Freelance Writing - Have You Ever Done It?

I have been writing for many years. More than I am willing to admit to at this point. But, recently, I decided I needed financially to venture into the freelance writing world.

If you haven't been down this route....It is a tough world. Because I am new on the three sites that I signed up for...I make my bids lower than what I actually think my time is worth and what the national standard says I should charge.

I know you aren't going to believe this. But I got beat out on an editing job just today. The project was to edit 236 pages and I got beat by someone who said they would do this job for $35.00. People...that is about $0.15/page. I know money is tight everywhere and everyone needs to get the most value from their dollars. But, $0.15/page for a line edit job is absolutely ridiculous.

However, I will not give up. I will just keep looking at the postings and hope that some other people will see the benefit of hiring someone with my experience for their jobs.

I know what you are thinking....if you are a writer, why aren't you going for the actual writing jobs? Well....those seem to pay even less. There are so many postings on these sites for article and content writers, but they only want to pay you.....get ready.....anywhere from $1.00 - $2.00 for a 1000 word article. You read that correctly. I see it all the time.

If I decide to write a 1000 word article, first I would need to research the topic. The research may take one to two hours, depending on the topic. Then I need to really digest it so I can write a unique article that can pass CopyScape or some other plagiarism software. so lets say the digesting of information takes 30 minutes to an hour. That means I have already used up two to three hours and I haven't even begun to write anything yet. Then I am looking at approximately another two to three hours to write, edit, and polish the 1000 word article. So, I just spent somewhere between two to five hours writing an article that I will get paid at most $2.00. Does that sound like time well spent to anyone?

Check back for more on this saga!

Have a great day!

Dee

I'm Back and Ready to do Some Book Reviews!!

I know I've been absent from the book review community and this poor little blog for way too long. But, I am BACK and ready to Rock and Roll!!

I've got a stack of books and will start reading them in the morning for review.

Check back for the reviews!

NASCAR Fans...Did You Know....

Calling all NASCAR Fans out here in the cyber world....did you know there is an album out that is nothing but NASCAR songs. All about NASCAR...it doesn't matter whether you are a petty or Earnhardt fan...it has something for you.

Just go to ITUNES.....it is only $4.95 and you can then download the entire album! How fabulous is that. The title of the album is Racing Country and the artist is Ray Steele and ....oh boy does his voice sound great...these are some super fantastic songs for the NASCAR fan. The lyrics are of exceptional quality and tell the stories with music. This album includes such titles as Lap of Victory (I think this one is my favorite...but they are all super good), 43 Cars, and New 88 (I think we all know who this one is about!!)

Click the title of the album RACING COUNTRY and it will take you right on over to the album...you don't even have to search for it!!

Come on NASCAR Fans....what are you waiting for....this is a super deal to get some music about the guys that we all love!!!

Going Frugal & as "Green" as Possible

Many things have happened in my life in the past year that has caused me to step back and take a long, hard look at the way I do things. The one thing that has been and is always foremost in my mind is my husband's illness. When faced with the possibility of losing the one you love will really cause a person to change many things.

Because of the drugs that he has to take for his illness, many smells are quite nauseating. So..no scents in laundry detergent, lotions, etc. Do you know just how difficult it is to purchase laundry detergent and lotions with NO scent? Out of necessity, I have begun to make my own laundry and dishwasher detergent, as well as my own lotion and face creams. I even started making our own soap. Not only do these items not have any scent...they don't have all those chemicals that have names I can't pronounce.

My sweet darling also has some issues with food...either not tasting good...or just downright tasting terrible...I won't tell you what he said it tastes like! So...this has necessitated in trials of many different foods. Of course, we started with the pre-packaged and store bought packaged items...we have slowly sifted through them and there are so many that he can't eat for one reason or another.

However, here lately I have begun to prepare only fresh foods...many from the garden and guess what...he can eat most of it. So I am constantly trying out new recipes to try to give him the nutrients he needs and hopefully the taste that he can tolerate.

Oh...and there is an advantage for myself that I have noted as well.....by eating more healthy...I am losing weight...which I definitely needed to do.

Today, I was doing my regular blog hopping and ran across a blog that had a recipe for personal sized baked oatmeal...I looked at all the ingredients and thought...he can eat this and it sounds good!

You guessed it....I just finished baking them....so he hasn't tried them yet...but I did and they are so YUMMY and all natural!!

Now...I already told you I was on so many different blogs...but I did finally figure out where I saw this recipe and you can get it over at the Sugar-Free Mom Blog. She has quite a few recipes that I will be trying.

If you want to try out the Personal Sized Baked Oatmeal then hop on over by clicking on the title of the recipe. She also has a low-fat protein version of these as well.

Let me know if you have tried them and what you think. I would also like to know of any other recipes that you think might be interesting that I can use!

My Journey to BSL Hair

I still have about 4 book reviews that need to written on this blog....however...today I am going to tell you about something that I have periodically done throughout my life. The thing I will inevitably do is decide that I will grow my hair very long. My hair will grow until I get a "wild hair" and then I go get it cut...sometimes really short. I am one of those people that really does not like being on the front end of the camera....I am much more comfortable being the photographer...so there aren't really a lot of photos of me. So, I will  use my Christmas photo from 2010 to give you an idea how long my hair was before it got cut. Here is a pic of me in December 2010.

I know it is a little hard to see but when it was out straight my hair was a little below my shoulder. In this photo I had recently gotten approximately 3 inches cut off.

Now let's move forward to February 2011. Take a look at this one. I thought I wanted short hair...after all when you get older shouldn't you have a shorter hairstyle? That is what I've always heard. There was no middle ground haircut here. I walked into my hairdresser with hair below my shoulder and walked out looking like this photo below. This photo was snapped when I got home from the hairdresser.

I was told by co-workers, friends and family how good the cut looked and how it made me look 10 years younger. Oh I was wallowing in all of these compliments. So I kept that hairstyle going. Then in May 2011....I went and got the same haircut. At some point between the May trip to the hairdresser and September 2011, I realized that I really did NOT enjoy this hairstyle. For one thing, I do not like having to spend a lot of time "fixing" my hair every morning. Having to use the curling brush/iron, the gels, the hairsprays.....these styling aids are just not something that I enjoy using. So, I decided at that point.....My hair going to be long again. Here was my hair in September 2011.

You can tell by the length of the hair in this September photo that I had recently made the decision to go back long. It is just beginning to grow back out. The next photo shows that my hair was at the top of my shoulders by December 2011. 

Now there have been a few trims to get my hair in really good shape between this photo and the next photo that was taken on July 6, 2012. 

You can look at this photo and tell that my hair is in pretty good shape. I do not take hair vitamins...as a matter of fact...I don't take any vitamins and I also eat very little meat. Most of my protein is plant based. This is not due to any agenda...I just don't care for meat.

I recently found a super forum for people with long hair or trying to grow their hair long. It is called The Long Hair Community. There is a huge wealth of information for anyone who is trying to grow their hair long or wanting to have healthy hair. I am still trying to find my way around the forum...but I know that it is going to be the perfect place for me at this moment.

Now...in the title to this post I used the initials BSL. This refers to a hair length that is at the bra strap. There are others. Here are some of the ones that I think are pertinent for me right now,

APL - Arm Pit Length

BSL - Bra Strap Length

BCL - Butt Crack Length

TBL - Tail Bone Length

One other length that I found interesting is what is called the classic length. Do you want to know what it means to have classic length hair? Well....I did, too! Classic length hair is the hair that is at the crease of the buttocks and thigh...pretty long. However...there are ladies on The Long Hair Community that have hair much longer.

Do you want to grow your hair and have it be healthy? Come join us on the forum at The Long Hair Community.

I will post updates monthly on my hair growth. Be sure to check back to continue with this saga!

A NEW "Old" Hobby

Recently, I had the urge to pick up an old hobby. One that I had learned many years ago from my mom...that hobby is sewing. Now I've come back and forth to this hobby periodically so it is no surprise that I am back to it once again.

I have used commercial patterns that I've bought in the past. But I was taught to take measurements and build your own pattern. That is what my mom and grandmom did. So this week, I pulled out some brown paper bags from one of the local grocery stores and ripped them open to use to make my pattern.

Since it is so hot here in Mississippi, I chose to go with a sleeveless top. Because I have somewhat of a protruding stomach for the first time ever (not counting the 2 times I was pregnant) in my life....I chose to make the top with some gathers in the front of the top with a yoke.

I didn't just come to the conclusion that I needed to do this....it is mainly because I found a sewing site last month that I really enjoy being on. The people are so friendly and helpful. You should check it out....it is called The Stitcher's Guild Sewing Forum.

One of the threads that I have read through and been posting to is the 2012 Summer 6PAC Collection Sewalong (May - July). This is a discussion where you are challenged to choose color choices and create 6 pieces (hence 6 PAC).

I signed up the other day to join this endeavor even though I was late starting an may not have time to finish all 6 pieces....but it will be fun trying. I chose to use white as one of my neutral colors...for 2 reasons....it is summer and HOT here in the delta; and...since I haven't been sewing for a while, I am limited on the fabric that I have available to use (there doesn't seem to be any fabric shops close by either).

So here is the top that I made yesterday.

 

 What do you think? Is there too much gathering in the front of the top? I know its plain...but that was the idea....I can wear it that way or dress it up with accessories. What do you think?

Shoney's Restaurant - Greenwood, MS

Up until this point, this blog has been all about book reviews. Tonight I have decided that it will also include reviews of restaurants as well any other "life" happenings that I decide to share with my readers. Yes...I do have 4 books that have been read and I really NEED to get the reviews written. I will get them written within the next couple weeks and posted.

Tonight....you will get my review of the Shoney's Restaurant #2351 that is located at 629 Hwy 82 West, Greenwood, MS. (662) 453-0491.

Let me first clarify....I am old school....I mean really old school....I am a 50 something woman who believes that if you are going to work in the service industry....then you need to be ready to show some courtesy to the customers that come into whatever establishment in which you are working....otherwise...get out of the service industry and go into some other line of work.

My husband has cancer and due to the chemotherapy that he has received, many foods either have little to no taste or they actually taste bad! Tonight he wanted to go to Shoney's in Greenwood to eat supper and I was happy to go.

As we walked into the door, we were greeted by the hostess and seated. At this point I noticed that there seemed to be only one waitress working and she was totally bogged down with a party of about 10-15 people. My husband decided he would eat off the seafood bar and went and got himself a plate. He got back to the table and realized he had no silverware. So, being the good wife that I am....I went up to the waitress station and asked one of the three people I saw standing there chatting if I could get some silverware and napkins...at which point I was told, "she will be with you in a minute." OK...I get that I was not her customer and she wouldn't be getting a tip from me...but she was standing right next to the items I was asking for. So...I asked again, stating that my husband is eating from the food bar and needs silverware...once again I was told, "she will be with you in a minute." OooKay! Now I can be a real BITCH sometimes....but I decided I wasn't going to allow this person to cause me to really show that side....although....I did state to my husband that I was about to change my mind about it.

When our server got to the table and took our order, she was very apologetic. I explained it wasn't her fault she was obviously very busy and the person I had asked was not only NOT busy (chatting with other workers) but also standing right beside the items I requested. After our server came by and took our order, the hostess came by and asked if I was alright. So...at least two people in this restaurant understand good customer service.

Now...let me say.....the food was good. My husband ate like he hasn't eaten since October 2011 when he began his chemotherapy. He was really enjoying his food. I have NO complaints with the food.

When I went to pay the ticket, I asked to speak to the manager. The hostess called him Mr. Lamar, however, the receipt has his name as Lamar Franks. Mr. Lamar walked up to the register and just stood there....never asked what he could do for me or anything. So, I proceeded to explain that I wanted him to know what an excellent server....Carolyn...(our server tonight)...had been and that I hoped he knew he had an excellent employee in her. I THINK...now I said THINK he said thank you....but I am not real sure....he certainly NEVER smiled or was even very courteous. I realize managers expect to get reamed out when a customer asks to speak with them....but once he realized I was complimenting a member of his staff....couldn't he have been a little more courteous to me and happy that I was saying something nice....especially since I have no doubt he knew exactly what had happened earlier with the other person in his employ.

Oh...yeah....as a parting shot....I told him to be sure to "Google" Shoney's Greenwood, MS on Saturday, May 19, 2012 to see the review I would have written by that time about his restaurant.

OH....Mr. Lamar....I also am very heavy into the social media scene....you know....FaceBook....Twitter and such....and I began with those outlets before writing this blog post!!!

People....if you don't give a damn about customer service and all you are interested in is some good food....then by all means....visit the Shoney's in Greenwood, MS....but if you are old school like me and believe that if you work in a service industry you should show courtesy to your customers....then you might want to stay away from that particular Shoney's.

Now...Understand....I am NOT talking about all Shoney's....I am talking about one particular Shoney's....the one in Greenwood, MS.

Tell me what you think! Am I expecting too much in from our society today? Have we all fallen so low that courtesy has flown out of the window? Give me your two-cents!!! I really want to know!