1. On New Year’s Eve, we try to find a way to watch the ball drop.
Suzanne and I were avid fans of Dick Clark's New Year’s Rock’n Eve for a long time. We used to always sit at home with a glass of sparkling grape juice and watch the ball drop. As soon as it did, we would kiss
one another and then toast the New Year.
There have been times when we could not. We don’t have subscription of broadcast television anymore. We try to find something on the computer to watch the ball drop in Times Square.
In the years just before Dick Clark died, the show had gotten to be more and more about showing the flesh and less and less about just celebrating the New Year. Now it isn’t fit to watch. And, with Dick gone, there is no longer the same feel.
On New Year’s Day, we will try to have our traditional collard greens, black eyed peas, cornbread, and ham. We could not have them last year because I was in the hospital.
For many people, that is not such a lofty goal. For us, it is a major undertaking. To start with, we live $4,000 per year below the poverty level. Taking on a new debt to buy them is not possible. Even rent-to-own would not be possible and it is one of the most expensive ways to buy anything.
I am 6’ 3” tall and weigh about 265 pounds. I have trouble standing up from a sitting position and I have trouble just walking. I am not supposed to be on my feet due to chronic diabetic foot ulcers. I normally sit in my wheelchair or in my recliner.
The recliner is better because I can elevate my foot. The wheelchair still puts some pressure on it.
A few days before Christmas I fell getting into my chair. Then, on Christmas Eve, it broke. It really wasn’t the chair’s fault. It wasn’t designed for a fat redneck in the first place.
There is an old adage in selling, “The only way out of a problem is to sell your way out”. That is what we intend to do. We intend to buy both me and Suzanne a recliner each, using whatever commissions we make from selling on Amazon. So far this year, we have been paid $22.75 in commissions from Amazon.
Obviously, in order to sell enough to afford two lift chair recliners, (Suzanne has trouble getting in and out of her recliner, too.), we are going to have to step up the pace. This year we have reviewed 226 books on our blogs.
We need to step up our reviews and find more related things to sell through Amazon on our blogs. You have to have 1,000 subscribers on your channel to get ad revenue through YouTube, so that won’t work. We did learn we could put Amazon links in our descriptions of our videos, so people will be able to buy after watching our videos.
We have also learned more and more about the variety of things that Amazon sells. Did you know you can buy books of stamps through Amazon? They only cost a little more than it would cost if you went to the post office. A book of 20 stamps is $13.93.
3. If I had to choose a guide word for 2019, it would be resolve.
Resolve as in setting my mind to do something and then doing my best to accomplish it.
We resolve to find the answers that Suzanne needs to find peace in her heart over her heritage.
Resolve to work diligently to create more videos for both From the Kitchen of McClendon Villa and our reviews. Resolve to save more money. And especially to give full credit to God for all of this.
We can only do this with His help and blessing.
4. New beginnings can be fun or scary.
I have really talked about new beginnings throughout this post. We will find a new way to watch the Times Square Ball Drop,
With the help of our friends, we will have new beginnings with new chairs. Did you know that if you follow any of our Amazon links and make a purchase at all, we will get a 4% commission? That’s right. If you follow a link to a book we reviewed, but decide that book isn’t for you once you get to Amazon, we still get credit for anything you buy during that visit to Amazon. So, if you follow a link for a cat book but don’t buy it, we would still get credit for a sale if you bought something like a cat calendar or a new load of cat toys. How great is that?
Happy New Year, y’all.
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I sure miss the old New Year's Rockin' Eve and Dick Clark. He was great! I love you, my Zing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for participating in the fill-ins, great answers. I hope you get that chair soon.
ReplyDeleteI did not realize you could get 4% on anything as long as I follow the link, I will keep that in mind as I purchase a lot from Amazon during the year. I hope you have a nice weekend and a happy, healthy 2019!
I so agree about Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. It hasn't been the same since he died and, like you said, even a few years before. I still turn it on at midnight to watch the ball drop but these days there are a couple of other options that I might watch like Carson Daly. I'm not sure yet. Hope you have a great 2019! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteWe pray that there are two new recliners in store for you in 2019! We wish you a happy and blessed 2019.
ReplyDeletePurrs & Head Bonks,
The Tribe of Five and The Female Human
Thank you for joining in on the Friendly Fill-Ins! I completely agree on the disheartening decline in quality of the New Year's Eve shows. I always try to "officially" watch the clock strike midnight on one of those shows, but they've certainly changed, and not for the better. Wishing you and your entire family much happiness, health, and blessings in 2019!
ReplyDelete