Blogging With Julie in 2022

 

 

 

 

Hi!  I’m Julie. 

Welcome to my blog.

  I am very happy you are here with me.

Oh, and that is Sparky perched where he always sits on the back of the sofa, and Spooky beside me, though usually she is in the dog bed in back of me, to my left, or squished in the computer chair with me.

I pretty much blog about most anything and everything.  Whatever is on my mind.  Although, I have been devoting more time to updating other pages on this website in an attempt to catch up.  Although I don’t know that I ever will.  But, I will occasionally post here and there.  I hope you will stop by. 

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If you would like to check out my 2021 Blog:

Click Here For:  2021 Julie Barefoot Blogging

I also have my other blogs scattered all over this website if you care to go on that Easter egg hunt.  🙂

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I post updates to my website here:

Current Website Updates

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Sparky and Julie

Sparky and Spooky

When I die, If there is such a thing as Doggie Heaven then that is where I wish to be.

I told Gordon to have me cremated and scatter some of my ashes in our backyard Pet Cemetery so that I can be with Monk and Sugar and our Betta Fish; Tasso, Jose Gaspar, Hurricane, and Miranda, Miranda, and Miranda, and whatever pets that we have placed back there in the future, (probably yet another Miranda.)

I would like some of my ashes to be scattered at Weeki Wachee with the Manatees, and I really want the rest of my ashes to be scattered on The Tower of Terror ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando.  Even if Gordon has to smuggle me into the park in his underwear….DO IT!  I just want everyone to go (Gordon, Veronica, Brian, Brodie and Mackenzie), and have a great time laughing as they smuggle me into the park in their underwear.  No tears, only laughter, as my ashes spill out of their pants and onto the ground by accident.  I’ll be laughing just as much as they are.

And I hope my future grandchildren will go to Disney and ride the Tower of Terror while looking for grandma.  Me!  I’ll be the ghost that is happy to see them.  🙂

Julie

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The best advice that I can give you is to always wash your make-up off before you go to bed.  And to always use an eye cream, a moisturizer, a throat cream, and a body lotion.  🙂

You also need to watch Star Wars, American Dad, and Family Guy as often as you can.  And appreciate them.  (I pretty much go to bed with Family Guy or American Dad to lull me to sleep.)

Also, adopt animals, be kind, don’t be a bully, and give to one another instead of sell. 

Capitalism is pretty evil.  Sharing is pretty good!

Julie Lancaster-Whann

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Blogging With Spooky and Sparky Beside Me

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The Different Shades of Blogging, (Medium Blonde/White Hair)

(Roots are Glowing!)

And being in my 60’s ROCKS!

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I also wanted to include the beautiful Betty White as she is my inspiration for life. 

Hers was a life well lived.

“I love children, the only problem with children: they grow up to be people, and I just like animals better.”

Betty White

Me too Betty!  🙂

(I love those dogs, I love that dress, I love that couch, I love that green pillow, I love that carpet, and I love those drapes.)

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People have never had a hard time showing me their worst selves.  I’ve learned to appreciate that.  They are letting me know that they aren’t worth knowing.  I thank them for that.

Julie Lancaster-Whann

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My Most Favorite Hobby

(Photography, not spying.)

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Blog Posts Start Here

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My New 2023 Blog Page Has Been Created:

2023 and Me:  Julie Barefoot Blogging

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January 11, 2023

Our Son-In-Laws Mother Died Last Night

 

Today is Wednesday, January 11th.  Earlier today our daughter Veronica called me up crying.  I immediately thought that something was wrong with her baby, or that she had lost the baby.  That was when she told me that her husband Brian’s, mother had died last night.  Veronica was very close to her.  I was so happy that Veronica was so loved by this family, Brian’s family.  They loved and excepted her from the very beginning.  They were so excited to hear about Veronica’s pregnancy.  And I knew that my little Peanuku (Peanut in Hawaiian), would be so loved and looked after by this family, that it gave me great comfort, and I didn’t for one minute mind sharing grandparent duty with them.

Veronica told me that she died last night in her sleep of a heart attack.  She was 61. 

I am 61.  I have heart issues myself.

Veronica went on to tell me that Brian’s dad realized she had died when she wouldn’t wake up this morning.

Last night, I was awake from 1:30 a.m. until around 6:00 a.m..  I kept thinking that what if I died of a heart attack and Gordon won’t know until he wakes up in the morning to find me dead?  For those of you that know me, or have read me, you know about my Empathic abilities and my other paranormal talents as well.  Here is yet another example.  A sad example.  Granted, I didn’t know anything was going to happen to her.  I read the premonition as something that was going to happen to me.  That is how I interpreted the information.  I didn’t see it happening to someone else.

Veronica told me that because she died in her sleep that the suffered no pain.  As an Empath I can tell you that she did.  Everyone that dies in their sleep suffers pain.  How do I know that?  I am an Empath and I can feel it.

I have been putting off my heart doctor since October.  It’s time for me to have the stress test.  I called today to book my appointment.  I am going to be this child’s only grandmother.  I need to do this for my unborn grandchild.  She deserves to have a grandmother.  Christmas eating is over with.  Now, it’s time for lots of salads and the treadmill.  I want to be there for her, and any future grand-children we may have.

Oh, and I don’t know for certain that Veronica is having a girl.  Just a feeling.   From the moment we found out she was pregnant, I always referred to it, as a her.  We’ll see.  Psychic’s don’t know everything.  But, we do know a few things that other people don’t.

Julie

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January 1, 2023

Happy New Year!

For some reason I am feeling good about 2023. 

Usually I ring in the new year with great caution.  Perhaps THIS has something to do with my enthusiasm:

Our Peanuku (Peanut)

This is our Christmas gift from our daughter and son-in-law.  🙂

I can’t help but see a Peanut in the scan.  That is what I said when I saw it.  I see a Peanut.  Thus, Peanuku, Peanut in Hawaiian.

Veronica wants us to be called by the Hawaiian names for Grandparents.  I will be Tu-Tu, and Gordon will be Tu-Tu- Papa.  🙂

So excited, but realistically, I worry.  I hope that we all raise this child to be smart and not necessarily nice and friendly.  I’m not saying we all should raise a bully.  But, I am saying that we raise this child to be cautious and wary of everyone.  I know that comes from all the abuse that I have suffered in my life, especially my upbringing.  But, I don’t think we should all raise a sweet and trusting child.  That will just make him/her a target for abuse from predators.  And, there are a ton of predators out there.  This is a different world than I was raised in, and that I raised my children in, I don’t necessarily think it is a good one.  If it is a girl, which I think it will be, I hope she inherits my Empath abilities.  It can be a curse at times, but it is also a gift.  I want our grandchildren to be smart and aware of their surroundings.  I want them to survive and hopefully, thrive.

But, Moving on…..

We had a wonderful holiday season.

It was mainly just Gordon and myself and our dogs.  But, we had such a great time!

Nothing was really rushed or hurried.  We did what we wanted, ate what we wanted.  And did I mention, did what we wanted?

My hope for 2023 is that it will be a better year for all of us.  Yet, I really don’t think that will happen.  Too many laws that favor the wicked, especially where guns are concerned.  Not enough laws that help the victims.  Well, I guess enough of that for now.  Nothing I can do about it on my own.

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I HEARD FROM A MAGA I USED TO KNOW

It was sometime in early December when I got some sort of “friend request” from someone I used to know decades ago.  I will call her Gnarlett.  I knew Gnarlett when I was working at Belk-Rhodes in Rome, Georgia in the early 80’s.  I was in cosmetics and she was in jewelry.  I adored her!  She was smart, funny, intelligent, beautiful!  She may have been a bit heavy, but that didn’t detract from her beauty.  She was President of her Senior Class in High School.  She was popular.  But most of all, she was my friend.  I loved her as a friend as well.

It was in the spring of 1988 when Gnarlett came to Hawaii to visit with me and baby Veronica.  Gordon was deployed on a ship for 6 months in the Persian Gulf and I was alone in our condemned house in Navy Housing in Honolulu.  I was so excited that she was coming to visit!  Not only was I excited for the company, but I adored her so much I was thrilled she was coming!

The deal was, that Gnarlett was to visit with me and Veronica for 2 weeks, and then we all 3 fly home to Georgia together.  I would then stay a few months back there with my family, and we would visit with each other during that time.

I was so happy when Gnarlett arrived!  Someone from home!  The first week we did all the touristy things.  Which is where all the white people go.  Yes, I am leading up to something.  I took her to all of those things.  We had such a good time.  However, it was after the first week when I was driving Gnarlett around the island that we stopped off in a local fast food restaurant for lunch.  That was then the real Gnarlett came roaring to the surface. 

I think I stopped at a Zippy’s Restaurant.  I would like to set the stage.  Hawaii is a state where white is a minority.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.  I am simply setting the stage.  Also, most couple’s on the island are interracial couples.  It is very common to see a mixed race variety of people dating.  It is uncommon to see two white people, two black people, two Asian people, etc……

It was when we had ordered our food and were sitting down to eat at a table that Gnarlett noticed all the interracial couples sitting around us.  She then became very vocal in her condemnation of those couples.  She also got very LOUD!  That is when the real Gnarlett came roaring to the surface!

I was in shock!  I was devastated!  What is she doing?  Why is she doing this?

I was embarrassed, humiliated, and so very sad.

Those interracial couples were not harming anyone.  They were simply having lunch and minding their own business.  It was Gnarlett that was ruining everyone’s day!  I think we then left the restaurant.  I remember asking her to lower her voice.  That just seemed to infuriate her.  I then said to her, “Who are you to tell these people who to love?”  That just made me her target!  I can’t remember what was said on the way home, but I do remember how sad that I was.  I had never in my life known a hater.  This was new to me.

I do believe that when we got back home she did look into flying out of Hawaii earlier than we had planned.  I was upstairs laying on the bed in my room while she was trying to leave Hawaii early.  I can remember being so very sad.  She apparently couldn’t leave Hawaii early without paying a huge fine so she came into my bedroom, while I was laying on my bed being so sad and told me that “We will just go our own ways until it is time to leave for home.”

I just couldn’t believe how badly I was being treated.  I was after all, hosting her in my own home.  I was feeding her.  I was driving her around the island.  I was being nice to her.  My only sin was that I wasn’t a hater like herself.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t even remember what we did until we ended up leaving the island.  I do remember that she was nicer to me on the way home than she was while we were in Hawaii.  When the plane landed in Atlanta, her parents took her away, while my parents were more enthralled with the star baseball players that were picking up their luggage same as we were.  Apparently, they were celebrities.  I however, couldn’t tell you who they were to save my life. 

I do remember the coldness of Gnarlett’s parents, and Gnarlett, as they left the airport.  I knew then that I would never see her again.  And I never have.

We did say that we would keep in touch but, neither one of us did.  I didn’t call her while I was in Rome, and she didn’t call me while I was at home.

(The thing about the MAGA’S is that they have always existed.  They just need a trigger.  Gnarlett’s trigger was all the interracial couple’s.  Most MAGA’s trigger is that we had a black President.  You do the math from here.)

Even though the friendship was over, I am a loyal person and I did keep in touch with her for the next 10 years.  Just Christmas cards, etc.  But, it wasn’t until we moved to Maryland that I got a card from her telling me that she had lost 75 pounds.  It was hard for me to get excited for her as she could very easily loose weight, yet, she would always put it back on, PLUS!

Before we left the island in 1999, I had sent several Christmas in July care packages to all of our family and friends.  And yes, I had even included Gnarlett.  Yet, I never got a thank you for all that I had sent. Perhaps it had gotten ‘lost in the mail.’  It no longer mattered.  I decided that I was through with her.  I guess she got the message and I never heard from her again.  Not until in this early December.

The thing is that most people don’t change.  And, those that have gotten in touch with me through the decades have done so for selfish reasons. Not because I was particularly important to them, but, because they needed me for something that would benefit them.  Therefore, I no longer partake in those exchanges.  I no longer care to know Gnralett.  I hold no vile against her.  I just don’t care to know her.  It’s really that simple.  I also feel that way about a lot of people that I used to know.  I don’t hold any harshness against any of you.  I just no longer want to know you.

I hope this 2023 holds wonderful things in store for all of us!  Even those I do not hold dear.  I do not hold grudges.  I may not wish to know you, but that doesn’t mean I harbor bad feelings against you. 

Happy New Year!

Julie

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December 23, 2022

The End (of the year) is Near

I’m truly shocked that I haven’t blogged before now.  And, the only reason I am now is because we are nearing the end of the year and I can’t just let my 2022 year end with the last entry being from September.  So much has happened since then.  I don’t really have time to go into all of it but, I can talk about a few things.  You know, I haven’t even added a December calendar to my Current Website Updates webpage.  Seeing as how today is the 23rd., is there any point now?

It’s after 3:00 p.m., I’m wearing my Star Wars pajamas.  I also did the unpardonable sin of cutting the official Star Wars tag out from the back of the neck.  I HATE TAGS!!!!!  They are usually scratchy and bother me so I will chop them out even if the item is something designer. 

Interesting Fact:  Did you know that people are less likely to buy a clothing item at a Yard Sale/Goodwill/Thrift Store if the tag is missing?  Isn’t that ridiculous?  I don’t buy anything based on some tag.  I buy it because I like it.

That reminds me of someone I used to know.  She and her sister grew up poor, so to this day she has to own expensive designer things.  Whether it be clothing, shoes, handbags, etc.  I think it makes her feel better about herself.  She also has to drive expensive cars.  First of all, I don’t know cars.  I say that with pride actually.  When it comes to us needing to buy a new car, that is when I do my research online to find the car that is best for me/us.  And, the only reason I know she drives expensive cars is because the last time I visited her she had her garage door opened so that I could see the cars.  Therefore, they must be expensive.  All that my ignorant eyes saw were that they were black.

I decided to forgo any website pages and devote the rest of the day to my personal blog.  I’ve poured my wine.  Gordon is doing the shopping.  Today is his last day of work until close to the new year.  He wore his James Bond Christmas sweater to work today.  It was hot this morning so he told me he had the A/C blowing on him because he was sweating so badly.  🙂  He knew the building he works in is cold, so he would be fine.  However, it is supposed to get down to 30 degrees tonight so our weather outside is starting to get cold. 

Actually, it will be very cold all weekend!  Yea!!!! 

I do like it when it does get cold here, but it only lasts a few days and then it’s back up into the 80’s.  What I enjoy is that I get a “taste” of a real winter.  Thing is, all I want is a taste.  I’m perfectly happy the weather tends to stay warm for the most part.

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Meet OOWhann and Blondie Ann Limber

We finally finished shooting the last of our Bond Christmas Cluedo.  We’ve only been at it for a year now.  I had hoped to have all the write-ups done by now, but that is not going to happen.  But, it is over and now it’s on to the next theme. 

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Yep, it’s going to be Grinchy!

Our Grinchmas

I have adored the Grinch ever since I was a little girl.  It was my favorite Christmas T.V. show.  I always looked forward to it, and to A Charlie Brown Christmas.  My parents always told me that I was a lot like Lucy.  I never thought I was, but….

Our Grinchy dining room is ready for our Grinchmas.  Looking forward to feasting on our “Roast Beast.”  Actually, it is a crown roast.  Lots of other great themed foods as well to go along… 

It was my idea for us to have our actual “Christmas Dinner” on Monday, and not on Sunday.  Why?  Just in order to make it easier on ourselves.  Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and we will be having some “Grinchy” foods to enjoy.  But, the actual Christmas meal is going to take some work so, I thought it was a good idea for us to do all of our prep work on Christmas Day, and then cook and eat on the day after.  There really is no rush for us.  It’s not like we are entertaining out of town guests.  And besides, it’s the holidays whether we eat on that one special day or not.

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Headed to Blue Springs, Orange City, Florida

Canoeing With the Manatees

It was such a Beautiful Day!

LOOK AT THE CUTIE!!!!!

I don’t want to get into too great a detail because I have created a webpage to blog about our adventures at Blue Springs, but I will provide a summary of our lovely day!

For Mother’s Day this year, my daughter Veronica adopted a manatee in my name.  Her name is Moo Shoo.  I was given a lovely biography and a photo of her.  Also, a lovely homemade ornament of 2 manatees. 

Every winter Moo Shoo comes to Blue Springs because the waters are warm.  A lot of manatees in this area do, otherwise, they can freeze to death, and sadly many do.  They identify the manatees by the markings on them.  Boat propellers do a lot of damage to these beautiful creatures.  Some have their backs and tails all chewed up.  It’s sad really.  If they receive injuries in their early years they do tend to disappear, but if they receive injuries in their later years they remain.

Our Blue Springs Picnic

(Manatee Christmas Tree, a MUST!)

The original idea that I had was for us to have this tree in the canoe with us while we were out on the water.  However, I soon realized that it wouldn’t work with how I planned it, so we just decided to have it with our picnic lunch.  Also, eating in the canoe was also an option that I was considering. 

I would like to say that the Christmas’s that you have that are different, are the ones that will stand out in your mind as being special and unique.

I think that most of us have wonderful and happy memories of Christmas’s at Grandma’s house, or Aunt so and so’s house.  Family all around.  The food is wonderful!  All of our childhood favorites.  Everyone happy and enjoying themselves.  There is nothing wrong with that.  I have those great memories too.  But, when I think of the most fun Thanksgiving I ever had?  It was at Disney’s Magic Kingdom when Gordon and I ate a Turkey Leg for our Thanksgiving Dinner.  (Actually, they are Emu Legs, they just don’t tell you that.)  🙂

My point is that sometimes it’s just fun to do something different.  Something out of the ordinary.  Those are the kinds of things that I like to do.  It’s just Gordon and myself, and our kids and their partners.  There is no grandma that we can all go eat at her house.  Therefore, I do what I want, and have the Christmas’s that I want.

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Brodie and Mackenzie’s Christmas Tree

They were still decorating it when we went over to see them at the end of November to bring Brodie his birthday gifts.

How exciting for them!  First Christmas in their new home.

Birthday Gifts for Brodie

We also stopped by the Arabic Store and grabbed dinner to take over.

This is THE BEST food!

We also brought over a birthday cake for Brodie. 

He actually hates the whole cake ritual.  But, we do it anyway.  🙂

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Brodie and Mackenzie

Hank and Buddy (Good Buddies)

They adopted Hank a few years ago, and acquired Buddy when his owner could no longer care for him.  She was ageing.  When we first met Buddy in September, Labor Day week, he was this “ghost dog.”  He would mostly disappear and only appear occasionally.  But now that he knows this is his forever home, he is very present.  It’s as if he went from Foster Child, to Adopted Child.  He knows the difference.  So happy he is now part of our family.  🙂

Well, this is about all for now.  Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.

I would like to thank all of you that care enough to read our website.  We appreciate you and your interest in us.

And, if I don’t get to tell you before Christmas, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holiday!

Thank you,

Julie and Gordon

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September 27, 2022

Headed Out To The Beach Condo

Me in my Car, Gordon Driving the U-Haul Truck

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O.K. So, Here’s the Story…

This lovely beach condo, which we have had the honor and privilege as guests of the owner’s and their niece, our son’s girlfriend Mackenzie, to stay in a few times this month, has been such a joy for Gordon and myself. 

The family that owns the condo as our hosts, have a rich and interesting history.  The man, and his brother, Mackenzie’s father, their parents owned Life Magazine.  The grandfather died of a heart attack in the Nixon White House.  Also, the owner of this condo found a painting at a yard sale and paid $___.__ for it.  (Sorry, I can’t tell you the exact amount he paid for it.  I will say that it wasn’t very much.  I have that much in my purse at all times.  The original owner was so upset at the amount he sold it for, when he found out how valuable it was, so they struck a deal to say it was much more than the initial price paid.) 

It took him 5 years to authenticate it, but it is a Da Vinci.  The painting’s name is Salvatore Mundi.  He then sold it to an art dealer for $81 million, who then resold it for a whopping $450 million to a Sheik.  It is the most expensive painting ever sold.  Yet another interesting item to add to this family’s resume.  (They seem to be connected to so much interesting history.) 

They bought this condo about 9 months ago and haven’t really moved in yet.  What is in the condo was from the previous owners.

It is such a beautiful condo and HUGE too!

They bought a new bedroom suit for the master and wanted to get rid of the suit that was in there so they gave it to us.  So, this past weekend we spent it out there loading it into a U-Haul and then bringing it back to our house.

Our New Bed

Our New Dresser

(That’s Brodie helping to disassemble everything.)

Brodie and Gordon Moving our new Furniture

(Night Stands, Right)

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Gordon in the U-Haul

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I Do So Love This Light Fixture

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Brought Lots of Food With Us

The window is just as beautiful as the view!

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Dinner

Ready To Make Panini’s

Chef Whann In The Condo Kitchen

This is our Homemade Kale and Pesto Basil, Pesto

(I will bring you the recipe in the future but I haven’t decided where I will put it yet.)

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This Pesto is soooo good that we even used what was leftover for a delicious pasta dinner.  🙂

We brought out our Panini Press.

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These Two are for Brodie and Mackenzie

Warming Them in the Oven

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With Hurricane Ian on it’s way, the beach was really deserted.

Early Dinner on the Lanai

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Brodie and our Grand-Dog Hank

Julie and Gordon

Looking to the Left, and Looking to the Right

A Cute Corner in the Lobby

I would like to say that I hope Florida and it’s people make it through this horrible Hurricane Ian.  Gordon and I have been through about 8 hurricane’s so far, Ian is number 9.  We count our lucky stars when we emerge from them safe and unscathed. 

Good Luck Fellow Floridians, and May The Force Be With You,

Julie

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September 12, 2022

What are Your Strength’s?

Me:  I Don’t Think I Have Any?

I was watching an episode of Monk over the weekend when Monk was going undercover where he was interviewing for a job.  The interviewer asked him ‘what are your greatest strength’s?’  I then totally tuned out the episode and started thinking about the question?  What are MY greatest strength’s?

I then realized, that I don’t think I have any?

If someone were to ask me that I would probably freeze.

What are my greatest strength’s?

I would probably say, Well, I’m nice.

But wait, that isn’t a strength in this country.  That is a considered weakness.

Then I would say, I am a loyal person.

No!  Yet another perceived weakness!

I would then state that I am a responsible person.  I would work late into the night to make sure whatever needed to be done, was done.  Even if I was the only one working to make sure it was done.

But wait?  That just makes me an easy mark for no overtime pay.  🙁

I would also take responsibility if something went wrong.  And expect to be punished for that thing that went wrong.

Wait a minute.  I’m just setting myself up to be a patsy!

I also won’t lie.  Even though those that are around me would easily lie to protect themselves.  I will not lie to the customers or clients.  That does kind of knock me out of any sales position.  Doesn’t it?

And, I don’t play games.  I don’t know how?  I also loose to those that do know how to play those games.

I thrive in a positive environment, however I wither and die in a toxic one.

Wow!  What a horrible person I am!  Who in their right minds would ever hire me?

Like I said, I have no strength’s.  Nothing that anyone would desire in this country?

But, I am intelligent, creative, dedicated, and resourceful.

But those qualities don’t exactly pay the bills do they?

Which is why I stay away from the rat race.

So, to those people out there like me that have ‘No Strength’s,’ our members are probably a lot larger than we realize because we are in a very unique category that the masses will never recognize.

Julie

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September 5, 2022

Labor Day Vacay Away

Recently, we have been given the privilege of staying at a luxury condo floor in Indian Shores, Florida as the guests of the owner’s.  It is down the street from my mother’s condo which I managed for a good 14 years before I quit in 2017.

Our perfect hostess was our son’s girlfriend, Mackenzie.  Her aunt and uncle own the condo but travel frequently.  We were very excited to be there.  I adore Indian Shores, and haven’t been out that way in almost 5 years due to personal reasons.

I appreciated the fact that we were invited.  It was nice to be back out that way, and to end on such a high note, as opposed to the very low one from almost 5 years ago.  We made sure to be very grateful house guests and even helped to clean and tidy up a bit before we left.

Always leave the hosts something nice as a thank you gift.

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Be Sure to Thank the Person/People, and not the Deity

I may have told this story before in my blogs.  I know that I have mentioned something about it on Twitter a few years ago, but I wanted to repeat this example here.

In early 2019 I got my last perm.  I had been visiting the base beauty shop for about 16 years up until then.  Most of those years I saw the same person.  She was a woman from Germany that had married a G.I. in her youth and moved to America to be with him.  From all that she told me he was something of a rotten human being.  I will call her Gerda.  Gerda is a year younger than me.  She had such sad stories of loosing her parents in her early 20’s.  I think from a car wreck.  Her younger brother also died in some sort of accident.  Also, her baby sister was killed by a nun by shoving a banana down the baby’s throat.  (Those Catholics.)

Well, I would feel sorry for her constantly standing on her feet all day, every day, for most of her life.  So, I would tip her well.  As in, really well.  I tend to do that with people I feel can use a bit of help in life.  People that work hard but yet never seem to earn a living wage.

So, one day in early 2019 I was in the shop getting a perm from Gerda when a woman who had been working on a computer problem for Gerda was finally able to correct some huge mistake that Gerda had made, thus saving the day for Gerda!

Gerda breathed a huge sigh of relief, and did thank the woman, who then left.  However, the REAL thank you’s went to God.  Gerda suddenly lit up and was thanking God to the highest!  “Oh, thank you GOD!  Oh, thank you GOD!  Oh, thank you GOD!”  (You’d think she was having sex with the amount of thank you’s directed at God.)

I then asked her a question?  ‘Who fixed the computer problem for you Gerda?’

She relied, “Everything comes from God.”

I then asked her if everything comes from God, then the woman that fixed the computer was just a tool of God’s?

Gerda, “Everything comes from God.”

I then asked her if God is the reason that I tip you so much?

She then replied, “Everything comes from God.”

I then said, “What if God doesn’t feel like tipping you today?”

(Gerda’s facial expression was priceless.)  🙂

I would like to say that when I left I did tip her.  Just not as much as I had in the past.  I didn’t feel like it.  Seeing as how someone else is getting all the credit for my generosity.  That was also the last time I set foot in the beauty shop.

I also have another story for you:

We used to know this family that lives in Canada that would come down to Indian Shores and rent my mother’s condo that I was managing.  I believe she originally found us when I would list the condo on Ebay to try and generate some business.  She and I became “friends” and she and her family would then come down to the condo for a good 8 years, most every Autumn and sometimes in the Summers.  My mother would always give them a really good discount.  I too wouldn’t take any money for their time renting because I considered her to be my “friend.”  We would even extend that discount to her brother’s and their families, even her parents a time or two.  Gordon and I would even go out to see them for a visit and bring with us lots of food to grill by the pool.  I considered her to be my friend.  I knew that they were really religious, (although not her husband) but I did my best to overlook that in her, although she never overlooked my lack of religion in me.  Not only were we very generous towards them with the condo discounts and my not being paid for my time and work, I would also allow them to use my condo supplies while they were there.  You know, toilet paper, paper towels, zip lock baggies, saran wrap, aluminum foil…..  You know, things that all tourists have to buy when they rent a condo for a week or longer?  But, those were things that I would personally pay for.

As the years went by I came to feel as if my/our generosity towards them was being directed towards a higher deity.  Everything that we did seemed to be expected and taken for granted.  It seemed as if the REAL generous one was God, not us.  Finally, the last year they were down here I told my “friend” that the next time they come down here I want them to come out to our house and spend the day, see where we live, and perhaps we can all go somewhere around where we live.  Right when I said that, here come the excuses…

“Well it’s so far away, and we are here for such a short time!”

Uh, huh.  They have driven out to Disney a few times and it is TWICE as far away as to where we live.  They have been to the Manatee Viewing Center and that is further out than we live.  She even once told me that they saw the exit to where we live and ‘thought of me.’

Yeah, we’re just so far away. 

When they start out by making excuses, then they aren’t your friends.  Your friends would want to see your home and visit with you for at least one day in 8 years.

Interestingly enough, the following year they apparently had a hankering to suddenly avoid Indian Shores, and our condo, for the lovely resort in CUBA!!!!!  And I will never forget what she said, “From now on we are going to Cuba, why don’t you join us there Julie?”  Funny, knowing full well that at that time American’s were barred from visiting Cuba.

We did keep in touch and the following year they also went to Cuba.  But, it was January of the following year that she got in touch with me about availability for that summer at my mother’s condo I was managing.  She wrote a lovely email.  I also wrote her back a lovely email, never once mentioning the condo availability.  That is when she IMMEDIATELY wrote me back!  Something she has NEVER done before!  She was asking about availability for the condo for the summer.   I then immediately wrote her back a lovely email and again, not saying a word about the condo.

I then received a third email in as many days!  Unheard of from all the years that we have known them!  But now the real person is shining through.  It was a nasty one too!  You see, when she realized she could no longer control me and get what she wanted from me, then there was no reason to be nice and polite anymore.  She picked apart my email and created a mountain out of a molehill over a comment that I made about how nice it must be to be all comfy and cozy in front of a fire in Canada at this time of year and just hibernate.  She used that comment as a reason to rip me apart as if I were implying that she was lazy.  I wasn’t.  I was actually envious.

With her dropping the polite facade there was no reason for me to hold back either.  I then threw in her face the fact that she really figured she would be spared the fate of menopause.  Really!  She figured that God loved her so much that he is going to spare her what every woman in time has ever gone through.  Yeah, right.  How delusional is that?

She then quit writing me.  I was fine with it as I was tired of just being used.  You see, the whole Cuba thing was to punish me for daring to make her do something she didn’t want to do, come to our house to visit with us.  She was upset that she could no longer control me.  Besides, her God was getting all the credit for every nice thing we ever did for her and her family.  I no longer felt like being the generous person that I was.

I can’t help but wonder if that is where their saying, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.”

Perhaps the “Lord” never had anything to do with it at all?  Perhaps it was the person/people that were doing for you that decided they no longer wanted to?

Perhaps people should divert those thank you’s and that appreciation to exactly where it is coming from, and not some deity that has nothing to do with the generosity you are receiving at that time?  I know that when I am appreciated then I am there for you!  I will bend over backwards to help you.  But, when my generosity isn’t appreciated?  Then I am gone.

Julie

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 (August 27, 2022:  I did add an addition to this blog post below it.)

August 26, 2022

SPENCER

My Heyoka Empathic Take on Heyoka Empathic Diana

I recently purchased the movie, Spencer, and watched it the other night.  Before I get to what I thought about it I wanted to just say that every Diana movie I have ever seen in my life, the actress that plays her just never seems to get her right.  Whether it be a little known actress or an Oscar winner.  For some reason no one seems to capture exactly who Diana was.

When Meryl Streep portrayed Julia Child in the movie, Julie and Julia, she had such a phenomenal performance that I actually forget that I was watching Meryl Streep pretending to be Julia Child, I thought I was a fly on the wall in Julia Child’s kitchen in 1940’s France.  THAT is acting!  Considering that Julia Child herself was such an easy person to parody, the fact that Ms. Streep was able to not go in that direction, was astounding.  That would have been a hard thing for other actresses to avoid.

I kept hearing from movie critics that Kristin Stewart’s performance was the best portrayal of Diana so far.  Perhaps it was.  But, what I do know is that no one can accurately capture what it is like to be an Empath, unless you are an Empath.  You may think you know, but you don’t.  And even then I’m not so sure am Empath actually knows all that we can do?  What I mean by that is that the only way I could ever truly know all that I can do is unless I can switch bodies with someone who isn’t an Empath. 

Only when I realize what I have lost is when I will fully realize all that I had.

To tell you the truth, I really didn’t like the movie.  Probably because it hit so close to home for me.  No, I’m not a Princess married to a Prince, but I am an Empath that was raised in a toxic, dysfunctional and abusive home that I understand Diana’s behavior very well.  Also, being around such toxic people here and there throughout my life.  You aren’t going to find too many Heyoka Empath’s on the world’s stage.  But then again, they did get Diana at 19 and bring her into that toxic household, making her famous worldwide. 

Empath Definition:  An Empath is someone who can feel the feelings and emotions of other people.  Literally.

It is a paranormal ability to do do.

Heyoka Empath Definition:  Heyoka’s are the most powerful of Empath’s.  Heyoka comes from the Native American Sioux Tribe word for Sacred Clown.  They Heyoka works and acts in the opposite ways of others.  Challenging the norms, making people see things differently.  The Heyoka is a mirror.

Obviously, there is so much more to being an Empath than that, far more than I can get into here.  But, if you would like to read my Empath blog posts then you are welcome to.

I Am An Empath

AND,

On Being An Empath Part II

I will be copying this blog entry into my On Being An Empath, above.

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If you would like to learn more about what an Empath is you can always do some research online.  Just know this, we do exist whether or not you believe in us.  What you may, or may not believe in, doesn’t change anything.

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There is so much more to being Diana than just putting on the blonde wig.

I do think that Kristen did a good job, it’s just that a Heyoka Empath could have done it better.

My advice to any Hollywood producers out there that are thinking about making another Diana movie?  Hire an Empath to help you find that young Heyoka Empath actress who will portray her accurately.  Put out a casting call for Heyoka Empath’s.  But, make sure you have an Empath wilth you to weed out the liars who are claiming to be Heyoka.  She will spot them and eliminate them.  She will also help you find the Diana you are looking for.

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What I didn’t like about the movie Spencer, was that they made Diana look as if she was some mentally ill unstable woman.  She wasn’t.  She was just Heyoka.  I will try my best to explain that to you because I would like for people to understand and to see Diana as more of who she actually was and not how she was portrayed. 

At one point during the movie Gordon shot me this look as if he never realized how crazy Diana was?  That was when I shot back at him, “That is me Gordon.  Do you think I’m crazy too?”  He then shut up.  🙂

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I want you to imagine that you are an Empath in your 30’s and you walk into a room full of about 20-25 people of average ages, heights, and weights.  About half are men, and the other half are women.  When you enter the room some people stop what they are doing to look at you.  If you are attractive, all heads turn to check you out.  The women instantly start to judge you.  They stare at the clothes you are wearing, the handbag you are carrying, the shoes you are wearing.  Most of them don’t even like you.  Why?  Because you have something they don’t have, beauty.  You then notice the men ogling you.  You don’t even have to look at them to know how they feel about you.  You can feel their slimy feelings inside of your body.  Gross!  You just want to get away from them.  You turn to the women for some kind gestures to help you feel more accepted because you are in a very uncomfortable situation and you just want some kindness from someone.  However, most of the women could care less about you.  You then start to feel sad.  You not only have your own feelings inside of your body, but you have everyone’s feelings that are in that room inside of you.  They aren’t good feelings you are feeling.  They are making you uncomfortable.  You start to fidget.  You cross the room without even realizing it because you are just looking for somewhere in that room where you can feel good.  You try leaning against the wall, you then move to a chair to sit down, you fidget with your handbag, you just want out of there and you know that until you get away from those people that their feelings are never going to leave your body.

Fidgeting With Those Pearls

(Some Empath’s feel things through inanimate objects.)

You aren’t just seeing the expressions on their faces as they look at you.  You aren’t just seeing their body language as they either ogle you or turn away from you to be rude.  You aren’t just hearing the ‘underneath their breath’ comments they make about you.  All of those things are bad, but now let’s just insert the nasty feelings of about 25 people into your body for that final punch.  Now, how do you feel?  And more importantly, how do you function?

That is when you grab your handbag and you get out of there.  Because all of those feelings you have inside of your body are not going to leave you until you get away from them.   As you drive off in your car you feel better instantly.  You stop fidgeting and you start to relax a bit.  The further you drive, the fewer of their feelings you have inside of you.  Now, if some of them can’t stop thinking about you for whatever reason?  Those feelings stay with you, and there is nothing you can do about it until they forget about you.  If those feelings are positive, then you feel happy.  If those feelings are negative, then you feel sad.  But, at least you can better function once you are away from them.

On a good day, all of the people in that room will be feeling blah, and all an Empath has to worry about absorbing are “blah” feelings.

But, on a GREAT DAY, all of the people in that room are good, kind, welcoming.  That is when an Empath is at their best!  Empath’s thrive in positive environments.  And sadly, wither and die in toxic bullying ones.

I suppose that can be said about everyone, but especially Empaths.  “Normal” people don’t go around absorbing other people’s feelings into their bodies.  Empath’s have it worse.

So, for those of you that may be envious of this ability that some of us have, just know that every gift comes with a curse.  For Diana, it was more of a curse because of the toxic dysfunctional marriage, and the royal family that did their best to isolate and control her.  From what I understand, they would push out anyone she got close to.

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Diana Just Wanted to go Home to Happy Memories

There are many scenes in the movie that I can so very relate to.  One of them was this.  Diana just wanted to go home.

When you are in an unhappy situation just trying to survive, you long for the days when you were happy and with people that loved and cared about you.  Although, Diana did grow up a bit lonely as once her parent’s divorced, her father took full custody of her and her little brother Charles.  I believe he did that to punish his then wife because she had an affair.  I think that Diana and little Charles would have been happier living with their mother as opposed to being out in the country pretty much alone.

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Diana Would Cut Herself

For the first time in my life I finally understood why people cut themselves.  And, It dawned on me why they do when I saw Kristen Stewart as Diana, in the bathroom cutting herself.

Experts will say it is a cry for help, and perhaps it is.  But, I think it’s more of a redirection.  If I had a choice of having a broken leg or a broken heart, I will choose a broken leg every time.  For an Empath the pain that we can feel inside of our bodies is so great that it can be debilitating. 

Every one has had a broken heart in our lives.  How did you react to it?  I can remember being in so much pain that I wrapped my arms around myself and fell to the floor sobbing.  I was in great physical pain.  I was devastated.

If I were to break my leg it is nothing personal.  Unless of course, someone did something to me to cause me to break my leg.  A lot of times physical pain is not personal.  Emotional pain is though.

I wonder if Diana would cut herself in order to feel physical pain in the hopes that it would distract from the emotional pain?  It’s just a thought of mine.  But, I do believe it is a valid one.

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Diana’s Bulimia

I can only guess as to why she was bulimic, which I think is obvious, the amount of pressure that was put on her to look good, and be perfect.  I do have a confession to make here.  I myself did suffer from a form of bulimia, except I didn’t throw up, I used lots of laxatives.  No matter what opening it comes out of, it’s still bulimia.

For me, I believe my bulimia was because my mother would always take her finger and poke at my stomach and tell me how fat that I was.  Even when I weighed 130 pounds.  She would then always remind me of how fat my stomach has always been since I was a little girl and she had to buy me stretchy pants from the “Husky” section of the department store.  I was never cute and petite.  I was tall and “husky.”  And my mother hated me for it.  🙁

Everyone knows that Diana was always put under pressure to be perfect.  Everyone also knows how she would be hounded by the public and the press.  If she didn’t look perfect she was criticized harshly.  She had no support system.  I believe that is why she had a few affairs herself.  That was probably the only time she had a support system.

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Diana Knew They Would Kill Her

She was right.  I think I will just leave it there.

I will add this though.  It was when we were living out in Ewa Beach in Hawaii when Diana died, they showed Prince Charles and his reaction to hearing about her death.  He had run out into the snow, (he was vacationing somewhere), and he ran out acting all distraught, banging his hands into the snow.  Acting as if he were devastated! 

I am an Empath.  I saw that performance and knew that it was an act.  I knew then that they killed her.  Who exactly?  I don’t know that.  Because it is the ‘powers that be’ we will never know.  The powerful always get away with every horrible thing they do.  However, the paranormal world just might have a say in the end results.  That is my hope. I know that I am doing my part.

Julie

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August 27, 2022

Continuation From Above

I just wanted to add something to what I write above.  It was during the movie that the actor that was portraying Prince Charles told Diana that ‘We need to be 2 people.  The private person, and the public one.’  Something to that affect.  I believe for the royals that their private life is their true selves.  And their public role that they play, is their fake self.  For Diana the Empath though, her public life was the real person, and her private life was the artificial person.

An Empath is at our best in a positive environment.  We thrive when we have a support system.  Diana the Empath was absorbing all that goodwill from other’s that loved her when she would go on those public engagements.  For an Empath that is a drug that cannot be replicated or bought and sold.  It is a high that I cannot even explain to you.  We fly around and float on all those positive energies out there.  That was the real Diana.  She happily gave 100% of herself to those that appreciated her and supported her.

There was also another Diana.  One that was suffering, sad, and depressed.  Those were the toxic feelings she was picking up from the royal family and the staff that would stifle the real Diana.  Do their best to sabotage the real person because they didn’t understand her, so they wanted to break her, and make her more like them.  

There was nothing wrong with Diana.  But there was something seriously wrong with that royal family.  All Diana needed was a support system and I believe that she could have made it in that family.  However, they were not interested in helping her, only harming her.  Why?  Because she was different.  A difference that they just didn’t understand so they saw it as a threat to their way of life.  Ridding themselves of Diana isn’t going to change who they really are.  And people are starting to notice.  Good.  I will always support Diana, even from the grave.

Julie

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8-25-2022

(I wrote an update to this post you see below.)

August 24, 2022

Everything in Our Country is Designed to Deceive

At this writing Gordon is on vacation from work.  He is approaching too many vacation hours and he is being forced to take a break.  (He’s a workaholic.)  Oh, we aren’t going anywhere, at least not yet, because we are trying to buy me a new car.  I know what I want.  We were given a good price, after much acting on our part and negotiations, we have settled on a price.  We just need to do the paperwork to make it official.  That is coming soon.  I just find it sad that there isn’t just one price for everyone.  And, if you want this addition, or that addition, then here is the price.  That is how it should be.  But no!  The people that seem to get the best deals are just as crooked as the con artist salesmen selling them the cars.  All the lies, and the deceit, it just makes buying a car so unpleasant.  I cringe to think of the toxic environment of these car sales people every single day.  I know that I left that place just wanting to take a shower when I got home.

But, all of this has brought to the surface what I have always known.  Our society is built on deception.  Deception is legal.  Deception is admired and even welcomed.  Deception is the American way of life.

Sadly, only those that are either as deceitful as those deceiving, or those that at least have the capability to spot a deception, are the only ones that will survive.  Those will lower I.Q.’s, or those that just aren’t as sophisticated in the ways of how to play these games, they will always be deceived and made victims by these con artists.  It just makes me sad to think that our government gives these businesses the green light to be predatory of those that are just more innocent.

I believe that the American people are just so used to our country’s deceitful way of life that they accept it.  They don’t realize that we can all ban together to try and change things.  I suppose that would take too much effort on their part, or heaven forbid, the use of precious brain cells.  So…..here we stay.

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It hasn’t been all car shopping.  We have been working on some projects here at home.  Doing some shopping.  We also have some fun planned down the line, but that will have to wait for now.

I just wanted to check in to say hello, and that we are still alive.  I know that I don’t blog as much as I used to.  I’m just so busy trying to catch up on this monster of a website that I have created. I do so love it though.  🙂

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I do have to say that I am not as interested in people as I used to be.  What I mean by that is, I used to have people that I looked up to and admired.  People, mainly women, that I viewed as good role models, teachers, mentors, women that I wanted to emulate.  Women that I admired and wanted to be like.  I no longer really have those women that I look up to.  It actually makes me a bit sad because I feel a bit alone now.  I liked having someone that I placed on a pedestal.  Someone that I assumed knew it all and I could learn from them as well.  I just don’t feel that way anymore.  I never expected them to be perfect.  But, I did expect more from them in this era we are living in.  However, they have not stepped up to the plate.

Interestingly enough, I’ve pretty much become my own role model.  I know, right?  Sounds weird.  But yet, that is where I am headed.  On one level it feels really strange, and on another level it feels really comfortable, even right.  I am at an age where I have learned a thing or two.  I feel as if I can pass some of that knowledge down to someone younger than me.  Perhaps I can help them.  Either way, this is the path that I am on now.  I guess that is what my 60’s are all about.

TTYL….

Julie

August 25, 2022

Today Gordon and I went back to the dealership to buy the car we want.  But, because it is being shipped from Japan per our specifications, there is no vin number to place on the paperwork so all we could do was to put a deposit down on it and once it arrives at the Tampa Bay Pier they will give us a call and we drive the car we will be trading to the dealership, pay for the car, give them our trade in, and then 10 days after that we should be able to take ownership of the new car.  So very excited!!!

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I’ve added an update to this blog post below it.

July 18/19, 2022

I’ve Changed Since the Overturning of Roe V. Wade, Have You?

It was on a Friday morning that The Supreme Court of the United States of America came down with their decision overturning Roe V. Wade.  I was devastated.  Not for myself.  I’m a 61 year old woman with my reproductive ability way past.  I was sad for my daughter who is in her mid 30’s.  I was sad for my son’s girlfriend who is in her early 30’s, and I was sad for every female in our country.  I say “female” instead of “women” because this will affect children as well.  Any child that has a period can get pregnant.  I started my period at age 11.  I also endured sexual abuse from my step-father.  Luckily, that never resulted in a pregnancy.  But, it very well could have.  I cannot imagine being pregnant at age 11, 12, 13, etc.

So, according to The Supreme Court, a court that was created to protect minorities, had I become pregnant at age 12, I would be expected to carry my rapist baby to term, give birth, and as a child myself, take care of a baby?  In other words, I am to be punished for the rest of my life because of a sick, selfish, psychopath, and the sick court that supports that.

When the decision came down I was very happy to read from some of the people that I follow on Instagram, such as Kate Beckinsale, Amy Schumer, Samantha Bee, Zoey Deschanel, Nigella Lawson, Cher, Paulina Porizkova, Alyssa Milano, etc. that they were upset about it.  They understood the significance of the decision and spoke out in support of the females of America.

I then looked toward some of the women that I have admired throughout my life, and that I have supported as well.  Women like Jane Seymour and Christie Brinkley.  I hoped that they had said something in support of the females of America.  After all, it is the women that buy those scarves that Jane Seymour pushes on everyone.  It has been the women of America that have propelled her to stardom.  Supported her, watched those ‘movies of the week’ that she stars in.  Jane may have been born in England but she made her fortune over here in America.  She has also given birth to 4 children here and she’s had at least 2 marriages over here, if not 3.  She has a daughter, as well as a step-daughter she is still close to.  She also has 2 grand-daughters.  This Supreme Court decision will also affect her children and grand-children. That is, if they are held to the same accountability that the rest of us are held to?  Maybe there are special rules for the rich?  In which case, that would explain Jane’s indifference?

(I removed a photo of Jane with her arms in the air.)

Ta Da!!!  Look at Me!!!!  I’m So Special!!!

I really needed to hear Jane say something in support, and in our favor.  Yet, NOTHING!  I even wrote to her asking that she say something.  Yet, NO!  I then unfollowed her.  It made me sick to see her twirling around and around pushing her scarves on everyone.  And also her “Ta-Da” moments, with her arms in the air saying, ‘look at me, look at me, I’m special, look how pretty I am’ as she twirls around for the millionth time.  I no longer wanted to look at her.  I have checked back to her account hoping that she had come around, but no.  Nothing from her.  I guess Jane doesn’t want to upset the republican women that support her and buy up those scarves.  So, it’s pure selfishness then?

(I also removed the photo of Christie in her garden dressed scantily with her caption that said, Just Hoeing Around.)

Christie Just Hoe-ing Around

I also looked to Christie Brinkley to say something in our behalf.  After all, she has 2 daughters and a son.  It was the day after Roe V. Wade was overturned that I looked at her daughter Alexa’s Instagram in my feed.  She was strapping high heels on and talking about how it’s time to party on that Saturday night.  I then unfollowed her.  How insensitive.  These people really are out of touch.  I also used to follow the other daughter, Sailor.  All she did was to pose sexily in a bikini and said NOTHING.  Also, Christie has yet to say anything about this issue.  Which really does surprise me because she is very political.  She usually speaks out in support of the little guy.  Yet, nothing. I did unfollow her but I did check back a few days later and she was sticking up for other vital causes, just nothing on Roe V. Wade.  I then started following her again but I am really disappointed in her.

As I was also looking at my Instagram feed I kept seeing bikini pics from the likes of Nina Dobrev,  and other ta-da moments from Jessica Alba, and people like Florence Pugh, and others.  I then just questioned as to why I am following these people?  We are in serious times and why am I following these people?  So, I unfollowed them.  It made no sense for me to even care about them seeing as how they really don’t care about us.

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I will say this as a warning to our celebrities that don’t support the females of this country.  In the past America was one of the few countries that didn’t hate our rich.  They saw the wealthy as that is a path they could achieve if they just worked hard enough.  However, now that so many rungs have been removed from that ladder, making it even harder and harder to get there, now you will have the resentment.

When a young woman is at 22 and with 3 children and viewing her idols on Instagram, she is not going to see her celebrity idol as such an idol when that celebrity has life so much better than she does.  The resentment will start, the jealousy will start, the envy will start.  Then, the admiration disappears and the hatred begins.

So, no more twirling Jane.  No more ‘Ta Da’ moments Christie.

Your days really are numbered.

Christie will always be that beautiful face to me that I grew up seeing and knowing in magazines from the time I was a teen,  she just won’t be as pretty.

Jane Seymour will always be my favorite Bond girl.  She just won’t be that favorite of a person to me.

If they can’t support us, there is no reason for us to support them.  They will find out soon enough.

Julie

 

July 19, 2022 Update:

When The Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade they passed down a death sentence to a lot of females here in America.  Some of those females are supporters of people like Jane Seymour who has made her fortune over here on the support of females.  I myself, have been a supporter of hers since my youth.  It isn’t males who buy those scarves of hers, it’s females.  (Unless the males are buying them for their wives or girlfriends.)  Jane has something called an ‘Open Hearts Foundation.’  Open Hearts?  Really?  Shouldn’t the females that support you be offered that big ol’ Open Heart to? 

Jane almost died in childbirth when she had her twin boys, she even talks about the ‘out of body’ experience that she had.  I also believe that she knew the pregnancy would be hard on her but she chose to go through with it anyway.  She Chose To.  She had a choice.  But that doesn’t mean that we all want to risk our lives.  A lot of us don’t have the best doctors or health care providers.  That plays an important role in just how successful a risky pregnancy’s outcome is.

If criminalizing birth control is next on the SCOTUS agenda, making it illegal, trust me when I say that we will notice when all of the wealthy celebrities of child bearing years DON’T become pregnant.  It will then become obvious to all of us that our wealthy have access, while the rest of us don’t.  So, how many ‘likes’ and ‘re-Tweets’ etc. do you think you will be getting in the future?  When it all becomes obvious to everyone?

If you support the females and speak out in turn, we will all support you.  You may loose the republican backing on your projects, but with no one wanting to buy your products anymore, there won’t be any products for republicans to back.

To some it is probably a Catch 22.  Just make the right decisions and do what’s best, not what is going to get you more money.

(I will always love you Jane and Christie.  I just hold you to a higher standard than I do other people because I know you have it in you to do more.)

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(I feel that I should warn you that what you are about to read may upset you.  I never intended for this to become so dark, but that is where the story is taking me.  I really have no other choice other than to follow.)

June 30, 2022

 

The Future of Life in America for Females

When we lose our rights, life doesn’t get better, it gets worse.

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Having Roe V Wade Overturned and The Supreme Court of the United States threatening to revoke more of our rights, I would like to describe to you a very real scenario of life in America and what is coming for many families that have no idea just how this will affect them until it is too late.  And, it will affect ALL of us in ways you cannot even imagine yet.

(Again, I am just making this up but I am pretty good at connecting dots so I ask that you read it through.)

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Republican…

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I decided to create a new page for this seeing as how it was so long. 

If you would like to view the story then click here:

I’m not a Writer, I just Write.  I’m not a Storyteller, I just tell a Story…

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 June 24, 2022

Something Happy

Our 37th. Wedding Anniversary

June 22, 2022 was our 37th. Wedding Anniversary

June 22, 1985, Frost Chapel, Berry College, Mt. Berry, Georgia

Bride’s Cake and Groom’s Cake

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Our Anniversary Cake

I don’t make many cakes, but when I do Gordon seems to love them!

 

Normally, we eat them and don’t smear them all over our faces.  🙂

I Married a NUT!

It was a delicious cake! 

Brown Sugar, Dark Karo Syrup, Molasses, and Apple Butter.  Yum!

The Garter

Gordon’s Brother Jeff Caught My Garter

(I just did get it back last year.)  🙂

Driving off into the sunset, poor but happy, which has led us to here…..

Julie and Gordon

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June 24, 2022

The End of Roe V. Wade

And, Why I Will Never Regret Ridding Myself of the Republicans in My Life Decades Ago

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Today is a very sad day for our country and all of it’s citizen’s. 

Even those that are in support of the end of Roe V. Wade.  They just don’t know it yet.  However, they will find out soon enough.

I would first like to state that I am someone who believes in birth control and education.  Planned pregnancies.  I believe in prevention.  I don’t view abortion as a form of birth control.  Birth control did give women the freedom to plan out their pregnancies and to be able to have careers in the process. 

(Oh, and btw:  they are coming for birth control next.)

At this writing I am a 61 year old post-menopausal woman whose child bearing years are behind me.  So, the reversal of Roe V. Wade is not going to personally affect me.  But, I do have a daughter and a son.  Our daughter is married with no children.  Our son is living with his girlfriend in their home, also with no children.  This Supreme Court decision will affect them though, and ultimately it will extend to us also.  After all, we love our children and want them to be happy and have good quality of life.  So, as loving parents, whatever happens to them affects us as well.

Now that Roe V. Wade has been overturned, and is no longer an option, I would like to explain exactly what that means for everyone.

1. If you decide to get pregnant and have a child and for whatever reason the fetus dies inside of you before you come to term, let’s say at about 5 months.  What that means is that you will be carrying around that dead baby inside of you until the 9 month date and only then will you be given a C-Section to remove the dead fetus.  I find it cruel to force a woman to carry her dead child inside of her for months.

2.  Let’s say that you are married or in a committed relationship and you are raped.  You find yourself pregnant, perhaps realizing that you believe it is the rapists child because you and your partner always use condoms.  You then confide in your partner that you are pregnant.  Perhaps at first he is supportive, but as time goes by and your belly starts to get bigger and bigger, a huge reminder that another man raped you, how is that relationship going to go?  Also, if the relationship does survive, how will he feel about raising the rapists child?  If he even stays.  Let’s say you decide to give the child up for adoption?  Rapist gets first dibs.  Or, the rapists family.  Let’s say that you decide to keep the child.  In 35 states you will be co-parenting with the rapist.  Good luck coordinating soccer schedules and sleepovers with the man that raped you.

3.  Let’s say that you have an 11 year old daughter or granddaughter who is raped and it results in a pregnancy?  (I started my period at age 11.)  That child will be forced to carry that fetus to term and then give birth.  How cruel!  To force a child to give birth to a child is cruel!  The trauma of the rape/rapes is cruel enough, now let’s put her through even more hell and make her give birth.  Oh, and now that you have gone through 30 hours of labor and because you are so young the baby has ripped open your vagina while you were giving birth, here you go, start to breast feed that baby.  And now, go home and take care of that baby.  Exactly who will take care of that baby?  The 11 year old?  The 11 year old’s mother?  Great-grandmother?  The rapist?  The rapist’s mother?

4.  ——-

5.  ——-

6.  ——-

Sadly, the list goes on and on, I just don’t feel like writing anymore right now.

Prepare to see a lot of young children pregnant.  Some girls are getting their periods as early as 6 years old.  We know what that means.

There will be more women (and children) dying in childbirth now.

In red states there are more teenage pregnancies, unwanted pregnancies, STD’s and HIV/AIDS.  Red states are republican run.  Growing up throughout the south as I did, it was the preacher’s daughter’s/Evangelical’s that were getting pregnant and having their abortions.  It wasn’t the liberal girls that I knew.  This will affect the GOP base the most.  But then again, they know this.  Giving birth is how you spread religion.  Their numbers have been getting fewer, and fewer.  This should bring those numbers back up.  That’s all they care about.  More people sitting in the pews, the more money coming into their church.  After all, religion is a for-profit industry here in America.

This decision is also about racism.  White people are having fewer children than black or brown people.  Having planned out their pregnancies while having careers.  Not that there aren’t black and brown people doing the same, it’s just the numbers are down in white communities and maintaining the same levels in black and brown communities.  It just kills all those white racists that their numbers are dropping.  Which is why they are so “pro-birth” NOT pro-life.  They really don’t give a damn once those children are born.

I remember reading a story about a girl that was raped when she was 16 by her taxi driver.  It resulted in a pregnancy and for whatever reason she chose to have the baby.  She said that every time her child laughs she cringes.  Because he has the same laugh as the rapist as he was raping her.  The happiest sound to any mother should be the sound of her child’s laughter.  I feel for her, I also feel for her child. 

Abortion solves problems.  Babies aren’t gifts from God.  They aren’t miracles.  It’s science.  A man places his penis inside a woman’s vagina and ejaculates, thus fertilizing an egg and grows into a fetus and eventually a woman gives birth to a baby at 9 months of gestation.  It’s only a miracle when the woman is barren and the man has no sperm.

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A majority of teenage pregnancies are because the child is being abused in the home.  Either by the father, step-father, step-brother, uncle, mother’s boyfriend…  So, what happens next is that when the rapist in the home finds out the child is pregnant, the child ends up dead.

I grieve for the females of my country under this Banana-Republican Draconian Dictatorship that is America.  The quality of life just dropped significantly and it won’t go back up until these republicans are out of power and democrats have been installed to fix it all.

Julie

p.s.  It was during the George W. Bush years that I tried to tell everyone that I knew what was coming because of these dangerous republicans.  Sadly, they chose George W. Bush over me.  Well, if that was what they wanted, then that is what they got.  Some dumped me because I refused to drink the Kool-Aid.  Then I dumped the rest because I couldn’t believe that I knew such ignorant and selfish people.  I have not regretted it since.  I never will.

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(June 6th. added more content to this blog post below.)

June 1, 2022

Some Thoughts and Catching Up

Where do I even begin?  I used to do so much personal blogging but then my website grew so large that it takes most of my time in trying to complete it and catch up with all the blog postings.

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It is now June 4th. with this entry and I know I won’t finish all that I have to say.  But, I thought I would at least start here.

So much going on in the world, and in our country.  It’s as if we are all going to hell in a hand basket.  That, I have no power over, one way or the other.  The good news is that the American people are finally waking up from their very long slumber.  The bad news is that there is nothing that can be done about it until a few decades from now.

Seriously, there isn’t anything that can be done other than something drastic and no American is going to go there, no politician anyway.  Only the extremists and they have already gained ground.  Oh, the January 6th. Committee can do something if they so desire.  We will see this coming June 8th. when they start their hearings but…  you know what I mean?  We’ll see how far they go….?

I do believe that they have some dramatic comments to make, but we’ll see if they actually go anywhere.  I have no insight into this.  Not at this time.  I know they have the facts and figures to take them all down, but whether they do or not?  I have no clue!  Everyone is too busy playing politics.  We have no heroes here.  Know that.  So, I will skip all that and go onto other things…..

Selling Sunset

Why Am I Even Blogging About Them???

In my 2021 Blog I wrote about The Great Modern Family Experiment.  Meaning, the families of Christina Haack/El Moussa/Anstead/Hall and her ex-husbands/current husband, and current wives/girlfriends, and how their relationships will shape their children/step-children, etc.

Tarek El Moussa, and Ant Anstead.

I was rooting for all of them to succeed for the sake of all of the children. 

Taylor, Brayden, and Hudson.

I told Gordon that I wanted him to find Selling Sunset on one of our channels that programmed it, and I particularly wanted to see Heather Rae Young El Moussa.  She is the current wife of Tarek El Moussa, Christina’s former husband that has so torn her apart every chance he gets online. He can be such a prick!

We did find Selling Sunset and watched the first 15-20 minutes of it.  It started out with some of the couples going on vacation and looking gorgeous in swimsuits in a pool.  It then cut to the other “realtors” back at the base gossiping about those on vacation.  I then panicked that I was starting to loose I.Q. points and I told Gordon to quickly change the channel before that happened!

We are getting stupid watching this, and we need to stop it right now!

(To be fair, I also scream at the T.V. when my Monk episodes would end and the Hallmark movies would start.  I usually panic and scream, OMG!  Quick!  Change the channel!  Monk is over and now all those Lori Laughlin movies are coming!!!!!)

I guess that I expected these beautiful women to start selling beautiful million dollar listings to beautiful million dollar buyers?  I never saw any of that.  Perhaps we should have watched the entire episode?  I do know that these people are very popular with their viewers?  Good for them!  I may not be a fan, but there is an important place for them in the current climate.

There is nothing wrong with beautiful, intelligent women selling real estate.  But, I’m not so sure that is what this series is about?  Not that we saw anyway.

I always do this, I root for people to succeed that never really do. 

These women are beautiful but in such an artificial way.  It’s as if designers programmed their facial features.  Hey, I want that chin!  Or, I want that nose!  And hey, I want those boobs!  It’s all beautiful, but none of it seems real. But, I suppose that is the future of the wealthy in our country.  I can only imagine what aliens in the future will say when they dig us all up?  What was wrong with these people?

There is nothing that I can do with the direction of all of this.

I don’t even really know where all of this is going?

Except to say that I do hope that my future blog postings will be more interesting than this one!

June 6, 2022

THE KARDASHIANS

I decided that I wanted to add a bit more to this post in relation to what I talk about above.  I cannot write about plastic surgery/fillers/botox/hair extentions etc. without referencing the Kardashian’s.

Although none of them invented all this plastic enhancements to themselves, I do believe they have taken it a very long way in popularizing it all.  It was Amy Shumer who said during her Saturday Night Live opening monologue that the Kardashian’s seem to view their faces they are born with as a suggestion.  Exactly!

Although I have never watched an episode of their shows, they are everywhere whether you want to know about them or not.  Kathy Griffin once asked Gloria Steinem who is worse for America?  The Real Housewives of (where ever), or the Kardashian’s?  She replied, ‘The Real Housewives because at least the Kardashian’s are biracial.’ 

O.K., that is how Gloria Steinem see’s it.  I do to, except I am wondering how their children will all turn out?  Given the amount of selfie’s the Kardashian sisters post of themselves online writhing around in their underwear, or appearing everywhere with whomever they seem to be dating, I do wonder who is taking care of all of their children?  Nannies?  Ex-husband’s?  Ex-partner’s?  Their mom?

I also can’t help but wonder the messages they are sending to their own children that our faces aren’t good enough.  Our bodies aren’t good enough.  And unless we are making a bunch of black men horny then we aren’t good enough.

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My mother was always there when I was growing up to tell me how fat I was.  To control the amount of food that she thought I should be eating, which wasn’t very much as she herself was a short and petite woman.  Therefore, I would sneak food because I was hungry, usually always getting caught and then punished for it.

When I was in the 5th. grade I hated my ears because I thought they were too big.  I wish that someone had told me that my head would eventually grow into them as our ears are 90% grown by the time we are 5 years old.  Which is why a lot of children have “big ears” when they are young.

As I started to grow and slim down and I grew into my ears, it was the mean girls and boys in high school and college that let me know my body wasn’t as attractive as it should be.  My butt is too flat, my boobs aren’t big enough, my hair is too stringy or too short.  As much as I was insulted and they all tried to make me feel bad about myself, I always liked myself.  I felt pretty whether or not they viewed me as pretty, it didn’t matter.  I felt it.

It is sometimes very difficult to shut out the cruel and critical voices around us, which is why I view all the people above as contributing to a system that is very dangerous to young people.  Which explains why so many young people are so depressed about how they look and in some cases they are killing themselves at age 12. 

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All of the women above are beautiful as it is, they just weren’t perfect.  So, here comes all the perfection that money can buy, and they did!  And they’ve paid good money for it.

We actually should feel sorry for them that they weren’t happy with how they looked to begin with, and assumed that by having all that work done would somehow make them happy?  I don’t think it does.  Perhaps temporarily?  But, if they truly were happy to begin with then they never would have attempted all that they have done to themselves.  I think in the same way that some people cover their bodies in tattoo’s is because they aren’t happy in their own skin so therefore they create a new skin to live in.  Yet, it never really does work.  I wish we would all work on our insides, and let that show through and radiate. 

However, we all know that will never happen.  Our country is far too shallow to ever care about someone’s insides over someone’s outsides.  Our people are far too shallow to ever place someone who is not as perfect on the outside, over someone who just looks perfect on the outside.

This is why I have never had anything in common with the so called “Beautiful People.” 

Something that I am quite proud of.

Julie

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(Gardenia’s From Brodie and Mackenzie’s Front Yard Bush)

May 7, 2022

Back to Brodie and Mackenzie’s

“They have furniture in there.”

(So said Gordon as he is peeking through their front door window.) 

It’s Coming Together Nicely

Just Bringing a Few Things Over

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Living Room

I’ve Found My Spot  🙂

Theater Seating  🙂

(A T.V. will go on that wall.)

The coffee table belonged to Mackenzie’s grandfather that died in the Nixon White House. 

It is really long!

Solar Panels Are Up!

The Pool Cover Keeps The Water Warm

(We’re just afraid the dogs will start walking on it and fall through.)

The kitchen is dated, but they are making it nice and functional.  New appliances and a paint job. 

Refrigerator is next!  The tiles on the floor are very Florida/Miami/Cuban/Spanish, I would do something around that theme.

I do envy them for the clean slate that they have.  Young, just getting started in life, first home, it’s all very exciting!

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Gift For Mackenzie

My Top Tote

This is actually an old top of our daughter Veronica’s from The Gap.  I always thought these tops looked like tote bags, so, when she wanted to get rid of it, I kept it!  All these years!  Probably over a decade.  Well, I finally got around to turning it into a tote bag in order to house Mackenzie’s gift of a pot of mint.

All I did was to sew the bottom of the top together creating a tote bag.  It’s sturdy, durable and washable.  I even added a few adornments to it, as in the green flower below.  It’s just a clip on.

Mackenzie’s Gift of Mint and a New Pot From Me

I did get something out of this visit.

Some beautiful Gardenia Blooms!  🙂

Julie

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April 29, 2022

Just Catching Up With You

An Herb Garden Redo

I have been very late this year with my herb garden refresh that I usually start in March and finish up by early April.  Yet, here I am just now getting started on it.  Although I didn’t take any photos of it prior to my cleaning it up, I can assure you that it was so overgrown that branches from our bougainvillea’s were stretching over our fence and into the neighbors yard. I couldn’t even make it to the gate that you see, it was so overgrown.

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(I am currently awaiting a big storm to arrive and drench everything good!  🙂  It’ll then be easier on me when I get outside tomorrow and Sunday and get my herb garden going again.  Plus, I do so love a good thunderstorm.)

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SNAKE BITE

Last week (Thursday) as I was hacking through my overgrown herb garden, I was gathering up branches that I had cut down and placing them into our yard debris containers, that I suddenly felt this pain on my left arm.  It was like a stabbing.  I pretty much ignored it and kept on going.  I’m used to being scratched and scraped, and pierced, and stabbed, and bruised, and bitten, so I just ignored it.  When I got around to looking at it, I saw some blood.  I contemplated just carrying on but I didn’t want the blood to ruin my new leather gloves so I grabbed my rag that I have with me and wiped the blood off.  That is when I noticed that my wound was raised, swollen, hard, and GREEN!

My Kayak Bag and Snake Bite Kit

Although I didn’t know exactly what had bitten me, I just somehow knew it was a snake.  That was when I ran inside and grabbed my kayak bag that housed my snake bite kit.  I pretty much dumped the contents onto my bed in my mad dash to find it.

The instructions for the snake bite kit were miniscule!

I had to grab the magnifying glass in order to read them.  Sorry the photos aren’t clear but I was doing the best that I could with a small hand held camera.  I was also very nervous and worried.  I realized when no venom came out of my wound that the snake wasn’t poisonous.  Whew!

Teeth marks emerged later on.

I called Gordon at work and told him what happened.  He came home and I felt much better.  He monitored me to make sure I was o.k.  I was never nauseous, or anything like that.  My wound was just sore and swollen and green.  It’s now a yellow/green color over a week after I was bitten.

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Veronica and Brian Have Covid

It was last week that Veronica told us that her husband Brian has Covid,  When she found out she started sleeping in their guest room while she got tested and was awaiting the results.  That was when she came back as positive.  So far, both of them have missed one week of work.  We asked them if there was anything we could do for them?  Perhaps, bring them over some food?  I assumed they may want Jello and Chicken Soup, but no…..

‘Can you run by Tres Amigos Cantina?  We would love their Cancun Grande Combo Platters.  Two, please?’

What could we say?  No?  Of course not!  Tres Amigos Cantina it is!

Neither one of them ever lost their sense of smell or taste.  Brian said Covid is less harmful to him than the flu was.  We don’t know.  We have never had Covid…..yet. 

I did check in on Veronica and Brian today.  They are ordering a pizza for tonight and going to watch the new Spider Man movie.  Also, Veronica said she is excitedly awaiting the thunderstorm that is supposed to hit us.  🙂  She is sooooo my daughter!

(Thunderstorm is here now!)  🙂

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Brodie and Mackenzie’s New House

Before and After Photos

Where the Pig Lived Before

Where The Pig Lived AFTER

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The Shed Before

(While I was alone in this shed and looking around for things that I am interested in using in a Halloween theme, I heard some shuffling in the area where Gordon is standing above.  Needless to say, I left!)

No More Shed

As I understand it, when the shed was torn down that a lot of rats ran out of the building and were scaling the neighbors fences.  🙂  Also a ton of roaches were living underneath it. 

Front Door, Before and After

FRONT DOOR

Mint and Sea Salt are their Colors

I do have to admit that in looking at their house colors, I have this big craving for Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies. 

Just sayin’!

Spooky Peaking Out the Blinds

If you look in the photo of the blinds beside their front door above, you will see they cut out the blinds.  You can see Spooky peering through them.  The original home owner’s did that so that the stray cats in the neighborhood could peek through to let them know they were hungry and wanted food and water.  I love that the previous home owners cared for homeless cats.  They left behind a lot of food so that Brodie and Mackenzie could care for them as well.

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The French Doors That Lead to the Pool

Their hard wood floors were also refinished inside their home.

It is so very exciting!  I envy them for the blank canvas they have been given.

I do happen to enjoy the hell out of this photo of Brodie working hard around the house.

I seem to remember him telling us that he will never live in a house.  Only an apartment or a condominium so that he will never have to do yard work like his dad.  Well….  the apple never falls far from the tree.  🙂

I’ll keep you informed.  🙂

Julie

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April 12, 2022

Brodie and Mackenzie’s New Home

Mackenzie, Hank and Brodie

Their New Home

So happy for the new home recipients!

Just took possession of the new home in the last few weeks.  They are in the next town from us.  Yet, very close.  So excited for them!  Luckily, they do have until the end of May to vacate their apartment and move into their new home.  Until then, they have the time to fix this place up.  It is something of a ‘diamond in the rough.’  Tons of potential!

Fireplace and Front Door

They do have hardwood floors, and I do love their front door. 

I also love all these little nooks that they have.  The fact that they have a fireplace is so interesting to me.  It does get cold a few days a year here in Florida.  A fireplace would be very nice.  I do wish that we had one.

Mackenzie With All The Dogs

They haven’t moved in yet.  They are hiring people to do repairs and painting before they move in.

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Mackenzie’s birthday is on the 19th. of April and I didn’t know if we would see them before that time, so I brought over her birthday gifts.  Also, our homemade Crab Dip, and some homemade Cole Slaw that is in the cooler and not pictured.  Just something for us to snack on this afternoon, and for them to take back home with them.

Our Homemade Crab Dip and Some Crackers

The Pool

There is so much potential here.  The pool cage that you see has since been re-screened and with two new screen doors installed.  That terrible fence directly in back of the pool is going to be hidden by the new fence that Mackenzie and Brodie are going to install with Gordon’s help.  That will shore up the security of their backyard.  Plug up those holes.

Mackenzie and Gordon

The Work Shed

(Jason, Brodie and Gordon Checking it Out)

The previous owner’s were very talented and hands on in the function of things.  This is his work shed.  To most people this shed would appear to be horrific, and it actually is infested with termites and will get torn down but, it is also very functional as this is where he created things for his home.  Not necessarily to make them beautiful, but to make them functional.  I want this man to receive the praise that he deserves for his talent and creativity, and not the condemnation for this not being very attractive.

I Found This Embedded into Their Cement

It is a bit hard to read but it is their names and love for each other.  I hope Brodie and Mackenzie keep it somewhere and not get rid of it.  They were the previous owner’s and it is their house history.

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Where The Pig Lived

Jason’s Hat on Post

The Pig’s Home

The previous owner’s had a pot bellied pig that they loved and adored.  They catered to that pig.  I love that!  When they moved out they had to drug the pig and have the pig fork lifted out of his home and onto a flat bed truck, where it was then driven to their new home and then fork lifted off that truck and placed into it’s new pen.  🙂

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The reason that we came over on this day was to remove all this extra fencing that was around the pool cage lanai.

Gordon, Brodie and Jason did just that.  They removed every bit of it.

The Pool Pump Equipment

Here Brodie is removing this area fencing as well.

The Infestation

Their Backyard is Infested With These Bugs

Having all of these outside sheds removed will really help in eliminating these bugs. 

But, they will still have to spray to remove them all.

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When we drove up to their new house and saw their mailbox we knew we were in a nice open minded neighborhood.  They had an Obama/Biden sticker on one side of the mailbox, and a Hillary sticker on the other from the previous owners.  The fact that their house hadn’t been burned down by now, tells me that Brodie and Mackenzie are in an open minded neighborhood.  🙂

The Doors Leading Out to the Pool

They have double French Doors leading out to the pool.  And I love that windowed door leading to the pool from the master bathroom.  It’s perfect!

I Absolutely Adore This Evergreen

This tree is on the side of their yard and I love it! 

So beautiful, green, and will not shed any leaves.

Cannot Wait To Get This Pool Going

I told Mackenzie that when she gets the pool up and running that we will be over.  🙂

Lucky for her, Brodie is a past pool boy and knows what to do.

We wish them all the best!  They are the best!

Julie and Gordon

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p.s.  We found this in their attic!

An old VHS Video Tape Recorder

Hey, a nice prop!

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April 4, 2022

Getting Organized, Spring Cleaning, and Catching Up

(Oh, and fasting for my Colonoscopy, but I’ll blog about that in my 60’s page.)

Gordon’s father died on February 11th., my brother Ben’s birthday.  Gordon’s mother had him cremated and arranged for the funeral to be on March 26th. at their Episcopalian Church in Virginia.  Gordon was given 5 days off from work, in addition to the 2 additional days he took from his vacation days, and along with the weekend days, he was gone 10 glorious days!

(I realize that sentence doesn’t really make sense but I am food deprived right now and doing the best that I can.  So….)

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Gordon wanted to drive up because he knew he would be bringing back with him some things that belonged to his dad, along with a few of his mother’s cookbooks.  He also knew that he and his brother Jeff would be driving up to Ocean City, Maryland for the day and hitting that famous Boardwalk for some shopping.

What with the funeral being over a month after his death, the raw feelings were pretty much behind everyone.  Of course there is sadness, but none of us were very close to either of Gordon’s parents.

I stayed here with the dogs.  Neither Veronica or Brodie went up either.  Gordon just wanted to drive up and visit with his mother and brother and spend some time with them.  I am always happy to be “Home Alone.”  I don’t complain about those things.  I tend to enjoy them.

I knew that with Gordon gone this was my opportunity to really get some things done around here.  I wanted to work on the house and get it more organized and doing some spring cleaning, I also wanted to work on myself and get on that treadmill everyday.  I did do a good 30-40 minutes every day.  It was pretty exhausting seeing as how I was also working up a sweat working all around our house all day.

I also made up my menu of foods that I wanted while Gordon was gone.  I also did all the shopping before he left.  I didn’t leave the house, with the exception of collecting the mail from outside, for 10 days!  It was wonderful!  I thoroughly enjoyed my Staycation.  🙂

Because I worked so hard on the house, I was creativity deprived, I really didn’t do that much for the website during that time.  And now, here I am fasting for my Colonoscopy soon sucking down green and orange zero sugar Jolly Ranchers.  Dinner was an orange popsicle.  I do have green jello congealing in the refrigerator though.  Should be ready by 10:00 p.m.  🙁

Wow.  For some reason I just want to wrap this up because hunger is distracting me.  So, I’ll just give the family news that I know.  Today, Brodie and Mackenzie did their final walk through for their new house.  That is very exciting for all of us!  And sadly, Veronica and Brian are experiencing home ownership woes.  They ordered new kitchen cabinets and Brian was going to install them himself.  First, the cabinets were very late and on backorder, once they arrived and Brian was removing the old cabinets he noticed that they were never installed correctly and were pretty much just floating and could have fallen on them at any time!  So, Brian is having to hire someone to create a safe wall in back of the cabinets in order for the new ones to go up.  Next, a pipe burst under their house and the cost keeps mounting on that huge repair.  Poor things, he and Veronica are even working overtime with their jobs to have the money to fix all these things.

Now that April is here, we pretty much have the entire month planned out.  it should be fun.  This has been a busy year for us so far.  I’m just taking things one month at a time and really not planning beyond that.  Right now I just want to get through my Colonoscopy.  I’ll keep you updated. 

TTYL….

Julie

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March 29, 2022

Just a Chat

Creating Our Own Sunshine

When I took this photo of my beautiful flowers and sumo-oranges, it is a very dark, rainy day outside.  Normally, I would have turned on the overhead light when things are dark, but I didn’t on this day.  I did however, have the usual lamps on in my kitchen nook.  It was when I downloaded these photos onto my computer that I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful and sunny everything is.  The thing is, it wasn’t beautiful or sunny that day.  It was then that it dawned on me that we can create our own sunny days, with or without the sun.  That is something that I have been doing my entire life.  The photo just reinforced my own opinions of what I do in order to achieve it.  It kind of reminded me of that.

We are living in some pretty terrible times right now.  Nuclear war isn’t just some Terminator movie that we are watching on T.V. starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.  It is a real threat.  We have political unrest here in our country.  Civil War isn’t just some Gone With The Wind movie to watch on T.V. either.  It is a possibility.  Who knows what election 2024 will bring?  I guess we will find out. 

I have absolutely no control over the future.  However, I do have control over my life today.  What I will eat for dinner.  The clothing I am wearing.  What I am doing.  I think our happiness isn’t in the big things, it’s the little things. The things we have control over.

I read somewhere that this formerly ambitious “successful” woman has decided to embrace mediocracy.  Mediocracy?  As in mediocre?  Meaning:  Unexceptional or inferior?  Really?  Is that what people like me are?  Inferior?  Just because we don’t get out there and compete in that rat race doesn’t make us inferior.  I think it makes us Superior, because we understand it really is all just a bunch of bullshit.  Whoever invented this way of life for all of us wasn’t about sharing and coexisting.  They created a world in which the crooked take advantage of the innocent, in order to achieve as much wealth and possessions as possible.  Yeah, you are superior to me?  You are just meaner than me.

I do believe that we need to redefine success.  To me a successful day of mine is getting everything achieved that I need to.  Creating a great meal.  Helping out someone in need.  Writing or working on some project that is important to me.  I don’t think success is in running over someone in order for me to get ahead of them.  But, that’s just how I see it.  Most people don’t. None of that makes me happy.

Happiness to me is something that I have accomplished on my own, or with my husband.  Happiness is also in seeing my children blossom and grow into nice adults.  Achieving their goals.  Creating their futures with their partners in life.  We don’t care that they live in huge mansions.  We are just happy that they have nice homes where they can enjoy and live their lives, adopting pets that need homes, and even having children someday.

While some people may want me to feel badly because I’m not as “successful” as they are, or that I don’t make as much money as they do, some day’s I feel as if I am the luckiest woman in the world because of my “mediocre” lifestyle.

I pity all of you that don’t have a “mediocre” lifestyle.  🙂

Julie

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February 24, 2022

The White Noise Was Deafening

For those of you that know me and read my website then you know that I am an Empath.  If you are interested in learning more about that here is the link to my latest blog pages:

On Being An Empath:  Part II

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Last night I woke up at either 11:30 -or 1:30-something.  I didn’t have my glasses on and when I looked at the clock it was blurry and I couldn’t tell what time it was exactly, but the reason I awoke was because my ears were ringing very loudly and It affected my sleep.  I say ringing, but it is more a white noise that has different pitches in it, that mean different things. 

For example, if someone were to come to my website and casually look around, I tend to pick up some white noise and it let’s me know that someone is either reading my website, or my Twitter feed.  If that person comes across something of great interest to them while they are reading my website, the white noise gets louder.  If that person then contacts someone else to tell them about my website and they are talking about me, the white noise gets even louder.  The more feelings that a person gives off, the louder the white noise gets in my head.  Hence, the more I pick up on.

Sometimes that white noise comes with information.  For example, if someone reads something that I wrote that they don’t like, I can feel very negative feelings from that person that comes through that white noise.  The same with very positive feelings.  I will be going about my day and suddenly start to smile because I have picked up on the feelings of someone reading my website or Twitter feed and they are enjoying it.

(I just wanted to add that sometimes I can pick up on exactly who the person is that is sending me those negative thoughts.)

I realize it’s all very complicated.  Hey, try being me!  I have a hard enough time being me as it is.

Well, as I lay in bed last night with this loud white noise going off in my head I figured that someone must be reading my website with great interest, and I hoped that once they finished reading whatever it was, that they would then forget about me and either go back to bed or go about their day, (if they were in another time zone.)

The noise never lessened.  I was starting to suffer.  I knew the loud white noise was associated with something bad, I just didn’t know what that bad thing was?  I then wondered if some hacker was attacking my website.  Either way, I got out of bed and logged into my computer and website with the intention of blocking whomever might be reading it just so that the loud noise would leave my head and I could go back to sleep.

I did have some interesting bots from all over the world.  As usual.  Quite a few of them from London, United Kingdom.  They were all around 3:00 a.m., I think.  I then wondered if it was them I was picking up on so I used my website blocking ability and I blocked them in the hopes that they could no longer read whatever it was they were reading on my website, so that their feelings would cease and I could then get some sleep.  But no!  The loud noise never went away!  Louder and louder it became!

Try to image that it is the middle of the night and your next door neighbor is playing their music as loud as they can.

  Can YOU go to sleep?

When Gordon’s alarm went off this morning I told him about my horrible night.  I also told him that I am cancelling my plans for today because I need to try and get some sleep and I am just too exhausted to get out and about.  Especially with this loud noise in my head.  I shouldn’t be driving, I wouldn’t even be able to hear a car horn if it honked at me.

I did manage to get back to sleep and I got about 3 hours.  Hey, I’ll take it!  I’m running on fumes and lots of coffee.  But, when I turned on the T.V. and immediately saw the Breaking News headline, Russia Invades Ukraine.  I then knew why the noise is in my head.  I am picking up on all the feelings that are out there.  But not really “feelings,” just excitement and information.  Excitement in the sense of adrenaline, not joy.

I’m hoping that things will die down in my head soon.  I’m hoping that everything will be o.k. and this horrible event will end.  Not just for my sake, but for all of our sake’s.  Especially, the people of Ukraine.

Peace,

Julie

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February 13, 2022

I Just Turned 61!

(I do prefer even numbers, but oh well.)

So, why The Wizard of Oz cake?

When we were going through our home renovations, when it came to unpacking all those many boxes, I found things that I had forgotten about.  Many things.  I came across these cute little figures of Dorothy, the Wicked Witch of the West, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion, and the Good Witch Glenda.  They were so cute!  They used to belong to my daughter Veronica when she was a young girl.  I saw them and knew that there would be a future cake with them on it.  I just assumed at the time that I would be making a cake for Veronica, using the figures, and giving them back to her that way.

However, when I was thinking about what kind of birthday cake I wanted for my birthday, I decided that I wanted a Wizard of Oz cake for myself.  I therefore set about designing it.

Because the figures are kind of tall I didn’t want all of them standing on my cake so I wanted frosting to not only be on the cake, but also on the cardboard that held the cake.  Therefore, I ordered a 1/4 sheet cake on a 1/2 sheet cake cardboard cake plate.  Well, I love it!  The baker followed my instructions to the letter and did a wonderful job.

My Grandmother Memory

When I was 5 and living in Rome, Georgia with my mother, The Wizard of Oz was coming on T.V. one night and it was a big deal.  My grandmother wanted me to spend the night with her and we would all watch it together.  Me and my grandparents and great-grandparents.  However, they didn’t count on my stubbornness and resistance to watching a movie that had a scary witch, flying monkey’s, men in scary costumes, (lion, scarecrow, tinman).  Did I mention I was 5?

Well, my grandmother was so upset with me that she took me home in a huff and deposited my little self on my mother’s doorstep with my suitcase in my hand and sped off.

I have since come to appreciate the movie, the story, and Judy Garland, whom I used to worship as a child and tried to master the cute little skip that she would do down that yellow brick road.  🙂

Happy Birthday to Me!

Julie

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February 11, 2022

Gordon’s dad died this day.  He was 89.

Milton Bernard Whann

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January 20, 2022

ORGANIZING CHRISTMAS

The hardest, and the saddest part of Christmas is putting it all away.  And that’s on a good day.  I am however, going through all of it, all 25-30 containers of it.  Some of these containers I haven’t opened in a decade. 

It’s been like Christmas, going through Christmas!  🙂

Now that Veronica is married and on her 3rd. wedding anniversary, she had been asking for some of the Christmas stuff to add to her home.  Mainly her things from childhood but, she also wanted the nice Nativity Scene that we had.  Yes, Catholic Mackenzie, (Brodie’s girlfriend), was very interested in the fact that the atheist’s once had a baby Jesus in our home.  She and I had a good laugh over that one.  🙂

So far I’ve given Veronica and Brodie between them a good 6 big Rubbermaid containers of their old things.  I’m still going through Christmas and I am hoping to find more to pass their way.  I like handing things down and not necessarily donating, giving, or throwing away.  (Only because our holiday things are memories and I want them to go to someone that will appreciate them and not strangers that just see an item and not a history.  Otherwise, I enjoy donating, and giving away.) 

Gordon took another container over to Veronica and Brian’s the other day when he took over the anniversary gifts we had for them, and Veronica was so excited seeing things that she had forgotten about.  Whether they were specifically her things from childhood, or Christmas items of ours she grew up seeing everywhere, she was just so thrilled to receive them.

That makes me very happy!  Passing something down and having it be appreciated.  Knowing that our Christmas’s will be living on with their Christmas’s.

I know that they didn’t have the nicest Christmas where decorating was concerned this past Christmas.  They are renovating their kitchen and flooring throughout their house so everything was a bit torn up.  Their new white cabinets did finally arrive but, some were broken so now they are awaiting the replacements for the broken ones.  Every flooring had been ripped up months ago in their home while  awaiting the new gray wood flooring.  So, all you can see are the ugly cement floors for now.  Brian will be putting up their new cabinet’s himself.  He is so much like Gordon.  Brian can pretty much do it all himself.  They are however, hiring people to install their flooring once the cabinet’s are in.

We went through our kitchen and home renovations holiday’s 2020, while they went through theirs holiday’s 2021.  It’s a challenge creating a holiday home amongst all that construction and clutter.

I have a feeling that Veronica is very excited for Christmas 2022.  A new kitchen, flooring, and beautiful Christmas decorations to place everywhere in her home.

I do have to admit that some things of theirs I am withholding for future Christmas projects.  When those are done then I will pass them on.

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As for everyday blogging with Julie…..

I am trying to get my home in order.  It is a bit unorganized.  Baby steps.

I realize that as I/We age, we need to downsize.  I’m wrestling with that.  To be continued…..

I’ve never thought I would live very long.  Therefore, I think about death a lot and how I need to plan and prepare for it.  I love my children too much to leave them with all this clutter.  (Although, everything in our home is Ebay Heaven!  They will make a small fortune!  However, I know them, and they are very lazy.  My treasures will end up in the trash.)  🙁

Which is why it is up to ME to deal with all of them.  They need to go to good homes.

Julie

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January 7, 2022

A New Year Begins

Shooting our 00Whann CLUEDO for Christmas

(I am slipping 00Whann a “CLUE.”  And I am not flipping anyone off. 

I didn’t know my fingers looked like that.)  🙂

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Happy New Year!

Here we go! 

I don’t know about you but I do not make New Year’s Resolutions.  I see them as pointless.  Either we stick to something, or we don’t.  Either we make a change, or we don’t.  However, usually I will cut back on my eating in the month of January to make up for the fact that I would overeat in the month of December.  But, I really didn’t eat that much through December.  But, my weight and exercise goals are still active and that is what I am going to focus on in January/February/March.  That, and getting organized.

My 2022 goals are many, but they require me being online less.  Thing is, that means halting my creativity in order to catch up with other things.  I do not know if I can do that.  Stimulating my creativity is what gets me through life.  If I have the choice of being creative or cleaning out the attic, I choose being creative.  Although I can’t ignore the attic much longer.  Gordon and I are getting older and I don’t want to leave all of our stuff we’ve been hoarding for our children to take care of.  I feel it is our responsibility to deal with all of it so that they don’t have to.  But, that requires our undivided attention.  I figure that we will just start with Christmas and then go from there.  We’ve already given them a few containers full of Christmas stuff.  And now that Christmas is over with the plan is to get down ALL of the containers and go through it all giving them what we think they will want.  That will lessen our load in the attic and then we will start of Easter, then Halloween, Thanksgiving…. until it’s all been sorted through and given to Veronica and Brodie.

I’m very sorry that my first blog posting of the year here is very boring. 

To me, January is a transitional month.  It smoothly takes us from the holidays of December, to the holidays of February and so on.  January is an important month, although I believe, an under appreciated month.  And I do admit that it isn’t my favorite month, but it is an important one, none the less.  This is my month to become a bit more organized and to catch up with things I have been neglecting.

I wish all of us a very happy 2022! 

It starts right here with January. 

So, let’s get started!

Julie

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00Whann and Alotta Julie Galore