This has been the year of traversing through senior pet products and many trips to return items as well. The senior pet product market has definitely expanded with a plethora of products. After searching for pet heating pads, the almost 6000 positive reviews caught my attention for the K & H Self Warming Crate/Heating Pad.
This is a thin pad covered with microfleece and sized to standard crates, but can be used as a stand alone item. I paired the pad with an orthopedic bed.
Does The Pad Work?
Yes, it does. It generates a very gentle low level warmth.
Why I Like This Pad Over A Pet Heating Pad?
I did try and return an electrical pet heating pad. Not because the pad did not work, but because I had concerns regarding the necessity of supervision I felt necessary with a heating pad even with auto turn off features.
I prefer the Self Warming Pad with no need to find electricity. This makes the pad very portable. The pad is already sized to common crate sizes and is washable. Owners also report the pad works wonderfully for cats and laps.
The price point is reasonable and what is interesting when reading the comments and reviews are the number of people who bought the product for their pet and after seeing how well the pad worked, returned to purchase another for them! Great Idea!
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
How I Put My Lyrics to Music & Create the Songs and Videos
With digital music today, some people think creating a song is as simple as writing a sentence and getting a finished recording. And for those who want to create music that way, they certainly can. I don't do that.
My songs begin with original lyrics, ideas, digital production, stories, and turning those words into a song involves its own creative process.
Rather than writing a lengthy article, I thought I would answer five frequently asked questions.
I'll keep my answers as brief as I can, just to give you an overview of what goes into bringing my lyrics to life through music.
I'll include a video of different songs I've written and produced after each question, so you can see finished products.
1. Do You Write Your Own Lyrics?
Absolutely. I write every single word of the lyrics I create. To date, I have written nearly 100 different songs (I also published a book of lyrics/poems in 2019), and every word is my own. I've been writing since I was eight years old in 1968; I care about the words I choose. My lyrics are original, and I am intentional about the stories, messages, and emotions I put into them.
Digital music production can also generate lyrics, but that's not something I am interested in or do. It is certainly possible, but it's not my approach.
Quite frankly, I can often tell when lyrics have been generated automatically! To me, they lack a natural flow, rely too heavily on metaphors, or fail to carry a clear message from beginning to end.
The song I feature below is one of my personal faves I've written, for the message it tells. It's about redemption.
2. What Should I Be Aware of if I Want to Create a Song Using My Own Words
This would be an entire article on its own, but here's one of the most important things to keep in mind:
You needa commercial plan with the digital music service you use if you want to use your finished music commercially! Commercial plans are mostly, if not all, paid plans.
The commercial rights and licensing terms depend on the service and the plan you have. Read the terms.
Your own lyrics are yours. However, if you use digitally generated lyrics (which I don't), you also need to understand the terms that apply to those lyrics and the music you create.
What is commercial use? For example, if you have a YouTube channel that earns money through the YouTube Partner Program, that counts as commercial use. Releasing your music on streaming services is another example. These are just a couple of examples of commercial use. There are more!
This song speaks for itself, about empathy and acknowledging someone's challenges. I dedicate it to my friend Margaret xxoo.
3. How Difficult Is It to Create the Music for Your Songs?
For me, this is the hardest part.
I am certainly not just typing one sentence describing the sound I want and expecting a finished song!!
In my music instructions, I often specify musical details such as the notes I want the song sung in, the beats per minute, the tempo, the type of voice, the instruments I want front and center, background vocals, genre, and more! Whether I want a baritone, soprano, mezzo-soprano, or a mid-range voice, these choices matter because I have a particular sound in mind. And that sound in my head is, unfortunately, the boss!
The most frustrating part is that I can hear exactly how I want my words to sound and where I want the emphasis and phrasing to fall.
Getting a computer to understand precisely what I am looking for can be challenging. Sometimes I need to have my mouth washed out with soap! LOL. Hubby knows when I'm on that part of the process!
So, no, the music side of creating my songs is not easy for me. It can be quite intense, and I am extremely conscientious about how I want my words delivered.
I also use a DAW program on my computer that lets me work with stems (individual audio tracks, such as vocals, drums, bass, and piano, that make up a song). I have altered stems and used the program to address artifacts, which are unwanted sounds or glitches that can sometimes occur in digitally produced music.
This was written for weddings - a father-daughter dance song.
4. How Do I Create the Videos for My Songs?
You don't have to do a video. I do, to enhance the story, and it gets a better response on social media.
I have a very specific way of creating my song videos, and it's more involved than simply putting a song over a few pictures.
I generate the images I use for my videos because I want as much control over the visual content as possible. I have paid authorization to use images from various programs, but I prefer not to leave questions about licensing or ownership hanging over my work. So I rarely use those for my in-depth videos.
I want to know exactly where my images came from and avoid a mix-up that asks me to prove I can use them. That's just an added hassle I'm not interested in. So I prompt/design my images using AI.
I create each image based on the song's lyrics. Because I write story-driven lyrics, I want the visuals to help tell that story. I describe what I want the people to look like, what they are doing, the setting, the mood, and the feeling I want the image to convey. Sometimes it takes several attempts to get exactly what I have in my head.
Once I have the images I want, usually somewhere between 10 and 15 images for a song, I bring them into Canva and convert each image into a video section using "Image to Video". I adjust the timing and speed of each section to match the lyrics and the music.
I also use a paid version of CapCut to automatically generate the lyrics on the video. There was certainly a learning curve to getting the karaoke-style highlighting to look the way I wanted, especially how the words move or highlight along with the song. I eventually found a style I really like, and I now tend to use it for most of my videos.
After that, I take another step to finish the video, but that is essentially how I put the main pieces together.
The entire process can take me at least half a day, and sometimes considerably longer. I'm fairly fast, so someone else could easily spend a couple of days creating the same type of video.
For me, that time is worth it. I want the finished video to do more than simply accompany the music. I want the images and lyrics on the screen to help tell the story I wrote into the song.
This is one of my top songs (for me) on streaming, YouTube, and TikTok. People have used it for weddings, which I truly appreciate!
5. Do You Own the Copyright to Your Songs?
I am not a lawyer, and I am not giving legal advice here!!
I am simply sharing what I have learned along the way about copyright and digitally produced music. So do your own research! Copyright can get complicated, and what it means can depend on what you are doing with your work.
For example, I am registered with SOCAN (the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada), which is a music rights organization that collects and distributes royalties for the use of music. Copyright registration through a government copyright office is different, and copyright has its own legal meaning in that context.
When digitally assisted music is involved, the amount of human creative input can also matter. Generally, copyright protection is based on human authorship and creative contribution. In practical terms, that means the original human contributions to a digitally assisted work can matter when determining which aspects of the work may be protected. How that applies to a particular work is a legal question, and the rules surrounding digital and AI-assisted creation continue to evolve.
For me, I provide significant human creative input. I write my own lyrics, decide what I want the song to sound like, produce and modify, make creative decisions about the musical direction, and control how the finished song and video come together.
Streaming services are another part of the picture. Their requirements can differ, and music generally reaches those services through a distributor. So you need to choose a distributor and understand their terms and the do's and don'ts.
You have to go through the distributor's submission and review process before they accept your music. Is it difficult? Not necessarily. Is it time-consuming? It can be. And does it help to understand what you are doing before you start? Definitely.
There's a lot more to say about copyright, licensing, distribution, and digitally assisted music, but that's a rabbit hole I will leave for you to explore if you are interested. I am simply sharing a few of the basics here about what I have learned from doing this myself.
This song is a fun, upbeat song about turning life's lemons into lemon pie :)
Summary Conclusion:
I want to end by saying that this is by no means the end of the story. Heck, it's not even the full story!
These are only five questions, and they really just scratch the surface of what goes into my own process. To date, I've created about 100 songs, and I've spent about a year learning, researching, experimenting, and figuring out what works for me. And I'm still learning. I learn something new almost every day.
So, if you've ever wondered what actually goes on behind the scenes when I take one of my lyrics and turn it into a song and video, this is simply a glimpse into my personal process.
There's more to it, but these five questions give you a sense of what's involved.
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"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Peanut Day is one of those fun food holidays we love to celebrate, despite the fact that there is no known origin for most of them. Nevertheless, we peanut lovers will enjoy celebrating this one on September 13, as we do every year!
Nutty as it might seem, PeaNUTs are not NUTS! They actually grow underground, like potatoes and are considered part of the legume family, same as peas and beans.
Origin of Peanuts
The peanut was discovered over 3,500 years ago, most likely in South America. Peanuts were not widely planted or harvested until after the advancement of farm technology. Since peanuts are annuals and have to be grown from seeds each year, peanut crops were too labor-intensive until then. The modern methods of planting and harvesting peanuts not only transformed the peanut farm, but farming the world over.
As peanut production became more popular, possible uses for it were investigated.
Dr. George Washington Carver was probably the most instrumental in discovering how beneficial peanut crops could be. After researching this amazing groundnut, he published "How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption" in 1916. In this book, Carver discovered over 300 uses for peanuts, including cooking oils, cosmetics, and dyes (even coffee).
In addition to being tasty, peanuts are very good for you. Each ounce provides 8 grams of protein and is high in antioxidants, vitamins E and B6, and beneficial minerals.
🎵 Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack 🎶
Peanuts are also a fun snack food. They appear to be particularly popular at the Circus and at ball games.
~ lyric from Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1908) by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer.
Personal PeaNUT Notes
I am really nutty about nuts of all kinds, with peanuts being one of my very favorites. Peanuts on a Hot Fudge Sundae is absolutely necessary for me! And, banana bread and muffins HAVE to have walnuts, making them banana NUT bread!
Plus, I mainly only like desserts with nuts in them (brownies, cookies, ice cream Sundaes, candy…. All have to have nuts for me to enjoy them the most)!
Summary
So, if you are like me and sometimes you feel like a nut*, choose the tasty peanut on September 13th to celebrate National Peanut Day!
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
I love cookbooks! I have been "collecting" them my entire adult
life. My French Boned Chicken recipe is one I discovered in a cookbook
over 30 years ago and I have been making it ever since.
I have never served this chicken recipe to anyone that didn't like
it. While some may not eat the bacon or the dried beef that layers the
bottom of the dish, they still enjoy the tender chicken and sauce.
The french boned chicken recipe is very easy to make. It is prepared
in a casserole dish which makes for an easy clean up and doesn't make a mess
in my oven.
I normally serve the french boned chicken on top of plain white rice for
household. However, I occasionally make wild rice too so guests have
another option. We do have one family member that prefers wild rice
and that is how I started making both types of rice when we have guests.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
If you are looking for an inspirational novel that will stay with you long after you have finished the book, I would highly recommend Theo of Golden by Allen Levi.
Summary of the Book
The book begins when Theo arrives in a Georgia town of Golden on the Oxbow River. It is a small college town and Theo, a 86-year-old Portuguese-born gentleman, soon settles in and get to know the towns people. He asks lots of questions but tells very little about himself.
His walks lead him to a coffee shop called the Chalice where he has a conversation with the owner and sits to enjoy his coffee and the 92 pencil portraits that hang on the wall. Theo discovers that they are all portraits of people of Golden drawn by a local artist Asher Glissen. Although they are for sale no one has bought any and they made Theo very curious about the people in the pictures. Each time Theo comes for his coffee he is intrigued by them.
Theo decides that he wants the people in the portraits to have their portrait so one by one he purchases the portraits and arranges to meet the people in the portraits on a bench by the fountain. There he listens to their stories and gives each one their drawing. Through these bestowals we meet the interesting people of the town. The recipients include people of all walks of life. There is a bartender, retirees, a homeless woman named Ellen, a street musician, a student cellist, a custodian, children and a single father. One by one Theo makes a difference in the lives of many people.
Underneath it all the book is about quiet generosity and seeing and being seen.
There is much more to the book and the last third of the book has some revealing twists. I don't want to spoil the book by giving hints to those revelations. To some the book may seem to start slow but I didn't see it that way. I would encourage you to read it to the end. You will be glad you did.
Books Road to Success
This book, which is the author's first novel, was first self-published in 2023. It soon became popular through word of mouth and went viral on the internet. Then in 2025 it was republished by Atria Books and quickly became a #1New York Times best seller.
I heard about it from a friend who had read it soon after it came out.
I found it to be a delightful book that has so much in it that I will read it again and again.
The Book on Amazon
The book can be found on Amazon in hardcover, paperback Kindle, or audible versions. Here is a link Theo of Golden
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
There are 365 days in a year (unless it's a leap year) and every one of them has a holiday or occasion attached to it. Well it just so happens that September 9th is Teddy Bear Day!
I can't think of a holiday that is more fun. Everyone loves Teddy Bears!
From the youngest babies to even older folk, everyone has their special Teddy Bear that they have grown up with. My 96 year old uncle has a whole shelf of them! I guess at that age it's not surprising that he would have a few at least. I even have a whole shelf of Teddy Bears (and I won't tell you how old I am!)
Just a few of my motley crew of Teddy Bears
Many people already know the story about how the Teddy Bear got it's name, but just in case you don't know, I'll fill you in.
In 1902 Theodore Roosevelt was invited to go hunting. They hunting party came upon a young bear cub and had it cornered just waiting for the President to shoot it. He looked at the young cub and could not and would not shoot it. This incident caused many people to ridicule their President with unflattering cartoons and write ups.
A savvy store owner in New York was inspired by the cartoon and decided to create a new toy. He even wrote the president asking for permission to name him "Teddy Bear". Who knew that this toy would take the country and the world by storm?
A baby's first gift from someone special in the family is usually a Teddy Bear. They are cute, cuddly, soft to the touch and oh so easy to fall in love with. But today there are kids of all ages who are as much in love with Teddy Bears as the babies are who get them.
We have all kinds of bears today that have become famous. Stories have been written, that have brought these loveable characters to the forefront again and again. Just think of Paddington (who even had a commercial spot with the late Queen) and of course Winnie the Pooh. Here in North America we also had the wonderful Care Bears with their own TV series.
All of this just helps to keep our darling Teddy Bears right there in the forefront of everyone's mind when it come to getting a gift for a child or someone else special. Teddy Bears can cover a multitude of occasions for gift giving, from birthdays, to get well wishes and even "I Love You" sentiments. Think of a reason and I'm sure you will find a Bear to fit.
With 7 pages of Teddy Bears on Amazon, and hundreds of other hand made (think original crochet ), or original Teddy Bear kits to make yourself, you won't run out of a reason not to get one for yourself. Especially if you don't have one!
I don't know of another toy or gift that puts an instant smile on everyone's face like a Cuddly Teddy Bear!
Just for a little extra fun, if you click on any of the BLUE COLORED links, when you see the word Teddy Bear, you will find a different bear just for you to enjoy!
Oh just for your information, I decided to stick to "stuffed" bears, there is a whole bunch of others out there that aren't so stuffy! But these ones are just so much fun to take on a Teddy Bear Picnic.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Meet some of the teddy bears, that you'll find in this adorable Cute Teddy Bears and More Scrapbook Paper, paperback. Most of the pages are only teddy bears, and other pages feature some regular bears, koala bears, other animals, and plants and flowers.
Whatever you find, they are adorable. There are patterns of bears, some with backgrounds and some with a plain background. Some are more scattered about, and there is also a fun forest picture that depicts a variety of animals that could be in a forest.
Each set of designs is printed a total of four times, once each on the front and back of two sheets of paper. This provides an opportunity to choose your favorites, and to use the chosen images more than once.
The first pages feature a pattern of cute teddy bears, each wearing a smile and a heart. There is a row of a garland of hearts between them, and they are pictured on a lavender and pink checkered background.
The second set of pages feature a selection of koala bears and bamboo. They are in a different type of pattern and are featured on a background of light green and light orange checkered pattern.
The next set of pages features a variety of one of a kind teddy bears. Each one is either doing a fun activity or supporting their personality, etc., on their fur. The background is white, and the rows are separated by a colorful heart pattern.
The fourth set of pages features alternating patterns of teddy bears on a blue polka dot pattern background. Some of the bears are solid in color, and some are sporting plaid. All are cute and all are wearing bow ties.
The fifth set of pages feature sleepy teddy bears. Most are wearing cute pajamas, and some are in bed. The background is a light pastel blue, with a mixed pattern of white and a medium light blue. It's perfect for imagining a dreamy land.
The next set of pages feature a variety of teddy bears doing a variety of activities. These are different bears doing different activities than what was shown in the third set. It's fun to have variety. The background is white.
The seventh set of pages feature outline drawings of teddy bears and real bears. Kids can use these images as they are, or they can color them in. Since coloring is optional, and the main theme is scrapbook paper, it is only listed as a scrapbook paper paperback.
The eighth set of pages feature some bears with food and some bears walking. The background is a unique pattern of light orange and light green checkered pattern. There are also squiggle lines of orange and peach for added interest and intrigue.
The ninth set of pages features a pattern of bears, all wearing bow ties and sitting in the same position. There are two bears each of six different colors. They're sitting in front of a polka dot background of blue and lavender dots of different sizes.
The last set of pages features a forest scene of regular bears and a variety of animals, including birds, a deer, a skunk, a frog, a squirrel, and more. It's a fun way to children to tell a story, add more animals that they might see in this scene, etc.
This paperback was, in a sense, a collaboration. Each set of designs contains some of my original artwork, whether it is an image or images, and or the background. Other images were from other artists that are on Canva, of which I am a subscriber.
I own own the colorful Hearts Scrapbook Paper paperback, and the images came out great. The colors did not bleed through, and I would recommend them to anyone. Both this book and the Teddy Bears Scrapbook Paper paperback has glossy covers. I prefer them over the matte.
Hope you have found my descriptions helpful.
Amazon might have a new way of downloading the image for me to show the picture of the book, which would really help. However, you can check out the image here, on Amazon, and check the price too. Cute Teddy Bears and More Scrapbook Paper.
Cheryl Paton
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
The Story of Life began with a poem I wrote in January 2020, originally titled Living in Light. I wrote it during a deeply personal time in my life, and I published it on my YouTube channel that same month as an inspirational video poem.
At the time, I had no idea that I would eventually return to those words and turn them into a song. But the message remained meaningful to me, and years later, I felt that the poem had more to say.
The Quiet Moment That Inspired It
The poem was inspired by a quiet moment I shared with my mother during her cancer battle. We were sitting together in a room, each of us simply occupying the same space. There was no special occasion and no grand gesture. We did not need to be doing anything in particular. We were simply together.
As I sat there with her, I became very aware of how meaningful those ordinary moments can be. Sometimes, being present with someone you love is enough. There does not always have to be a conversation or an activity. Sometimes, sharing a quiet moment can become one of the memories that stays with you the longest.
Watching my mother carry such a difficult burden also changed the way I thought about hardship. I saw a quiet strength in her that stayed with me. It made me think about the parts of ourselves that we sometimes believe have been damaged by difficult experiences. Perhaps those parts are not truly broken. Perhaps they are places where new strength can develop.
What I Began to Understand About Aging
That experience also caused me to reflect on aging and the way we change throughout our lives.
As the years pass, our physical appearance changes. We see those changes when we look in the mirror, and sometimes it can be difficult to recognize the person we once were. But I have come to believe that aging has another side that cannot be seen in a reflection.
Inside, something can become lighter.
Our experiences can give us perspective. The things we have survived can teach us. And although our bodies may grow older, our hearts can become more youthful in the way they understand love, wonder, forgiveness, and what truly matters.
A Journey Toward Home
When I think about life, I often picture it as a gentle journey through the sky. We move forward through the years, gradually drifting closer to home.
Along that journey, new lives are beginning. I imagine us passing close to newborns as they enter the world, almost as though the journey connects those leaving one chapter with those just beginning theirs.
There is something beautiful about imagining that the light we have gathered during our lives does not simply disappear. We pass something of ourselves forward. The love we have given, the lessons we have learned, and the light we have carried can continue through others.
Our light does not have to become smaller as our journey progresses. It can become part of something much greater.
Learning to Trust Our Wings
The poem also became a reflection on letting go.
Life teaches us that we cannot hold on to everything forever. Sometimes we have to loosen our grip, trust ourselves, and trust where the journey is taking us.
Pain and tears can change us. They can become part of how we understand ourselves and the world around us. The difficult experiences we would never have chosen can still leave us with something meaningful.
For me, living in the light represents a new beginning. It reminds us that life continues to move forward, and that love has a way of continuing with it.
Turning the Poem Into a Song
Years after writing Living in Light, I decided to transform the poem into a song.
I wanted to preserve the heart of what I had written in 2020, so I worked from the original words and reshaped them into a musical structure. I developed the verses, pre-choruses, choruses, a new verse, a bridge, and an outro, allowing the original poem to take on a completely new form.
The result became The Story of Life.
The song carries the same message that inspired the poem, but it also reflects the years that have passed since I first wrote those words. What began as a quiet moment beside my mother eventually became a much larger reflection on life, aging, love, resilience, loss, and the journey we all take.
The Story of Life is the evolution of those original words. I returned to something I had written during one of the most meaningful quiet moments of my life and gave it a new form through music.
At its heart, the message remains the same. Love continues. Light continues. And when we have truly loved, we have truly lived.
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"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
