News for September 2020 - - Some Fun Stuff. Saying hi - Musings from The Garden Spot - walking, doing blogs, and taking photos.

Some fun stuff.

I have been walking lately - - every other day at least. 

I will be posting here more about that. On my walks, I found a tree with a face, some dog pawprints, a truck that watches over the park, the occasional game at a park venue, some corn that is very ripe (in the field next to a path), and more.

This is when I get out, mostly. AND I get out into the yard also, occasionally. It needs some major trimming. AND next year, it needs a garden.

I posted recently on my Girl Scout UNofficial blog, and went to an online GS event yesterday! I loved hearing from other leaders, volunteers, and staff members. The National Council session is in October, so I hope to hear more from the Delegates and Alternates going to that.

And now for some photos.

Dog Tracks? 

Not sure.

Another dog track? Or a big raccoon?

Or a bear? Not likely though.

Two trees with faces...

The front one is smiling, and the one to the right is not sure he wanted his photo taken...

Rickey, my walking companion. 

Go, Rickey!

I will try VERY hard to get more postings here. I think it's good for me to post here.

I may be "migrating" my blogs, maybe even this year. Stay tuned for that. I will put a link OR just have this blog to automatically there later, to my new location(s). I also will be re-doing my websites, copying some paper dolls, making cool stationery, and more. I will try to share as much as possible here and at my other sites.

-Betsyanne

Onward and Upward!

Got a minute? Visit my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

Also my new Facebook Selling page is here: Betsy's Used Books and Collectibles

And, for students going back to school after a break: The Nontraditional Student website

News for June 2020 from Betsyanne at the Garden Spot. Many updates!

Hello, Friends and Blog Followers. I have missed writing here!

My favorite photo from yesterday's walk.

My new normal right now (in the midst of the CoronaVirus Crisis) includes:

1. Ordering food from an online service (InstaCart, and mostly Kroger, although there are other stores I have also tried...)

2. Cooking - a lot!

3. Trimming and doing yard work - a must! Trying to do this at least 2 times a week. Because if I don't, well, there are more consequences than just "delayed yard maintenance". Like snakes unwanted wildlife.

Rickey on the path.

4. Going on walks (as much as possible) - and taking photos there.

5. Organizing and posting books and more (online) - also a lot!

6. Going through papers and boxes, washing masks...

7. Writing - joined an online Writing Group for inspiration.

8. Hopefully starting back with my art.

9. Making discoveries - about myself and in boxes...

and

10. Updating blogs and websites. This will take awhile!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Looking through the branches.

Posted throughout this blog posting are some photos of a recent walk Rickey and I did at Lost River Cave on their Greenway path.

I have discovered (not surprisingly...) that I still love to write and love to do art. Cooking - well, it does have a smidgen of creativity to it at times. The Creativity of Cooking story I've heard before does have some truth to it. I've been told I'm a creative genius at making something out of nothing, which is a genuinely useful skill especially right now. A chef I am not, but maybe a cook.

Our cat, Braxton, who I swear had a "feral" sign on his cage at the shelter, has gotten better. (Rickey does not remember this sign...) We don't get attacked as much. He sometimes will obey us. We have been using lots of treats and give him a lot of alone time in his own room, which he has taken away from Rickey for now.

My daughter has moved to a nearby town and we get a glimpse of them now and then. We make some book and etc. deliveries to them occasionally.

I am connecting by writing letters too, to relatives and friends, and hope to do more of that.

I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. Look for more news and photos soon.

Adding: There is so much to update about.  <NOTE: I have taken all but one of the ads off of here, and it may take a day or two for them to stop annoyingly blocking my text. Argh. I switch over to the "New Blogger" soon. will try it out later.>

Onward and Upward!

Betsyanne

And be sure to visit my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

Selling - - on Ebay, Amazon, and Etsy, and a podcast list.

So far, Amazon has been my biggest selling site.

But Ebay and Etsy might catch up, once I have listed enough things on those sites.

I hope to start with Playing Cards soon, but want to re-join a fun Card Group first.

Right now, I sell mostly books. And book sets. Some I have read, but some not. I have some art on Etsy too, and hope to get back into that soon again too.

It was fun writing on Squidoo. But the owners decided to close it up years ago. I just now got rid of my Squidoo website. I was not posting on it, so it really didn't matter. I don't see the site coming back anytime soon.

Seth Godin was one of the owners, I think. He has gone on to write more books. I'll bet the site was making money, but I'm just guessing. For those who were not there, this was a fun article-writing site that shared revenue with writers. It had a great Member Area where you could learn more about it too. Some of my fellow writers and sellers there are now on Facebook OR are selling on their own websites now.

I have subscribed to several podcasts about selling, that have some great ideas they share. One recent idea was to try out new products from other people's stores, and see how they sell. A somewhat obvious piece of advice was to research what is selling well on other sites. This can be done online and you don't need to have much expertise to do it. Much info. is online about this. (Market Research).

See also what is NOT at Amazon yet, and get your foot in with a product, and see what happens. I have heard somewhere that Amazon will eventually try to get into your same market, so you need to keep looking and seeing your opportunities.

(So, it seems worth a try.) More on that later.

The usual Ebay advice I have seen is to get rid of things at your house first, then decide what to buy and sell at a profit. There is still opportunity out there, because the big companies do not have a monopoly on everything - yet!

I thought MAYBE that having my own selling website would be an option. But I think unless I am selling a LOT at once, it probably would not be a good idea right now.

Also, listing, listing, listing is a good idea until you get maybe at least 100 items on each site. THEN you can decide if things are working for you. Because until then, your items will probably not get much attention.

Another new item - good vs. bad. GOOD: Corel has made a MAC version of Corel Draw and more. BAD: It costs $500. Darn.

Here are a few podcasts I am listening to for online selling advice:
The Amazing Seller
Selling on Ebay
Selling Online Today
Silent Sales Machine Radio
Building Billion Dollar Companies
Reezy Sells Podcast
The Unstoppable Entrepreneur Show
There are many more - - also Writing ones.  

Join me on Twitter at @scholarsgrants, @betsyanne or @nontrads
Onward and Upward!

And be sure to visit my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

The Moon and the Willow Tree - a few thoughts during the Polar Vortex...

Here in South Central Kentucky we only got the "edge" of the Polar Vortex.

Facebook friends and others in Wisconsin (and elsewhere in the U.S.) are getting REALLY cold. In some areas, even the mail is not being delivered today. The lucky ones are just staying inside.

I am concerned about the homeless people, and hope they can find shelter wherever they live.

We only had a light dusting of snow, but it is very cold, especially considering that in this area, we have not had the snow we usually have. But you never know, a "real" and likelier winter may happen in February this year. You never know.

Our President joked that he wants Global Warming back right now. He is still so clueless. I hoped he'd listen to real experts about everything, but he seems to think (and has to say) he is smarter than everyone around him.

I used to think I was halfway smart, but as I grow older, I realize - - well, NOT so much.

But listening to wise people, and asking questions, helps at times.

Here is a little something from NOAA Climate.gov:

On a hopeful note, maybe we will have somebody MUCH wiser on board as President this time next year, or after 2020. One can hope.

Onward and Upward!

Betsyanne

And be sure to visit my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

My personal and business blog: The Betsyanne website

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

My thoughts - - and what I have learned about the Sears Debacle, Sears stores closing, and their Bankruptcy

About Sears - - - much talk is going on about their recent declaration of Bankruptcy.

NPR had a great radio show about this story today. I listened to it in the car.

This photo reminds me of the Sears store closing at the local Mall now... I am sad about it.

I hope they can find another good Anchor Store for the Mall... I will miss Sears.

Here is more information, with some soundbytes: https://www.npr.org/2018/10/15/657442174/bankruptcy-protection-may-be-sears-last-chance-for-survival.

I have heard from at least one FB friend about this subject. One says she had the same thing happen to her years ago that I did. I went to Sears to buy something, had my card, but was told it was too old to use. They dismissed me when I said I wanted to apply for another card. Were they getting rid of Sears Cards altogether? I didn't know the answer to that.

Another question I had at the time was, did Sears not want their customers to stay with them? I was puzzled. And, I must admit, angry, too. It seemed so strange at the time - - I remember thinking, well, they didn't really want my business. I didn't know if SOME people were still able to get Sears Cards, and I was just selected not to. I was kind of perturbed about it. But just wanted to leave the store, instead of asking more questions.

I didn't want to go back to Sears for a long time. By the time I got curious and went back, #6 below was going on. (The store just was not exciting to look at anymore. It was old-looking, and didn't seem to be kept up as well.)

Rumors abound now since the announcement of bankruptcy. Some blame the CEO who made some unwise decisions about the company. Is this true? Did others make some bad decisions, too?

Think about these things that happened - (which did not seem very sane or wise at the time to me and others...)

1. Getting rid of Craftsman Tools (unbelievable! Did this HAVE to happen?) - - and then Kenmore! Then their Die-hard Battery. <Three great brands>.
2. Closing their car repair section (locally)
3. Not promoting a GREAT salesperson (A story from the radio show) - - which might have happened more than once...
4. Rumors of not taking good care of employees (I haven't found a story about this yet)... goes with #3...
5. Getting rid of their BIG Sears Catalog (that I and others liked) - and returning to a small one a couple of years ago - this could have been a major Bad Decision.
6. Not keeping their stores up, not repairing floors, ceilings, having "delayed maintenance" issues and not having enough stock and things to buy (I noticed this too at our local store in the last few years...)
7. Emphasizing trying to do online sales at the expense of retail stores (mentioned on the radio show today...)
8. Buying K-Mart (that must have cost a lot!) - and other businesses.
9. Not seeing the big picture - -  not changing with the times. Or doing it too slowly. (As I learned in the article, change was something Sears USED to do very well, and quickly, too).
10. Not welcoming customers and not allowing them to get or keep Sears Cards.

Here is a neat photo I found with a house you used to be able to order from Sears.

This is a pretty neat house. Note that not everything is included... "Price does not include cement, brick, or plaster."

What more will we discover about this situation? And will the next owner or the CEO be able to re-start the company? I wonder how much he and others have been getting paid all this time. Were they getting bad advice?

I also feel very bad for the employees there, of course. What a shock for many of them in the last few days.

Here is more information:

Oct. 15th, 2018: Sears' Extraordinary History: <CNN.com> https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2018/10/business/sears-timeline/index.html

April, 2018 <Fortune.com> Video and Article: (turn down your volume...) Sears CEO Eddie Lampert Pushes It to Sell Off More Crown Jewels:  http://fortune.com/2018/04/23/sears-eddie-lampert-kenmore/.

March, 2017: <Reuters> Sears' plan to sell brands no salve for financial woes
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sears-restructuring-brands-analysis/sears-plan-to-sell-brands-no-salve-for-financial-woes-idUSKBN16U2PX.

I definitely will be paying attention to this story.

Betsyanne

Onward and Upward!

10 Tips for Getting Stuff Done, by a real procrastinator. :-) I will add more Tips later.

10 of my Best Tips for Getting Stuff Done! Posting #1. (1-10)

Here they are. I will add more later to this list, eventually coming up with LOTS to think about.

#1. DO write To Do Lists. It helps me.

#2. Invest in a big-enough Calendar. Mine is teeny-tiny, but fits in my purse, and has worked for me in the past. BUT right now, to really get things done, I must split my day up more, and include more items. So a NEW and bigger Calendar is a must.

#3. Do NOT get upset with yourself if you don't do everything on your list each day. Simply move it up, and do your best. Beating yourself up will only make you slower.

#4.  Don't get hung up on posting political memes, etc. and finding out interesting factoids on Facebook. Save this for down time. Instead, work on your jobs and consult your List.

#5. Decide which tasks are most important to you. Do those first. Try doing the first 2, the first 5, etc.

#6. Do the MOST unpleasant thing on your list first, and then it is DONE. You also will not have to dread this task all day long, which is very helpful.

#7. Stay optimistic. Read books about this if you want to. Put up positive images and sayings for yourself. Make a Vision Board of your goals.

#8. Reward yourself with a book or time on FB - a relaxing spa time - - whatever you like - - when you have done a good day's work.

#9. Don't give up! Don't ever go there. If you do, just try to think of something else. That goes for any unpleasant thoughts. Let them skim over your mind, do not dwell on negativity.

#10. Do not measure yourself against other people. They have their OWN priorities.

I am sure I will find more of these later, and will add to this list.

In the meantime,
Onward and Upward!

#SuccessTips #Procrastination #WorkingFromHome #Positivity

And be sure to visit my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog = for people going back to school after a break.

Wrangling an overgrown yard, and getting back to blogging and selling. More news later too!

It's been a busy time for me. But I'm going to make time for some more things right now.

I have not been blogging for WAY too long. But plan to get back into it, big-time. And I am happy about that.

YES, I can do it. I also can post about my selling on Ebay, Amazon, and Etsy.

I do have a Selling site, but I plan to make another one this year. PLUS finish some books and other projects too.

Blogging helps me focus. It is also fun to interact with other people, and discover sites and links to share.

I do like having this blog, and others, and will be making time to post on them all, or linking them together somehow too.

I know it will be awhile before I have a BIG volume saved up here, but I have a LOT of things to share. I post on Facebook a lot, and run into some fun sites from time to time. Two of my favorites right now are:

The Sojourners website - a Christian Left group: https://sojo.net/ (great articles are there)

Left Action for Democrats on Facebook: (Follow, and then choose See First). https://www.facebook.com/LeftAction

Political groups: (join me at my #Resist site: http://www.betsyanne.com)... some older business pages are here, too...

Shannon Trimboli's Grassy Roads Farm blog (her latest posting): https://www.shannontrimboli.com/busy-last-few-weeks/

and Tinky's In Our Grandmother's Kitchens blog (recipes and stories): Her latest too: http://ourgrandmotherskitchens.com/?p=12251.

I will be wrangling with my overgrown yard this Fall and Winter, getting back in touch with friends and family, volunteering and working, and unveiling some neat projects here too. So please come back for more news soon. Really.

Oh - and VOTE BLUE in November!

 

Here are some of my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

My Take Action #Resist site (taken over from my old Business and Other pages): The Betsyanne website

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

Bookselling, Facebook pages, blogging again, the Moose Lodge dinner,

Hello (again) from The Garden Spot!

I am very happy to be writing on this blog again. Yes, it's been raining a LOT here. But I got the MAIN mowing done today.

What else have I been doing? Helping with Facebook pages, posting there too, helping with Girl Scouts online, organizing, and more.

Comment with what YOU have been doing, if you have time, and there is room for comments below.

Sharing: Are you on Ebay? I plan to have more things there soon. I may also get a store going.

I'd love to have a website featuring a unique Online Bookstore that really looks like a store, with the books and other things for sale featured on bookshelves.

It would be neat to have a "Virtual Bookseller" there too. Remember Microsoft Bob? I liked it. You could go from room to room and put your computer files in different places. One of these days I hope to have an online store like that. But for now, I'm on Ebay, Amazon, and Etsy.

So, hello from The Garden Spot, and I hope to continue blogging MOST regularly now.

I think it helps with ME getting motivated to do even more.

Off I go to get some great meatloaf and fixings at the Moose Lodge.

Have a GREAT week.

Onward and Upward!
Located at The Garden Spot, BG, Kentucky

Other sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

For Resisters: The Betsyanne Site (and some old Business pages are there, too now...)

Re-starting blogs and fixing sites, more. Some goals for 2018. Happy New Year!

I guess the 1st of January spurs MANY to creating and working on goals for the year.

That's how it is with me, too, this year. It's all about lists and doing. I like that!

Did you see the SuperMoon? I will glance out for sure tonight.

I am doing needed Blog Postings today, (usually a good idea if you want to keep them - - haha...) then getting back into my usual tweeting and posting other places this year. Hopefully, I will have 100 things online (selling) for each site I am on this year. I think that will be a very good idea.

Everyone: I hope you have a GREAT New Year this year.

Keeping up with the news will be more on the back burner for me. It's been fascinating to see all the changes this year, also frightening. But I am hopeful this year will begin a time of reckoning and a return to civility and common sense in our nation.

I am especially liking the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC for breaking stories and explanations of political events.

Ms. Maddow also has a podcast, which is handy to listen to when you can't get there in front of the TV at 8 Central to watch. Here is that link for those who want to check that out: http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/the-rachel-maddow-show-podcast.

Those with Smarter TV's may want to watch the saved videos instead.

Back to phones: One neat thing about having a Smarter Phone is that I can access podcasts even easier. I used to have to download and upload. I love having an easier option. Auto upload and Listen skips a step and saves time.

Well, off I go to have another cup of coffee! I will be careful with it. My flip phone fell into my coffee in the car, so I was forced to "Go Smart". I did like my flip phone though. It fit into my pocket so well. ::::sigh:::: But I do like my new phone too. 

EAHS
 
Onward and Upward!-

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles-  <look for more items here soon...>

 






The Betsyanne website  <due for another big update this year>

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog - <just posted there...>

EAHS

Other jobs like Club President, Garden Dreams... the Willow Tree, more.

Hello everyone!

I know, everyone is supposed to update their blogs at LEAST once a month. It is even better to do this once a DAY, or once a WEEK. So don't copy my REALLY BAD example.

So, hopefully I will be updating more.

Being a Club President: A local Computer group, the BGAMUG Computer Club (also known in the past and even now as the Bowling Green Microcomputer User's Group) was headed to a much less fun state, that of a Service oriented club. We voted to try for another year and I somehow said "yes" to being President. Which is an unpaid job to add to others.

On the plus side, I did have some helpers. But the time element was huge.

But worth it. New elections are in November, and I might still help, although NOT as President. I may even skip meetings sometimes. It's been a good learning experience, and now I respect this position a lot.

 I just updated the Nontraditional Student blog (titled Politics, Social Media, and More...), - - and my Girl Scout unofficial blog too - which is a Private Blog (if you are in my Service Unit or Area, let me know...). PLUS the BGAMUG blog too.

Back to this blog: Yes, the moon is still here, of course. So my blog title is still semi-OK. BUT the Willow Tree is not. I will be planting another one where the older one was. Eventually.

More about the Willow Tree: I really do miss this huge, special, and magical tree. The workers that carted if off left a lot of bumps and uneven spaces, which I didn't really notice with the tree there. Hopefully it will settle more later. The machine they rented was the wrong one (they didn't need it) but I think I paid for it anyway. These tree haulers were friends of my old neighbors. 

It was fun and relaxing to watch the Willow Tree change with the seasons. I am still getting over my knee twist I got stepping in an uneven place. So it goes.

Garden Dreams: Trimming around the fence again, and putting in some Raised Beds are definitely something that sounds good.

The Farmer's Market: they have some GREAT heirloom home-grown tomatoes there. Plus other farm-raised goodies. Rickey goes there often. But later, I will be growing SOME of these things again. Hopefully.

Here is hoping you are having a great Summer... school here started already. Those poor kids need the month of August to also have off. Just saying.

Betsyanne
Onward and Upward!

The Mockingbird in the Tree - what neat songs this bird knew.

The Mockingbird and the Nest.



















We heard this bird before we saw it.

He was singing lots of different bird songs, all strung together - as Mockingbirds do.

Rickey told me he was singing with joy. And why? Because below him, hidden inside the tree, was his mate's nest.

He is singing about that.

He guards his nest above it. That's his job, and his joy.

And he tells the world about it in a glad voice.

Love it.

B

Onward and Upward!

And be sure to visit my other blogs and sites - - which are going to be updated hopefully soon too.

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

My personal and business blog: The Betsyanne website

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

Posting... Mon. Feb. 13. Logos, A Chiropractor, Defending our Sisters, Corel, Girl Scouts, Computer Club, more.

I am Busy, busy. As I know MANY of my blog readers are too.

I went (finally) to a Chiropractor last week. AND I feel better already. My inner ear crystals have moved around, but my daily Barrel Rolls are still helping. AND my knee is not as clicky. We'll see how it goes. I go back again next week.

Logos - I got a Windows computer last week donated to me. I will be able to make some logos hopefully using Corel, which has awesome art with its programs. Corel stopped making updates for Mac some time ago. Cross your fingers. I hope to try this out later.

Girl Scouts - I am still hoping to get some long sticks for a fun and active Girl Scout game to teach later on. Someone else will need to take over Songs and Games this Spring, but I will hopefully teach this in the Fall at another GS Weekend event as a Trainer.

I have posted some more books for sale, and hope to list some EXTRA cards (and more books) soon. Cards are so fun to collect. You can specialize in different card backs, animals, antiques (I don't have too many of those), birds, patterns, art, people, and lots more. It is fascinating. I will need to re-join my Card Group too.

New Business Cards - definitely on my list. I plan to do more Editing, Design Work, and more. Logos will be easier if I have my Corel back. I learned print styling artwork using this.

Much to do. I will share more soon here.

Betsyanne

Onward and Upward!

Here is a neat and free design I found that goes along with some Take Action things I am sharing on my FB page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And be sure to visit my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

My personal and business blog: The Betsyanne website

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

Thoughts this week. (post more... plus...) I am a grumpy person.

My main thought when writing this today is: Post more!!

Here are just a few things I realized this week.

#1. People are going to be grumpy sometimes, and even rude. It helps to remember that we ALL get grumpy and maybe even rude sometimes too. Is having this happen to you (someone else being that way to you) worth getting upset about?

No. Not really. But that sneaky grumpy voice inside me does want me to stay upset about this for at least a day, each time. I do try to forget about it. Keyword: TRY. Yes, it is a waste of time to dwell on that or on other bad things in the past. And it's in the past pretty quick.

#2. Things change. Even when you don't want them to. People you really like and even love CAN sometimes leave the area.

#3. Unfortunately, a certain new U.S. President WILL probably be there for awhile. Ack. I am not sure how long. But there is hope. Hopefully. We'll see what happens after the coronation (oops) inauguration. Because technically, any conflicts of interest don't start until it's official, the 20th of January and beyond.

#3. It is time to have a garden again, in a serious way. Who knows how much money I can save this way, when our Health Insurance goes way, way up? Maybe a few dollars!! It's time to get to work saving and making money, if things really do go South. Yes.

#4. Being political can have un-friending consequences on Facebook. Did you know that you can stop seeing somebody's posts and still stay friends with them? YOU CAN. Rather than unfriending them. Uh-oh. I'm getting grumpy about this again. Maybe I'm naturally that way! Ack.

But on the whole, things are looking up a bit for me this week. Why? Well, suffice it to say that certain tests went a good way, instead of the opposite way.

I hope you are doing well too, my awesome readers.

I have NOT decided whether or not to watch the Inauguration on the 20th. I probably won't decide until the day of.

Have an AWESOME week and month.

-Betsyanne

Onward and Upward!

 

Bored? Visit some of my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

My personal and business blog: The Betsyanne website

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

Learning.... sometimes you have to be UNcomfortable for awhile!

How to Multi-Task without Really Trying

I recently accepted a President's job for our local Computer Club, the BGAMUG Computer Club.

Because the club was worth saving, in my eyes, and some other ones.

So what is BGAMUG? It used to be the Bowling Green Area Microcomputer User Group. So who uses the word "Microcomputer" anymore? Not many people, we didn't think. So last year, we changed the name.

Anyway, I got to practice my non-existant Parliamentary Procedure skills yesterday. I learned that as a President, I can't make a Proposal. I can vote on one, and I can come up with ideas, but as far as bringing it up for a vote, it's an Ix-Nay.

So I am learning. "Do I hear a Motion to...?.. etc." will be a phrase I will be remembering to write down and refer to. Some day it will be second nature. Today is not that day.

I am still full of questions. Did everyone feel comfortable enough to bring up questions? Did I cover everything? When will I be able to eat while doing a meeting at the same time? Perhaps never. But luckily, restaurants DO offer takeout containers.

It was exciting in a way. But I do hope other will step up to do more jobs there. Because it CAN be hard to talk and write at the same time. For now, I'm subbing for several jobs.

I wonder why groups are not as popular as in the past? I don't really know. Because being in a group can be really fun. You can meet new friends, learn new things...  Yes, it IS easier to just stay home sometimes. But (to me) that can get pretty old sometimes. Not so much in the wintertime, but it can get old.

I did say I'd do my best, NOT do things perfectly. There is not time for that.

I like the idea of doing some jobs, then having others do them the next year. This might work, if we can attract more membership. I may go to a popular club in the area (Sunny 16) to learn their secrets. :-)

Wish me luck.

Secretary, Program Director, President, Sgt. at Arms (helper), VP of Membership, more.

Ack!

Betsy

Onward and Upward!

And be sure to visit my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles (re-starting this in Feb.)

My personal and business blog: The Betsyanne website

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

It's hard to find my Blogger blogs anymore. It's time to make new bookmarks.

Are any fellow bloggers out there?
or: Help! I can't see my blog anymore. Where did it go?

I am thinking there MIGHT be a few bloggers reading this that also have been having problems with the new Blogger update. AND readers of blogs might be finding that the blogs you subscribe to have been a while in updating... read on, and find out one reason why this could be.

Anyway, I have more than one blog. This is one of them. I like it! But have not been writing here. Why not, you might ask?

Because, when I used to go "visit" my blogs (at the main Blogger page - - this is the platform I am currently using) - - I saw all my blogs at once, and when they were posted to. It gave me a huge clue and helped me know when things were done last. (So I could know...) I don't have an automatic update feature sending me a reminder email. The page did that whenever I went to it, and that USED to be often.

Blogger has rearranged this "main page" to only feature ONE blog. It's the one latest posted to. The others easily drop of out sight, because you have to kind of "do research" to find them from a new dropdown menu. There is no more easy checking of blogs here.

Nobody seems to know why this was done. I can't figure it out either, except maybe to make things seem new.

SO, it's time for bloggers to rearrange their blogs, or make a webpage to help themselves out. OR do bookmarks so they can go do each blog in order. AND make a notebook to double check when updates have been made.

Some bloggers are saying they are now investigating switching to another blog service. But I will see if I can make some other kind of list that is easy to find, and easy to check.

This research and re-doing my links is definitely on my list to do very soon. Come to think of it, all of my bookmarks do need arranging anyhow. So this will really be a good thing. And who knows what cool links I will find while doing it?

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More: I want to wish everyone a GREAT holiday. I hope Santa brings you some neat things.

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Onward and Upward!

And be sure to visit some of my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

My personal and business blog: The Betsyanne website

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

Waiting for tonight.... watching the news... and a funny Weather Channel update for today.

Waiting for Election results CAN be stressful.

It's pretty neat that the Weather Channel has calming music and beautiful pictures on today. They are wanting anyone stressed out by the Elections to have a choice of what to watch.

And this gives a calming choice.

I look forward to later on, and I (like many) will be glued to the TV!

Onward and Upward!

-Betsyanne

And be sure to visit my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

My personal and business blog: The Betsyanne website

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

Getting ready for NaNoWriMo in November. Or NOT. More ideas to inspire.

I had to share.

I did NOT participate in NaNoWriMo last year. But hopefully I can this year.

I have lots of notes from a novel idea I had last year. THIS year I will completely re-write it into a short story.

Hopefully.

Here is the NaNoWriMo links I have used before...

The NaNoWriMo site http://nanowrimo.org/ (NaNoWriMo = National Novel Writing Month). I used to think this meant National Novel Writing More. But it is not.

NaNoWriMo on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/NaNoWriMoparticipants/.

There are also "early" NaNoWriMo groups, AND local groups. So just search Facebook and the 'net for those.

If you want to write during November (or whenever) and want to use this program, I'd say, go for it. You will need to set things up and register, etc., which you can do right now.

Then you can write, write, write, and see if you can finish something and be productive.  They DO have rules, though, so we'll see about actually doing that. Although it sounds good.

I will see about it. It MIGHT be next year, it MIGHT be this year. But NaNoWriMo is a neat idea anyhow.

And if I procrastinate, there is always the OTHER time to write with a group urging you on, it's  CAMP NaNoWriMo, which is just like the other one, only different. I always thought it was for people that would rather write in the summertime.

If I decide NOT to participate (which happens most years) here are some alternatives I just found that I might look at again:


9 Alternatives to NaNoWriMo by Ronnie L. Smith

and

13 MORE alternatives (a list) for writers and bloggers by Carly (from her "Better with a Pen" blog)

There are GREAT inspirational ideas at these 2 blogs.

Off I go to do more blogging at other places.

Betsyanne 

Onward and Upward!

And be sure to visit my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

My personal and business blog: The Betsyanne website

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

Do you ever overschedule yourself? I do.... and I'm saying NO to perfectionism.

It is SO easy to do.

You just say "yes" to one - - or fifteen - -  too many things.

At a point when you can't easily read your calendar anymore, I must stop and regroup. (And stop saying "yes"...)

It's one thing to have lots of projects. It's another thing to have too MANY projects, plus deadlines.

But I can only do my best, with the time given. And it's the time aspect that I am working with, reassigning priorities to see what works best for me.I have some books to finish, that will soon be at the TOP of my Priorities List again.

It can be exciting to try to "do it all" with groups, organizing, and more. But sometimes it's exhausting too. And I personally want to do a good job with everything I am working on.

Right now I am prioritizing. I know there is a reason for every commitment. Sometimes I can ALSO decide to not be such a perfectionist. This can save important time. Doing something well - - or even OK - -  does not mean doing it perfectly all the time. (This has taken awhile for me to realize this...) And doing something and getting it done "OK" is better than not doing it at all.

SO.. it might be possible to be successful and still busy, getting everything done, but not expecting to do everything perfectly. The best I can in the time given, YES. :-) Will some people maybe think my best at the time is not good enough? Maybe. But I can live with that.

A friend of mine said today that if this happens to them, they will say, "Here you go, you can HAVE my job... if you think you can do it better." Hmmm... that would be hard to do for me, but not impossible. I'd have to think about it some. Delegation can be a good thing too, if you can find people to delegate to that you can really trust.

I'm making some hard choices, by deciding what is MOST important in each day to others AND for myself. I am also working on my list, and getting a LOT done. So that is something good to take away from a very busy time.

My blogs (this one included!) are important to me. They are also fun. So WHEN (not "if") I get a NEW calendar with more jobs on it, I will be sure to include that!

I have some photos to post soon. I was SO busy that I put my battery charger for my present camera in a different place than usual. But I found it. Yay!

Betsyanne
The Garden Spot
KY

:-)

Onward and Upward!

Here are some of my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

My personal and business blog: The Betsyanne website

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog

My fun visit to Camp Holloway!

 I am very happy I was able to attend the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee Girl Scout Collector Show recently. (And finally publish this page!)

This was from the second day of the show.

We saw antique and vintage patches, patch displays under glass, pins, books, hats, uniforms from all eras, games, historic photos, handbooks, Custom Barbies, the Girl Scout Shop, (which was open!) and more. We also got invited to lunch, (thanks, all!) but had a prior lunch date, so could not go.

This was a big event. The venue was so beautiful. We learned about the history of this camp too. The camp is named after is named after Josephine Groves Holloway, founder of the first African-American Girl Scout troop in Nashville. Ms. Holloway had a huge hand in this camp forming and being there for the girls. It is a very popular camp today too.

I'd love to look around this property more next year. It looked like some troops had camped out this weekend. The camp had really nice signs showing where to go to find different camp activities.

And did I say the camp had a pool too? AND a huge screened porch for this building.







One of the photos following shows the lovely roof of this event's room. Next time (and I hope they hold this event next year!) I hope to look around even more.

I met some great new Girl Scout friends here, who were extra friendly, and found some neat things to take home.

Here are some photos from the event:

The Welcome Table (with FREE stuff!)

A comfy nook inside the front doors.

Merana Cadorette - - and her tables.

Merana Cadorette's posters

Merana's Barbies

More of the table.

Merana and some customers.

The Guest of Honor - Our Founder!

Rickey, Ms. Lowe, and Me

Merana and Ms. Low (she made her!)

How neat to get to meet her in person...

What a beautiful building!

Look who Juliette Low brought with her! Her pet bird.

I didn't notice Juliette's Lows pet bird when I first saw her. She is in her lap


-Betsy S.






The flower border art is from Little Brownie Bakers art section.

Onward and Upward!

And be sure to visit my other blogs and sites:

My selling site: The Best Books and Collectibles

My personal and business blog: The Betsyanne website

The Nontraditional Student website and The Nontraditional Student blog