Friday, April 29, 2011

I Think the Royal Couple Should Start a Blog

Wouldn't it be great if Prince William and Princess Kate had a blog? They could tell us what's on their mind and about some of the things they're doing or what they care about. I think it would be a nice way to get involved with the world but still keep it low-key.

It would be nice to have that feel of a personal relationship with the newlyweds and hear their thoughts first-hand.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Why I Watched the Royal Wedding

Some people have asked me why a person my age would be interested in the wedding of a couple of twenty-somethings, and the answer, I think, is rather obvious.

First of all, we all loved Princess Diana. She was the people's princess -- she was one of us. Secondly, we've known William from the time of his birth -- we watched him grow up. To a degree, he is our son -- everyone's son today.

And because of that, we love him. And we're proud of him. Perhaps only women can relate to this. If you're a man and you think this is hogwash, well, you're a man.

So I take this opportunity to say congratulations Prince William and Princess Kate. I wish you a beautiful life, all of God's blessings and health and happiness. Perhaps we'll all live to see their children grow up and get married as well, and then it will be "our" grandson's or granddaughter's wedding day.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

I Hate February

I hate the winter. I hate the cold. I hate driving in precipitation. So I'm writing this post to let everyone know that the end of the bad weather season is near. There are just 18 days left in February. And the next 5-8 are all going to be above freezing, so hang in there! 

If I close my eyes, I can see the daffodils and the tulips already popping up through the snow. I can hear the birds chirping and I can feel the sun on my face and arms.

Yes it may snow in March, but March snow is wimpy snow. It melts within a couple of days. It can't hold its own. Baseball pitchers and catchers have already reported for training. That's a good start! Spring training will begin soon. Mmmm, I love that fresh smell of glove leather in the springtime.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's lush and green, smells like flowers, is bright as the sun and sounds like a wooden bat hitting a leather baseball. Crack!!! C'mon spring!

The worst is over. Better days are coming!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Thanks for Everything, Mom

I know it sounds silly, but I never thought I would see the day when my mother wouldn't be there to pick up the phone. I wonder, never mind the grieving process, how long does it take to simply accept the fact that she's gone? It's hard.

My mom was superwoman. She raised four children on her own. She worked two jobs most of her life. She bought a co-op, then sold that and bought a house. She did all the lawn mowing, the gardening, the gutter cleaning, the painting - inside and out. She hung light fixtures, replaced wall sockets. She was a clean freak. She would hang out of a second story window so she could wash it with ammonia. You couldn't pay me to hang out of a second story window!

I remember she taught me how to say the Hail Mary prayer while she was scrubbing the kitchen floor. I was probably about 7. I wasn't allowed any farther than the doorway. As she worked the linoleum on her hands and knees, she recited a line and I had to repeat it.

She was more a Mr. Fix It than a Martha Stewart or a Betty Crocker -- more Home Depot than Bed, Bath and Beyond. She didn't cook much, but what she did cook, she was the best at. She made the best stew in town. Her turkey on Thanksgiving was moister than anyone's I've ever tasted. She would put ol' Harry, or what ever his name was that year, in the oven around 11 p.m. the night before and keep the oven on low, say around 250. Then she would cook him all night, getting up every half hour to baste him. I think she turned the temp up to 300 or 350 around 6 a.m. Her stuffing recipe was her mother's. It's been handed down through the family, and I make it now.

I specifically remember the day she taught me to ride a bike without training wheels. I was 5. At one point, I asked her, are you holding on? And she said yes. But she wasn't. I turned around and discovered that, for at least the last 30 seconds or so, I had been doing it all by myself.

I was a sick child and she spent a lot of time (and money) running me to doctors and going back and forth to the hospital to visit me. I got a lot of extra attention in those younger years as I worked through my asthma attacks and she never complained.

We didn't get along too well in my teens and twenties (who does?), but in our later years, we became great friends, and spent a lot of time together. When she retired to Arizona, I left my husband behind and spent a week on two different occasions with her, just the two of us. "That's my mom," I told my husband. I have to see her.

As I try to work through each day, the pain is great and the void is large. But I have no regrets, save one: that I can't pick up the phone and call her today. She had a good life and so did I thanks to her hard work and unending love. I love you mom ... till we meet again.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Friday, December 03, 2010

Check Out RecycleBank!

Recently I became a member of RecycleBank. It's a program where you get rewards points simply for being green. It doesn't take much effort. You simply do the kinds of things you should be doing anyway.

I encourage everyone to check it out at http://www.recyclebank.com/.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Who Packs Your Parachute?

Just received a really great "pass around" email from my mom called Who Packs Your Parachute?

The PowerPoint tells the story of Major Charles Plumb, a U.S. Navy fighter pilot during the Vietnam war who was shot down by a surface to air missile, parachuted into enemy territory and lived as a prisoner of war for six years before being released.

Now he goes around the country speaking about his experiences, and one day a man came up to him in a restaurant and said I know you. You're Major Plumb. I packed your parachute!

It left him thinking, how many times did I walk by this guy, who was just a sailor and I a fighter pilot, how many times did I walk by him on the Kitty Hawk without a good morning or so much as a nod or eye contact?

Now Major Bloom goes around the country asking the question to his audience, who packs your parachute, and how do you treat them? Not just your physical one, but your mental one, your emotional one and your spiritual one?

Let's all remember to be kind to strangers because we never know what that person is going through or what they're capable of. The person we ignore today could save our life tomorrow. Or perhaps your simple "thank you" or "have a nice day" could help them get through theirs.

Remember, a kind word never hurt anybody!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Have you received a phone call from 866-312-9553?

Beware. This person says that you've won a car or a trip or some equally high level prize and that this is their last attempt to reach you, even though you swear you've never heard from them before.

It's some kind of a scam. Check out this website.
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-866-312-9553/4#p160741726773102659

It sounds to me more like a time share message - like they want you to come down and if you just listen to their speech for three hours we'll give you blank just for coming. Not worth the time and effort. They can be very forceful with these things. I actually bought a timeshare once and it turned out to be a disaster. So bad, in fact, they they agreed to take it back from me no strings attached.

The caller ID comes up, for me at least, as Prize Award Center, but the person leaves a voicemail of Vandale Communications. It's different in different parts of the country, however, so beware.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Monday, October 25, 2010

How would like your promotions created for free?

Well if you represent a really good cause, you just might be able to. I just received an email from an agency called TrendyMinds, and they're looking for next year's pro bono account. If you want to find out more information or apply, go to http://www.trendyminds.com/index.php/news/2011-pro-bono-program-accepting-applications/.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Give Hope

Dannon Yogurt is giving 10 cents for every code entered online from the inside of a yogurt lid to fight breast cancer. Buy Dannon products and then go to cupsofhope.com to enter your code.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Dismantling Arizona Law SB 1070

I like the idea of making it a crime to be illegal in the state. I wouldn’t mind doing that in every state. What I do not agree with is the way it's being implemented.

If you’re going to introduce such a huge law, then you have to have equal opportunity around it. First of all, there needs to be an amnesty period. You can’t decide in three months or however long they took that they’re going to make this a law tomorrow. There needs to be an amnesty period whereby people without proper paperwork can get that paperwork, and get it easily. Everyone who is illegal needs to have a fair chance to become legal.

Secondly, if you are in a country outside the U.S. and you apply for a U.S. visa, you stay in your home country until you receive the proper paperwork. If you come to America and apply for your paperwork once you get here, you are SOL. It is virtually impossible to get papers once you set foot in this country, and that makes no sense at all.

“Hi. I’ve been visiting for three weeks and I’ve decided I like it here. Can I please stay?” What the hell is wrong with that? Okay, 99% of the people who come into this country illegally don’t come for vacation. They come for life. But still, I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again: we wouldn’t have so many illegals if we didn’t make it so damn hard to become legal. We need to make this process waaaayyy easier and quicker.

Finally, all this buzz about Arizona profiling is really hurt the state. They’re losing visitors and they’re losing out of state students. They say they’re not going to profile, but they need to put their money where their mouth is and prove it.

Overall, I don’t have a problem with the law itself. I think it’s great. The problems are around how the law will be implemented and much work is needed there. Unfortunately, I don’t think the federal government sees the problems I see. I can only hope that someone in the House or Senate steps up to the plate and starts a dialogue.

And one more thing. Every person who thinks that every illegal immigrant should be sent packing needs to remember that every person who founded and built this country in the first 100 years was an illegal immigrant. You wouldn't be here if they couldn't come in.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

A Letter from Congressman Jim Himes on Earth Day

I received the following letter in my email today from Congressman Jim Himes. For those of you not on his mailing list, I'm sure he will appreciate my sharing it:

Dear Friends,
In the four decades since the first Earth Day in 1970, we have made remarkable progress in the fight to protect our planet. Today, our air and water are cleaner, pollution has been greatly reduced, and Americans everywhere are living in a healthier environment. We've passed the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and founded the Environmental Protection Agency.
The most critical moment for environmental protection is the one we face today. Our reliance on foreign fossil fuels has set us on a massively destabilizing path, threatening our national security, our environment, and our economy. Very simply, the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will be the nation that leads in the 21st century.
Congress has taken on the challenge of energy independence from many angles. The Recovery Act, Clean Energy and Security Act, and other legislation are all working together to improve our national security, create jobs, and protect the environment.
The Recovery Act included more than $80 billion in clean energy investments, such as building a bigger, smarter electricity grid and providing incentives for expanding manufacturing capacity for clean energy technology, and advancing vehicle and fuel technologies. In fact, the wind industry grew its capacity nearly 40 percent in 2009, blowing past expectations that existed prior to the passage of the Recovery Act.
The American Clean Energy and Security Act took a powerful and historic step toward a wholly new approach to energy in our country. Once signed into law, its reforms will help create 1.7 million clean energy jobs, finally end our nation's dangerous addiction to foreign oil, and begin to curb the harmful effects of climate change.
On this 40th anniversary of Earth Day, I take great pride in the steps we have taken to help protect our natural resources, especially those right here in Connecticut. For example, this past year, we increased funding for the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act to $15 million, up from $3 million previously. Additionally, the sweeping and significant Public Land Management Act signed into law by the president in March will strengthen our National Parks, improve the health of our forests, ensure better management of our public lands, and increase the quantity and quality of water provided to numerous local communities.
These are significant victories for the cause of environmental protection. But much work remains. As we take this day to consider how best we can protect the planet we call home, be assured that I will continue to work diligently on these measures and on any other which will help ensure the beauty and stability of our environment.
Sincerely,

Jim Himes

And a happy Earth Day to all!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

I Love Our Planet - Happy 40th Earth Day!

Earth Day is a very emotional time for me. As crazy as it sounds, it often brings me to tears. Perhaps it’s because I can feel the feelings of the living earth. Perhaps its because I respect the earth so much and all the power that it has and all that it gives us.

And then there’s the raw beauty of it. The rich colors of the flowers, the birds and the sunsets. The amazing highs of the mountains, the deep lows of the valleys and the awesome rock formations that you know weren’t there a few thousand years ago. The white sand, the crystal blue waters in some spots, the 20 foot high waves, the amazing creatures of the sea.

As cliché as it sounds, nature and the earth are truly wonders to behold and I work hard every day to make sure that we don’t ever lose this gift and this opportunity to coexist with nature that humans have been given. When I see garbage on the ground and see people disrespecting the earth by throwing things on the ground, I can almost feel the earth flinch or cry out. When I see landfills so full we have to close them and open new ones, it scares me that 100 years from now there might not be anywhere left for new landfills. Then where will the garbage go? I wonder, will our children’s children’s children have any parks to play in or will all that great space some day give way to landfills?

I love recycling. I worship recycling. When I see someone throwing a bottle or can away, I practically have chest pains. We as a society need to continue to learn how to recycle everything we use. I also am a big fan of garbage to energy. Let’s turn that garbage and the methane gas it emits into something useful.

Most importantly, let’s remember that the earth is a living thing and that existing on it is a privilege, not a right.
God bless America … and God bless the planet Earth.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Alicia Keys Is Hiring!

Just logged onto Monster.com and saw something I never expected to see. A large ad saying that Alicia Keys is looking to hire a head blogger for her new blog, I Am Super Woman. The blog will be all about empowering women. The site, IAAS.com, will create an online community connecting, inspiring and broadcasting important topics related to women.

I think it's a great idea!

Wish I could do the job but I just don't think I have the stamina anymore. It requires a lot of domestic and international travel, a trek into NYC every day and probably 24/7 availability.

Interested? Think you've got what it takes? Go to http://www.monster.com/ and click on the front page link. Good luck!!!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Gotta Love the New York Daily News

Today's issue of the New York Daily News started me off with a great laugh. The article, "The Most Ridiculous and Misspelled Tea Party Signs," presents more than a dozen photos of misspelled rally signs, many of which emphasize the fact, I love this part, that if you can't speak English, go home. So if they can't write English, where do they go?

Some good ones:
If you can read this sign your smarter than Nancy Pelosi
Obama Lier in Chief
No Mas Illegal Alliens
Dump the Polititions
One Hugh Mistake America (I feel sorry for Hugh!)
The US of A Constution
Make English America's Offical Language
Stop Taking from Hard Wroking People
Get Your Handout of My Pocket (Okay, thanks!)
Respect Are Country
Don't Mortage My Child's Future
Wealth Redistribtion
Repeel Congress (you mean, um, like an orange?)
Say No to Socilism (If you're going to say no to something, paaleeeze know how to spell it)
Thank you Fox News for keeping us infromed
This is America and our only lanoguage is English (but what language is lanoguage?)
1930s Gemany all over again
Impeah Obama
Patriotic Resisance
Don't Give Away My Daugter's Future

And my absolute favorite:
I am Joe the Plummer

Glad to see these are the people who think they represent our great country. I feel better now.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Self Magazine's Workout in the Park

Just received a promotion for this in my email box and it sounded like fun so thought I would pass it along.

SELF magazine is holding a Workout in the Park in three different cities across the country on three separate dates (one could actually attend them all if they had the funds and the time! Now wouldn't that be fun!).

April 24th, San Diego: Mission Bay Park
May 8th, New York: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park
May 15th, Chicago: Grant Park

The events, which run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. rain or shine, includes workouts, beauty and style consultations, and gourmet delights, among other things. You can get a schedule of events at http://www.selfworkoutinthepark.com/schedule.asp/

From the hall of shame department: The only negative for this event is that there is a $20 fee, which they completely buried on the website. I had to click all the way through to purchasing a ticket to find out what the fee was and even then it was very clear. Shame on them for being so secretive about the cost.

The good news is, 50% of the cost (minus a small transaction processing fee) goes directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure of breast cancer and cancerandcareers.org. So your money is going to two great causes.

They are anticipating more than 12,000 women for these events. Bags larger than backpacks and pets not allowed. The event is smoke-free. Enjoy!!

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Thursday, April 08, 2010

The Weight Watchers Walk-It Challenge

If you've been thinking about joining Weight Watchers, now would be a great time. Weight Watchers this week launched a campaign to get people moving, called the Walk-It Challenge, and it includes a sweepstakes to win a trip for two to one of America's greatest walking cities: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle or San Antonio, Texas.

To enter the Walk-to-Win Sweepstakes, you must have attended at least six meetings between April 4 and July 31, 20010.

The promotion culminates with June 6th, designated as Walk-It Day, on which Weight Watchers is encouraging everyone to walk a 5k -- the equivalent of 3.1 miles.

Weight Watchers is offering tips for training for a 5k, how to find friends to walk with, a training plan, ways to find an event, and a $5 off coupon for their POINTS Pedometer, which I love and wear every day!

For more information, go to the Weight Watchers website.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Save the Date! The African Children's Choir is Coming to Town

















Save the date! The African Children's Choir is coming back to Norwalk, Connecticut.

They will be performing on Wednesday, April 28th at 7 p.m. at Norwalk United Methodist Church, 718 West Ave., directly across from the main library.

If you've never experienced these kids, they are a joy to watch. I fall in love with them every time I see them.

Every one of them is a victim of war-torn Africa, from Uganda, Somalia and other countries. They have lost either one or both parents, as well as siblings and were homeless before the choir took them in.

They now receive an education all the way through college and contribute their livelihood by traveling around the world singing and dancing. See them once and you will never forget them.

Learn more about the African Children's Choir at their website, http://www.africanchildrenschoir.com.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Brooklyn Senator Wants to "Stop the Sag"

I love this article I found on Mediabistro this morning! According to the article, Brooklyn Senator Eric Adams has invested $2,000 of his own money in an advertising campaign he is calling "Stop the Sag"!

Check out the Billboard and his video.




Here's the link to his YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj7v_Ntih2k





Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

I’ve Joined the World of the Tweeters

I’m a late Tweeter. I never bothered until now because I frankly couldn’t think of anyone I wanted to follow. But recently, I stumbled across the tweets of an American business owner I am acquainted with who was tweeting from Vietnam. I was so mesmerized by the things he was writing, about touching down in Ho Chi Min city (Saigon) and standing on the Ho Chi Min trail and actually physically touching and looking into the tunnels that the Vietcong used to get around us in the Vietnamese war and eventually win it.

I felt compelled to comment on his tweets and tell him how much the Vietnam war affected by teen years – that coming of age period when your school teachers start pushing you to give your own opinions about things and to study current events. “Well, do you think this is right or wrong, what they’re doing?” I remember hearing a hundred times, and many of those times it was about the Vietnamese war.

I was in eighth grade when Time magazine published its famous cover the naked girl running down the street covered in napalm with her village burning in the background. I can still see that photo like it was yesterday.

And my mom dated a guy for 7 years who was a tunnel rat. You get to be a tunnel rat by being a small skinny guy – someone similar in stature to a Vietcong who could fit in the tunnels and shimmy through them and kill anything in their path.

An ex-husband of mine is a Vietnam veteran. He has an album full of Polaroids taken in places he was stationed such as Phnum Penh and Da Nang, and we used to sit and look at those photos for hours with their tents made out of parachutes and men everwhere dressed in camaflouge with their shirts off. I remember how much it felt like I had just stepped out of Apocalypse Now or one of those other Vietnam War movies that were so popular in the late 70s and early 80s.

So when Alan started tweeting about Vietnam I felt compelled to start a dialogue and tell him my memories and how he was causing me to relive them. But then I thought, isn’t that the weirdest thing about Twitter? This man doesn’t know me. I’ve never met him or interacted with him before. But all of a sudden, because of this one thing I felt we had in common, I felt the need to interact, and even more importantly, I felt like I had the right to. But why would it matter to him? I thought. In the end, I decided my tweets would offer no value to him, and I never did comment on his. But it really left me wondering, what is the purpose of tweeting anyway? Is it a dumping ground for miscellaneous thoughts? Who wants to follow anyone around and hear every little thought in their head? I mean really, what is the point of it?

Then recently, I needed to start tweeting as part of a job assignment. So here I am a tweeter. I follow Alan now, but still wonder, will I ever talk to him?

Completely on the other end of the spectrum, a neighbor/girlfriend immediately found me on Twitter as soon as I joined and decided to follow me. Why? Simply because she can and because she’s curious about what I will say!

So now I feel that tweeting is part of my daily responsibility. It’s something I have to do. Not only that, but I need to write something that offers value to those who follow me. As a writer for allvoices.com, I expect to have more followers soon, so I’d better write things that they’re going to want to hear. It’s a whole new learning experience for me, and one that I am very excited to take.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.

Monday, March 08, 2010

Traditional Journalism Is Not Dead

Lately I have found myself wondering whether trying to solicit work from a magazine editor is the right thing for the future of my career. After all, digital media is where it's at today, right? So should I be changing my business model to become, say, an experienced Twitterer for hire?

I posed that question to an expert one recent afternoon. Thankfully, he told me my career is not facing extinction. Social media, he said, is not replacing what I do for a living, but rather, complimenting it. It's just one more channel I can publish in or market my services through.

Do I need to be digital savvy? Absolutely. Should I still be soliciting traditional magazine editors? Another yes. I guess I'd better get going.

Please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon.