Just wanted to wish all you ghouls and goblins out there a Happy Halloween before it was all over. I’ve already had my fun for the day. I picked Pumpkin up from school, took her to a convenience store bathroom to change, and took her downtown to beg for candy trick-or-treat at the businesses. She got a ton of candy!

Hubby is out with her now, taking her to his mom and dad’s and his cousin’s house. I’m glad she doesn’t have to depend on him to do all of the trick-or-treating. Before I started taking her to town, we all went and he drove. He would stop at about three houses before he was ready to come home. It’s not that he doesn’t know anybody (like me), he just gets bored with it. Party pooper.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween!

Oh, by the way, I got some good news about my health today. Well, depending on how you look at it I guess, but it was music to my ears. I’ve got to do some work now, but I’ll fill you in as soon as possible.

Did you know that as many as one out of three women in the world will be victims of some form of physical abuse in their lifetime? This includes domestic violence, rape, honor killings, and other violent crimes against women. Sadly, in some cultures, these actions are not only condoned, they are encouraged by tradition.

In most cases, the attacker is someone the woman knows. Take domestic violence, for example. The World Health Organization conducted a survey on domestic violence of ten countries in 2005. The only country in the survey in which less than 20 percent of women had been victims of domestic violence was Japan. In the U.S., 22 percent of women had been abused by a significant other, and in the U.K., the figure was 30 percent. Four countries (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Peru and Tanzania) had abuse rates in excess of 50 percent.

If you’re like me, you’re wondering what you can do about these tragedies that occur each and every day. You might be surprised to learn that you can make a difference just by signing a petition. The United Nations Development Fund for Women is hoping to collect a million signatures on a petition to strengthen the U.N.’s efforts to help stop violence against women through their Say No to Violence Campaign.

You can sign the petition online. Visit the Say No to Violence site to learn more and add your name.

There is no excuse for the number of women who are subjected to violence in the world today. But we can let the United Nations know how important its education programs and legislation efforts against these horrible acts are to us just by signing our names. Won’t you take a moment to add yours? And if you’re in a position to donate to the cause, you may do so here.

The weather here has been downright wintry the past couple of days. We’ve had snow flurries off and on all day. It has been very light, not enough to accumulate, but snow flurries in October??? Come on!

So as you can see by my change in themes, I’m trying to enjoy autumn in hopes that it will come back to stay for a while. I would prefer to have summer temperatures intermittently well into November like we did a couple of years ago, but I’ll take what I can get. So fall, I’m begging you. Please come back!!!

Gas isn’t exactly cheap, but it is much less expensive than it has been. So as soon as I get the bills paid and have enough money to get groceries and fill up my tank, I’m going to try to head up the road and see my mom.

It’s a shame when you have to put a dent in the budget just to make an hour and 15 minute trip. But that’s the way it is now. That’s one of the biggest reasons I don’t see her much any more. That, and when I am able to go up there she’s usually either at my sister’s or uncle’s. When I mentioned coming up soon, I about half expected her to say she was going to be gone with sis and family on one of those Disney cruises.

But last time I talked to Mom, she said she wasn’t planning on going anywhere any time soon. So maybe this coming weekend or the next I can get up there. Maybe Pumpkin and I will spend the night. We need to make the most of our trip, because who knows when the next one will be.

The news is brimming with doom and gloom about the economy. Everyone’s scared stiff, and they’re not putting any money into real estate, futures trading, or anything else for that matter.

There’s talk of the U.S. going into another depression, and speculation about us already being in a recession. I think it’s pretty obvious that we are in a recession, and in all likelihood headed toward a depression. I mean, look around. There are still some people who are doing well, but most of the middle class is in worse shape than they’ve ever been.

I really hope I’m wrong, but if things don’t turn around, a depression is exactly where we’re headed. But I’m not going to let it slow me down if I can help it. As long as Hubby has his job and I’m still getting work, we’ll manage.

A teenage friend of Hubby’s came to me a few weeks ago asking what he could do to clear up his acne. I told him about going to the doctor over mine when I was his age, and that they gave me oral and topical antibiotics. He said he had gone that route too, but for some reason which escapes me at the moment he ended up giving up on it.

I looked through the medicine cabinet and found a bottle of antibacterial wash that Hubby got when he had to have surgery. I gave it to him and told him to try that, because I had used something similar at one point and it worked well for me. But he forgot to take it with him, and he hasn’t been back for me to give it to him. Actually, I think he might have been scared of it.

Maybe he should start trying out stuff that you can get a free trial with, like Triclear. Then if it doesn’t work, he wouldn’t be out any money and could try something else. I know how stubborn acne can be, and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. But surely there’s something out there that will help.

When I first got the self-employment bug, I knew I wanted to do something online, but I wasn’t sure what. I was all over the place. I tried direct sales, but I’m just no good at that. I set up a website selling home decor and various other items, but that went nowhere. I was thinking about trying my hand at selling unique baby gifts when I finally realized that writing was what I should be doing.

I started out writing for an entertainment blog and ghostwriting web content, but I planned to eventually get into writing books. That ended up being put on hold, however, because of the downward spiral I found myself in starting when Hubby got sick. In fact, I almost completely forgot about it until last week.

I’m on Alice Seba’s mailing list, and I got an email stating that she was giving away her Sweetie courses for the asking. I nearly fainted, but was disappointed when I realized that I had missed the deadline. Fortunately she ended up extending it, and I got my hands on a free copy of Information Product Sweetie.

I printed out the guide and read it over at the hospital last night, and it’s full of useful information. I’m hoping that once I get all my medical issues straightened out and get back on track with my regular work, I can add an ebook to my repertoire. A good passive income stream would be very nice. Thanks Alice!

She’s no longer giving out course freebies, but it can’t hurt to watch her blog, because she often gives stuff away. Maybe she’ll decide to do this again sometime!

My back and tailbone have been giving me trouble lately, and I think sitting in this awful chair so much is what’s doing it. But when they start to hurt, I just remind myself that it could be worse.

Every job I’ve had outside the home has required me to be on my feet pretty much constantly. And most of them have had me on concrete or some other type of hard flooring, which makes things infinitely worse. Not only did that make the part of my foot that was injured when I was in high school flare up, it also made the bottoms of both feet hurt very badly.

My feet got in really bad shape when I was working at a factory. Pretty much the whole time I worked there, I had this strange problem with my feet being really painful and tender when I first got out of bed. Sometimes I would barely be able to walk for a half hour, then the pain would gradually subside. But any time I got up from sitting or laying down, they would hurt. A lady I worked with told me that she had a similar problem, and the doctor had diagnosed her with Plantar Fasciitis.

I talked to my doctor at the time about it, and she just gave me some medication to treat depression (which I was having a bout of at the time) and pain. It helped a little, but not that much. I finally just learned to live with it.

I quit having such trouble with my feet when I quit that job. I had two jobs that kept me on my feet all the time after that, and while my feet would hurt after a hard day’s work, it was nothing like it had been at the factory. It had to have been the floors, and possibly the fact that I had to wear steel-toed boots.

Now I don’t have to be on my feet much at all. I could use more exercise, but at least I don’t have to deal with constant foot pain. I know from experience that when your feet hurt, it adversely affects your whole attitude.

Pumpkin is a huge fan of bacon. If I would let her, she would eat it for breakfast, lunch and supper. Every time I fix it, no matter how many pieces I give her, she wants more.

I’ve told her a few times that I was going to get her a bacon of the month club membership for Christmas. Little did I know that such a thing really does exist! I don’t think I’ll be getting her one, because the grease hurts her stomach if she eats much of it, but it would be a great gift for most bacon lovers.

Must make sure she and Hubby (who is a bacon lover too) do not find out about this. Shh, don’t tell them!

As much as I hate the changing of the weather to nice and warm to cold and, eventually, snowy, there’s no denying that fall in the mountains is beautiful. I need to get out and enjoy it while I can, before the leaves all fall off. They’re at their peak right about now, I think.

There is something about the crisp fall air and the bright colors that clears the mind and calms the spirit. I’ve got to quit hating on fall and start savoring the beauty that precedes the dreaded season that starts with W. That’s not to say if someone offered to pay for one of those fancy Outer Banks rentals for me I wouldn’t jump at it, but there’s plenty to enjoy right in my own backyard right now.

I’m going to try to get out and take some fall photos today or tomorrow, before we get the rain we’re supposed to be getting later this week. If I do, I’ll be sure to share them.