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Saying Goodbye

  Note:  Another version of this blog post is under The Writing Cove. 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.

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.

“Write what you know” has been the motto of this blog.  I often found myself dealing in the heart of controversy on this blog.  It does not matter if:

I am teaching you how to write

What to write

Where to write (journaling)

Planning your writings

Or speaking your truth

It is in here.

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.  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).  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.

I have hinted to you for years how dissatisfied I was with Blogger and its limitations for growth.  This seems to be truer since they got a new interface.  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.  It is over on Godaddy.  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.  I recommend both equally for beginners.  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.

The Future is now…. The Writing Cove

With every future endeavor, you need to start with a name.  This is a name that tells the reader in one sentence what the blog is about.  I played with this name several times, looked it up to make sure that no one owned this name.  There are shops in various cities throughout the world, but none with the true name for a blog.  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.  I am not about to go to court over the name of a blog if he has the right to.  Then the name, “The Writer’s Coven” came to mind, and well, The Lord Steered me away from that one.  I shorten it by one letter, “The Writing Cove”.  Christian Authors, I checked it, and it is sound, and safe for me to use it, both in the biblical sense and copyright sense.

What is The Writing Cove?

The Writing Cove is exactly what the name indicates, writing.  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…”.  One thing I am not steering from but will be putting less of is things and Ideas involving Black people and people of color.  Why? Because I am one. I had a white Great-grandfather, but that is as far as it goes.  My father does not know that side of the family, and I am going to leave it there.

If you want to know:

How to start a blog.

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.

How to journal and where to journal

How to use a planner for your benefit

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.

To be motivated mentally and spiritually

Then you have come to the right place 

One of the reasons why I have not posted anything is all that I have mentioned above.  I have been working on it.  I want everything to be right, not perfect, only right.  I want you to feel comfortable reading at your own pace and to comment at your own time. 

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.  Some of them are:

Play nice:  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.  I do not take threats lightly

No cursing.  Please, there are ways to say things without giving God a last name or using Jesus’ name in the wrong context.  I will be the first to admit that I do curse, and I am trying to get better at not doing it.  It is hard, and the Lord knows it.

No defaming.  Tensions are still on the rise between the supports of the Black Lives Matter movement, the police, and the president.  The same goes between the races, sexual orientation and identification, and religions.  If you do not agree with me, fine, but do not stifle what I have to say and what I put out.  Everyone has different opinions.

Gig writing and other matters…

I have often mentioned that one of my businesses is freelancing.  I am a freelance writer and freelance graphic designer.  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).  Google, has been kind of wishy-washy about the whole thing.  While they do not mind the advertising, they want it under their terms, and that I cannot deal with any longer.  I am losing money because of this.  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.  These are some of my services:

Blog posts.  I will write blog posts as a guest or ghost writer

Resume Writing.  Your package will include a resume/cover letter combo or CRV.  I cannot do recommendations unless you are a family member or friend and I recommend that you do not pick a stranger for those.  You need to be known as a personal friend or colleague.

Binder Services. Binders can be used in many different applications, from home use to business.

Office Services.  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).

Complex Graphic services.  All graphics (with the exception of simple graphic made in MS. Publisher or Canva), will be made with PhotoShop, Illustrator, or InDesign.

Other services include card creation (greeting, post, and business cards), Invitations (baby and wedding), memory books, and promotional items.  A complete listing will be on The Writing Cove, along with pricing.

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.  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.

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.  Starting off as My Blessed Life and now start a new chapter as The Writing Cove. Blogger has also served me well.

I hope you will enjoy and learn from The Writing Cove.  Now to transition over Home Prep to its new home.

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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, [email protected].

Until then, see you next time.

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Erin Condren Haul

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Big Haul From Walmart |Amazon Haul |Update on Water Situation and more

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Dollar Tree Haul| Dealing with the world

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Cute visitor is helping me with this haul|Tonic Studios Haul|die cut collection

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Taking a Mental Break

I am trying to switch around my blogging schedule a little bit.  Having Motivational Mondays are great, but I feel at this time in our lives, we need motivation every day.  So, until further notice, Motivational Mondays are out, and you will never know when I am will post a motivational moment post.  That is what I am calling them.

It is important to take a mental break Photos by Pixabay.com

Corona and #BlackLivesMatter have worn me out.  I am exhausted, not because of what is going on now, but what has been going on?  I have a question to ask, and that question is, “when does it have to be so exhausting to have my skin color?  Why do I have to be the low man on the totem pole when it comes to opportunities? 

One of the reasons I became an entrepreneur was I got sick and tired of being fired from the job that I was in.  If I was not fired, I got the crappy stuff at my job.  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.  To put it mildly, I got fed up at my last job, which was a simple retail job. 

When you have feelings like that, you can do one of two things: scream or take a mental break.  I suggest that you take a mental break.  This includes taking one from all the problems of the world like Corona and the race protests.  It does not mean that you do not care anymore, please no that.  It means that you need to take care of yourself before you end up in the hospital or worse.

Taking a mental break can take anywhere from 5 minutes to several hours (sleep or running errands).

Yesterday, I did take a mental break.  I did the following:

·         The day before, I ordered a new vacuum cleaner because I needed one.  I picked it up at Walmart under order pickup at 2pm.

·         After I left there, I drove to Joann’s to get the Cricut Joy Machine and some of the accessories that came with it.  They ran out.  I instead picked up the Cricut Easy Press Mini.  Yes, I wore a mask while I was in the store.

·         I went by a Starbucks that was in the area.  They already have three locations in the area.  Why they needed a new one, I will never know.

·         I went by Michael’s because I insisted to get that Cricut Joy.

·         I went to my parent’s house because Tuesday, dad wanted me to help him with something on the computer.  I ate dinner with them.

·         I came home and attended an online bible study.  The message was timely and very fitting.

·         I made a video and edited another video.

·         I promoted some things on my social media.

·         I took some produce out of the car and started cutting them for freezing

·         I had a late online date with a guy.  Not sure how this is going to be.  It started on Instagram and ended in Google Hangouts.

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).  This does not negate this issue of race. I feel much better.  I did not get upset, and I have two new toys to play with.  I also received an Amazon order of a new water bottle, when will remind me of my water intake, new craft supplies that I was running out of.  I also received some Tajin, which when put on mangos is the best thing in life at the moment.  Where was this stuff all my life?  (the Instagram guy just buzzed me.  I hope he is not going to be a pain in my side, a girl’s got to sleep).

So how are you going through all of this?   I have some suggestions:

·         Pick your battles.  You cannot be at every protest, social media, and not take care of yourself.

·         Journal your feelings, good or bad.  Talk about how you feel in words. 

·         If you are creative, now is the time to be in your feelings and let the creative juices flow.  Publish them on your social media accounts if you dare.

·         Talk to a close friend, your spouse, parents, or your pastor.   If you do not feel comfortable doing so, and your insurance allows it, talk to a counselor.

·         Take long walks and meditate.  Learn to breathe through this time.

·         Turn to God and rely on your faith.  I know this is the hardest.  I am struggling through it myself.  Maybe this is a chance for God to speak through his people for a change.  He has seen this stuff far too long, and he says it is time to stop.

This is a short but sweet post to say that we will get through this.  We need to just peacefully protest, letting those who are in charge that:

·         We are tired

·         We are exhausted

·         We want the same things that you do

·         We want support

·         We want love

·         We want the killings to stop.

·         We do not deserve this.

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? 

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Where Have I been|small haul from Scrapbook.com

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May I borrow your creative works?

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.

  I want to turn your attention away from Covid and away from the riots for a moment to get back on track. 

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.  It is an uncomfortable subject to talk about, but there should be active as well.  I do not have all the answers, but one of the actions should be an understanding of another person’s race, gender, and culture.  Even to this day I never could understand the problems that others have with African Americans and women or even American Indians.  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.  I am done with this conversation, for now, let’s move on.

  Different types of creative works.   Photos by Pixabay.com

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.  These days, I am just a soprano, or second soprano, inching closer and closer to a first alto.  Oh, I do not mind, as long as I have some ability to still sing soprano.  It is what I am comfortable at.  I blame allergies for this problem, as well as when you age, you lose some elasticity in your vocal cords.

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.  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 Quora.com, 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.   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:

“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.

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, Corners of my Mind, 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.

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.

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.”

Explanation of the answer.

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.  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.  Some are too shy to do it.  It does not mean that you are lazy, and I do not see the problem of a person sharing their works.  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. 

We have all done it, even me, and I got caught.  Not by the original photographer themselves, but by another person, who wanted to share it on their website or blog.  I felt embarrassed by the gesture.  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.  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.  As soon as I replied to the blogger, I quickly went to my blog and replaced it with one of my photos.   To be honest, I did not remember that I had done it.

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”.  I am always changing the speed of the music, the rhythm of the drum kit, and the instruments that would accompaniment the drum kit.  Most of it is slight deviations of the original song.  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).  I have had the song in a Trance rhythm, 105 BPM, a Piano 3 (created), saw synth, saw wave, you name it for instruments.  I have even changed notes and transposed it a couple of times.  I am due for a new keyboard, and my goal is a Yamaha Modx7, 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.  I have played on the Yamaha Montage, 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.  Give me a musical keyboard, a tutu, and some tap shoes, and you have seen nothing yet, LOL.  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)

OK, I got off track, time to pull it all together.

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.  It gives me chills when I know how much a recording engineer can do to a basic song to make it a hit.  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.   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.   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.

That is the reason I gave this person the answer he or she asked. 

I am talking about:

·         Photos

·         Graphic designs

·         Poetry works

·         Novels and e-books

·         Computer programs

·         Prototypes of products

And the list goes on and on.

“So, Patricia, I get it.  How do I solve the problem?”

First of all, do not beat yourself up for it.  Everyone makes mistakes, and with mistakes, there is a solution.  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:

·         Ask Permission.  When you see a piece of media that you want to use, contact the creator of that piece.  As a writer, I put down my contact information on every piece of a blog post when I write for someone.  I used to do that with my own blogs, but Google got picky.

If you are a writer, you can do that too.  write a quick footnote like this:  Patricia is the writer and owner of My Ambiance Life, Home Prep, and P. Lynne Designs blog and website.  If you have any questions and/or want to reuse any of the material written in this post, please contact her at [email protected]. It is simple and to the point.  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?).

·         Give Proper Credit:  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.  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.  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.  The good news is a long time ago, you had to write the whole citation.  Now you can write a shorter version of it. The author, the name of the post sited, and the site.

·         When the creator says no or when you cannot contact them:  It is not you.  remember the example I gave the person on Quora.  The piece may not be shared because it is not ready.  It is in process or this maybe this person’s private piece.  You may wonder why share it in the first place?  There are many reasons why they have shared their works.  

·         Use royalty-free products.  For photos, I use Pixabay.  For music, I use Epidemic Sounds.  I do have a photographer friend who can help me with authentic photos and videos around town or I take them myself.  He is not free, and I would not have it any other way because he has a family to feed.

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.  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.  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.  That is what I call, earning multiple streams of income.  You cannot just sit and do nothing.

That statement I just mention is the statement that helps me sleep at night.  To know that if things are done properly, we would all win.  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.  I hope you do.

I am done.  Be well. Stay safe.  I will talk to you later.  God bless you.

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May you please go away

I am looking forward to June.  June is not my month, but it is close to my month.  July IS my month.  This is the month where my parents welcome their firstborn child, ME.  I will talk about June and July in their prospective months.  In the meantime, I hate to do this, but it is reflection time.

May the pandemic

Photo by Pixabay.com

There is no doubt that May continued the lockdown.  It wasn’t until May 16th 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. 

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.

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.

My water is now turned back on.  It is in moments like these that allow me to respect outhouses😅.  Tip:  if you have a Dollar Tree or any dollar store, getting water from there for $1 is wonderful.  You can get $10 worth and store them in case of emergencies.  When the emergency is over, refill and save for next time.  The good news is water does not spoil.  If you feel uneasy about refilling the bottles, buy 10 more sealed new ones for $1.

The cat is in heat again. I tell you, I feel brand new when she does this.  Thank God she will be fixed soon.

May the activist

I do not have to tell you about what has been going on in the African American community and beyond.   It is another sad story of an officer overstepping his authority, and he put his own agenda over the person who he was arresting.  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.  If it had been the opposite, George Floyd would have been charged for 1st-degree murder.  The officer needs to be charged for 1st-degree murder.

I have or will have mentioned this in my last post, but I am tired. My people are tired.  When you see a photo of a tired person, it is of an African-American.  We have been down this road oh so many times until we cannot count anymore.  We do not have to be doing anything but going about our day, just living in the moment.  What do I mean by that? Let see:

·         Going to work

·         Sitting in the back yard

·         Going to the mailbox

·         Talking to a neighbor

·         Getting something to eat

·         Sleeping in our own home

·         Walking the dog

·         Going to the store for some skittles (remember Treyvon Martin)

·         Having an outing in the park

·          Add sitting in a car or having anything to do with a car (Sandra Bland and now George Floyd)

·         Enjoying a night of fellowshipping (the 9 that were killed in a North Carolina Church during bible study)

·         Jogging (Ahmad Avery)

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.

This started well before these incidents.  There was:

·         The 1960s

·         Jim Crow

·         Sharecropping

·         Slavery

To name a few.  When will it end?

Now, I am not saying that all white people are racist.  I have some good, decent white friends who have my back.  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.  I have started back my YouTube channel (I took a break from it), and I have addressed it there.

So, May was not a good month for me.  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.

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.  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.  I am trying to think of an outfit that will make my 3-month old niece look fly. (Oh, do they still say that?  Let me know in the comments section). 

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.  I am trying different techniques like journaling, meditating, exercising, and being kind to myself and others.  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.  It is hard when your race has once again become the subject of white people acting ugly and black people responding ugly.  Find your happiness or calmness in the midst of this storm of illness and protests.  You will be surprised how much better you will feel.

Until then, I pray that June will be the start of something better for all of us.

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I want to do something fun…My favorites so far 2020

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 [email protected].  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.

Disclaimer(s): 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.

P. Lynne Designs is also a participant partner in the Erin Condren affiliate program which is designed to provide a 

means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Erin Condren. 

Ok, that last topic took something out of me.  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.

Now I am done.  I have said my piece for now about her. I am ready to have some fun writing topics.  I am ready for the doom and gloom to go away for a while.  I was reminded of that last week by my pastor.

I attend an online bible study via Facebook Live.  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.  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.  Anyway, she is my little gremlin,

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.  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.

What does that have to do with the coronavirus?  Same thing and the best thing to do at this point is to stay at home, wash your hands, and stay 6 feet apart.

Okay, enough of that.

Just making a list of my favorites.  (photo by Pixabay.com)

What is today’s topic? 

I want to give all my writers and journal writers a task this week.  Yes, this week.  This will break you out of your mode of “normal” writing, and if this is not your thing, then try it once.  You may like it.

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.  Every once in awhile, you would see something about travel, and the reason was I had a travel portion on the blog.  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.  I decided it would be best if I had a separate trip blog.

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, Erin Condren, Walmart (which I do not get a commission on, but I love) or information I think you can use.  Again, you are not obligated to make a purchase.

Favorite item to use while writing:

These are routines, products, or tips that help me get into the mood of write.  Note:  Lately, I have not felt like writing much.  My mind had been scattered all over the place in terms of what topics to write.  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.  So, the first thing I did was a little soul searching.  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.  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.  It is the one thing that connects me to her, even though Lois died in 2002 to advanced breast cancer.  

Another thing is surprising, my pastor also journals.  He came to my congregation last year, and he has been a blessing.  He is younger than me, but I find him very relatable.  He is also an accomplished author, and has written a couple books and has a blog himself.  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.

 Next, My favorite tea, which has to be decaf.  I do drink caffeinated coffee and tea, but I need something to calm me down, especially if I write at night.  I started writing at night because it was the only time that I did not have the noise of the day.  Up until February 25, 2020, my nephew and his girlfriend stayed here with me until they found an apartment.  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.  since they have been gone, I still write at night, along with my tea, which is nothing more than Celeste Seasons fruit tea bags-assorted.  I used to drink Chamomile tea or CS Sleepytime tea, but I love these teas better.  I think it helps Gizmo calm down that I am not moving around so much.

What I use to write with?  That is simple, MS Word.  I will write down as much as I could, edit later.  Tip:  it helps to write it all down, then come back later to edit for clarity.  You may not have the same thoughts as you did when you first write it down.  This is why it takes me a long time for one blog post.  My blog post writing routine is:

·         Write for the thought process

·         Edit for clarity (this is where I add and take away)

·         Add bullet points, bold and italic and other ideas I want to emphasize.

·         Decide my font (which will go away once I start writing this blog in WordPress format)

·         Paste to Blogger (or WordPress when I start writing in that format)

·         Edit for Grammarly

·         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.

It sounds like a lot, but it really is not.  I did not mention the hard part (yes, there is), which is promotion.  I post a link to Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Favorite ways to write.

What is that?  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.

·         Narrative.  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. 

·         Ghost-writing.  I am writing in the style of the author or blog writer.  Yes, it is my work, but I cannot put my name in the by-line.  The byline has to be the person who publishes it on their blog. I cannot offer my bio either.  It has to look like the blog poster wrote it themselves.

·         Guest-writing.  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.

·         Lists.  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.

·         SEO/Keyword.  Okay, I will admit it, I like it and I hate it.  It all depends on the post.  I have done some ghost-writing that required me to mention “body-building” 5 times in six 1000-word articles back in 2011.  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.  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.

·         Journaling.  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.  You can now journal in your planners, and visa versa.  You know I am here for that.  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.  In addition, I get to put what date I want in this planner.  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.

Well, that is it for this round.  I will update later in the year with new things.  Oh, I love to write in loungewear, and the pants I love are from Target, which is the Women’s perfectly cozy wide-leg lounge pants by Stars Above™.  I use any top that is comfy to me.  Right now as I write, I have on a tank top.  In the wintertime, I have on my Laura Ashley fluffy robe that I bought for Christmas.  I now have to find one that is perfect for summer.

Finally, I love writing in the dark.  Let me explain….

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.  It gives me the sense of a warm blanket, and this is one way that I cocoon.  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.  Another conversation for a different day.

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.  But between the time I settle in and Gizmo’s wanting, I can get a lot done with my writing.

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.   I do not have to dress this one or listen to it say, “Mommy, mommy, mommy”.  Oh, wait, constant meowing is the same as “mommy, mommy, mommy”.  Never mind, LOL.

Have a good day.

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Let the flood gates begin

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.”

Please Note:  I started writing this blogpost in pen and paper.  You know, the old-fashioned way of writing.  I got the idea from an episode from Star Trek: Voyager where one of my favorite captains, Captain Janeway was sick of technology, after dealing with species 842 and the Borg.  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.  Captain Janeway decided to take to writing her captain’s log by this method.  It is a practice that we should all do in the wake of this pandemic.  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. 

Photo by Pixabay

This was the week when my city reopened for retail.  Today was the day I ventured out to a new norm of new rules (other than what was already in place).  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?”  The only difference was Columbus, Ohio all of sudden looked like a Japanese prefecture, with mask-wearing people out and about in the 70° plus weather.  This is something that the Japanese and other Asians are used to doing, not Americans. 

Americans are used to having the freedom to do whatever we want to do, and how we want to do it.  If it puts us in jail, so be it.  When we get out, some of us will try it again until someone ignores us, then it becomes a norm.  If we have to protest, that is fine, it makes an interesting news story locally and/or nationally.

I am not sure how I feel about it.  

OK, let me explain….

Since this whole Covid-19 started, I have been squeamish about a few things and those are:

What is my new norm?

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.

What is my new norm?

I have been a quiet person all my life.  I get it from my mom.  So, I do not mind being isolated during this time period.  My only problem at first was wearing the mask and gloves, and I get it.  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.  I have 6 people I have to respect that.  My parents and aunt all have pre-existing conditions and they are elderly.  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 pre-existing condition.  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.  Either way, I have to watch my diet and my weight.  Thank you, Corona for giving me the sense of ignoring those two things.  I am much better at doing that now.

Also my new norm:  My business.  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.  There is a struggle of getting money for this business.  I also could say that I like the stimulus package for small or even home businesses.  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.  What Is a home business?  It is a business that is operated out of the home and if you do have any employees, it is usually an assistant.  Your revenue is lower than a small business.  A good year is when a person is able to earn $1,000 plus per month. 

Why offer help to small businesses if big businesses get approved?

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 Potbelly and The Lakers basketball team, who should not have been allowed to apply in the first place, nor their applications should never been approved.  Potbelly has returned the money and I believe so has The Lakers.  That still does not help P. Lynne Designs. I applied twice.  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.  I do not have any employees.  This is just to maintain the business of one, and for growth.  The government did not handle this process very well.  I chucked as “I am getting no help as usual” and went about my day. Update:  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.  I pray and hope they approve it.

So let us go back to what I was talking about

THE RETAIL STORES

I do not mind the retail stores being open.  Personally, I will not be going in the very beginning.  Actually, I am having fun online ordering.  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.  That is how much fun I am having to order online.  Yes, I can always order online, then pick up at the store like Walmart. 

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.   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.  That is another story for another day.

I have been to two grocery stores since lockdown.  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.  The reason:  Cat food.  Well my nephew came through with the cat food, so now I do not have to buy that.

It is best if all stores keep in mind a level of safety.   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.  I am calling Corona that until we find a vaccination for it

My hardest hit yet, Walt Disney World

I am having the hardest time with a Disney Vacation.  Last May, I booked a stay for 12 at The Bay Lake Towers at The Contemporary Resort (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. 

This was a well-meaning trip as two things went wrong from the start:  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).  It would not be a requirement for my parents to go into the parks unless they wanted to.  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).  This time, my mom, who loves the parks will join him if she wants to.  She is not too keen on using a riding scooter.

We were going to drive down instead of flying.  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.  The kids (Nephews (age 12 and 9) and niece (11)) was being pulled out of school.  Ohio has a funny winter break schedule where they are out either the day before Christmas eve or a couple of days before Christmas.  Either way, it would have been fun.  I pulled the plug on that trip on October 15th, one month before our last cancelation date of November 15th.  I did not cry because I was going to call them the day after Christmas with a new date of December 12-19, 2020.

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.  For the moment, Disney reopened Shanghai Disneyland Monday, Disney Springs, Walt Disney World’s shopping area is reopening on May 20th, and Walt Disney World is excepting bookings starting July 1 (it has been delayed from June 1st). 

I do not want a vacation in 2020.  I feel like it is too soon to book a vacation and go in 2020.  So, I have decided to wait until December 15-19, 2021 to take the trip.  This all depends on two things:  the health of my parents and the health of our savings.  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.  This will affect how we pay for this trip.  Naturally, this membership is a timeshare, and I have spoken about timeshares before on this blog. That is a talk for my yet to be created a new blog, which will be Disney-related.  I took all the travel stuff off of my blog, Home Prep because it is not related.

Some good has come out of all this…

My stories are not all bad, in fact, some of them quite funny.

Last week, a friend had a birthday.  She announces it each year 6 days in advance.  This year was no different.  What I love about Facebook is the ability to have people donate to your favorite charity in loo of presents for your birthday.  I am going to do one, I am not sure where yet.  July 21 has not gotten here yet.

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.  Can I tell you that I do not know how to do one, LOL?

First, I told her mother that I was coming by via Facebook invite.  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.  After all, it was a surprise.  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.  So, I drove to the house at 4:46 and I did not see any cars.  “Good, I am the first one,” I thought, so I went the next street over to turn around.  Okay, next thing I knew, I saw my friend’s daughter, who is 3, then my friend.  I thought, “Oh, Crap”, and I drove off to my parent’s house who live around the corner.   This drive-by was at 5, so I killed some time at my parent’s house and went back over there.  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.  It turned out great, and this goofy person now know the proper drive by, LOL.

Business Dealings….

I was able to get some things done for my business while on lockdown.  I was approved for an affiliate that I have been wanting since 2017.  You know how much I love Erin Condren products, so you will be seeing more affiliate links from that company.  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.  It is a way to put money back into my business.  Some of these companies with affiliates, like Erin Condren, Cricut, and Amazon may have links that will help you save money as well.  So in that case, if you need the product, it is good to help out a blog and save money at the same time. 

I am also working on some things that will help improve this blog, including the infamous blog move.

Even though I was down and out during this period of time, I am fine now and living a new norm.  For the moment, my state is wrapping being on lockdown.  This is the reason for this title.   Let the flood gates open!!! Well, I am over my limit.  Be well and safe.  Wear a mask, and I will talk to you later.

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[plogan721]

Some things have to change

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. Have you ever wanted to tackle a task that needed to be changed in the first place?  Hold that thought for a moment.

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.  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.

Although this is not the conversation I am having today, the one thing I do want to talk about is the word THINK.  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?”  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.

Three things

I am struggling with my business.  This is the main topic for entrepreneurs for the last month.  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.  Well, Covid-19 is not your cute little virus.  This virus is like the plague, the Spanish Flu of the early 1900s, and so on.  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.  S Even shutting down Disney parks to the point where they will be furloughing employees on April 19 because of this pandemic.  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.  My minister says that God is asking us to do a hard reset, and re-evaluate what is more important in our lives.  It does not matter if you believe in Him or not.  On second thought, it really does. More on that later.

school systems and all but the essential jobs come to a screeching halt.

It is to the point where the government has to help out those people who are struggling, which we all are.  A stimulus check was in order, but who will get it and when.  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.  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.  I thought it was part of the one from the SBA (Small Business Administration).  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.  I signed up for the one at Hello Alice two weeks ago.  This is where the questions I proposed were based on.

6 months

That is the easy question, but in a way it is not.  Personally, I want a new home.  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.  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). 

As for my business, within 6 months I would like to have more brand recognition.

1 year.

This is even harder than the last one.   A year ago, I thought:

I would have good memories of my trip to Walt Disney World in December.  I had to cancel it in October due to some financial situations with myself and other family members.  Plus, I had not even told my father that we were going.

I would have more customers and my business would be in a space away from my home.  That has been delayed.

I would have a new car.  I am currently having transmission problems with the current car (see under 6 months).  With this corona thing.  The test drive alone will have to wait. 

I was going to own a house and have my second membership with Disney Vacation Club.  Guess what?  (crickets!!)

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.

Photo by Pixabay (c) 2020

The Readjustment Period

I am not going to leave you hanging.  After all, this is about things changing.  Let me explain:

These days, everyone is “about doing it now or else”, but what has this season of uncertainty has taught us.

Life is short.  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.”

Maybe the task does not need to be completed NOW, if ever.  Not everything is meant for you or to be done by you.  concentrate on the basics, and add things when they come up, but do not wait too late.  If anything, seek a second opinion on things such as remodeling a kitchen or opening a second business. 

Some things require a little more, like finance (money).  I always say to budget everything.  For example, I have an idea to have a craft room.  I talk about it all the time to family and friends.  I know what I want in the room, which is my second bedroom. This was to be complete in 2018.  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.  I gave them a task: clean out my second bedroom, and you can stay in it until you can find a place.  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.  Both of us agreed that carrying the baby up and down the stairs would be too much.  Now I have this empty room (well not quite, a couple pieces of their furniture is still in there), and I am ready.  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.

Do not look at this virus as signs of defeat.  Think of this time as a slow down period and regroup.  Also, consider this:

Reconnect

Readjustments also mean reconnect.  Not only reconnecting to things you once held as your guiding principles and your moral values, but reconnect to family and friends.  I know at the moment we cannot visit them if they are far away, but you can do other things:

If you have kids, take the time to do things with them.  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.

Read with them.  Mom and dad’s homeschool is in session.  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.

History lesson:  if they do not know about their family history, teach it to them.  Contact their grandparents, aunts, and uncles if you cannot remember it.  Teach cultural history, such as Black history.  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.

Go on outings…. Inside your home.  For example, create things such as safaris, a trip to Disney, or a trip to the moon.  Have a cooking show (nothing that involves a stovetop), shop in your own closet.

If quarantine permits, have a real outing, but not far from your home.  Remember 6 feet apart.

Journal.  If you have an extra notebook or two lyings around, have your child start a journal.  This is a good time for you to start one too.

When it is all over….

When the governments give the okay sign to get back to normal, it is not going to be the same.  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.  For one, I hope that we all will take into account to:

Never take anything for granted.  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.  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.

Everything can change in an instant.  It has been a month since this whole thing hit the United States.

Everything is a luxury item.  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.  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.  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).  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. 

It is kind of funny how everything is working out, but as the title says, some things had to change…for the better.  It will be alright if we exercise a little faith.  

Comment below on how you are adjusting and regrouping your life and how is your family dealing with this change.

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[plogan721]

Am I Superstitious?

Today, In addition to a motivational Monday post, which I am going to start back doing, I am answering a blog challenge.  While everyone who decided to take the challenge is on track with it, I have not. 

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.  So, with that being said, I will bring you my thoughts on the subject, “am I superstitious?”

“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.  All of these things are the westerners believe in when it comes to being superstitious.  I know everyone has their own cultural ways to things like these, I have always been scared of them.  I did not want to tackle getting myself killed or worse, going to hell when I was a child. 

Full moons?  I believe that the moon has an effect on people’s behaviors when it is full.  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).

As a child, I cried every time I did step on a crack.  My mom is fine.  She does have back issues among other things, but it was not because I stepped on a crack.  There is no scientific evidence that proves it otherwise, or millions of mothers would be in the hospital for broken backs.  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.  A tool or the person can fall on you or the ladder itself could have a malfunction and potentially fall on you.  So, it is not a superstition per se, but rather good old-fashion common sense.

I do not believe in lucky numbers.  Lucky numbers to me (without doing any research on this) is a sign of numerology.  As a Christian, I am instructed by God to avoid things like numerology, astrology, and even talking about witchcraft and sorcery.  So, do I read Harry Potter?  No, but I do not who he is. What about Disney since I am a fan?  I believe that the magic that Disney magic translates into happiness and joy.  It is okay to have that.  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.

What about voodoo?  Some things get you very crazy in the head and having you think there is a curse on you.  I am not from Louisiana and neither are my parents, but it does exist.  A couple of my grandfather’s sisters-in-law were believed to have practiced it.  My mother and her siblings were forbidden to go to their houses to visit.  I never have seen it, nor I never do.  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. 

Is this superstitious?  Image by Pixabay (c) 2020

I do want to tell you a secret… when I was a teen, I did believe at one time that I was 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.

So, this ends another short but sweet entry, that will not get my usual “wait until morning to publish it” treatment.  Neither will the Motivational Monday piece, which has to do with …. Nope, you will have to wait to check it out.  No hints.

If you have any questions about this piece or have any comments, please state them below.  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).  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.

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[plogan721]

This is Goodbye to Tumblr

“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.  

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.

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. 

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.

Thank you,

Patricia”

Why?

There are several reasons why I am not going to keep this account much longer.  They are in no particular order:

1)       I am not interested in it any longer.  I am trying to work on my websites, including this one and a brand new one for my love of Disney. 

2)      I have everything marked and planned.  Yes, I could with the Tumblr account as well, but to be honest, please read #1 again.

(c) 2020 By Pixabay.com

3)     I have too many blogs?  I put a question mark there because most people would say that 7 blogs and a website are a little too much.  (three current ones and 4 to be created ones). I have to be honest with this statement as well.  I have known to have burnout before. Here is the reason for the 7 blogs:  the current ones will still be up for people to read, and I will only be writing new stuff on the new blogs.  Why?  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.  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.  Rome was not built in a day and neither are my blogs.

4)     Tumblr isn’t that popular in comparison to Blogger and WordPress. 

So, what does that tell you about Tumblr?  Nothing much, it is not popular.  I see Tumblr as a posting ground for artists, musicians.  I could be wrong, and I have not done any research on the site either (unless you count now)

Let’s see…

According to the article in 2011, titled “5 Good Reasons to use Tumblr”, “Tumblr 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.”

So, Tumblr is not like Blogger or WordPress blogs in which there is more text than rich media items.  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.  I was (and still am) a crafter.  I placed my cards, scrapbooks, and other earlier works on my little blog, but I kept on forgetting that I had one.  Other social media-type things I keep forgetting I have are:

Being on Triberr

Having a Bloglovin’ account to promote my blogs

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.  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.

Another the reason why I do not like Tumblr is the same reason I like Blogger, the layout never updates.  Like Blogger, the themes are all the same, and it has been like that forever, it seems.  Well when you look at how much a theme costs for WordPress themes, you would keep the theme you have.  I saw one for $65 last week.  I was trying to find one for one of my blogs, and I do not want to pay for any theme over $25.  I will cover themes within the next couple of weeks, but as a heads up, you do not want a free one either. 

Why?  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.  Plus, there may be some underlying issues that you will be able to correct once the theme is in place.  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.  Trust me, you do not need that kind of headache.

OK, I have thrown myself off course, so let’s keep moving…

So, what was I talking about…. Tumblr

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.

1)       Visually Engaging Rich Media:  In case you do not know what rich media is, they are your videos, photos, audio clips, and images to name a few.  The internet has improved a lot since 2011.  You can now safely embed these rich media items in your Blogger and WordPress blogs and websites.  In fact, I find them more superior than Tumblr.  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.  It publishes at the same time as the YouTube video.  I use it as a separate post, and I do not have to write anything else for that day.  This is one example. 

2)      Design (Brand) Flexibility:  OK, I stand corrected.  You can customize your Tumblr blog, but with the constraints of Facebook and Twitter, Tumblr does it better these social media platforms.  As for Blogger and WordPress?  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.

3)     Advanced Email and Mobile publishing:  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.

4)     Post to and from Facebook and Twitter:  I call it even.  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).  If they do not, that platform is behind the times.

5)     Tumblr is a Rising Star: let me rephrase that…. was a rising star.  I am not sure how many people have a Tumblr account and blog.  

The titles I got from Armando Roggio.  He does present a winning argument at the time that it was written.  It allowed me to challenge myself as a writer to make my point of view as well.  I should send him a copy of this post.  I would like to know what his opinion about Tumblr is now and answer the question on “Should I dump my account on Tumblr?”  Nah, I already made up my mind.  Two weeks tops if I do not forget, then it is gone.

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.  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.”  This goes for digital stuff as well.

I would push this post to 2000 words, but at 1418 words, I think I am good. Talk to you later.

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[plogan721]

This is Goodbye

This is Goodbye

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.  

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.

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 post 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. 

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.

Thank you,

Patricia 

#unsubing

[plogan721]

I am OK

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Today is a random day of writing.  I have never had a day like this in quite a while.  Most of us have never had a day like this.  It is called social distancing. 

In many cultures that make up the human race, it is a necessity to gather together as a community.   In the United States, we must gather for:

Photo by Pixaby

Social events, such as sports, concerts and to worship

Family events.  Family is important to some people and it does not matter if they are biological or adopted.

Work.  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:  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.

Before I begin with today’s topic of discussion

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.  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.  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.

Now on to today’s blog post….

Like everyone, this virus has me on edge.  This virus is not good for the elderly and those with a compromised immune system, so I have a concern for my parents.

The world as we knew it.

On top of that, I temporary have a cat.  My nephew and his girlfriend are temporarily staying with my parents because they just had a baby and they are finding an apartment.  Gizmo is their cat, so they will get her when the time comes. 

I have two dates that I feel will be canceled due to this virus.   I am sure that everyone had that one place which was canceled due to Covid-19.  The first one happens every first Tuesday of each month.  It is a woman’s business group that I belong to.  I hope the meetings will resume in May.  The second date is a date I could not get out of in the first place.  It is jury duty.  I have to go unless the courts decide to delay jury duty, which I hope they do.  I avoided it twice in my life.  I also had planned on going to a scrapbooking event scheduled for this weekend, but it ended up being an online event anyway.

Ohio’s governor, Mike DeWine, has issued a “Shelter in Place” ordinance as of 11:59pm last week.  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?”  It is like any price with $.99 tacked at the end of a whole price.  You might as well put zeros at the end of the price ($5.00 instead of $4.99).  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:  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.  I think that is most of the country. 

The governor, as well as The president, does encourage everyone to work at home.  The problem is that most minority groups as a whole cannot afford to work from home.  This includes taking online classes that university students have to finish by the end of the semester.  Once done, they are officially on break until further notice.

The Walt Disney Company, which had originally closed its Asian parks, now has closed the North American and European parks as well.  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.  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 1st, but that all depends on Florida’s governor and the president, and the rule that governs this country at the time of the reopening.

(Update:  Even as I write this post, things have changed.  Everything is canceled at the Disney American parks until further notice.  The earliest booking you can make is for June 1st.  I am understanding that this is the time that the Reservation line for both resorts will be staffed.  Cast members (employees) will be paid until April 18th).

Most schools are closed at least until April 13.  Some are even out for the summer.  I know that Columbus Public, one of the largest school districts in the state of Ohio are out until April 13.  If extended, this could mean that they will be out for the rest of the school year.  Until then, most school districts, including Columbus are providing home school assistance.  

There is so much more that we do not know about this virus.  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?  Of course, there is the Disney event that I would like to attend in May.  I just found out that they opened up another date for it.  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.  May 14 is still available as well.

Things to do if reading books, watching television, and using social media get you down:

Organize.  Now it the time for spring cleaning.  “You have junk.  I have junk.  All of God’s children got junk.  Before this virus is over, we going to get rid of our junk, and then we going to walk around a clean house.  A clean house.  A clean house.  We going to walk around a clean house.”  Shout out to that verse based on the Negro Spiritual, “I Got Shoes.”  I hope I do not get kicked out of heaven for that.   But seriously, get rid of the junk, open up the window, and clean.  Get rid of the cobwebs while you are at it.

Take up a new hobby.  Have you always wanted to learn something new?  Now is the time to learn how to get yourself promoted if you have a job or think that drawing Mickey Mouse is cool.  There are free and paid courses online that will teach you. 

Side hustle.  Do you have that drive to start a business?  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).  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).  How about a virtual assistant?  Freelance writer or graphic designer?  Offer your expertise with an online course.

Catch up on sleep.  OK, this is a stretch, especially if you have kids.  I am speaking from the experience of a single woman with no kids, I can do this.  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.

Update something on your computer.  One of the things I am tackling while I am in a sort of downtime, is updating my blogs.  As I have explained before this pandemic, I want to switch platforms.  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.   I have said that Blogger is good for the person who is starting their blog, but you do not have to stay there.  Hopefully, this will be completed by the end of next week.  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.  I saw some that I might use for my ATWTB/Home Prep blog, and my newly decided Disney blog.  But one blog at a time, when you have to finish your website.

Home and Business Projects.  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.   I would start off with this:  Name your project and ask yourself “if money was no objection, what would that project look like”?  Is it a big or little project?  Big as in it will cost over $350 or whatever budget over your minimum projected cost, little as under $350 or below your minimum.  I used $350 because that is my minimum for a big project.  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.  Why not $500?  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.

There are really a whole host of other things you can do while you are stuck inside.  I have a cousin whose daughter is learning how to tap dance.  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.  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?).  Learn a new skill.  There are plenty of online courses to take at little to no cost. Take a drive.  Yes, you can go outdoors without coming into contact with people.  It depends on your government's curfew.

Summary/conclusion

As for me, again, I am doing my part. I had to get a couple of items from the grocery store today.  Nothing major, some tomatoes and a favorite black bean and corn salsa that I use as a sauce for spaghetti/ramen noodles.  The Starbucks in that store was open, so I used my rewards card to score some major points on my Cookie Crumble Frap.  I will be online shopping.

I hope you take some lessons from this self-quarantine situation.  Learn how to appreciate all that was given to you before this time, like freedom, perseverance, and a job.  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.

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