AStLEWM2IM/XhFFXeo_-vI/AAAAAAAAafQ/iRHD-ubJeX0sQdjDzrHIXie18527G7ElQCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Introductory%2Bto%2Ba%2Bnew%2Byear%2Band%2Bchange.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos from Pixabay;<br />
Arranged by P. Lynne Designs<br />
(c) 2020</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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2019 was a year of self-discovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I get older, I am learning what is
tolerated by me, who I let into my life, and how I handle the situations that
are thrown at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance, It has
been a challenge to deal with my parents getting older, especially my mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is holding on her own, but I feel that
traveling is a challenge for me, rather I invite the family to come or not.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Back in May, I finally booked that Walt Disney World vacation
I have been trying to get the family to go on for years since me, my parents,
and my eldest nephew, who was 11 at the time, came back from Southern<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That day in Anaheim was a blast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While me, my mom, and nephew spend the day at
Disneyland, my father, who is not a Disney fan spent time at a Dodger’s
game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfect timing. My brother nor
sister did not go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister could not
go because my middle nephew was 3 months old and not cleared to fly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My brother had to work. <o:p></o:p></div>
California, and spending time in Temecula, Los Angeles, San Bernardino (where
the family lived for 6 years), and Anaheim where Disneyland is located.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I decided to plan the Walt Disney World trip after the first
of the year, 2010, but since then, things and situations had come up over the
years, including my mother’s illness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
had to continually cancel a booking after booking and even allowed Disney to
cancel a couple for a lack of commitment on my part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made the announcement at the beginning of 2019 but kept putting it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This coupled
with the opening of the Galaxy’s Edge in Disney's Hollywood Studios, which drew
a lot of people, I did not want to be standing in long lines for one ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I booked for us to go from December
15-20, 2019, in a 3-bedroom Grand Villa at Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary Resort.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was excited, except dad, who I
had to try to ask in a nice way if he wanted to go to Florida, which would
automatically land him at Walt Disney World. Well, that did not pan so good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will mention in another blog post what
happened (Hint- <b><i>At Home with Tricia's Baskets</i></b>)<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is little things like that which made me wonder if 2019
was a bad year, but really it was not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No one has threatened me, threaten to take anything away from me, and so
forth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My health was pretty good. So I postponed one little trip?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A year is what you make
it, good or bad.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Now finally for today’s topic 2020.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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I want to take the last few moments to talk about this year
2020.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Business dealings 2019 and the coming 2020<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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I finally did it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>P.
Lynne Designs is splitting up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
how that is going to happen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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P. Lynne Designs is going back to its roots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started this company as a creative company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creating stationery products such as greeting
and note cards, invitations, business cards, bookmarkers, and anything related
to them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I am not going back to
scrapbooking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason is quite
clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The industry itself has changed
and has incorporated digital to its core lineup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the wake of Snapchat, Instagram,
Pinterest, and Tiktok, it is hard for me to keep up while handling these items
and my other business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a person
requests it, I will do one for them, but it is not going to be the main product of
my business anymore.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Speaking of my other business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I will admit that I have felt the loss of running two businesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before it was being a Longaberger Home
consultant (which is coming back in a new way for the moment via QVC), and P.
Lynne Designs. It was fun doing the juggling act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, I will not be a consultant for another
company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although it was fun, I was not getting
commissions like I would want it too, because I had too few customers in comparison
to other home consultants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has to
do with my blogs and the freelance writing side of P. Lynne Designs. The new
company is called The Writing Grove, and this is where I will take on clients
who need something written for their business or personally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will also house the blogs, At Home with
Tricia's Baskets and My Ambiance Life (which I am thinking about changing the
name to The Writing Grove). The P. Lynne Designs blog will be with business, P.
Lynne Designs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is a third business that will allow for affiliate
marketing and content sponsorship, but it will serve both companies, so it is
not an official company and it will not be registered with the State of Ohio.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Speaking of which, my name renewal for P. Lynne Designs is
coming up in April, although I have up to that time to pay it, and I will be
registering The Writing Grove at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless it has gone up, that is around $100
for both companies (or $50 each).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>2020 personal<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Lastly, my plans for me are simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am finally going to try to adopt a child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know, dealing with a child and a business
is going to be rough, but I am up for the challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also want to take home my friend’s babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also hope to find a nice guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yep, love life to which I currently do not
have.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BmiEMrkdHGc/XhFG52JepEI/AAAAAAAAafc/dbJCimvV5igK21t4-zK0PEpDCa4sFtaoQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/new-years-day-4720209_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BmiEMrkdHGc/XhFG52JepEI/AAAAAAAAafc/dbJCimvV5igK21t4-zK0PEpDCa4sFtaoQCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/new-years-day-4720209_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Annette Meyer from Pixabay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Personal buys I would like to make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A new home and a new car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About the new home, I have been talking about
this since I moved out of my last apartment, which was 2002.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I live in this amazing condo that I did
not intend to stay for more than 5 years, but it has been close to 20
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want a home where I do not have
to worry about stairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want a larger
kitchen, a dedicated room for my craftroom, which I will have in the current condo
when my nephew and his girlfriend move out, but at the present moment, I have a
corner in the dining area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is more
than what the average crafter/business owner could ask for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also prefer not to share my garage
space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sharing mine with the neighbor
upstairs, and sometimes they irritate me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other day, my nephew was unloading something from his car, and in
the middle of his unloading, the neighbor’s father came down and closed the garage
door, without asking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could not tell
him to leave the garage door alone because my Spanish is rusty, and he does not
speak English at all. Gone are the days when I could tell my neighbor to leave
the garage door up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As for the new car, I am currently driving a used 2008 Dodge
Caliber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This car was an emergency buy
because I had an accident in 2015 with my 1998 Honda Accord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This car was only supposed to get me through
the fall and winter of 2015-16, but I elected to keep it for a while and shop
for a car payment that I could handle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
a while, I was dead set on getting a Honda CR-V, a year behind whatever current
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if the current year is 2020,
then I would get 2019.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I rode in
my friend’s car, and I could not help but think how big this car was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, the only thing riding with me would
be my child (unless I get siblings), and my business, so I switched to an HR-V,
which is much smaller, easier to handle, and it is still a Honda, plus it is
the same size as my Caliber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next thing
I knew after making the announcement that this is what I am going to purchase
or lease, my father thinks that I am better off with a 2020 Hyundai Kona, like the
one that one of the older ladies at my church drives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got irritated with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, now, I am supposed to test drive both the
Kona and the HR-V. My money is still on the HR-V, but I am open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also does not want me to lease, even
though he has been leasing his cars for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>OooKay?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2020 Blogs<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will tackle this in the next post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have spent too long talking about the other
stuff, and I am close to the 2000 wordmark, which is a tip, this is actually small
in comparison to what was the 1000 wordmark for most blog posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will have the normal Motivational Mondays,
only it will be on all three blogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
Ambiance Life blog, everything will be about the same for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will mention on At Home with Tricia's
Baskets what I am going to change on that blog, as well on the P. Lynne Designs
blog as well. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, this is long and drawn out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope I did not bore you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am really out to grab more readers and give
you information on all things writing, creating blogs, journaling, and other
things related, like planners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
going to be a fun year, I can tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Until then, check out the rest of my blog posts from 2019 and before. May God bless you, and peace out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0Columbus, OH, USA39.9611755 -82.9987942000000239.571838500000005 -83.644241200000025 40.3505125 -82.353347200000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-6490594126814779942019-12-26T09:00:00.000-05:002019-12-26T09:00:11.456-05:00It is almost time (Planner setup)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Disclaimer:</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> P. Lynne Designs is a participant in the Amazon
Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to
provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking
to Amazon.com. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, I want to talk about time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know, boring subject, but there is a
purpose for this topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not going
to talk about time too much on this post, except for when it comes to setting
up your planner.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How much time do we really have?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ip3hCv8KrCo/XfsYgDwbeyI/AAAAAAAAaZs/daRgXJnWOnETp02xvpz08MZN6fTwqy2JQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Planner%2BSetup%2B2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ip3hCv8KrCo/XfsYgDwbeyI/AAAAAAAAaZs/daRgXJnWOnETp02xvpz08MZN6fTwqy2JQCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/Planner%2BSetup%2B2020.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by P.Lynne Designs (c) 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We all know what time is and how valuable it is in a
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel that if I have a lot of time
on my hands, I am not being productive when I watch a video or playing a game
on my tablet. I like to be productive, as I am sure many of you do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not saying don’t play games or watch
videos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find a set time in the day/night
to do that sort of thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is part
of your scheduling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not write it
down in my planner, but I make a conscious effort to note that in my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Experts say that went you go to bed each night, turn off the
screens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does that mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It simply means turn off your computer, turn
off your phones and tablets, and do not play the television all night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you cannot do that, at least put them in
the next room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you put them in the
next room, you now have to physically get up to answer any texts or comments on
your posts on Facebook, for example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
know if I have to do that, I do not want to get up, so, I save it for the next
morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For instance, I turn off my phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not because the experts say that I have to,
but I have a phone that constantly needs charging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a Samsung Note 4 and on its last lap
around the mobile bin. I will get into my issues with my phone at a later time
and hopefully, I can change my phone soon. Next, there is my desktop
computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I keep it on all the time,
except when Windows 10 updates without my knowledge, and it automatically turns
off the computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have the computer
downstairs because where I really want my computer, which is in the next room, my
nephew and his girlfriend are living there until they can find an
apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My laptop is powered down for
the moment and in my backpack for when I want to work in my room or decide to go
to a coffee shop or the library to work. Those are examples of turning off the
screens.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a flaw that I am working on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One problem that I still have is my Ipad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I carry it to bed with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look at my messages, play games, read articles,
and watch YouTube videos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a bad
example of turning off the screens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
I don’t do these things that I mentioned, I find myself walking over to my
Ipad, unlocking it, and just let the light from the screen put me to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is my 5 minute night light, which I am trying
to correct right now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My tips for scheduling:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition to powering down your screens, which is more of
a “how to get a restful night of sleep” than “How to schedule” tip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have these other tips:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b>Get a good planner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I have I ready mentioned in Part 1
of <a href="https://patricialogan.blogspot.com/2019/12/planning-for-beginners-2020-edition.html" target="_blank">Planning for Beginners 2020 Edition</a>, steps for buying that first planner if you do
not already have one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have watched
plenty of YouTube videos prior to writing that post, to make sure that I was
pointing the reader in the right direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is sort of part 2, and I apologize for not writing a proper post
for this second part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I have
learned from my experiences and watching those videos is get a planner that is
right for you and how you plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QWqPlLjiPUg/XfsZLP_52xI/AAAAAAAAaZ0/-L94JBB3mNAexLL8wAl8tB5PfSV1hjvEwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/entrepreneurs-journal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QWqPlLjiPUg/XfsZLP_52xI/AAAAAAAAaZ0/-L94JBB3mNAexLL8wAl8tB5PfSV1hjvEwCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/entrepreneurs-journal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Pixabay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
No two people can have the exact
type of planning and planners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
mentioned that I have 4 different planners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One is for my business, for my personal life, for my budget, and I am
trying out bullet journaling, after a failed attempt of it for 2019.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The planners are all from Erin Condren, but I
am open to trying new ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the
brand I have chosen for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is
also the <a href="https://amzn.to/2S5WbvV" target="_blank">Happy Planner</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2S9Y9eH" target="_blank">Moleskine</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/36Q3f40" target="_blank">The Simplified planner</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/36J0XU6" target="_blank">Mead</a> has a
planner, Emily Ley, and <a href="https://amzn.to/2r2NhUK" target="_blank">Carpe Diem</a>, to
name a few thousand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that
everyone has a planner to sell.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b>Have a “Think Tank”
session.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Choose a day to think about what
you want to do and accomplish for 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You do not have to take the whole day, but take a good chuck out of your
say to set up your system and your schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Place standing dates and dates (such as doctor’s appointment) that were
scheduled in 2019 and place them in your planner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
So, decorate or not decorate it according
to your tastes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make a schedule that you
are comfortable with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have 4 planners,
and I am fine with that concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know
others who have 8 or 5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some
people who stick with one paper planner and have a digital planner. Do what
makes you happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Take ideas from people and make
them your own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You do not have to make
an exact copy of their setup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before you
begin, ask yourself, how can I make this work for me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use a scratch piece of paper, and write out a
budget on what you are willing to spend and what you can spend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next, draw or write out your sections, such
as Home, Business, Budget, and personal.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b>If you can, have a separate
budget book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Yes, that is what the <a href="https://amzn.to/2Q13gev" target="_blank">Erin Condren Monthly deluxe planner</a> is for
with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not a new concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I adopted this technique from Shay McMillian,
AKA Shay Budgets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I like about this
planner is that there are notebook pages inside of each monthly section, where
you can write down your notes, your income, your expenses, your sinking funds
(I am still learning about those), and your financial goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You do not have to go all out like me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am testing this system for the first
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was not working for me was
using Excel for a budget, and placing it in my main planner.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b>Business/Work Planner</b><o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Also if you can, have a separate
business planner (or work planner if you still have a corporate job).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I planned out My Ambiance Life and
decided to talk about business ventures, I did not realize that I had a whole
audience of readers who were both entrepreneurs and corporate workers, or corporate
workers ONLY.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this tip is for you too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many times, for example, we often find ourselves
not only placing appointments in our personal planners dental appointments for
our children, but that “all-inclusive” staff meeting from XYZ company, or
meeting with a client, who wants to do 14 fittings of a wedding dress that she
is not sure of in the first place into that planner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not have a separate planner?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even better if you can leave on at the office
and carry the other one around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bsvHddbv9cI/XfsZ1e8loOI/AAAAAAAAaaA/3U0KKB7TKggz_B1y-yHWVFTPTnKt1xlygCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/writing-down-notes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bsvHddbv9cI/XfsZ1e8loOI/AAAAAAAAaaA/3U0KKB7TKggz_B1y-yHWVFTPTnKt1xlygCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/writing-down-notes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Pixabay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Not feeling the need to have to
carry one around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does pocket-size mean
anything or using your phone as a digital planner?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is why I carry my Ipad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put all my dates in there</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b>5. Putting it all together.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Find a way to coordinate your system. Make a conscious effort to look at it every day. Decorate if you want to. I know of some people who go wild with the
decorating and some who take on a minimalist approach to it. I am in the middle. If I feel like it, I will decorate it. I do not make a habit of it. I like stickers, which goes back to my days
of making scrapbooks. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject of setting
up a planner. Place them in the comments
section.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Related Articles</div>
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<a href="https://patricialogan.blogspot.com/2019/12/planning-for-beginners-2020-edition.html" target="_blank">Planning for Beginners the 2020 addition part 1</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://plynnedesigns.blogspot.com/2019/12/how-to-set-up-a-planner" target="_blank">How to set up a Planner </a></div>
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Patricia Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604008416380429859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723818529282328162.post-6026455437745408862019-12-10T06:16:00.001-05:002019-12-10T06:16:25.211-05:00Vlogmas day 9| Craft with me|Card discussion<div style="width: 480px; height: 270px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" seamless="seamless" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitAllowFullScreen" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" id="okplayer" width="480" height="270" src="http://youtube.com/embed/GcjxftO3EGI" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 480px; height: 270px;" name="okplayer"></iframe></div>
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