New series: 56 My Ambiance Life things

Hello, long time, no see, rather no write.  I have been thinking.  They say that if you think too hard, something ugly might come up.  OK, I am the only one who said it, BUUTTT….

I just celebrated my birthday.  Yeah, that one.  July 21 is the date.  I am not one to reveal my age because I do not feel it and I do not think it.  Let’s just say that I am a Gen X, the forgotten generation.  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.  I guess that we are the people that others warn each other about.  So, if you were born between 1964-1979, you know exactly what I am talking about, but this is not that conversation.  Not here, and not on this blog.  I can explain further as I go through “56 My Ambiance Life Things on that blog, or not.  You never know until you read all 4 blogs.  Did I say 4?

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.  Each series has no rhyme or reason except that it has to do with what each blog has in store for the reader.  In My Ambiance Life’s case, it is about writing, blogging, and inspiration to name a few. So here’s a start.

 

Today’s topic:  Writing during Covid

Today, I want to talk about being a writer during this time.  You can call your profession anything you want to help you sleep at night.  I call myself a writer.  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.  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).  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.  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. 

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.  Yeah, idiots who refuse to wear a mask around here.  I hope you are happy about your right to not wear a mask.  Thanks to you, I cannot move freely throughout the country with one on.  You have impeded on mine.

Back to the subject….

As you can see, I am kind of sore about that, and thanks okay.  As a writer (blogger or not), you can write about your experiences with Covid.  There is plenty to write about, and you can put as much or as little details as you want.  After all, it is your article/post/novel.  You can have it fictionalized into something like the “Virus that Ate Manhattan”, or something that Robin Cook could only visualize in his mind.  Humm, I wonder if his book, Pandemic (2018) was about Covid in the future.  The virus in the book describes a “flu-like” virus invading parts of the world.  This is hitting to close to home.

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.  I already failed that breakfast sandwich trick.  I do plan on writing about it in my Home Prep blog and have a video on my YouTube channel.  Let me give you some other examples.

Examples for Motivational and inspirational type blog posts

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.  February and March 2020 was a shocker in the first place.  I cannot remember in my lifetime where I am ordered by the local or federal government to stay inside.  I also cannot remember a time where there is uncertainty throughout the country.  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.  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.  Recall life before the pandemic. 

• Who are you and what is your background?   
• Where do you live?  For this, do not give out your exact location.  Notice at the beginning of this blog post, where I mentioned where my brother lives.  I said only the city and state.  Giving out your exact location can be bad for privacy. 
• What have you been doing during this time?  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?  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.”  You may have something similar or mention that you have been working remotely.  I am only mentioning things that are allowed in the United States, it may be different in your country.

Examples for “Home living” type blog posts

This is easier than the motivational and inspirational blogs.  The reason is it brings together something that most people during this time, working in the home.  I am not talking about your job, but renovating and doing little remodeling jobs around the home. 

• Have you an increase in your shopping habits? Talk about what you have bought during this time.  Haul videos and haul blog posts have become very popular during this time.  I have made a couple myself.
• Have you discovered a new way of cooking?  Food delivery has increased since we are still limited from going into a restaurant and having a sit-down meal. 

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.  A word of advice, have the grocery store bring you some goodies.  I gained 20 pounds in delivery prepared food and my Ipad has become my new timer, LOL.

• How have you organized and decluttered?  Talk about the space that you are trying to organize and what you want out of the space.  Come up with a plan and make it a journey. 

My craftroom, kitchen, and home office are three spaces that needed attention.  I am almost done with the kitchen and home office.  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.

• For parent eyes ONLY… how have your kids faired during the pandemic?  Does your school system have at least a partial plan for August and September?  What have you done to keep them occupied?  Are you considering permanent homeschooling your kids?  Pet Parents… how has your furbaby felt about you staying at home?  I have a niece furbaby, and I know she is wondering why everywhere she turns, I am right there.  In fact, she has hidden from me on several occasions during this time and tried to escape, LOL.  Most times, she has enjoyed my company, and I have enjoyed hers.

Tips on making writing work for other types of writing besides writing in a blog…

You do not have to write to keep others happy in this form.  If you are a novelist, this is a great time to start that novel.  Of course, if you have already written your first novel, you already know this.  This advice is for those who have always wanted to write one. 

So, what do you write about besides the pandemic around us?  You do not have to write about the pandemic as I previously mentioned.  You can go to another space in your head that speaks to your desires.  For this, there are some wonderful articles on how to start a novel.  I am not a novelist.  Sometimes I wish I were that person, or I can advise you better.

Do you like poetry?  Prose? A good non-fiction how-to book?  All of these would make a good book if you put your mind to it.

Well, it’s the end…

But not for long.  I have lots to say and not enough time to say it.  Some posts will be short and some long-winded, but never boring.  If you like this, stay tuned, there more posts to come.  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.  You may also address it to my email address, plogan721@att.net.

Until then, see you next time.

 

No Goals report for July 2019

This is a short post, I promise!!!!!

Disclaimer: 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.

For the past two months, I have been sharing my goals for the month. Now to put up a warning; I am not reporting one this month.

Why?

• Because I want to see if my goals will happen naturally and authentic?
• Because it is summer, and I am lazy
• Because it is my birthday month
• All the above

I have one, I am not publicizing it.

Photo by Elle

It is all the above.  Let me explain….

Since April 2019, I have been on a mission to improve my ultimate goal of being an entrepreneur and writer.  Really, it has been my goal from the very beginning, but I have been sort of lax from the beginning.  If you take a look at my previous post, one of the goals was to take my business seriously, and I while I have been working at it, I sometimes feel like I am spinning my wheels.  I feel like I was not going anywhere fast, and not making any money.

Starting today is the start of a new day and a new fiscal year for me (July 1, 2019-June 30, 2020), and while it may not mean much to some people, it means a lot to me.  June is usually the time where I look back at the last 12 months and clean some things up in my business.  I may add some things, take away some things, and redo some things that may not be working while keeping the things that are working the way they are.  The past 12 months, I have been doing it each month.  Well, not every month.  There are some months that I skipped because it was really not needed for that month.

            Tip:  take time out to look at your situation and change it if it is not working.

This is not just a tip for business but a life as well.  No one is expected to stay the same for the rest of their life.  For one, it is boring, and another, it looks weird if, for example, a six-year-old who still learning the same set of skills they did as a four-year-old. There are some exceptions, such as the child may be autistic or they may not have learned it as a four-year-old, but under normal circumstances, it looks weird.  Same as an adult or any type of situation.  You learn and grow from it as well as new things.

One of the things I have learned from a long time ago is that Blogger is not the best platform for me.  If you have been following me for a while, you know this has been a struggle for me.  Another struggle for me has been to keep a consistent schedule.  

One of the things I talk about a lot is being careful.  I do not fully come out and say it, but I dropped little hints on how to be careful.  Being careful includes;

• Watching your back
• Watching your time
• Watching your writing (or whatever business you are into-passion)
• Watching the money

It is watching the money that I want to briefly touch on for the rest of this post (which is growing longer by the second, LOL).  It is a touchy subject for many and most people do not like to talk about money situations.

The first part of watching your money is careful about who you talk to.

When we first start a business, we (and I include me in this as well) want to tell everyone.  If we could tell our first-grade teacher we would do it, but not everyone needs to know that you are going into business for yourself, especially when you first get started.  Your boss does not need to know about any situation that you are facing unless it affects your job, and your business should not be one of them.  Your co-workers most definitely do not need to know this. 

Here is why: 

Most people are jealous.  Sure tell your family, unless they run the business you are working at.  What will happen if you have this new business idea at your job, but your supervisor poo-poos the idea.  So, instead of sitting on it, you decide to make it a business venture.  Heck, that idea may be working your paintings or photography as a side hustle.  Whatever it is, you decide that this going to be your second income instead of getting a second or third job.  It now tells your employer that you are no longer available for certain hours, the weekend, that holiday shift that no one wants because they want the two weeks in Cancun instead.  Not only that but, now you have done something that they should have done, leave.

When I first thought of going into business for myself, I was working at Archiver’s, which was a scrapbook store. I kept getting requests from customers who wanted someone to have one of the associates make something for them, but that was not a service that the store offered.  It was a Do It Yourself store, that offered supplies to make a project. This happened especially around the holiday season and even though the store offered to show them how to make a project, the people who asked were not creative, and they told me that the moment their mouth opened.  I wanted to offer it as an extra income for me, separate from the store, without the managers knowing about it.  One employee was already offering those services on her own.  As soon as I got my ideas together, a new employee handbook came out that November 2009, and apparently, the company was made aware of this to the point where they stated that no employee can work for themselves or for a direct selling company.  I was also a Longaberger consultant at the time.  Since I was down to one day a week, and making $8.15 an hour for 4 hours, I had a decision to make.  Talk about your punishment.  I thought, “they might as well fire me”, but I quit instead.  This was my mistake, now that I think about it.

            Tip: do not quit until you can make 10 times more than your current paycheck.

Now, I am sort of struggling to keep up, and even though my parents have been gracious by helping me, still I should have gotten another job until I am able to peacefully quit to run P. Lynne Designs full-time.  I have a friend who owns his own photography studio, but he also has a job that does not take up his weekends, so, he does photography shoots on the weekends, and works during the week at his regular job. Which reminds me to schedule for a new headshot with him soon.

OK, I lost track of time, and this is starting to become my normal post length

Other excuses on why there is no July report…

It is my birthday month.  If I use that excuse for the reason why I am not writing is that my birthday month is here, I would not be working at all.  Every year, I keep saying that I am going to have a giveaway, and my month is gone before I could get started, so to roll everything in one package, I will be working on a giveaway that combines my birthday with my anniversary of 10 years of blogging.  I am not sure what the giveaway is as of yet, but it is coming.  I would say around Christmas, but I am traveling that month, so it will be around November.  It is in the midst of the holiday season. Anyway, look for it.

OK, that about does it, I am no longer announcing that I will have a short blog post.  If you like this post, please comment and share it.  I hope you enjoyed it.  God Bless You.

Happy July, Happy 4th, and Happy birthday

(c) 2017 Mass Vacation

Welcome to July!  This is the first full month of summer and so much going on.  This is the only vacation month for teachers and students here in the United States.  (Unless, you need Summer School, then I cannot help you there.)  July was named for Julius Cæser, a Roman General.  It was his birthday month. There are a lot of events that took place during this month.  If you are a follower of national holidays, today (July 3^rd) it is

·         National Fried Clam Day, so hit up your local fish person, and fry some clams (Yum!)

·         National eat your beans day

·         National chocolate wafer day

For July 4^th, it is

·         National Barbecued Spareribs day. It goes perfectly with…

·         National Caesar Salad day.  This also goes well with….

·         Independence Day.  Birthday of the United States.

Yes, for those of you who do not live in the country, we are celebrating a birthday, and it all starts with the food.   I am not sure what I will be eating since the food will be provided by my aunt and uncle. Saturday, I had steak and salad, and yesterday, I had salmon, salad, corn on the cob, and apple pie.  For those who have been following this blog, yes, I am watching what I eat, but I have not had any gout flare-ups in a while (February was the last big one). 

Next, comes the parades and the fireworks.  My nephew shot some for his little one, who was very delighted to see them.  Our big one comes tonight.  It is called Red, White, and Boom, and the event is being acclaimed to be the biggest in this country.  It is never done on the 4^th, to give local nearby towns a chance to shoot off their fireworks.

Another birthday celebration

Our nation is not the only one celebrating a birthday this month.  I will be turning a year older.  I am proud to say that I will be 53.  I cannot say that being in my 50s has always been a joy.  It was not, as I struggle to turn 50.  I was upset that I was kicked out of anything that was considered, “Young Adult” because I felt like a young adult.  I still do, but I also found out that this club has been slightly extended to age 55, so, I have a while.  There really is no such thing as being middle aged.  I want to know what is that?  All it means for most people my age you are sandwiched between your adult children and your senior parents, that’s all.  You are as young as you feel, and I do not feel a day over 35. (although I do have reminders from my body a little too often.)

Most people have giveaways on their birthday month, if not the day (21^st).  I am not sure what I will do.  Stayed turned.  It might be a surprise.

So, this is a very short post this morning (it’s 3:58 AM, the latest (or the earliest) post I have ever written on this blog.

Happy 4^th to those of us living in the United States, happy first part of summer for the whole month of July (or Happy winter for those in the Southern Hemisphere). 

So what does freedom mean to you?

(c) 2015 by P. Lynne Designs

Happy birthday to America AND to me….

Well not yet for me, but it is my birthday month, and I am excited.  I got over the hump of a new decade for me last year. (I am 10 years old for the 5^th time, do the math).  I will get to that post later on in the month. 

The birthday baby I want to talk about is America’s birthday (July 4^th), and celebrating its Independence Day.  This is the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed, and freedom from England was a done deal. 

So what does freedom mean to you?

For me it means being able to move freely throughout the country, without question on where you are going, why you are going, what are you going to do when you get there, and who are you going with.  Or is it?  Sometimes I wonder about that.

If freedom means to move throughout the country without being stopped for driving a nicer car and the police stopping you, because they think you stole the car you are driving.  There should not be any problems.  If freedom means being able to walk down the street without a police officer immediately handcuffing you, because you recently walked out of a store, and being accused of stealing an item, or worst yet, shot and killed, there should not be any problems.  If freedom means you can worship wherever you want, without being killed for no reason or having your place of worship being burned to the ground, there should not be any problems.   These are the problems that the African American community, which I identify with, has been going through for the past 4 years. 

Think these are isolated incidences?  It has been a constant on and off situation since slavery was abolished.  I am tired of being treated as a second-class citizen.  We as a race are tired of being treated as second-class citizens.  This is not India, where the class system has been abolished for a number of years.  This is America, the land of the free and the home of the brave.  Where did you think we were going after slavery was done away with, back to Africa? I don’t think so, but yet there are still people, who want us to know our place, especially if you are a black man, but the problem does not stop there.

We are killing each other over territorial rights, this gang does not like the other gang, and people get jealous over the success of others.  When we need the authorities the most, they do not come and take care of the situation.  Do not get me started on the war on drugs.  Yes, the government does a mediocre to fair job on keeping drugs out of the country.  Today, I was listening to the news, and heard about a pill form of heroin. Really now? You drug dealers are stupid enough to get your customer even higher than before, yet killing them at the same time, because they cannot remember when was the last time they took one.  You call it business, I call it stupid. Legalize marijuana?  Nothing like a bunch of weed heads being able to get high without being arrested for possession and doing harm at the same time.  I do believe it is called alcohol.

I do not mean to go off like that, but if we want freedom, we as individuals need to take a look at what does it mean to have that freedom.  Yes, we do have it better than most countries on this planet, but at what cost?  Our founding fathers of this country wanted freedom, to not be ruled by another country, but again are we?  There is more than one type of freedom, and we ALL are not fully free to do that.  When we are all free, this can be a beautiful place to live in, if you let it.