Patti Oar.com

Some months ago I became burned out with creating websites for other people and internet marketing in general. Making money in your sleep probably does happen for some people but it never quite worked out that way for me. I wanted to be creative and artistic and decided to try something I had never tried before. I decided to venture into glass art. I had tried stained glass many years ago and never really liked it much, so decided I would try fusing glass jewelry. Now I’m crazy about jewelry and thought I would absolutely love it, but soon discovered that fusing the glass, not only in jewelry but in art and functional pieces. It is admittedly harder to master than I thought, but creating something beautiful from a piece of glass is very exhilarating. I am still learning the process and my successes so far have been few, but as I go along I find new and other interesting ideas and processes to try.

While searching google images for inspiration I saw some fused pieces that had sandblasted elements incorporated into them and that sent me in a new and different direction. What was once a 3 car garage is now my overflowing studio and the cars are banished to the driveway. I am still in the process of getting it completely organized and workable and still have not worked on the torch much. Want to take a class for that one.

At the same time that I got my kiln and was ready to begin my glass journey, we got a new puppy. He is now 9 months old, but he’s the most challenging dog I’ve ever had and because he needs constant supervision my time to explore my new art form has been limited.

I made my first metal clay pendant using a dichroic glass cabochon that I fired and was about to put it into a gift box for my sister-in-law’s birthday present when I discovered that my agressive polishing had broken the stone. So can’t sell it, can’t give it away, so it’s mine now. Wore it last night and received some very nice compliments on it. The metal clay is not as easy to work with as I thought it would be and it’s expensive, but I have many ideas to explore in that arena.

When I began this journey I wondered if you could actually make a living creating art that you love. My husband said he thought I should just create art for art’s sake so I haven’t really worried too much about whether I sell my pieces or not, but I do have an Etsy Page and will be exhibiting my work there.

Isn’t your new puppy adorable? They are just precious. And it’s a good thing too. They’re lucky they’re so darned cute cuz they can be so frustrating sometimes you want to strangle them. But how can you stay mad at the little guys?

As the owner of a new puppy you have a huge and very important job. It’s your job to make sure that this adorable little ball of fur grows up to be a calm and well mannered dog. Remember the old saying “puppies are cute but they grow up to be dogs”? I’ts so true. There are hundreds of dogs our there that are exhibiting bad behavior. Of course, it’s not their fault. Dogs are very smart creatures and they learn very quickly. It is up to us humans to make sure that they do that. I’ts easy to get lazy and hope for the best, but when it comes to housebreaking your puppy it is critical that you stay focused. This training can be accomplished quickly and easily if you stay on top of things.

There are a few crucial steps to accomplish housebreaking your puppy, but the first and I believe the most important tip is that someone must be at home with the dog. At least for the first week or two he can’t be left alone. You can’t expect a puppy to be home alone all day while you’re working. Their little systems just can’t hold out that long. If you do that and put those puppy pads on the floor you’ll just be training him to go on the pads and then you’ll never be able to break the habit of going inside the house.

1. Crate the Puppy
This doesn’t necessarily mean inside of a crate. There are many theories about this and that’s not what this discussion is about. I mean to confine the dog in an area such as a kitchen or family room, preferably where he can’t do any damage if he has an accident, such as a tile floor. You can use a baby gate for this, and you should be nearby so you can monitor his behavior.

2. Set Your Clock
Puppies don’t have the capacity to wait very long, so it’s important that you take them out frequently. This depends on the the pup. You can try different times. I start out at 2 hour intervals and change it if necessary.

3. Pick Them Up
When you are taking the puppy outside to potty, make sure you pick them up and carry them. If you let them walk and they have an accident on the way you’ve wasted a valuable training moment.

4. Tell Them What You Want
When you get them outside and preferably to a spot where you would like them to go all the time, tell them to go potty or use whatever words you want to get them to go. They learn the words very quickly and once they figure out what you want pretty soon your dog will be able to go on command. If you’re watching the clock you’re probably timing it right about when they have to go anyway.

5. Praise Them
Get excited. Show them how pleased you are that they did what they’re told. Tell them how good they are for performing. Dogs are so smart and they really want to please you and it won’t take long before they are associating the outside spot with the command you’ve given them (Remember Pavlov? Association is amazing. Try whistling when you feed them and watch how fast they come running when they’re outside and you whistle)

6. Going After Mealtimes
Another conditioning trick is to take them out after they eat. You are probably feeding your puppy twice a day so you can take him outside either right after his meal or within about 15 minutes. He will probably be ready to go then and this will just reinforce what you’re asking him to do.

7. Bedtime
Make sure your dog goes potty just before you put him to bed and he will get into a routine. It’s more conditioning for him and if you walk out with him and repeat the command you used before he will pick up this routine very quickly. This should also help in putting him to bed because he will recognize it as his routine. Crating or confining him at night will minimize accidents also. He still may have accidents during the night but if you’ve followed all the steps he will probably understand and cry or whine to let you know he has to go and you can get up and let him out. Remember to pick him up and carry him.

If you are diligent about following the steps above, you will be surprised how fast your puppy understands and learns. He will almost potty train himself.

More Dog Training Info

I don’t know the author of this poem, but it was sent to me by email and I think it should be shared with as many people as possible.  We must never forget what these brave men and women have done for us.

____________________________________________

 

A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS POEM 

 

 

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

 

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

 

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

 

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,

Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

 

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,

Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

 

In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,

So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

 

The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,

But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.

 

Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know,

Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

 

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,

And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

 

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night, 

A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

 

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,

Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.

 

Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled, 

Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

 

“What are you doing?” I asked without fear,

“Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!”

 

“Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve, 

You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”

 

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,

Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light,

Then he sighed and he said “Its really all right,

I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night.”

“It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,

That separates you from the darkest of times.”

 

“No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.” 

 

“My Gramps died at ‘Pearl on a day in December,”

Then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas Gram always remembers.” 

 

“My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘Nam‘,

And now it is my turn and so, here I am.”

 

“I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,

But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.”

 

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,

The red, white, and blue… an American flag.

 

“I can live through the cold and the being alone,

Away from my family, my house and my home.”

 

“I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,

I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.”

 

“I can carry the weight of killing another,

Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all, 

To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.”

 

“So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fright,

Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”

 

“But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,

Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?”

 

“It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,

For being away from your wife and your son.”

 

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,

“Just tell us you love us, and never forget,

To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,

To stand your own watch, no matter how long.”

 

“For when we come home, either standing or dead,

To know you remember we fought and we bled,

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,

That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.”

 

 

PLEASE,  Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S.service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let’s try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

Do you have more than one credit card? Did you know that if you make one late payment your credit card company can and will raise your APR to the highest rate they charge? And did you also know that if this happens to you, all of your other credit card companies will find out and they’ll raise your rates too? You can actually end up paying way more in interest than you actually owe the credit card companies.

First let’s examine what APR is. APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate. Simply put it is the percentage per year that you would pay on your balance. This is pro-rated to a monthly rate based on what you currently owe the company. Rates can fluctuate wildly depending on your current credit rating. Credit card companies reward those customers who have good credit ratings with the lowest interest rates. These rates can have a very wide range, but you won’t be able to qualify for the better rates if your credit isn’t impeccable.

Now of course the ideal situation is to pay your balance off in full each month, but sometimes this isn’t possible and you end up carrying an outstanding balance. In some cases you may have balances on more than one card. If this happens to you,my advice would be to pay the highest payment you are able to pay on the card with the highest interest rate, rather than the highest amount owed. Just keep in mind that every dime of interest is more money that you are paying to the credit card company. We seem to be more worried about paying extra shipping on items we purchase but seem to dismiss the extra money we pay in interest payments. That’s probably because it is largely unseen and in some cases hard to figure out how much we’re actually paying.

I personally try not to carry balances when I can, but periodically I have had balances on several different cards. But I can honestly say that I haven’t paid any interest on any of my cards since 1991.

The way I have accomplished this is very simple. I get an average of 3 or more credit card applications in the mail every day. I typically look for an offer with a balance transfer. These are very competitive. You can always find one with a 0% APR. But that’s not all you’re looking for. You want to find one with 0% for at least a year (you can sometimes find them for 18 months). The next thing you look for is when the 0% will expire, and what the APR will go up to when it does. You may be able to give yourself 18 months to pay off the debt without paying any interest and if not you will most likely be at a much lower APR than you currently have. Sometimes you can find 0% for 18 months and then 3.9% after that. Start adding that up and you can save yourself a lot of money if you currently have 6% or higher. Now you transfer your balances from your other higher interest cards and you can avoid paying any more interest. You could pay more, but WHY?

NOTE: You must pay attention to the deadlines and if you haven’t finished paying off your balance, by the time the interest rates kick in you will need to find another card offer and do it again. You will need to make sure you apply within about 6 weeks of the deadline to make sure you don’t wait too long. Be aware though that you can actually make your credit look bad if you have too many cards or credit lines, so when you transfer your balance you should cancel the old card so it is not showing up on your credit report.

Plastic surgery is definitely in the news these days. Almost everyone you see on tv or in the movies seems to have had some work done. Some of it is rather scary. I think we’ve all thought about doing it. I for one have thought about it for a long time, but have to admit I’ve been scared. And there are plenty of horror stories to go around, but hearing about Kanye West’s mother dying after her procedure was very sad. Apparently the doctor who operated on her was an MD, but was not a board certified plastic surgeon and had numerous malpractice suits, DUI’s, sexual battery and physical assault charges against him. And the California Medical Board was considering revoking his license. I saw a woman on tv this evening showing her scars from a botched tummy tuck that he performed and it was absolutely horrific. She complained of pain and not healing and he just dismissed her until she finally ended up in the emergency room. She was absolutely mutilated! With this type of specialty being so lucrative and so many people wanting these procedures I think it’s amazing that we haven’t heard more of these horror stories.

At least this particular Doctor probably won’t be doing this to anyone else, as I believe his career is over. He will no doubt lose his license and probably everything he owns. These things sure make you think about what is really important.

I find this whole issue with Duane “Dog” Chapman very disturbing. First I think you have to feel sorry for the guy as his own son entrapped him, recording their conversation and selling it to the “National Enquirer”. Now I’m not defending his behavior. In fact I think it’s extremely offensive and disgusting, but we live in a country where we are supposed to have FREE speech. And even though I don’t agree or condone what he did, I defend his right to do so.

This whole type of lynch mob behavior is very scary. Does anyone remember when Mark Fuhrman used the “N” word many times during the OJ trial? He lost a lot of credibility, but it didn’t seem to hurt his career at all. He’s the darling of the “talking head” set these days and has written best selling books, so what is going on with this crazy mob mentality?

At least when Don Imus lost his job over something very similiar it was because he was speaking on the radio in a public setting, but poor Dog was having a private conversation with his own son! Am I the only one who thinks this is CRAZY? I never agreed with the “fire Imus” crowd. His job was to provoke and create controversy and then when he did that, he was the bad guy. I’m not an Imus fan, but I am glad to see that he is probably going back to work on the airwaves soon. And what about Senator Robert Byrd, a former Klansman, who has actually used the phrase “white nigger” right on tv? And of course there are always the rap artists who say these things all the time, but somehow that’s ok when they do it.

I’m sure there are many people who have used language like this and we just don’t know it or have never heard them doing it so we don’t know about it. I don’t really care what Dog or Imus or anyone says or thinks. I do know that it indicates their character, or lack of it and definitely determines my opinion of them, but in a free country they can think or say whatever they want as far as I’m concerned.

A while back when the Dixie Chicks made an offensive comment about President Bush, in a foreign country, while we are at war, I thought it was disgusting. But the most interesting part to me was that they got angry when people didn’t want to buy their records or concert tickets. They sited free speech, but they failed to understand that with free speech there may be consequences when people respond to your actions. So perhaps A&E should keep Dog’s show on the air and let the public decide whether we want to watch him or not. Maybe A&E shouldn’t be deciding what we the public want.

And when and more importantly HOW did Al Sharpton become the moral compass of this country. And what’s up with everyone running to him to apologize? Now here’s a guy with some real talent. He has managed to repackage himself as some kind of moral authority and the King of the Blacks. His credibility issues are legendary. His attempt to railroad prosecutor Steven Pagones for raping Tawana Brawley was proven to be a hoax and Sharpton was convicted of libel. Pagones won a judgement against him in a civil suit, though I’m sure Pagones’ life has never been the same. Sharpton was largely responsible for revealing the stories of Jesse Jackson’s (his friend and mentor) illegitimate child. His hypocrisy knows no bounds. In my opinion it is people like Sharpton and Jackson that are perpetuating racism in this country by fanning the flames of racial hatred. Sharpton himself has been guilty of infidelity and other improprieties, including possible money laundering involving the mob and even caught on video tape. He managed to talk his way out of if and nothing ever came of it. This toxic venom spewing race bater is a cancer and it’s beyond me why anyone with any brains would put him on the air and elevate him to a status he will never deserve.

This is sooooo hilarious:

Listen to how Tom Mabe Gets Back at a Telemarketer

It will open up in your default media player.

You may think that women want someone who is buffed and tanned and looks like a bodybuilder model from GQ. Those things are nice and yes we like to look at those guys, but just like you don’t need for us to look like Victoria Secret models we don’t require it in our man. OK. The 13 most important qualities that women look for
in a man are:

1. Honesty
2. Intelligence
3. Nice Smile
4. Sense of Humor
5. Manners
6. Sensitivity
7. Sincerity
8. Gainfully employed
9. Has own place
10. Owns a car
11. Affectionate
12. Considerate
13. Thoughtful

OK. First things first. Honesty is the NUMBER ONE trait that women look for in a man. That doesn’t mean to be brutally honest and tell her she looks fat. (Never do that) but we want to know that we can trust that what you are telling us is the truth. If you’ve lied in the past it will be a very cold day in Hell before she trusts you again. And she may want to check your phone messages and read your email and call you 10 times a day to feel secure that you’re trustworthy again. You may not like that but if you lie it may be the price you have to pay.

Intelligence: Women want to feel safe and protected and we want our men to be smart. Maybe even smarter than us. Women feel that your brain is your sexiest organ. So dazzle us with your brain and you will be surprised how stimulated we become. Kick her ass at “Jeopardy” and watch what happens.

Smile: We love your smile. We can’t get enough of it. It makes us want to touch you and kiss you. So brush and floss and see your dentist and keep your mouth kissably fresh.

Sense of Humor: If you can keep us laughing you are golden. We love to laugh and we love a man who can make us laugh. This goes back to the smart thing as well. You have to be smart to be humorous. We like a man who’s humor challenges us. Leave that 3 Stooges stuff for the guys. Women don’t appreciate 12 year old juvenile humor.

Manners: Little things like manners are very important. Women don’t want their man to drive up and reach over from the driver’s seat and open the passenger door or just wait for us to open the door. A little old fashioned chivalry goes a long way. Escort the lady to the car and open the door for her. We love to be treated like queens. It makes us feel like you think we’re special. And hopefully you do think she’s special. We love a man with manners. We know we can take him home and our parents will love him. We don’t want to have to worry about what you might do or say. We want to be with a man not a boy. That means no farting, belching, toe or nose picking, spitting, or smacking your lips when you eat. We want to know we can take you in public and we won’t be embarrassed. And don’t forget we also like to show you off to our girlfriends and we want them to approve. You want the girlfriends to think you’re a “Keeper”.

Sensitive: That whole thing about being “Sensitive” and getting in touch with your “Feminine Side” are all very true. A woman is waaaay more attracted to a man who isn’t afraid to show his feelings and be gentle and sensitive. We actually think that makes you more manly. A man who clams up and thinks being macho is what we want is very wrong. One of the things that is extremely attractive to a woman is when it’s obvious that you are attracted to us. There is nothing hotter than seeing how much we turn you on. Don’t be afraid to show
that. But of course there are limits and this can easily be overdone. Be careful about showing things like that at work or you might find yourself in a sexual harassment situation. And if you decide to try to tip your hand to a woman and show your interest, remember to keep it subtle. No woman likes a STALKER or a HORNDOG! We love to know that we are getting to you, but not in an obnoxious way. You may have to make some changes in
your behavior. But of course, they’ll be changes for the better and you will most likely be happier for it.

Sincerity: This is a little like honesty, but what I mean is if you need to change some of your behaviors to be more attractive to women then don’t just do it to get the girl. This is something that has to be real. If you think that’s not you, then maybe you should think about making a change. You can decide you don’t want to change, that you like yourself the way you are, but if that was working for you then you probably wouldn’t be reading this article. You were drawn to this piece because you must truly want to know how to be better with
women and if you sincerely do then you may need to take an honest look at yourself and decide what you want because it has to be real.

Employed: OK. This is a no-brainer, but truthfully there are some men out there without jobs that think they can get all the women they want. I have no idea what makes them think that, but their egos are on overtime. Women need security and we want a man who can provide for us. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to work, but it does mean that we want to know that you are a responsible MAN.

Has Own Place: OK. Matthew McConaughey was really cute in Failure to Launch but that was a comedy. Seriously we don’t want to have a sleepover at your Mom’s house. Having your own place just shows us again that you are a responsible adult. And it does help if your place is decorated nicely. I don’t mean you have to hire a decorator, but we’re not drawn to frathouse chic. Impress us with your style. Again we want MEN not BOYS!

Has Own Car: This may not be important if you live in New York or in a place where the public transportation makes owning a car unnecessary but in most of the world you need a car to pick up your date and take her out. It is important to mention here that even though we love luxury cars we don’t need that in our man. Women love men with all kinds of cars, but FYI keep your car clean (especially the inside). Nothing says SLOB more than a dirty car. Take out the fast food wrappers and keep it neat and smelling nice.

Affectionate: We really do love to touch and be touched. And I am not talking sexually here. But try holding her hand when she’s not expecting it or gently rubbing her back. Little touchy things like that mean a lot. Rub her arm when you’re reading the paper or do little things like foot and hand massages. Women love that.

Be Considerate: We appreciate the little things like holding a door open or not walking ahead of us. If we’re sleeping make sure you turn out the light when you leave. Show her you care by picking up after yourself. When you get some dessert out of the fridge ask if she’d like some or make sure you leave some for her. Just basic consideration is so important to us.

Thoughtfullness: This may sound like consideration, but it goes a little further. Being thoughtful of her needs goes a long way. Maybe give her a call from work just to see how she’s doing. While we love that we don’t want to be smothered with a bunch of calls all day long. Bring something home for her when you go to the store, like some fresh flowers (I know that’s cliché, but that’s because it works) or maybe some of her favorite ice cream…just because. This shows us that you are thinking of us and that makes us feel important and special.

Those 2 words important and special should be burned into your brain. If you can always make a woman feel important and special you will be an irrisistable Chick Magnet.

How would you like to have your own vacation home? Now this wouldn’t be the same place every time you took a vacation, but ideally it would be a lovely vacation home with all the amenities and would be wherever you wanted to go, when you wanted to go there.

Sounds, too good to be true? Do you think that only the rich can do that? Not so. Anyone can own the NEW TIMESHARE vacation home. These are typically condominium type resorts and have wonderful amenities, such as laundry facilities right in your room, full kitchens, spa tubs, concierge services, etc. And what’s more, it is completely affordable and probably even costs less than you think.

Most people think that you have to go to a timeshare presentation and sit through the hype and the hard sell and then the prices probably start at around $15,000 and up. The first one we ever saw was $46,000. That seemed way too much to spend and tie up your finances or maybe take out a home equity or other type of financing to pay for it. And you’d probably be paying for a long, long time for your one week of vacation.

But whoever said you have to buy from the timeshare company? You would in fact be paying way too much if you do it this way. Timeshares, while they are very valuable to their owners are not as valuable when you try to resell them. You would actually be better off to hang on to it and rent your week out and make some money that way. At least then you can keep your vacay home and leave it to your children in your will. Buying a timeshare on the resale market is the way to go. You can literally buy a lifetime of vacations for the cost of one timeshare. Buying a timeshare online can save you thousands. The first timeshare we looked at was offered at $46,000. We shopped around and bought the same package for $2700. We would have easily spent that one just one vacation and then had to do it again the next year. This way we’ve already spent the money once and each year we can go wherever we want without spending anymore. Of course you still have your airfare and souvenirs, etc, but what a savings!

I think it does help if you do attend the timeshare presentations and if possible tour the facilities before you decide to buy, but for the most part they are all very similar. Some companies have some resorts they own and then they use exchange programs like RCI and Interval International. This greatly expands your resort network and allows you to vacation worldwide whenever you want.

Timeshares today are based on points systems and your package usually consists of a set number of points with the option to buy more when you choose, either in the form of another package or just by buying more points. We were vacationing at a beautiful brand new 5 star resort in Orlando and we attended an owner’s cocktail party. (there are lots of these gatherings and activities when you own a timeshare) We met a couple who said they are retired and travel one week out of every month. They had kept buying points until they had enough to travel all the time. WOW! That’s what I call retirement!

There are yearly maintenance fees but they are usually nominal and it’s for upkeep of the resorts as well as maid service, concierge and other features. You would pay way more if you just booked a 5 star hotel for a week. For less than the cost of one vacation you can have a lifetime of affordable wonderful vacation memories.

Search the Timeshare Listings NOW!

Today is Veteran’s Day and I want to thank all the men and women who have served or are currently serving our country. We are so greatful for all you do and it is because of you that we have the freedoms that we have. There aren’t enough words to thank you for your contributions.

God Bless You All!