Lifestyle
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2021: The Year I Became an Author
Shall we say 2021 deserved a nicer shelf life than one filled with hate and despair?
Think back to it, so I don’t have to get into the details. This wasn’t the best year I’ve ever had (that was in 2018), but yeah, it was memorable in more ways than one.
To start off, I finished the final season of MLP:FiM! I left off at season 7 before that and enjoyed the last three seasons. The creators called it quits after season 9, by the way. I did, however, give their spin-off a shot: Pony Life. I LOVED it! Still waiting for Season 2 to be available elsewhere besides YouTube’s paid service.
Onto a political note (though it shouldn’t be :/), my mom and I got ourselves tested for COVID after we received a not-so-pleasant surprise from a relative. Mom and I tested negative, thank goodness!
Love in the time of COVID? Ehh.
This year I rented a PO box for the first time. It was needed for the specific reason I signed up for a newsletter service. Addresses apply, that’s why.
In the spring into summer, I obtained helpful marketing tips months before my book’s publication date. A chat with cozy mystery writer Melissa Storm paid off those sessions.
I can’t put this aside: in winter, I was flaring up with Cosynd, the copyright law company, after months of silence from them. It turned out to be a misunderstanding.
Spring was where I emailed a countless number of individuals and publishing companies if they’d like to review my book. Spring was when I officially made a professional account on Instagram last time I checked.
Summer, quite obvious here. That’s the season I became an author.
June 30, to be exact!
Somewhere along the way, I turned into an official GoodReads author! I have an Amazon Author profile and profiles elsewhere on many bookshop websites. More like biographies.
After going through trials of three separate website builders (I couldn’t settle on which one was less of a hassle to work with), I decided upon WordPress.org. While up until this point, the format could look more put-together, I will work out another theme once I find one that fits my budget.Seriously, the summer would not be complete had I not traveled to my cousin’s wedding. That weekend, I had a ride up through NY up to MA. Although it was about a 26-hour vacation, it still made my weekend! Hurricane Henri turned up, and how lucky we were to have made it through unscathed!
The fall was when my editor tried time and again to turn my book into an ebook. No joke, it took about two months until completion! I had to tell myself the next time I do this, I need to find another publishing company that can make my book into two editions without draining me of money. Or I can go with ComiXology, even.
Ebook publishing is not as simple as I imagined. đ
In late September, what stands out in my memory, was when I emailed author and illustrator Marc Brown; I wanted his permission to feature him on my blog. What do you know? On that day, a Saturday, he responded within the hour! It was okay with him!
As for the rest of the year, I tumbled (Tumblr) for a first, finally switched to ConvertKit, and received a review or two for my book.
After losing my grandmother to COVID, I lost another relative to it, not even a year later after losing her. I spoke with R2H on Zoom. I kind of made a new friend when my college friend and this newish friend met up at the mall, weeks after the birth of Omicron. At last, I tried ShakeShack.
2021 was a pisser! 2022 better be a more agreeable year! Let this just be like a repeat of the Spanish flu and be over after exactly two years! -
November-My Birthday Month, Birthstone and More
Photo by Maksim Goncharenok on Pexels.com My Birthday Month, Birthstone and More
November: the eleventh month of the year, the coldest autumnal month, the month veterans have their celebrations, and we give thanks.
Hey, November happens to be my birthday month! Today, November 17th! In 1997, on a cold Monday night, a screaming, somewhat underweight baby was born. That red-faced strawberry (as I was dubbed; thanks, family) grew into a short, quiet, multi-talented me.
I fall under the Zodiac sign of Scorpio. As for my Chinese Zodiac, that is the mighty Ox.
‘Kay, into the specifics. Time to crush your meditative wellbeing. Your mindset, rather. Zodiac signs fall into astrology, like tarot cards and that horoscope shitty-shitty-bang-bang.
Astrology is a fake science! Sor-ry! Time magazine points out (they’re not the only ones that do) that astrology is fake science, science for fun. This isn’t to say you must stop a) performing b) following c) contemplating astrology. I learned this a while back, the lies of it! I didn’t put a stop to reading about astrology now and then, nor writing about this post.
Set aside the crushing truth I told you and get to know my Scorpio. Scorpio’s constellation is visible in the night sky during July and August. Known as Scorpius, rather. It doesn’t resemble a scorpion but more so a J or curved tail.
Photo by Sharath G. on Pexels.com Because Canva no longer allows free downloads of graphics :<
What about Scorpio–when are you a Scorpio? When you’ve hatched–ahem, sorry–a Scorpio is from October 24 to November 22. Such of their traits is protectiveness; they’re attached, they are a determined person. They are also known to be passionate, brave, resourceful, powerful, and true friends.
What’s more, Scorpios tend to like a good fight; when they’re right, they like to win; mysteries, truth, facts, talents, and teasing. They don’t like those who don’t mind their own business, dishonesty, secrets revealed and small talk. Their weaknesses are distrust, jealousy, manipulation, and violence.
Some other fun facts: Scorpios have the water element; their ruler is Mars (such as the planet), and their colors are red, scarlet, and rust.
I’m going by research, don’t ask what these have to do with anything!;)
Now, what about Chinese Zodiac signs? The animals associated with them rotate each year. My birth year was ’97, making my animal the Ox. What do you know, this year in 2021, it was the Ox again! I completely forgot!
Like our Zodiac signs, the Chinese Zodiac signs have specific traits associated with them. The Ox is considered determined and reliable. New to me, there are also elements assigned to them. If I’m reading it correctly, the elements differ by birth year. The elements are standard and exact: earth, fire, wood, metal, and water. For my birth year, it looks like my element is fire. Those with the element of fire are restless, animated, and love laughing. This is according to the Show Me Book.
Photo by Skully MBa on Pexels.com
Moving on to the November birthstone, topaz: topaz is best known for its brilliant yellow luminescence. However, orange, brown, pink, and light blue are other colors the topaz revel in.
In case you didn’t know, each month has its birth flower! Sounds funny, doesn’t it?
I’m visiting my birth flower today. She’s 101 years old.
Photo by TGH on Pexels.com This was one of the same graphics I found on Canva, prior to the unpleasant surprise that I need a paid account to download all my works made with Canva now! Including sharing them! Thanks, guys! How many paid accounts can one possibly have??!
We have birthdays, birthstones, birth years, birth months, birthplaces, birth parents, birthday parties, birthday buddies–
I can totally rattle off who my birthday buddies are: actress Rachel McAdams, director Martin Scorsese, actor Danny DeVito, diplomat Susan Rice! I never knew I shared a birthday with Susan Rice until I researched this.
Anyhoodle, November’s birth flower is the chrysanthemum.
Anyone recall the picture book with that title? By Kevin Henkes? It’s a cute one that my momsie’s read to me. There’s an animated version of it from Scholastic that I’ve watched long ago. That was when VHS existed. . .
Anydoodle, famous November birthdays include Hilary Rodham Clinton and Jodie Foster.
Going off-topic, back in 2016, it was required in my health class to take the Myers-Briggs personality test. It coincided with our career choices for college. Mine is INFJ, standing for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, Judging. I won’t go into full-blown detail about it.
I pleasantly discovered which Disney princess shares my personality type: Elsa!What did you find intriguing or shocking in this post? Anything you want to share? Please share in the comments below! Scorpios (in spirit) unite!
Sources:
Dower, Laura. For Girls Only: Everything Great about Being a Girl. Feiwel and Friends/Hallmark Books, 2010.
Fagerstrom, Derek, and Lauren Smith. Show Me How!: 500 Things You Should Know: Instructions for Life from the Everyday to the Exotic. Collins & Brown, 2009.
Old Farmer’s Almanac. âNovember Birth Flower.â Old Farmer’s Almanac, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 8 Oct. 2021, https://www.almanac.com/november-birth-flower.
Old Farmer’s Almanac. âNovember Birth Flower.â Old Farmer’s Almanac, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 8 Oct. 2021, https://www.almanac.com/november-birth-flower.
âScorpio Zodiac Sign Scorpio Horoscope.â Astrology Zodiac Signs, https://www.astrology-zodiac-signs.com/zodiac-signs/scorpio/.
Waxman, Olivia B. âAre Zodiac Signs Real? Here’s the History behind Horoscopes.â Time, Time, 21 June 2018, https://time.com/5315377/are-zodiac-signs-real-astrology-history/.
DeLarge, Alex. âI Always Knew Pocahontas and I Were Kindred Spirits (of the Wind).â Imgur, Imgur, 24 Apr. 2014, https://imgur.com/gallery/DKjUi81.
âAdvocate Personality.â 16Personalities, https://www.16personalities.com/infj-personality. -
YouTube Channels I Love That I’m Subscribed To
Back in my day, YouTube was the video search engine where you sought out music videos. Where you saw Madonna whip it good. Or to watch uncomfortable homemade clips without the slightest inkling of what was to occur next.
Had TeacherTube ever really “made it?”
Goodness, then I couldn’t keep up with the changes! Make an account to save your fav vids or to make your own! Pay for YouTube Red! Oh, now it’s Premium. I’m already behind the times. Ads that blocked our enjoyment as we hoped to finish watching Bad Lip Reading! Go back to the way you were, YouTube!
As if all technology seems to go through puberty and adolescence, so did YouTube, where if you wanted all your videos saved in one place, make an account. Add those to a subscription.
Did I ever! I’ll barf out all my subscriptions right here!I believe in the power of education. How weird that must sound. I think not. As I’ve aged–and not like cheese–I’ve found to learn something new every day is rewarding. That’s where I take you to The Infographics Show. Their animated videos are done in infographics, complete with voiceover. This YouTube channel has thousands of content is uploaded daily. It covers topics from animals, countries, history, the human body, natural disasters, the paranormal, sickness, technology, and war. Broken down, each video details statistics, wicked facts, and recent updates on what it covers. I say updates because there is an abundance on the channel that mentions reality: a survival story, an actual person. Most recently–in the past year–there were uploads on the coronavirus. There you go. I find this channel addicting, rife with endless content you never knew you never knew.
I didn’t use to imagine myself as a YouTube kind of person. Can’t take it back now.
There will be more posts about YouTube! So have you heard of any of these channels? Watch any of them? Let me know in the comments!!
While I did ask for the following for their permission: Buzzfeed, Elliandra, Merman Simmer, Merrily Kristin, Tasty, and Tucker Budzyn, I did not hear back from them for comment.
Sources:
Entertainment, 3 Arts. YouTube, Bad Lip Reading, YouTube, 22 Mar. 2011, www.youtube.com/user/BadLipReading.
Buzzfeed, director. YouTube, BuzzFeed Video. BuzzfeedVideo, YouTube, 10 Aug. 2011, www.youtube.com/c/BuzzFeedVideo/about.
âBuzzFeed.com.â BuzzFeed, BuzzFeed, Inc., Nov. 2006, www.buzzfeed.com/.
Meal Swaps, YouTube, BuzzFeed Video, 21 June 2021, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5vtqDuUM1DlR4z2DN_YpQAOxrR9zY12g.
Food Swaps, YouTube, BuzzFeed Video, 13 Aug. 2021, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5vtqDuUM1DnT3fh2UZGf20LSgiTB7OPC.
Trying Other People’s Food, YouTube/BuzzFeed Video, 13 Aug. 2021, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5vtqDuUM1Dk_e_U3KtNJm083SqH3bOH4.
Cieszynski, Zach. Police Try Playing Grand Theft Auto 5 Without Breaking Any Laws Professionals Play, YouTube/BuzzFeed Video, Apr. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JxL7qaDk9w&t=6s.
Kang, Sean. Baristas Guess Which Coffee Is $100, YouTube/BuzzFeed Video, 15 Oct. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hGM8ARkBG8.
Elliandra. Elliandra, YouTube/Elliandra, 29 Aug. 2016, www.youtube.com/c/Elliandra.
Elliandra. Create a Sim, YouTube/Elliandra, 19 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxfFiM36790Ol0bVhhf5GJJKlOXGiMJlO.
Elliandra. Sims 4 House Building, YouTube/Elliandra, 9 Oct. 2019, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxfFiM36790MQdE4AEUNEFxugBSW_wXo2.
âGameChangers EA.â Ea.com, EA, 2018, www.ea.com/game-changers.
Elliandra. Sims 4 House Building, YouTube/Elliandra, 9 Oct. 2019, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxfFiM36790MQdE4AEUNEFxugBSW_wXo2.
Simmer, Merman. Merman Simmer, YouTube/Merman Simmer, 24 Mar. 2015, www.youtube.com/c/MermanSimmer.
Simmer, Merman. Sims 4 Mermaid Tail, YouTube/Merman Simmer, 14 July 2021, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgFAaICl0aOygrbmB1JIl3Fi5AtbvYtz0.
Simmer, Merman. Winx, YouTube/Merman Simmer, 16 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgFAaICl0aOyNKujbSZC51mfpp4OniUmk.
Simmer, Merman. Disney, YouTube/Merman Simmer, 21 Oct. 2019, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgFAaICl0aOyYPv_1KSEQqNwsIrS1giVy.
Simmer, Merman. League of Legends, YouTube/Merman Simmer, 27 July 2020, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgFAaICl0aOzY8W-QhtUJbqC_XpVX30Kr.
Hackett, Kristin, director. Performance by Kristin Hackett, Merrily Kristin, Merrily Kristin, 2013, www.youtube.com/c/MerrilyKristin.
Hackett, Kristin. âWelcome to MERRILY KRISTIN!â Welcome to Merrily Kristin, Merrily Kristin/801red, 15 Nov. 2020, www.merrilykristin.com/2020/11/15/welcome-to-merrily-kristin/.
Hackett, Kristin. âMini-Reviews #2: With the Fire on High, Say Yes Summer & Love, Creekwood.â Merrily Kristin, Merrily Kristin/801red, 18 Dec. 2020, www.merrilykristin.com/2020/12/18/mini-reviews-2-with-the-fire-on-high-say-yes-summer-love-creekwood/.
Hackett, Kristin. âHarry Potter Store VR Experience.â Merrily Kristin, Merrily Kristin/801red, 14 July 2021, www.merrilykristin.com/2021/07/14/harry-potter-store-vr-experience/.
Hackett, Kristin. âClaudette, All the Bookstores & Ice Cream (Obviously).â Merrily Kristin, Merrily Kristin/801red, 30 June 2021, www.merrilykristin.com/2021/06/30/claudette-all-the-bookstores-ice-cream-obviously/.
Hackett, Kristin. âParty Planning: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.â Merrily Kristin, Merrily Kristin/801red, 12 Sept. 2018, www.merrilykristin.com/2018/09/12/to-all-the-boys-ive-loved-before/.
Hackett, Kristin. âBest Movies of 2020.â Merrily Kristin, Merrily Kristin/801red, 4 Jan. 2021, www.merrilykristin.com/2021/01/04/best-movies-of-2020/.
Hackett, Kristin. âAbout.â Merrily Kristin, Merrily Kristin/801red, 12 Dec. 2020, www.merrilykristin.com/origin-story/.
Tasty, YouTube/Tasty/BuzzFeed, 22 Jan. 2016, www.youtube.com/c/buzzfeedtasty.
Tasty. Tasty Latest and Greatest: Everything You Want to Cook Right Now (An Official Tasty Cookbook). Clarkson Potter, 2017.
Vohra, Dhruv. 7 Recipes That Will Take You to Chocolate Heaven. Tasty, YouTube/Tasty/BuzzFeed, 27 Oct. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkLuCN_7AtY&t=1s.
Soni, Paroma. 8 Rich & Wholesome Fall Soups. Tasty, YouTube/Tasty/Buzzfeed, 24 Sept. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcK9jrAy_GU&t=2s.
Lo, Tiffany, et al. How To Make The Best Strawberry Shortcake You’ll Ever Eat. Tasty, YouTube/Tasty/Buzzfeed, 29 June 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQsjLASGVwA&t=2s.
Soni, Paroma. 7 Bubbly Spiked Drinks To Deliciously Cool You Down. Tasty, YouTube/Tasty/Buzzfeed, 13 Apr. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiyXQ0NMR1E.
Ward, Stevie. 17 Microwavable Late-Night Snacks. Tasty, YouTube/Tasty/Buzzfeed, Nov. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=iARG9TXtlFI.
The Infographics Show, YouTube/The Infographics Show, 26 Feb. 2011, www.youtube.com/c/TheInfographicsShowOFFICIAL.
Incredible Survival Stories, YouTube/The Infographics Show, 26 May 2021, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxwd9rWENEb_seQrosn74ImhaBMfcaKdP.
People With Incredible Stories, YouTube/The Infographics Show, 26 Apr. 2021, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxwd9rWENEb_tu9wFqDBcXUczD_-vKqd9.
What It’s Actually Like To Have The Coronavirus (COVID-19), YouTube/The Infographics Show, 19 Feb. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvArUcf-1V4&list=PLxwd9rWENEb85nFNaT0ZaCcvP_qsAdkrz&index=2.
Budzyn, Courtney, director. Tucker Budzyn, YouTube/Tucker Budzyn, 14 July 2018, www.youtube.com/c/TuckerBudzyn.
Budzyn, Courtney, director. Dog Reviews Food With Baby Puppy | Tucker Taste Test 20, YouTube/Tucker Budzyn, 13 Dec. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpyB54lSpYg&t=84s.
Budzyn, Courtney, director. My Dog Has a Beach House Vacation, YouTube/Tucker Budzyn, 22 Nov. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhXH7W5ESRc.
Budzyn, Courtney, director. This Is What My Dog Does With Hair Clips, YouTube/Tucker Budzyn, 9 Jan. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm1rxbgnBBQ.
Budzyn, Courtney, director. A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!, YouTube/Tucker Budzyn, 5 Sept. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjB9Hk0f5-c.
