THE CAT’S MEOW
FOR WRITERS & READERS
Issue 04, Vol. 05
© March 10, 2005
“THE CAT’S MEOW FOR WRITERS & READERS”
Published by: Rosanne Catalano, (aka R.C. Kayla)
Writer/Author and Ezine/newsletter Chief Editor
For her official author website – http://www.rosannecatalano.net
Editor and Proofreader: Nancy
Peckford, writer/assistant, who resides in
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S
CORNER:
by
Rosanne Catalano – www.rosannecatalano.net
Hello dear readers, hope you are having a great March so far… only a month and a half for those living in northern states, and then the warmer weather will be here again!
This month I would love for you all to read more of Heidi Lynn (“Dizzy”) Metzger’s poems… Only these poems are not published online or elsewhere (though they should be)! I will have to admit that after receiving these I cried my eyes out – that is how emotionally moving and well written Ms. Metzger’s poems are, and I hope you, dear readers, feel the same!
I’m also pleased to announce that the response to my request for article submissions’ has been wonderful… Thank you fellow writers! And please do keep them coming. The following are just a few I received in which the authors would like to give you information that you may not know… I hope you will find the following articles as helpful as I have.
The first is written by Barde Frizzette, an author of commercial and residential real estate and resource information; the second is written by Marcio Hesteine, who will be providing useful pointers on things to consider before or when starting a new small business; the third is written by Melinda Printon, an author who would like to educate all my readers about Autism and its affect on everyone’s life – this information, we both feel, would greatly benefit parents and loved one’s of a child or adult suffering with Autism, and educate you about what Autism is; the fourth is written by Fayth Skefington, and it is for all parents with children of school-age about the differences between public-school and home-schooling your child, and the pros and cons of both; the fifth is an informative one on jewelry and the art of body jewelry, which is in vogue today. It is written by Angela Davis of Merry Jewelry, Inc., a resource directory about jewelry on the Internet. The sixth and last article, my dear readers, came from an editor herself… Bonnie Jo Davis of “Articles That Sell.com,” in which I’ll let her article, “Tips & Tricks – Two Ideas for Improving Your Vocabulary” speak for itself… I know you will find Bonnie Jo Davis’ article as heartwarming as I have.
Last, but not least, would love for you all
to know that Ms. Shauri Coleman,
a newly published writer/author, has her very first book out … “Sense
For Dollars”, a children’s mystery novel, is FINALLY available! It can be purchased online at
Barnes&Noble.com (www.bn.com) and
Amazon.com. Ms. Shauri Coleman says that she’s sure that it is also available
elsewhere… but you may want to bug your local bookstore to get more copies in
stock, and don’t forget to ask for it at your library! Ms.
Coleman and I met through a writer’s group called “Mystery Writers Corner” in which I joined for peer support and
advice with writing a mystery (am
currently still working on that mystery story, and when it is completed, will
definitely let you all know!)… In the meantime, please do check out Shauri’s first novel and her author web
site at http://www.geocities.com/shauricoleman
in which she also writes a newsletter.
Her web site is still a work-in-progress as she is working on getting a better
site up soon… And we are both working on having
Ms. Coleman’s newsletter available through my author site also; Stay tuned
dear readers!… As per Shauri Coleman’s
permission to me, I will have a link to her author site in which you will be
able to read her site newsletter and order her book, “Sense For Dollars” from my site. Shauri, Congratulations on having your novel
published!
Please do enjoy the below poems and helpful articles supplied by all my wonderful contributing writers, poets, authors and editors... Hope your holidays are healthy, happy and full of wonderful moments with loved ones. Till next month, have a great March everyone!
©
2005 by Rosanne Catalano
(aka
R.C.Kayla)
writer/author and ezine/newsletter chief editor
http://www.rosannecatalano.net
“The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers” ezine chief editor
COFFEE HOUSE 4
POETS & WRITERS:
(Every month highlighting artistic talent)
·
FEATURED
POET: HEIDI LYNN (“DIZZY”) METZGER
“MOTLEY”
by
Heidi L. Metzger
written
on 2-10-2005
How could you do this to me?
You told me you didn’t want to hurt me
It happened anyway
You sit with her
You hug her
You kiss her
You hold her
You think it is not gonna hurt me?
I told you I will never stop loving you
and that’s the concrete truth
But you ask me to stay
and I watch you love her
More and more every day
It’s like you stabbed me in the heart
I am slowly dying
But just remember
and I hope you always do
I will never stop loving you
© February 2005 by Heidi L. Metzger
“LOVE HURTS”
by
Heidi L. Metzger
written
on 2-10-2005
There’s a pain I have
so deep in my heart
It is burning so bad
it is tearing me completely apart
I love him so much
I love him so bad
How could he hurt me like this?
He says he loves me
He says he cares
But if he does
then he knows it hurts
Why?
My heart hurts so bad
© February 2005 by Heidi Lynn Metzger
“WHAT HAPPENED TO MY WORLD?”
by
Heidi L. Metzger
What is going on in this world today?
I don’t know
It is so confusing
That my head keeps spinning
And I can’t make it stop.
Where is all this violence coming from?
I was not brought up that way
People killing people over little things like shoes
Kids bringing guns to school everyday
I was not brought up that way.
I hate the fact that my kids were born
when there is a war going on
I hate the fact that my kids know violence
What happened to the world I grew up in??
© 2005 Heidi L. Metzger
“IN MEMORY OF MATTHEW
October 8, 1999 to October 8, 1999”
by
Heidi L. Metzger
All of a sudden he was there,
but now he is gone,
Not a breath went into his lungs,
not able to see his mom,
but his heart did beat,
He had all 10 fingers and all 10 toes,
but he never saw light,
He died before he could live.
so tiny but yet so beautiful,
He was here for only a short time,
but he was gone in an instant,
he died before he could live…
© 2005 Heidi L. Metzger
__
PERMISSION
TO REPUBLISH THESE POEMS WAS GIVEN (2005).
Okay, now pass the tissues so we can wipe our tears; those were very moving and I’m still crying here… Please do stay tuned for more of Heidi L. Metzger’s poems in the May 10th, 2005 ezine! In next month’s ezine, I will feature another published poet & writer, Eveline Maedel; please stay tuned for Ms. Maedel’s wonderful poems and short story, “Cat’s Eye View”! Now as promised readers, the below articles were reproduced with permission. The first one is written by Barde Frizzette, an author of real estate articles. I hope you will find it as helpful and informative as I did. You see, dear readers, as a secretary I once worked in the real estate title industry (yep, typed title reports and other legal documents), and even went to residential homes to do visual inspections for the company. I found that job exciting and interesting while I was there….
“How the Realtor’s Business Works”
by Barde Frizzette – www.realtorg.com
Real Estate is one of the oldest professions. Realtors are even referred to in the Holy Bible. But, what exactly does a realtor do? Basically, a realtor is the person who acts as a mediator in the following operations:
n
n Finding credits or mortgage loans
n Assisting with the administration if rental properties
n Organizing real estate cooperatives or similar real estate entities, or civil associations.
n Attributing values in the real estate market studies, or real estate feasibility studies.
But the main function of a realtor is to negotiate the supply and demand of real estate. Basically, the realtor puts together the interested parties in a real estate venture, representing the property for sellers and finding interested parties to buy the property. The realtor provides a service that helps move real estate transactions along.
Some people may try to sell their property themselves without the service of a realtor. Generally, homeowners don’t experience much success when selling on their own and turn to the realtor for some expert advise. People try to sell their own home because they want to minimize real estate transaction fees, like the realtor’s commission. The realtor advertises the property and can find more interested parties than the homeowner can do on their own. Of course, this service isn’t free, the homeowner pays for this service with a percentage of the sale price of the property.
Buyers also use realtor’s services to their advantage. The real estate agent assists the buyer in finding the home that best fits their needs among all the homes that are available for sale. In this case, the realtor helps both parties: the buyer of the home and the seller of the home. There are two contracts for the realtor services, and commission is paid by each party at the close of the home sale.
The realtor usually isn’t directly involved in preparing the contracts, but his or her role is to negotiate agreement as to the contract. The realtor doesn’t have any guarantees in the sales process. For instance, if the home doesn’t ultimately close, the realtor will be out the time and money spent advertising and showing the home. If the sale falls through because of the buyer, the realtor is out the time spent showing the house and negotiating the contract. But it’s worth the risk – if the sale goes through, the realtor gets a healthy sales commission.
A good realtor is always advised by lawyers, who help him elaborating the contracts. They also count on accountants’ advising (fiscal adviser).
© 2005 Barde Frizzette
__
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Barde Frizzette writes commercial and residential real estate articles. Find this article and more at Realtor G., Inc., a resource for realtor information, which can be found at http://www.realtorg.com on the web.
PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH THIS ARTICLE WAS GIVEN
(2005).
Another great article, written by Marcio Hesteine, gives sound advice for anyone wanting to start their own business… or have ‘ideas’ on starting their own business, but are not sure what to specialize in. I’m sure you will feel it is as helpful and informative as it was for me!
“CHOOSING THE RIGHT IDEA FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS”
by Marcio Hesteine – www.fbwbusiness.com
When you have several small business ideas, you have taken the first step to starting a successful business venture. However, taking an idea for a small business and making it successful takes a lot of work and effort. Being successful is not guaranteed, but your initial determination and dedication can help your chances. The small business ideas themselves are just the beginning of the journey. You will need to answer many questions and take a lot of steps to start your small business.
Think about all your quality skills and what you can physically and mentally do when you come up with small business ideas. Also, your small business ideas should focus around those skills and abilities you have that you enjoy doing. If you hate the outdoors, starting a landscaping or lawn mowing service may not be the right small business idea for you to focus on!
However, starting a baby-sitting or tutoring service may be just the ticket for you if you love working with children and helping them mature and grow. Focusing on what you enjoy is the key to being successful, because you will remain dedicated to making your small business work instead of losing interest and moving on to something else.
Just your interest and skill is not adequate unless there is a market demand for the service in your area. Market forces would dictate the business you choose to select from amongst the many ideas. You will need to assess the small and large businesses that may already be in the area as competitors. It is rare nowadays for you to be the only one providing that particular service in the area. Another criterion to consider, when evaluating business ideas, is its potential to generate repeat business and customers. A business with repeat customers is always superior to one in which the customer requires the service just once. If it is the latter, you would have to constantly look for new customers which can be tough, especially if there is competition.
Another important aspect is the uniqueness of the service you provide, the add-ons available and the little something special that no one else is providing. This will allow you to differentiate your service from your competitors and give your customers reasons for picking you over them. Quality is another aspect that you should take seriously right from the beginning. Customers seldom return to a business that is not consistent in its quality and that is a recipe for things to go wrong.
© 2005 by Marcio Hesteine
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MORE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Marcio Hesteine is the principal and coordinator of FBW Business, Inc., which is a premier resource for business information. To see more of Marcio’s work, go to http://www.fbwbusiness.com.
PERMISSION
TO REPUBLISH THIS ARTICLE WAS GIVEN (2005).
The below information I feel everyone should know and have about Autism, a misunderstood condition… Melinda Printon, of Full Info on Autism, would love to help my dear readers know and understand all there is about Autism and living with this … I know you will all find it as helpful as I have….
“UNDERSTANDING AND LIVING WITH AUTISM”
by Melinda Printon – www.fiautism.com
Autism is a disability affecting human development. Daily life can be extremely hard for those living with an autistic child or adult. Most of us don’t understand this condition and how everyone around it is affected.
Generally speaking, autism is diagnosed when a child is between 18 and 36 months. Since there are no physical symptoms, it’s very hard to diagnose. Autism is known as a spectrum disorder since it affects people in so many ways. Parents usually become aware of it when their child is at the normal age for speaking and developing cognitive skills. Autism now occurs more frequently in children than Down syndrome. For some reason, more boys have it than girls, and unfortunately, there isn’t a cure.
The contributory factors for autism disorder are many and there is no specific cause. Biochemical and genetic problems connected to the brain have certain differences. It is also said that food allergies can be a cause for autism.
Though each child with autism experiences this problem differently, there is a common symptom. Most of them are deficient of communication and social skills. Some children have a lesser rate of learning than normal, while in other children, generally before 36 months they begin to regress after a normal development.
Children with autism do not engage in pretend games that require active imagination. They are generally withdrawn and stay away from other children. Another sign of autism is that the child will exhibit repetitive behaviour like moving back and forth. In severe cases the child may not speak at all, whereas in other cases they will display normal growth but at a slightly slower rate.
Handling autism cases in the family can be very exhausting and draining, both mentally and physically. It is very difficult to live with a child with autism. As a result many parents remain withdrawn from friends and families. There are many support groups, though, that are available who offer help to deal with the problems that come in life when autism is there.
Every child is different and thus the treatment tried will have different results. Though there is no cure for autism, various options are available to be tried to improve the communication skills of your child. A possible treatment could be to include the child with autism in the class with normal children.
Consult your doctor and find out about the possible lines of treatment. Thereafter, try and identify the one best suited for your child. It has to be done purely on a case-to-case basis. It has also been noticed that some children do better when they are put in a class along with other children with autism.
Before trying any possible treatment one must discuss it with their doctor. Help must be taken from online forums in cases that require it. It is a scary prospect to live with a child with autism, but it has been seen that these children can also lead a full and happy life. It is possible to deal with autism and not inhibit your life too much by educating oneself and others around you.
© 2005 by Melinda Printon
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MORE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melinda Printon is the chief editor for “Full Info on Autism,” the best place on the internet for information about Autism. For more resource articles and information on Autism, why not visit her at http://www.fiautism.com/articles....
PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH THIS ARTICLE WAS GIVEN
(2005).
For all my readers who are parents of school-age children, the article to follow is definitely informative info on public-schooling versus home-schooling, written by Fayth Skefington of FIX Education, a resource directory on the internet….
“PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND HOME SCHOOLING –
THE PROS AND
CONS”
by Fayth Skefington – www.fixeducation.com
A child’s education is a critical aspect both in the life of the child and his or her parents. Parents realize that the child will have to bear the consequences of their decision whether right or wrong. Parents have both the options available to them; they can either put their child into a public school or have him tutored at home. Both study types have their pros and cons and may be suited at one point or the other in a child’s life. It is certainly not a clear cut decision where one is definitely better than the other. The parents have to rely on their own decision-making powers and beliefs.
When studying at home a child gets the complete attention of his tutor and is able to sometimes achieve a better understanding. On the other hand at home he does not have access to all the facilities such as libraries, labs, various equipment that are accessible at a public school. Public school may provide these facilities but it may fail to give the one-on-one training possible at home. This one-on-one training is particularly good in cases and subjects where the child needs extra help.
There is one clear aspect of the public school education. That is- the child is tied down in to a regular routine and cannot deviate from it. This divides his day into clear fields where there is a specific time for study and play. This can be advantageous in helping his/her learning process in the long term. While if he/she is studying at home, then there are strong chances that he/she may try to deviate from his/her routine on one or the other pretext such as sleeping late, playing without time, etc. He/she is also able to influence his parents leading to a general reduction in the time spent in studying.
Children who study at home may run the risk of not fully developing their social skills. This is in part due to the lack of interaction that they have with other children in daily life. There are also other home schooling groups which organize outings together but it may not always be possible to attend them. Home studying children could also experience social shyness and become reclusive. This can turn into a serious problem not easily solved.
As you have seen there are no clear cut decisions available. Parents have to make their choice on the basis of their child’s capabilities and requirements. Not only do they have to analyze the academic development of the child, but they also have to look at his social development. It may be advisable in some cases to experiment with both systems and see which one the child responds best to.
© 2005 Fayth Skefington
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MORE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Fayth Skefington is a former teacher who runs FixEducation, a complete resource directory at your fingertips on everything from back to school supplies, preschool curriculum, to graduate education and much more. For more information, please go to http://www.fixeducation.com/newsletters on the internet.
PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH THIS ARTICLE WAS GIVEN
(2005).
The next article is an informative one for all my young (or young-at-heart) readers, and may even be helpful to those who love jewelry so much they wear it on every part of their bodies! It is written by Angela Davis of Merry Jewelry.com….
“BODY JEWELRY: AN UNUSUAL WAY OF ENHANCING THE BEAUTY
OF YOUR OWN BODY”
by Angela Davis – www.merryjewelry.com
Since ancient times body jewelry has been a part of the culture and heritage of different religions. It has been known to be an essential part of the clothing and appearance of the people in many regions of the world. At different parts of time through the centuries it was also used to signify the class demarcations prevalent in society at that point in time.
However, in recent times it has acquired a new dimension. Body jewelry has never been in such high demand. The human body is not merely a body, it is a piece of art which has its own innate beauty and body jewelry is the perfect way to enhance the beauty of your body. Not only can you decorate your body with it, but you can also use it to bring into focus certain parts of your body or to enhance the beauty of certain parts.
Body jewelry items are usually for particular places on the human body. These more common places for body jewelry include the nose, eyebrow, nipple, ear lobes and naval, along with ear plugs (both curved and straight barbells). As fashion trends keep changing, the various parts where you can use body jewelry and the manner in which you can use it also keeps changing.
Nose body jewelry comes either in the classic captive circular barbell, or in the form of a nose screw. The nose screw can either be jeweled or plain, depending upon your preference. Eyebrow body jewelry is similar to that of the nose, in the sense that the eyebrow body jewelry also has the small captive barbell. This is now being made with a dangling, sparkling charm to hang from the upper most part of your eyebrow barbell. The eyebrow body jewelry can be either curved or straight with a charm of any style or color dangling from the top.
Nipple and naval body jewelry is one of the more popular types of body jewelry, it is especially popular amongst the youth or the more adventurous in spirit. Nipple body jewelry includes the nipple barbells and the nipple shields. Naval body jewelry designs are also endless.
Whatever kind of body jewelry you use or wear it is important to keep some pointers in mind. Such as what kind of material is that specific body jewelry made of, is your skin allergic to it and is the piercing for the body jewelry done in a sterile and antiseptic environment.
This kind of jewelry is available for almost every conceivable part of your body. There are endless styles, designs, colors and textures in which body jewelry is made. Whatever your budget, whether it is low end or high end; body jewelry is available in every range to suit your pocket as well as your tastes.
Body jewelry is not merely a decorative fixture; it is also a personal style statement. You can use it to bring attention or to take away attention from a specific part of your body. It is quite in vogue these days and has been in existence since time immemorial. If you have the attitude and the panache you can carry off any kind of body jewelry.
© 2005 by Angela Davis
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MORE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
If you’re looking for more information about jewelry, please go to “Merry Jewelry.com,” where Angela Davis is the publisher of “Merry Jewelry” – The Complete Resource Directory on the Web for Jewelry… Please do check out more Jewelry articles on her web site at http://www.merryjewelry.com/archive.
PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH THIS ARTICLE WAS GIVEN
(2005).
The next article is written by Bonnie Jo Davis, the owner and founder of “Articles That Sell.com” on the Internet, and publisher/editor of her newsletter, “Articles That Sell Update.” Please do enjoy what Bonnie Jo Davis writes for her dear readers/subscribers… The article below that she gave permission to publish here is just a sampling of all the other helpful tips and tricks she has to offer other writers/authors out there… If interested writers, do check out Bonnie Jo Davis’ web site; I myself find her information very helpful in writing and editing this ezine!
“VI. ARTICLE SUBMISSION TIPS & TRICKS – TWO IDEAS
FOR IMPROVING YOUR VOCABULARY”
by Bonnie Jo Davis – www.ArticlesThatSell.com
My late grandmother had an outstanding vocabulary despite the fact that she did not even finish high school. How did she improve her vocabulary you ask?
She worked on crossword puzzles whenever she had a minute to spare. Her crossword puzzle books and newspapers sat on a table next to her recliner along with a dictionary. Duplicate my grandmother’s vocabulary success and have more fun by spending some time everyday completing crossword puzzles.
Another technique for increasing your vocabulary is as simple as purchasing a dictionary and memorizing the pronunciation and meaning of a new word every day. Many people have used this method with great success!
© 2005 Bonnie Jo Davis
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MORE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Bonnie Jo Davis is one very busy lady these days… she had a whirlwind start to the new year with her membership site growing steadily, and her reviews for new submission sites have been very positive. Her contact information is:
Bonnie
Jo Davis, Publisher/Editor
29941 Aventura, Suite K, PMB 101
Rancho
http://www.ArticlesThatSell.com/
http://www.ArticleSubmissionSites.com
http://www.DavisVirtualAssistance.com/
PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH THIS ARTICLE WAS GIVEN (2005).
And, now, my wonderful readers, I am giving the spotlight over to my dear assistant, Nancy Peckford, who has been helping so much with this ezine and redesigning my author web site, while working a full-time job, as a writer for lawyers, and going to school at night for technical writing classes and working on-the-side on her first-ever book, a novel… please give her a round of applause for being a true-life angel to me, and do enjoy what she wants to say to all our readers….
**** NOTE FROM
THE EDITOR: ****
by Nancy
Peckford – www.webwriterworx.tripod.com
I would like to thank Rosanne for providing this spot in her March ezine for a bit of my own writing. As she mentioned above, I have been assisting her in an editing and proofreading capacity over the last few months. I have also been working on a dynamic new web site for her. Hopefully we’ll pull this all together over the next little while and our readers will have the option of reading “The Cat’s Meow for Writer’s & Readers” when they receive it via email each month OR they can go to Rosanne’s author site and read it online.
Further to Rosanne’s mention above about my technical writing education… I have reached the next rung in the ladder of my success. I officially graduated as a certified technical writer on February 21, 2005. This is a very satisfying accomplishment for me and I wanted to share this great news with our readers! This means that I should have more time to work on that novel that has been waiting patiently for me to finish the business of writing and get on with the pleasure of writing. Unfortunately, as so many of us writers know, that probably will not happen. I will find other business-like writing ventures that will drag me away from my most pleasurable pursuit of working on my novel. Perhaps someday the spirits within my story will rise to the pages from the depths of my mind, and write themselves into existence. Here’s hoping!
As always, I’m looking forward to next month’s issue. Have a wonderful month readers!
-written & published by Rosanne Catalano (a/k/a R.C.Kayla), writer/author and ezine/newsletter chief editor; © March 10, 2005.
-editing & proofreading
by Nancy Peckford, writer/web
designer/ezine, newsletter editor and Rosanne’s assistant.