Writing on the Web from Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Mexico Update: All's Well

Update from Mexico: All's well here in the lakeside town of Ajijic. There are some cases of flu in Guadalajara but so far none in our area. But the government and health agencies are all being precautious and Walmart and other workers all wear face masks just in case.

The worst part of this "pandemic" has been the shop and office closures. Retailers and restaurants have really lost business. That's a pity. But apparently cautions have paid off since there isn't really disease out of control.

I'm catching up on some work projects and will be back to blog posting in a day or two. Hasta luego!

Hasta la vista, baby...

In a few minutes, we're moving back to Mexico. I'm heading out with Huey and Dewey, our two cats, and a couple of huge suitcases. I'm taking the red-eye overnight from Tijuana to Guadalajara in the first of two trips to our home in Ajijic.

As some of you know, the Hubby and I have been part-time residents of Ajijic, a beautiful Mexican village on Lake Chapala since 2003. It's time to quit San Diego and get back home. But with DSL, satellite TV, and computer phone services, you'll hardly know the difference.

Except this blog will be running a little slower than usual. I'm back in SD next Monday and then we make the long trip by car, taking about 2 days to arrive back in the middle of paradise. I'll be back on regular blogging schedule after mid-January. Adios, amigos, hasta luego!

Thank You, Dear Readers!

 I can't help myself: this time of year I get gushy with gratitude. If you guys didn't stop by here to read what I have to say, I'd lose interest and probably eventually stop writing.

If I stopped writing, I'd probably get lazy about reading, and then I'd stop learning as much. It's thanks to you dear readers that I am motivated to stay on top of things and keep curious.

You make my day.

I'm off to Puerto Vallarta for a week with The Hubby. We'll be playing tennis, Scrabble, working out and writing a new fiction story about life in the year 2047.

I hope your weekend is fabulous. In my absence, I'm re-posting a series about effective blog writing using the 4 E's...educate, entertain, engage and enrich your readers. Have fun!

10 Great Things About 2008: Feeling gratitude for business

Since we Americans celebrate gratitude at this time of year, I made a list of things I’m grateful for in this new era of easy visibility and findability on the Web. Perhaps you can relate and will be inspired to make up your own gratitude list.

I’m grateful for (in no particular order):

1. Business blogs that make it easy to stay informed and connect with others
2. Twitter and Facebook that make it easy AND fun to build communities!
3. Shopping cart systems like Kick Start Cart that make it easy to build a database list that’s easy to segment, broadcast messages, and seamlessly process registrations and purchases
4. Google that makes it easy to do research and locate information and people
5. Smart Internet marketers who by their clever ideas light the way and show us what’s possible

May Day in Mexico

It feels good to be back in our Mexican village of Ajijic, except for the 90 degree weather. Fortunately it's dry heat, but being over 6,000 feet up in altitude means that I get a little sick the first day here. Just a note to let you know I'll be back here on this blog in a day or two when I've acclimated. Happy May Day ;0...

Healthy Hearts for Women...

It's American Heart Month in February. I normally don't post about such things here, but being aware of how fragile the heart can be is crucial.  Here's why...

In April 2005 I just got back from a trip with my husband to Singapore. The return trip was grueling and took 22 hours. I noticed I couldn't sleep but marked it off to insomnia. The next day at home I woke up with a severe headache and vomiting. Thinking I had picked up some sort of Asian bug, I took a taxi to the doctor's.

The doctor put a stethoscope to my heart and immediately called an ambulance. My heart had gone into fibrillation, a kind of spasm. I spent 18 hours in the Emergency room at the hospital.

Here I was a healthy, athletic woman with low to average blood pressure and no weight problem or history of heart problems. I never had a clue that this was a serious sign of heart failure. I thought I had just eaten something funny.

Women experience different heart symptoms than men when having a heart attack. If I had just waited it out at home, it could have been a very different story.

Be sure your heart is healthy with regular check ups, a healthy diet and good exercise! Mama Patsi says so...;-)

If you'd like to contribute to the American Heart Association, here's a cute red dress pin they've created to celebrate the 5th year of their Heart Awareness program for women... The Heart Truth for Women Campaign...

Writing Better: Going to the crossroads down Mexico way...

I have an expatriate's heart. When I moved to Paris in the early 70s I had no idea I would stay until 1989. I moved back to San Diego long enough to get my doctorate and meet my husband. Then we took off to live in Ajijic, in Jalisco, Mexico in 2002.

I'm leaving tomorrow to check on our house down there, and to reconnect with friends in the village. I tell you this because it has everything to do with writing better.

You must read Brian Clark's recent post The Content Crossroads: Supernatural Success at the Intersection of Ideas . It's one of those, you know... wish I had written this! posts you want to keep for inspiration.

It weaves a story of Robert Johnson, the blues guitarist, the Medici Family in Florence Italy, and Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist who coined the term "meme" for the natural selection process of speading ideas. Here's one of the suggestions Brian makes for improving your writing:

Travel: One of the great benefits of online business is freedom from the tyranny of geography. And the more we see of the world and different cultures, the more our minds open up and see limitless connections and possibilities. One of the worst things we do to ourselves in terms of creativity is to stay within the realm of the familiar.

So that's my story, and a good excuse for sneaking away to Mexico for a week... If you'd like to see our house, please visit this photo tour here.

Holiday Racquet & Smashes

Holiday greetings from Patsi (Just click to see my silly greetings to you...)

I hope you enjoy this season and take some time off to be with your loved ones.

Back Home Blues

You know how hard it is to get back to work after a vacation, right? And I love my work... Here's what made this the best vacation ever...
This was a celebration of my 10-year marriage anniversary to Rob Krakoff, entrepreneur extraordinaire, and super dad to Huey and Dewey. (Also known as PapaRocky to grandkids Alex, Zach, Spenser, Jordan and Megan...)

Dia de Gracias en Puerta Vallarta

I think I spelled that right, as in Happy Thanksgiving from Mexico! The Hubby and I are soaking up the sun this week away from computers and email. I brought my new Flip video and PowerShot digital camera so stay tuned for some audio visual treats!

For all our US readers, I hope you are enjoying a few days with family filled with love and thankfulness. Blessings and love!