Paul Harvey and an Irresistable Woman?

I just heard on twitter that Paul Harvey died at age 90. To tell you the truth, I didn’t even know he was still alive. I remember my dad listening to him when I was just a kid & I’m almost 50!  He was an icon for an era gone by and I’m sorry to see him go. My dad just assed away in June and it seems like that whole era is just dissapearing as the folks die off. I know it’s a part of life and the circle of life and all, but it’s still sad. As Paul would say, on to the rest of the story…

I don’t know wabout the rest of the country but our weather is totally wacky lately. The last couple of days was warm & in the 70’s. Today we paid for that wonderful weather with rain & the 40’s & Monday they are actually calling for 5 inches of snow! Now that would be a real rarity in this area. Usually if we do get snow, it’s just a light dusting that dissappears within a few hours but I do remember several blizzards in my lifetime.  Personally, I want Sring to be here & I really don’t want the snow to come even if it is pretty and a rarity.

Have you heard about what Christina Wiley of Irresitable Woman Entrepreneur is offering? Her Irresistible Woman Entrepreneur 101 coaching system starts on  Tuesday, March 2nd and she is offering a free membership to one irresistible woman. All you need to do is go to her site and tell her why you think you deserve a free spot in this upcoming session. Deadline to enter is 6pm Pacific/8pm Central/9pm Eastern on Sunday, March 1, 2009.

Ok, the above was equivalent to a business tip so onto today’s quote:

Dance as though no one is watching you.

Love as though you have never been hurt before.

Sing as though no one can hear you.

Live as though heaven is on earth.

Which domain to use?

The quest for a new laptop is over. After days of dealing with numerous ebay auctions, I finally  my Dell Inspiron pink laptop. I paid more than I wanted $305. I was hoping to pay no more than $260.  But I couldn’t wait any longer. My biz is being severely limited by not having a good working computer. So now I’m eagerly awaiting the delivery of “Pinkie”. Yes, I name my appliances, and my cars. Silly huh?

Ok, got a quick question for any readers out there. I’m getting ready to make a static site about dogs. I own 2 names DogTips.org (the .com extension was taken) and YourDogCare.com. Which one do you like better. Now on the surface, I’d pick the Your Dog Care one since it has .com on the end. And we all know .com is king. That’s what most people think of when entering web addresses. But I do really like the name Dog Tips. It’s short and sweet. Of course there’s an .org at the end instead of .com and that’s why I can’t completely embrace that one. One of my mentors, Willie Crawford, says that he often uses .org because it assumes authority to a site and it often ranks well in google. So that makes me feel better if I do decide to pick the dog tips name.   So leave a comment and help me decide! PLEASE!

My life tip is about gas. I know the prices have gone down (Thank God!) but they slowly seem to be creeping up. To find the best prices in your area, msn-autos   will give them to you. You can also get your local traffic reports and driving directions.

Today’s quote: The best and most beautiful thingsin the world cannot be seen,or even touched….they must be felt with the heart. Helen Keller

A few tips and random chit chat

I have nothing really to talk about today except I’m still on the  war path for a new laptop. I have been wanting a mini laptop to take with me when I’m out,  in addition to my regular home laptop. I’m thinking I may go ahead and get a mini one now to use as my main computer.

I don’t know if this is everywhere or just our area, but today while in the post office passport office, (I may be going to Mexico within a few months!) I got to talking to the guy next to me who told me that our local Kmart SuperStore is going out of business. So on the way home, I stopped by there. I have been needing a few household items and was hoping to find them for a good price. I got some great sales! For under $60, I got a drink pitcher, a faux mink throw, a cute satin shirt, 2 area rugs and the biggest value, a beuatiful, soft king sized comforter for only $9.60! I’m really thinking that might have been mis-priced but I’m not about to argue with them.  Don’t you just love those days when you get something really cool for a really great price?

Speaking of great prices, how about free? Quiznos is giving away free subs! Here’s a link to sign up to get a coupon: http://millionsubs.com/

That was my life tip for today! Here’s my biz tip: if you need a  calender that has all the weird, cool holidays (great if you need something to make up an event about for your business or for blog fodder), here’s a site that has them for you: http://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html

I Need a New Laptop!

I realized today how totally, utterly and completely attached I have become to my computer when it died last night! My poor old laptop (circa 2000) has been on it’s last legs for a while now and I knew I’d have to replace it soon. My son was checking it out for me and in the process, actually hastened it’s death! It died a quiet, quick death.

Ryan, my son, being Ryan and somewhat OCD (Obsessive Complusive Disorder) stayed up half the night trying to fix it despite my objections. He finally passed out around 3 a.m. Poor baby, he has to be up at 6 for school.

When he got home from school, he was right back to work on the laptop trying to repair it. He felt so guilty about being the one to break it though it really was on it’s last legs.

I feel like I’m missing an arm or a leg. We do have a monstrasity of a computer in the family room that I have been using today instead but it’s a poor substitute. It’s not small or portable. Nor does it have my tricked out firefox toolbar and all my stuff just where I want it. But at least it gets me online.

I have been trying all day to win a pink laptop on ebay and it hasn’t been easy! I have lost 5 auctions in a row. Don’t these people know I’m lost without a laptop?

I’m going to keep trying and victory will be mine! I shall have a new (to me anyway) pink laptop. A wahm can hardly do without one!

Monthly Themes

At the beginning of 2008, I decided that instead of New Year’s resolutions, I was going to have a theme for the year. For me 2008, was the year to try new things and take more chances. I actually stuck to it and changed a lot of things in my life, took a lot of chances and definitey grew as a person.

So this year, I still haven’t pinned down what my theme is. It’s either to get my life organized or a business goal that is too much to go into here.

I was thinking, why not have monthly goals? For instance, March I will get my finances and paperwork in order (to prepare for tax time). April will be Marketing Month, May will be Media Month. That’s as far as I have gotten but I like this idea. I’m thinking that when I decide on a theme for a particular month, I can then break down the steps I need to do to accomplish it and put a step on my calender for each day. By the end of the month, my goal should be complete.  I will have to watch myself so as not to load too much on each day. Other wise, if I miss a day or two, I’ll get too far behind, get discouraged and give up.

So what do you think? Like this idea? What will your themes be for the next few months and what is your yearly theme?

Am I an Internet Marketer?

A few days ago, I was at a local Internet Marketing meet-up. We have several big time internet marketers in this area and one of them came to this meeting.  Since I had met this guy before at an out of town conference and even had dinner with him one night, I consider him a casual friend. As we were talking, I was telling him about my relatively new blog Bloggy Doggies and I proudly told him that after having the blog up for 6 weeks, I was getting 200-250 visitors a day & about 30 subscribers. He asked me how much money I was making from it and I had to admit, very little. Maybe a few cents  in adsense, but that was it. He got a weird look on his face and  when I asked him “What?”, he said, ‘I don’t know what to tell you Cathy, I’m usually making money by the time I consistently get 50 visitors a day’.

I really didn’t think much about it at the time but on the way home, the ramifications of his statement finally hit me. I must be a horrible internet marketer.  Why am I even doing this? I obviously don’t know what I’m doing. What’s the point? Maybe I should just give up on all this stuff and go get a job working the night shift at Walmart. I felt very discouraged and ready to give up.

By the time I got home, I knew I needed to write a blog post for the  next day but I didn’t want to even look at the blog that up to that point, had been my passion. I threw up a couple of funny pictures and called it a night.

The next morning, things seemed a little clearer. I was able to see why he is making money and I am not. His blogs are set up to promote his products. That is their sole purpose. Bloggy Doggies isn’t. Yes, I have Amazon & adsense on there, and a few affiliate links but I don’t actively promote anything. My blog’s purpose is to entertain and inform on a topic I’m passionate about.

Yes, I would love to make money with it, at the very least, enough to pay for my time and expenses.  So now the question is, if I really want to monetize it, how can I? I’m not a high pressure sale kind of gal like most internet marketers but apparently the subtle approach doesn’t work. Should I just keep it like it is since it’s my passion and focus on something else that I can better monetize? I’m not sure but that’s the way I’m leaning. These are the things I am wrestling with.  I’m open to any words of wisdom.

Ok, today’s tip is a great blogging resource! Carrie Lauth of Natural Moms Talk Radio has written a wonderful resource called 100Blogging Tips . You can find it over at Profitable Mommy Blogging

Obsessed with your Business?

Are you obsessed with your business? I think sometimes we work a home folks can become obsessed by it. There are often no clearly defined limits in space and time. I know I work at my business all day long in between caring for my mother, my family, my home, & errands. It’s not a 9 to 5 thing. It’s more like a 9 to 11, 1 to 3, 7 to 2 a.m. or something like that. It can be crazy. Even whn I not actually physically working at my business, I’m often thinking about it and strategizing about it my mind. I’m guessing it’s part of the entrepreneur mind set.

I realized how bad my obsession had gotten after Christmas. Now because one of my businesses is a craft business that specializes in personalized Christmas ornaments, of course I ‘m going to have my life taken over by my business during those few months before Christmas. I often work 18 hour days and even a few all nighters before a big craft show.

But this year, it didn’t lesson after Chrristmas. Instead of relaxing and taking a break, I still seemed to be in business obsession mode.  Yes, I’m a home business addict.  And I like it

The problem with this is you become one dimensional. We all need a well balanced life. I noticed I wasn’t doing fun things with my off line friends anymore. I wasn’t reading novels anymore (only business books). I hardly ever watch TV anyway but the few shows I do enjoy, I was forgetting about them and missing them.  Although I still took numerous mini breaks through out the day to go out in the back yard and chase around the dogs for a few minutes, I wasn’t taking them for long walks like I used to do.

I decided I had to make some changes so I’m forcing myself to have more of a life. After a recent out of town business conference, I took a week off to spend time with my best friend who lives in the same town the conference was in.  I am going to a movie once or twice a month. I’m making a point to get together with friends too once or twice a month for lunch, or to browse a bookstore and then sit in a coffee shop and read our treasures we got from the bookstore, or to play with our crafts. I also started reading novels again. My very favorite author is Ted Dekkerand oddly enough, his book that I’m reading (and loving!) now is called Obsessed

You know what’s strange? SInce I have been trying to take a little more time to have a personal life, instead of having my business suffer, I have been much more productive. So my advice to you is to examine your life. How much of it is consumed by your business? Try to sprinkle some of things that you love into your day. You will be surprised at how much happier you become!

Being in Sandwich Generation Aint Easy!

Today has been a tough day. Too many people needing me and I feel like I don’t have anything left to give. It’s not easy being in the sandwich generation when you have to care for your parents and your kids.

I feel like I’m often a bad mother and a bad daughter and everyone is getting short changed including me.  I’m not a natural caregiver. At least not for people. I am for animals. That brings up a whole another can of guilt. Why should I care more for animals than I do people? I don’t know. I was just born feeling very close to animals, specially dogs. Of course I love my family more than my pets but it just seems like such a physical & emotional struggle to care for people and it doesn’t for animals. I’ve accepted that in myself and if that makes me a bad person, well so be it. I don’t know how to change it.

I do try to be a good caregiver, most the time.  But then are times when an elderly parent is specially demanding and I think if I have to do this another day, I’m going to lose my mind. But then, I get up the next day and do it again. I keep myself sane  by telling myself that it’s not forever. To appreciate the time I have left with them. And I have my fantasies of living in a log cabin, on a lake in the country with no responsibility to anyone but myself. That’s what keeps me going.

I know I’m not alone out here. There are many of us in the baby boomer generation that are struggling to keep it together caring for surly teenagers and elderly, ill parents along with homes, relationships and jobs or businesses. You don’t hear too much about us, probably cos we are just too tired and busy to make waves. But we are a silent army, trying to keep our families together and ourselves in one piece.

Ok, I feel better now that I had my little rant.  I can face another day. I guess I’m lucky this blog is new with not many readers. LOL.

Today’s life tip:

If you have a problem with toenail fungus and can’t afford the very expensive prescription that takes many months for it to even work, there is a simple alternative.  Alot of folks have had luck with Vicks Salve, something you can buy very cheaply in any drugstore. Just slather it on and under your tonenails at night before bed and put cotton socks on to sleep. You can rub some in, in the morning too before you put your shoes and socks on. You should see an improvement within a month or two.

25 Random Things About Me

Kelly McCausey over at Spakplugging’s WAHM 2.0 has tagged me for the “25 Random Things About Me” meme that has been making the blog circles.  So here goes:

1. I have lived in 6 decades since I was born at the tail end of the 50’s! Wow, I’m old.

2. I have had 14 dogs in my life along with 3 cats, 1 snake, 8 hamsters, 1 gerbil, 2 rabbits, 4 guinea pigs, & untold amounts of fish. Can you tell I’m an animal nut?

3. I have been married twice (both disasters). The first was for 7 months to my high school art teacher. The second, over 20 years.

4-I am 1/4 Cherokee Native American (I know I don’t look it) along with English, Irish & German. In other words, I’m a mutt!

5-The first real home that I bought all by myself was this little old mobile home. I fixed it up really cute and still miss it sometimes (although I never want to live in a trailer again!)

6-I don’t think I have ever truly been in love. Sad huh?

7-I am double jointed. I can put my legs around my neck & I use my feet like hands to pick up stuff.

8-I worked at CBN and have talked to Pat Robertson several times. Boy, I could tell some stories…..

9-I have been on TV probably about half a dozen times (mostly CBN).

10-My first television experience was when I was 8. I was on a local TV kids show called “The Jim and Tammy Show” that was hosted by the later notorious Jim and Tammy Faye Baker (Remember the PTL scandal?)

11-My 2 daughters’ birthdays are 3 days apart (and 3 years).

12- I have always been artistic. As a kid in school, I use to draw pictures in class & sell them to the other students for a quarter.

13- I am a descendent of Captain John Ratcliffe who sailed here in the 1600’s (watch Disney’s Pochohantas if you want to know who John Ratcliffe was, although he wasn’t really a bad guy.)

14-I am also 3rd cousin to Elvis Presley.

15-I actually do believe in the Law of Attraction. It’s not woo-woo. It’s science. And although the New-Agers have claimed it, it’s often talked about in the Bible.

16-Before I die, I want to try para-sailing.

17-I actually took Disco dance lessons in the late 70’s. I still love listening to Disco.

18-I am totally not athletic at all but I do love swimming and could live in the water!

19-I am a total sci-fi nut. I love “Ghost Hunters”, old “Twilight Zone” shows, “Lost” & anything Star Trek.

20-I rarely watch TV anymore. I usually listen to podcasts or read instead.

21-I LOVE to read and wish there was some way I could make that a career. I’m usually reading 2-3 books at any given time.

22- I sometimes don’t think I’m feminine enough. I don’t like to shop, don’t care much for clothes, decorating or celebrity gossip. I’m not very emotional. I tend to gravitate and feel more comfortable around men at parties.

23-I don’t consider myself psychic but I have had times where I just knew things before they happened. My mom is the same way.

24-The doctors always told me I had a body that was made for bearing children. All my pregancies were easy, I delivered exactly on the due dates, & even though I had big babies, 8 pounds to over 10 pounds, my labors were very fast at about an hour or so.

25-My grandparents lived in a huge 6 bedroom old Victorian with 4 porches in Athens, WV. We were all convinced the place was haunted from the weird stuff that would happen there. I still have nightmares about that house!

Ok, hope that wasn’t too boring for you. On to today’s business tip:

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Funny Internet Video

I love this video! I can SO relate:

Ok, today’s life tip: If you still get your newspaper the old fashioned way (in your driveway) you may be wondering what to do with all those long skinny bags the newspaper comes in. Well, here are some uses:
Put a few in your diaper bag to wrap up those stinky diapers.
Wrap a few around your dog’s leash to use to pick up poops on dog walks.
Use a bag to cover the cast on your arm when showering.
Keep one under your sink & use it to pick up and hold food waste in your sink.