I had a stroke in the very beginning of February. That's why I haven't written in my blog for months. I became super busy with Christmas, and I was writing for several different media outlets with a fiery passion. I was writing so much so, that I had no time for my blog, my husband or my kids. Then on February 9, 2009 I had a stroke. It seems my cartoroid artery decided it was going to part ways with my body.

Then I spent ten days in the hospital, and one week in rehab. Never in my life did I think I would need to go to REHAB!!! Where's Amy Winehouse when you need her? In the meantime, I have gone through in- home therapy. I can function once again, but I still feel like a drunk person some of the time.

That's the reason I have not written any new blogs. I started writing again after I was home for about three weeks out of total and complete boredom. I sold a few articles on Helium.com. I started writing for another outlet that pays absolute garbage pay of $5 to $15. The unnamed media outlet demands absolute perfection for hardly any money. They want sources and a writer to cite every idea she has. I enjoy writing, but not when you can't include any personality, ideas, or creativity.

Now I have several book ideas ruminating around my head, and I am currently making a decision of what to write and for whom.
So, God willing, and the hard work of everyday living, and with continued workouts, I just might get to write a book or two.

Thanks for reading my BLOG!!!

Give the Gift of LOVE For Christmas

How about doing something different this year and completely forgo buying expensive gifts for everyone on your Christmas shopping list? Why not wrap your arms around the ones you love and give them the gift of love and time? Forget booking an expensive holiday vacation to a warm, sunny place. Visit your friends, neighbors, relatives, co-workers, neighbors, the homeless, hospital patients, and even older folks in nursing homes.

The holidays are really supposed to be about giving the gift of love, not some meaningless gift bought at a store to increase the retailer's bottom line. With the commercial aspect of the holiday season getting way out of line, just doing something simple for everyone on your holiday gift- giving list can be the best thing you c an do. And guess what, you won't come across as Scrooge, or a cheapskate for not buying people super expensive holiday presents, or purchasing the biggest, greenest Christmas tree in the lot.

You will become the happiest person alive by spreading holiday cheer to one and to all. Throughout the holiday season, smile everywhere you go. Throw holiday parties and invite people and extend the warmth of the season by giving everyone a big hug. Make certain that you engage each person who wanders in through your front door, in earnest, heartfelt conversation. Put your arm around a longtime friend. Give hugs and kisses, to everyone, even your grumpy boss. Extend your invitations to your children and have them give hugs and kisses to relatives, and friends.

Take your kids to an elderly neighbor's home and bring them cookies freshly baked from your oven. Bring the kids along and give your neighbor the gift of time. Sit with her and talk about the neighborhood and life in general. She will appreciate it very much and won't feel left out this holiday season. Have your children shovel elderly neighbor's driveways and sidewalks, so that they can get out of the house without the hassle or the worry. This way, your children will learn the gift of giving, and you will be helping someone else at the same time.

Instead of just donating items to your local animal shelter or your local food pantry, volunteer at one instead. Bring the kids along, a friend or a neighbor and have a good time volunteering together. Walk stray dogs, and give them the gift of a loving hand by petting them. Volunteer at a local food pantry and get the inside view of how they feed all those people. Smile and talk to everyone you see that day. This will brighten their life a little and yours as well!

By serving other people and extending yourself you are giving the best gift of all LOVE. Giving the gift of a warmth and cheer, you will feel the real reason behind the holiday season. Now, isn't that better than getting caught up in all that commercialism and spending a lot of money on meaningless gifts that people will only return to the stores the day after Christmas?
Learn more about this author, Kate Johns.

Career Opportunities in Cosmetology

Career opportunities in cosmetology by Kate Johns

The field of cosmetology is growing by leaps and bounds and is creating new careers every day. Cosmetology is expanding so fast that area schools are starting up just as fast to supply each city and town with new enthusiastic members of the work force to work in this very creative field. Where else can you go to work everyday and make good money, utilizing your inner creativity to become the next biggest hair designer or the next stellar makeup artist that creates your own line of best selling line of makeup products?

The cosmetology field is growing so fast that according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2006, there were 600,000 career cosmetologists, and by 2016 there will be 700,000. With over 100,000 jobs being created in ten years that means the cosmetology field is growing by so fast because millions of people have the desire to look and feel great. Even in a stagnant economy people need to look good for work and for their own personal health. People will cut back in other areas of their lives, but nearly everyone has that desire to be pampered by getting their hair professionally cut, their bodies massaged and their skin taken care of.

This area of careers, the cosmetology field, is so fast growing that you can literally sign up for new courses at accredited institutions overnight and get your degree within a few short months. This area is developing and growing so much so that you always have to take new courses to further develop and enhance your skills so that you stay ahead of the proverbial curve. Cosmetology is a field that people always are learning new aspects of, that is why it is a very interesting, creative field to go into.

With new careers opening up every day this field is wide open for potential growth in nearly every sector of the job market. You can go to school to become a hairstylist and within several years open your own salon. There are three basic specialty areas of cosmetology that include, hairstylist, manicurist and esthetic's. The plethora of careers available is a stunning example of how fast this industry is growing. Just some of the careers available are: Massage Therapist, Reflexologist, Dermatologist, Therapeutic Massage, Color Consultant, Beauty Consultant, Aromatherapist, Makeup Artist, Barber, Hairstylist, Owner of Salon, Corporate Manager in Cosmetics Company, Stylist for Rich and Famous, Cosmetic School Instructor, and Film and Theater Hair Specialist.

The field of cosmetology is a growing sector of the job market that is seeing exponential growth. Go to school for a short time and have a creative, growth oriented career in matter of a few short months. And once you have obtained your job, there is virtually no holding you back from reaching your career desires.

HELIUM.COM
Learn more about this author, Kate Johns.Click here to send this author comments or questions.

How to Survive Raising Teenagers

Raising a teenager is very much like being a scared rabbit and having a trapper catch you, and put you into a cage with several really hungry foxes. You are completely thrown into the situation, you are not ready for it, and you really feel you are not going to come out of the ordeal alive. I feel like a scared rabbit everyday when my two children come home from school. This is when I realize my quiet time of getting all my work is done. I am now faced with two hungry foxes, that are waiting to pounce on me and tear me limb from limb in their quest for being eternally non-grateful for me having given birth to them.

Read more of this article on helium.com by clicking this URL---http://www.helium.com/items/1232703-how-to-deal-with-teenagers-how-to-deal-with-preteen-raising-children-keep-sanity-raising-kids

Cheap cell phone Alternatives

Cell phones and cell plans can become a very expensive proposition, especially when you have kids and you are the one paying for their cell phones. There are so many cell phones and cell phone plans that walking into a cell phone store is a dizzying prospect. You almost have to be a teenager, and have just consumed major amounts of caffeine to understand what exactly the sales person is talking about. But, there are many alternatives to owing a cell phone, and there are several cell phone ways to go that are cheaper than those super expensive plans.
Read more of this interesting article on helium.com. the article is called "Cheap cellphone alternatives." Just in case the URL decides not to lead you the way.
http://www.helium.com/items/1235303-how-to-get-cheap-cell-phone-inexpenisve-cell-phone-plans-pre-owned-cell-phonescell-phone-giveaway

Catching up With You

Hello, Everyone,

Just writing to say I had a super busy summer, trying to fit in writing and taking care of two kids--one of which is 17 and thinks I'm his personal driver. But now, that the kdis are back in school, I have time to do what I love---sit around and do nothing. No, not really, I'm busier than ever writing, writing, and writing. And getting all the housework done I didn't have time to do all summer with writing, and arranging play dates, and being a personal chef, and taxi driver, and with my hair falling out, and having major stomach problems---getting old sucks! I'm not even fifty yet and for some odd reason, my body has decided to ramp it up and make me look and feel 60.

But, yes I will be writing some major topics to come. Just didn't have any time during the summer to get back to my blog.

I can't believe the major problems the banks are having, and that gas is finally coming down in price. With the government bailing them out---that makes things really scary! We just averted diving into a depression. That would mean that many Americans like my Mom would have lived through two depressions.

It's really scary---we are having a hard time making ends meet with my husband having lost his job last spring. He got another job, but it doesn't pay as well. So we are doing without already. I'm at the point where I'm seriously thinking about stocking up on food and supplies just in case. And winter will be coming soon and we may be going into a depression---that means long food lines, long gas lines, no jobs and major scariness. People are already losing their homes and their jobs. Just the other day I saw statistics that over 60percent of American families ---parents are moving in with their kids. Many of these people are immigrants---but still, times are so bad that entire families are living together again.

And that is both good and bad. Grandparents are there for their grandchildren and families can help each other out and not be spread out all over the country. But still, there's no real privacy, either. But, then again Mom and Dad can get jobs and have Grandma and Grandpa watch the kids, and make dinner, and do the laundry while they aren't home. Okay, maybe that wouldn't be so awful.

I will be back writing more articles for your peruse soon, I promise. It's just something I have to do. Some people have to sing, I just have to write.

DEEP Thoughts on menopause.

Currently I am going through reverse adolescence, that is menopause. Usually this is not something that women run around screaming at the top of their lungs. It's more likely that we all go through it rather quietly. Everyone around us knows before we do, because they see all the changes that are going on with us before we see it ourselves.

And you know what? I don't feel like being quiet about going through menopause. For one thing it's not a disease. It is the most difficult time in a woman's life, and it's a time of major change and even stress.

Even social diseases have become more of a mainstream topic nowadays with pharmaceutical companies mass marketing pills for people to take. You know the advertisements where the young good looking frisky couple are walking down a beach hand in hand, saying that his social disease doesn't bother their relationship because he takes some drug to alleviate the symptoms.

How does this all tie in with menopause ? Because social diseases do not carry the shame and horror they used to carry. Years ago when people contracted a social disease they had to call all their sexual partners and then re-think their actions and not have sex for awhile until the symptoms cleared up.

Becoming a menopausal woman carries a certain shame in today's society.
Essentially with social diseases becoming an okay thing in society then why can't older women become a welcome part of life. When a woman ages and loses her beauty, and she gains weight, and her hair turns gray, why is it that society as a whole doesn't notice that woman anymore? When a woman reaches that menopausal age she should be celebrated for all she has accomplished. Men should lust after her, because she has lived life and knows how to do things that younger women don't know how to do. Hint Hint!

A menopausal woman should be celebrated in our society and lifted up to feel like she is million bucks! She gave birth to children that are becoming or have become terrific people. She has contributed to society by working , making money and creating a life. And people should be informed of this life change that happens to every woman. You mean to tell me that someone out there has not figured out a way to make millions of dollars from some pill or health aid for women to help them with menopause?

More recently older women have been more in the spotlight, and are getting more roles in movies. But that is because women such as Demi Moore and even Helena Christensen have done something about it. You could say they are aging gracefully, but wouldn't all of us age gracefully with millions of dollars to spend on every surgery, diet guru, and health aid available for an aging woman? I wouldn't mind running around with someone half my age if I could afford to buy myself a great face lift, major hair extensions, and have a ton of people yell accolades at me like , "We love you." "Your last movie was great!"

When I went to my family doctor years ago with symptoms of menopause, that I found out later were symptoms of peri menopause, he did nothing to help me. Even my gynecologist really has not helped, all she did was prescribe pills. Other women know something about menopause, but they just warn you about terrible things that could happen if you take that pill and how they felt during the entire thing.

I don't want other women warning me about how I could die from not taking a slew of vitamins and working out every day. The Internet has provided a slew of information about menopause. But, most of that information is just a re-working of information from other websites. And some of the information is not correct. It just seems like everybody has decided to get a website today and many of those websites are very poorly done.

So what does a hot flashing, hair thinning, stomach bulging woman do about menopause?

Me personally, I'm not going quietly. I'm not going to start going to bars and picking up men half my age either. No, I'm going to what society won't do for us women. I am going to take care of myself, by eating healthy foods, and working out, and all of that. But, I am going to respect myself. I am going to hold my head high with the knowledge that I am a smart, wonderful person. And I will not let this menopuase thing get the best of me. And that's what all women should do. Feel respect for themselves because they have reached a milestone not a death.

This can be the best time of our lives!