Friday, March 28, 2008

The Stock Market

Do you know that the New York Stock Exchange started out only on a little pathway in front of a church on the East side of Manhattan two hundred years ago! At the time it started out there was no paper money or even stocks, but instead they traded silver for documents stating they owned shares that were being delivered by ships everyday, this is how it all began!

Have you ever said 'damn I wish I owned that company', well guess what? You can actually own a share in that company, how? First you need to get a broker, when you find one you like then you tell him that you want to buy a share in the company (the one you have your eye on). You tell the broker how much money you have to use and he will tell you how much each share is, he will also tell you how much he will charge you for his service and the remainder will be used to buy shares.

Here is an example:
You have $350
Broker fee $50
Each share is $20
You can buy 15 shares into that company

You give the broker your money and he transfers ownership to you, he then will send a message to one of his employees on the floor over at the Stock Exchange, he tells him to buy the stocks for you. The floor broker will buy the stocks, report it onto one of the many computers at the Stock Exchange and then track it back to the brokerage house. Your broker will keep a record of the stock you own instead of sending you a paper certificate.

If you decide you want to sell your stock your broker will sell it, deduct his commission and give you the rest of the money. Don't worry about your broker running off with your money, the government has put many organizations and commissions to keep him honest. One major organization is SEC (Securities Exchange Commission)

~Cat

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Spring Trends!

Now that Spring is officially here, its time to go shopping for new clothes! I love the new trends that are out, bright, colorful and oh so fashionable! Beautiful flowers in bloom together with a walk through the garden wearing the newest spring fashions would make anyone feel comfy.

I was looking through the new Michael Kors catalog and fell in love with the new Spring designs. I don't always keep up with trends but this year the fashions are really drawing my attention. My wardrobe basically consists of black but there will be some new colors added very soon.

Spring, flowers, cute little dresses with coordinating sandals would make any girl smile! The weather here in Ohio is still chilly but I'm looking beyond that and await the warmer days to come. I do love winter but its time to put the snow and cold away and bring out the garden, planting and Capris!

Click Here Or The Photo To Visit Michael Kors Online Catalog

~Cat

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Easter Sweets!

Yes Easter is tomorrow! Time once again for coloring eggs, filling decorated baskets with yummy sweets and having an Easter egg hunt! I love creating decorative baskets for my friend's children (since I don't have any of my own) seeing the excitement in their eyes as they admire all the yummy treats set before them!

Not sure about the reason for candy on Easter but all I know is its a child's delight! My parents used to hide my Easter basket when I was a child and I would go running through the house looking for it on Easter morning. I remember one time I started crying because I couldn't find it and thought the Easter bunny had forgot about me, lol.

My basket was hidden in the oven, what a strange place to put it, glad no one turned the oven on prior to me finding it. I still feel like a kid at heart, I love coloring hard boiled eggs and then decorating them with stickers and such. My friends children are such a blessing to my life, if I wont be able to have any children of my own (only got a 30% to have kids) at least I can spoil theirs, lol.

I'm going shopping today with two of my friends to pick out Easter dresses for their little girls Yanely 3 and Brianna 8 months(aka Poca Dolli). I have to remember to purchase batteries for my camera so I can take some pix of the festivities tomorrow, I may create a post on the events of Easter. Below is a link to some beautiful bouquets that are awesome for season events, check it out!
~Cat


Friday, March 21, 2008

Traditional Easter Dinner

Holding true to traditions is something I have learned from my parents and will continue to do so as long as I live. I am not too fascinated with cooking and even though I consider myself to be pretty good, I hate doing it. I was debating on who to spend Easter with, either my cousins or friends, my friends seem to be more closer to me than my cousins, so I decided to spend it with my friends.

With my friends I feel more comfortable and free, with the cousins its like tense, uneasy feelings. I don't' like the feeling that I am being judged and put on the spot, being questioned about how I run my life and why is this and why is that. Holidays should be enjoyed not dreaded, of course because I am Introverted, I don't stay long at any given function.

Getting back to the purpose of this post, I have been appointed semi cook by my friends to make Easter dinner, ugh! I decided to cook the meal here at my home and then transport it to their house, this way I can cook in peace without them asking what I am doing and how I'm doing it. My friends mean well as they said they will help, but I don't need it, they get in the way of things, lol.

I know there is going to be tons of food Easter Sunday, they appoint me to cook but they will also be making rice and other Latin foods like always. My friends consist of Puerto Rican, Mexican and a few gorgeous Cuban guys I recently met at one of my friends house, mmmmm! I know I'm going to be nervous that day because those Cuban guys are going to be there, men make me nervous (the single ones that is, lol).

The dinner I am going to prepare will consist of the following: (If you would like to have the recipes for any of these delicious foods on my menu, just ask me and I will give it to you, these are my own variations, so they may differ from other recipes you may have seen.)
Glazed Ham
Mashed Potatoes
Honeyed Carrots
Baby Asparagus
Buttermilk Biscuits

And that's it! My friends will also be preparing other foods, its well that they do because from past experiences there will be a lot of people at their house this coming Easter Sunday. To be honest I was thinking of calling a caterer to make this dinner, but I think that would spoil the whole tradition idea, lol.

~Cat

Monday, March 17, 2008

Whats Wrong With Me?

Have you ever craved doing something that you ordinarily never do? These past few days when I see people smoking cigarettes it has made me want to smoke one so bad, and I don't even smoke (cigarettes that is, lol). I tried smoking as a teenager to be cool together with friends and it made me feel sick, I never really could stand the taste, smell of it.

What all started this was when I was watching 'Sex And The City' one night, again lol. I watched most of the episodes on HBO but I missed some so I purchased all the seasons on DVDs. Of course I could watch it on TBS but parts are cut out.

Anyway whenever I would see Carrie( Sex And The City) lighting up a cigarette I would start to crave one, weird huh? Now when I see anyone smoking it makes me want one too, and yuk I hate how peoples breath smells that smoke, its so nasty! I don't want to be a smoker and probably never will but I need to deal with this craving, would buying a pack and just smoking one stop my craving or would it become habit forming?

For any of my readers out there, have you ever had such a craving? Not just cigarettes but anything else? Let me know I'm interested to know I'm not the only weird girl out there, lol.

Carrie from 'Sex And The City' (Sarah Jessica Parker)



~Cat

Friday, March 14, 2008

Unique Or Interesting Blogs

I was surfing through some blogs here on blogger tonight and came across some very interesting ones. I put some comments on a few and have decided I am going to start to link to certain blogs that I find helpful, useful and above all unique. There are blogs out there are must reads and if I can help any blogger get the word out about their blog, then here I am to help!

If you have a blog or know of one that you think is interesting just post a link to it in a comment to this post and I will check it out. If your blog catches my true attention I will link to it, and if you would like you can also link to mine as well, if you find it interesting enough, lol. My blog isnt all that but I do have many readers and visitors, some are regulars others are just passing through.

~Cat

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Searching For My Inner Strength

Inner strength is hard to maintain at times, especially when we are being attacked at all angles. I used to think it was easy to hide behind a fake smile, but then a complete stranger recently came up to me and said "your eyes are the window to your soul and that smile on your face is somewhere else." This stranger was right you know, for the past week or so I have been dealing with an emotional battle which I find very hard to overcome.

Not only to have my heart broken is enough, but to be challenged to prove something that is personal which I have every right not to prove at all. People believe what they want and for me to have to prove it just for their satisfaction is not something I am willing to do. I am who I am and what I am, if people choose to believe something totally off the beaten path, then that's their problem not mine.

Guessing and gossiping together to try and figure out something that isn't is just another reason why there are so many non believers of anything in this world. When does faith come? Not many have it these days, if you cant except what is told to you then you need to just forget it because no amount of explaining will change what you believe.

All I need right now is my inner strength and a regathering of my heart, emotions and feelings. Not as easy at it seems but a heart can be mended and emotions and feelings will once again become strong. What I am searching for is already inside of me, all I need to do is recover it.

I know that some of you have been through a time when you seemed like you needed to prove yourself to be right, my advice to you is "don't". You don't have to prove anything to anyone if you don't want to. Let those unbelievers go about guessing and gossiping all they want, what you know inside you to be true is all that matters. No one can bring you happiness, this you create on your own, this I know to be true through my experience.

I took this photo last year, this is the strength I need right now to battle my inner feelings.

~Cat

Monday, March 10, 2008

Peace And Harmony



There is nothing like having a life of peace and harmony, no arguments, no fights, no noise to distract you. Some people find it hard to find while there are few of us that do, I am one that can actually say I have lots of peace and harmony in my life. It may be hard for some since they may have a loud and obnoxious family, they may not have a quiet time that often, maybe only when they are at the office?

There are some who may find tranquility at home while others find it at work, I for one have this at home since I am single and live alone, my office is here at home so any work I do is done here in the quiet atmosphere of my solitude dwelling. I don't think I could handle the everyday stress and noises that some people are so accustomed too, I would go nuts in a world without my quiet times alone which is most of the time for me. Its hard for me to understand how some individuals can go through life with only minimum peace and harmony, they must be pretty tough cookies.

I see many families with tons of people in and out of their homes, not just their own children but other family members and friends here and there. I think to myself "My God" when do they ever have time to just relax and feel the quietness? Maybe that's what they need, maybe they cant stand having peace and harmony, maybe they are satisfied by the only peace they get is when they sleep.

I just don't understand how some people go on without peace, well maybe that's why so many Therapists are making a good living, from those stressful individuals that flock to them for relief. Do they not know that by taking a few minutes out of their day for quiet time could be all that is needed? Go for a drive, or walk through the park, rent a hotel for a night and get some rest, there are many ways one can find their peace and harmony.

Does your family make you lose your sanity? Give them something to do, or send them somewhere, so many different ways one can think of that will bring peace to their home and lives, sometimes we need to be a little creative with what works. When you finally find what works to bring you peace, then go for it!

I think we would all benefit from being able to have a life of tranquility, I know I do. The photo you see above is mine, it took it in June 2007, this is my expression of peace and harmony.

~Cat

Saturday, March 01, 2008

The Great Depression

I was awake laying in my bed tonight and a thought came to mind about how much people these days complain about anything and everything. My thoughts lead me to think about "The Great Depression", I remember my Grandmother and parents talking about it when I was a little girl. It all started on "Black Tuesday" in 1929 when the stock market crashed as it was the main cause of high unemployment, poverty and deflation.

People had a really hard time back then and seemed to struggle just to get food on the table for their families. We have so much today to be thankful for and yet we continue to see things in a different way. Instead of being happy that we get to eat, we complain about where we should go to eat, or not knowing what to cook having our refrigerators and cupboards packed full.

Back in hard times people had no choice but to wear hand-me-downs, most of today's children don't even know what that is. I have watched a show on TV called "The Waltons", it gives a good example of the depression, even though its only a show it does point out some things people went through during those times. The show is based in 1930's about a young writer who writes about his life during the depression and how his family struggled through hardships.

When I was a little girl I lived with my Parents and Grandmother on a small farm, being born in 1973 I had fun with just simple things, even though at that time we didn't have much we were all happy. I look back on those days now whenever I'm feeling sad and wished that I could return to that life once again. Sometimes having too much is not a good thing, even if we think it is.

~Cat