About Holiday Gatherings...

Well it's that time of year again... families get together and exchange gifts (and barbs), share memories (and blame), and rejoice (or complain). What's a person to do if there's someone

in the family who's just plain toxic?

Never fear, WebMd has some helpful advice....click this link and learn some coping strategies that will actually help you relax, and maybe even look forward to the season's festivities!

And remember, you're not alone. Everyone has issues- and every family has its problems.

But it is still possible to enjoy the holiday season with a little careful thought and planning.

Home for the Holidays

*photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu

Slideshow: Skin Problems in Cats

While this isn't a cat blog, I do like to post helpful slideshows, links, and other information for those of us who own (or, more appropriately, are owned by) a cat. Web Md pets offers a wealth of information that I find myself wanting to post over and over. It seems like no matter what the topic, there is always something worth passing on.

Check out this slideshow if your cat has been scratching excessively- especially if you know it shouldn't have fleas because you are already treating it regularly for that. My maine coon is obsessive about grooming, so originally I checked this out for her benefit- turns out she has none of these conditions, and is reacting to stress- (the presence of a new cat, and a new person in the home, and a baby!).

Still, it's nice to have a way to gauge the healthiness of your cat's coat/skin. Hope you enjoy it!

Slideshow: Skin Problems in Cats

* photo is of my maine coon

Thanksgiving...from the History Channel

Have you ever wondered when the very first Thanksgiving was, how it got started, and what a typical Thanksgiving feast would have consisted of at that time? Tonight this was on my mind (getting ready for the barrage of questions my grand-daughter will me asking me soon), so I went to the History Channel for answers.

Visit The History Channel and click on The History of Thanksgiving, to learn all about it and read some fun Thanksgiving facts!

*photo courtesy of: http://www.public-domain-image.com/

Professional Letter Writing Service

Welcome to the Information Age.

There was a time when people used to visit face-to-face and communication was done through the art of writing letters. Then along came the telephone, and then the computer, and things haven't been the same since.

We have become accustomed to using email, chat, text messaging, and social networking sites like Myspace, Facebook and Twitter to communicate with our friends and loved ones. The problem is that while technology is wonderful, and a great time saver, our communications with others have gone from meaningful and heartfelt, to trivial and shortened to the point of almost needing an interpreter if one is meant to understand what is written.

Meanwhile important language, writing, and communication skills are lost in the process.

Writing skills are quickly becoming a thing of the past. We rush from task to task in our daily lives and have little time for things like journaling or writing. We may be able to get by to a certain degree, but what happens if, for some reason you have to plead your case in writing; say, to an Immigration official, a Judge, or to make a financial aid appeal? These are just a few scenarios where a lack of writing skills can cost you dearly.

There are all sorts of reasons why one would need to write a great letter- not just for personal reasons, but for professional and legal reasons (such as a letter written to a Judge on someone's behalf), business letters, and letters of reference (such as in behalf of a couple seeking to adopt a child).

There are also many for whom English is a second language, and while they may speak English well, they may find writing English especially challenging.

This is why I want to tell you about the great Professional Letter Writing service at LetterRep.com. It's a wonderful service that takes the pressure off you and saves you valuable time whenever you need a professional quality letter that gets your message across in a clear and concise way.

Professional writers (such as myself) log in daily to view requests that have been made by those needing a letter written. They write your letter, and you choose the one that best fits your needs. Best of all, the service is available around the clock, seven days a week so it will always fit into your schedule.

I have always enjoyed writing for different purposes, both functional and creative, and I have found great satisfaction in helping others put their messages into words. One of the most satisfying letters I've written for LetterRep, was a reference letter on behalf of an adoptive couple. There is something very special to me about helping people decide what they want to say, and providing them the means to say it.

Please feel free to visit LetterRep.com to request a letter (request writer D.W.), or just leave me a writing question. To view a sample reference letter from my page at LetterRep.com, just click the link below. The next time you need a letter written, I'd love to help!

Sample Reference Letter for Adoptive Couple:

Link to join

http://www.letterrep.com/letters.php?catID=152&letID=19294&writer=1