Category: All About Me

Celebrating Black Business Month

Black Business Month is an annual campaign held in August to celebrate the achievements and contributions of African-American business owners. BBM was founded in 2004 by the National Black Chamber of Commerce to support black business growth and development. The organization sponsors local, regional, national, and international events that provide networking and entrepreneurship education opportunities.

The National Black Chamber of Commerce works with other minority chambers of commerce and community leaders to promote a common goal: “to encourage Blacks to become owners rather than employees.” While many businesses close after one generation or fail to transfer from one family member or friend to another without fail, BBM encourages those who make it through the difficult years with their business intact. To share what they’ve learned with younger entrepreneurs. Read down the post to learn about different ways through which you can support black businesses.

Continue reading

Pet Hydration Awareness

Did you know that July is National Pet Hydration Awareness Month? This is the perfect time to review our pet’s hydration habits and ensure we do everything we can to keep them healthy. It’s also an excellent opportunity to consider how our pets’ diets affect their hydration. Dogs and cats require daily water intake, just like we do. You must schedule regular visits with your veterinarian, who will check your pet’s teeth and gums for any signs of dental disease. A vet can also help identify any existing health problems that might be causing a decrease in thirst. This post will help us learn some of the benefits of water to our pets.

Continue reading

If I Suddenly Had Millions Of Dollars

The fantasy. I know we all do it. Fantasize a large amount of money hitting our bank accounts. I’m no different. While many are looking for winning lottery tickets, I wonder, how would they spend it? Big houses? Fast cars with speeds over 200 miles per hour? Not me.

I’m the type of person who never needed much. Just my current home paid off. It’s the only thing, besides house bills, we pay each month. I tell you when I wrote that check and paid off my car, wow. The feeling I felt was beautiful. I still think about that day. I’ve wanted a VW Beetle, let’s say, forever. My Barbies had a Bug. I had my Beetle for about three months when the opportunity came, and I paid it off.

I would do for my children, who are all grown, to give them the same amount to buy their own houses. This is a one time deal. I know for sure one would buy a home under the amount given and squirrel the rest away. He’s so much like me.

At the moment, I have two grands and another due in November. My oldest will be graduating in two years with his sister following two years after that. They have a choice of further their education or getting a one time deal.

My husband and I have already been planning to move to Poland soon. His father passed away last year and left him the apartment he grew up in. It needs a bit of reno, and that’s where I’d spend a bit of money. I have a budget earmarked now, but I would double it easy.

Vehicles are not needed with everything being less than a ten-minute walk. Including the train station and bus stops for long distances. Most countries are five to ten hours away.

Writing and traveling is a dream that I’ve had since I was about twelve. Giving the business a one-time amount, I would actually hire out a VA since I will be spending most of my time abroad. The dream.

Tonight’s Mega Million jackpot is $410 million. Of course, I have my tickets, but I might go and get a couple more. Wish me luck!

What Does My Perfect Weekend Look Like?

The image of an enjoyable weekend would be something like spending some quality time with family and friends and experience all that I could work out. Impromptu trips, get-togethers with family were all arranged well ahead of time. We had tremendous fun through those moments.

With everything with being an indie writer, I typically have to make my own perfect weekend. Most of the time, it’s not even a weekend. It could be a day or two he has off. Since it’s never the same, I check my husband’s work schedule.

My perfect weekend has always been staying in bed an hour later than usual with him. Any more than this, and our cat loses it. All the meowing. Plus, sticking her paw under the door to get our attention about her demands pretty much spoils the moment.

We’ve spent our “weekends” on the road here in Florida. One of my favorites was when we went to Coral Castle Museum in Homestead, which is close to Miami. A long drive, but worth it.

Our upcoming “weekend” will be a drive to the Florida Keys. As long as I’ve lived in Florida, I’ve never been, so it will be a first for me. I want to get a picture of me at the Southernmost Point buoy. The closest I’ll probably get to Cuba. A whole 90 miles away. At that point, closer to our home in Northeast Florida.

Many will say self-care is the perfect weekend thing to do, but I do self care just about every day. Once upon a time, I was in my office from 0800 to 2300. Every day. Seven days a week. The only days I took off were my birthday, our anniversary, and his birthday. The rest of the days were considered workdays.

Closing the office at 2100 during the week and it being closed for the weekend, was the best thing ever. I was close to burnout. Now, I won’t take any calls or respond to emails.
Let me ask you this. What does your perfect weekend look like to you?

My Least Favorite Food

The biggest issue for me is being called a picky eater. It’s not that I’m picky, per se. It’s more like things were not as I was told—my least favorite food: soul food. You heard me right.

Growing up in New York, both my parents were from the southern states. Naturally, soul food was the mainstay in the house. For me, not so much. I know how to cook all the greens, beans, and peas, but I don’t eat them. Nope. But I’ve always been the odd duck in the family.

It’s not like I didn’t try. I really did. But when I was told grits taste like farina and liver tastes like pork chops, trying any new foods was not on my menu. For years.
Even now, when I participate in a survey on Facebook about foods I would eat, I laugh. Typically out of 50, I might get 3.

Now, I’m trying to embrace new foods. To my husband’s dismay, Zimne Nogi or Studzienina will never be a dish for me, although I do love kielbasa. They’re just big hotdogs to me.

What A Typical Day Is Like For Me

Okay, so here’s the scoop of my typical day as an author. Of course, things are juggled around for doctor appointments, beach day and such.

I have established office hours Monday through Friday from 0900 to 2100. I will perform any administration work on Saturdays and record YouTube videos or work on my audiobook projects.

I spend 0900 to 1000 answering emails. If I don’t get to all of them, I’ll schedule the last hour of the day also.
At 1000, I start editing. I prefer to go back and edit what I wrote the day before. It’s the OCD in me. I can’t seem to go forward unless it’s done.

Depending on what day it is, I’ll stop at 1200 for a live stream. Otherwise, I’ll keep going until 1300.
From 1300 to 1400 is my break. I’ll get up for lunch while my exercise would be riding my stationary bike or taking a quick walk around the neighborhood.

I’m back at it by 1400 to work on a cover or blurb if I didn’t hire out for it. I may even format a book. I do have to stop for a hot minute at 1530 to feed the fur babies.
I’m working on social media from 1600 to 1700. Whether that be creating more posts to the social media app I use. Yes, this is a working dinner.

I’ll start writing from 1700 to 2100. Now you may ask, “Why so late?”
It’s not late for me. My husband usually goes to work at that time. Best time for me to work on dictating my book. Still a work in progress, though.
It’s then time to shut it down for the day. Clean things up and wait for him to come home.

This is how I have it planned out, but is it always like this? Nope. Sometimes I’ll get a narrator who finishes early, and I have to listen to their work. As long as my projects are completed on time, earlier is always better in the long run. I’m ahead.