BLOGGERS – Writing Site that PAYS YOU to Blog!

If you’re a blogger who loves to write, why not get paid to blog? Read on to learn about one writing site that shares its revenue 50/50 with its writers!

Be forewarned though. Patience truly is a virtue when it comes to writing – writing does not pay well if you’re not writing all the time, OR if you are a beginner who hasn’t amassed a lot of followers, OR if you are distracted by other events in your life.

That last category fits me perfectly – I am admittedly a distracted writer who spends more time with grandchildren than I do writing, but I know of other writers who depend on writing to make a living and who successfully raise children with what they make from their writing income.

How?

They write about things that matter to a lot of people or they write about things that others search for on Google or Bing. Believe me, if people are searching for something you’ve just written, you’ve hit the jackpot. You need to write about hot topics, famous celebrities, medical breakthroughs, or personal stories that others can relate to in a deep and meaningful way. If you don’t know what’s HOT, check Breaking News on CNN or look for Hot Searches on Google Trends and WRITE, WRITE, WRITE about them.

Some writers look through newspapers (in print or online), read the articles, and then rewrite them. They make a lot of money doing that. If you’re the kind of writer who wants to write about current topics and you think you can make money writing about them, go ahead. Why not write about Kim Kardashian? You’ll be competing with only about 318,000,000 other links on Google or 31,400,000 links on Bing.

I’m not that kind of writer. I don’t steal headlines from newspapers, foreign or not, and then regurgitate the information in my own words. Not that I don’t write about contemporary topics – I do. But I put my own spin on issues. I recognize that I’m not a field reporter. And I certainly don’t pretend to be one. If something interests me and I have a unique perspective, I write about it. I don’t just write what others have already written.

But if you write about topics that interest people, you can do quite well on the site I’m about to mention. I’ll admit that I’m not a prolific writer, because I spend a great deal of time caring for my grandchildren. I also crochet. But I would imagine that if I devoted more time to writing, I would make a lot more money on this site. The good thing about this writing site is that every time somebody comments on your work or likes one of your articles, you get paid.

And what is this site? BubbleWS! Don’t ask me to pronounce it. Some people think the WS stands for writing site. Arvind Avi, one of the creators of BubbleWS, says the WS comes from NEWS, but instead of calling the site, Bubble NEWS, the creators of BubbleWS decided to leave the NE out.

The idea for the bubble came from cartoon characters whose thoughts or words are expressed with bubbles. You can read more about how BubbleWS began by reading, Arvind Avi – the Brains Behind the Revolutionary BubbleWS.

What’s nice about BubbleWS is that you don’t have to be a great writer to join. You just have to have an opinion or information to share or maybe you just want  to tell a story. Maybe you’ve thought about blogging, but you don’t think you’re a good enough writer. It doesn’t matter. Try anyway. Practice makes perfect, right?

If you write about topics that interest readers, you’ll gather followers who will click, “Like this” – and for every like you receive and for every comment others make about your articles, you make money! Considering the number of articles I’ve written for BubbleWS in the short amount of time I’ve been writing for the site, I’ve determined that I’ve made more money from this site than I have from every other site that pays me to write, including paid-to-blog sites.

What’s fun about BubbleWS is that if you join BubbleWS (click the link) you can watch The Bank to see your money grow every day! Even if you start out with pennies, watching that bank grow is exciting!

Interested? Sign up HERE!

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Sabotaged Myself Again!

Another example of how I repeatedly sabotage myself:

Sabotaged Myself Again!.

Sabotaged Myself Again!

Sabotaging myself is an ongoing problem. I’m not even going to set up the links to all the blogs or articles I’ve written on the subject. This last time is particularly annoying because it concerns a persistent pain I’ve been experiencing for the past few weeks.

 You might be asking why I didn’t take care of the matter when I first noticed the pain. And I’ll tell you. That first full week I was taking care of three of my grandchildren every day. Doctors’ offices are open only during the day; therefore I couldn’t find the time that week.

 The following week a very dear friend took me, another friend, and a couple of members of her family to Panama City Beach, Florida, for a vacation, so I couldn’t go that week. The first time I was able to see my oncologist was this past week.

 My oncologist (who has been treating my breast cancer since September, 2009), examined the lump and determined that it probably was not cancer (my previous breast cancer accompanied no pain), but perhaps a cracked rib. The chemo pills I am taking can cause bones to break (good to know – I’m going to be taking them until July, 2015).

 So she sent me for an X-ray and she scheduled me for an ultrasound (I refused another mammogram for reasons I’ll explain below).

 And now for the sabotage – apparently when I turned the page in my appointment book to write down the date of the appointment, as I went from April to May, my mind interpreted the turn to indicate not only next month, but next week as well, because I thought my ultrasound was next week. It was not. It was this week and I missed it!

 Now I have to go through another week of pain – BECAUSE OF ME!

 I cannot explain to you how infuriated I am with myself over this last example of how I repeatedly sabotage myself. Apparently I will go to any lengths to come up with a reason to blog.

 Anyway, the X-rays came back showing that my ribs are not broken, cracked, or fractured, so the ultrasound will hopefully show the cause for this pain.

 And now for the reason I refused to get a mammogram. My cancer was so close to the breast bone, mammograms missed it. This lump too, is so close to the breast bone, I believe it is sitting on a rib, so why go through more pain with a mammogram? It probably wouldn’t show up anyway. The ultrasound will be much more effective.

 In the meantime, I will suffer through another week of being in pain every time I turn from side to side in bed, every time I turn my body, every time I breathe in deeply, every time I cough, and every time I sneeze.

 Can you help me? Please read some of my other blogs and articles. If I can’t feel better physically, you’ll do a lot for my morale by clicking on my GALLERY OF POSTS and reading the links posted below each picture! 

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Why Would I EVER Want to Attend YOUR Church?

Growing up, I attended a Catholic church and a Catholic grammar school. During my time as a good Catholic girl, all the rules changed. Saints who were saints when I was in the fifth or sixth grade were no longer saints the following year. Sins that were sins previously were either no longer sins, or they were demoted in what seemed to be an arbitrary manner.

 A church that could randomly choose what to teach seemed precarious to me and when I became an adult, I left the church, wondering about where else I might fit in. I concluded that to be spiritual was far more important – to me – than to be religious (in other words, to be one who attended church).

 When my oldest daughter was a little girl, however, she begged me to take her to church, so one Sunday, I did. Reluctantly. I knew that basket would come around and I would have to acknowledge its presence. My “budget,” if you could call it that, left me with less than I needed to live on. After paying for daycare, transportation, clothing for a growing child, and housing expenses, I had nothing left for extras – like clothes for myself or collection baskets at church. With nothing to drop in the offertory basket, it bothered me that I was going to have to ignore it. 

 My clothes weren’t great, and I owned only about 5 items that I changed every day for work, along with some after-work and weekend items I’d owned for several years. As we sat in church that Sunday, I found myself deeply embarrassed – three different times (the number of times the offertory basket came around) – for three different reasons. Lucky me. I came on a day when two special requests were added to the customary offering. I hung my head, wishing I could tell the ushers that 10% of nothing was nothing.

 The sermon began. The priest talked about how people should dress up when they attended church to show God that they respected Him. Instantly I became livid. Who was he to judge the congregation that sat before him? Maybe we were already wearing our “best” for God. I have always believed in God and I didn’t think my attire had anything to do with whether or not I respected God. What’s more, I think God would have been appalled to hear that what we wore mattered to Him. 

 The priest went on to discuss greed – how greedy and complaining we all were about what we DIDN’T have. “Mary didn’t complain about not having a changing table for Baby Jesus. Mary didn’t complain about not having a bassinet for Baby Jesus.” As a matter of fact every item he mentioned that Mary didn’t complain about was something Mary didn’t even know existed – because it hadn’t been created yet.

 What upset me was that children, attempting to make sense of the information their priest was imparting to them, sat before him listening. I felt compelled to tell my daughter about my feelings and to let her know that I didn’t think God minded what we were wearing.

 Years later, I decided that my three youngest children should at least experience church. When they became adults, they could decide on their own how to conduct their spiritual lives. 

 But once again, I was dumbfounded by what I saw –  church members leaning over to other church members with mouths covered as they gossiped about another church member! I shook my head. I remember trying to leave the parking lot with a baby and two toddlers in tow and NOBODY was courteous enough to allow me entry into the street.

 All I could think was – hypocrites – you talk about each other behind their backs and you can’t take a moment to allow another church member to get in front of you on the street outside the church? You gossip about each other and your neighbors, and yet you call yourselves Christians?

 I know that not all churches or all church members are similar to the places and people I am describing. Since that time I have been in other churches where members congregated and seemed genuinely happy with themselves, their church, and each other. 

 Recently I invited what I call, “church people” into my home to discuss the Bible. I love hearing different takes on what is and what isn’t a sin, who is and who isn’t going to hell, etc. I find these conversations educational, enlightening, and engaging.

 But I don’t believe everything I hear. I honestly don’t believe that just because somebody doesn’t love or know Jesus, he is going to hell. What that mindset does is send every Jew on the planet to everlasting doom, including Jews who’ve passed on, like Jesus.

 I also don’t think that just because someone doesn’t attend church, that person is going to hell. But more than believing the person won’t go to hell, I don’t think it’s right for Christians to judge non-Christians. What have the non-church-goers done that is so evil they are forever doomed to everlasting life in Hell? And doesn’t it say right there in the Bible to “judge not lest ye be judged”?

 I’m not going to apologize for my beliefs. I’ve come up with my own religion, one that takes all the good from all the other religions and funnels it into mine, which I call ONE. Because I believe that we are all ONE people who just want to love and be loved and we all want to live in a trusting world. 

 Why would I ever want to enter a church filled with hypocrites who squint their eyes and grit their teeth, condemning me to hell because my faith doesn’t exactly match theirs?

 One of my grandsons and I have talked about writing a screenplay together for all the self-righteous, judgmental, and indignant hypocrites who gossip about each other and proclaim that everyone else is going to hell. And we thought, wouldn’t it be fun to show those same people entering the Gates of Heaven only to discover that the ones they thought were going to Hell were sitting on the right hand of God and walking hand-in-hand with Jesus? 

 Now, THAT’S a movie I’d love to see! And trust me, we are not ALL going to Hell!

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Supernatural Circus – Chicago’s Mercury Theatre Presents Barnum, a Magical, Mystical Musical

Supernatural Circus – Chicago’s Mercury Theatre Presents Barnum, a Magical, Mystical Musical.

Supernatural Circus – Chicago’s Mercury Theatre Presents Barnum, a Magical, Mystical Musical

What happens when you combine the supernatural with the circus? Ghostly apparitions of dancing elephants? Vampires walking on tight  ropes? How about Tigers shrinking to the size of a pin head and being plunged down the throat of a sword swallower? 

Maybe none of that happens in Barnum. Maybe all of that happens in Barnum. But what you will get from Barnum when you visit Chicago’s Mercury Theatre is magical, mystical, and musical entertainment! 

 Read more about Supernatural Circus by clicking the link.

Proof That a Woman is Having an Orgasm

 

Oh no she di-in’t – OH YES she did! Want to know if your woman is having an orgasm, or if she’s faking it? Read this article to find out how to tell if she’s really having an orgasm:

How to Tell if She’s Really Having an Orgasm or if She’s Faking It

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Ah, Menopause, What Can I Say? LOTS!

Ah, Menopause, What Can I Say? LOTS!.

Ah, Menopause, What Can I Say? LOTS!

When the blood stops flowing, the oxygen stops traveling, and what happens is that a perfectly normal human being becomes – well, let me tell you in my blog, Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Post-Menopausal.

Aging Well Without Botox or Plastic Surgery

So This is What 60 Feels Like

 

 

Though saying what I am about to say means having to admit to what I am about to say, for the purposes of this blog, (sigh) I will admit that I am 60.

I lied. I’m actually 61. The reason I have a hard time announcing the fact that I am 60 is because 60 sounds sooooooo old. Being 60 means understanding gravitational pull, and oh, do I understand gravity. Read The Butt Race into Old Age: Fighting Gravity for some insight.

Sadly, being in a low financial bracket means having no money to get Botox, face lifts, or liposuction. No, for me and others my age who want to look better, looking better requires some necessary skills in accepting the fact that we are 60, that we are middle aged, and that we are closer to statistical death than we were 20 years ago.

But even at 61, I don’t FEEL old. I honestly thought that when I got to this age, I would feel like a shriveled prune. I don’t. When I’m not suffering from respiratory problems, I feel vibrant and energetic and still filled with hope.

How old is old anyway? At 61 I don’t feel the way I thought I would feel at 61. Perhaps because I’ve always had back problems, the aches and pains I feel are familiar. My energy level hasn’t dissipated. Does lack of energy define age? How about white hair? I used to wear mine proudly until I got cancer and lost it all. When it grew back in, it was the texture of straw. It didn’t look old – it looked like something the birds would pluck to add sparkle to their nests.

So if it’s not the way I feel that defines my age, it must be the way I look. Let’s start with the butt. Who doesn’t notice a sagging butt? Mine used to be described as a bubble butt, but some of the air has leaked out of it, because while it doesn’t look hideous, because I’ve been exercising, it’s still not “up” to par. What I used to do to keep it perky was to tighten the muscles when I thought about it, stand up and pull my legs up behind my back by holding my ankles, jog in place for a minute or two (after I let go of my legs , and walk laps around my kitchen island and living room wall in an 8 pattern.

Last year, when I actually turned 60, I took up lawn mowing. It took me several days to complete the task, but lucky for me, I have a lawn that has more holes than a golf course in random spots throughout the yard, and my front yard is on a slant, which makes lawn mowing so much more fun. To make this exercise really “kick butt,” however, because I live on a corner, I actually mow two front yards, because with over 2,000 square feet in my home, the yard surrounding my home is considerable. YAY me!

Despite the work I’ve been doing to improve my looks, the tummy is an ongoing problem. I spent three months one year doing sit-ups every day and NOTHING – I repeat NOTHING worked. As a matter of fact my stomach protruded more AFTER three months, so I quit.

My biggest problem was – HOLD ON – if you have a weak stomach you may not want to read the rest of this paragraph – that though I gave birth to four beautiful children, I pushed so hard with the third child that I pushed my uterus out over my pubic bone. I had to wear a wrap around my tummy for several months after my third and fourth children were born, because the pain was so unbearable. (Maybe I should continue to wear one.) Sadly, my tummy never recovered after I destroyed all the muscles.

So I know my tummy will never be flat, but I also know that I hold a lot of FAT around my tummy and THAT is what I want to get rid of. My kids got me a BOSU ball one Christmas and I use it occasionally when I’m home, mostly to stretch my back. I’m hardly ever home, though, and the grandkids have bounced most of the air out of it. Note to self: fill BOSU ball.

I lift 10 pound kettlebells 12 times on each arm and I recently added to my agenda one particularly harrowing exercise – lunging. My Marine son taught me how to do them properly. The first day I lunged, I almost fell to the ground. Lunging HURTS! And then I broke my toe. At least I think I broke my toe. It’s been several months now and I still can’t bend it, and I also can’t lunge well anymore (darn), so stretching has become my friend.

Another obvious sign of aging is the eyebrow. If you’ve ever really looked at old people, you will see that shaggy white or gray eyebrows make a person look years older than he or she feels. To avoid that aged look, I dye mine, and it makes a HUGE difference in giving my face a more youthful appearance.

The next problem on my “to do” list is repairing the jowls on my face. While they haven’t disappeared completely (yet), they have tightened up a little. Ever since I turned 29, I have exercised my face every time I wash it, morning and night. Recently though I noticed jowls beginning to form and I quickly looked for ways to help rid myself of the ugly protrusions.

Thanks to my own regimen – with a little bit of added help from YouTube instructions on how to rid myself of jowls (just go to YouTube and enter “how to get rid of jowls”) – I have figured out a way to rejuvenate my face! While my face is still moist, I open my mouth wide, tilt my head back and form a coyote howl with my mouth. I repeat the process of opening my mouth wide 30 times and every third time I perform the coyote howl.

Best way to get rid of those jowls while you’re still exercising them away? Laugh! A lot! As soon as your cheeks rise, the jowls disappear!

I have included photos for you to see the amazing transformation between the before and after. OK, I exaggerate. They’re not so amazing, but I can see (and feel) a difference. Before I started the exercise, I could run a finger along my jaw line and feel a bulge. But now it’s disappearing!

Eating right is not always possible, but I try to eat well, and I’m conscious of those times when I fail to eat the right foods. I’m not a sweet lover, so eating nutritious foods is easy for me. I also drink lots of water and, when I have them, I put lemon slices into my drink. Every morning I have either a veggie omelet or a breakfast smoothie. I posted ingredients for the smoothie in my blog, Breakfast Smoothie For Kids Who Hate Breakfast (click the link if you want to read it).

Despite everything I am doing to improve my body’s condition, I am STILL trying to overcome that turkey neck look. I’ve been using moisturizer for many years but recently I have employed the use of sunscreen as well, even when I’m not in the sun. And maybe I’m under some kind of delusion, but I think it’s working. I’m taking a wait-and-see approach. If it doesn’t work as well as I hope it will, I may have to walk around with my hand covering my neck at all times or move to a colder climate so I can wear turtlenecks every day. Scarves help to hide the flaw, but in summer? NO! Now I know why a lot of older people wear turtle necks. OH NO! It just occurred to me – I AM an older person – YIKES!

I have also heard that Tretinoin (Retin-A) is effective in dealing with “turkey neck,” but it seems awfully expensive, so I’ll continue to look for other remedies. In the meantime, I feel I’ve come up with a solution for some of my aging problems, and I hope they have helped you.

And there you have it – words of wisdom from a 60-year-old – ahem – 61-year-old – trying to look – and feel – better as she ages.

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