I like to think that I had a positive influence in the life choices my son made. I was careful to never lie to him, meaning never say something just because he might want to hear it but have that be less than candid, convince him that the right thing to do was the best thing to do. He was exposed to some extremely negative and stressful circumstances as a child but I tried very hard to have him see the difference between having bad things happen to one and being the person who did bad things. Thankfully, he made good choices as a teen and adult. What a wonderful thing to have a son who has saved many lives, positively influenced many people, and is an all-round great “kid” who’s in public safety and another human-services career. N.Kateus www.digitaldad.net
I am about halfway there already -it only took 3 years- because the traditional photos are in two boxes; the digital are in ‘folders’ on my system by categories such as: Gone to the Dogs, Coloring Pictures, Larry’s Landscape Life, Canadian, From Pop, etc. My real photo treasures are the small metric size ones of relatives from the mid- to later 1800s, taken in Denmark (Germany?) Holstein just before and after Germany annexed the southern Danish territory. They reside in their own special Victorian reproduction album, as their metric size fits that precisely. What fun!
But have never finished the project to date; it was for my first grandchild when she was a toddler. This year I want to re-do it in a professional format and publish it with one of the online entities such as lulu.com. Then I’ll launch a free online advertising campaign for it and my two already published (not by per lulu) novels. I love the ability to use the internet for submitting and advertising writing; it makes so much sense.
n.kateus www.ipowerdirect.net
My former employer provided 12 minute professional ‘chair’ massages for us during a period of intense push to roll out a new IT system. A wonderful masseur came to the office with his special massage chair and worked the neck, shoulders, upper back, arms down to fingertips. You’d not believe how much help to someone flying computers at jet-speed benefited from a paltry 12 minutes of excellent massage. During my current research project on free online advertisement I’ve spent more time than usual keyboarding, and now I’m fantasizing about another chair massage! They were much more relaxing to me than a full-body one.
n.kateus www.ipowerdirect.net
Since childhood, I’ve been intrigued by Oriental art styles whether the floral paints on silk that a cousin brought back from Korea when his tour of duty was done in the Korean Wa…er, ‘police action,’ or on porcelain objects. Recently, while harvesting information on the internet for my research on free online advertising and local internet advertisement, I ended up on eBay (have no clear memory of just how I did that!). Short version: I ordered a couple of CDs and found a site where I can purchase a kit complete with pen brushes, inks, paper, etc., to begin learning. I’m SO excited to finally find a way to do this. And the woman who emailed me about it was so very helpful (excellent ‘customer service’) and encouraging. My artsy 17 y/o granddaughter will also learn at the same time I do (maybe she inherited her love for it!).
n.kateus www.ipowerdirect.net learn the art of Chinese brush paintinglearn the art of Chinese brush paintingchinese paper art
I believe is being content with what you have if you have the necessities of life. I DON’T mean not having any goals, but not thinking that happiness will come after you get something…decide to be happy and you will gain financial independence sooner. Enjoying what you do have rather than wanting something else to find joy, finding joy in the ‘free’ things that surround us every day if we take time to actually look, listen, and think about the little things. Sounds overly simple, but it is what (finally) worked for me.
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
It has to be a bit more structured than a true cottage garden, but not ‘formal’ as the house is not designed to look well with formal gardens. A naturalized, flowing with the land, but definitely filled with blossoms as well as greenery. I’ll put edible plants and herbs in the design, too, using various tomato plants as part of the fill.
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
But I want my long hair back. I promise to wear it in some style more suited to my calendar age versus my ‘heart’s’ age (17). My Danish grandma had very, very long hair, braided and wound up into a bun. I’m not the ‘bun’ type yet, so a ponytail wrapped around itself a few times, eh?
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
It seems that in all things on earth, variety is sought and sometimes even obsessed over…color breeds of horses, shades of blue for roses, no true blue yet, wild day-lilies, butterflies, hens eggs, potatos, but whoa there, not in people? Humans? That’s where some folks’ desire for difference slides to an abrupt halt in a cloud of dust.
You can’t speak MY language? What’s the matter with YOU? So what if I’m the visitor; you should be able to speak my language…how inconsiderate of you.
I live for the day when everyone is judged to be a good or bad neighbor based on their actions, not their parentage or favorite food…when one can smile freely at a stranger and not be taken as weird, on the make, or otherwise a danger.
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
When I had to give up my nursing career very abruptly and was unable to work at all for six months, I used the last two months of that hiatus to get a week of transcription instruction from a friend in the business, and when my doctor released me to start working part time, doing transcription, I began my own service. Eventually I hired a clerk to do the refiling of the charts because I was not yet able to do that. It was very well worth it because when I relocated to a city, I could return to work full time for someone else as a supervisor with benefits. It saved me financially but when had it served its purpose, it was better for me to return to work for someone else.
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
As soon as my apartment is completed, I can begin to settle in and then actually start learning to play. This will be a classic example of a (very) old dog learning a new trick. I’ve wanted to do this since I was a teen, eons ago, and have a grandson who will also use mine to learn on. I promise NO CHOPSTICKS—ever. This is another benefit of being my own manager. Work when I need to/want to, or not.
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
It’s way too easy for me to get tunnel vision or mind on a single track and omit other important things.
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
Disasters can come in several forms; however, our basic human needs are the same always. With unstable weather conditions, unstable economy, society, and most everything else, it only makes sense to me to have a well-organized disaster ‘kit’ of appropriate size for your own family plus a couple more individuals and your pets. One thing that comes to mind also to include would be cash, including coins for any available vending machines, in addition to the ‘usual’ fare. I really think we should include the extra supplies beyond merely our own needs, as there is no way to know who may be in dire need of our help.
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
“Fooling around” could mean a lot of things on the net, but gaming or extended periods of aimless searching, (won’t even address the XXX stuff), squander (irretrievable) time that you could use to make an income, complement your education, learn a new skill, or find old friends and relatives you’ve lost touch with. Track down a great job, design websites, all sorts of possibilities using your computer skills. You’re limited only by any self-imposed restrictions; make a list of things you would like to accomplish that a computer can help you to achieve. They’re a better tool than toy, although I admit to using mine as both more often than I probably should!
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
No joke! My drivers ed class was provided with a Chrysler Corp vehicle with a push-button shift system, placed in the center of the steering wheel. So not only did we not learn then to drive a stick (regular DE cars for the era), we didn’t even drive an automatic with a ‘normal’ shift-stick.
Finally, in 1960-something, my then husband tried to teach me (futile, not recommended, don’t attempt this at home…). I eventually said for him to just give me the keys, and taught myself the ‘baptism-by-fire’ method; I drove it into the state capital to work. Learned in one day. Never regretted it, and I can still go through those gears pretty well for an old dudette. Gave up sticks before I gave up the office setting! Love the automatics, but you just can’t beat a standard transmission for some settings…a muscle car with an automatic is some degree of sin.
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
I tried to learn French in junior high school, a loooooong time ago. Then while writing my first novels, tried to learn German because they were set in WWII era, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium. To this day, I mix up French and German; I’m far from fluent in either language (unfortunately) and find it difficult to learn when no one around me speaks it. But it’s such a horizon-expanding endeavor and well worth the time. For writing novels, it’s also enlightening to be sure to look up the common idioms in the language and work some into your dialog.
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
I love Canada. Since I was a very young child, I’ve admired and appreciated Canadians for their culture, their attitude toward other creatures, human and animal, and (don’t laugh) their wonderful flower gardens. One of the first things I noticed in my very first auto trip to Ontario was that almost every home had flowers planted near it; how different on the other side of the Ambassador Bridge or the Bluewater Bridge. Even as a 9 y/o, I noticed that Canadians were more polite when they spoke to you in general than were Michiganders. (Yeah, I know that contributes to the stereotype, but darn it, it’s true.) Now I have a new favo(u)rite destination: Gananoque, ON. Off season, preferably, so it’s not overrun with tourists. You see, I make a distinction between ‘tourist’ and ‘out-of-town visitor.’ Summer people can be such a pain… The best meal I ever had in a restaurant was in Gan! The Oldsmobile dealer there was absolutely stellar in helping me when we locked the keys into my car and would not even take payment for calling to the US and getting the info he needed to make us a new key. We took back a big box of donuts to the dealership, but wow, what excellent service…worth a lot more than donuts.
With my altered work schedule, I may just be able to make this trip again this year. n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
When I went to high school a hundred or so years ago, girls were not permitted to take wood shop or metal shop. I love the scent of fresh cut wood, especially the evergreen species, and I still intend to make at least one good piece of furniture myself, using all hand tools. In fact, I’ve saved antique iron hardware from junk shops, our own 150 y/o home, and old barns, so that I can have just the right fittings. My first project will be a chest crafted from old wood and closed with the beautiful, handcrafted window lock that I found outside in the dirt. The ceramic knob on it is intact, though ‘crazed.’ Perfect… I save ‘pretty’ boards.
Next to writing, it’s one of the best occupation or vocations that I can think of. n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
We have a wonderful, beautiful, and diverse country to live in. An auto trip across country is such an excellent way to experience the richness of this. Aside from the expense for gas and lodging, you could do the trip without paying for any entertainment at all if you chose, just by taking advantage of the free public facilities and events. Those trips are the stuff of memories for the years when you might not be able to make such a journey for any number of reasons. Take pictures. Write a journal daily. Your kids and grandkids (or great-greats, as is my dad’s case) will get a kick out of looking at the weird cars and clothes we wore.
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
I’ve never set out to save a life when I left home; however, a few times that happened only because I was in the wrong (or right) place at the right time. It’s a little weird to realize that another person would have died if you’d not stopped at that restaurant for coffee or not noticed someone’s lousy color…now I have a son who has a long list of folks he’s dragged, pried, and hauled out of death’s jaws. He’s a pretty cool fellow. Because I’m not on the road any longer going to work and fly a computer, those chance encounters are less likely; that’s okay, too!
n.kateus www.mydayjob.net
