Happy Halloween!

Get your trick-or-treat on!  Pass out candy!  Ooh and ahh over the parade of costumed cuties arriving at your door.

Do you celebrate?  We do.  We love everything about it.  One of these days we’ll decorate the way we want.

We love our neighborhood, but hate that so few kids come around.  It can’t be the candy – we pick up good stuff.  We even separate the nut-based candies from the rest.  No lollies or cheap stuff here.  And no judgement about trick-or-treater’s ages.  If you’re in costume,you get candy.

We hope we see a lot of traffic because we have a lot of candy.  If not, I’m sending a bunch with hubby to work.  I so don’t need it staring at or calling me name,

Ultimate Blog Challenge is almost over

What happened to October?  It feels like it just started.

I decided to take part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge to help me get back on track and post more often.  I’ve learned a few things about myself.    

• Yes, I can post 31 posts in as many days.  Some days were post-free, but I made up for them.
• 31 posts in 31 days may be too much for me on a regular basis.  Between work and other blogs, my brain shuts down and my creativity wanes.
• I need to keep a notebook handy so I can jot down ideas.  I used to do it regularly and feel out of habit.
• I really need a pain remedy that doesn’t knock me out.  But I already knew that.

Another good thing about the challenge was the challengers.  I found new blogs to follow and enjoy them. I’ll keep reading into November and beyond.

Did you participate?  What did you learn?

About my work – freelance food writer

People ask me about what I do from home, so I figured I’d share with a little more detail.  First up. food and freelancing. 

I love food.    I love eating, cooking, reading about, and playing with food.  I collect cookbooks and menus.  I love finding new twists on favorite recipes.  I love seeing the look on a loved one’s face when they enjoy something I prepared for them.

I wanted to find a way to do what I love and make money with it.  While searching for a new telecommuting position, I stumbled across a listing for Examiner.com.  I always wanted to write, so I decided to take the plunge.  After all, I had nothing to lose. They liked me, so I became Charleston SC’s Vegetarian Examiner.  I get to play with food more and write about it,

Homemade veggie soup – vegan, quick, and cheap. A standard in cooler months.

From Crazy Sexy Kitchen – a yummy salad of almonds, sunflower seeds, and veggies.

Chickpea Burgers from Grilling Vegan Style. Loved them and so did the omni hubby.

 

If you want to try your hand at writing, consider becoming an Examiner, too.

Finding my passion and finding a way to make it part of how I make my living was important to me.  It’s standard advice for those looking for the right business.  Or anyone looking for peace.  Find your bliss and embrace it.

What’s your passion?

For you

I know you’re scared.

You may feel alone.

Know that even when I’m away from you, I’m by your side.

We all are.  We love you.  We have your back.

 

 

Fraudulent job offer from China

I don’t speak Chinese.  I barely speak Spanish.   But a spammer from China decided to offer me a job.   I’m not the Grammar Police, but still.

—

From: petitaffy_83@outlook.com

Subject:  Job offer: (ID: U815V0321545223)

Good day !

We are searching for persons who are eager to work from their computers in their home. We will provide you with the text from our customer(s) who need their important data edited so that it will read properly for English speaking individuals, and send it back to us.

Payment: by the work
Compensation: $8 for 1 Kb. (1,024 symbols) translated.
Payment time: every month, last business day of each month. (In the US, business days are only Monday thru Friday)
Pay per month is dependant upon scope of work completed.

For example: If you edit 6-7 Kb of text a day you will get about $1000 per month.

Work requirements:

– Must be a US national or have an applicable work permit.
– Have perfect organizational abilities.
– Attention to detail.
– Computer skills and experience, including email.
– Must be at least 22.

Those interested in this opportunity should transfer their contact information to this email :denis.stepanov084@gmail.com . We generally answer within 2 business days, sometimes earlier.

Best regards.

—-

I see this and think the job duties include translating spam like this into English so the scam is harder to spot.  Nice try.

Have you received this one?

Crazy spammers

Ugh, they just do not get it!  I wonder if they’re even trying.

This week I received generic spam.  You know, the boost my libido, find love on these dating sites, and promotional stuff.  I also received two classic scam messages circa mid-1990s.

The PayPal scams are old school.  Scammers send a fake log in link in a message claiming the victim’s account is locked or compromised.  Victims click the link and scammers clear their accounts.   PayPal LTD (accounts@europes-paypal.com) sent me the following message —

—–

Subject:  Your account has been limited until we hear from you 

We requested information from you for the following reason:

We recently received a report of unauthorized credit card use associated with this account.
As a precaution, we have limited access to your PayPal account in order to protect against future unauthorized transactions.

Case ID Number: PP-503-472-569

Please download the form attached to this email and open it in a web browser.
Once opened, you will  have to complete the steps to restore your account access. We appreciate your understanding as we work to ensure account safety.

Sincerely,
PayPal Account Review Department

—–

Yes, a download!  ‘Don’t download anything from anyone you don’t know’ is a standard warning.   I giggled.

The other fraudulent message I received also required a download:

—–

From:  Laurent Sauvage (l.suavage@fg.org)

Subject:  Re: Confirm Receipt of he E-mail//

Confidentially read attached email for further details of the Payment.

—–

Open an attachment on an email found in my spam folder?  Bwahaahaaa!

Ahem, sorry.  I mean no way, no how.

Have you head from lazy spammers lately?  Anything interesting?

Headed to Vacherie!!

If I had time for a road trip!

Noir Naturals

We love this time of year.  It’s time for the Fall Arts ad Crafts Festival at Oak Alley Plantation!  Vacherie is especially lovely in fall, and we love it there.  Come see us on Saturday and Sunday from 9 am – 5 pm.

Because we can’t be in two places at once, our store in Ponchatoula will be closed on Saturday.  As always, our online shop is open 24/7.  Don’t forget the Spooky Savings Sale.

Will you join us on Saturday or Sunday?

 To learn more about Noir Naturals, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, G+, or Pinterest.  Not into social media?  Visit us at NoirNaturals.com to learn more about us, our products, travel schedule, and what else we’re up to.

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Cutest Halloween costume ever

LOVE! I giggled myself silly when I first saw it.  Have you seen it yet?

I want this costume for myself.

Do you do Halloween?  Not your kids, you.  I’ll dress up while giving out candy,  Maybe hubs and I will go out this year.  We haven’t celebrated Halloween at a party  in years.  Something to think about.

 

 

Bigotry

It’s an ugly word and an even uglier state.  I read an article and shared it on Facebook yesterday.  Over 300 comments later (some deleted by the poster), I’m not sure some people get it.

An upstate South Carolina soup kitchen denied an atheist group’s request to pass out care packages to the patrons.   It’s well within the soup kitchen’s rights to deny the request, but the director’s comments about it we’re anything but Christian:

“This is a ministry to serve God” she said. “We stand on the principles of God. Do they (atheists) think that our guests are so ignorant that they don’t know what an atheist is? Why are they targeting us? They don’t give any money. I wouldn’t want their money.”

I take issue with her comments and see them as bigoted.  Some agree with me and some disagree.   I understand not wanting an outside group helping in a church-sponsored facility.   I don’t understand why a difference in belief translates into ‘a disservice to the community’ when the groups share a common goal.

Is it a denial based on the myth that atheists only care about themselves?  Is it a superiority thing?  Is it just the old lesson I was taught about not associating with the unequally yoked?  I am honestly asking, not looking for a fight.

Maybe I just expect too much from people in general.  I believe we all are equal.  Our different points of view, ways of life, sizes, and flavors are beautiful.  Anytime we can recognize and celebrate our similarities is beautiful as well.

Catching up – meeting Joshua Radin!

It’s amazing to me how easily I can fall behind when hubby takes a day off.  It’s not really on him.  I enjoyed our day on Wednesday and it’s not his fault that a migraine decided to crash our rare midweek day of rest.

Hubs and I had date night and took in a concert.   We enjoyed the show, ran into a old buddy, and got to meet Joshua Radin.

Unflattering shot all around, but I still love it. Why a red light, Music Farm?

If you haven’t heard of him, take a listen.  He was even better live.

I’ve realized that I will always look larger than I  am in pictures since my boobs are bigger than my head.

I digress,  Today’s soundtrack is Radin’s Wax Wings.  I’m old school – the CD is playing now.

What are you listening to?