Blogging With Julie in 2019
Welcome to Blogging With Julie in 2019
I tried to access some of my old blog posts in order to copy and paste the links here so that all my blogs would be in some kind of order but I can’t. They are so stuffed full that I cannot even access them. So, oh well. I’ll just start this one brand spanking new and you can just go on a treasure hunt in locating some of my old blog posts, if you like. They are here on the website. It’ll require some work on your part if you are interested. Or, we can just start 2019 all shiny and new and go from there.
Either way, I am so happy that you are here to join me. I’ll try and make it interesting. 🙂
I do hope that 2019 will be a great year for all of us!
Happy 2019!
Julie
Gordon and I at our daughter Veronica’s wedding this past January 2019.
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Julie’s New Camera
(I upgraded to a new Nikon. My old one was literally falling apart. So very happy to have this new one. As someone who takes photos every single day, I am so lost without a good camera. Good News: I discovered that my old lenses fit my new camera!) 🙂
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Out the Door……
I have always had a thing for “bags.” I tend to carry a large purse that I can never close, snap, zip, etc. So, it tends to stay open. I look at women’s purses when I am out and about and how they just leave them wide open with their contents exposed. I think that is careless. In many cases I can even see their wallet. My solution to that is to place a scarf at the top. That way, no one can see the contents of my purse unless they physically move the scarf.
(I also always take food and drink with me whenever I leave the house. Above you can see some Sea Salt Almonds and my Water. Sometime’s I may take my favorite Peanut Butter Sandwich and some BBQ Chips. Or anything with Peanut Butter spread on it. I eat Peanut Butter every single day. Always have.)
Black and White Photos that Veronica took, and Developed Herself
I do tend to have a thing for Pink and Grey.
They were my wedding colors, and I have grey eyes.
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“I’ll bet you that nine out of ten people, if they see a woman across the courtyard undressing for bed, or even a man puttering around in his room, will stay and look.” -Alfred Hitchcock
I am very proud to say that I am that ONE person that won’t. 🙂
Probably has something to do with my being an Empath.
Julie Lancaster-Whann
BLOG ENTRIES START HERE
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January 2, 2020
My Last Blog Entry
Oh, I will be starting a new blog post for 2020 soon, but this will be my last blog post entry here on this one. I just wanted to share some of my thoughts. I have discovered that writing things down helps to get these thoughts out of my body in order to make room for more thoughts. I know, I’m complicated. 🙂
Me, with Spooky and Sparky Christmas Day
I actually had a better Christmas last year when Gordon was working overseas and I was all alone here at home. And actually I wasn’t alone as I had my Monk with me.
Monk in my Mermaid Lagoon Christmas in the Nook
Sadly, I had to put Monk down in early 2019. He was just too old and could no longer walk or eat solid food. He was dying and I did the only thing I could do. I do write about it in Monk and Sugar’s blog post:
I retired their blog post seeing as how they both died but I do discuss their passing’s and having to have both put down all by myself and how difficult that was for me. Monk’s passing was painful due to the staff having a hard time finding his vein for the IV. He suffered. With Gordon working overseas at the time Brodie didn’t want me to tell Gordon about Monk’s painful passing so as not to upset him because there is nothing he can do about it. I understood why Brodie wanted me to spare Gordon’s feelings but as I explained it to him, I owe it to Monk for all of you to know what he went through before he died. It’s not like Gordon, Brodie and Veronica are children, they are adults and I wanted them to know.
So, as I explained it to Brodie, If something were to happen to him and he dies, and people are trying to shield me from knowing the horrid details of my son’s painful death, I believe that as his mother I owe it to him to know all that he went through before he died. I would also want to see the body for myself. I am not about to just take someone’s word on anything. I owe it to my loved one.
When I talk about how last year was a better Christmas for me I’m speaking as am Empath. It’s hard enough being an Empath on a regular day, but especially difficult during the holidays when times aren’t good and people aren’t too happy. Last year with Gordon working abroad I was able to control my environment. I controlled what I watched on T.V. which was mostly DVD’s and Bluray’s. I purposely didn’t watch Christmas movies, BUT, I did watch some of my favorite series that did have their Christmas episode’s. For example, the latest Sherlock Holmes that starred Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, or my favorite series Monk starring Tony Shalhoub. They have Christmas episodes in the series that were funny and not so heart wrenching that I’m crying constantly. And X-Files also has a Christmas episode that was fun.
Also, by not watching T.V. I was also spared those constant commercials designed to make us feel sad and send money to help abused and starving animals. I believe in helping abused and starving animals and I do throughout the year but I just don’t need all that sadness thrown at me at once only during the holidays. There are also commercials that feature gifts of diamond necklaces, or that diamond anniversary ring that your husband of 20 years needs to buy for you otherwise he doesn’t love you. And let’s not forget for those special people that brand new car sitting in your driveway with a big red bow on top of it. If you don’t get one then you are married to a looser!
But having Gordon home meant watching every single Ebeneezer Scrooge movie ever made even going back to the 1930’s to present day. Gordon’s channel surfing and coming across E.T. and remarking how it was what we saw on our first date so let’s watch it! Yes, and on our first date I cried my eyes out sobbing over that movie pulling at my heart strings.
Gordon tends to immerse himself in everything Christmas and there is nothing wrong with that. However, for an Empath I just don’t like constantly being emotional and ready to cry at any moment. I did talk to Gordon about this and he asked me why I didn’t say anything to him and as I explained it to him, “Because you aren’t doing anything wrong! You have every right to watch these movie’s and immerse yourself in Christmas. There is nothing wrong with you. But there is something wrong with me because I can’t do what all the rest of you can.”
We had a great day Christmas. It was just me, Gordon, Brodie, and Veronica and Brian. Food was simple, but tasty, everyone enjoyed their gifts, everyone was in a good mood and happy. I wore my pajamas all day long and had a blast! I also didn’t take a ton of photos like I usually do. Oh, I took photos, just not my usual hundreds. 🙂
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The Cookie Cutter Royals
My Empathic Take
Queen Elizabeth and Her Props
Christmas Day message where she snubbed her grandson, Prince Harry, his new wife Meghan, and her new great-grandchild Archie.
(NOTE: I write below on this blog post entry my story of having my photos “removed” by my own mother and how cruel it is.)
Every year the Queen of England will use her televised Christmas message to the world to decide whom she wishes in her family to praise, and whom she wishes in her family to condemn, simply by placing photographs around her, as she delivers her words of “goodwill, inspiration, let’s be united, blah, blah, blah” rubbish of a speech. This year she chose to support William and Kate and their bunch. While choosing to condemn Harry, Meghan and their child Archie.
NEWSFLASH: Gan Gan’s Evil! So lucky for William, Kate and their bunch that they are cookie cutter royals. That’s what I call them anyway because that’s what they are. And they will fill that mold at least until George grows up and it is revealed that he is gay. 🙂 That is what I see very clearly. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But it doesn’t exactly fit that cookie cutter royal mold that he is expected to fill. Oh, Gan Gan will be long gone by then, and the royals have always dealt with gay Kings, Princes, Dukes, etc. And these gay men will continue to marry women and bring them into a life of lies and deception in order for their privileged lifestyle to continue. One always needs an heir. 🙂 After all, without a willing public to support them they all go on food stamps. Well, not quite but they do loose their excessive lifestyle, just observe Andrew and his future life. Yes, it’s a bit hard to hide the family pedophiles. Not as easy as it used to be.
Which btw: How did the Queen not know of her son’s association with known pedophiles? I find that very hard to believe that she didn’t. Funny how there is no outrage or punishment until the vast majority of the public finds out about any such indiscretion. Only then is there disciplinary action. But hey, she at least snubbed her grandson, grand-daughter in law, and new great-grandchild without any hesitation whatsoever.
The “Happy” Cambridge’s
The Middleton’s, at Charlotte’s Christening
I wanted to bring the Middleton’s in because I do pick up quite a bit from them and their future places once the Queen, and Prince Phillip has passed away. After all they are the parents of a future Queen, and the grandparents of a future King. Although Prince Charles is only about 7 years older than Carole, and only 1 year older than her husband, that doesn’t mean that he will have more influence over William and Kate than they have. Charles has never been much of a father to his boys. And they know that very well. He was always too selfish, and Camilla has hardly been a “mother” figure to them since their mother’s death. After all, she was the other woman that made their mother so unhappy. I don’t see William’s personal loyalty leaning towards his father. I see the Middleton’s whispering into Kate’s ear, and Kate in turn using her influence over William to push an agenda whatever that may be? 🙂
I also very clearly hear Carole Middleton giving her daughter Kate advice in the form of ‘you make sure that Meghan knows her place, don’t let that Meghan Markle from that ridiculous American family get very far, YOU are the future Queen, NOT HER!’ (Well, you get the idea.) The Middleton’s will be made to be powerful through William.
Kate and the Middleton’s are social climbers and they have their eye on the sky. It is all within their grasp. They have no intention of sharing anything! And sadly, I believe that William will sacrifice a relationship with his brother Harry, for Kate and the Middleton’s.
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Meghan, Harry, and Baby Archie
When Meghan released this Christmas card to the public she was immediately criticized because her face was clear, and Harry’s face was blurry, therefore the horrible Meghan must have photoshopped the picture! Oh, the horror!!! What a bitch!!
That is what was said about Meghan.
Meghan is actually a very intelligent, progressive woman that is very ambitious, talented, good and kind. She has very good instincts and wants to use her connections and her ideas to help to make the world a better place. The royals are rooting for her to fail. Meghan knows this and is having a hard time with all these negative people working to sabotage her. Meghan also knows that she is damned if she does, and damned if she doesn’t and that there is no way to win with that kind of environment. Therefore she is searching for a way to survive/thrive all at the same time.
Meghan fills all of the gaping holes in Harry.
(So Does Doria.)
When Diana and Charles divorced, and then Diana died, Harry was left alone with an un-attentive father and his mistress, an older brother that is to become the future King. And Harry has said that he was told he is not as important as William is. I do believe that they brought in Tiggy something or other to spend more time with the boys when Diana died. She was their nanny at the time through Charles. I mean how wonderful was that? Let’s just pay someone to spend time with Harry and William because his mother died and we’re too busy to do it ourselves. I’m pretty sure that they both knew she was being paid to be there for them.
Children need someone to snuggle with on the couch while watching a Spongebob Squarepants marathon of fun cartoons while eating popcorn or pizza and drinking sodas and juice. Diana would have done that. Charles never would have. But perhaps we can pay the nanny Tiggy to do it for us?
It’s like I said, Meghan is highly intelligent, more so than Harry is, and between she and Doria they fill all those empty holes in Harry which is why he loves his wife and his mother -in-law so very much. Meghan is his wife as well as his mother sometimes. He also wants to be a great dad to Archie because he didn’t have a great dad. BUT, there will be times that he will resent Meghan telling him what to do even though he needs it. Just like most children resent being told what to do. He will throw up the “I’m a Prince” in her face occasionally and she will smack it down when necessary.
Their marriage will not be easy because Harry was raised in a dysfunctional home, with dysfunctional people. But, he does know he needs Meghan and Doria in order to be whole. He also knows that in order to be a good dad he needs Meghan. I wish them all the best even though I know they have the “powers that be” rooting for their failure. Harry needs to be supportive of his wife and child and not give in to the cookie cutter royals. I sincerely hope he succeeds! Kate wants him and Meghan to fail, and William wants whatever Kate wants. The Middleton’s will be the influence behind the future British royals, sadly.
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Beatrice and What’s His Name? Her Fiance.
This union is a joke. He is not in love with Beatrice. He is something of a gigolo. That is what I pick up anyway. I see that he is very distressed that his future father-in-law with all the connections and money is going down. I would be very surprised if the wedding goes through. If it does it’s because he is not about to leave what he has until something better comes along which he will constantly be looking out for. If this marriage happens it won’t last past 2 years. That is what I see. I’m actually quite surprised that he hasn’t cancelled it already?
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Julie’s Photograph Story
I write above at how the Queen uses family photographs to condemn/praise various family members during her Christmas Day address to the nation, and the world every year. Well, I wanted to tell you my story of how my mother has done something similar to me and how truly cruel that it is. My hopes are to point out to those that just don’t understand the significance of how harmful and hurtful it is. It is a form of bullying. It is a form of intimidation. It is also a form of shunning and public humiliation. And when it is your own mother/grandmother/great-grandmother, it is downright CRUEL!
I have written in a few of my blog postings over the years of the abuse that I suffered from my step-father the psychopath, and my mother the narcissist. My step-father died in 2013 but my mother still lives. I don’t have anything to do with her because I’m just to tired of constantly being punished just for having the audacity to exist. Before my step-father died I did not go up to Georgia to visit with him. I also didn’t go to his funeral. I just couldn’t take anymore abuse from either of them. But, in the late summer of 2014 I did drive up to Rome to visit with my mother, and brother Ben. I asked her if I could come and relayed our plans to her. Veronica and I were going to Maryland for her to be in her friend Caitlyn’s wedding while I was to attend. I drove up from Florida, stopping off in Georgia for a few days, then driving up to Maryland. Veronica flew up to Maryland and I picked her up at the airport. We were there for about 4 days and then together we drove down to Rome so that Veronica could see her grandmother for a few days before we both drove back down to Florida together. But, my going up to Rome to see my mother was something of a test for me to see how I would be received. To see if we could put the past behind us and move forward as mother and daughter, mend fences, and have a nice relationship.
The very second I entered the living room there were photos of my step-brother and his adopted child from Vietnam all over the place. I looked for my photos. Photos of me and my children and I did find them, they were shoved to the back while my step-brother and his son’s were everywhere. I knew then that I never wanted a relationship with her ever again. The cruelty will never end. She will always let me know that I am nothing to her.
It was the perfect little “Fuck You” to me. She never even had to say a word. To me those are the cruelest people. The Queen using her platform to hurt Harry, Meghan, and even little Archie, is disgusting. She is no different than my mother which is why I have no respect for the Queen of England. Harry and Meghan you are so much better off without her in your lives. Let her be William and Kate’s problem after all they are the cookie cutter royals.
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December 19, 2019
Merry Christmas, and What’s Up?
My Tacky Cake, That’s What!
When we were living in Maryland I was with a group of women, about 6 of them. They were very sophisticated, and exemplified good taste. They then looked at something a bit kitchy with distaste. I then looked at them and said, “Sometimes being tacky is fun.” They then turned and looked at me with the same expression on all 6 of their faces. It was then that I knew that this group is NOT for me!
Kitchy, I think is a nice word for Tacky. I have always used the word, Tacky, and I will here as well.
But sometimes Tacky is fun! Which is why I started a Kitchy Kristmas blog post. I was going to name it: Kitchy, Kitchen, Kristmas, but then I realized the initials would spell out KKK so I changed my mind. 🙂
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I’m also thinking about starting a new blog post to let my reader’s know which posts I am currently working on. What updates are new, etc. I get asked that occasionally by people wanting to know what I’m currently working on. So that is something I will be creating soon. That way you can just go to that blog post to see the link’s for updates on what posts I am working on.
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Christmas is less than a week away and I have a million things to do before then!
I have NOT even sorted out the gifts to mail to family and friends in other states. But then again some of those people have sent us our Christmas as late as March and April, so I’m not going to worry if our gifts to them arrive after Christmas. If they don’t bother making us a priority then there is no reason for us to break our necks making them one. I’m not saying that to be vindictive, I’m only saying it realistically.
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I wish that there were 10 of me. I’m so behind on my website that I would love about 9 other Julie’s to help me catch up, but that’s not possible so it boils down to me! And I am doing the best that I can.
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It looks like we failed our new A/C Inspection. That means that the company that installed it has to come back and repair all that they didn’t pass. We have yet to hear from them. Whether or not it is because of the holiday’s I do not know. But, they aren’t returning our calls. 🙁
I called the company that built out our lanai extension to come back and do some more work for us, but I have yet to hear back from them as well with an estimate.
We are also looking into enclosing our original existing lanai and making it a Florida Room. I’ll let you know if that will come to fruition once all this other stuff is taken care of.
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Usually Gordon and I have some sort of small get together with our children and their partners before Christmas but this year we aren’t doing that because we just have so much going on. But, everyone is welcome here at our house for Christmas Day. There will be a great dinner and some apps.
And even then I am still contemplating what theme I want. I actually know what I want but do I want to go to all that trouble to bring you that theme? That is what I am contemplating. 🙂
I have a million ideas in my head and I want to bring all of them to you but yet that is impossible. So, I do the best that I can. I love sharing and I want to show you this and that and how great it is and how free it is but yet, I can’t. I need more than me to do that.
Sorry if this was a rambling and confusing post. Sometimes my brain works faster than what I can relay and write to you in words. But I want you to know, if I can’t write anymore before Christmas, that I appreciate the time you take to look at our website. To read it. To know it. To appreciate it. Even those of you that copy our ideas. I thank you for that as well. You see, my step-father and my mother have always called me worthless. They have always let me know that I am not worth anyone’s time. So, if you take the time to read and even copy then you are acknowledging what I have always known on my insides. That I am worth it. That I do have something to contribute. And I thank you for that!
Happy Holidays!
Julie
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12/3/2019
It’s a cold day today in Florida!
Anyway, I just came from my doctor appointment with my cardiologist and I learned that my heart is “PERFECT!”
It is at 70% which is the highest it can be! There is no 100%. 70% is the top! 🙂
Considering my age, 58, and my family history of heart disease on both sides, biological father and maternal grandfather, realistically I should have some problems, yet I don’t.
Now you see why I have the smile on my face above. 🙂
Heart,
Julie
P.S. My brother Johnny in Ireland is going for his heart test mid December.
He knows our history as well, we share a grandfather who died at 57 from his second heart attack and wants to make sure he is o.k.
P.S.S. I just wanted to say that while I was taking my Adenosine test I was talking to the man giving me the test about heart health and I mentioned to him that I sometimes go around my house pretending as if I am conducting an orchestra because all of those conductors live very long lives because they exercise their hearts constantly.
He then scoffed at me as if I were ridiculous and said the only way to exercise a heart is by walking at an incline.
My biological father died at 43 from a widow maker heart attack. My maternal grandfather died at age 57 from his second heart attack. Realistically, I should have some sort of high blood pressure or heart disease yet I’m told my heart is “perfect.”
I believe that conducting a fake orchestra does help me. People are not as smart as they used to be. Doctors are not as smart. Teachers are not as smart. Astronauts are not as smart. Politicians are not as smart. Do your own research. Think for yourself. Believe in your opinions. Don’t just take the word of someone with a diploma who makes more money than you do. Chances are they don’t know everything.
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December 2, 2019
Why Do I/We Even Bother?
Me, with our dogs Spooky and Sparky.
Celebrating Feliz Navidad, Our Way
Our Feliz Navidad Table
As I am writing this it is December 2, 2019 and we are exhausted from a big weekend of cooking and entertaining. It was a lot of fun, don’t get me wrong. But it was also a lot of work! When you watch a T.V. show on any sort of entertaining, they make it look so easy. Everything is already chopped and prepared, washed, the stage is set. A crew has come in and cleaned an entire area for the “party,” they have people to wash dishes and set up, the hair and makeup is done and with everyone looking perfect, the clothing is lovely, and they do it all in their 30 minute segment, but we have to do everything ourselves and it takes hours, even DAYS, sometimes weeks!
I’m not bashing those that have help! I’m only pointing out that they DO have help whereas we don’t.
But for those of us that don’t have help it is a lot of work!
Every year I/we exhaust ourselves physically, and our bank account, with so much money going towards the foods that we choose to cook for these parties for our families and friends. The atmosphere, the gifts, the foods, the drinks……
Oh, everyone does seem to enjoy the food and drink tremendously! We always have lots of extra food for them to take home and eat for days later. That is our goal. Giving them good food to eat for a few more meals once they leave our home.
I do look around and everyone seems to enjoy and appreciate Gordon. OMG! They LOVE him! They always have. But I do believe that my contribution to all of this will not be appreciated and realized until I am dead. (A bit morbid I know.)
No one seems to realize that all of this is my idea. No one seems to realize that this is my hard work. My shopping, my cleaning, my wrapping, my preparation, my determination, my instruction, my direction. But yet they all love Gordon and his contribution of food, food and more food.
I am happy that they realize his contribution! It would just be nice if some recognized Mine!
WE ONLY MISS THOSE THAT WE CANNOT REPLACE!
At this writing I am 58 and will be 59 in February. I am getting on in age. So is Gordon. We work very hard for our family…….
A few years ago I was listening to NPR, Public Radio when they interviewed a woman that was exhausted from having parties for her family. Her husband even asked her why she even bothered? She then said, exactly how I feel, because I need to. Someone needs to go all out for a great Christmas, or a great Thanksgiving. Someone needs to care enough to exhaust themselves so that everyone is included and happy in the celebrations and has wonderful memories they can pass down to their loved ones so they will remember those family gatherings.
Someone needs to care enough to exhaust themselves for these family gatherings.
Creating memories. Food memories.
Our only difference is that we post ours online on our website. That was my idea. We have always done what you see posted on our website for all of these holidays. But it wasn’t until 2011 that we started posting them online when I created the website.
The most important thing that we pass down to our loved ones are memories. Hopefully good ones! I hope that will be our/my legacy to my loved ones, good memories of food, gifts, celebrations, and fun.
Veronica just emailed me wanting photos of our Feliz Navidad. THAT is what I want to hear! 🙂
Everyone had a wonderful time! That is all that we want. That and lots of photos for us to enjoy, post and share. We are all about sharing. I guess we are socialists. We don’t sell any of our ideas. We freely give them so that other’s can enjoy them as much as we do. Oh, it would be nice if someone were to donate money to us to keep the website going. It is very expensive. But, I had to take the Paypal button off of our website because it attracted so many hackers. I also had to remove the comment buttons as they attracted so much Spam. Some of those comments were thousands of words long! It was such a chore just to delete them! So, I told my India guys to just do away with comments because just deleting all that content took me about 20-30 minutes daily. It’s not like they are genuine comments, positive or negative, they were just a bunch of nonsense designed to clog up my website.
It’s so sad that most everything that is created, is created for good. But then the evil people discover it and they turn it into something bad. Whether it be the internet, charities, business, health care, you name it! But I promise you that this website will always be for sharing. I cannot be bought because I am an Empath. I cannot be bribed because I am an Empath. I have even had people try to bribe me only to be disappointed that I cannot be bought. Empaths cannot be bribed or bought. It’s not in our DNA! Something that I am very proud of!
Julie
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I, Myself Have Been Doing Some Painting
Painting The Laundry Room
Me, After Painting the Laundry Room
One room that we never got around to painting in our home when we bought it was the laundry room. And the hallway. Finally, that day came! We had just purchased a new washer and dryer so it made sense to just go ahead and paint the room. Why not just make everything new! We also installed a new sink in the laundry room. I do have the write up that I am currently working on, on our renovations and apps post. I can’t even remember the title of the post that is how it is now with me. 🙂 Anyway, we are very pleased with the work I did. The room looks wonderful! It is organized, freshly painted, nice and bright white…. paint always makes an old room look new!
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Next Up…….
…..the Hallway.
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Gordon and Julie
We are wearing Thanksgiving Pajamas that we will be sleeping in. 🙂
Just leave my turkey leg alone!
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November 23, 2019
SHOPPING, DAY OF…….
O.K. I’ve got my lists. We still need to finish buying for Thursday, which is Thanksgiving.
Yes, I know you know Thursday is Thanksgiving. But we also need to buy for Friday, Brodie’s birthday. He is so hard to buy for. What should we do? I think he’ll just be happy with a card and cash. Actually, skip the card and just hand him money. The card will just end up in the trash.
We also have our Feliz Navidad on Saturday. I think Joseph is coming so we need to include him. Veronica is in Tennessee now but she will be back by then. I just hope Brian isn’t working any of his 48 hour shifts at the fire house. I also hope that Mackenzie isn’t in school that weekend in St. Augustine. Well, alright then, let’s go! Hurry up Gordon what are you waiting for? Me? Just because I am the last one in the car doesn’t mean I am late. Honestly! 🙁
First stop: Tuesday Morning
Second Stop: The Asian Supermarket
Third Stop: The Spanish Supermarket
Fourth Stop: Grocery Store
Then home!
Hey, I’ve got to get the laundry room back in order from when I painted it. We also need to put the Halloween things in the attic. We still need to clear some things out of the garage before the new A/C is installed on Monday. Did you find out if they will take a check? Otherwise we need to get to the bank before it closes and withdraw cash. O.K. good. Then I will just write them out a check. Whew! I’ll be glad when the new unit is installed! Yet another major purchase checked off our list!
Well, we’ll let you know how things work out!
Home Ownership! I’m rolling my eyes! 🙂
TTYL….
Julie
P.S. Now we need to look into buying a generator! Will it never end?
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November 20, 2019
What Am I Working On?
I am so exhausted! I was up early, I just couldn’t sleep. Sent Gordon off to work, showered, breakfast, coffee, took the dogs out, fed the dogs, and then I started the beginning of painting the laundry room. No roll brush, just by hand brush.
I cranked up the T.V. in order for me to hear the Impeachment Hearings while I was painting.
Oh, and p.s., I am working on my last year’s Thanksgiving food write up’s right now. When done I may backtrack to finish up some Halloween, or I will fast forward to Christmas posts that I have neglected.
My day tomorrow is more painting in the laundry room. It’s looking really nice and bright white! 🙂
My arm is going to be sooooo sore tomorrow! 🙁
Julie
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November 19, 2019
Time to Write!
Finally, I have a chance to update this blog post entry that I started last week. I just did get off the phone with the A/C guy about an installation on Monday, and then I called Gordon who was walking to his car as he was getting off work and got all excited because he found a quarter. That’s my man! I swear to you that I am married to Phil from Modern Family. 🙂
Our Front Yard of Our Home
The reason I am posting this photo that I took of our house is because everything looks great! Doesn’t it? Well, our N-HOA, (Nazi Home Owner’s Association) sent us a ticket telling us to trim our trees, renew our landscaping, and get a new front yard. I did all of those things about a month ago. They sent us an old photo of our house as “proof” that we needed to get these things done. I told Gordon to just write them and tell them that whoever they have handling these issues is either incompetent in their position, or has a grudge against us, which is considered harassment, and that can be addressed legally if it comes to that. We got those things fixed a while back. This Paralegal rests her case! 🙂
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Finishing Up Halloween
And NO, I haven’t gone crazy! (Well, crazier.)
I’m trying to do my best Annie from the movie Halloween. 🙂
This Halloween post isn’t finished but it is getting there!
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A. Hitchcock Clue for Halloween
I have finished this post with my write up. But, Gordon does need to do the write up for the recipes. So, when he does that, I then go in and add the ingredients and instructions that he leaves out. Sometimes I do some rewriting where I witnessed something that he forgets about. Meaning at what point he may add this or that. He may do most of the cooking, but it is up to me to make sure the write up is correct. Hey, behind every great man……..
Ghostly Frights Bites with Tasty Spirits
(Sorry, no links. No time!)
Write Up, DONE!
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Next up! Starting tomorrow I will be painting the laundry room a bright white while I crank up the volume on the T.V. so that I can continue to hear these fascinating Impeachment Hearings. I’m sure the dogs will be there to help me although I will continuously shoo them away from it. By Friday I should be able to move back into our laundry room all the things we have in our kitchen nook and even in the dining room in order to make room in there. Gordon can then install our new laundry room sink.
Gordon will also be buying tons of bleach this week in order to get on our roof this weekend and bleach it so that it looks nice from all the mold up there. Then it’s time to remove all the flowers around the A/C unit for the new installation on Monday. I love all those orange bird of paradise flowers but they need to be ripped up for this. We are also looking into installing a generator as well. Hey, Hurricane Irma scared the hell out of me and we can not rely on Tampa Electric. We need to be able to take care of ourselves so we are looking into a generator for that purpose.
Also, because the A/C guy is installing a big unit in our garage we are having to once again move things around and take things down so that everything can be installed as they should be. These are our goals before we celebrate Thanksgiving. Oh, and interestingly enough we won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving. We will be doing something different this year. We are having a Mexican Feliz Navidad! That’s Merry Christmas in Spanish. Yep! A Mexican Christmas for Thanksgiving! Why not?
Adios!
Julie
P.S. Next year we will be having a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all my Pilgrims and Indian’s and all the works that have been packed up in our attic for the past several years that I haven’t touched in so long. It’ll be great!
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November 6, 2019
Vivien, Lola and a Friend, Halloween in Ireland
Our nieces on Halloween. Just wanted to share. 🙂
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November 4, 2019
WE CAN NOW WASH OUR CLOTHES!!!
Old Washer and Dryer Left, New Washer and Dryer Right
FINALLY, we have a laundry facility! I swear to you I have done about 20 loads of laundry since we got them on Saturday!
Happy clean days are here again!!
Julie
(It’s the little/big expensive things that make me happy.) 🙂
And yes, that pink bowl is just floating there.
P.S. Which reminds me. Do you know why kitchen and laundry appliances were upgraded to begin with? It’s because during World War II when women took the men’s jobs while they were fighting overseas that women enjoyed working and earning their own money. And when the guys came back home women reluctantly quit working to give their jobs back to the men. Women enjoyed working! So, men decided that they needed to tempt women back into their roles as housewives and that is when kitchen and laundry technology took off. So that women would be lured back into the home and away from the workplace. 🙁 Typical male thinking……
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November 2, 2019
I just updated My Nifty 50’s!
I’m probably still tweaking it. 🙂
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November 1, 2019
It’s Already November
I so love my Universal Monsters purse that I intend on carrying it until December. 🙂
First of all, I am very sad that October has left me. It has become my favorite month of the year, with February coming in second, July coming in third, and December trails by fourth place.
I spent most of the day removing my Halloween from the homepage of my website, and replacing the slider with Autumn and Thanksgiving posts, while placing all down the homepage some Christmas and a few other related posts. I was really surprised that I have more Halloween posts than I do Christmas! What does that say about me? It says that I am FUN!!! 🙂
So, while I was slaving away on the computer updating our home page, Gordon was out in the garage clearing a path to our laundry room for our new washer and dryer to be delivered tomorrow. Incidentally, this morning we were awakened to a computer generated phone call informing us that our washer/dryer were to be delivered TODAY around 1:00 p.m.! Gordon immediately called them to inform them that we are not ready for them! WE had them down for delivery tomorrow. We still have work to do in order for them to even get our new washer and dryer into our home! They said, “No problem. We will have them delivered on Saturday around 1:00 p.m.” Well, at exactly 11:50 a.m. on FRIDAY the delivery truck pulled up in front of our house today! I was still in my nightgown…….
(FYI: Gordon isn’t wearing any pants underneath that trench coat. 🙂 He knew that his legs wouldn’t show when we shot this scene so he didn’t bother. I did tell him not to answer the door for the trick-or-treaters as they would think he was a flasher. 🙂 So we had Brodie do double duty, photograph us and answer the door.)
……the one in which I was almost MURDERED in last night! And while holding my coffee cup……
I just turned to Gordon who was shaving in our bathroom and said, “I told you the whole thing wasn’t straightened out. The truck is outside right now! You should listen to me.” 🙂
That is when Gordon leapt into action, removed all the shave cream from his face, put on his mom jeans over his Spongebob Squarepants boxers, (I told you we were running out of clean clothes), and a t-shirt, and went outside and spoke to them, requesting that they come back tomorrow. They said no problem. We will see, won’t we? 🙂
November 2, 2019
I didn’t finish writing yesterday so I thought I would finish up this morning.
I have so many blog posts that I want to finish up. With Gordon gone for 15 months I did catch up on a lot of them. I enjoyed writing every day. However, now I have to schedule the time more than before. When it was just me I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. But now I am having to share the t.v., there are more dishes to wash, meals are back on a set time schedule, that kind of thing. Plus we have been so busy with family, Halloween, cleaning out the garage for our washer/dryer delivery, then we will next look into buying a new A/C unit. A small fortune there. But it is time. It’s about 14 years old as well. But this time we want to do a cement pour beside the new A/C and enclose it with vinyl fence and place our garbage and recycling containers in it. And to also build a small fence around the new A/C unit to neaten that whole area up. It will also give us more space in our garage as we won’t have those huge containers to store in there anymore.
We are also looking into putting a new sink in our laundry room. The one we have in there now is old and ugly. Luckily for us Gordon can do the plumbing on that so we don’t have to hire someone. But right now all the contents from our laundry room are packed into the kitchen nook and we can’t move anything back until all the work is done in there. Thus, the rush!
Gordon goes back to work soon. Brodie has been driving his car for most of this year because his car hasn’t been working properly. He needs to buy a new car but he wants a muscle car that he can soup up and add his fancy auto parts to. So, he is actively looking for what he wants but is having trouble finding it. Or when he does someone else snatches it up. We may even end up having to buy Gordon a new car before next year. So much going on and so much money to be spent. 🙁
That is life though. Everything seems to fall apart at once, and home ownership isn’t cheap. Luckily we can afford all of this. There was a time when we couldn’t. I always keep those days close to me so that I will always appreciate what we have and how hard we worked to get here. The secret to happiness is really very simple. Just be happy with what you have, no matter how large or small and you will always be happy. But for those that are never satisfied, always looking and searching for more, or better, or different, they will never be happy. With everything going on right now in our country and the world, well, let me just say to you to that everything in life is temporary and to just enjoy it while you can. And try spending some of that money you are saving because you could be saving up for a future that won’t even exist. All of old rules of working hard, saving your money, no longer apply. That was for our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents futures. Perhaps not ours and definitely not our children’s and grand-children’s. So on that upbeat note, have a nice weekend. 🙂
Julie
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October 30, 2019
Happy Halloween
Hot and Humid
(According to The Weather Channel it was 90* but feels like 102*) I assure you, it did!
These photos are just quiet moments before our guests arrive for our Pumpkin Carving Party. The photo above is nothing more than Gordon continuously wiping the lens off because of all the humidity. That’s why I am a bit blurry. Finally, the camera adjusted and we were able to take clearer photos. Although I kinda like the blurry ones. They look a bit “spooky.”
Me in our Makeshift Pumpkin Patch
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Gordon’s Home, and Halloween
Although I cannot tell you exactly when Gordon got home, it is so nice to have him back here. 🙂 I picked him up at the airport. I waited in Cell Phone Parking. It is actually pretty nice. It’s kind of like being at a drive in movie theater. There is lots of parking facing a big screen that details the flights, numbers, times, etc. There is also a public restroom for you to use while you wait. And you just wait until your airline guest arrives and gives you a call to swing by and pick them up. It was easy!
Because Gordon had been up 40 hours traveling he was exhausted by the time I picked him up. So, we had a very long night’s sleep and a very lazy day the following day. He also got to know our newest family members, Spooky and Sparky. He loves them and they adore him!
Spooky and Sparky as Sharks
Sparky is something of a rascal. Mackenzie is the one that first coined him as a rascal. She called that one good! And Spooky is a sweet girl. She just wants to snuggle with you and she does the cutest thing with her face. She will press her face to your cheek, one cheek at a time, first right, then left. I swear I think she is a reincarnation of someone from the aristocracy. It’s just in her to behave that way and give air kisses every time she see’s you. It’s adorable!
Brodie and Mackenzie with Spooky and Sparky
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Gordon is taking 2 weeks off before he starts work again. And he won’t be going anywhere for awhile. As in working overseas. He wants to stay put for now and we want him to stay put as well. 🙂 Working 12-14 hour days/7 days a week is difficult on anyone. Most people that do what he does burns out after 4 months. Gordon did this for 15 months overseas. I believe that my step-father described Gordon perfectly long ago. He said that Gordon has the mind of an athlete. He just powers through everything and keeps that same pace even though he may be exhausted.
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I’m always closing the sun roof as the camera snaps the photo, it seems.
So, after resting up for ONE DAY Gordon and I went shopping for a new washer and dryer. We did find a nice set but we needed to push back the delivery of them because there is no way to get them into the house until we clear a path through our garage to our laundry room. That is what we started on today. We have so much junk everywhere! We were out there for hours either throwing things away, setting aside things to donate, or putting things into storage containers for future use. We even had Brodie to rent out a storage unit for all of his things, mostly car parts, in order to help clear out our garage.
Tomorrow, which is Halloween, we are taking the day to enjoy all things Spooky and Fun! And then on Friday we will continue to clean out our garage so that the washer and dryer can be delivered the following day. We are so piled up with dirty laundry that Gordon is down to wearing his “Mom Jeans,” and I am down to wearing my sexy lingerie. 🙂
It was funny but the other day Brodie looked so nice wearing something that I had bought him years ago. I remarked how nice that he looked and I asked him where he was going? He told me, “Nowhere. I just have no more clothes to wear until I do laundry at Mackenzie’s.” 🙂 So, he only wears my things that I give him when he has nothing left to wear? Why do I even bother? He’s been doing his laundry at Mackenzie’s, we’ve been doing our laundry at Veronica and Brian’s. Except that they are busy now with his brother, sister-in-law and their children that we have nowhere to go to do our laundry so it’s all piling up! (Do NOT even say the words LAUNDRY MAT! NO! NO WAY!)
Me and Gordon at Veronica and Brian’s house visiting and doing our laundry, and catching up with Stranger Things.
(And acting silly.)
Seeing as how Veronica and Brian have been letting me crash their house to do laundry at least 1-2 times a week now for the past month, I always like to bring some food over to their house when I come. So, when Gordon got home we decided to bring over all of the ingredients for our baked sandwiches and Muffaletta’s…… AND all of our dirty laundry! 🙂
Veronica had been requesting her dad’s baked sandwiches so I put together all the ingredients for us to make 2 large baked sandwiches and 2 large Muffaletta’s. Meats, cheeses, condiments, fresh veggies, olive oil, balsamic vinegar…… and tons of CHIPS! (Mine and Veronica’s favorite is an Old Bay Seasoning Crab chips by UTZ.)
Wine, and some Guinness for Brian (not pictured)
We just needed to run by the grocery store on our way over and buy the breads.
Oh, and I made some Muffaletta Deviled Eggs
Brian ate most of them! 🙂
Gordon and Veronica did most of the prep and cooking.
We wanted to make plenty so that all of us would have enough food for lunch the following day, and perhaps even dinner too.
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Veronica and Brian’s Kitchen
One of the Baked Sandwiches is Ready
Sitting Around the Kitchen Table
Chewie Missed Gordon
And when we got home that night we discovered a huge bolt in one of my tires. Gordon could feel it as we were driving home. He even guessed exactly which tire it was in. Good thing he was with me. He went out and bought me two new tires the following day. I’m just glad that I didn’t have to deal with all of that.
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Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, Orlando, Florida
We have been having a lot of fun since Gordon got home. We all did do Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights R.I.P. Tour. It was wonderful! It was also our way of celebrating Gordon’s homecoming.
Me, Gordon, and our children and their partners.
Veronica and Brian, Brodie and Mackenzie
I suppose that most people would celebrate a homecoming by having a big party, or hosting a big dinner, or even going out to dinner to a favorite restaurant. But, we aren’t most people. We wanted to celebrate Gordon’s homecoming with something big. Something Halloween big! Seeing as how we are all into Halloween, we wanted to do a big Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, Orlando. Our Treat!
We did the big R.I.P. Walking Tour. That meant that we were first in line at every ride and haunted house. It was so worth it! Some of those lines to get into the haunted houses were 2 hours long. No thank you! I will write more about our fun times in another blog. But it was so worth the extra money that went toward the upgrade.
And now we are just trying to keep up. So, Happy Halloween to All!
Gordon and Julie, Backstage at Jimmy Fallon’s Bar, Universal Studios
We hope that everyone that appreciates and enjoys Halloween has a wonderful holiday!
Gordon and Julie
p.s. Be Safe! Scare ya later!!
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October 19, 2019
Tropical Storm Nestor, Last minute BIG shopping, Our new front yard, and other stuff.
What a day today!
After the lawn guys left yesterday it started to sprinkle some while I was taking some photos of the front “yard.”
Preparing Our Front Yard for Sod
That is our house, and our front yard. The sod guys didn’t arrive until late in the afternoon yesterday so they just stripped our front yard of what was there, and then left in order to come back today, and add the St. Augustine grass that is required by our HOA. (Nazi Home Owner’s Association.)
I was talking to Gordon on the phone around the time they were prepping our yard when he told me about Tropical Storm Nestor. I believe I said, “WHAT tropical storm?” I’ve been so busy that I wasn’t even aware of any tropical storm headed our way. Apparently it wasn’t headed our way but we have had all the tropical storm conditions anyway. All those outer bands are quite dangerous. All of a sudden the heaven’s just poured down on us! I honestly thought we were in hurricane conditions all last night as that storm thundered in. Our NOAH weather radio kept warning us to take shelter in our safe rooms as a tornado is imminent. I believe that when I heard that I groaned and rolled over and went back to sleep. At that point I was ready to leave this earth and get a good night’s sleep wherever I may end up, heaven or hell, or wherever.
I set the alarm clock early as I was expecting the sod guys to finish the front yard first thing this morning. I was also expecting the very last trunk that Gordon had mailed from abroad. We have only received about 6 of them so far. (Huge trunks filled with all Gordon’s overseas shopping. He is such a girl sometimes!)
Sod guys arrived and finished up the job. Postman arrived and delivered the very last trunk from Gordon. And Gordon’s card through the snail mail finally arrived today with all his flight information. We had been giving each other code’s over the What’s App and cell phone chats. However, I am the only one that knows how to do a frickin’ code! I swear I am dealing with kindergarten children when it comes to our code communication. I am so alone!!!
When I finally got all the stupid people on the same page……..
Well, that’s actually all I can tell you right now. 🙂 But, all is a go!!!
Gordon has requested a few things on his return and I am doing my best to grant those requests. That is what today was all about. Major shopping! I even drove into the base to do most of it. You know, fill the tank with gas, run by Class 6, the liquor store and stock up. Then do some major shopping at the commissary.
We are planning our food menu out until the end of the month. We still have some shopping to do but I mainly did it today IN THE TROPICAL STORM!!!!
There was NO ONE OUT shopping today. Do you know why? BECAUSE WE ARE IN A TROPICAL STORM, THAT’S WHY!!!
I was one of the only idiots out shopping today. I did wear a dress, but I wore shorts underneath it. Thank goodness as all that tropical storm wind blew my dress over my head! It also messed up the sacred “Doo.” As in hair-doo! I just kept thinking, “Oh, no! The Doo! The Doo!! The Doo!!!”
Hey, us southern girls are born with a teaser comb in one hand and a can of hairspray in the other. You do not mess with “The Doo!”
At this point my car is so full of items from shopping that I cannot even see out the back to drive safely. I had over $1,500.00 worth of stuff in my car! Food, toiletries, paper products, pumpkins, etc.
I did make it home and Brodie was here to help me carry it all in and that is when Gordon called from the airport abroad telling us he is fixing to get on this plane. He had only been awake 24 hours prior.
The countdown has begun!!!!
Julie 🙂
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October 16, 2019
The Countdown Has Begun
Oh, and at what number does the coundown begin anyway? I suppose it should be from the day Gordon left to work overseas? Although I’m pretty sure when people talk about a “countdown” they are referring to…. 10, 9, 8, 7,…….
If that is the case, then the countdown began days ago. 🙂 I am awaiting my instructions via the “snail mail’ for the arrival date and time. (We have to do it that way.) 🙂
Today I had the landscapers come and redo/rework/cleanup some existing landscaping around our home, front and back. They were supposed to come yesterday but got tied up with another job. Normally I don’t get upset about those things but I am working a time schedule here and I informed them that if they don’t come today then I will have to cancel them as I’ve got the front yard guys coming on Friday to lay the sod.
So, I’ve got one more thing to check off my list before Gordon returns home. THEN, we have 5 things to do before the end of the year! But, at least once I get my things checked off the list the HOA, (Home Owner’s Association) will be able to sleep at night. That is all that is important. 🙂
We are having this wonderful drenching rain right now. Perfect after a day of landscaping. And I also have my sprinkler’s going off as well. Hey, it needs a good soaking.
I’ve also got some baked beans on the stove top and I’m about to take it back to the 1970’s and make my mother’s Bacon, Cheese, Halloweenie’s. Beannie’s and Weenie’s are a favorite of mine any time of the year. I’ve always loved Franks and Beans.
Julie’s 70’s Dogs, Beans and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
But moving on, when Gordon comes back home our plans are to just enjoy the rest of October with all our Halloween fun. Lots of food, family, shopping for a new washer and dryer, cleaning out the garage so that a new washer and dryer can get through the garage to the laundry room to BE installed, perhaps painting the laundry room, maybe even installing a new laundry room sink, pressure washing the back lanai, and lanai extension. (I’m currently doing all the bleaching so that all our mold is gone.) We want to have a pumpkin carving party out back too.
We will also be putting our backyard back together what with all the landscaping that has been going on. We do have a ton of things to do before the end of the year.
But, on the home front everything is fine here. Where my cyber-stalker is concerned though, that is a different story. Apparently a “Boardman AmazonAWS” bot follows me all over the web. I’ve been alerted to this. Whether I am in my website or out of it, it follows me. I’ve also been informed that a “duplicate” website of mine is out there and has been created on the net. What that means is that when you search for Me, you may not find ME, you may find a duplicate of Me that says whatever my stalker wants it to say. So, if I suddenly find religion, you know you are on the fake BarefootInFloridaWithJulie.com. My guys are working on it and we hope to bring it down. You know, it makes perfect sense that Prick Gray would do this. He has been in my websites for the past 2 decades and now he is locked out. So, what better way to get back in than to create a duplicate website of mine that he can then control. And why this troubled and disturbed man cannot exist unless he “controls” me is just bizarre!
You know, my step-brother Snots is the same way, (not his real name but a very close description of him.) He tries to view my website through “HideMyAss.” He is the head Librarian at Texas A&M University. I dumped Snots in the spring of 2001 and he just can’t get over it. He told a bunch of lies about me to the Texass relatives so that he could…..(I erased this part.) He is a rotten human being but I really don’t have anything against him. I just don’t want to know him. He is notorious for sending the Mormon’s to my door to do his bidding. The last time he did that was October 1, 2019. Prior to that he did it in 2008 and that lead to the downfall of our family. Meaning my birth family, not my family that I have with Gordon.
Scott is a trouble maker that I no longer want to know. I hope to never have anything to do with him ever again. He is the reason that I quit managing the beach condo for my mother. It puzzles me that these two men just cannot get over me? As I told my brother Johnny in Ireland, “Aren’t they supposed to be obsessing over 25 year olds? And not me, a 58 year old woman?” What makes me so special?? I really would like to know!!
My hope is that Snots and Prick Gray find themselves elsewhere. I’ve had enough!
Julie
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Blogging Update:
The posts I’m currently working on are my Mexican, and Alice in Wonderland Christmas. Perhaps I will update a few old posts with some new content but for now it’s these two. I’m also getting ready for Halloween which those of you that know me, is my favorite holiday. 🙂
Julie
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P.S. I wanted to give a shout out to my baby brother Ben. He is the inventor of Chili Cheese Fries. He was working at Krystal Burger in Rome, Ga. many years ago…….
Krystal Burgers, Turner-McCall Blvd. Rome, GA.
I loved Krystal Burger!
They had the cutest little square hamburgers on square buns.
Probably the original “Sliders.”
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Every day for lunch Ben would prepare a plate of french fries, topped with chili, and then cheese. One day a regional manager was visiting the restaurant and saw Ben preparing his meal. Ben quit shortly after that and then 2 months later….. Chili Cheese Fries were on the menu!
Pretty soon every restaurant in America had their own version of Chile Cheese Fries.
I just wanted to give a shout out to the inventor!
This is my version and they are delicious!
Thank you for the idea Ben! 🙂
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(I just updated On Being an Empath and I thought I would post here as well.)
October 10, 2019
Have I ever moved anything with my mind?
I get asked this sometimes because people associate psychic’s with T.V. movies where some heroine, like Rey from the Star Wars saga, will move things with her mind. I always hesitate answering the question because my answer is, “I don’t know for sure.” I can’t definitively say no, but I also can’t say yes either. Allow me to explain.
I suppose the best way to explain it to you is to tell you a story. This is the best example that I can come up with. It was when we were living in Rockingham, N.C. on Love Lane, before we built the lake house, we lived in town. The house we were living in was called a split level. Meaning that you entered the home through the front door that was the middle level. On that level was a hall closet, a living room with a record player that was hidden in the wall that we could open a door to access it, a dining room, and a kitchen, with a kitchen nook area. There was a backdoor from the kitchen and there were stairs leading down to the backyard. There was also an upstairs and a downstairs. The upstairs had bedrooms and a bathroom. My parents and brother’s were up there. The downstairs had my bedroom, a bathroom, and a family room, or game room. Kind of like the Brady Bunch’s family room. We also had those 70’s day beds in there as well. Also a game table. T.V., lots of shelves for board games, books, Encyclopedia’s, there was shag carpet, etc. There were also sliding glass doors from the game room that led to a deck, and then into the backyard. We did have a basketball hoop in the driveway on the garage, where it was mainly me that would shoot hoops most every afternoon. We did have a garage in our backyard that wasn’t attached to our house but we had a driveway that led to it. I would also skateboard most every day as well. I was very athletic and something of a tomboy.
If I had a date then I would invite my date down to the playroom and we would watch T.V.. Oh, and p.s. I did used to date Franklin Stubbs from Hamlet, N.C. Just one or two dates. He called me up on the phone most every night of our senior year in high school. He was a big athlete in our high school, I was the bat girl in high school for the baseball team. Meaning that I would travel with the baseball team to all of their games and it was my job to retrieve the bats. The guys would ride the school bus with the coaches and us 3 bat girls would drive the coaches station wagon behind the bus to the games. It was lots of fun! The guys would even sing the Bat Girl song when we would retrieve the bats. 🙂 You know, nana nana nana nana BAT GIRL! Nana nana nana, nana, nana, BAT GIRL!!! 🙂
I was invited to the sports awards ceremony for those in sports. I didn’t have a date. I went alone. I even won a few awards and plaques for my contribution. Which my step-father would ask, and I will never forget it, “Who would give YOU an award?”
But, Franklin Stubbs went on to pitch for the Dodgers. He retired at 32. That’s all I really know. He did write me from his college in Blacksburg, Virginia for awhile. He was African-American, and quite handsome as I do remember. 🙂
When I graduated from high school at Richmond Senior High in 1979 I was originally supposed to go off to school with my best friend Joyce Ann Young to a college in Georgia, where we would be roommates. But, I didn’t. She was one of the worst people I have ever known in my life, did me horribly dirty, and I backed out of going to school with her. I do thank my lucky stars that her real self was revealed to me and that I didn’t make the mistake of going anywhere with her. However, with my college plans thwarted, and it being a bit too late to apply and attend any big university’s, I signed up to attend art classes at a community college in Pinehurst, N.C. The college might have even been called Pine Hills Community College, as far as I remember? My parents bought me a car, my blue Datsun 310. It was a stick shift. Two door. Brand new. And NO A/C!!! 🙁 It was a 1980 model. It got 38 miles per gallon and 41 on the highway. (Oh, can any car say that nowadays? Shouldn’t things have gotten better by now? Not worse?)
But it was during this time while I was attending community college that I remember getting so sick. I think I had the flu. I would lay on one of the day beds in the game room watching the T.V. during the day. I remember being so thirsty. I don’t remember who/or how/but when I was so very sick that I just couldn’t function, there was this orange Tupperware cup of water on the other side of the game table. It was just out of my reach. I was so sick and weak that I just couldn’t reach it. I didn’t even have the strength to get up and get it. I was so dehydrated! I needed that water so badly! But, I kept coming in and out of consciousness and I kept noticing that the cup of water was getting closer to me. You could even see the trail of condensation on the table. Being from the south we always loaded our cups/glasses with ice, that would then start to melt causing condensation on the cup/glass.
At one point I even looked at the cup of water wanting it so badly that I could see it move, sliding closer to me. Finally, it was within reach. I was able to take it and drink out of it and it was the best thing I ever tasted. WATER! I then thanked the “ghost” that gave it to me. That is what I thought at the time. That some friendly ghost moved it towards me so that I could drink. Seriously, that’s what I thought it was. But now that I know more about what I am I do wonder if it wasn’t me that did it?
Oh, trust me. I’ve given lots of thought to what if the floor was slanted and the cup just slid along the table because of it? What if the table was a bit slanted? Well, if that were true then everything we ever placed on that table would have slid off. Right? Do you know how many cups we have placed on the table that never slid off and landed on the floor? Never in the years we lived there?
I have gone from thinking that some friendly ghost helped me that day, to wondering if I did that myself? There are other things that have happened that make me wonder if I moved them as well. If I look at something right now I cannot make it move for me. But, what if I need it to move? What if I am desperate for it to move? Then will it? I guess I will have to wait until I am desperate again and see what happens? That is the time when things move.
Julie
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October 5, 2019
Washing Machine is Broken!
Me, at Veronica and Brian’s Doing my Laundry
About a week and a half ago our washing machine decided that it no longer wanted to exist. I suppose that it was it’s time to go. It is after all, 13 years old. (I guess they go by dog years.) What with Gordon coming home in a few weeks I just don’t want to be the one to buy a new set. (Washer and Dryer) So, I am awaiting his return so that we can do the shopping together and buy a new washer and dryer. But, in the meantime, I am using my daughter, and son-in-law’s washer until that time.
I go over to their house about 2 times a week with my loads. Brodie is doing his laundry at his girlfriend, Mackenzie’s in the meantime.
When I do go over to Veronica’s I do bring us something nice to eat.
Here I brought over our favorite 7-Layer Dip and some chips and Sangria.
(BTW: My 7-Layer Dip only has 5 layers. Just so you know.)
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Veronica and I do watch our Stranger Things episode’s while I am there.
We even light a FAKE FIRE to do so. 🙂
Hey, it’s only in the 90’s here! Therefor it has to be a fake fire.
TTYL…..
Julie
P.S. Tree trimmer guys come on Monday!
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September 25, 2019
On Being an Empath
I had a nice day today. I did have a dentist appointment this morning at 11:00 a.m. I saw my most favorite dental hygienist, Roshanda. She is always a hoot! We talk politics, issues of the day, laugh a lot, and watch The Price is Right on her t.v. in the cubby where I am getting my checkup. I always tell her that my sister in law Heather was on The Price is Right and she won a ton of things! 🙂 But, what the average person doesn’t know is that you have to have the money to pay the taxes on everything you win, otherwise you don’t get to take home any of the prizes. (Surprise, surprise!)
My check up went well. My teeth are healthy and perfect. Oh, my bottom teeth are shifting and I will most likely do the veneer’s on them in the future, but my mouth is always healthy. I take very good care of it. You know, I was born with perfect teeth. Perfectly straight, no braces. The braces kids would always look at me and ask if I ever wore braces? You could see the disappointment in their faces when I would say, “No.”
So, after my dental appointment I came home and discovered that my dogs, Spooky and Sparky, had managed to open the dog gate, poop in my bedroom closet, AND on the dining room carpet. Enjoyed sitting on all the chairs in the living room. Spinning around on my computer chair, eating the trash from the trashcan, chewing on my new flip flops. Etc., etc., etc.,…..
So, after cleaning all that up I pretty much sat on the Lazy Boy chair and tried to relax until it was time to go and visit my daughter, Veronica. Oh, and by the way, she just got a raise and was told that her salary is the highest of anyone working there. She was surprised seeing as how some people have been there years longer than her?
I had brought over Brian’s belated birthday gifts. Oh, Brian wasn’t there. He was working a 48 hour shift. That is the life of a first responder.
But I did bring by his gifts from Gordon and myself.
I did stop off at Chick-Fil-A on my way over. I always feel the need to bring food whenever I visit anyone. And we are Chick-Fil-A fans! Oh, I hate the owner of the company. But I am from Rome, Georgia. My grandmother’s friend Edna had ties to Chick-Fil-A and always gave us coupons for free meals there. And, did you know that a man from Rome is the one that came up with the “Eat More Chicken” slogan?
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I had also brought over a bottle of wine for Veronica and myself before we ate our dinner. I asked her to play Season 3 of Stranger Things on her t.v. because I had not seen it. I just wanted to watch an episode or two. It is really good too!!!!
I always bring over a toy for their dog Chewie because he is such a stinker and will not let us visit without his horning in on us.
A typical toy for Chewie will only last one hour. But that is one hour we all have together without Chewie interfering. 🙂 Chewie thinks he’s a lap dog. Try having an 80 pound dog sit on you.
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Veronica and I had a nice visit, Gordon called via What’s App and was able to talk to both of us, that was nice, and then I packed up and left to head home. It was at that point as I am so happy and driving home that I passed a teenage boy walking down the road on the sidewalk with a backpack. He had his head down. He was just too ashamed to hold his head up. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone hold their head so low before. He had been particularly bullied today. Singled out. He was skinny. It just took one look for me and I could feel his entire feelings. They flooded over me! I started crying. I cried all the way home.
This boy is so sad that he wants to die. His family doesn’t care about him. He has no friends. He’s bullied everyday. No one cares for him. I am now weighted down with his sad feelings. I will not be able to shake these feelings until our tie is broken. The curse of being an Empath. So, for those of you that envy people like me? Empath’s. DON’T!
For every gift there is a curse,
Julie
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September 19, 2019
Best Buy, Spooky and Sparky, Trees, HOA, Landscaping,
Catching Up, and Christy Brinkley 🙂
What a day! I’m tired. My sciatic nerve pain is acting up and I’m sitting on my heating pad right now as I type this.
I just got off the phone with Gordon, we talk every evening. It’s when we start to say goodnight with all the “I Love You” and “I Miss You” and the air kisses, 🙂 that the dogs go WILD!!! Because they know our conversation is about to end and then I will take them out and feed them their dinner. It’s cute! But really loud!
Sparky and Spooky 🙂
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Anyway, Gordon and I bought a new camera this past January………
Exhibit A
………from Best Buy. It was an expensive camera. A Nikon D7500. We also purchased the better lens to go with the camera. We bought the 2 year warranty on both. Well, about a month ago I dropped my camera and lens from off the kitchen counter. They landed on the tile floor and even bounced 3 times before it stopped. I’m sure I had a total look of horror on my face as my camera’s are my children and grand-children.
I called Best Buy and told them what happened and asked what I do about it as I know we bought the warranty’s. The woman helping me looked in her computer and found the information she needed and just told me to drop my camera and lens off at the store and they will send it off site to be repaired.
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So, I showed up to drop off my camera and lens. I even wrote about it here…….
Saturday, August 24, 2019
So, after I bought a few pots I headed over to Best Buy because I had DROPPED MY NEW CAMERA on our tiled kitchen floor. Yes, I said that. My new camera fell on the floor and bounced 3 times!!! Luckily, I did a two year warranty on it and the lens when Gordon and I originally bought it. So, I took it in to Best Buy. I will add that the camera still worked, just not as good as it should.
And here is my new January 2019 camera that I love so much!
When I called Best Buy to inquire how to go about bringing in my camera that I had purchased there along with the warranty’s, they failed to mention that I needed to make an appointment. So, I showed up with my camera, lens, and the original boxes they came in, only to be told that I need to just wait until I can see someone, as I don’t have an appointment. YUCK! I was told I would be seen within 20-30 minutes. Finally, an HOUR later, I was seen.
I am a firm believer in marking your property with fingernail polish. Something I learned from Camp Fire Girls, and Girl Scouts. Hence, my initials on the camera and a swipe of polish on the lens base. 🙂 This way I will know if I get my exact camera and lens back from the manufacturer.
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Just sitting there as the GeekSquad guy did the write up for my camera repair, lasted 30 minutes.
My Camera and Lens to be Repaired
So, after that I sauntered over to the camera department to see my favorite camera girl. She has sold us our last 3 cameras. She is so knowledgeable about all the cameras, brands, accessories. She is such a wealth of information and I rely on her to help me decide on the right camera. I did decide that I should probably buy another nice camera seeing as how we take so many photos for our life, and our website. And then I bought a Canon!
Oh, don’t ask me anything about what it is. I’ll tell you that later on. But I did purchase a $2,000.00 camera today!
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AND, this is the camera that I bought!
New Canon EOS RP (with the works)
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While Best Buy/Geek Squad has my camera and lens to be repaired there were a series of phone messages from them updating me on the status of my camera and lens. In one answering machine message I was told that I would be getting a new camera and lens seeing as how neither one could be repaired. I was actually excited about that. However, the last call I got was from a woman who told me that my camera was able to be repaired but they had to trash the lens, so I will be getting a new lens. O.K., that is fine with me. I was looking forward to getting my camera back and a new lens to go with it so I made my appointment with the GeekSquad for a time I could come in and pick them up.
When I got there for my appointment I met with John and David. Don’t know which one was John, and which one was David, but one was training the other, which is why I saw two men. They gave me a camera that they said was mine and I was able to go and pick out a new lens from the camera department. While we were talking one of the men told me that when I buy new cameras, to give them my old ones. I should have asked him why? But I ended up cutting him off and saying that I keep all my old cameras because I collect them. I completed all transactions, purchased a 2 year warranty on the new lens, bought a few DVD’s/Bluray’s, and then left Best Buy, before stopping off at the Asian Supermarket for a ton of red peppers (recipe to come), some Kimchi, and dinner to take home from their buffet in the back.
It was when I got home that I had this weird feeling about the camera that I had in my bag. It suddenly popped in my head that I’ll bet my nail polish isn’t on the bottom of the camera. I then started thinking back to when I picked it up that something just wasn’t right. It didn’t feel right. So, I approached my bag and removed the camera from it’s wrappings, turned it over and NO NAIL POLISH!
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I started examining the camera. I was realizing it wasn’t MY camera. When I looked at the battery door, and the ports where I would plug in the cords to download photos on my computer. I take photos every day. I have a website, I am a photographer, I photograph every day, I download photos most every day, I charge the battery’s often. I knew that it wasn’t MY camera! My ports were more scratched up than these were. My battery door had some scrapes yet this one was clean. This was NOT my camera! And I didn’t want it!
So, I contacted Best Buy to make yet ANOTHER appointment to give this camera back and claim MY camera from wherever it may be.
That is when I gathered my evidence……
I had taken photos of my camera before I dropped it off at Best Buy for repair.
The photos do not match the new camera they gave me back alleging that it is mine.
My Photographic Evidence
I took my evidence into my appointment where my favorite GeekSquad guy was waiting to help me. I think they had him help me because he has dealt with me many times in the past, we had a good repoire, and they can request whose contact appointments they care to see. I learned that from him myself from a past appointment. I handed over my evidence that this wasn’t my camera and two GeekSquad guys poured over it. Oh, they squinted, look confused, held the photos up to the light, blah, blah, blah, …..
I interjected and asked if they see nail polish on this camera? They then said that they could have cleaned it off? I then said that I understand why they would clean some dirt and dust, but why remove someone’s identifying mark?
That’s when the department manager was called in, and he was no help whatsoever.
Basically, they passed me off to the repair center and told me to contact them about it. Long story short, Best Buy did not end up helping me. They just passed me off to someone else.
So what do I think about all of this? I do wonder if that cell phone drop off bin as you enter the store isn’t used in recycling phones that cannot be repaired for their customers? After all, why not? Look at all those phones they have to work with? Instead of giving this customer a new phone, or camera through the warranty, why not just give them one of these used ones we have here in stock, pass it off as their “repaired” item, that will save us money? Why did the GeekSquad guy ask me to give them my “old” camera’s when I buy new ones? I did ask the manager that I saw and he told me that they will in turn give me a store gift card for the value of the camera I give them and they in turn sell the camera’s at auction. Why do that? Here is a supply for you to use parts for in your repairs. So why get rid of them?
The profile of a corporation is identical to the profile of a psychopath.
How many psychopath’s that you’ve come across in your life actually care about you? Do what’s right by you? Are honest with you?
That’s what I thought. NONE!
What I think happened is that when my camera was sent off for repair, they discovered it couldn’t be repaired and sent that message off to someone at Best Buy that alerted me that I would be getting a new camera. But then, they somehow acquired an identical camera to mine and decided to pass that one off as my repaired camera. Done! That way we don’t have to honor the warranty and buy that woman a new camera. We just saved money for the store. Good job!!!
And for those of you that think well you know Julie, this used camera they are passing off as yours is probably a bit better than yours as you have stated yours was more beaten up……..
And my answer is that we buy the warranty for either the repair of our camera that we own, or they are to replace it with a new one. I did not buy warranty’s to be given other people’s used camera’s. Therefore I am being deceived. Yet another dominating trait of a psychopath.
I feel like I’ve uncovered a Best Buy scam that won’t be officially uncovered for 20 years from now. This is my experience and my warning to you. Do what you want, but I’ve done my part in talking about it. But I would like to state that I don’t hold accountable the Best Buy store employees. I believe this is a corporate scam.
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Spooky and Sparky
Sweet Little Spooky
Spooky and Sparky
Today was the very first vet appointment.
HOW TRAUMATIC!!!
In the past when I would complain about how chaotic it was to take Monk and Sugar to the vet, that was a walk in the park as compared to today…. Spooky and Sparky’s first vet appointment.
My Lord! It was like wrestling two bulls in an arena! I promise I’m not totally exaggerating. They are young, strong, and fast.
They were such a hit at the Noah’s Ark with all the employees because they are so very sweet and kind and loving.
The photos above do not depict how traumatized they both were. From the moment I put on their harnesses, (which wasn’t easy), they were panicked! As if I was going to take them somewhere to dump them off. Just getting them into the car was a huge ordeal. They cried! They screamed! They were shaking! Trembling! I was so sad and I felt to badly for taking them to the vet! Yet, I knew that I had to.
I felt so bad for them. I kept trying to reassure them that I was not abandoning them. We are just going to the vet. It will be o.k..
They were both shaking so badly that they were trembling. I felt so sad for them. The vet wanted to do some more work on them but I told them that as upset as they are right now let’s just make this a quick visit, give them lots of treats, and then we will come back in a few weeks. I need to get them home so that they can understand this was just a visit, not something permanent with them.
When I got them back into the car they were so relieved. The ride home was pleasant. They were so happy to see me pull into our driveway and when I got them inside I removed the harnesses, (their coats, so to speak.) They then settled down and I was able to do some grocery shopping while they napped. Whew! What a day!
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Trees
Checking something else off my long list of things I’ve been putting off until “tomorrow.”
Tree Trimming and Branch Removal.
I’ve got that planned for early October. I’ll be taking photos of that. It’s always a bit of a treat in the neighborhood when anyone has a tree removed or their tree’s trimmed. Neighbor’s even set out lawn chairs for the show. 🙂
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HOA 🙁
(Home Owner’s Association)
We are barely out of rainy season when here come the tickets! (Oh, and exactly when did Florida get a rainy season anyway? That’s our new normal now.) And, with the tickets come the threats. ‘If you do not have this work done in such and such amount of time then we can pursue legal action.’ Blah, blah, blah……
They are just a bunch of Gestapo! I know we aren’t supposed to use Nazi terminology in this day and age but if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, then it’s probably a duck.
Most HOA board members are republican’s. No matter what state you live in. It goes with their personalities. Republican’s enjoy being in positions of power and control over people. White privilege. Also their religion plays a major role in how they view and treat people. After all, the only God out there is theirs. 🙂 They tend to love to tell people what to do and want us all to follow the rules and laws they make and vote on. You know, because they know best. 🙂 They want to chose our house paint colors, we all have to have St. Augustine grass on our lawns. Our roof tile must be approved by the HOA board, etc. etc. etc. And if our yard is a bit weedy then all that matters is that it looks good so by all means put that Monsanto poison on your lawn that causes cancer so it will pass our standards of approval. DONE!
Moving on……..
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“Edna’s” Name was Really Leisa
Years ago I wrote about The Gray Haired Bullies that live in my neighborhood. I believe one died, his name was John and I used to call him “The Wheelchair Nazi.” Then there is Ed who is still around but for the most part he’s so old and frail he’s pretty much been neutered. And then there was “Edna.” Her real name is Leisa. She used to live next door to us and she is one of the nastiest women I’ve ever known in my life. I, in fact used to refer to her as “nasty.” I realize that the word “nasty” is being thrown around a lot by our current President and women are wearing it as a badge of honor. Which they should! Because our President uses the word nasty to describe strong women that stand up to him. But, when I refer to Leisa as being nasty I am not meaning it in a positive way. I am referencing it to mean that she is a very nasty, rotten person. She is a narcissist. A spoon. (A spoon is what we in the south would refer to as someone who likes to stir up trouble.) When Leisa lived here we ALL got our “tickets” from the HOA every two months! We knew she was reporting on all of us. The thing about it is that we all do the best we can. Retirees have more time to get these things done, but a lot of families here in our neighborhood have jobs, children, activities, and can’t always get to pressure washing the driveway, cleaning up the landscaping, mowing the lawn, as quickly as the Nazi’s want us to.
Leisa’s Legacy
When we first moved here there were no time frame rules of when to set our yard debris out in front of our house for the weekly pickup. Leisa changed that. Thanks to her we cannot set out our yard debris more than 24 hours before pick up. No one can.
Every two hours Leisa would go on her walks around the neighborhood every day. Walking by our homes, judging all of us, taking mental notes of things about our home or yard, or automobiles, that she didn’t like. She would then report them to the HOA and send them after all of us! Then the tickets would start arriving!
Leisa started complaining about this elderly couple who’s lawn care service worker’s would set out the clippings for pick up 4 days prior to the yard debris pick up day by the city. Leisa didn’t like looking at it as she would walk by. She one day complained to me about how she hated to look at it when she would walk around the neighborhood. I just told her to then NOT look at it! 🙂 Walk the other direction. Don’t pass that house. 🙂
Leisa was not amused. 🙁 She then alerted the HOA. They in turn told her that they have no rules in the books about that, and that if she wanted change she would have to get a petition and get a certain amount of signature’s on it and then they can do something about it.
SO SHE DID!!!!
I remember the day she knocked on my door asking me to sign it. I told her NO!!! I’m not signing that! She seemed surprised. Upset. Leisa then told me that she tore it up and didn’t turn it in. WHAT A LIE! She got enough signatures to make change and when the yard worker’s would come and do that elderly couple’s lawn they had to place the clippings for pick up in the couple’s backyard, out of sight of Leisa. And then 24 hours prior to the city’s weekly pick up of our yard debris, you would see this old couple having to drag all that to the street. It was just a sad thing to see. All because of Leisa. And the selfish inconsiderate people that went along with her and her petition.
Leisa has since moved away to Riverview. Her husband Paul died from cancer. I asked her what kind of cancer and she said she didn’t know? Leisa knew everything! So, that was a lie. He was a smoker and it was probably lung cancer which she didn’t want me to know. When I found out she was moving I was cautiously optimistic about her leaving. But, in the back of my mind I know that worse can always move in. But I was a bit happy about it. 🙂 And I remember telling Gordon that I feel so sorry for her new neighbor’s because she will give them hell. Leisa also told me she was having a house built for her out in Riverview. I knew that was a lie. The woman was 73 at the time she moved. 73 year old people don’t build houses, they downsize by moving in condo’s or retirement communities.
So, Leisa moved away and interestingly enough I was talking to my yard worker’s one day, I got a “ticket” because they had set my yard debris on the street 5 days prior to pick up and I was telling them to just keep it in my backyard and I’ll have my son to take it to the front. I also mentioned that my former neighbor Leisa as the one who started this to begin with. He then perked up and told me that there is this woman named Leisa that lives in his area in Riverview that is causing everyone trouble. I told him that I’m pretty sure it is the same person. 🙂
Interestingly enough but once Leisa moved from our neighborhood the “tickets” quit coming. Oh, we all get one every 6-8 months for something that we need to do, but gone are the every other month notices.
Leisa may be gone but her legacy lives on in when we are allowed to set our yard debris out front. She is still calling all the shots on that one even though she no longer lives here. Even though she is out in Riverview, she is still telling us what to do here in our own neighborhood.
Leisa, being the sneaky chicken that she was would never come after us on her own. Oh, no! I even once told her that seeing as how she loves telling everyone what to do, why not get on the board yourself? She just shook her head no. You see, Leisa doesn’t have the guts to go after people on her own. She gets other people to do her dirty work for her. That way the unpleasantness is avoided and her hands are always clean.
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Landscaping
So yes, I got a ticket to get some things done to my yard that I will get to. Although they did not tell me to trim my trees I know that needs to be done so that will come first. I also want to hire someone to clean up all our landscaping in our backyard but that will come after the tree trimming and branch removal. THEN, I will get a new front yard so the HOA can relax and sleep at night knowing that I don’t have anymore weeds in my yard. For now. 🙂
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Catching Up
I think I’ll save that one for a new blog post.
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Christy Brinkley
I think I’ll save that for my Nifty 50’s Blog
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Have a great weekend to all!
Julie
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September 10, 2019
Let’s Quit Being So Nice
Today is Tuesday and I’ve been up since 6:00 a.m..
Before Brodie left for work I needed him to lift the broken garage door so that I could set out the trash/recycling/dog poop/and yard debris for pick up. The garage door has been broken for a few weeks now. I would have looked into getting it fixed sooner but we had Hurricane Dorian coming our way initially and that set me back with getting to that. (And because I just didn’t want to deal with it.) A spring snapped and it is heavy as hell to lift. But, I do have the repair guy coming this afternoon to hopefully fix it, or I may be ordering a new garage door. In a way I would like a new one. It’s probably time but I would much rather Gordon be here to deal with that. I’m so used to men trying to rip me off so I’ve got Brodie coming home early from work to deal with the guy. (Sometimes we need to send out our spokesmodel instead of dealing with it ourselves.) And Brodie being a mechanic he can talk shop with the guy and they will most likely bond mechanically.
Tuesday is also my lawn care day, as in a group of men show up and rape my yard, in the front and in the back. I’m really not kidding either. Their approach to yard work is more of a ‘wham bam thank you ma’am.’ They are in and out in no time at all with their giant blowers and weed eaters and their ride around lawnmowers that have pretty much removed what little grass I did have in the backyard. Whereas I need someone to gingerly take the time to clean out my landscaping beds with care. Using their hands and fingers. Someone that will put thought into where to stick that long weed eater. One of the guys is outside my window right now roughly blowing the leaves out of my rocks!
(I think Gordon needs to hurry up and come home.) 🙂
Anyway, I’m getting off topic……
When Trump was “elected” President in the 2016 election I said to myself that we need to quit being nice to republican voters. We are too nice to them. Whoever gave the flat earth people a chair at the table is to blame for where we are right now. I grew up knowing these kind of people in the south. But they were out underneath their circus tents in the woods having their revivals. They had no power, no influence. Everyone with any sense saw them for what they really are, crazy extremists. But now these extremist’s are our politicians, our teachers, our school board presidents, etc. They’ve been given power and they yield it!
One day I was walking down the road with a friend when we came upon one of these Evangelical girls we knew at school. It was in the 70’s. She was drinking out of a paper cup and threw it on the ground when she finished it, as we were walking. This was during the ‘Don’t be a Litter Bug’ campaign. So, I pointed out to her that she was being a Litter Bug. She then said, “If God doesn’t want me to litter then he would have stopped me. Do you see him? He doesn’t care.”
So, what do you say to that crazy person? Nothing. You get away from them and never have anything to do with them again. Someone who thinks like that has been indoctrinated through their religion into believing that they can do anything they want to because unless God intervenes, then he doesn’t care. People like that also will never take responsibility for anything they ever do in life. No matter how much damage that they do, they have been given their ‘get out of jail free’ card by being “saved.” And that sentiment is reinforced every Sunday at church which is why they are such dangerous people.
When we moved to Rockingham, North Carolina in the summer of 1978 it had just been awarded All America City. Meaning that Rockingham was the best city in America at the time. That award was one reason that my parents wanted to move there. A city in the south that was small enough as to be “friendly” but big enough as to be diverse and attract others. Lots of doctors moved to Rockingham during that time. Doctors from Iran, Iraq, other states in America…. and of course, us.
Once we moved to Rockingham however, we discovered that the award of All America City was presented to Rockingham because of lies. The award was given because of things that were promised that Rockingham would do, although they never had any intention of doing them. They just wanted the award and the recognition and the money that was to follow. Which is one reason they got the Rockingham Motor Speedway.
(Garage door repairman is here, Brodie isn’t! He arrived one hour earlier than he was supposed to. Just talked to Brodie and he is on his way home, and Mackenzie will be bringing us all dinner tonight.)
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Julie Ann Lancaster (1978 photo taken)
Graduated 1979
Senior Portrait, Richmond Senior High School, Rockingham, North Carolina
(Wearing my Great-Grandmother Honnie’s pearls. And with my “mousy brown” hair that Trish would refer to it as. I kept trying to tell my friend Trish (from New Zealand) that telling someone they have “mousy brown hair” is NOT a compliment.) 🙂
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As I was saying about Rockingham. The All America City attracted a lot of diverse people that the conservative right-wing haters didn’t want. They wanted a bunch of white southerners to move and settle in Rockingham, not those of the black/brown/Asian variety, or those that were from up north. You know, Yankee’s! Which is why we were woooooo’d. And we were wooooo’d too! As in the big wigs of Rockingham invited all of us to come for a visit, tour of the town, and a big steak dinner where they set me up with the very handsome Stuart Beach. He was a year younger than me but extremely handsome and charming. I fell instantly! I think they figured that by setting me up with the handsome Stuart, that might persuade me over into begging and pleading for my parents to move to Rockingham? 🙂 I did go back to Sevierville, Tennessee (where we were living at the time) on Cloud 9 after meeting Stuart. We did move to Rockingham the summer of 1978. Stuart did fulfill his promise to call me when we moved there. And, he did take me out on a date. We saw Grease at the movie theater. He took me home, told me what a great time he had, kissed me goodnight, and NEVER called me or asked me out again. (I suppose that in his mind he fulfilled his duty and then we was done.) But, he did go on to date and become engaged to my best friend in the world at the time, Joyce Ann Young. Oh, she broke his heart, just like she broke mine. I believe the word, Frenemy was created because of her. She was a pathological liar, schemer, manipulator, I would even call her a psychopath, and the worst human being I have ever known in my life. (Well, after my step-father, mother, step-brother, and Prick Gray.) She was also the daughter of a Pentecostal Holiness preacher. You know, the ones who roll around on the ground talking in tongue’s? I even went to “church” with her a few times. Can you picture me underneath one of those circus tents out in the woods with everyone rolling around on the ground blabbering jibberish while I sit there stunned? (At 58 I’d say I’ve pretty much seen it all. And for those that are regular reader’s of my blog, I believe that you think so too.) 🙂
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Update: Garage door man just left as Brodie was arriving. Of course. But, it only cost me $229.00 to get the garage door fixed! I was expecting more financial damage than that. Especially seeing as how that garage door is original to the house. And next on my fixer-upper list is hiring people to trim all the trees on our property. And we have a LOT of trees! And making the vet appointments for Spooky and Sparky.
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I’m really not here to talk about Rockingham, the darkest chapter of our lives. But, Rockingham is a very good example of what I am leading up to. Just bear with me.
What ended up happening to Rockingham is what is going to happen to America if we don’t intervene. (Although I believe it’s too late to do anything now.)
Rockingham attracted a lot of diverse people from around the world, and America, but based on lies. However, Rockingham started growing. My parents even sponsored a Laotian family of refugees to come over and live on our land. A family of 7. They were in a refugee camp in the Philippines at the time. We owned lots of land in Rockingham. My parents had built a house that was featured in Architectural Digest. It was a grand lake house.
(I just remembered that I have some photos of the house. I’ll get those out and post them.)
I DID find them and I will post them tomorrow!
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Tomorrow is here, September 11th., and here are some photos of our Rockingham lake house. Granted, they are during the construction and shortly afterwards.
Photo top: That is actually the front of the house facing the lake.
The “lake” is actually a 5 acre pond but it would be considered a small lake.
Photo Left is looking upward to the upstairs from the downstairs.
And the photo right is another photo of the front of the lake house.
Where the ladder is, is my bedroom. I was on the 2nd. floor. The grand view of the house is what you would drive toward from the main road. Our “driveway” was probably a mile long to get to the house from this way.
The photos at right are a storage room and a backdoor.
Frank and Ben in the kitchen, and the mud room in the photo at right.
Dining Room and Kitchen, left. The front door facing the lake, photo right.
Photo left: The Fireplace. One area for storing wood and the other for burning wood.
Photo right: Ben Christmas, and the Furnace Room.
The Playroom, located upstairs.
Johnny, Frank and Ben Making Christmas Cookies
And, more of the upstairs. I remember that I loved all the windows overlooking the lake.
My brothers with Oy and Suvat, the youngest of the Laotian family.
Don’t ask me what their last name is because it is about 26 letters long.
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My parents bought them two trailers to live in, and bought them a station wagon. I believe there was a local church that also helped to bring them over although I don’t know the name of the church. The Laotians knew how to farm so my parents let them. I believe my step-father bought them a tractor as well. They would farm our land and would share in the food with us, and then the family could sell the rest at the farmer’s market to earn some money.
The Laotian’s were wonderful!
The older sister, Chauntachaun (not spelled correctly, I’m sure) married Siupe (not spelled correctly I’m sure) in the lake house. They had met at that refugee camp in the Philippines and kept in touch. Siupe saved his money and came to Rockingham to marry Chauntachaun. The wedding ceremony consisted of the bride and groom standing on a parachute in our living room while the family and friends stood all around it yelling marriage advice to the couple. AT ONCE!
The wedding also made it to the Rockingham paper. Although I don’t have a copy myself.
Funny story: My little brother Ben would often catch snakes and one day he caught a small harmless green snake and was walking down our road to the Laotian’s trailers to show them. They saw Ben coming with the snake and they all ran in the house and slammed the door. Ben came to find out that the deadliest snake in Laos is a small green one. The Laotian’s would also fish in our pond what was stocked with fresh water eels. The mother would cook them up and serve them to the family. I do look back and wish I had some of her recipes. 🙂 Just not the eel one. I do remember that she made this excellent peanut sauce.
Oh, and speaking of freshwater eel……
When we were living in Rockingham, North Carolina we had a 5 acre pond in front of our house. That is me above, rowing the boat. Our lake was full of those freshwater eels that would wrap themselves around your arm or your leg while you swam. They didn’t bite you though, so we tolerated them. And p.s. that lake is full of snakes. This is the south after all. 🙂
(Oh, I just wanted to say that my former sister-in-law in Ireland is always hesitant to allow her daughter’s Kate and Lola to come over here because of all the “snakes.” Well, I’m 58, I’ve seen a ton of them but I’ve never been bitten. I’ve also yet to be shot. Something else she worries about.) I worry about that too. That is a legitimate worry. 🙁
My little brothers, Frank and Ben fishing.
I think the year was 1980.
Sorry, just had a flashback memory of the eels.
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Our Barn
The pasture and riding ring are in back of the barn. If you keep walking down the hill you will come upon the lake. There were also various old shack’s/buildings situated in our woods on the property that were a bit scary looking as if from some Friday the 13th. movie. We also had a cement picnic table down by the lake on this side of it. I came home one day and I couldn’t find anyone in the house so I started walking around the property. I came across the picnic table that had watermelon on it and it was all half eaten. I was worried that something had happened to everyone so I took the knife out of the watermelon and started searching through all those old shack’s in the wood’s in an attempt to look for them. Turns out they left to go and look at something and then came back wondering what happened to the watermelon knife? 🙂 We had lots of land so it was easy to lose each other. The place was pretty big.
That is me in the middle with Gordon and my brother Frank.
My step-father is to the left.
Our Prince
Me, with a kitten in one hand and Prince in the other.
We had homeless cats in the barn. We let them live there and in turn they would keep the mice and rats away. I do seem to remember my parents having them fixed so they wouldn’t keep having babies. We would feed them their food when we would come to feed the horses their hay. Climbing the ladder to the top and throwing the hay down into each stall.
Our barn was featured in the Rockingham newspaper.
That is our horse Prince on the right.
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Lake House Photo’s Cont.
This is us on Christmas Day having our dinner.
At least I think it’s a Christmas Day dinner. It’s around Christmas anyway.
Johnny watching T.V., and our Christmas tree.
I don’t remember if it was this Christmas, but one Christmas my step-father brought home a bunch of rectal thermometer holders for all of us to string together and place on the Christmas tree. I do have to admit that they looked just like ice cycles. But still……rectal thermometer holders. Just sayin’.
Ben in the Fireplace
My Christmas stocking is the one of the far right. I’ve had it since I was a toddler.
Photo left, my step-brother snots. (One of the most vile human beings I have ever known.)
And me, and my brother’s Frank and Ben in front of the tree.
Here I am working a puzzle with my grandmother and Ben in the kitchen. There was always a puzzle to be worked in our house. That was always a given. Puzzle pieces strewn over any empty space in our house. Coming home from college and then sitting down at any table and just start working a puzzle.
Me, making a cake for Christmas.
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Ben and Frank in photo right playing Atari, and Chess.
Well, Atari first, Chess second. Chess camp was always a given with us as well.
Ben and Gordon fishing in our Lake
Although a bit hard to see. We are standing on the opposite side of the lake, facing the lake house.
It truly was beautiful!
In the photo left are some of our ducks. They lived in the lake and everyday in the afternoon they would walk the path up from the lake to the door and squak, and squak, and squak until one of us would come outside and feed them their corn.
And the photo at right are me, and my brothers. Looks like it’s spring, or summer here.
Well, I’ve given you just a taste of Rockingham. Seriously, this is JUST a taste.
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And I don’t want to say much more about our lives in Rockingham so I will wait for another time and just get to the point of my story. Rockingham could have really been THE All America City! But sadly the hater’s took over. The hater’s didn’t like diversity. They didn’t like foreigners, Yankee’s, black or brown or Asian people. They didn’t like open-minded people so they set to drive out the people they didn’t like. And they did. My family sided with the foreign doctor’s and their families thus making us a target for the hatred. I’m sure there is so much more to this story than I know. Although I experienced so much abuse by the town’s people myself. As secretive as my parents are I’m sure there are also many details of information that I will never know about. But what I do know will have to wait for another revealing time.
John, Ben, Johnny, Mary Keith, and Frank
(In front of John’s medical practice office in Rockingham. For some reason we had to stop by here before we left on our vacation. I am taking the photo.)
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NOTE: I have written in my blogs about how generous my parents have been to so many people throughout their lives. That they can probably find 2000 people to say 2000 wonderful things about them. I’m just not one of those people. But I will always acknowledge their generosity towards others. I just never had those positive experiences with them.
But Rockingham could have been so much more than it was, and what it is now. The Rockingham Motor Speedway closed down. Oh, last I heard it’s still there, but not enough rednecks to fill it, so it closed. You see, when the hater’s drove out all the good people that were making Rockingham a great town, all that was left were the ugly hater’s. It’s now just a small insignificant redneck town filled with small insignificant redneck people.
Gordon and I actually rode on the Rockingham Motor Speedway track. You have to have a lot of speed to make those turns otherwise your car will flip over. When you make those turns you are almost sideways. That track is steep so you need the speed to make those turns and not just roll over. It was kind of scary.
But, now that the MAGA (Make America Great Again) people have taken over our country, we are on the same path as Rockingham took. The hater’s control everything. And the moderates let them have it.
Oh, I don’t think the moderates like things as they are now, but because they are “moderate”, they did nothing about it then, and they do nothing about it now. After all, who ever heard of the fighting moderates?
When you do nothing to stop something terrible from happening, then you are complicit in the end results and you have no one but yourself to blame. At least when you do the right thing you can live with yourself and know you did your best in spite of the end results.
Which brings me full circle to what this blog posting is all about.
Let’s Quit Being So Nice.
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I had an exchange on Twitter with a man yesterday. I posted something, and he responded to it.
Here is that exchange. Except that you have to read it from bottom to top in order to understand it all.
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Well, I hope you understood it all.
If not then you can visit my Twitter page here: https://twitter.com/JulieBarefoot
I am @JulieBarefoot
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To further clarify, I had posted a comment about a story that talks about a direct link between fundamentalist religion and mental illness. And a man responded to my comment with:
I felt compelled to write him back. Seeing as how we do need to stick up for science. I was on the phone with Gordon at the time when his comment came in. Gordon wanted me to produce some evidence, blah, blah, blah, and have a conversation with him and I’m like NO! This guy isn’t interested in having a legitimate conversation about this. He is only interested in putting me down and dismissing me. I know that I have to respond but I need to not talk about the subject. I need to make this about him. And I did! I also knew that I needed to be a bit of a bitch, and condescending. Hence our favorite southern term, “Bless your little heart.” I also knew that I needed it to be his idea to leave the conversation and move on.
Someone like him isn’t interested in facts. They only know ideology. I’m sure at some point in his life he has heard of dinosaurs that lived billions of years ago. I’m also sure that he knows the Bible teaches that the earth is only 6,000 years old. So, how am I ever going to impress upon this guy anything? I’m not! I can only insult him and send him on his way. Which is what I did. That is the Heyoka Empath in me! We mimic, and we mimic very well.
As the psychic that I am I can tell you that he won’t live to be 58. The age of myself. He did try and insult me as being “old.” It’s not hard to connect the politics to the ideology to the religion to the lifestyle. You really don’t have to be psychic to know he won’t live long.
I’m sure he eats lots of Red Meat. I also hope he continues to eat lots of red meat! 🙂
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This idiot man does not deserve respect. This idiot man does not deserve to be treated decent. Would you be nice to the person that burned down your own home? Voted for politicians that are leading to our destruction? Do you believe that the person responsible for contributing to the end of America needs to be treated nicely? I don’t! We need to treat these people like the idiots they are. If they can’t understand facts then make it about them. Point out how stupid they are. THEY are the reason we are spiraling down the toilet! THEM, and the MODERATES for doing NOTHING!
These people do not deserve to be treated nicely. We need to dismiss them as the idiots that they are. Remove all the power, control and influence they have, and have had on our country. They need to be put back under those circus tent’s from where they originated. Let them have their ideology. But keep it out of our government, schools, work places, etc.
We lost all of our smart people during the George W. Bush years because his Administration refused to fund science. So, they all moved to other countries that would fund their research. The next great invention, technology, cure, etc. will not come from America, but from another country. Oh, it won’t happen overnight. Rockingham didn’t deteriorate into nothingness overnight. It took a few years but nothingness was the path it was on and inevitably it did arrive at it’s destination. So will we. We are on that path and no one is preventing us from arriving at our nothingness destination either. Soon we will be nothing more than an insignificant redneck country full of insignificant redneck people. But hey, we all may end up poor, hungry, stupid and abused, but at least we will have religion to comfort us. 🙁
One more thing. Our wealthy are buying up land in New Zealand at an alarming rate. Wonder what they know? Well, I guess all the money we’ve given the “job creaters” through all the tax cuts over the past few decades will help them to move to other countries and create jobs for people over there.
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And a big p.s. to Karen Aycock Ehrler: My half-sister that hasn’t given a damn about me since the mid 80’s, and we haven’t spoken since 2006, who has read my blog post over 1,500 times. Did you not think I knew? Empath! Empath!
I sided with you, your sister, and your mother against the big Aycock clan when our father Charlie died, and where did it get me? No where! If I had to do it all over again I would not side with you, or Connie or your mother. You know, when I moved back to the mainland from Hawaii and we were living in Maryland I wanted a solid relationship with you guys. I tried very hard to connect with you. I remember getting so excited when I received a letter in the mail from your mother. Some scrap of affection I hoped. Until I opened it and found out it was some stupid chain letter. I then wadded it up and threw it away. So leave me alone! I am none of your business. We aren’t sister’s, we just share some DNA from a rotten father.
But I do want you to know that I have always been so proud of you and Connie for working your way out of poverty and into teaching. You both are self made. You Karen, the math expert. Star Teacher so many times. I was always so proud of you! And for having a Specialist degree. And Connie, Valedictorian in high school. Teacher in life. And you Karen, Salutatorian.
I’ve always been so proud of you both. I’ve bragged about you many times.
Too bad we never could have been real sister’s. But I do wish luck, and harbor no ill will towards you. But I am no longer your business. Take care to all of you!
Julie
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August 27, 2019
I’ll Just Think About That Tomorrow
Julie Lancaster-Whann
Scarlett O’Hara, Gone With The Wind
Scarlett O’Hara, the heroin from the movie, Gone With The Wind, is known for saying among other things, “I’ll think about it tomorrow.” Well, Julie Lancaster-Whann (ME!) is also known for saying, “I’ll just think/worry about that tomorrow.”
I don’t know whether it’s a southern thing, a Georgia thing, a 3-generational thing, a type-B personality thing, or what? But, I have become famous for putting off tomorrow what I can do today, because……..”I’ll just think about that tomorrow.”
So, allow me to tell you what I am NOT thinking about today.
- Garage door needs repairing, (painting) or replacing.
- I need to hire a company to trim all the trees on our property, front and backyard. Too many dead limbs and many large branches that need removing. They will need to get a cherry picker in my backyard somehow in order to do all the work that I need them to do.
- I need to hire landscapers to do more work in the backyard and to clean up old landscaping projects to make them look new again.
- Buy a new front yard once all this work is complete.
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I’m just waiting for rainy season to finish which should be soon. Once that happens it will most likely be ME that will have to pressure wash the entire lanai, covered, and uncovered. I was buying bleach last week, as in a LOT, and I was jokingly asked by the bagger’s and cashier if I was going to be cleaning up a crime scene? They were dumbfounded as to why I would need so much bleach? I explained that it is because of all the mold from all this rain and humidity. Buying bleach in bulk is a normal thing to do in our neighborhood so I was surprised I was even asked about it? Jokingly, or not?
Hopefully the tree timmer’s will also blow all the leaves and small sticks off the roof, and perhaps clean out the gutters. AND, I will most likely need to hire someone to pressure wash the roof as I do see some mold up there as well.
When all of this work is finished there will be more projects for Gordon and myself to do once he returns which I am not going to get into now. BUT, all of the above is on ME!
AND, we may just have a hurricane heading our way, Dorian! So, as Gordon was trying to give me instructions over the phone about what to do if that happens I found myself saying to him, “I’ll just think about that tomorrow.”
Well, tomorrow is here today and I’ve decided that I will just think about all of it tomorrow! Luckily for me there is always a tomorrow. 🙂
Julie
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August 23, 2019
Selfie Saturday Blogging
OK, so I actually took that photo above today, Friday, but Selfie Saturday sounds just so much better. 🙂
I remember that the last selfie I took in this mirror I was in such a dark mood. Now things are so much better. First of all we’ve had sun for the past few days as opposed to the torrential rain, and flooding we’ve had all this month. The backyard has actually started to dry. Poor Spooky and Sparky just did not know where to go to the bathroom when the backyard is underwater. So, they would go in the house! 🙁 I didn’t blame them or fault them. It’s confusing so they both got a pass. For now……
But, now that things are drying up I will have to take some nice photos of them. They are so happy to be here! One thing that I have noticed is that they always want to go with me when I leave the house. They actually get excited! Monk and Sugar were always traumatized just going to the vet. So, we never took them anywhere because it always upset them so much. All the drama!!!! But that is not the case with these two. Now Gordon and I are looking forward to taking them places like Dog Beach. It’s a beach just for dogs and their humans. I’m not taking these two without Gordon being here to help me with them but I think it’s going to be fun now.
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My old website is gone forever…..
Which is actually a good thing.
I’ve moved my website to a more secure server and I have had it revamped, and I did just sever ties with my old web hosting company. Yahoo!!! They were useless as it was.
This is just 1/3 of my old website that I photographed.
I did manage to print out my entire home page website. I also took lots of photos of it online and I even had my guys in India to save my old website just for shits and giggles. I know that I wish that we had saved our very first website that is now gone forever.
Although I did manage to save our old Logo from 2011-2015.
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I did have a great day today.
I had previously ordered through the mail some honeysuckle vines.
Honeysuckle
They arrived yesterday and I bought a few pots and a trellis to plant them into, to place on our extended lanai outside. Honeysuckle is my childhood in the south! So is Magnolia. So is cornbread. So is catfish. So is pecan pie. So are lightening bugs. Well, you get the idea. I roamed all over Rome, and Dahlonega sucking on honeysuckle flowers as I skipped along the roads, fields, fences, driveways, etc. Crabapple trees were also a big memory for me as most everyone had a Crabapple tree in their backyards. Me, who loved to climb trees and who loved to eat, enjoyed climbing a tree that produced food. 🙂 Although I always ate them when they were green and sour. Maybe someday I will venture into the Crabapple arena. But for now it is going to be Honeysuckle. I have something great planned! Stay Tuned!!
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So, after I bought a few pots I headed over to Best Buy because I had DROPPED MY NEW CAMERA on our tiled kitchen floor. Yes, I said that. My new camera fell on the floor and bounced 3 times!!! Luckily, I did a two year warranty on it and the lens when Gordon and I originally bought it. So, I took it in to Best Buy. I will add that the camera still worked, just not as good as it should.
And here is my new January 2019 camera that I love so much!
When I called Best Buy to inquire how to go about bringing in my camera that I had purchased there along with the warranty’s, they failed to mention that I needed to make an appointment. So, I showed up with my camera, lens, and the original boxes they came in, only to be told that I need to just wait until I can see someone, as I don’t have an appointment. YUCK! I was told I would be seen within 20-30 minutes. Finally, an HOUR later, I was seen.
I am a firm believer in marking your property with fingernail polish. Something I learned from Camp Fire Girls, and Girl Scouts. Hence, my initials on the camera and a swipe of polish on the lens base. 🙂 This way I will know if I get my exact camera and lens back from the manufacturer.
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Just sitting there as the GeekSquad guy did the write up for my camera repair, lasted 30 minutes.
My Camera and Lens to be Repaired
So, after that I sauntered over to the camera department to see my favorite camera girl. She has sold us our last 3 cameras. She is so knowledgeable about all the cameras, brands, accessories. She is such a wealth of information and I rely on her to help me decide on the right camera. I did decide that I should probably buy another nice camera seeing as how we take so many photos for our life, and our website. And then I bought a Cannon!
Oh, don’t ask me anything about what it is. I’ll tell you that later on. But I did purchase a $2,000.00 camera today!
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Saturday, August 24, 2019
NOW, it’s Saturday! 🙂
(So, I will continue with my “Selfie Saturday.”)
You know, getting off topic a bit here. I was reading an article about how some people are redefining success. I myself have often thought about that. But I did continue that line of thought as I was waiting for my appointment at Best Buy to drop off my camera for repair. Because you see, my most favorite thing in the world to do is THINK! Everyone around me that was also waiting for their appointments were on their phones. Everyone but me! No one said a word to each other, but everyone was either talking to people on their phones, or playing some sort of game, or perhaps scanning the internet. I knew all about the woman sitting next to me because I had no choice but to listen to her conversation she was having with another woman on her phone. She got 2 tickets field side seats that cost $80.00 each for some game. I’m assuming it’s our Tampa Bay Buccaneer’s? She wants to find a condo within at least 30 minutes driving time from her friends (otherwise she will need to find new friends because then they will live too far for her to drive), she’s sick of yards to mow, and HOA’s to deal with, hence the condo hunting now. I know that I wanted to turn to her and say, ‘High five sister on hating the HOA’s!’ But I didn’t. I also didn’t inform her that she would be trading an HOA for a Condo Association, which is just as bad! I know that she has two broken refrigerators that she needs to get fixed. But she does have $250,000.00 to put down on a $300,000.00 condo right now so she is looking. AND, she wants to keep this condo even though she may move to Colorado and live out there, perhaps purchasing a condo there as well. Oh, and then she gets to the last thing on her list……‘and I will have to find a job soon.’ So, finding a job is LAST on her list?
But, as I sat there thinking about redefining success I thought about my website and the camera that I was getting repaired, and the camera that I was about to purchase, and how I just paid over $11,000.00 for my new website. (Sh……) And how I just sunk so much money into a website that we don’t make one penny off of. I also thought about how my photography skills have improved so much since I started the website. Oh, I’ve been taking pictures my whole life. My mother gave me my first camera when I was in second grade. I even took it off to summer camp that year and took photos. I am a photographer yet I will always be seen as an amateur because no one pays me to take photos.
I also thought about how I will never be defined as a “successful” person by our current standards because no one pays me to do what I do.
So, it doesn’t matter that Gordon and I see our work and projects, and ideas out there in the public in magazines and books? And we only know that because I purchase these books and magazines, otherwise I would never know about them? How many books and magazines DON’T I purchase that also feature our ideas that I will never know of? Our website is viewed all over the world. So, In other words, the people that get ideas from us are successful, as defined by our standards of success. But, the people they get ideas from are not successful, as defined by our standards of success.
I guess it all boils down to money. I do live in a country that defines you by how much money you make, what kind of car you drive, how much of an education you have….. (Although I personally know people that are far more FORMALLY educated than me, as in Master’s, Specialists, and PHD’s, that were totally blindsided by the Bush Administration and the republican party with all the damage that has followed, yet didn’t see it until it was too late.) I thought an education was supposed to make people smarter? (Which is why those things don’t impress me as some of the dumbest people I’ve known are “educated.”)
The Smirk
I remember these people being so sick of my politics and thinking that I was crazy by sounding the alarm of how dangerous things were going to get in our country and how people need to wake up before it’s too late. So, NOW do you understand why I was sounding alarms that made you all sick of me? Perhaps had you listened to me, and people like me that were also sounding alarms, then perhaps all of this could have been avoided. But, why would they bother listening to me? After all, I wasn’t as educated as they were, I didn’t drive as nice a car as they did, I didn’t have as much money as they did.
Perhaps success should be redefined.
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And as for me just paying $11,000.00 for my new website. It wasn’t just for a NEW website. It was also for a more secure website that had to be built over from scratch, it was also moved to a more secure server, and professionals that are now taking care of it for us. We also had to get Prick out of the website and try and undo all his sabotage over the last 8 years. (Oh, and we have decided to call him Prick instead of Paul as he is a Prick. Sometimes I think it’s more important to rename people like him and calling him what he IS as opposed to what his parents named him.)
You know, Gordon and I don’t play golf, we don’t take expensive vacations, we invest in ourselves and are home, and our family, (that includes canine’s, and fish.) That is how I justify spending $11,000.00 on our website. And, if Gordon does decide to cater in the future then our website is our resume. Therefor we invest in ourselves. And apparently we must be “successful” if far more “successful” people view us as an inspiration for their own ideas and creativity? Which is extremely flattering.
We have also received tons of inspiration from others. My Halloween’s are based on some of my favorite movies that have always been an inspiration to me. But isn’t it obvious that I’m basing my Halloween on Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window? The Birds? The X-Files? I’m not in any way passing off those movie’s and t.v. series as our own work and ideas. We have based some recipes on what other people have cooked. Famous, and non-famous people and we do give them credit. There are some famous that will proudly proclaim that they always give credit where credit is due when they take ideas from others. (Yeah, but only when there is a paper trail do they do that.)
We put ourselves out there for free. It would be nice to have some support in affording the website and the security for it but I did remove the Paypal button years ago because it attracted a lot of hackers. So, even if someone wanted to contribute to our website there is no attachment for them to do so. I also removed everyone’s ability to comment as the only comments we were receiving were SPAM. Some of the comments were thousands of words long! THOUSANDS OF WORDS!!! What crazy person does that?
You know, Gordon and I aren’t greedy people. Just having someone gives us credit for an idea, or recipe, or inspiration would go so far with us. We would love it! But when our ideas are used to sell a few books and magazines where they get all the credit and make money off it, well, that just sucks! Especially when some of these people do know us, know who we are, and look down their noses at us while they take our ideas for themselves.
Oh, well,
Julie
p.s. Have a nice weekend!
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August 15, 2019
Vintage Julie
The Modeling Years
I’m around 17/19/20/21/22 here in these photos.
Check out the Cowboy Hat in some of them. 🙂
Bear in mind this was during the Urban Cowboy phase.
(Which I have been listening to the soundtrack CD in my car lately.
I happen to love the song by Boz Scaggs.)
First of all, I would like to say that none of these photos are particularly good. They are just what is leftover from my modeling days. Some photos I gave to various boyfriends who when we broke up never returned them, or (I’m told) burned them. 🙁 Some I lent out for various photography events and my photos were never returned to me. Some Gordon took with him on WestPac’s when he would go out to sea for months at a time. He had them posted around his bunk and they were stolen. (I cringe when I think of what my photos may have been used for on that ship.)
And some I just think disappeared in our many moves from place to place. I can’t find my baby book either and that truly does break my heart.
But no, none of these photos are anything that I am particularly proud of. The reason that I am posting them is because I was in a business, and did grow up in a culture here in America, where we women were exploited, (sometimes willingly), and where men like Harvey Weinstein, and Jeffrey Epstein, reined supreme.
Hearing the stories of these young women and some of the experiences that they have gone through being associated with Harvey Weinstein, and Jeffrey Epstein, I can’t help but remember back to my own experiences and those of other girls that I knew in the business, whether it be the modeling industry, or the beauty pageant circuit.
I would like to state that nothing truly terrible ever happened to me. I was lied to all the time by these so-called “beautiful people.” Meaning those in the industry, as well as the models, and staff and vendors and buyers. I never had any real friends in this profession. Everyone is just too competitive for that. I did have a modeling agent, her name is Libby Stone and her business is still going on in Charlotte. I believe her daughter Candy is running it now. Candy and I do follow each other on Twitter. Candy is also a realtor. We’ve just messaged a few times but last I heard Libby herself was still going strong.
I did live with Libby and her daughter’s Marlene, and Cathy for about a year. And Marlene’s son Wesley. Libby would take me around to parties that she was invited to in Charlotte where they wanted agents, and their models to attend. At one of those parties the playwright Neil Simon was there. Another time Telly Savalas. One of Libby’s other models whose name was Rhonda is actually sitting on Telly’s lap at one of those parties. Which brings to mind the interview I just read the other day about Genna Davis and how when she was auditioning for a role she had to sit on someone’s lap and that she didn’t know then that she could say no. Sadly, had she said no she may not have gotten the part.
Libby was a former state beauty pageant winner in her youth. I want to say somewhere like Michigan? I’m sure I’m wrong about which state but you get my drift. Libby drove a Saab when I knew her. She put all of her money into her automobile. Her home was very small and average in a middle class neighborhood. Nothing spectacular at all. She rented out space in a building down the road from where she lived and that is where she taught her modeling, and charm school classes. Yes, remember “Charm School” ladies? 🙂 But last time I looked the agency up online they were also doing acting classes as well as modeling. I suppose I should give the website a look seeing as how I am writing about it.
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OMG! I really should do my research before I start writing… I just did find out that Libby has passed away.
Libby Stone Obituary
I’m sorry to hear that. Here is another obituary of hers.
https://www.msfh.net/cb-profile/libbyyoung.html
I just did leave a comment at the above link. 🙁
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Libby was a very generous and caring person. She took me under her wing and called me her protege. It was funny but sometimes Libby thought I had on too much make up so before we would exit her house, she would tell me to go in the bathroom and remove some of it. I would then walk into the bathroom, stand there for a minute or two WITHOUT removing any make up, then emerge from the bathroom to hear Libby proudly proclaim how much better I looked! See Julie! I told you! You should listen to me more often. You look wonderful now!
🙂 Uh, huh….
I’ve been on television doing fashion shows, (which is where Gordon first spotted me. I was doing a lingerie fashion show at one of the big hotels in Charlotte at the time and it was televised. I think it might have been the Radison.) I’ve been on t.v. channel’s like QVC holding merchandise up for people to order over the telephone. Kind of like those girls did on The Price is Right. I remember that when I did that modeling, my hair was bleached blonde from working outside most everyday at Carowind’s Amusement Park and how “scandalous” it was that Libby and a few other’s thought that I had dyed my hair blonde. How horrid! I had to keep insisting to her that I didn’t! The sun bleached my hair! I swear I didn’t color it!! (Although I had colored my hair black when I was 19 and no one cared about that.)
But I did many fashion shows in my youth. Some of them were at nightclubs and most of us girls were underage yet being allowed in that nightclub for the fashion show, and even able to drink and stay and party after the fashion show was over with, even though it was against the law. And by underage I mean 18, 19, 20. Legally we had to be 21 at the time.
Money was good when I did model but the jobs were few and far between. Charlotte, North Carolina wasn’t like modeling in New York where models could make a good living off it. I did model at Fashion Week every year in Charlotte. And if I didn’t have a steady vendor then I would just go downtown a few days before fashion week started and walk around until someone snatched me up to model for them. People always needed last minute models. Oh, I was always poor and just to afford parking in the building was hard on me. I was always counting out my pennies to pay for it. There was always food in the showrooms for the clients so I would grab something here and there when no one was looking just to be able to eat until I got my paycheck at the end of the week.
When I was in college and attending The American Business and Fashion Institute and living at our dorm at Queen’s College, my parents only gave me $20.00 a week. That had to include the gas to my classes, and food throughout the week. Yeah. Not very good!
One of the vendor’s that I worked for noticed that as I modeled the clothing for the buyers I was also describing it as a sales rep would. That made the buyer’s engage in conversation with me instead of just viewing me as a mannequin. Something that we were used to being treated as. I even brought in orders from these buyers to the business, even though I was just a model. At one show he came by to check on me in my swimsuit booth and demanded to know why I wasn’t wearing a swimsuit? I told him that no one will take me seriously if I am wearing a swimsuit. He got mad at me but when I showed him the orders that I had taken in, he then relaxed and let me, be me from then on. 🙂 He did tell me that he wished that he could have hired me as a sales rep but that he didn’t have the money to. This was all during the Regan recession years, so I do tend to believe him.
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Rejection was always a big part of modeling. If you weren’t what they wanted for that particular project they let you know and treated you as if you were nothing but some mindless mannequin. They would even talk about you as if you weren’t even there. Even though you are standing there hearing all of it. I was once fired from a fashion show because the owner’s girlfriend didn’t like me. Oh, she let me know! So, the store owner took me off into a closet to fire me. But as he is firing me he is hand gesturing around my body and telling me how sad he is to do it, and how “perfect” that I was. Uh, huh….. Oh, he never touched me. He just ran his hands around me as if he was touching me. I remember thinking that that woman doesn’t exactly have the best boyfriend she thinks she has.
I have modeled lingerie, evening gowns, clothing, socks, swimsuits, handbags, jewelry, etc. I have worked at car shows, boat shows, wresting rings… You know, between matches when the girl walks around the ring in a swimsuit holding a sign above our heads with the number of the rounds? All of that was considered “modeling.”
I even jumped out of a cake at some bachelor party.
I have passed out cigarettes, shamrocks, drinks, flowers……. There were countless “cattle calls.” That’s when tons of models go to audition for something, hence the ‘cattle.”
It’s hard to believe that all of that is condensed into this small mass of photos.
This is all that is left of my modeling career. Not very impressive.
Oh, I was also Miss Izod, and Miss Pepsi Cola. 🙂
(BTW: They were just titles bestowed upon me by the powers that be of Izod and Pepsi. There was never any competition. They just viewed head shots of models and chose me to represent them at special events.)
But, getting back to what I have been originally blogging about. I was never hit on like the other girls were. I don’t know why? Was it because they didn’t find me attractive? Was it because that in conversation when they would ask about my background, and family that I stated that my step-father was a surgeon that they steered clear of me because they figured my parents would give them a hard time if they used me for some nefarious purposes? (Little did they know that my parent’s wouldn’t have given a damn and would have seen me as the instigator and them the victim.)
Did I just not fit the profile of which they were looking for, and knew very well?
Whatever the reason I’m very glad that I didn’t fit that profile of theirs. Oh, I was always hit on by harmless old men. But no one really powerful. To that, I am grateful!
So, do I regret modeling? No. Those were experiences that I am glad that I had. I do consider myself well rounded. I have had many different experiences in life and I am so happy to have had them. They have helped to shape me into the person that I am today. The one thing that I always had going for me was that I always liked myself. Even when there were those that didn’t like me. I just saw them as rotten people. I knew that I was a decent person and if they didn’t, then it was their problem, and their loss.
IF I THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE I WILL WRITE IT HERE.
Oh, and I even did a jeans ad with Dale Earnhardt back in the day. 🙂
OH! And I can’t believe that I forgot all about the sleazy photographers! I was thinking about what I wrote here last night and talking about coming out of this unscathed but there were photographers that were a bit creepy but I won’t go into that. But photographers were always trying to get you to take your clothes off (for artistic purposes.)
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AND,
In thinking about my beauty pageant days……..
LaGena Lookabill
(I think she is on Fall Guy here.)
LaGena was in the same beauty pageant that I was. Miss North Carolina USA, 1982. She was one of the finalists. I remember how she spoke with such confidence. I liked how she pronounced her name. “Hello my name is LA Gena Lookabill.” She was a lifeguard and had saved 3 lives that summer from drowning. She was short, and she was very impressive. It was then that I noticed her behind the stage of the pageant, surrounded by the scummiest of workers. A group of about 5 men surrounded her and she was loving it. I was disgusted by how this beautiful young woman was getting down and dirty with the most disgusting men I had ever seen. I kept wondering why? What is she doing?
It was when we were living in Hawaii in the 90’s out in Ewa Beach that I saw her on t.v. one night doing an interview for someone like Entertainment Tonight that I recognized her, and her name of course. She was doing an interview because she had AIDS.
https://www.baylor.edu/lariatarchives/news.php?action=story&story=11502
I did find this story about her online. I am not about to dispute any of it and I will let her words, be her words.
https://www.endurancemag.com/2011/01/inspiration-faith-love-endurance/
It does make me sad that this beautiful young woman has lived with this disease and the stigma attached to it. When I saw her surrounded by those scummy stage hands I knew that she must have been sexually abused at one point. (That is my interpretation. Not anything she has ever alluded to.)
I think what I am eluding to is that this is/was the modeling industry/pageant circuit of which I grew up in. The sex, the abuse, the lies, the control, the power, the heartache, the diseases.
I remember being upset that no one was interested in me at the time.
But now I thank my lucky stars that no one was interested in me at the time. 🙂
Considering that I had NO ONE LOOKING OUT FOR ME, I came out of all of that pretty unscathed. Whew!
Julie
p.s. I had created an entire post to devote to my Julie Vintage past but then I changed my mind and placed it in Drafts. I don’t know if I have enough to fill an entire post, nor do I really want to. I think it’s more about a blog entry than anything else. I don’t look back too fondly on the industry. There were so many shallow, backstabbing, arrogant, human beings that I just don’t really want to recall. There were a few nice people though and they are the ones I want to remember.
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Oscar de la Renta’s Fall 1980 Collection
Back in the day I wrote to Oscar de la Renta asking for information on his designs for a report that I was doing for school. He sent me this press kit. Oh, I doubt he sent it himself. I’m sure his office did. But I loved it and have kept it all these years. I wrote a report on him. In looking back at these models there are a few that I remember from the 80’s. 🙂
I do love that there are so many ethnic models here. Only one white woman. As usual New York is way ahead of it’s time. 🙂
Flashback 80’s New York 🙂
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August 9, 2019
Doggie Adoption Day
Julie and Veronica in Clearwater, Florida
Ever since our beloved Sugar and Monk died, we knew that we would be adopting more family members of the canine variety to be a part of our lives. I had signed up to receive notices from doggie adoption agencies in and around our area and I would view the dogs that were up for adoption. I would even inquire about a few but most of the time my inquires would go unanswered. Finally I saw these guys up for adoption from PUG RESCUE OF FLORIDA
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Pookie & Sparky – “Pugs” of the Month (bonded pair)
July 27, 2019|Ready for Adoption
If you are looking for double the cuteness, well look no further!
Introducing Pookie and Sparky, and bonded mother and son! They are looking for a home where they can stay together forever, and we are hoping that home might be yours!
First, let’s talk about Pookie. She is an adorable 4-year-old white chihuahua. (and mom to Sparky). She is very loving and devoted, and loves to snuggle. She will curl up against your neck to take a nice nap. At night, she loves to sleep under the covers. Pookie does have a strong alpha personality, and can become a little protective over her human if other dogs are around. She will need to be in a home with no other dogs (except Sparky, of course) or another submissive dog.
Next comes Sparky! He is a 3-year-old pug mix (chug), who loves to snuggle and give kisses. He loves belly scratches, and will lay on his back with his head in your arms. He just wants to be loved on all the time! If you will let him sleep in your bed, he will cuddle up next to you and keep you warm all night.
As a bonus, these two pups are completely potty trained and housebroken. No chewing on furniture for these two! They are also both healthy and have no current medical issues. They are up to date on their vaccines and heartworm negative.
As our “Pugs of the Month” the adoption fee for this pair will be waived so their new family can spend that extra money on treats and toys to help them start their new life.
Pookie and Sparky are keeping their paws crossed that the right family comes along quickly. If you feel you are a good match, please fill out an adoption application today at https://pugrescueofflorida.
FUN FACTS ABOUT POOKIE:
BREED: Chihuahua (female)
AGE: 4
WEIGHT: 12 pounds
BEST QUALITIES: Loveable nap buddy
FUN FACTS ABOUT SPARKY:
BREED: Chug (male)
AGE: 3
WEIGHT: 19 pounds
BEST QUALITIES: Well trained, and great snuggler
LOCATION FOR BOTH: Clearwater
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Last Saturday my daughter Veronica and I drove out to Clearwater to pick up Pookie and Sparky and bring them home! They were so panicked at first. Scared. They didn’t understand where they were going and why? That is one reason I wanted to take Veronica with me. I knew that I may need help in getting them home.
Sparky and Pookie in my Car
They are so sweet and cute!
Pookie and Sparky Exploring Their Backyard
I brought them home and turned them loose and they fell madly in love with their surroundings.
Around the Magnolia Tree
All they want to do is to snuggle, and be close to me.
So, I moved a chair close to mine by my computer and that is where they sit. Just while they adjust.
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I have to say that I am not a fan of the name, Pookie. I did originally think of the Taco Bell dog whose name was Gidget, but her stand in was named Taco.
Gidget, the Taco Bell Dog
I am famous for my chicken taco’s. Veronica and I adore Mexican food, especially taco’s. So, I really wanted to name Pookie, Taco.
Pookie in JAWS’s mouth left, and Sparky and Pookie, right.
Seeing as how Pookie would not respond to the name, Taco, I knew that I had to come up with a name similar to Pookie. That is when I realized that the name “Spooky” would be perfect! She is solid white! I adore Halloween! I adore everything spooky! I also adore the X-Files and the name, Spooky Mulder…….
“Do you think I’m spooky? That’s spooky. That’s my name, isn’t it?”
Fox Mulder
Therefor, Spooky and Sparky, it is!
Mackenzie with Sparky and Spooky
Happy Adoption Day!
Julie
p.s. They are the the happiest dogs! They fit right in. There has been no adjustment. They just know this is their home. I/we could not be happier and I could not have chosen better dogs to fit in with our life. 🙂
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August 1, 2019
What’s Up?
August is here!
I can’t believe that Gordon has now been gone over a year working overseas. The first 6 months truly did fly by. From July to January, the months truly did fly by. I was very busy with holiday plans for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Veronica and Brian’s Wedding, Mine and Gordon’s Birthday’s, etc….
But once the wedding was over, and Gordon flew back overseas after being home for just 3 weeks, the months just dragged on. We were originally supposed to go to St. Augustine for a week during the time he was home, but unfortunately I got Bronchitis and those plans were cancelled. I was so sick! Luckily, I had Gordon to take care of me during that time.
But, now it’s August. July did fly by for me. And It has officially been over a year since Gordon left and it is really catching up to me now. In life we really do need a partner. Being apart all this time has taught me how important that Gordon is. He is very much a hands on partner. He is a very hard worker. Oh, trust me, he’s no saint! 🙂 But he is the most perfect person I could have ever ended up with. 🙂 No one else has ever loved me as much as he has.
However, this year, 2019, has been very hard on me. I’ve had to do so many things myself. Home ownership is a lot of work especially when you live in an area that has an HOA, (Home Owner’s Association),with their bylaws and rules. 🙁 Guns aren’t allowed in our housing division which is one reason we chose this area. However, from what we have learned, most everyone here owns guns, they just keep it to themselves. Jeff, a neighbor across the street, someone that we considered to be a bit responsible, left his car unlocked one night and someone stole his gun out of it. Really? He has small grandchildren that visit them. Think about it? If that gun kills someone in a crime then Jeff could be implicated, seeing as it is HIS gun.
I was looking at my front yard yesterday and I saw so many weeds in it. That means that I will be getting a letter soon from the HOA to do something about it. That also means either I buy a new front yard, (which is what I will do), or, hire some Monsanto cancer causing company to spray their chemicals all over it making it “green.” I’ve had so many people knock on my door this past month about spraying to kill all the “bugs” in our yard and the neighborhood. So, I do question them? “Well, what about the frogs? Won’t you be killing them? And, what about the lizards and skinks? Won’t you be killing them as well?” My yard may be weedy, but it is a healthy yard. Lizards and frogs thrive here! And the bugs? Well, what do you think they eat so that they can thrive?
I just feel as if I am surrounded by such ignorant, and shallow individuals.
Luckily, Gordon does call me everyday. I get the feedback and support that I need daily.
I was originally supposed to fly over to see him in his country that I cannot say where he is. I would have flown over sometime in mid October and then spent a good 10 days there with him and then the two of us would fly home together. But, looking at our political landscape in this country. Where we have a madman in charge. I was loosing sleep over this trip. I was worried about flying over there during that time and more importantly, flying home ONE WEEK before the election in November.
THE OCTOBER SURPRISE!
The latest polling has our President with a 32% definitely voting him back in, with a 12% of voters on the fence where he is concerned. A good 5 – 7% of the vote is pretty easy to steal, but anything over that is suspicious. So, with that 32%, plus that 7% that the Russians will steal for him that still leaves him under 40%. He needs that 12% to go his way so how does that happen? 9/11 style attacks, that’s how. Trump knows he will be indicted once he leaves office so he will do his best to stay in office. He needs that 12% to vote for him to save his skin. The Russians will help him. The other republican politicians know Trump will be our Pres in 2020 which is why they are silent.
I just don’t feel safe flying at such a critical time before the election. I’ve also told my brother in Ireland that he and his family should wait until after this election before they fly over here as well. I really don’t feel like being part of some 9/11 memorial that will put Trump back in office. I live for this life. When this life is over for me, then that is it. So, therefore, I want to live this life as long as I can.
You know, I noticed something important from my WordFence stats that anyone never should have known. A location from somewhere that should have been secret. That is all that I can say about that. But “national” things were changed because of me pointing this flaw out to the powers that be. And it scared the hell out me!! I am a senior housewife in the state of Florida. If I can know this vital information? Then far more important people than me can know it too. We truly are alone. There are no smart people looking out for us! We lost all of them during the Bush years when Bush/Cheney refused to fund science. They left us and went to other countries that would fund their research.
It really is up to us to look out for ourselves.
Remember that.
Julie
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July 20, 2019
Another Large Branch Down
(Although it may not look it, it is actually a pretty large branch.)
You are probably wondering what in the heck is that, and why is Julie writing about it?
We have lots of Oak Trees on our property and what with all of our summer storms we always have branches that fall onto our roof, or lanai cage, or even our front and backyards. This particular branch in the photo above actually fell last September after a terrible storm. I just posted the photo as a demonstration. But the other day I went outside to get the mail and I looked up and saw a big branch on our roof in the front of our house. Because I exited the garage to get the mail, I went back inside the garage and grabbed some rope and fashioned a lasso. Yes, I actually know how to do that.
I was alone, as Brodie was at work and I knew he wouldn’t be home for a few days so I knew that I had to deal with it. I didn’t want to get out the ladder as I personally know 2 people that have fallen off ladders because no one was there to spot them, and they were seriously hurt. One of them is Sarajane, my mother in law, and the other is a friend in Germany. Both of them broke bones and were hospitalized. I didn’t want to get on the ladder while I was here all alone. So, that is when I decided that I could TRY and lasso it.
I made the lasso but I knew that I needed to practice roping to get the feel of it again. I grew up around a “cowboy” influence, and state of mind. My mother always loved horses so we grew up with horses, and my step-father was from Texas so there were trips to Texas in the summers. His father, Papa Carlton, was a cotton farmer. They lived in the Pecan Gap/Ben Franklin area. Grandmother Lorene’s house was in Pecan Gap, but her mailbox down the driveway was in Ben Franklin. So, she lived in one town and got her mail in the other, just a few feet away.
I grew up going to rodeo’s on weekends. It was a lifestyle that I was exposed to but didn’t actually relate to. If you know what I mean?
We also had horse shows on our property in Rockingham, North Carolina. We had a riding ring and everything.
I did take horseback riding lessons every Saturday morning for years. I also won a few ribbons for show, in horse shows. Meaning that I didn’t jump or anything like that, it was more for presentation. I looked good on a horse and people liked that.
I’m not referring to being pretty sitting on a horse, I’m talking about that judges noticed how comfortable I was sitting on a horse with confidence because I was never afraid of them. Even when a few tried to throw me off, I just held on! 🙂 I could maneuver the horse to go where I wanted him/her to. The horse would follow my commands whether it was through the reins, or my thighs gripping onto their backs telling him where to go that way. I was also never afraid to really ride a horse. I loved it when the horse just took off! I was never afraid. I loved to go fast. 🙂
Because I grew up riding I could saddle, and bridle a horse with ease. There were always two saddles to chose from and one was English and I hated that one!
I cleaned out stalls, layed hay, shoed horses, filed hooves, combed, brushed, and even braided horses tails at times. Oh, and horses love it when you scratch them underneath their chins as they can’t reach that spot and they so love it!!! 🙂
But, back to roping.
I grew up going to rodeo’s. Not because I wanted to, but because my parent’s wanted to.
My step-father started out as a rodeo doctor. He always said they were the toughest people he has ever known in his life. The cowboys would get hurt, have a few broken ribs, bleeding from wounds, and they would say to my step-father, “Patch me up Doc, I gotta git back out there!”
I was never impressed with the cowboy’s riding the bulls, or the wild horses, garnering all the attention and praise from the audience. I was fascinated by the rodeo clowns. Oh, trust me, I hate clowns! But they are the true bad ass’s of the rodeo.
Rodeo Clowns
Rodeo Clowns Saving the “Hero” Cowboy
It’s their job to distract the bull and have the bull come after them so the cowboy can get away. The rodeo clown will dive into a barrel, then have the bull gore the barrel, tossing it in the air, sending the rodeo clown in the barrel tossing, turning, rolling, spinning….and then they come out of the barrel taunting the bull into coming after them again.
I used to sit there in the stands just fascinated by them. And wondering why in the hell other people weren’t as well? What’s so great about that cowboy? Look at that clown who took on that bull, was chased all over the arena and then right before he was about to be gored he dove over that gate and escaped by the skin of his teeth!
My favorite rodeo event was barrel racing. I would have liked to have done that as I liked to ride a horse hard and fast.
And yes, we all had cowboy hats and we got our boots from Naraca, Texas.
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But back to this decade…. I never thought in a million years that any of the training that I received in the Horse Show/Rodeo circuit would ever come in handy until that branch landed on my roof and I needed to figure out a way to remove it.
So, I fashioned my lasso, went out onto the driveway to have some room to practice. Prayed to GOD that no neighbors were looking out their windows at me!!! Once I got a rhythm going below my waist I then graduated to tossing the lasso over my head, still keeping a good rhythm, Oh Julie, you have got this!! I know you can do this!! Now, let er go!!!
That’s when I lasso’d the topiary in front of the window. 🙁
Oh, NO!! PLEASE don’t let ANYONE have seen that!! And that’s when I tried again. And you know what? After 2, 3,….17, 20 times, I did it!! I lasso’d that branch and dragged it off the roof. YEAH!!! That’s right!! Woo-Hoo!! 🙂
Julie’s a Badass!!! 🙂
It was then that it dawned on me. Wonder Woman would use a lasso!
OMG! The mug is working!!! 🙂
(You have to read below to understand.)
Have a super-duper day!!
Oh, I mean, Have a WONDER-Ful Day!
Julie
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July 17, 2019
Good Morning
WONDER WOMAN
Do not be fooled by the clock on the Ninja coffee maker that says 2:16. It is actually morning here. I don’t have one clock in this house that tells the correct time except my computer and my wrist watch. Every other clock in this house has a different time registered. It’s because our power goes out all the time, rainy season, and when the power comes back on I don’t feel like resetting them all. So, I don’t.
Which when I’m watching an old crime drama on t.v., like Columbo, and they solve a case based on the time on a broken clock, I laugh. That doesn’t mean anything in this house. 🙂
So, why the Wonder Woman mug you may ask? For those of you that know me I hate super heroes. Well, I don’t actually hate them, I just don’t like them and see them as ridiculous running around in capes. I can’t tell you how many towels I had to tie around the necks of my little brothers when we were young so that they could pretend to be super heroes. And there was that time my brother Johnny wanted to be a scuba diver and we had to tie a round trash can to his back.
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But, I was shopping and saw the mug and was drawn to it. Although I didn’t read Wonder Woman comic books growing up, there was a Wonder Woman movie on t.v. one night that I loved. It starred Cathy Lee Crosby as Wonder Woman.
Cathy Lee Crosby as Wonder Woman, 1974
As a girl of about 13, I loved to see this beautiful WOMAN be able to defend herself and do WONDER-ful things as a woman.
She was smart and skilled, good, honorable, etc. She was the beginning of my generation of women to have a powerful role model on t.v.
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Then along came the person we associate most with the role of Wonder Woman……
Lynda Carter
(Wonder Woman T.V. Series 1975-1979.)
I watched the series and I loved it! She was a role model for young girls like me who wanted to be strong in a world where we were bullied and abused. Did you know she did a lot of her own stunts in the T.V. series? Including hanging from a helicopter? 🙂
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So, fast forward to 2019 where we have a racist in The White House, the republican party has finally been exposed as the racists that they are. We have concentration camps on our southern borders, our Gestapo rounds up families and puts people in cages, as in CHILDREN! And I feel as if my voice and vote mean nothing…….
Then I saw that mug.
It took me back to my youth when I felt so helpless as to do anything about the bullying and abuse that I was going through. And that is when I bought it. 🙂
I’m kind of hoping that drinking my coffee out of this mug in the morning will help to give me a boost to deal with the bullies of this country and the damage they are doing. I know it sounds kind of lame, but it can’t hurt, right? 🙂
Whatever helps us get through the day,
Julie
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P.S. I just wanted to say that I know my personal blog postings have been a bit dark lately, I am affected by my surroundings and what I, and other people go through, and therefor I write about them. But, I work on my happiness every day. I am one of the lucky ones that has a nice life in this crazy country in which I live. Yes, I do write about my insane, delusional cyber-stalker and how he has relentlessly come after me this year with no let up. But, we are all doing relatively fine. I am saddened by those that aren’t doing well though. I want everyone to do well. Equal rights isn’t like a pie. If they get rights then we don’t loose ours. We all win when we all do well!
I am walking on my treadmill every day. I can feel the extra energy that I have because of it. I am also noticing some extra room in my clothing. 🙂 Gordon is still overseas but we talk on the phone everyday and I even have him doing write ups on past blog postings. The team I hired in India are great!! They are helping me to have a healthy and beautiful website. My website traffic is increasing and I do feel this since of validation because of it. I know we are talented, I just didn’t know that other people knew that as well. 🙂 🙂 🙂
I am still working with my guys in India though in transferring things over. There are so many missing photos that they are tracking down and adhering to my posts. Why the missing photos? Who knows? (Actually, I do know.)
So, I am just trying to work on some posts and catch up. Although it would take me a year to catch up but I am just doing my best. That is all I can do. 🙂
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July 16, 2019
“poor Julie how sad.”
I was going through my old photos from 2013 when I came across this. “poor Julie how sad.” First of all, I did not entitle it. I would never have said that. And if I did then I would have capitalized “poor” as it is the first word. This is something that Gordon would have never written in the photos I keep on my computer laptop.
This is a message from Paul Gray my cyber-stalker.
So, what exactly is so “poor” about it?
“poor Julie how sad.”
That is a favorite breakfast of mine that Gordon makes for me. My egg white omelet with a whole wheat half a bagel. What is so sad about that? I am also online. Paul, your entire life is spent online so if anyone is “poor and sad,” that is YOU! I seriously doubt anyone would cook breakfast for you (especially that blow up doll you have in your closet), unless you paid them really well.
You are a 56 year old creep! I’ll bet if anyone got a hold of your computer we would find all sorts of things you downloaded from the dark web. My guess is that because you have been coming at me so hard this past year is that you have been fired from your job! That would explain why you have spent so much time on me lately. Did they discover how creepy you are?
Oh, and p.s. You remember the comment that you wrote and then “approved” in my Cinderella Sequel blog post without my consent that you entitled, Julie’s Cinderella Lover, that I deleted? You would never stand a chance with me! Would you even know what to do with a real woman? Do everyone you know a favor and…..dot…dot…dot….
And for someone who see’s me as so “poor and sad,” you sure are obsessed with me.
Julie,
(Gordon’s Wife, and Lover)
P.S. I just want to write this down. It is a fact that if you don’t get better, then you get worse. No one ever stays the same. Serial killer’s start out by torturing and killing animals before they start torturing and killing people. Paul has been my cyber-stalker for definitely 2 decades, but probably 3 decades. He has not gotten better all these year’s because he has not stopped. His stalking as progressed. Therefor, it is safe to assume that he has gotten worse. I just want this noted.
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July 10, 2019
New Website Format
I wanted to write something about the debut of my new website format. I’m happy with it. Gordon loves it! But I still need to get in there and “Julie it up a bit!” I’m sure the guys that I hired will be rolling their eyes at my changes. They are such professionals. They signed me up for ‘high volume traffic.’ I’m already noticing more website traffic and attention. My cyber-stalker had such control over my website for the past 8 years that now he is reduced to plowing through my old folders from my first website in my web hosting company’s cPanel. (He’s been in there all day. Have at it Bitch! 🙂
I can already tell this is a much more secure website, I just can’t tell you how I know that. 🙂
I did the math and what with the changes that they have made for me, and services that I will no longer need, and people that I will no longer need to pay, that will save us over $5,000.00 a year! (Gordon will love that.) 🙂
I’m still looking around my website and trying to find things. It’s kind of like when they rearrange all the food at the grocery store and you can no longer find things like you used to? And it’s a bit frustrating? It’s like that.
I can tell you that I don’t like all this BOLD writing. And apparently this is my only choice for now.
Funny that the text shows up as very BOLD as I type this, but very ‘all caps’ once I publish it. Note to my guys……..
Anyway, I’m very happy with them. They did a phenomenal job on the website. I still have some things that I want them to fix and to make different, but understand that my website has been sabotaged by an insane person, Paul Gray, for the past 8 years. Not to mention all the other accounts of mine he gets into, and has for decades.
I’ll give you an example of the kind of damage that Paul does to the website that you just don’t see.
Take this post for instance. It can do about 100 things. So, what Paul would do is to slowly disable those 100 things and bring it down to 83. Then he will do more damage, and then this post can only do about 56 things. He will just keep sabotaging it, and sabotaging it, until by the time he finishes with it, it’s no more than a piece of notebook paper and I’m using a pencil to write my blog post. (An exaggeration but not by much.) You should have seen our first website that we had from 2011-2015. Gordon and I were so proud of it and we worked so hard on it. But Paul had it so distorted that it was no longer even worth anyone’s time to spend on it. It looked horrible! I was even embarrassed to tell people that was our website.
The second website format that we had, we were both very proud of it and worked very hard on it. The homepage may have looked nice with all of our categories and posts, but Paul would screw with it and I wasn’t able to put things in order and make it manageable. When I tired to place things in certain categories where they belonged, the entire post would suddenly be black and you couldn’t see anything. So, we couldn’t put things in order like we should have. Just things like that.
Imagine working really hard on something. Taking days, even weeks to do the write up and research, rename, resize, and apply the photos to it, and then publish it. You go to bed satisfied that you did something that you are proud of and you hope that others will appreciate it, learn something from it, maybe feel better about themselves by reading about our experiences with various things. But then you wake up the next morning and all the hard work that you did has been deleted! Erased! GONE!
This website could have been a hell of a lot bigger, and nicer, and more organized had Paul Keith Gray not sabotaged us so much. It has always been a ‘two steps forward, three steps back,’ kind of a website.
If you have read my latest writings below then you can read very clearly the affects of his stalking have been on me. Especially these past 2 months. He has caused me great stress and I have probably gained a good 5 – 8 pounds because of it. I can still fit into my clothing comfortably, but there is not as much room as I prefer, if you know what I mean? I refuse to get on any scale!
I don’t like looking at a “number” on a scale, it’s too depressing. BUT, I am hitting the tread mill more, and longer, and clearing the cobwebs out of my head. Erasing the stress and replacing it with more salads and soups. When I am in a creative mood then food is the last thing on my mind, other than the foods I want to make for whatever the new project/projects may be.
Gordon and I have been plotting future projects with great GLEE! We are starting to hit our stride and we have so many plans! 🙂
I write below how I contacted a company in the UK and told them of my woes with my website and all the stalking, and sabotage that I have endured for decades. They then recommended these guys from another country to help me. The team Ramona recommended to me lives in India. They didn’t hesitate one bit in helping me. I told them all that I go through and how I just wanted them to understand what they were getting into because for all I knew Paul would go after them and I didn’t want that to happen. We message every day and have for over a month now. They go out of their way to help me, inform me, and even though we sometimes have a hard time understanding each other’s accents, I know they are all good, honorable people. I don’t believe for one minute that I could have found any American’s to be as helpful as them. American’s don’t really care about doing a good job, they just want to get paid. But these guys care about doing a good job. 🙂
For the first time in 8 years I feel that my website is in good hands. In the next 2 months I will sever ties with my web hosting company, and my security company. That will feel sooooo good! 🙂
It’s a new day, a new website, and new more secure ME!
Julie
PS: I had my guys disable all comments. Not because I don’t want them. I would love genuine comments, whether they be good or bad. But all I attract is a lot of SPAM, and login attempts. So, that has been severed.
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June 12, 2019
IAMACLUTTERPERSON
(Even where my website is concerned.) 🙂
Soon……
Mad Hatter: “When is soon?”
Me: “I have no idea. Just soon.”
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But very “soon”, I will have a new revamped website. New format.
The team that I hired to help me to get rid of my cyber-stalker problem, and to shore up things with my website, are giving me a new website. As they told me, “We’ll give you a beautiful website now.” (I thought I already HAD a beautiful website.) Silly me!
I understand what they mean. Have it more streamlined, lots of sub categories under categories. Not as much jumping out at you when you visit my website homepage. Let’s just neaten it up and make it is less………………………….(wait for it)…………………………….CLUTTERED! (A knife through my heart!)
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In 2009 when my nieces from Ireland came to visit us and saw our home for the first time, they walked in and were in awe. Kate just kept looking around and asking me, “Where did you get all this stuff?” My brother Johnny told her that ‘Julie collects things.’ All I could think of to tell her is that, ‘I am a materialistic American, and we shop (our economy is consumer based), and I collect because I have many interests in life. I don’t just like ONE thing. I like ONE MILLION things! And it is reflected in our home when you look around. We have collections.
Which I was told as why my niece Lola wanted to “collect” Lalaloopsie dolls. 🙂
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IAMACLUTTERPERSON
(I Am A Clutter Person)
I walked into the home of the realtor that sold us our house many years ago and I was immediately depressed. Everything was generic. The traditional flower display on the dining room table, and by the front entrance. The “traditional” furniture. The generic photos of family members all wearing white button down shirts and jeans. The house was just too “clean.” It was too “staged.” It totally lacked the personalities of the home owner’s. (If they even had personalities.) I hated her beautiful home!! I was so happy to get back to my cluttered home. Ahhhhhhh…..much better……to be surrounded by all my STUFF!!!! 🙂
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I do admit that my home is cluttered. I realize that sometimes my “piles” get in the way. (My “piles” are projects I am working on, or future projects that I will be working on.) I also realize that this is a lot to dust. Trust me, I know. As I do the dusting!
But, I don’t like packing my life away in boxes to be stored in the attic. I don’t want my memories packed away and stored up there. I want them down here with me so that I can look at them everyday, and remember them. I want them to surround me. I want to think of them. They aren’t just my memories, they are my inspiration for life, and creativity.
This entire website is based on my memories. You take away my CLUTTER, then you take away my MEMORIES, AND my inspiration.
I’m sure the new website will look very nice. I’m sure it will be all streamlined and beautiful for the average person. (Ugh! I hate the word, average.) I’m sure it will appeal to the “average” visitor that will spend a good 30 seconds looking at my website. But I never created this website for them. I did it for me! And the handful of people that are like me.
Thank you for all the years of interest you have given me. I hope both you and I will like my new website. 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to look at my cluttered website. I do appreciate you and your uniqueness.
Your friend always,
Julie
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June 8, 2019
My Dark Mood
My mother and step-father used to tell me that I live in a fantasy world when I was growing up. I have always heard them say that about me. And they were right. I did. When they would say it though, they were cruel and heartless. They would mock me, make fun of me, laugh at me. Just as my mother and step-father always were to me, cruel and heartless. I was the new kid in school so many times, in so many different cities, towns, states…. I was bullied horribly at school, and abused horribly at home. So, I retreated into a “Fantasy World” in order to survive it all. I think that’s what the brain does. And that is probably the definition of mental illness.
But, once you do survive it then you need to come back. It’s hard to do it on your own but I did.
I’ve heard my mother say so many times, as she shrugs her shoulders, “Mental Illness runs in our family.”
As if it’s just in the blood and there is no fault of her own. Did you know that 85% of mentally ill are born perfectly normal? It’s our environment that shapes us and turns us mentally ill.
My brother Frank is a Paranoid Schizophrenic. He developed this when he was 16. They say that it is viral. If that’s the case then anyone can “catch” it. It is curable if you are diagnosed as an adult. But, it stays with you for life if you develop it as a child. It does taper off in your 40’s and you do get better. But you will never be cured.
My brother Frank was born adorable. The best looking baby, toddler, kid, teenager…… He was always so good looking. He was smart, intelligent, funny, athletic. There are baseball games that are legendary with Frank being the star and winning the games for his team. But the plays weren’t simple, they were complicated and phenomenal! How he won for his team was genius!
Frank and I were the athletes of the family. Johnny and Ben have no coordination whatsoever. But we were all in marching band. That did require quite a bit of talent. I was Color guard (flag and rifle), Ben played triples. He was part of the drum line. He was extremely good! Frank played Saxophone, and Johnny played Trombone.
I know that when Frank would came to Hawaii to visit us and we would go to luau’s that all the hula girls would swarm around him. I used to say, “Here comes Frank with all the coconut bra’s following him.” 🙂
AND THEY WERE!!!
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My brother Frank, who was born with so much potential, who is a 48 year old male, 10 years younger than me, lives in a trailer here in Florida with his wife Brenda, and her parents. Brenda is Bi-Polar/Paranoid Schizophrenic. She is originally from The Philippines. Her parents, Jesse and Sonia put Brenda (who’s real name is Jessica) into a Catholic orphanage at age 5. Then they flew to America, with the baby, Christine. After 11 years they went back and got Brenda out of the orphanage and brought her to America to live. When I first met Brenda she was stunningly beautiful. My parents were so mean to her. But that was normal in our household, as they were always cruel to me.
Sadly, Brenda never recovered from being placed in that orphanage for 11 years. And who knows what all they did to her while she was there? After all, the Catholic Church does have a reputation, if you know what I mean? Also, they tend to treat children that they view as “unwanted” as if they are fair game to whatever they want to do to them.
So, whatever horrors that Brenda went through, she never recovered. I don’t blame her. I wouldn’t want to come back to reality either.
Frank and Brenda did have a son, Joseph, my nephew. Joseph has now been diagnosed as being Bi-Polar. When I saw him last his medication had him so slow and motionless. It was as if I was talking to a drugged out junkie. My mother had him put on that medication. Of course, that was after she dumped him in a shelter and left him there. Which is why I uninvited them to Veronica and Brian’s wedding. I would like to add that my parents, John and Mary Lancaster, raised Joseph from the age of 2 until now. Of course< my step-father died in 2013, thank goodness.
Joseph is mentally ill. Frank is mentally ill. All of us are probably mentally ill to some degree as well.. But, I do blame my mother and step-father. After all, we were raised by a psychopath and a narcissist. How healthy an environment is that? I blame my mother and step-father for creating all this mental illness that my mother chalks up to DNA. Not only did they create it all, but they fanned the flames of it so that it would thrive! And it has. You could even say that our upbringing was abuse. Being the new kid in school 9 times in 12 years? Moving from town to town, state to state….that is abuse in itself.
I live in a cruel country where the mentally ill are treated so horribly. No one would ever dream of standing around the bed of someone that had cancer, laughing and pointing at them. But yet, that is what we do to people who’s minds are sick. They can’t help it. Just as you can’t help catching that cold, or flu.
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Funny, but none of what I have been writing about has anything to do with my “Dark Mood.”
Everything I write about above is history. Nothing new. Same old, same old. Sadly. Such a waste of great intelligence, family members of mine. They all have high IQ’s, special abilities, but yet the mental illness get’s in the way of whatever talents that they have.
But lately my cyber-salker Paul Gray has been extremely active with his stalking of me. After all, stalking is abuse and harassment on it’s own. As I told my brother Johnny, ” I’m down to 1 bully! And one is enough!”
It does get to you. Of course it does. You know that saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?” Well, I don’t believe it. I think life’s villain’s chip away at you , and chip away at you, and chip away at you, until you’ve just had it. Paul has chipped away at me for so many decades that I have had it. But, I am a survivor. For some reason I just keep on surviving. Even when I don’t want to. Funny, huh?
You know that question that we get asked at times? Are you a fight, or flight kind of person? Weirdly enough, I am a fighter! I will stand there and fight whether it is with words, manipulation, humor, hiding, inner strength, outer strength…. I stupidly stand there and fight! It’s just in me to do so. But, it is giving me a darker mood that I have to deal with lately. What with Gordon working overseas I don’t have my partner here with me to help me laugh off the situation. Granted, we do talk on the phone every day, but sometimes I need him here to rub the stress out of my neck and shoulders. I especially need that great foot rub! 🙂
We are finally spending money to fight Paul and it is worth it! We also finally have some extra money to fight Paul!
I just found out today that he has mirrored email accounts of mine! I knew that he could access my email, but I didn’t know how sophisticated of an account that he has on us. You know how they say “It’s always darkest before the dawn?” That is where I am now. I am in a dark place, but I see a light that I am moving toward. I will always follow that light. Sometimes it may be far off. But I keep heading towards it. I guess that is the “fantasy world” that I live in. It’s called HOPE.
Julie
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June, 6, 2019
My Very Strange Week
(Me with Brodie, Christmas Eve
I’m 5’8 just to give you a scale of how tall Brodie is.) 🙂
December 25, 2018- December 31, 2018
I think it’s time I wrote about this.
At this writing Gordon has been working overseas now for the past 10 months and I have been here in Florida alone. Brodie does live here, but he and his girlfriend MacKenzie do live between her apartment with her twin sister in Tampa, and our house. Mackenzie is still in school and commutes to St. Augustine for classes, so the two of them stay in different places during the week, not just here with me all the time.
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I had a wonderful Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Having spent the time with my children and their partners.
Brodie and Mackenzie, and Veronica and Brian
And Gordon on What’s APP 🙂
We had good food, good laughs, nice gifts, everyone was happy, especially me. But during my alone times, which I don’t mind one bit, I put into the Bluray Player Season 2 of Sherlock. You know, the BBC show that stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman? I love it! I don’t normally love modern day version’s of Sherlock Holmes but I do LOVE this one! Probably because Benedict Cumberbatch is phenomenal as Holmes. And I do love the chemistry between Martin Freeman and himself.
Benedict Cumberbatch, and Martin Freeman in Sherlock
I also love how they do the storyline. It’s interesting! The writing is great!
Anyway, It was during this particular week that I must have watched this show, Season 2, the Irene Adler episodes, every single day repeatedly from Christmas Eve until New Year’s Eve. Except, I don’t actually “watch” it. I just put it on to play on the Bluray player repeatedly, and I listen to it in the background. Kind of like a fireplace. It’s just background noise that I am very familiar with and that I enjoy. I know the characters, the scene, the dialog, the wardrobe, etc. I don’t have to actually watch it, to watch it. If you know what I mean? Well, there is a scene that is particularly crucial, but I need to build up to that.
First: Here is the introduction of Irene Adler:
The actress, Lara Pulver is excellent as Irene Adler.
Here she is wearing her “body armor” to meet Sherlock Holmes and she certainly did throw him for a loop!
But this scene is crucial to my week: (I’ll tell you why in a moment.)
It’s this scene where Watson sets off the smoke alarm so that the cops show up at Irene’s house. That alarm goes off in the video above.
Bear in mind that I must have “watched” this episode a good 30 times that week.
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It was Christmas night and I had fallen asleep in the Lazy Boy chair. (Which is the most comfortable chair in the world! I sleep in it quite often, actually.) I was awakened with a big start after midnight by this pounding on my front door!
I was scared! I was home alone, it’s after midnight, and someone is pounding on my front door! And Monk wasn’t exactly attack dog material.)
I looked through the peep hole but saw no one. I looked outside to see a car, but I saw none! I then called through the door, “Who is there?” A man answered saying he was a policeman. I then opened my door but kept my locks in place so that I could just peep out without opening the door. There was a policeman there. I asked him what he wanted? He then told me that my “alarm” had gone off and he was here to see if I was alright. I knew immediately that my “alarm” did not go off and I told him so. I told him that he must have the wrong house. That everything is fine here. I just assumed that it must be a mistake. He went on his way, and I went back to “chair.”
The very next day, in the afternoon, I’m still “watching” my Irene Adler episode when another cop came to the door. I opened the door and asked what he wanted? He told me that my home alarm was going off and he was checking on me. I told him that my alarm is not going off! I then told him of the cop that visited me the previous night to check on me, and telling me that my alarm was going off even when it wasn’t.
By this time I’m starting to wonder what is going on? Then, later on that night I get a pounding on my door from yet another police officer! This time, a woman. And, she was checking on me because my “alarm” was going off. By now I know that there is something going on that just isn’t right. I then asked the cop what security company that was sending her to my house? She told me, Matrix, (not the real security company name.) I told her that I don’t even employ Matrix.
It was then that I resumed the playback on my Bluray of my Irene Adler episode where the “alarm” keeps going off that I suddenly realized that, THAT episode is tied to the cops coming to my house!!!!
IT’S PAUL!!! HE’S SENDING THE COPS TO MY DOOR!
He can hear that I am watching these Irene Adler episode’s!! But how?
HOW DOES HE KNOW THAT????
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It was a few days later that another cop came to my house telling me that my alarm was going off. I then decided to call that Matrix company and find out what was going on? They wouldn’t help me as they said, “You don’t have an account with us so therefore we can’t help you.” I told them that “I KNOW I DON’T HAVE AN ACCOUNT WITH YOU!! QUIT SENDING THE COPS TO MY HOUSE!!!”
It was then that the “bills” started arriving in my mail! You know, because these cops are having to be dispatched to my residence, for NO REASON!?
Trying to talk to cops is a huge waste of time as they are only drones. Sorry to be so blunt, but it is true. They only follow orders, they are not here to reason with me, or think for themselves, or connect dots, they are only here as drones to do the job they were sent to do.
I must have had 7 visit’s from cops that entire week. Each one arriving to make sure I was o.k. because my “alarm” kept going off.
Each cop did admit that it was registering as a “audible alarm.” I asked them when they arrived… “Do you hear an alarm going off?” They would then admit, “No.” Then I would follow up with, “Then how can it be an audible alarm?”
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I knew that this was Paul, my cyber-stalker, doing this. I know that he see’s himself as Sherlock, and me as Irene Adler. He does see us as some sort of soul-mates that will just never get together. He also loves to let me know that he can listen in to my house. Just last week when I had disabled an app that he used to listen in to my house, I get a phone call from someone leaving a message that said, “I can still hear you.” Who does that? Who calls you up, leaves a message on your machine that says, “I can still hear you?”
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So, how did I get all of this straightened out? I finally found a decent police dispatch woman that held a 3-way phone call with me and the “Matrix” company. And told them to call off the cops, and to quit sending me notices in the mail of money I owed them, that I didn’t actually owe them. If you know what I mean?
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So, Paul, you think it’s o.k. to send cops out to my house to do your bidding? You can just hack into their computers and send them on your very own wild goose chases? What a waste of tax payer money!
You are NO Sherlock and I am not YOUR Irene Adler!!!
And, as an Empath I also know you see yourself as Keylo Ren and me as Rey. I know you have your Martial Arts training. But, I am NOT YOUR REY!!!
Get a life Paul, before you get Life,
Julie
Come on Paul, I’m 58 and you are 56. Let’s put an end to this right now. We’re too old for this! Enjoy the life you have. You are missing out on so much because of your obsession with me. I am such a boring person!!!! I’m also really fat and ugly, I just use lots of make-up and suck my stomach in for photos. But trust me, I am not worth one minute or your time! You know, there are some gorgeous younger women out there…… Come on, I’ll bet some of them would love your stalking abilities. So……. move on….. you can do it! I know you can! 🙂
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June 5, 2019
A Rant, by Julie
I went for my quarterly check up to my family practitioner a few weeks ago. Instead of seeing my usual nurse practitioner, Lisa, whom I adore, they had me see this doctor that I didn’t even know worked there. I asked him if he was new? He then informed me that he had been there for the past year and a half. (Oops!) 🙂 Let’s call him Dr. Horcrux, not his real name. I waited, and waited, and waited a good 40 minutes in the exam room before he finally made his appearance. I had gone from pacing around the room, to laying down on the exam table, to laying face down on the exam table, to playing with the eye/ear/ and nose attachment on the wall, to cleaning out my purse, to making my shopping lists…….
He FINALLY came into the room and then told me that every now and then they like to rotate the patience’s so that is why I was seeing him instead of Lisa. Overall I am a very healthy person. The nurse practitioner is enough for me as I don’t have serious health problems. I go there for maintenance, blood work, labs, test results, prescription refills, etc.
I had a bad feeling about him from the start but I pushed that aside in order to confide in him of the horrible stalking that I had been going through these past few months. I wanted it down in my medical file as our mental and emotional health is important. And I wanted it noted that I do have a stalker and he does play a role in my health.
They also have us fill out a form every 6 months asking about our emotional health. There are several questions asking us how we feel on a scale of 1-10. I think they want to determine if we are so unhappy that we may go on some shooting spree.
Because of the answers that I had checked off on that form I felt compelled to explain exactly why? I want it noted in my medical records the role that having a stalker does play on my health because Paul Gray does play a role in my mental and emotional health. It is also good to have this on paper as it will play a role when we do eventually go to trial. You need to record these things.
So, as I was explaining to this man all that I go through I did mention that I just wish that God would strike him with a lightening bolt and put me out of my misery. The doctor then asked if I was a Christian? Oh, shit! I thought. Now I have to answer that question. I didn’t want to lie to him, but I also didn’t want to tell him the truth, but I did anyway. I told him that I was an atheist.
BOY! Did the mood in the room suddenly change!
NOTE: ( When I say, “Oh My God!” It doesn’t mean that I am talking to God. When I say, “Bless you.” when someone sneezes, it doesn’t mean that I expect God to bless them. So, when I say, “I hope God strikes you down with a lightening bolt.” I don’t think that will really happen.)
He then started to tell me of his Christian faith and how God does punish those whom he feels deserves it. I got the impression that he was telling me that I have a stalker because God is punishing me. Riiiiiight……
Paul is a right-wing wacko, and the “doctor” I am seeing is also a right-wing wacko. So, what to do? Keep calm Julie until you can get out of there! I have found it is best to play along with these kinds of people. So, I did. I even made the follow up appointment for 2 weeks from that date about something he saw in my ear. (Wax, apparently.) I got out of there and the following day I called the office and cancelled my appointment with this doctor AND made an appointment for 4 months from now with Lisa. AND I insisted that I had better only see Lisa!
I had also told that doctor that I do not want anything sent to my email or cell phone as my stalker has access to all of that. The best way to reach me is with my home phone. Just leave a message.
TWO WEEKS AGO A SURVEY CAME INTO MY EMAIL CONFIRMING ALL MY APPOINTMENTS AND WANTING ME TO FILL OUT A SURVEY OF MY LAST VISIT. WHAT????
That frickin’ doctor did that on purpose! Just when I told him that I wanted NOTHING sent to my email, here comes a survey. So, guess what I did? I filled out the survey!!! 🙂
I spoke of my encounter with “Dr. Christian” and how uncomfortable he made me, and that I do not want to see him anymore in the future. He has no business preaching to me during my appointment. I also relayed that I am not filing a complaint. I do not want him to get into any trouble. But, I was asked about my visit and I told them about it.
Two hours ago I received a phone call from Dr. Horcrux, asking me about the survey I filled out! WOW!!! Talk about confidential! I did not speak with him. I told him that I do not have anything to say to him and I hung up on him!!
I don’t know where this is going? I am hoping that my hanging up on him is the end of it. But I really don’t know? What is wrong with American men that they feel they have the right to run over women? I think it’s religion. Religion gives them (in their minds) permission to do to us whatever they want to. Adam’s Rib? Is that what we are?
One thing about these people that I know very well, is that they will do one of two things to you. They will either shun you, or go after you! Personally, I prefer the shunning!
I may just have to find a new medical clinic to go and receive my healthcare. I hope not. As I will miss Lisa!
Julie
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June 4, 2019
Click Here for: Diana, Kate, Meghan, and Me
I just finished it and I am very pleased with it. If you would like to take a look.
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As taken from………
Meghan and Harry Departing on their Honeymoon
My Aquamarine Ring Gordon Gave Me Recently
When Diana wore this ring years ago I loved it because it was a beautiful clear blue. Then Meghan was gifted the ring on her wedding day to Harry and she wore it while wearing that gorgeous white dress getting into the blue sports car to drive off with Harry into the sunset. 🙂
The thing is that I never told Gordon that I wanted one. I just kept thinking about it. Then all of a sudden the ring arrives in the mail from Gordon. (On being an Empath…..) 🙂
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My Ring
What you see here are some Royalty stamps. I am a Philatelist! And I have been since my teenage years. My Grandfather being the Post Master that he was instilled this collecting in my mother, and in me as well. This is just a few examples of my Royalty Collection.
When I was a teenager my mother would take me and my step-brother Scott, and my little brother’s, Johnny and Frank, (Ben wasn’t born yet.) —-To the Stamp store every Saturday and we would look through what we wanted to buy to add to our collections. Scott and I were the most into it.
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Charles and Diana
I brought out all my old Diana Newspaper and Magazine Clippings.
I started this collection from the moment I first heard of her.
On looking at all of my clippings I can’t help but wonder… Am I a Fan? Or a Stalker?
Royal Visit to Florida, 1985
Palm Beach Country Club
Gordon and I were married in June of 1985 and we moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida. It was while we were living in Port St. Lucie that Charles and Diana made a trip down to Palm Beach for a Polo Match. I wanted to go so badly. I believe the day was a Tuesday. I had called in sick in the hopes of being able to drive the 3 hours distance, I believe? In order to catch a glimpse of her. I didn’t make it, but I did save the newspaper clippings. Interestingly enough there are some great recipes on the back of the article of foods that were served to Charles and Diana. I am thinking about recreating them sometime.
My Diana Beta Collection
(Tea and Scones)
I paid big money for these BETA tapes back in the 80’s. I also still have my own BETA Player. Which last I tried it, it still works! And Sadly, mine and Gordon’s wedding video is also on BETA.
The Video Veronica Bought for Me
Diana and Meghan on DVD
I haven’t watched them yet but I am looking forward to it.
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May 30, 2019
What’s Up?
www.GetPaulGray.com
I’ve been a busy girl today buying up some domain names. 3 to be exact.
Stay Tuned!!!
For those of you that know of my situation of being a victim of my husband’s former best friend. He has cyber-stalked me for decades. He has been particularly active since Gordon has been working overseas over the past 10 months.. I guess he figures with Gordon gone that I am fair game? I have written about Paul several times in my website.
I have often thought why me? Why am I so attractive to Paul?
I am a 58 year old woman. If someone had told me in my thirties that I would have a stalker in my late 50’s I would respond, ‘Wow! I must be looking pretty good in the future for that to happen!’
Paul is 56, and will be 57 in September of this year. He was Gordon’s childhood friend. I think Gordon met him when he was 11. I have often thought what is it about me that makes Paul think that he has some sort of connection to me? Is it because I have grey eyes and his last name is Gray? Could it be because the colors of mine and Gordon’s wedding were pink and grey and Paul’s last name is Gray? And he was a Groomsman in our Wedding? Could it be because our son Brodie’s middle name is Keith and Paul’s middle name is Keith? With Keith being my Scottish ancestry name? And probably his as well? Is it because my mother almost named me Carolyn and his mother’s name was Carolyn and his sister’s middle name is Carolyn as well?
Does he somehow view all these coincidences as some sort of divine sign?
I do know that Gordon once told me that Paul used to sing the old Rick Springfield song: Jesse’s Girl.
Except Paul would sing, “I wish that I had Gordon’s Girl.”
Sometime’s I wish that I had never met my husband, Gordon. Because then I would never have met and known Paul and had his stalking. But then I get sad that I would never have known the man that has loved me the most through thick and thin, pretty and ugly, good and bad, fat and skinny, rich and poor, etc.
Catch 22!
Do you know that Paul listens in through my microphone on my computer? No matter how many times I disable it? Do you know that he can reinstall apps that I uninstall on my computer, and then prevent me from uninstalling them because he uses them to spy on me? Do you know that he can view and access every picture and document on my computers as well? Do you know that he listens in through our Samsung t.v. and can hear every conversation that we have? Do you know that he is in our cell phones and can hear all that we do, even in the bedroom?
That is how I live!
Is that “Romantic” to you?
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I just Glam it up for the Website
Starting a New Backyard Project
If you were to ask Brodie’s girlfriend, Mackenzie what I look like in real life she would say….. ‘She has no make-up on, her hair just hangs there with no style to it, and she wears these big bulky glasses. But, she always has lipstick on.’
Is that beautiful to you?
Today was the first day that my yard workers saw me all glammed up, and a pin could have dropped! They almost didn’t recognize me. I thought it was funny. I wasn’t wearing the vintage swimsuit that I’m pictured in above. But, I did have the hair and make-up done. In all the past few years they’ve been doing our yard they never saw me all made up until today. Because to them I was just Julie Whann who handed them their check every month with no make up on and my hair just hanging there so unattractively. But yet always has lipstick on. 🙂
(I secretly love it when people see I am more than they think I am.)
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I also bought the domain: www.VictimofCyberStalker.com
and
www.JulieLancaster-Whann.com
and
www.JulieLancaster-Whann.us
Interestingly enough, I paid under $20.00 buck for the www.VictimofCyberStalker.com and the resale value immediately was just under $500.00. Wow! Sounds like the stock market.
I will NEVER sell it as I AM THE VictimofCyberStalker.com!
I actually am probably the very first cyber-stalking victim.
And yes, I do call myself a “victim” because that is what I always have been where Paul’s stalking is concerned.
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I was watching on Twitter this little African-American girl proudly talking about how she doesn’t need rescuing by anyone (man) because she can rescue herself. Well, as someone that has had to rescue myself for the past 58 years I’m getting a bit tired of HAVING to.
The universe has been far kinder to me than humanity ever has been. I can’t tell you how many times a human will do something mean or rude to me and then the universe will then pick me up, dust me off, cradle me, and clear a path for me to go forward. Sometimes LITERALLY!
So, to those of you that are religious and see this as God helping me instead of the “universe”, then God sure must love this atheist. 🙂
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I have recently hired a team of computer experts to help me with my Paul problem, and the damage that he does to my website, and the new website’s I’ve just obtained. (I’m sure he’ll do his best to get at those as well.) They are from another country. I contacted an agency in the UK and told them of all my problems and they recommended this particular team to me. I can already see a difference in how they help me and the “so-called” help that I receive from American’s in the same area of expertise. The team isn’t just fixing problems for me, they are advising me of things that I can do to protect myself. They are doing things that I don’t believe many American’s would do because they just don’t care to connect dots and thoroughly help me. American’s just want to get paid. There is no honor anymore among the people of our country. But this team is connecting dots, tracing steps, monitoring, not just fixing.
They are also making big changes for me that will help to ensure my website’s security and safety that I don’t want to talk about here at this time so as not to give anything away to Paul.
Sure, I am paying them a lot of money. But I feel I’m getting my money’s worth for the first time in decades where computer issues are concerned. Because I am finally getting help. Because this damsel needs rescuing!
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My parents used to tell me that “If you don’t play the game, the game ends.” Well, in my many experiences in life that statement is not true. I may not play the game but yet the attacks never cease from those that do. Whether it be Paul, or past mean-girls, or nasty neighbors, or horrible bosses. They never stop. I have discovered that my only option is to just get away from them——when I can. Sometimes, I can’t. Like where Paul is concerned.
I am a strong believer in DUMPING PEOPLE!
It’s funny but I always have dumped people. I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT I HAVE NEVER DUMPED ANYONE THAT CARED ABOUT ME. ONLY THOSE THAT DIDN’T, OR NO LONGER DID. Even when Psychiatrists were advising their patients years ago to try and ‘work things out.’ I was dumping! And interestingly enough now Psychiatrist’s and Psychologist’s are advising their patients to DUMP PEOPLE. 🙂
Which is why I think that we need to do what WE think is correct and not rely on the advice of so-called “professional’s.” I mean, if they are just going to change their advice over time then how much do they really know to begin with?
Perhaps my being an Empath is why I knew ‘working things out’ is just not going to work. I needed to get away!
I certainly don’t have all the answers but I know that I am due some peace and privacy, and Paul is due a prison sentence.
Julie
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May 16, 2019
Click Here for: Diana, Kate, Meghan, and ME!
Julie
My writings for the current post I am working on…… An Excerpt:
I was in college at the time attending The American, Business and Fashion Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. The college was owned by the Hummel people. You know, those little Hummel figurines? Our dormitory was at Queen’s College. I remember waking up at 5:00 a.m. on a school day to watch the wedding of Charles and Diana on my roommate Bunny’s t.v. I think she had a black and white t.v., meaning that I couldn’t watch the wedding in color. But I didn’t care. I was happy to see what I did.
My college roommate Bunny left, and me and a boyfriend Sheik, right, outside our dormitory. Sheik and his family were from Saudi Arabia. The most impressive thing to me was when I went to his house and his parents bar would suddenly emerge from out of the wall. I was impressed! Sheik was very smart. We once went to a movie and watched it for the first time. Then as we were leaving the theater we encounter Bunny and a date wanting to watch the movie so we decided to watch it again with them. Sheik had memorized the entire movie and could recite it word for word after only watching it one time before. I was impressed! But, me being the southern woman’s libber that I was, and he being the Saudi person that he was, it didn’t last past a few months.
NOTE: It just occurred to me last night after I wrote this that I remember Sheik was a Saudi prince. I was told this at the time I was dating him by some people that knew his family. It also just occurred to me that that was my chance to be a Princess. 🙂 HELLO????
Sometimes I think my mind just doesn’t work like everyone else’s. I literally just did connect the dots that I was dating a prince and that I perhaps, could have been a princess? But let’s face it. This union would never have lasted very long as I am just too liberal to marry someone so….how shall I say…..Saudi? But none the less…..I dated a Prince!!!! 🙂
Julie
Hey, how many people can say that? 🙂
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May 2019
Aladdin Song
Everyone knows that I am proud Disney Girl! I came across this video sung by Zayn and Zhavia and I was blown away! I have been a Zhavia fan from the moment I heard her sing. However, Zayn is about a 100 on a scale of 1-10 here. Whereas Zhavia is now about a 6 on a scale of 1-10. I’m not saying that to be mean. It’s just that he is sooo good! Everyone else is diminished by his voice. I am so blown away! This Disney girl can’t wait for what is coming! 🙂
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May 11, 2019
UPDATE on my Cyber-Stalker Paul Gray
This is in regards to what I have written below this.
Last night after I published He Has a Lock on Me!, I knew Paul would retaliate, and he did. He logged into my website at 3:02 a.m. from Secaucus, United States from IP address: 138.229.107.168. It’s not his IP address, it’s just one of many that he hijacks and uses specifically for this purpose. Granted, it does not show up in the Log in’s my website saves, it shows up as a bot that goes unregistered as a visitor. However, being the Empath that I am, and knowing him so very well, I knew he would try something so I kept all my equipment on as to monitor it. At 3:00 a.m. I woke up and came to check on my website and 2 minutes later saw him log in. (I can read you in my fucking sleep Paul. You are that transparent.) That immediately logged me out! However, I then went where I know to go (can’t say here publicly) and I was able to change the password and knock him out of my site. Oh, he can get back in very easily, such is my saga with him, but what he doesn’t know is all that we know about him. This is just more evidence against him. Today he knocked me out of my web hosting company website, you see, he had white listed some IP address of his that he has been using for years to get into that account, here is the one he’s been using…. 107.191.118.101.
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What I would like to say to Paul right now is that you will always be better than me where computer’s are concerned. You’ve been doing this since the mid 80’s. I see you as being very smart and talented and even creative in some of your stalking and sabotage of me and my website, but it is just such a waste of a great talent. I don’t feel sorry for you, I see you as too evil to give you that. But, every time you do something to my website or my computers or any account that I have, (he used to sabotage my Ebay transactions when I listed the condo for rent. Which is why I haven’t started my Julie’s Diamond in the Junq Shoppe.)
Everything you do to me is being watched, recorded, and filed away. I may not be able to beat your skills on a computer, but I do have the ability to hire people that can. So how did I hire these people without your knowing it? There is such a thing called the PHONE BOOK. I live in a neighborhood loaded with old people that still have phone books. They also have LAND LINE PHONES that they don’t mind me using sometimes. Those are phones that you can’t hack into and listen to private conversations. There is also such a thing as MONEY ORDERS that can be purchased from the United States Post Office and mailed through the USPS without your being able to know about any of it.
I can feel the anger and fear building up inside you right now. The ringing in my head is loud and the volume keeps getting louder. Just remember, the stronger your feelings the better I can read you.
Enjoy freedom while you can Paul,
Julie
May 10, 2019
He Has a Lock on ME!
I took this photo of me today because I wanted to post a recent picture but I don’t think the smile I have on my face reflects what I am about to write about. So, why am I smiling? Because even though I do go through quite a bit of crap from my cyber-stalker, Paul Gray, I try and be a positive person in my daily life. Sometimes it can be more work than other times but at the end of the day I like myself and I know that I am not doing anything wrong, he is.
For those of you that have read my blog posts for years then you are aware of him and a little of what he has done to me over the past few decades. Just because I don’t write and update every day doesn’t mean he doesn’t do something every day. HE DOES! I just don’t spend my time writing about it. I would much rather be doing recipe updates or craft projects, etc.
I need to be careful with what I reveal here because he reads all of this too. He even placed a ping-back inside my website that updates him every time I publish something. He also gets an alert whenever I tag something in my blog posts. I’ve also recently discovered a lot of files that he had placed into quarantine so as not to be scanned. That’s one place that he hides. I am recording them, and then deleting the files in those boxes. How am I recording them? I bought a new camera and I am photographing them and keeping them on the camera. If I download them or save any information on my computers then Paul has access to all of that info.
My New Vintage Camera
I took my computers somewhere that I cannot say here and had someone to take a look at them. I was told that Paul has a lock on me. What that means is that when I access any account I have online, whether it be my email, my website, Ebay, banking…. he then gets an alert that I just logged in. The alert tells him the time I logged in, the account in which I just logged in, the location, and the IP address. If he knows the IP address then he can get into that computer no matter who’s it may be. Which is why I never use other people’s computers. Oh, I could get onto your computer and search through Google or read news and he won’t know where I am, but if I logged into any account of mine on your computer then he would know and then he could get into your computer.
Paul is in my computer’s and has been for years. He loves to let me know that.
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He will also get into my photos. For example, about a year and a half ago I noticed a photo of Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in one of my folders. It was entitled, Sabina and Me. Sabina is my brother Johnny’s partner. There is also a photo that he turned cartoony and placed it into a folder of a blog post he knew I was working on. Here is that photo:
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I’ve also recently discovered that Paul has been using the microphones on our devices to listen in. Not just cell phones, but our computers. I have turned the microphone off many times and he just keeps turning it back on. So my solution to that is to monitor it, and I have taped lots of cotton over my laptop speakers hoping to muffle things if he does turn the microphone back on and I’m not aware of it. I have two laptops here with me. This one, and a newer one. I’ve got that one all taped up as well. However, the last time I turned it on the computer spoke to me and asked me what I wanted? I then turned it off and haven’t turned it back on since.
As of about a week ago he has tampered with my ability to upload and resize photos for me to insert into blog posts on my website. I have found a way around that, but I’ve added an additional 6 steps to the already 4 steps it took before. So, I go through about 10 steps now to post one photo on my site. That slows things down.
I did order an audit of my website and they submitted their report which I forwarded to the new people that I have hired to work on my website. They haven’t started yet but they should soon. They are costing me $29.00 an hour and seeing as how Paul has done so much damage to my site as it is it will be expensive to repair.
I am also going to have them to disable comments to my site. I never get any sincere comments, only Spam. I also think that is how Paul plants malware on my site. Comments will come in with links that have malware. He sends them, then comes into my site and clicks on the malware, that releases it into my site. When I see them all come in I immediately block them from my site and delete everything. I don’t even read any of the stuff.
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Gordon is overseas and although I cannot say when he will be back, it will be later on in the year. We do talk every day on the phone though. One day I needed him to log into the website to try and fix something for me but because I change the password often I had to give it to him over the phone. Within 5 minutes of my doing that someone had logged into my site and locked me out! So yes, we have someone listening to our conversations that knew exactly what that password went to. Hmmm……
Deleting Email:
You know how we delete email every day from our account so as not to clog it up, or because we may not want that snoop that get’s into our email from reading something personal? Well, the people that I took my computer to that I cannot tell you about at this time guided me to another mirrored email account of mine that had every email going back several years. Meaning that I can delete all I want but it is being collected somewhere else and read. My website email now is to cryptic and old, thank’s to Paul, that it’s like going from having a Bluray player to a VHS tape. It’s so cryptic that I have to click on a link to read the content. It doesn’t just open up for me to read.
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Might I suggest….. Julie’s Law
I have been the victim of cyber-stalking by a very sophisticated stalker since the very beginning. Eventually laws will catch up to protect people like me and imprison people like Paul. All I am saying is that perhaps all that I have gone through and will continue to go through will someday pave the way that will help other people and prevent them from going through all of this. If I know that it will do some good in the end then all that I have gone through will be worth it.
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Karma
I do believe in Karma. Good Karma and Bad Karma.
To me Karma is something that we do to ourselves without even knowing it. If we keep on doing that thing that we aren’t supposed to do then it will eventually catch up to us. For example, a professional shoplifter may get away with shoplifting every day for 5 years but eventually if he/she keeps doing it they will get caught. Either technology will catch up to them, someone will see them them, or take some cell phone selfie and accidentally catch them that way.
When you look at history every great figure was brought down by arrogance. Paul cannot just simply be a voyeur on my website or my computer. He has to tamper with something because he wants me to know that he is here. His vanity will bring him down. His vanity has already caught up to him several times which is why I have so much evidence against him. Paul Gray will never leave me alone. He can’t. I mean too much to him. And because he cannot severe those ties with me on his own the only options left are that the law will bring him down, or life will. Either way, he’s done! 🙂
Julie
P.S. If I need to write something that I don’t want Paul to read I cannot write it on my computer as he has access to all of that. I either have to write it all down by old fashioned pen and paper, or I have to type it into an old fashioned typewriter. Then I can mail it through the United States Post Office where it can be read without Paul Gray knowing about it. 🙂
I feel like Angela Lansbury in Murder She Wrote. 🙂
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April 10, 2019
Brodie and Mackenzie
My Son’s Girlfriend is an Empath
From the moment that I met Mackenzie I knew she was an Empath but I also knew that she didn’t know what she was. I remember back in mid December when Brodie first met her that he was very excited about this new girl he met. He kept wanting to bring her here but I kept telling him to let me get the place ready before he invites her over. All that I knew was what he told me about her. I really didn’t read anything into it other than the fact that Brodie was very excited about her. So, when I got the place a bit in order I told him to invite her over. WOW! Was she ever special! She is like sunshine suddenly entering my home. I knew instantly from the moment I met her that she was empathic. I also knew that she didn’t know that she was. I also knew that Brodie didn’t know that she was. Brodie tends not to believe in these things even though I prove to him over and over that I can read his mind. Literally!! He just chalks it up to luck. That is really too bad for him seeing as how his mother is an Empath/Psychic, and his new girlfriend is an Empath as well. Perhaps that was why he was subconsciously attracted to her? On some level perhaps he does know?
(You know, I never understand why a person still doubts even when presented over and over again with evidence of proof?)
Mackenzie is a wonderful girl! She is very nice, thoughtful, considerate, smart, intelligent, pretty, beautiful, attractive, funny, friendly, kind…. I really could go on and on about her. It’s funny but the day after I met her I was literally telling everyone that I hope she is my future daughter-in-law. Unusual, right? But, I am an Empath and I can read her. I know she is special, I don’t need to wait around for a year or two like the rest of you. I know immediately.
Mackenzie comes from a very interesting background. Her family was on The Mayflower. Her ancestor is the first birth on The Mayflower. She and her twin sister Susannah were given the names of their Mayflower ancestors. Her grandparents owned LIFE Magazine. There was a huge scandal of the affair that her grandmother had with another man during that time. That man actually went on to die at The White House during Richard Nixon’s Presidency. Are you not as glued as I am to all the details? 🙂 I will certainly be writing more about her and her ancestry in the future but for now I just wanted to focus on her.
She and Brodie are the same age. Mackenzie was born in New York and lived just outside The Bronx. She wanted to move down here to Florida, so she did. And after she came down here her twin sister decided that she wanted to move down here too. Shortly followed by their parents.
Mackenzie is still in school and interestingly enough, works with the elderly. (If you know anything about Empaths we tend to gravitate toward the elderly, and counseling.)
On my: On Being an Empath Blog I posted this:
My family members always said, “Julie helps old people.”
My Grandfather Franklin, My Great-Grandmother Honnie, and Me
(That is me, aged 3, helping my Great-Grandmother up the stairs. How many 3 year old’s that you know do that? I knew that she needed help so I turned around and helped her. I read her feelings.)
As far as Mackenzie is concerned I’ve been working with her a bit so that she can understand what she is and how her ability can help her and others. I wish that I had had someone to spot me many years ago and help me to understand this ability. It is difficult being an Empath in a non-empathic world. We will never be able to live up to our potential. But I would not trade this ability for the world. I sometimes wonder if I don’t have a brain tumor? It is said that some psychic’s have been known to have brain tumor’s and that the tumor puts pressure on a part of the brain that is paranormal. From the time I was a small child I’ve had stabbing pains in my head. It’s as if someone thrust a knife into my brain! The pain only last’s about 5 seconds but it is enough to bring me to my knee’s. The pain is excruciating, but it goes away quickly. My last episode was 2 weeks ago. I was in my bedroom when the pain suddenly hit me and I collapsed unto the floor. The thing is, If I were to discover that I have a brain tumor I don’t think that I would want it removed. It would be like loosing my eyesight, or my hearing, but on a much higher level.
I do wish that the non-empathic world would recognize our potential. Place us in airports, concert venue’s, stadium events…. we can spot psychopaths and sociopaths very easily. I can’t help but wonder if an Empath had been hired to screen the people entering Ariana Grande’s concert in Manchester, England would that bomber been able to succeed? When a psychopath or a sociopath is getting ready to do whatever terrible thing they are about to do is when their feelings are strongest and we can read them easily. But, there are plenty of psychopath’s and sociopath’s that don’t commit terrible crimes. But we can spot them and flag them so that they can be watched and monitored.
But until that time that we are acknowledged, accepted, believed, etc. we stay secluded. Pity, because we could really be of some help.
Julie
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March 31, 2019
Monk and Sugar
The End of an Era
RIP MONK
Monk in Hospice
Monk laying at the foot of my computer chair in one of his many dog beds. It was sort of a running joke the amount of dog beds that we have in our house. We had a total of 4 dog beds and 3 dog mats scattered throughout our house. It comes from my laziness. I refuse to carry one dog bed from room to room so I have a dog bed in every room. (I do the same thing with my prescription and reading glasses. There is a pair within arms reach all over this house. As in about 25-30 pairs.) 🙂
I had to put Sugar down in June 2017 and it was very hard on me as I had to do it myself. I did take Monk with me so that we could say goodbye to Sugar together. We brought her body home with us and Gordon dug a hole in our backyard.
Now, March 2019, Monk has joined her. But this time Brodie was the one that dug the hole. Gordon is still overseas. I told Gordon that when I put Sugar down that it would be the last time I did it alone as it was so traumatic for me. He promised me that I would never have to do it alone again. Well, we can’t control fate and it was me that took Monk in to be put down.
When we first adopted Monk many years ago he was previously owned by breeder’s and groomer’s. Monk was a good looking pug and he produced good looking offspring, but he was a very sad pug. His life was living in a cage. And from what we do know, he was passed around quite a bit. Finally, an organization called Heidi’s Legacy got him and placed him up for adoption. When Gordon and I decided to adopt I was looking at agency’s online and I came across this huge selection of animals and their “mug shots.” I then saw this pug named Monk. Monk! (I was a huge fan of the t.v. show Monk, starring Tony Shalub. As a matter of fact I have it on right now in DVD form, season 6, I believe, playing in the background.) 🙂
The name may have caught my attention but the worried expression on his face is what drew me in. So, I contacted the agency and we started an adoption application and interview. I was given the application and it asked me to write about everything that I knew about pugs. I don’t think they meant for me to really list everything I knew about pugs because I not only filled up the small space on the form, but I added an additional notebook sized paper that I stapled to the form.
Note to anyone within earshot: Don’t ask me to list everything I know about something because I will list everything I know about it.
When we went to pick Monk up he was a bit worried so I held him in my lap in the car ride home. I also sat with him for the first 3 days as he was very sad and didn’t know what was happening. He would walk over to our sliding glass doors and howl very loudly. He was lost and he was howling hoping that another friend of his would answer. But none never did.
Monk and I bonded and he was very attached to me until he died. He always wanted to be with me. Oh, he did love Gordon and Veronica and Brodie. He also loved to snuggle with all of them, including Brodie’s friends, but Monk had a very special attachment to me. I too have never loved a dog as much as I do Monk.
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Monk’s Grave in our Pet Cemetery
So far we have 2 dogs and 3 fish in our pet cemetery.
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Monk on our Bed
When I took Sugar to be put down she went very peacefully, but Monk didn’t, which is why I am so very sad about his passing because he did suffer a bit. The last two days of Monk’s life I was taking care of him as if he were a baby. He could no longer walk so I had him to lay on urine pads in his dog beds. I would change his position about 6 times a day so that he was comfortable. I had to clean him up with damp cloths and hand feed him. I did place his food bowl underneath his head and he did eat one night, but the following day he just didn’t want any of that hard dog food.
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Eggs and Ice Cream
Monk on his Heating pad
I knew that I would be putting him down the following day so I gave him a nice send off where food was concerned. He loved eggs and ice cream! So that is what I gave him. I had to hand feed him but he ate every bit of it! I even fed him the same thing the day he died.
When I took him in to our veterinarian’s office to be put down I already knew what to expect from Sugar’s passing. They put us in a dark room, they then took Monk away to have an I.V. inserted into him, then they are supposed to bring him back and when I am ready they then inject him. However, I noticed that they were gone a long time when they took Monk away from me. I was starting to get worried. I then heard the loudest YELP, TWICE! I knew it was Monk! Why is Monk yelping and what is taking them so long to bring him back to me? I then went looking for him. It was at the end of the day and they were finished with patients. It was just a few employees left and me and Monk, and a few pets they were keeping in cages for whatever reason.
I came across one of the employees and I asked her if that was Monk that yelped? She lied to me and said that she didn’t think so. I didn’t appreciate that. I then kept walking and saw Monk spread out on a table with two employees around him trying to insert the I.V.. They told me that his vein’s are just too small and that they were having a hard time finding his vein’s.
They had a muzzle on Monk!!!
I was just trying to take it all in. I was having a hard time being there on my own to put down the one dog that I have been closest to in my entire life. He had been yelping in pain which is why I went looking for him at the vet’s. When I see him he looks paralyzed laying on a cold steel table and has a muzzle on with two “nurses” trying to insert that needle into his leg. Monk hasn’t moved in two days. I seriously doubt he had the strength to snap at anyone. He had never hurt us the entire time we knew him. That muzzle was overkill. A 17 year old pug is not threat to anyone! Just a bunch of scaredy cat nurses.
I noticed that his head was laying on cold steel so I cradled his sweet face in my hand. I was crying so hard that I had to keep wiping away the tears just to see. I was crying hysterically and Monk just kept looking at my face. That is when I noticed that he had tears coming out of his eyes. TEARS! The thing is, Dogs don’t cry. Yet, I saw tears coming out of his eyes. He wasn’t looking at the light, he was facing away from it looking at my face. My face was the last thing that Monk saw before he died. As far as the tears are concerned? Who is to say that isn’t evolution? If an octopus can walk out of the ocean and onto dry land then why can’t a dog develop the capacity to cry?
I don’t know if I will be going back to Noah’s Ark Animal Hospital with the next dogs that we adopt. Other than the experience with Monk’s passing we had been very happy with them but I just don’t know now. Monk deserved better. Sugar’s passing was painless and peaceful. But Monk suffered. I will never forget about that.
I will miss you forever Monk,
Peace Out,
Julie
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March 10, 2019
Veneer’s, and What’s Up
Veneer’s
Although I need to write about this on my Nifty 50’s Blog Post, I did get veneer’s on my upper teeth. The procedure started back in October 2018, and I’m still going to the dentist having more improvements done. When it’s all over with for GOOD! then I’ll tell you if it was worth it. But, I did just want some kind of “boost” to my appearance for my late 50’s. I didn’t want any kind of face lift surgery. I just don’t do those kinds of things. Not to diss those that do….. If that is what you want then more power to you. But I just wanted to do something for me and seeing as how I do love to smile I wanted my smile to look better. And I do kind of like my miniature vampire teeth. 🙂
I will be writing more about my “ordeal” with all the crap that I’ve had to put up with in getting these veneer’s from my dentist. But I am still dealing with the work, so until it is all over with then I will wait to get into all the details in the future.
Now, as to what I have been up to……
Since the wedding, Veronica and Brian’s on January 19th. and since my Bronchitis, literally the day after the wedding and the 2 weeks that proceeded it, and since Gordon has left to go back overseas…… I have just been a bit preoccupied. And for those that follow me on Twitter and are wondering where I have been and why I’m not Tweeting? I just haven’t felt like it. I just haven’t felt like connecting to other people and interacting. Nothing serious. I just have wanted to do other things and tackle other things. I also think that everything runs it’s course and I’m not so into social media right now. Not to say that next week I may not be Tweeting like gangbusters, but for right now I just don’t feel like it. If I lose followers, and I’m sure that I will, then so be it. Social media is almost like a job. In order to be relevant you literally have to live and breath it all in every single day. I am just tired of devoting all that amount of time for a few impressions, likes, retweets, comments, reply’s, etc,……
I have however, met some lovely people through Twitter that have brought some insight into my life. As well as some support and encouragement. And to those people I am so grateful that I have met them, and have known them. They have made me smile, laugh, they have inspired me, they have encouraged me, and they have just checked in on me occasionally just to make sure that I am o.k. They have wished me Happy Birthday, Happy Mother’s Day, Merry Christmas, Happy Thanksgiving, Happy New Year…..
They are from many countries……. Germany, Ireland, England, Spain, America, Canada……
I am so grateful that they considered me worthy of their attention.
But as for me, right now, I just want to work on my website. Catch up on a few blog posts that I have neglected for awhile now. I also want to get a bit organized at home. Also spring is coming and I want to be ready for it. Investing in our property and creating lovely areas as to enjoy it all.
So, don’t worry, we are doing fine.
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Sadly, I also find that I am immersing myself into trivial tabloids like The Daily Mail on a regular basis. I originally started doing that because the papers in the U.K. had more information about what is going on here in America than our own news agencies tell us. Example: our news may say that there are 2 deaths in the latest shooting whereas I’ll read the correct number in The Daily Mail which will say 17 deaths. Oh, our news will eventually give us the correct number hours later. I also think that I go there because when things get serious in life I tend to gravitate toward the trivial. Shallow times and shallow people thrive in a shallow society. BUT, shallowness is usually popular when everyone is doing well and shallow values rule the day.
Shallow times means that everyone is o.k. and has nothing better to do than to gossip and cause trouble for others.
A.K.A. The Good Old Days of the Clinton’s when our nation was obsessed with Bill Clinton’s sex life.
So, here is to the good old shallow days!
Let’s just enjoy the time we have and hope for a better tomorrow.
Julie
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BUT! I will say this. When Donald Trump became President I kept seeing and hearing this in my head…..
Gone With The Wind
“We are going to woah, we are going to woah.”
I even Tweeted about it at the time. Now, experts are saying that we just may be entering into a Civil War if there isn’t a smooth and peaceful transition in 2020 if Trump looses the election. Be ready for that. I am an Empath. I picked up on this in 2004 when G.W. Bush was “re-elected” President. I went into my bathroom, took a long shower and cried my eyes out because I knew bad things would come of it. I warned about this in 2008 as well.
We’re going to woah, We’re going to woah….
I hope the Hell NOT!!!
But signs point to it if there isn’t a smooth transition in 2020.
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February 13, 2019
Just when you thought that I wasn’t going to say anything else about my birthday……….
…….MY New Year’s Day!
Last night I woke up and looked at the clock and it was 6 minutes until midnight. I was so excited! I was going to be awake and actually see February 13th. happen. I didn’t take my eyes off the clock. I was thrilled when I saw 12:00 a.m. flash on the clock. I wished myself a happy birthday and as I lay there ready to fall back to sleep I suddenly heard a rumbling sound outside. It started out low and then it started to grow. (I stole that line from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but it did apply here.) It was thunder. I adore thunder! It started to get louder. Then by 12:30 here comes the rain. It fell hard too! A storm! I love storms! I had this huge smile on my face that I just couldn’t erase. The thunder and rain made me so drowsy that I fell back to sleep and didn’t wake up until 9:00 a.m. this morning. It was one of the best night sleep’s that I’ve had in awhile.
When I woke up it was raining outside. It’s actually been raining all day. It’s also been dark and cool as well. To many of you that may not seem like a great day but these kinds of day’s are my most favorite. I love nothing better than a thunder storm with lots of rain and loud thunder and lightening that last’s all day long. I always have. I guess I’m just weird that way.
My day has been to most people I imagine, the most boring day imaginable. But to me, It’s been wonderful! I did hear from a few people today with birthday greetings for me via the telephone, e-mail, Twitter, and even some old fashioned birthday cards through the snail mail. I guess the point that I am trying to make here is that life is how you see it. Just because most people prefer a sunny day doesn’t mean that you have to. Oh, don’t get me wrong I adore sunny day’s! But, my most favorite day in the world is a stormy one, and that’s what I got. 🙂
My son Brodie and his girlfriend McKenzie gave me a bottle of wine and a plant, which I love! Before Gordon left for overseas he bought me the chair that I am sitting on in the photo above. We picked it out together. My daughter Veronica called today and asked if she and Brain could come over today and give me my birthday gift? I told her not to worry about it as I have been wearing my new pajamas all day and that I am planning on a very easy evening of my Ranch Chicken Taco’s with some Sangria and that I will be going to bed early. I knew that it was probably a relief to her and Brain that they didn’t have to rush over here for me as they tend to value their weeknight’s because they work so hard. I understand that so I wasn’t about to impose on them. We’ll see each other over the weekend, I’m sure.
So, just enjoy your own special day. For some reason I am particularly happy about turning 58. I think because it’s an even number. (I’m also weird that way as well.) Enjoy the fact that you are alive and well. Enjoy the fact that you do have people that you care about still in your life. Whether your day is rainy or sunny be sure to appreciate it. Life is all in your head, and how you see it. Your sub-conscious brain doesn’t know that what you tell it isn’t true. So, in other words tell it that you plan on enjoying your special day whether anyone acknowledges it or not. It only matters how you see life, and not how someone else see’s it and then tells you how they expect you to see it. Even if it’s 1000 people telling you something different. Ignore them.
Happy Birthday to All February 13 er’s!
Julie
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My Early Birthday with Gordon
Gordon and I in my car running errands about a week before he left for overseas.
I LOVE my Birthday’s!!!
I will be 58 on the 13th. of February. But Gordon gave me a birthday before he left.
My Mulan Cake
My Birthday Chair
Monk will be 17 on March 3rd.
My Birthday Chair in the Back
Me!
I have always loved my birthday’s. I never considered how old that I was turning. I always viewed them as just being my special day. I mean, I realized the number that I was turning, but I never saw it as being “old”. I just saw it as being “me.”
Did you know that most elderly die around their birthday’s? To me, I believe that to most people a birthday is a milestone that they take and judge against their goal’s that they never actually achieved in life, so they tend to feel like failure’s that they never measured up to some yardstick they created for themselves, or that was created for them by other’s. I also think there is a sadness that the aged have as they see their family members pass on and they fear being alone.
I don’t look at life that way. I suppose that comes from not being very ambitious? Which I think is a good thing in this instance. To me life was always how I wanted to see it and not how other people told me to see it. Which is why I think I am a bit happier than a lot of other people. (And by “happier” I mean content. Happiness isn’t some perpetual state.) I have also always been very comfortable with myself and actually enjoy my “alone” time. Not that I am looking forward to having family members pass on, but to me that’s just how life works down here and I accept it.
I will be spending my actual birthday alone but I am planning on making it nice. I am planning on cooking something special, buying some sort of flowers and even some sort of dessert just for me. I see no reason why I should be sad because it will be my special day. And I am planning on enjoying all my birthday’s until I don’t have anymore of them. I will be 58. Let’s face it, it’s all down here from here. But I might as well enjoy that downhill thrill ride while I can. 🙂
Julie
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(Gordon gave me an early birthday.)
February 2019
My Mulan Cake
(So why a Mulan cake? It is an Asian roll cake with a Strawberry Mouse treat. The figurines are mine because I adore Mulan and the Asian cultures.)
This month, February 13, I turn 58. 58! Normally I would say to you that I don’t feel my age and that I find it hard to believe that I am turning 58. However, I have had bronchitis since January 20, and I have been feeling very weak and fragile. I feel as if I were to fall down that I would then break into a million pieces. I haven’t felt this bad since the early 1990’s when I got the flu and I was sick for 2 weeks. I very rarely get sick. When I went to the doctor I was told that the CDC (Center for Disease Control) was warning about this bronchitis that is going around. It hit me while at our party here at our house, the day after our daughter’s wedding, when we had a house full of out-of-towner’s here for the wedding.
We wanted to take advantage of the fact that we had all these out of town guests and have them over to our house for a big party. Normally Gordon and I are the “do it yourself’ couple but this time we knew to cater as we would just be too busy. Gordon had spent the last 6 months overseas and he wanted to share this great food that he had been eating over there, with us here. So, we sought out a caterer that specialized in this type of food. We found a great one!
But first, we are sprucing up our backyard by adding some new plantings.
Here Gordon and I are out shopping.
Just Trying to get Everything Home
(I still have my driftwood to hold open my car’s trunk.)
All the nice new herbs and plants……..
Gordon also did quite a bit of pressure washing and bleaching to get our backyard back to looking good. You can see some of the “green” on the foo dog statue in back of Monk.
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Here we are at Al Madina ordering the catering for our party.
The store owner’s wife served us excellent Turkish Coffee, and me some great Tea.
The food we sampled for our catered party was excellent! Now we just need to get through the Rehearsal, the Rehearsal Dinner, the Wedding, and the Wedding Reception………
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Click Here for: Mother of the Bride
If you are interested in the wedding then click on the link above. I am particularly proud of the write up that I did.
Here Gordon and I are at the wedding, outside the church. And below waiting to get into the reception room.
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Veronica and Brian had a lovely wedding. I was so proud of her that she planned most of it herself. Veronica always had good taste. The foods they chose were also so delicious.
May the Force be With You……Always…..
(I believe I took over 500 photos with my new camera. The day was perfect! Gordon and I were so proud of our little girl and her new husband, our son-in-law. That sounds pretty cool. We have a son-in-law. 🙂
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But, before the wedding there was the Rehearsal, and the Rehearsal Dinner.
Gordon and Julie at the Rehearsal…….
…..and the Rehearsal Dinner at Grillsmith.
(If you would like to see photos then just click on the Mother of the Bride post.)
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(Brodie, Julie and Gordon)
Our Party
Gordon and I don’t entertain that much but when we have family and friends down here in Florida then we do like to take advantage of that and have them over to our house for something nice. So, we asked everyone in advance that they come to our house the day after Veronica and Brian’s wedding for some good food and gifts from abroad. Gordon and I had gone over some gift ideas that I wanted him to buy while he was overseas, and mail to me here at home, in order to pass them out to all of our guests at our party.
Setting Up for our Party
THE Blue Tarp
Although the day of the wedding called for beautiful warm weather and clear sky’s, the day after the wedding originally called for 100% chance of rain and cold weather!!!
Gordon and I decided to place a blue tarp over our lanai extension in order to protect it from the rain. We also set up every outdoor umbrella that we had and even our outdoor canopy in order to protect all of our outdoor things from getting wet for our party. Especially the grill. We knew we would be grilling Chicken Shwarma.
Luckily, it went from 100% chance of rain on the 20th. to 5% chance of rain. Although, it did rain the night before, which was good that we did cover the lanai up so that nothing got wet on the following day, our party, everything was nice and dry on our big day.
Gordon, Brodie and McKenzie picked up our food from Al Madina for our party. OMG! The food was soo good!
Here you can see everyone helping themselves.
The Baskets Gordon sent from Abroad.
He also must have sent me about 50 scarves! I decided to just drape them everywhere to use as tablecloths.
I think we started out in short sleeves but as the day progressed and it got colder and colder, we ended up wearing jackets and sweaters.
Jeff and Gordon
Gordon’s Aunt Susy can really pack away that food! But she works it off. She is very athletic, always has been, and is still very active. She currently takes karate and boxing lessons. She has Parkinson’s and both of those exercises are supposed to help with that.
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The food was so good that people kept coming back for seconds and even thirds.
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Arabic Salad
Gordon’s Chicken Shwarma
(Gordon also mailed over to me so many spices that he bought over there.
Now that everyone has eaten the chicken shwarma they all want spices!)
Gordon’s Palmier’s
This was my request. I wanted Gordon to make these because I wanted something light and savory that I believe would compliment our meal.
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Falafal’s with all the Trimmings
(Hummus in the background)
I think that whenever you will be serving food to people that are not too familiar with it, especially such spicy food as this, I think it’s important to have some of the food to be a bit plain. And by “plain” I mean just not as spicy. Most people do like Falafal’s. Also even just some hummus on plain pita bread can be a safe option for those picky eaters, especially children.
The Rice was Delicious!
And now for the main event………The Lamb!
Look at all the garlic cloves! Everyone loved this lamb!
But you can see it start to congeal, the colder the weather got outside.
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Veronica and Brian (The Newlyweds)
Veronica looking skeptical. (She always looks skeptical.) 🙂
We were happy that they were able to drop by for a little while. They were going to leave on their Honeymoon Cruise the following day but at about 1:30 a.m. a tornado blew through their next door neighbor’s roof ripping it off and causing damage to Veronica and Brian’s fence. So, they had to deal with that before they left. Their next door neighbor’s were renting and all of their stuff got wet and was ruined. We do live in what is called “Florida’s Tornado Alley.”
I think it’s about time for dessert now.
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Kanafeh
This is delicious! It has their particular cheese in it that from what I understand you have to prepare the cheese for the recipe before you can make this dessert. I understand the cheese is very salty so you have to soak it? I think? It has a noodle like pastry and it is topped with pistachio’s. Next to the dessert you see this sugary syrup that you drizzle on top of it. This was a huge hit with everyone as no one had ever eaten anything like it before. It was also a bit expensive. The portion you see above was $25.00. Well worth it though!
These are the pastries that Gordon brought home with him on the airplane. Everyone dug into these as well.
Cousins, Kelcy and Veronica
(Veronica showing us photos on her phone of the tornado damage to their neighbor’s roof and Veronica and Brian’s fence.)
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Looks like it’s time for Corn Hole!!!!!
Brodie and McKenzie playing Kelcy and Heather
(I guess we are officially senior’s in Florida when we own our own Corn Hole game.) 🙂
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Champaign and Sparkling Soda on Ice
Ready to Toast the Newleyweds
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To Veronica and Brian………..
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Jeff Catching his Uber
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Now it’s time for the Gifts
Everyone was enjoying everything from the food, to the atmosphere, to the gifts…….
Looks like Gordon is being Ali Klaus. 🙂
I had ordered a lovely piece of furniture for outside that never arrived in time for our party. I originally had wanted to set all the gifts out on the cabinet, and even hanging all around it while some items were suspended above it, in order for it to look like an Arabic souvenir stand. Gordon sent over scarves for everyone, lots of change purses, soaps, backpacks, cookbooks, ceramic bowls…….
But instead, in order to make it easy on me because I was sick, I told him to just leave everything inside the trunk and they can just go through it as if they discovered treasure in the dessert.
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We had a great party even though I was sick and didn’t feel too good. I also didn’t eat much of all that delicious food that day. I ended up getting worse that night. Luckily I had Gordon here to take care of me and to take care of all of the leftover food. I pretty much did nothing for about a week but lay in the Lazy Boy watching t.v. and video’s. I think my only errand that week was to the doctor.
Sadly we also had to cancel our reservation at Casa Monica in St. Augustine, Florida. A haunted hotel. We were set to go for about 6 days so that we could get away together after all the hustle and bustle of wedding activities. But sadly, I was just too sick to go. But when we saw how much money we would be loosing by not going we went ahead and sent Brodie and McKenzie in our stead. That way someone got to enjoy it. 🙂
It did end up being very cold, wet, and rainy for them. McKenzie said that she was having to blow dry their shoes 3 times a day it was so wet. I am sorry to hear that their stay was not as nice as it should have been, but I am happy for us that I don’t think we really missed out on very much by not going. However, we will get there sometime this year. I am determined to enjoy my haunted vacation. 🙂
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At this writing Gordon was home for 3 weeks but he has since flown back overseas. Hence, why my early birthday from above. 🙂
Thus is the life of a contractor…….. I would tell you the next time he’ll be home but I’m not allowed to. 🙂
And anyway, I am slated to go and visit him sometime this year that I cannot say……. 🙂
Happy 2019! I hope it will be a good one for all of us!
Julie
(Why does Brodie look like he’s cringing while kissing me?)
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