Use It or Lose It

It's hard to believe,

but I've been in Belize for two and a half months.

Somehow the time has gone by both fast and slow.

I'm not quite sure how that works...

Shouldn't it be one or the other?

No matter what, though, I've always had a place to live and everything I need to sustain life.

In other words, Not Dead. That's always a perk.

("Empty Hearse", anyone?)

Up till now, 

I've been living off my savings and the generosity of my awesome friends.

That money is going to run out, unfortunately, 

so I've been attempting to make a living working on the internet.

As you may have gathered, I love the English language -

both in it's written and spoken form.

Yesterday, I set up my teaching profile on BuddySchool.com.

I'm going to be a practice partner for anyone who is already learning English -

fun conversations on their favorite subjects, 

helping them to connect what they're learning to their life.

Hopefully this will allow me to do a few things:

Share my love of English,

and be able to stay here in Belize.

So, that's the plan!

If you would like to help me out,

or if you know of someone who is learning English,

tell them about me :)

The link to my profile is here:

https://buddyschool.com/profile/show-profile/68928/practice-english-with-a-canadian

The first lesson/conversation is free (30 minutes),

so we can have a chance to figure out what each of us has in mind.

It's done via SKYPE.

My username is: amiemorgan

Bottle or Bag?

I missed a week.

It feels that way, too.

I've been a touch busy.

Along with moving in to a new place and suddenly having a packed schedule,

I've also had a few misadventures:

nearly blowing myself up,

and the cat attempting suicide - or trying to get high; I'm not sure which.

I've been in Belize for about a month and 10 days.

Slowly, I'm adapting and learning how not to look like an idiot.

It's going to be a while...

On Sunday, my roommate and I went to get some pop from the store.

As I was buying mine, she passed me a small plastic bag that was hanging beside the counter.

I found it a bit odd –

I hardly need a bag.

It costs $1.25 to buy a pop in a glass bottle, but there is a money saving trick:

if you return the empty glass bottle to the store right away, then it only costs $1.00.

The cashier only charged $1.00, 

but she had never asked if I was going to give the bottle back or not,

so I didn't think about it.

My roommate opened her pop, and proceeded to pour it into the plastic bag.

What are you doing?

A bit confused, and very clueless, I proceed to leave the store.

She reminds me that I need to return the bottle, and I finally clue in -

Wow, I'm an idiot.

“Have you ever drank pop from a bag before?”

“Nope, this is my first time.”

I'd like to say that I'm normally sharper, but I can't promise you.

What I can say is that

when the cat licks a poisonous frog and starts drooling,

I'm handy to have around.

I'll save that story for next week – The Cat and The Frog.

Handwritten Jewelry

We all have a unique style, and our clothes and accessories are how we show that.

Finding an item that no one else has, though, isn't generally possible.

Most clothes and jewelry are mass produced, and many people can own that same shirt or bracelet. 

I try to find items that have real meaning, so I was very happy to find jewellers that create custom necklaces and bracelets based on your (or a loved ones) handwriting.

Just as handwriting is unique to each person, now your jewelry can be unique just to you!

These first two are from the shop Capucinne (https://www.etsy.com/shop/capucinne) on Etsy:

Personalized Signature Handwriting Bracelet
Available at Capucinne

Custom Handwritten Signature Necklace
Available at Capucinne

This next necklace is also from an Etsy shop, Grace Personalized World (https://www.etsy.com/shop/GracePersonalized) (Note: The shop owner is on vacation right now, and has temporarily closed the shop. Keep checking back) :

Memorial Signature Necklace - Handwriting - Vertical Pendant
Available at Grace Personalized World

My last featured shop is brevity. (http://www.brevityjewelry.com/) :

The Signature necklace - as personal as it gets.
Available at brevity.

I love these pieces of unique jewelry.

They aren't restricted just to your signature; it could be any word or short sentence.

Wonderful, meaningful possibilities! 

I hope to get one (for myself or as a gift for a loved one) in the near future!

Writing Prompt: See Beyond

An idea can sustain you, if you really believe in it. 

Despite present circumstances, you can see beyond to the circumstances you want.

What is your ideal situation?

If you could choose your circumstance, every detail of it, how would you describe it?

Recently I watched a movie in which one of the characters was house ridden. He asked his young friend to describe what the sky looked like that day. At first, she used the common words we all use - overcast, cloudy, etc. He stopped her, and said:

 "If your eyes could speak, what would they say?"

I thought that was such an inspiration for any writer.

Who Do You Want To Be?

The Here and Now

 

Change is inevitable,

including changing our minds.

Instead of thinking that we have to stick to the persona that we've built in the past,

don't be afraid to be who you are now - in the present.

CONTEST!

Tell me whose silhouette you would like on the next Candleholder. 

If I pick yours, you'll receive 25% OFF! 

Entries must be submitted by January 31, 2014.

www.etsy.com/shop/TheArtOfWriting

‪#‎TheArtOfWriting‬ ‪#‎contest‬ ‪#‎specialoffer‬ ‪#‎silhouette‬ ‪#‎yourchoice‬‪#‎2014contest‬ ‪#‎silhouettecandleholder‬ ‪#‎Sherlock‬ ‪#‎doctorwho‬‪#‎startrek‬ ‪#‎fandom‬ ‪#‎character‬ ‪#‎celebrity‬

The Goal!

I've been trying to get the word out about the purpose of my shop: 

All shop profits go towards my goal of volunteering in Belize!

www.etsy.com/shop/TheArtOfWriting

To help me get the word out, I tried tweeting Maxwell Glick, who played Mr. Collins on The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. He was sweet enough to retweet my shop to his followers, and gave it a great review!  (https://twitter.com/maxwellglick ,

www.youtube.com/user/mrcheezypop , 

www.youtube.com/user/LizzieBennet‎ ,

 www.lizziebennet.com/ ,

www.collinsncollins.com/ ,

www.youtube.com/user/CollinsandCollins)