I'm Engrossed in planning a Series of Blog Posts

Once I completed the setup of my blog network, I sat back and took a deep sigh of relief while I let out a whoop of excitement. A brief moment later I realized that I had just created a vast cyber realm of blogs with their own niches and personas that would need to be fed with creative content. In other words, I created endless work for myself. Not only would I be able to have diverse platforms for writing paid reviews but I would have to provide content for my readers and fans. This has become a serious undertaking. I've built a blogging empire that is like managing dozens of magazines. What was I thinking?!?!!

Well, I better brace up and get busy writing because I created it...I wanted it!!! So now I am very busy planning blog posts on the multiple blogs so there will be enough drafts to auto publish over a month's time. This is the only way I see to keep fresh content on this many blogs. I don't want to buy content because I am a freelance writer. 

My Dreamhouse has the Ultimate Kitchen

My whole life I have dreamed about building the perfect house. Raised in the east, the kitchen was an intergral part of family life so it's important to me. Family gathers in the kitchen to talk, cook, eat and drink morning coffee or evening cocoa. The kitchen design has to include the best  cooking facilities and an undermount kitchen sink. With all the cooking and socializing, the sink needs to accomodate food preparation and all those dishes that will need washing.

I think I'll have to choose a double sink made of super strength stainless steel and large bowls. I could choose a fancier design like beautiful marble or modern shapes and colors but I'm leaning towards being practical instead. I found a double sink on Mr. Direct's website that fits what I imagined. This double stainless steel sink is super strength made of heavy 16 gauge steel. It has a brushed satin finish, an offset drain opening and rubber pad. I like the design because there will be lots of room for large pots and it will be easy to clean. The shine will really highlight my gorgeous kitchen. I'm on the right track to creating the perfect beautiful yet practical kitchen.


I'm comforted by the fact that Mr. Direct is accredited by the better business bureau. Shopping online is very convenient but I do worry about fraudulent companies so this gives me great relief. I can daydream and plan my dream kitchen without any worries. The prices are reasonable, too. If I save money with my sink purchase then I'll have more to spend on those fancy windows and the appliances. The drapes will probably cost more than most of the kitchen decor. Thank you Mr. Direct for saving me some dollars on my dream project. And I won't have any worries about ordering early when I start designing my dream kitchen because they offer same day shipping.

The Midnight Writer

Blair Witch Project Two Scared me out of my Wits

Growing up, I was exposed to lots of paranormal activity and fortune tellers as well as so called practicing witches. It was a well accepted belief in those days. The Blair Witch Project movie reminded me about my growing years where paranormal experiences and stories of hauntings abounded. These were every day facts of life in Blair and Cambria counties, which is consequently where I spent the first thirty years of my life. Supernatural stories spun across miles and generations without changing much. People have witnessed some of these supernatural presences first hand and I've had enough personal experiences, which I will delve into eventually. For now, I want to share some of the common stories that are part of Pennsylvania history and familiar to me growing up.

One story that stands out in my memory is the Lady of the Buckhorn. Read the entire account at Haunted Places in Pennsylvania. Just click the link in the previous sentence and you'll find the story of a young couple whose carriage went over the side of the Buckhorn Mountain on the way to their wedding. The bride still runs across the mountain tops and down the highway from the Buckhorn to Wopsy lookout at lover's lane.

Do you believe that supernatural sightings really happen? Are ghosts for real? Like believing that witches are real, one has to experience it or know someone who has and believe their account. I saw the Lady of the Buckhorn and so have some of my family members. My motther told me about her and she claims to have had a visitation from this lady while driving the mountain highway.

I'll be back again with further details about this ghost legend on The Midnight Writer's Secret Portal.  I want to do some more research before I write any more. Till then, enjoy the stories.

The Midnight Writer

I Was Born to Write

My mother used to say that I was born with a pen in my hands because it is one of the first tools that I mastered at a very young age. Handwriting fascinated me every bit as much as the art of writing, reading and spelling. As soon as I could speak I showed my inquisitive nature but the progressing years revealed the intense reflective side of me that sought to understand life. In that process, I longed to express my deepest thoughts to others. As early as grade school I began writing profound scribbles that helped my parents realize I had a talent and desire for writing. They also realized that I was a budding philosopher. Mom used to tell me that I was not a child but a Grandma in a young body. She told me that she felt like I was the mother and she was the child in our relationship. That was telling to me about how adults viewed me during my childhood and budding youth into young adulthood. Everything I did in my life filled me with wonder and deep ponderings. Along with that, the desire to pick up a pen or pencil so I could share those ponderings became a part of my daily life.

I sought out the elders in my family and in my neighborhood. My grandparents and great aunts and uncles drew me to them like a magnet. I was thirsty for knowledge and something in me instinctively knew to draw from the well springs of the aged who had so much life experience to share. I sought understanding about the mysterious. To me, the elders epitomized wisdom flowing from the fountains of their souls.

The Midnight Writer

Show off your Business at a Trade Show

I love trade shows and the excitement of a massive sharing of information about new companies, new products and breakthrough technology or innovative business techniques. The displays at trade show booths add the sense of organization with an elegant flair to your business. It is a platform unlike any other way to showcase products, literature, magazines, business cards and models of new inventions. One main consideration in presenting a display is the actual layout complete with props and decor as well as the arrangement of sales or informational materials. Outlets exist to help with obtaining the supplies. The creative flair is up to the individual artist, whether you choose to design an exhibit yourself or get help with it. Start with the basic supplies and build on your exhibit from there.

Choose a table that accents your display taking into account depth and height. Once the style and size is chosen, picture your products, your charts, and your literature laid out on the table. Imagine the colors that will make them look good then think about the table and how it will look to people browsing around the trade show. You don't want to show feet and stacked boxes under the table so use table skirts that compliment the rest of your arrangement. Many styles, fabrics and colors are available for purchase from suppliers but the creator still has to supply the ultimate pizzazz.

An important aspect of arranging a trade show display is showcasing the literature that accompanies whatever is being promoted. Posters and banners are a crucial part of the written literature that relays pertinent information about your display. Banners have replaced the clumsy posters of earlier days that were often rolled up then taped or pinned to a bulletin board. Modern advances in technology provides unique and fancy ways to show off banners using banner stands. These can stand in free form or be utilized as an electronic display. Varieties in size and shape offer endless creative ways to spruce up a trade show booth.

Pipe and Drape adds multiple dimensions to an exhibit that enhances limited space. Pipe gives your booth its form while the drape adds the atmosphere, height, depth, color and cosmetic enhancement that will draw visitors to your booth out of dozens of competitors. Dimension comes from the actual building blocks that will form the final display booth. Pipe comes in many sizes and shapes that can be fit together then dressed in silkscreen drapes as a backdrop. Have fun designing the layout and choosing your colors, fabrics, display boards and all the basic materials that will make for a successful trade show exhibit.

The Midnight Writer

The Chilean Earthquake and Pending Tsunami had me Glued to the TV Set

The entire cyber connected world heard about the mammoth earthquake in Chile yesterday that toppled the richter scale at 8.8. I heard only one quake in recorded history topped that figure and the same 9.5 event happened in Chile in 1960. It seems this South American country has made and held the record. Tragedy is not theirs alone but heavy magnitude seems to cling to them. I was mesmerized by this intense quake and the news that accompanied it all over the television set yesterday. I live in a little community in California with separate housing for a small village. As the news continued to monitor the quakes destruction and its following after shocks, people from our village came into the house one and two at a time to watch the live coverage. They, too, became mesmerized and sat in awe as TV news announcers put out the word about an impending Tsunami that was expected to hit Hawaii, Samoa, and much of the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska.

Awed by the surreal reports, the group of people sat there in anticipation and expectation waiting for the worst to happen and hoping that it was a mistake.

April Signals Renewal of Life and my Auto Insurance

It's fairly obvious that I have spring fever which is a time of preparation and renewal for me. I set intentions to clean out the old to make room for the new and to pay monthly debts in advance. Auto Insurance is right on top of the list of necessities to cover before summer's advent. The sunshine will lure us to travel so my husband and I vowed to buy coverage for six months before the adventure begins.

Boost announces the Sanyo Incognito and the Fifty Dollar Plan

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Boost Mobile announces the release of its newest phone, the SANYO Incognito.

This model is sleek and beautiful with a very modern look comparative to phones sold by other companies. I've been a Boost customer for almost three years and have enjoyed the service on my primitive walkie talkie phone but I would thoroughly enjoy owning this latest model, SANYO Incognito™ SCP6760. The purchase price is $129.99 (excluding taxes) with free shipping when purchased through the required link.

Here's the clincher on this sweet deal. The SANYO Incognito phone is available with Boost's latest Unlimited Plan of $50 Monthly with absolutely no contract required.  This feature alone is a convincing selling point to me. I love Boost and the freedom it gives me on the pre-paid plan or pay as you go but I have strongly desired more in a phone with this option. It looks like the $50 plan and no contract will give me the additional features in a phone service that I really want and desire.

The features include a 2MP camera with VGA camcorder, music and video player. For me, having a camera is an indispensible requirement in a cell phone but add the camcorder and that is a plus that has my attention. I'm loving the sweetness of this package. Young folks don't go anywhere without their music so this new Boost model will accommodate this generation. I have to confess that I'm a music lover just like the youth today. In fact, my music was always playing and I would love to have a cell phone with this option. That's not all this phone offers though. It just keeps getting better the more I read about it. Sanyo Incognito has EVDO capabilities and a full QWERTY keyboard. This is really great for typing and beats the old cell phone buttons hands down. I'm a social butterfly who uses all the latest networks to stay in touch with friends, family and clients so your family will enjoy the features. I mean, they can message and text with ease and teens will feel proud to own such a classy looking phone. It's blue tooth enabled, too.

Is there anything they missed? I don't think so.

Top this package with enhanced web browsing and I'm sold as long as I choose the Boost Mobile $50 Monthly Unlimited plan which offers unlimited talk, text & web with no contract. Now that might sound like a lot of other plans emerging in the cell phone world but Boost has an extra feature that has kept me as a customer for almost three years. It's GPS Enabled! If you are an outdoors person who travels in unknown places, this feature is a life saver to help keep you from getting lost. It's great for camping in remote mountains because you can signal help with the GPS signal.

Truth can be Stranger than Fiction

Avid mystery readers can attest to this profundity (a profound wisdom that resonates as an absolute truth.) I'm a fan of the Twilight Zone. I grew up watching it on a regular basis because it was one of my Mom's favorite shows. Mysteries were another favorite in our home so I grew to appreciate both. Coupling the two types of drama together I discovered that indeed, truth can be stranger than fiction.

Writing is akin to this moral tone. Those who love literature may be more apt to pick up a work of fiction because it presents exaggerated fantasy and adventure. What many readers may not know is that writers long ago discovered that writing truth disguised as fiction is an artform to deliver the stranger truth to an eager audience. How many would pick up a popular titled book to read it if it was a pure biography or factual tale? History shows in fact that more readers levitate to fantasy than reality. Clever writers over the centuries learned this so a writing form developed wherein the truth was hidden in bits of fantasy. This method draws a larger audience which gives place for a writer to tell the tale to many more than perhaps a mundane factual account could draw.


Have you ever heard of this writing artform?

A recent popular movie used this technique. You may have seen it as people packed the theaters to see this box office hit, "2012: The War for Souls". Read the author's explanation in using the artform I've described. To heed the writer's explanation though, he did not write a truth disguised as fiction. Rather, he produced a fiction laced with possibilities yet to be discovered in hopes of arriving at the truth.

The Midnight Writer

Spring is Emerging in northern California

The pink blossoms on the trees bring that aromatic flowery scent to the air that is ever familiar to nature lovers. Temperatures are climbing to the balmy mid-fifties and low sixties on some days while the sun peeks out between the rains. Cephas and I have been traveling throughout northern California so we can attest to the emergence of springtime here. We first noticed the tree blossoms about a week ago but I noticed the buds several weeks ago.

 

This is the infamous Punxatawney Phil, a legendary groundhog.

Photo compliments of the official website that you can visit at http://www.punxsutawneyphil.com/

I thought it was unusual to see evidence of new tree and flower growth so early in February, especially since the groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter. Or did he? I grew up in the east and learned to trust ole Punxatawney Phil so I'll check his forecast in a bit. For now, I am witnessing spring birthing before my very eyes. Get outdoors and enjoy the lovely weather. I have a date with redwood forests and the ocean. Maybe I'll see you out there.

As promised, here is the official forecast from Punxatawney Phil:

"Phil Says Six More Weeks!"

(quoted directly from the official website)

Phil's official forecast as read February 2nd, 2010 at sunrise at Gobbler's Knob:
Hear Ye Hear Ye Hear Ye

On Gobbler's Knob on this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2010, Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators awoke to the call of President Bill Deeley and greeted his handlers, John Griffiths and Ben Hughes.

After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers, Phil proclaimed, "If you want to know next, you must read my text. As the sky shines bright above me, my shadow I see beside me. So six more weeks of winter it will be."

Now I don't know about you but in my sense of reckoning, something is amiss. Maybe Phil is getting a bit on his years and his eyes could be cloudy. Phil might have thought he saw his shadow but was mistaken. Maybe it's just that Pennsylvania is across the continent and California is another world. I have a suggestion, when the trees are budding, the sun is shining, and the flowers are blooming ...it is definitely spring...so I suggest that California get its own groundhog mascot to predict the onset of spring.

What do you think? San Fran Phil?

The Midnight Writer

 

2010 Home Buyers Tax Credit when Buying First Home

A tax stimulus for anyone Buying First Home who has not owned or purchased a home in the past three years has been extended until April 30, 2010.  If you are serious about buying a new home this is the time to do it! What will an $8,000 tax credit do for your budget this year? In this sluggish economy, a real estate credit of this magnitude will go far as an incentive to stimulate the market. Get in on this right away because the closing has to be finalized by June 30th this year.

Watch the video above for more details then visit the Coldwell Banker website for further information. The most important part of this deal is the tax credit. It's the biggest one signed into law in recent years for home buyers giving the real estate market the kick start it needed to overcome this recession.

Pay close attention to the maximum purchase price for this deal which is set at $800,000.00. There are income limits to be aware about also when considering your purchase based on the tax credit. Details are on the website. This is really exciting for the economy because the bill generates over 22 billion dollars into the economy and spans a large part of the population in the qualified income brackets.  In order to recover economically, a healthy real estate market is vital. It is one of our nation's greatest assets that generates a hefty percentage in sales every year. This money returns into the local economy to generate more retail growth. As far as the stimulus package, the real estate portion stands to be remembered as the most beneficial.

Severe Storms Continue Nationwide

The rains and winds in California are lessening along Interstate 5 near Willows. That's a relief to us because travel has been difficult with water standing in the roads and heavy downpours. Last week, the winds made it impossible to drive very fast on mountain ridges or open highways in the valleys. The destruction caused by mudslides, tornadoes, high winds, hail and flooding is heavy and very sad.