If you are here, check out askpat.typepad.com  That will lead you to another new site of mine.

I may be moving there.

Pat

Just to let you there is a new article on Ezine Articles. DO DOGS REALLY GO TO HEAVEN? I THINK YES! is the title. 

Three ways to get there…1.) Click on the EzineArticles icon on this site or  

2.)Type in the title, in Quotation marks, into Google Search or

3.) Type Patricia Hubbard into Google Search to find it. Mine is the one with the Ezine Articles link on the bottom.

If you didn’t know, you can find much about anyone by typing their name into Google Search.  Type your own name there and see what comes up.  Fascinating!

The new article is about some of my favorite dogs. Enjoy!

More later. Have a good week.

Just got back from seeing “The Bucket List.” It is a great movie for a lot of reasons. Jack Nickleson and Morgan Freeman star in it. Two really great actors.

It so parallels the last post on this site about people who are at an age that they realize there are things they want to do and time is racing at breakneck speed.

Warning: there is language that you would expect from Jack Nickleson, but is done in the context of what is happening to him.

So I won’t give the story away, just suffice it to say, We laughed and cried and went away with a great feeling in our souls. Don’t miss it!

I posted a new article on Ezine on January 1. Today it has received 769 views.  That is a first for 12 days. I am not complaining, mind you, but it is so unusual for so many visitors to view an article in such a short time.  Someone go there and read it and tell me what is so great about this article. I will try to write more just like it.  Maybe some of this internet “testing” is paying off.  Anyway if you went there, Thank you!

It’s a new year and a new month. It is time to try new and interesting things.  You never know what you will learn about yourself.

Right after my husband died, I decided to become a “new me.”   I was leading support group for people who were separated, divorced and widowed and writing a newsletter for a singles group.  My life wasn’t exactly in the pits. But I wanted more. I wanted to expand my horizons, as I had been taking care of my sick husband for 8 of our 15 years together. He was a wonderful person who loved me and made my life peaceful, honest and loving, as compared to my first marriage of deceit and unfaithfulness.

One of the things I wanted to prove to myself was that I could ride a roller coaster, which I had never done.  After three rollercoasters of varying degrees of stupidity, I said, “OK, I’ve done that and won’t do that again! I lost one of my favorite earrings on the last ride, too, darn!

Then I decided to buy myself a bike, which I did, helmet and all.  A group of single friends met every weekend at the boardwalk at the beach. We had a great time breathing in the sea air, exercizing our bodies and meeting new people. 

When we decided to go to the State Park which was an 8 mile trip from the beachfront, I hesitated, but was shamed into going along with the group. It was a fun trip, but I was realizing that I was out of shape and needed to bike more to build myself up physically.

About a month later, the new bridge/tunnel was having a grand opening and decided to let bikers and walkers celebrate by doing the first half of it, as a challenge for us and a news media event for them.  We all decided to take the challenge. I was told by our leader and friend Mike, that it was only 8 1/2 miles long.  I had done the State Park run and made it with some difficulty, but, I said I was game.  About 17 of us carpooled to the site, unloaded our bikes and set out on our journey.  No one told me that this beautiful new bridge/tunnel had hills on it.  It didn’t look that way when you drove it.  Well, I spent as much time walking beside my bike as riding it, up the hills.  And guess what my “friend”  Mike, who said it was only 8 1/2 miles, forgot to tell me?…It was 8 1/2 miles back to the starting point. Duh!!  17 miles of torture and me threating my laughing, friend, that “he would get his!”

 We did have fun and drove to a nice restaurant on the other side of the tunnel afterwards. We all were on a high of our accomplishment and did a little touring afterwards…in the cars!

The next bike trip was back to the beachfront and another trip to the State Park. Mike had said I didn’t need to bring my bike because he always had an extra bike on his carrier. I think he forgot I was a lady, because his bikes were made for men. I managed to do OK until we got to the park where it was only partially paved. When we got to the dirt path, I ran into trouble. I felt myself falling and tried to jump off of the bike so as not to injure myself and ended up with the bike crashing down on my foot.

Now what? We’re in a park where there is only a bike path, no ambulance could even get through and it was a long way back to the car. Mike took my bike back to the car and walked back to where we were, to pick up his. I managed to walk with him and another friend, back to the car even though I was in very bad pain.  We went to the emergency room and I was told my bike riding would end for a while.  They thought I had only bruised my foot. Later after trying to walk with the gang with not much success, I was re-evaluated by a different doctor and found that the big toe was broken. That meant surgery and the wearing of a surgical boot for months.

This “new me” was not the one I had envisioned. When the cold months set in our group turned to going to plays, concerts and out to dinner at various restaurants. It was fun, but not as much as the picnics and outings we had done in the warmer months, and that stupid boot cramped my style.

Being with other singles did teach me a lot about myself. It taught me to value myself as a person and respect myself as much as others did.  All in all, it was good.

WRITER’S BLOCK, holidays and just plain frustration have kept me out of this spot. I’m back now.  If you haven’t read it yet, there is a new article on ezine. (CHANGE CAN LEAD TO TO LETTING GO) Just click on the EZINE ARTICLES icon on this blog.

I would like to ask a favor, please ask me your most nagging question, a request for an article on a certain subject or just make a comment either on this blog or at Ezine Articles. This is a kickstart for me to rev up my creative juices.

Hope everyone had a great holiday, if not let me know what you experienced, good bad or indifferent.

Had a great family celebration this year, but you can read about a tough Christmas in the 70’s with my 4 children right after my first husband decided to leave us for his own selfish reasons., on Ezine also. THE CHRISTMAS THAT WAS SAVED BY THE PECANS. I have been there too, even though now is a different story.

It really does get better folks.  The sad times are that segment of life where you are learning “life lessons.” It can be tough, but since it can’t get worse, it does get better.

I will be waiting to hear from you. Thanks,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

It seems that “when the cat is away, the mice will play.” As you may have recognized, I have not been adding content for a while.  Sorry about that.  Have some issues with trust of so-called professionals. Being the trusting soul that I am, the reality of the real world has caused me to be a little depressed. Now to top it all off, a new issue has arisen.

I have recently become aware that there are a number of “people” out there who are just too lazy or stupid to do their own writing, so they steal it.  I have found at least 15 sites that have done just that from my published articles.  They have stolen my articles and either taken my name off as the Author or just changed the resource box to make it appear that I am selling sexual items, information or just whatever they happen to be selling. 

Please know that these people are sneaks, thieves, pirates and just plain have no class, whatsoever.  If you come across this type of site, know that it is NOT me!

I have tried to get help from the site’s managers, but they just say they can’t do anything about it.  I was warned by the “help” team of blogspot that if I pursued legal procedures, I could be responsible for all expenses of the lawsuit, lawyer fees, etc., should I not be successful in proving their guilt. The truth is right there on the ezine where my articles have been hijacked. I have all the articles stored in my computer and hardcopies of them, but, why do I have to battle these people alone?  Why doesn’t the hosting company help their users?

These same sites have ficticious sounding names and when I click on “My Profile” it leads to MY information. That sounds like a Pirate to me, what do you think?

Don’t know if someone has a remedy for this, other than closing down my site and just taking my articles elsewhere, other than the net.  If you know a way to put these crooks in “jail” please tell me.

These thieves give a bad name to the net and it spreads to anyone who is selling anything on the net. I had to cancel my credit card because of a site who gave me the hard sell that I would be able to make money if I just gave him $47 for his great news, then when I gave my personal information and card number, he just tried to sell me $97 more of information, but when I didn’t purchase more from him, there was no place to go, no product, no nothing.

The money back guarantee was a joke because his email address was a dead end that came back to me. I had no choice but to cancel my credit card before he made a little more money from my stupidity.

Is it any wonder that this “cat” has been away so long?

Your comments will be much appreciated.

Did you know that this is Domestic Abuse Month?

No, that does not mean you get to abuse anyone.

It is simply a time to bring about an awareness that too many people abuse others and it needs to stop!  Following are a few statistics gathered from the net.

You may find more info by going to the Ezine Link on this site.

Type in Patricia Hubbard in the Expert Author slot, to find the latest article on abuse.

·         Estimates range from 960,000 incidents of violence against a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend per year to three million women who are physically abused by their husband or boyfriend per year.

·         Around the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime.

·         Nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives, according to a 1998 Commonwealth Fund survey.

·         Nearly 25 percent of American women report being raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, or date at some time in their lifetime, according to the National Violence Against Women Survey, conducted from November 1995 to May 1996.

·         Thirty percent of Americans say they know a woman who has been physically abused by her husband or boyfriend in the past year.

·         In the year 2001, more than half a million American women (588,490 women) were victims of nonfatal violence committed by an intimate partner.

·         Intimate partner violence is primarily a crime against women. In 2001, women accounted for 85 percent of the victims of intimate partner violence (588,490 total) and men accounted for approximately 15 percent of the victims (103,220 total).

·         While women are less likely than men to be victims of violent crimes overall, women are five to eight times more likely than men to be victimized by an intimate partner.

·         In 2001, intimate partner violence made up 20 percent of violent crime against women. The same year, intimate partners committed three percent of all violent crime against men.

·         As many as 324,000 women each year experience intimate partner violence during their pregnancy.

·         Male violence against women does much more damage than female violence against men; women are much more likely to be injured than men.  Women are seven to 14 times more likely than men to report suffering severe physical assaults from an intimate partner.

      Check out Ezine to learn more about why some people stay in abusive relationships.

 Good, you did take the challenge…You found us. Now The rest of the story…

 (By the way if you did not read the beginning of this article, go back to Ezine Articles, via Google…Patricia Hubbard…and find the title of the same name.)

Courting should be a time to fish for the real person within.  Exploring for those desired qualities will be easy if one just pays attention.  In conversing with new people, listening, watching, sharing stories, experiences and opinions will tell the story.   

Keep in mind that your partner will be checking out your qualities also.

Are you the person that you would like for a friend? 

Are you kind? 

Are you honest?

Are you fun to be with?  

Do you know what you want from life? 

Are you confident to say what you do and do not like?

Are you willing to compromise?  

Are you independent…But not overbearing?

How far will you go in compromising on certain issues?  Do you know? 

Remember, most men like to feel needed and appreciated, being to independant leaves him no reason to try.

Most women appreciated a gentleman who uses good manners.

Are you a match? 

 Part of finding Mr. or Ms. Right, is to ask one’s self, these questions.  Examine that person in the mirror as well as the person sitting across from you.  How honest can you be with yourself? Do you truly know yourself?  If you were selling a product, you would only be successful if you knew all the facts about it.  In order to sell yourself, you must know yourself. Do You? 

How does one begin to know him or herself? 

Yes, you recognize the reflection in the mirror but that is merely a reflection. While looking face to face, ask yourself: Are there worry lines on the forehead or between the eyes?  Why?  What have you been worrying about? What are you afraid of?  Is there sadness lurking behind the eyes, or uncertainty, or anger?  Or—are there laugh lines at the corners of your eyes, signifying a sense of humor and appreciation of relaxed gratitude for your life experiences?  It’s your face, you can’t hide from yourself, be honest.   Once you can have a quiet dialogue with yourself, some of the answers will appear and you will begin to know you are in charge of the maps on your face.  You can change them to that which you desire.    Making a list of Things I Like and another one of Things I Don’t Like will lead to a list of Things I Want In My Relationships.  And this is not just related to opposite sex relationships.  Finding out what is important to you is essential to making good connections in your life. Knowing them and claiming them as legitimate desires, will bring a sense of true self-value.  Knowing what you require of a partner and why, is a large step to finding what you are looking for. Establishing what values you will compromise on and what you will not compromise on is important, also.  If you or your partner are too rigid, are unforgiving or refuse to see the other side, chances are that you do not belong together. Finding “Mr. or Ms. Right” is serious business, but can be eye-opening, challenging, self-acclaiming and fun

Thanks for coming by.

If you want to leave a message, just click on Permalink below the article. I know that sounds strange, but it works, ha.

The offer to receive an article on Improving Self Image is non-working as I have disconnected from the company providing that service.  Will offer this later with another company.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

Please request info for your most irritating questions.  I will try to offer answers.

Thanks,

Butterfly

YOU TELL ME…I HAVE QUESTIONS…

Maybe its my age or maybe it is reality, but do you get upset when people do not stand by their word?  I do.  19 years of my first spouse making promises and not standing by the truth, has made me a stickler for doing the things I tell people I will do and being truthful.  It was the basis for my mistrust of him.  As it turned out, it was an inner warning that he did not deserve my trust because he did not tell the truth, did not follow through when he said he would, and in the end his infidelity was our undoing.

I find that in my real life, that still exists today.  I usually trust the people I meet and accept them at face value, until they give me reason to mistrust.  So often that trust is wasted to my undoing. Is it a failing on my part that I attract this kind of person to me?  Do I have sucker written all over my face?  Do I sound too accommodating?

I have noticed in my support group that people who are kind and overly self-giving, seem to be the ones who get hurt the worse. I am convinced that bitchy people get the most attention and are respected more than we nicey, nicey people. Do you agree?

What is that?  What is it in humanity that says, “Walk on the face of the smiling person. They deserve it?” Or is it just a present day society thing that says, what is important, is ME!  I come first?

I need you to tell me what is this about. Do you feel that way?

If we get to the point of not being able to trust our fellowman, we will all become an island unto our own selves.  We will not be able to show our true feelings for fear of not being “politically correct.”  I hate that madeup word.  It is a political word made up by politicians just to control the feelings and thoughts of the people.

When I grew up, a spade was called a spade and I do not mean that as a racial slur, I am talking about playing cards. (Don’t want to be politically incorrect.)  When you said something, you meant what you said and that was that. There were no hidden agendas, no plots to persuade, just the truth!  Why has the truth gotten such a bad rap?  Do you trust the people around you?  Has society gone so far down the slipery slope that It has lost sight of the things that really matter?

Think about it, if we all held the truth in high esteem and followed our inner gut feelings of right and wrong, would there be as many divorces, broken relationships and and hatred in the world?  Maybe this would be a good test for a new relationship, find out what the other party believes about being truthful. By relationships I mean, not only romantic relationships, but others like business and social relationships.

If you want to be a REAL person, you have to get real!

Comments?