I am learning again about living in a rural community, and I am loving it.  Some might think I’m a crazy old lady, but what do they know?  To me, this is perfect.  Almost.

Small communities often mean small business opportunities.  At least as far as working for someone else.  However, this particular community is BIG on supporting the artists in the community, and is developing a cultural awareness that I am finding totally awesome.

Perhaps I’ve finally found my niche.  I’m hoping so!

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Seven names appear on a Wikipedia “People from Haliburton County” category page. Five of them are from the sports world, one was a politician and one was a teenage runaway who ultimately made front page news in the United States.

Eva Curry was born 17 Jan 1889 in Haliburton, Ontario, the second child of parents Albert Paterson Curry (1862-1920) and Margaret McDonald Watt (1867-1950).

Read more… 1,009 more words

Cake decoration by my talented daughter-in-law for our grandson’s baptism

Here is a post good about “regular people“.

When I read it I realized I am not an “expert” in anything other than being a wife and a mother.  And the expert part only comes from many years of experience.

When it comes to thinking about what to post on my blog, I suppose I could blog about motherhood and family life but I’m not sure the world is ready for yet another mommy’s blog.  There are so many of them already.  Some offer a humorous view of everyday living,  some offer advise on “how to’s” or talk about the education of their children.  I could go on and on.  But you are probably already bored with this train of thought, which more or less proves my point.

Then I think- perhaps I could start writing about photography – but once again – how many of those are there out there?  And how much more do they have to offer than I do?   I’m only a hobbyist at it and I read all those other blogs to learn!

No, I think I’ll stick to random thoughts, that typically offer nothing other than inspiration (I HOPE).  I’ll share photos I have taken and perhaps get some feedback on the quality, clarity and colour etc.  Sounds like I’m asking for an evaluation on a diamond doesn’t it?

As you can see, I will not make my millions with my blog, but I will have some fun with it.

My grandson was recently baptized.  It was a big day for us all, for he is the first grandson on both sides.  So we all decided it was a perfect excuse, and we threw a party.

For today’s photo, here’s a beautiful cake.  Note:  I did not make or decorate this cake.  My lovely and talented daughter-in-law deserves that credit.  I just wanted an excuse to show it off

I became a grandmother this year.  Something magical happens when you hold your grandchild.  All the rules you held yourself to with your own children – out the window.  Here is love as pure as it gets, as fun as it gets and everlasting.  And here is a lifestyle change that I wouldn’t change for ANYTHING. Loving it.  It’s a lifestyle change for our son and his new family as well.  We are eager to help them with it if they need it.

We bought our retirement home this year.  Country living at it’s finest on 24 acres in the “northern” country.  It’s not really northern country, but a lot further north that we are used to.  When I can get past “living the life”, I’ll post about it.  Having a blast at the moment and taking advantage of every available moment.  It’s a lifestyle change that has an untold number of opportunities.  I can’t wait to discover them all.

We will shortly be welcoming into our family another new member.  Our wonderful, soon-to-be daughter-in-law.   A wedding – don’t you just LOVE weddings?  I’m hoping I’m not one of those mothers whose water works leak, but I expect I will be.  I think I’ll keep the Kleenex box handy for the mother-son dance…

And through all these wonderfully exciting lifestyle changes – I’ve had my camera, and I’m learning how to use those “knobs and fobs”.  Maybe I’ll share some of those as well – when I can find the time.

Here’s to enjoying life ya’ll!

Image via CrunchBase

As you can see, I have not posted much lately.  That’s not because I don’t have anything to say.  It’s not because I don’t know how to say it.  It’s because I have been trying to learn how to get Google Analytics to work on WordPress.

I’m having a heck of a time.  And for anyone who has the knowledge and the intellect to have figured this out – AND would like to share that – I’m happy to learn.  However, I need step by step instructions because I am technically challenged.

I do have an excuse.  I’m busy   I’m sure you’ve not heard that one before.

I know that everyone is just a busy or more so than I.

Where can I go to learn how to get Google to analyse this blog?  Not the Google site itself, I’ve been there and have run around in circles trying to get it to work.

If you have taken the time to read this post I sincerely thank you for your time.  If you know of anyone who has easy to understand – step by step instructions to share  I would be sincerely thankful as well.

Did you FINALLY get someone to publish it?

Did you think they would market it for you?  How soon before you realized you had to do the marketing?  I’ll bet you didn’t realize when you wrote your novel that was just the beginning . . .

If you write it will they buy?  Not unless they know you wrote it.  No one knows you, so how are you going to sell this awesome work of art.  Being published does not mean you will sell your books.  Putting your title in Amazon does not mean people will see it.  If you are really lucky, someone somewhere who has a huge internet following will buy it, read it and give it a great review.  That might generate a few sales.

No, you have to market yourself.  Build your brand, build a website, get in the grove with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google + and who knows how many more.

You have to spend some time in building relationships with other successful authors, bloggers, book reviewers.

You should consider a virtual book tour.  They also take up much time, but you need to ask  yourself the question – do you want your book to sell?

If you are an author and have finally been published, I want to share with you one author’s opinion of the virtual book tour.  She shares her successes and trials honestly.

If you have finally been published, this is a good read with some great tips about getting yourself out there on a virtual book tour.

Related articles

• Virtual Blog Tours: The Good, Bad. . .and Ugly (blthompson.wordpress.com)

Ontario is a land of lakes.  Big ones, itsy bitsy teeny ones and everything in between.  You can find fishing, boating, water skiing, hiking, canoeing, kaiaking, sailing, white water rafting, ice fishing, snow mobile and ATV trails all in and around our thousands of lakes, rivers, brooks and streams.   For those of us who live here, we often forget to appreciate our good fortune.

Last summer we drove a few hours to get to Ganaraska where we then took a tour of the 1000 Islands.  This was a summer visit and I have wondered since what spectacular views the autumn would offer.  I do expect I will return to take this 3 hour tour again in the near future.

We also visited the Muskoka‘s and sampled two of their day cruises.  One with a meal, another without.  Both were spectacular and well worth the time.

Then of course, there is the Trent Waterways and they also offer very scenic boat tours.  You can read about them over at HubPages.

If you have a story about the lakes, rivers, streams and creeks of Ontario, please feel free to share!

Cruising in the Muskoka's

http://www.ontariotravel.net/TCISSegmentsWeb/main.portal?language=EN

So, because I have been reading and searching many different areas, I would like to share with you a blog I came across recently. This lady provides her own insights into writing for the web and offers some good solid opportunities.

If you are interested in writing for an income, I suggest you might like to read her blog – just click here to see it, or copy and paste this address into your address bar. http://writefortheweb.today.com/

Related articles

• Outlines Help You Write Better, Faster (journalistics.com)
• Secrets of the Writer’s Journey (mjtwrites.wordpress.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Making a living is important.  It keeps food on the table, a roof over our heads and allows for a bit of freedom with how we spend our free time.

Making a living writing requires a lot of work.  You either have to have the credentials, the experience or both.  Both is obviously better.  But even with both, you must also market yourself, source the work, make out the invoices, follow up with those who don’t pay their invoices, and much more.  It’s not just a matter of wanting to write, or even knowing how to write.  So many other things factor into the part about “making a living” writing.

That’s probably why I haven’t made that leap.  Not enough confidence in my marketing ability to make it work for me.  I could outsource it, but again, I have not taken the necessary time to even learn how to do that.

Instead, I work full time, spend much of my free time developing my hobby with photography and when I’m not busy, I take a few moments to write.  The internet is great for that, and there are even some places that offer payment of sorts for the time I do find for writing.  I have my favourite(s), but I have also found this fabulous lens that shares so many more than I was aware of.

If you are interested in making money online with your writing, you might want to check out this article.  It’s a good resource – especially for newbies.  http://www.squidoo.com/FreelanceWriterWebsites

Related Articles

• How to Become a Successful Freelance Writer…a Step-by-step Guide (becomeapaidwriter.wordpress.com)
• Why Mom Didn’t Make it as a Blogger (problogger.net)

Image via Wikipedia

If you want to write a book – at least one that people will read, you will want to write it with passion.  Your chances of success, however you define it, are ever so much better when the author is passionate about what she is writing about.

Sex – those hot steamy sex scenes that everyone says “sells” a book.  Don’t care to write them.  No, I’m not a prude – I’m just not interested in selling it.

Violance has always been a problem too.  Reading about people hurting others – or even following stories about natural disaters where people are hurt, churns the stomach and kicks up an instint headach.  Can you imagine what writing about it would do?

Science fiction has its possibilities.  Personal freinds of mine would make great role models for some types of science fiction.  They might suspect that I have based a persona (quite often not in a favourable light) after their character and that could cause some unpleasant moments and a wee bit of tention in the relationship.

Politicis and religion require not only passion but a certain level of knowlege and the ability to argue your points.  To write about either of these subjects you need a very thick skin, since absolutley no one is going to agree with you 100%.  I’m not big on confrontation.

• Sex
• Violence
• Politics
• Religion

If I don’t want write about these, what is left that anyone will read?

I’m sure there is a niche out there that is perfect for me.  Still looking for it

Related Articles

• Here is an example of an author who writes with passion.
• Here are some of her tips for writers