Dear Dairy…

Olive Films

(I just liked the logo.)

Today I rearranged the cans in the pantry and dusted them off while wearing my new full skirt I sewed last week for the church picnic, and the pearls that my husband gave me for my birthday.  I was so excited when Gordon came home and allowed me to remove his shoes and put on his slippers.  He also complimented me on my backside.  (Blush)  My heart be still….

My Curry Leaf Roasted Olives, Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes

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Our Front Yard Curry Plant

I know how much my future boss loves olives so I created this recipe to impress him.  I’m worried that if I don’t please him that I will be pushed aside for someone much younger than me.

You see, I am a DEI hire.  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.  Anyone not a white male is a DEI hire.

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(Recipe Way Down Below)

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In My Spare Time My Husband Allows Me To Expand Myself And Learn To Type

My Goal is to Someday Work and Become a Secretary

I Type With Wine, How ‘Bout You?

Oh, I Can’t. 

I have 2 Tupperware Party’s back to back this week, and I’m Overdrawn with my AVON Account. 

I have to wait until Gordon gives me my allowance for the month before I can buy anything else.

Oops!  I Dropped my Nail File!  Hang on!

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Typing With Julie in 1965 is Brought to you By…

Southern Net Hairspray

Got BIG Hair?

The Perfect GLUE for our DO!

(My introduction is a parody.  Just so you know.  I have a great husband who knows better than to ever say to me what I write above.  I was just trying to prove a point which will probably be lost on most people.  But, oh well.  Here’s to 1965!  I mean 2025.)

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Afternoon Martini’s with the Boss

Hold all my calls, Mrs. Whann.

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Secretarial Lunch Break

Sometimes a Busy Secretary/Typist has to Eat at her Desk

Egg Salad with a Side of Olives is Always a Nice Choice

Back To Work!

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Diary Entries Starts Here

In Desperate Need of White Out

Bette Nesmith Graham

(1924-1980)

The inventor of Liquid Paper (White Out)

She was also the mother of:

Michael Nesmith, Far Right

Member of The Monkees

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If Australia Can Do It, So Can We!

Let The Movement Begin!

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In this day and age understand that there are many that cannot even grasp the concept of another’s opinion.  Many do not have the intellectual capacity to do so.  Therefore, it isn’t wise to even engage them.  Keep to yourself.  Be safe.

Julie Lancaster-Whann

Most of the time this is me.  No make up, no big hair.  Would you recognize me on the street?

Julie

I took this photo less than a week before the photos above.

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If you would like to view my other personal blogs:

Click Here For:  Blogging With Julie All Along (Past and Present Blogging)

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Dear Dairy….

When I started my website in 2011, I always said that my future isn’t with people that I know, it’s with people that I don’t know. 

They are the ones that will care about it. 

They are the ones that will read it.  Not the people that I know.

Julie Lancaster-Whann

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If there ever comes a day when I will be well known, it will be long after I am gone.  I know that for certain.  I am also o.k. with it.

Julie Lancaster-Whann

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January 1, 2026

As The Year Comes To A Close

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year

It was last year, 2024, that I didn’t wish anyone a Happy New Year.  Why?  Because I didn’t have the confidence that any of us would have a good one.  However, this year is different.  It just feels different.  It’s as if more and more people are waking up to what is going on, so it does feel more like it just might be a Happy New Year.  The more woke, the better.

2025 did fly by for me.  I have no idea why?  It just did.  I was very busy.  I keep my Grand-Daughter Isabelle, so I don’t have as much time as I used to, to blog and work on the website.  Isabelle is 2 1/2, intelligent as hell, and a joy to be around.  It is harder to care for an intelligent child than it is of an average intelligent child.  I am constantly on my toes.  This girl can outsmart me in a skinny minute!

And when she does…  Bravo, girl!  Bravo!

About a week ago she pressed a button on the cable box and it screwed up the T.V.  The picture on the T.V. because some small little box in the upper right hand corner.  I immediately started freaking out, “Isabelle!  What did you do?  I only know about 3 buttons!”

That’s when she said with all the confidence in the world, “I’ll fix it!”

I then started to hand her all the remotes when I came to my senses and I realized, ‘she’s just 2 1/2!  What am I doing?’

It was at that point when a box appeared on the screen that said that if we don’t touch anything, that the T.V. will go back to where it was.

WHEW!!  (So Jesus fixed the T.V.  Hey, I say his name all the time.  Guess he heard me?)  🙂

Shortly after that I found out that Isabelle calls the remote “buttons.”  She got that from me.  🙂

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There is so much to say.  I know that I haven’t done much blogging this year.  Some years are more interesting than others.  It’s just because I have been busy, and when I do work on the website, I am trying to update some past website pages.  I am way behind, as most of you know.   I am starting to drown in all my “Under Constructions.” 

I have taken down most of my personal blogs and put them in Drafts.  My reasons for doing so are because we don’t live in a Free Speech Zone anymore.  They are banning books from schools and libraries.  So, why not website blogs?  Those of you that are Woke, know this.  I have people that are dependent on me and I need to look out for that.   I want to bring my blogs back when it feels safe to do so. 

As the old Kenny Rogers song sang,

“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em
Know when to fold ’em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run.”

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I Started A New Website:

https://vintagejuliebarefootarchives.com/

I debuted it on my son Brodie’s Birthday, November, 29th. 2025.

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It was months ago that I was on the phone with Gordon, who is working overseas, when I called my cyber-stalker, P.G. a Mother Fucker, (we knew he was listening in to our conversation), It was pretty much two days later that this website quit functioning properly.  (He’s quite sensitive.)  Anyway, my website quit working for me and my guys in India were at a loss as to why?  (My cyber-stalker works for Microsoft, so…..you do the math.)  

It was then that I decided to create a new website and transfer a lot of older material over to it.  To kind of lighten the load of this website, so to speak.  Perhaps making it work and function properly again?

This website is still under some kind of construction, I just don’t know what?  They were supposed to then remove the posts that I wanted transferred over to the new website, yet I still see them on this website.  I like my guys in India, yet I sometimes think of them as Internet Detectives.  They aren’t.  I have to keep reminding myself of that.  They are only website designers and host my websites.  Period!

I do want to revamp this website this year, but we do have a wedding to plan and pay for in Hawaii, so this new website format is kind of on pause.  The wedding takes precedence.

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My guys in India told me that my posts are too long and that is the problem.  Yet, there was no problem until I called my Microsoft expert cyber-stalker a Mother Fucker.  

I have taken some of the large posts offline and placed them into Drafts in an attempt to free up that space.  My guys in India took my Quickie Italian and ruined it with all these boxes in an attempt to lighten that load.  I won’t even look at it, I’m so upset about it.  I doubt I will ever open it up and look at it again, let alone, post it online.

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I never wanted to be one of these ‘Recipe of the Day’ kind of persons.   (Not that there is anything wrong with that.)

I didn’t want a million small website pages, I wanted to post a slew of items/recipes all at once on one page.

  Kind of like a series.

At this writing I can no longer remove or place any website pages on this homepage.  That is thanks to my cyber-stalker P.G.  

My website guys have to do it for me.  So, starting this month, I will place more generic things on the homepage so that I don’t have to rely so much on them to update it every month for me.  I am hoping that once my new website format takes effect, that I will be able to have a bit more freedom to work on it, but for now, I am relying on them.  I can update website pages, but sometimes the new content won’t even show up.  And if I hear one more time, “You just need to clear your cache,” I’m going to pull my hair out!  I clear my cache until the cows comes home, it doesn’t help me.

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My Photo Album Website

Creating the new website was a lot of fun!  I never intended for it to be all Florida, it just evolved into that. 

That is when I decided to go all Vintage Florida.  I don’t even know if I will be working on it to add new content.  I just wanted these blog posts and website pages to ‘go into retirement in Florida and stay there,’ as most things do.  🙂

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BarefootInFloridaWithJulie.com

I just wanted to add that because this website was split up, there will be links that won’t work that might be on some (or a lot) of the website pages located on both of the websites.  It would take me a year to straighten that out.  I don’t have that kind of time, or that kind of money to hire someone to do it for me, so we will all just have to live with the imperfections.  We can all make fun of how unprofessional the websites are, and how they look, but then again I am an amateur nobody so it really doesn’t matter.  (Oh, in my head I am a huge super star, but that’s only in my head.)  🙂

Besides, from the moment I started my websites I’ve always had a saboteur to make sure they look bad.  After a while, you just get used to it.

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Goodbye 2025

I did want to add that 2025 was really hard on me.  (Although it doesn’t look like it in the photo above.  Gordon and I were shooting our Thanksgiving CLUE.)  

For the past two years I’ve had so many things to break down while I’m here alone to deal with it all, (A/C, Hot Water Heater, Sprinkler System struck by lightening, Yard Guys mowing over my Sprinkler Heads, Tree Roots messing up the Irrigation, I’m down to 3 burners on our 5 burner stove, lightening taking out our T.V./Blu-ray/Cable Box, Modem….

Gordon and I Buying a New T.V. When he was Home in October

I’ve also had insect infestations. 

I’m still sweeping up dead bugs everyday. 

So, don’t envy me! 

I think I am forgetting a few more big tragedy’s that I’ve apparently blocked out of my mind.

Oh, and Cataract Surgery this past November on both eyes!

(I’ll be blogging about that on my 60’s blog.)

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I did a quick costume change here, (from the red dress I have on at the top of this posting.)  I saved a Lilly Pulitzer Make-up brushes box that had a pattern on it that resembled this dress I am wearing.  I knew that I would do something with it, I just didn’t know what?  That is when I gave the box to Veronica and sent her along these two photos for her to choose one of them to place into that box to be used as a picture frame.  I’ll post it when I get it.

I am sad that the holidays are over with.   It was a nice distraction from our American reality right now.

I am not taking down any Christmas until Gordon comes back in February.  I will need his help packing all of this away.  But, until then I can shoot a few more things while I still have the “set” up.

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When I started this blog in January 2025, I started it off with a recipe.

  I decided that I wanted to end the year of 2025 with another recipe.  And here it is!

My Mini Potato Skins

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I had a craving for Potato Skins, and the only potatoes that I had in the house, were these:

So, I got the idea to just rework all the ingredients.

  The tastes would be the same, just not packed in a traditional Idaho Potato.

Potatoes and Bacon

Turn Oven On 350F

Place your clean Potatoes into a Casserole Dish, add pats of Butter/Margarine, and Salt and Pepper.

In To The Oven They Go For About 10 Minutes

In The Meantime…

Let’s Fry Up Some Bacon, Drain Onto Paper Towels

If You Are Smart Save The Bacon Grease

(Eggs Fried In This Are Heaven!)

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After 10 minutes I removed the Potatoes and placed more pats of Butter/Margarine on them, stirred them around a bit, then I placed them back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

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After that additional 10 minutes that I put them back into the oven.

  They still weren’t fork tender, so I covered them with foil, and put them back in for another 8-10 minutes.

While the Potatoes are cooking, I grated some Cheddar Cheese and got the Sour Cream out of the refrigerator.

Now that the Potatoes are done, I added the Cheddar Cheese

The Cheese immediately started to melt.  I then added some of the Bacon all crumbled up.

After Adding Dollops of Sour Cream, DONE!

The photo is not the best, but that didn’t detract from the taste!

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A Christmas Confession

After New Year’s last year, the thought of taking down my Harry Potter Christmas and packing it all away just made me sad. 

I had been so inspired by the movies and a lot of the books associated with the movies, that I created a Magical Christmas, and a few Harry Potter website pages have since emerged from that inspiration and creativity as well.  I stood there looking at it all and I decided to just keep it up.  It made me happy.  Sometimes, whether it be April, or June, Or August, or October, I would just turn all the lights on and sit there in all it’s brilliance.  

I know there were a few that made fun of me for it, but I didn’t care.  And as I see it, whatever makes us happy?  I knew 2025 wouldn’t be very good for any of us, but I also knew that I needed to do what I needed to do in order to get through it.

I seriously hope that 2026 will be a much better year for ALL of US!

Happy New Year!

Julie

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October 21, 2025

Happy Homecoming

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October 16-18, 2025

It’s Been Weeks of a Brunswick Stew Emergency

(Actually, I was on my 2nd. Thawed Batch of Brunswick Stew, which I Finished Last Week.)

It was about awhile  ago that I was in the kitchen washing dishes one evening, when suddenly lightening struck in the backyard of a house cady corner to us.  It was loud!!!  The dogs reacted!  I reacted!  And, although we didn’t loose power, the T.V. went dead, along with the Blu-ray player, and the Cable.  I didn’t panic, I continued washing the dishes, kind of waiting to see what would happen with the cable.  Nothing ever did happen with the cable.  The following day I called our cable company to report the outage and to get some help with getting back online.  I also had no internet, or phone.  We do still have a house phone.

Just an FYI:  Tampa means, Sticks of Fire, so named by the Seminole Indians.  Tampa is also the Lightening Capital of America.  I can remember when our New Zealand friends came over they had never seen forked lightening before.  They were fascinated by it.  We see it all the time.

The cable company sent someone out the following day to give me a few new cable boxes, and to get my T.V. and Internet going again.  

My Cable Boxes were fried, my Blu-ray player was fried, and my T.V. was half way friend, I’m told it will go out in the next month or so, and to get another one.

The Lightening also friend our Sprinkler system.  I had to get that fixed as well.  Nice big payment toward that.

I did order a few new Blu-ray players, and when Gordon comes home next week, we will be buying a new big screen T.V. for our living room.

I know that when I am feeling a bit down that my go-to food is Brunswick Stew.  I usually have a few containers of it frozen in the freezer.  So, when things get a bit sad, that is when I hit the freezer for some comfort.  Along with some great Soup Crackers.

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Garbage Disposal Won’t Stop Running 

Also, around the time the lightening struck I was turning on the garbage disposal when I couldn’t get it to shut off.  I then called my son-in-law Brian, he told me to turn off the breaker in the garage in order to get it to stop.  I did.  So, for weeks if I needed to use the garbage disposal I would run the water in the sink, then run out to the garage to turn on the garbage disposal, run back into the kitchen to make sure it was all going downstream as it should, then run back out to the garage to flip the breaker off so that it didn’t continue to run.

Then, one day it magically fixed itself and now it works beautifully.  Go figure?

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Website Problems

It was about a month ago that Gordon and I were talking on the phone when I called our Cyber-stalker P. G. a Mother Fucker.  He listens into our private phone conversations.  I had told Gordon about  how “someone in Fish Hawk” logs into my Instagram every day.  According to Instagram.  I then told Gordon that I don’t believe it is someone in Fish Hawk, I think it is P. G. pretending to be in Fish Hawk.  Interestingly enough, the next day it stopped.  No one in Fish Hawk was logging into my account anymore.  That is when I called P. G. a Mother Fucker and that is when our website quit working for us.

(Also, now I cannot access who follows me on Instagram.  I usually “REMOVE” many who follow me.  I am not interested in followers with Private Accounts.  Usually yucky men.  I’m sure a few of them are from P. G. who wants to follow me, yet I block men like him.)

He messed my website up so much that I could no longer post anything on it.

He is something of a Bastard and until he gets it out of his system, which generally takes a good 2 1/2 weeks, then I am on his retaliation radar.  You see, I know him!  Victims of abusers, we know our abusers better than anyone.  They show us their true selves.  They would never show anyone else who they really are.  But they gladly let us know.  You need to believe us.  You need to listen to us.  We have all the information needed.  Believe us!

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Drove Into Tampa

It had been awhile since I drove into Tampa to do some shopping on the Air Force Base.  It just happened to be Discoverers Day, that explained the lack of traffic on the road, and my easy ability to enter the base without waiting in a line of cars to do so.  Gordon will be coming home soon and I wanted to get a lot of major shopping over with before he gets here.  He will be here for just a short time and we try and cram as much into his time here as possible.  

I Always Take Food With Me

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I hit up my usual spots, but with the Government Shutdown I wanted to ask some questions to those that I encountered that are Federal Workers.  Everyone that works on the base is a Federal Worder.  Except the Military, I mean of course they are Federal Workers, but they get paid no matter what.  I don’t know why the news media’s lie, but the Military gets paid whether there is a Government Shutdown or not.  I hear it being reported inaccurately by my liberal leaning news agency’s.  Don’t know why they do it?  But they do.

The cashiers that ring me up are not getting paychecks.  The workers are not getting paychecks.  So, how much longer are they going to be able to continue to come into work while getting no money?   I mean, after awhile there is no money to fill their tanks with gas to even drive into the base to work.  As it is these people live paycheck to paycheck.  But, with no paycheck coming, what to do?

Not to sound selfish, but how will any of us be able to shop on the base anymore if there are no workers in the stores?  Will they close?  Will they just install more self-checkouts?  Will all those Military that live on the base have to drive elsewhere for food and supplies?  The base is the cheapest place to shop.  As it is Military families live paycheck to paycheck.  Having to spend more on food and supplies on the outside, will hurt them.

I worry about all of us, but there is nothing I can do about it.

I Bought A Haul Of Autumn

It’s Pumpkin Season so of course I loaded up!

I’m looking forward to this Halloween run up.  Can’t wait to share it with you!

Julie

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September 14, 2025

News, News, And More News

The Traditional Car Selfies

(Especially After Lots of Shopping)

Two weeks ago Gordon and I were on the phone talking about our upcoming plans, which I cannot disclose yet, and I called my cyber-stalker P. G. a Mother Fucker.  (He is in our cell phones, computers, and other devices.  He always listens in.)  Literally a day or two later, my website no longer worked correctly for me, and my cell phone has been disabled.  All in the same day.  Coincidence?  I think NOT!

This is very typical of him.  He is a highly sensitive almost 63 year old boy/child.  I would say, man/child, but I don’t consider him a man.  To me a man is an adult with honor who doesn’t stoop to the level of abusing, stalking and harassing women.  But, he is male.  We’ll just leave it at that.

Gordon will be coming home in a little over a month from now.  He has been working overseas.  We talk pretty much every day on the phone, and we have been making plans.  Not only for when he comes home, you know, the fun stuff.  But, also some more serious things we have going on.  Things I cannot share with you quite yet.  We are hiring people to help us.  Gordon will only be here for about 2 1/2 weeks, then he will go back overseas, but he will be coming home permanently early next year.  

I am still keeping Isabelle on a regular basis.  I am also back on the treadmill, trying to slim down for my health, and I want to look good in Hawaii next year.  We do have a wedding to help plan, and to attend.  And, our big news I cannot reveal quite yet.  (You know this is hard for me because I cannot keep a secret!)  🙂

Because of the corruption of my current website, I asked my guys in India to create a new site for me.  I want to move certain blog posts over to the new site, while keeping the current site a bit lighter, and more current.  I have been giving them directions on what I want.  Even sending them some of Veronica’s art and old photos of me, and other family members from my youth.  I have no idea what it will look like.  When I talk to them on the phone, they have the thickest Indian accents.  It is sometimes difficult for me to understand them.  I’m also not really sure if I am conveying my vision for the new website accurately enough.  They are smart guys, but we do have a language barrier.  The thing is, they speak English to conform to me.  I don’t dare criticize anything they say because I cannot speak their language.  At least they try with me.  And, I appreciate that.

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Can’t Change The Lights In The Guest Bathroom, So….

If you read my website then you know that my nasty neighbors next door have been harassing me for over a year by throwing things against that side of the house at 4:00 a.m. in the morning.  That is when I moved into the guest bathroom in the middle of the house to avoid that.  I do write about my harassment from them in:

My Log Blog Documenting Stalking and Harassment From My Neighbor

Bottom line, my lights in the guest bathroom are out and I cannot change them.  So, I use camping lanterns to see when I shower very early in the morning.  I do still use the master bathroom for hair and makeup, I just don’t go in there early in the morning.  So, am I a chicken for being driven out of the master bathroom?  Probably, but these people are mean, evil even.  I am a woman alone.  So, what do you think I am going to do?

I suppose that I could write a novel over what is happening in my country right now, but it won’t do any good.  Suffice it to say, it makes me sad and I do cry quite a bit because of it.  But, I also have a grand-daughter to keep, and educate, and entertain, and teach.  I want her to have happy years so I am doing my best to provide her with those.  Every child deserves a happy upbringing.  I got my happiness from my Grandparents and Great-Grandparents.  I want to give that to Isabelle.  She may not have a happy adulthood here in America, but I will make sure she has happy memories to get her through life.

Julie

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September 1, 2025

The Rockinghamification of America

It’s Here!

(I started this on September 1st., but I’ve had some trouble with my website over the past few weeks, so I am starting this again here on September 10th.)

In the past I have written about Rockingham, North Carolina.  We moved there the summer of 1978 from 3 years in Sevierville, Tennessee.  Rockingham had won All America City at that time.  That award attracted people from around the world, and the country, to be able to move to a city in the south that was liberal.  Oh, we didn’t say the word liberal at the time.  We called it ‘open-minded.’  There were doctors and their families from Iran, and Iraq, not to mention other northern states here in America.  The town also attracted my family.  One reason we left Sevierville, Tennessee is that my step-father didn’t think that politics belonged in the hospital.  (Isn’t that what we are experiencing now in this current political climate?  Before it became national, it started in these small southern towns and then has spread throughout the country.)

With doctors moving in, and medicine expanding, my step-father was a General Surgeon, money started coming into Rockingham.   They built the Rockingham Motor Speedway, to attract tourism from around the world.  Business’s started opening.  My family even opened a bookstore in the town square, something Rockingham didn’t have.  Rockingham was about an hour and a half or so from Charlotte, the nearest big city where many would have to drive to do their shopping.

 I have written about our time in Rockingham, and I have gone into greater detail of our time there.  I really don’t care to go into it all again here.  But, you can read about it in one of my past blog website pages.  I would cite it for you but I am kindof rushed for time and I’m not even sure that what I am writing now will appear on this website page.

The bottom line here in my story of our time in Rockingham, is that while Rockingham was growing and attracting outsiders, there were many locals that were unhappy with all the people coming in.  They were the MAGA’s of their day.  You see, I’ve known MAGA’s my whole life, they just didn’t have a name.  Now, they do.

So, the ‘Make Rockingham Great Again’ crowd started organizing.  

The haters started organizing in their efforts to drive out the ‘foreigner’s.’  They succeeded.  My family sided with the foreign doctors so that’s when we became targets of their wrath.  I have horror stories from our time there.  Some I will never share with anyone as I have a hard time speaking of them.  I have never known such hate before, and I can assure you that I have known evil in my life..  I would be driving down the road in my blue Datsun 310 and people that I didn’t even know would shoot me the bird.  Oh, it gets much worse but I don’t care to go into any of that now. 

Suffice it to say, the hater’s won!  (No one stopped them!)

That’s when people started leaving Rockingham.  Soon business’s started closing.  The Rockingham Motor Speedway shut down. and now if you look up Rockingham online you will see that they are a nothing town.  An insignificant redneck town full of insignificant redneck people.  Which is exactly what is happening here in America.  The haters took over, no one stopped them, and they are driving out the people they don’t like.  The people that have made America great.

RIP America,

Julie

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July 30, 2025

Say Cheeeeeeese…

SMILE

My mother bought me my first camera when I was in the 2nd. grade, age 7. 

She herself, was an avid photographer, who came from a father who was an avid photographer, who came from a mother who was an avid photographer. 

That is probably where it ends, or rather begins.  It started with Honnie and Gordon Haskin, passed down to their adopted son Frank Haskin, who then passed it down to his daughter, my mother, Mary Keith Haskin, who then passed it all down to me.  I think I am probably the only one of 4 siblings that has inherited this hobby/gift/talent, etc.  My brother’s never had an interest.

There are many things about my upbringing that I am very grateful for, and photography is one of them.  Probably my main appreciation.  I have always been a very avid photographer, but with starting this website, my photography skills have really improved.  Initially, it was all about taking a picture of a person, or a set, or a room, or anything out in nature.  But, it has evolved into using lighting, shading,  and even the daily humidity into creating lovely photos.  No one taught me anything, I just learn as I go.  I always have.  Sometimes I hate that about myself, other times I love that about myself.  You see, I don’t read instruction books.  I just dive right in!  (Not that I recommend that to any of you.  It’s just who I have always been.)

With the website turning 14, I wanted to acknowledge what is most important about it, the photographs. 

That is what we tend to get the most compliments on.  

I will say that our website is not as popular as it once was.  There isn’t as much traffic as we used to have.

Our audience has always been above us, not below us. 

What I mean by that is that bots from around the world scan our site, and we do see our ideas in books and magazines around the world.  I have mixed feelings on that.  It is flattering being copied.  Especially since I come from a family of abuse where I was told most every day that I am a nothing.  I mean, why would anyone copy something from someone who is a nothing?   I also tend to get upset when some of our ideas are in books and magazines that then sell and make money for other people.  After all, we have never made a dime off this website.

But, what I have come to realize is that everyone copies off everyone else.  Fashion people do it, car designers do it, hair salons do it, landscapers do it, movie people do it, food people do it, restaurants do it, shoe people do it, and so on, and so on, and so on.  So, I’ve made peace with it all.

Now I just want to continue to be creative for me.  Not that that was never the case.  I’m just saying that I just want to focus on me, us, our children, grand-child, dogs, and not so much on what other people are doing, or imitating.  I just want to do what I love, and if others are interested then you are very welcomed here.

I am trying not to create as much, and just work on what I have already created and do the write up’s for the website.  That is hard for me because I have so many ideas that I am squashing in order to catch up with other things.  Imagine holding yourself back from having great ideas?  Not a simple thing to do.  Especially fore a creative person.

Julie

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July 15, 2025

Happy Birthday to BFIFWJ! 

BarefootInFloridaWithJulie

We are 14 Years Old as of July 6, 2025!

(As my husband said, “Great hair day Julie!)

He knows what’s important.  🙂

(Out on our Lanai Extension)

I always like to acknowledge the birthday’s of our website.  I never thought it would last this long. 

When I started it I figured I might have a website for a year or two, I could actually see it going up to 7 years.  Not 14! 

But, I kept going, and it kept growing!

A Special Tasty Croissant Treat, and my Lovely Shell Wine Glasses

I am in love with our backyard.  I spend a lot of time out there. 

Whether it be in the backyard itself, or on our main lanai, lanai extension, and even our pavers.

The Banana Trees on the left of the photo, are ready to produce.  I hope they do soon!

Ready to Pop the Bubbly

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Flip Flopped In Florida With Julie

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So, What’s Up With Us?

Gordon is still working overseas.  We are saving to buy a few rental properties in Weeki Wachee.  It’s toward our retirement investments.  Plus, something we would like to pass down to our children.  Our son Brodie and his fiance, Mackenzie, have moved to North Carolina.  We are sad by this move, and a few things associated with it, but we want them to be happy, because that is what you want for your children.  There will be a wedding next year that we are all looking forward to as well. 

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Isabelle just turned 2! 

In this crazy country in which I live, I’m happy we got her to the age of 2 unscathed! 

Now, let’s get her to 3!

Happy Birthday, Isabelle!

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Politically, there is so much to say, yet I really don’t feel like saying it.  It doesn’t do any good anyway.  I’ve been speaking up since 9/11 and all it has gotten me is isolated from so many people.  Granted, I have come to realize that those people weren’t worth knowing.  But, I’m getting old, I have a granddaughter to take care of.  It really is up to the younger generations to fight for it.

I can remember when being informed by politics, and world events made you the life of any conversation. 

Not anymore!

I do have to say that working on my mental health has become more of a job than it used to.  I am having a harder time with being alone than I ever did before.  It’s all this extreme weather that I am having to deal with, alone.  It was a month ago that we received this big flash food and got 4 inches dropped on us in a matter of a few hours.  Had this loud clap of thunder not woken me up, I never would have known.  The pump out back, the circuit had tripped and I didn’t know that.  Water was fixing to come pouring into our home and I got outside and just started bailing water off the main lanai with a big bucket, and hurling the water to the lanai extension which is tilted in order for water to run down it.  I was scared!  But, luckily the rain suddenly stopped and the water was able to drain out of our lanai.  I was also pushing it out with a broom.

Our Existing Lanai Floods When It Rains Heavily

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Flash Flood Warning for Wednesday-Friday

So, tonight at 3:00 a.m. we are supposed to experience a lot of rain, and having the storms extend into Friday.  Our NOAA Radio has been going off since this morning, non-stop!  I ended up turning it off just so as not to be bombarded by it.  Also, Hillsborough County has been calling the house phone all day sending out their warnings as well.

I have moved some things outside, and on our lanai’s to prevent things from being broken.  And while I was doing that, I broke something.  So….  🙁

The loud thunder has started….

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Cleaning Out The Bedroom Closet

I’ve had the past 2 weeks off!

Tutu’s Hale (pronounced Ha-Lay, as in the Hawaiian word for House) Daycare has been closed, but will re-open early tomorrow morning.)  🙂

The Hale is ready for my favorite Keiki!

Veronica and Brian have taken their vacation time off what with the 4th. celebrations, Isabelle’s birthday on the 5th., and Veronica’s birthday on the 6th.  They did do the Disney Parks as well.

But, I have started the giant task of cleaning out my side of the walk in bedroom closet, that Gordon and I share.  I have so many clothes that they will  no longer fit.  My Lilly Pulitzer Collection has grown tremendously.  I figured that it would be hard for me to part with anything, yet I am able to.  Surprisingly! 

BUT, NO LIILY WILL LEAVE THE PREMISES!!!!

I’m giving myself through August to get it all done.  I am trying to pass some things to Veronica, the rest I’ll donate.

It is quite a task though.  And, I am taking my time.  But, now is the time to do it what with Gordon not here.  I have so many things strewn all over the bed.  I myself, am sleeping on the couch.

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My Mental Health

I do mention my ‘mental health’ above.  I have always been one to work on my mental health as it is, but now especially.

I realize that I have a very nice life.  It isn’t a perfect one, but it is a good one.  

Gordon and I have noticed that information in our accounts and beneficiary files are being changed.  Information in my medical records, is being changed.  This has us alarmed as we have our important information being changed, and we are not changing it.  We believe this to be by our cyber-stalker P. G..  We are also looking into hiring people to help to protect us, which will most likely lead to hiring attorney’s.  We have to protect ourselves from him.  He can access our insurance information, and change it.  He can erase everything.  And he will, too.

So, how’s your day goin’?  I’m guessing it’s better than mine!

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Yes, I take pictures.  Yes, I smile.  Yes, everything looks great. 

But, what you don’t see is that I do my fair share of crying.  I am afraid.  I have many fears.  Not just for my crazy country right now, but for our personal life.  After all, we have someone obsessed with harming us.  Obsessed with ruining us.  Why?  We have no fucking idea!  When evil targets you, evil doesn’t seem to stop, until you stop it.  This is way over our heads.  Which is why we are looking into hiring those that can protect us, from him.

Julie

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June 17-18, 2025

Catching Up, I’ve Missed You

Looks like at this writing my cyber-stalker P. G. has taken our site down from FireFox.

  I’ve alerted my guys in India.  Waiting to hear back from them.  

I have news to tell you on that front, but it will have to wait.  We have plans where he is concerned but I cannot tell you at this time.  (But I will say that I hope that Millie Bobby Brown, and Julia Roberts play me in the movie.  A young, and old Julie.)  🙂

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Everyday I feel a range of Good, Bad, Happy, Sad….

That is not just about my cyber-stalker, but about my country, and all that is happening around me. 

I just feel like saying to those that have better things to do than vote and keep up with our country’s democracy, so, was leaving your future up to others to decide, worth it?  Must have been.  Otherwise you would have taken charge of your own lives and futures by keeping abreast of our political climate, our politicians, and the decisions that they make about our own lives.  I just sometimes get so angry when thinking about “those” people and how they helped to get us here as a country through their own inaction.

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With Gordon working overseas this has been a particularly hard time for me.  Yes, we talk everyday on the phone. 

He’s running to a bunker about 7 times a day because of incoming….  (that’s all I can say.)

We’re also in the midst of planning a wedding for next year.  AND, Brodie and Mackenzie are moving to North Carolina at the end of the month.  

Mackenzie has been offered her dream job, and she is taking it!  I don’t blame her.  She deserves all the good that comes her way.  It’s just that they will be moving away from all of us, and we are sad about it.  I do come from a family that has moved about quiet a bit, so moving for me is quite normal. 

Just to give you an indication of that:

I lived in 4 cities in Georgia, 2 cities in Virginia, 1 town in Tennessee, 4 cities in North Carolina, 4 cities in Hawaii, and  4 cities in Florida.  I know what it’s like to move around.  It’s actually quite normal to my family.  Oh, and I forgot Maryland!  See, it comes with the territory.  I’m not worried about Mackenzie adjusting to a new state and all that comes with it.  However, I am worried about Brodie.  It will be harder on him.  They are excited/terrified!  That’s normal.

I spend my days keeping Isabelle, working on the website, and creating new projects.

I love my simple life.  I’m not looking for anything complicated.  I enjoy being 64.  To me, 64 isn’t so bad.  It’s actually quite liberating.  AND, it’s normal to age.  

From what I understand from my Grandmother and Grandparents, Isabelle is just like ME!

Oh, they are long gone.  But their depiction of me is still alive and well in Isabelle.  🙂

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I suppose there really isn’t that much to catch up on after all.  I am trying to finish all the many website pages that are “Under Construction.”

Because my Cyber-Stalker P. G. keeps getting into our photos, moving them around, and even stealing them, I have bought a computer that I keep offline at all times and just use it to house my pictures, and only transfer them over to this computer when I’m ready to upload them onto the website.  

P. had removed all my photos that I had placed on this new computer but when he heard of the plans that Gordon and I have for him, he put them all back.  I guess in the hopes that it would appease me.  You see, P. is not only in our computer’s, but he is also in our phones and listens in to our private conversations everyday.  Gordon and I even started a segment of ‘Let’s tell Paul what we think of him seeing as how he’s here with us on the phone.’  Hey, if he’s going to invade our privacy he might as well hear about how much we hate him.

Hope all is well out there!

Julie

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June 2, 2025

My Cyber-Stalker P. G. of Charlotte, N.C. Strikes Again

(He’s always doing something, I just don’t always talk about it.)

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Draining My Olives and Washing My Curry Leaf Branches

(I can’t believe that I have no photos of my Olives that I used here in the jars they came in.  However, I will do my best to name them in the ingredient write-up.)

UPDATE:  June 2, 2025

  I wrote the above statement months ago when I was putting this recipe together.  I noticed that pictures were missing from the files they should be in.  I just found the missing photos yesterday and will add them here. 

MY MISSING PHOTOS:

I will add these to the recipe that I have down below at the bottom of this website page.

My Cyber-Stalker of 30 years who works for M has been hiding our photos and placing them into old files where we can’t find them. 

His name is P. K. G. OF CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Isn’t this what women have had to endure for generations?  Men trying to control them?  My blog introduction may be a parody, but it’s concept is real in the 30 year harassment that I have had to endure from this very insecure little 62 year old man/child.

You know, Gordon and I have been waiting for years for P. to get bored with us and move on, perhaps even finding a life of his own that doesn’t involve stalking anyone.  When I say that he’s been stalking us for 30 years, he has!  And as I told Gordon a few months ago, we are going to be saying things like, ‘P. has stalked us for 32 years now’ and ‘P. has stalked us for 35 years now’ and ‘P. has stalked us for 40 years now.’  It’s never going to end.  He is a 62 year old man who’s life has passed him by.  He has nothing to look forward to except his daily pleasures of stalking and sabotaging others.  Do you know how truly pathetic that is? 

While my husband is working overseas helping to keep us safe, P. is moving photos around in our Pictures.  The Hero, and the Zero.  
That is the difference between Gordon and P.

I recently coined the name Gollum to describe P.  You know, the pathetic unwanted creature from The Lord of the Rings? 

You see, P. listens into our daily phone conversations so I suggested to Gordon that seeing as how he is with us interfering in our private conversations that I say we spend about 10 minutes of our time telling P. exactly what we think of him.  Both P. and Gollum are pathetic creatures worthy of our pity.  They have a lot in common.  Gollum’s obsession with the Ring ruined his life and drove him to madness.  P’s obsession with us has done the same to him.  He is nothing.  He has nothing.  And just like Gollum, P. will destroy himself in the end.

Julie

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April 8, 2025

March, 2025

Gordon’s Home!

Julie and Gordon Out and About

With Gordon working overseas as a contractor, when he is able to come home we only have a few weeks here and there to be together, and to be with our family.  This visit has since come and gone but, we had a really nice time together.  There was a lot of work to do as well.

He initially wanted to come home in February around my birthday, but I told him no.  I wanted him here in March to help with all the spring prep outside. Spring is a lot of work here in Florida.  We tend to lose our leaves from our trees in late January and throughout February, and even into March.  That is a lot of raking, etc.  However, because Hurricane Milton knocked down so many large branches of ours in our backyard, we had hardly any leaves to fall this year.  I remember paying our yard guys $500.00 last year just to rake up all of our leaves. 

There was also lots of algae and mold all around our property on our retaining walls, pavers, and lanai.  That comes from the Florida heat and humidity.  Bleaching, pressure washing, and so on, are all part of upkeep for Florida homeowners.  We also ended up extending our existing fence along the side of our house because of our abusive neighbors.

I do detail all of that here:

My Log/Blog Documenting Stalking and Harassment From My Neighbor

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Honey-Do’s

I always have lots of Honey-Do’s for Gordon when he comes home.  You know, ‘Honey Do This, and Honey Do That.’  🙂

This was one of those cute little Honey Do’s I had Gordon to put together.  I knew the Trump Tariffs would make everything go up so I bought all of this stuff before they took effect.  This is a cute little Garden Center for our Grand-Daughter Isabelle.

I even bought all the accessories for it as well.

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Isabelle’s Little Planter

I Had Gordon To Put These Together As Well

It’s just not Spring or Easter without some sort of garden project to put together.

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Our time together was way too short, but we always manage to pack quite a bit into each visit.

We were thinking about him coming home permanently this October but with all that is going on in our country, perhaps he needs to stay over there longer just in case.  Who knows, he may have to support all of us here if things get really bad?

We Are Truly Living In Uncertain Times

I wish that I had better things to write about.  In these times it’s really up to us to make our own happiness.  To create our own magic.  I would go into greater detail on how to handle these times, but it will sound like everyone else giving advice on what to do.  I don’t want to be that way.  Each person’s circumstances are different.  Some of us have better means than others.  Some of us have better connections and opportunities than others.  Personally, I wish and hope that all of us will survive these coming times and even thrive afterward.  But, realistically I know that won’t happen.

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Julie Barefoot Backyard in the Garden

At this point I honestly don’t know what to say?  I wish that I had all the answers, but I don’t.

I do know that it’s time to hoard.  Time to be on offense.  Time to stay quiet. 

Julie

P.S.  We all miss Gordon.  He is a good husband, a good father, and a good grandfather.  🙂

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March 13, 2025

We’re All Going To Hell In A Hand Basket

(Not to be TOO Negative)

Tuesday, March 11th.

I drove into the base in Tampa on this day to do some shopping.  Gordon will be coming home soon from working overseas and I am shopping in preparation for that.  We have many things planned.  Some fun, some work.  I found it interesting that the base was pretty empty compared to what it usually looks like.  No traffic entering the base, no problem finding good parking, no long lines at check out, not waiting in line for gas, no waiting in line for prescription drive through pick-up, etc.

The Air Force Base is usually pretty busy.  It is actually a small city with everything on it.  This is Florida after all, what with lots of seniors coming onto the base to pick up their prescriptions and do their shopping.  It was a nice day.  I enjoyed it.  To me a good day is when everything goes according to plan.  I’m not one of these people that craves any sort of excitement.  I prefer boring.  To me boring is nice.  Boring is also peaceful.  Plus, boring isn’t boring to me.

I did my usual that day but it was while I was doing some Commissary shopping that I overhear conversations from other shoppers.  This one white couple, probably in their 50’s were comparing brand prices looking for bargains.  As it is prices are very cheap on base.  But they were looking for cheaper. 

Also, when I rounded a corner and headed up an aisle as I was looking at some products on the shelves an Empath noticed me and said something to the effect of, ‘We’ll be buying fewer things soon.’  I then looked at her and said, “I know.  And things are about to get a lot worse.”  She agreed with me as she walked past me.

She was an African-American woman, probably around my age, she was dressed very nicely and her cart was pretty full.  She also had plants in the top section of her cart.  I too was dressed nicely, (in one of my Lilly Pulitzer dresses), with my cart full as well, and plants all around the top part of my cart.  So, you may wonder why she said that to me?  Simple.  She is an Empath, she read me, she knew I was safe to say those things to.  Most white women and men that shop on base are republicans.  You really can’t say anything to them without getting some negative reaction.  Yet this woman knew that I was not that way.  She knew she could say to me what she did and that I would respond in her favor.  Which I did.

Oh, and I’m sure you’ve noticed that I have removed my Empath Blog Pages from my website. 

Perhaps one day I can restore them.  But not now.

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After doing my shopping I headed home.  Oh, the car was full!  I did a LOT of shopping!

And, on the way home I had my chicken that I picked at in the car ride home.  It took me and hour and a half to get home that day.  Horrible Tampa traffic!

Plants, Juice, and Chicken

When I did get home it took me probably a good 35 minutes to unload the car.  At this writing, Thursday, March 13th. I am still putting things away.  I still have grocery bags full of items to take care of.

Ya know, I don’t think that I really have to go into my headline above.  I think that most people that keep up with what is going on knows exactly what I mean above when I say, “We’re all going to hell in a hand basket.”  I mean, it’s obvious.  At least to those that have eyes and can see.  Or ears that can hear?  Or feelings that can feel.

Yesterday when our daughter Veronica got off work and picked up Isabelle from our house, she told me that 17 employees where she works were laid off.  She did say that she made the cut, but that instead of working 5 days a week, she will only be working 4.  Which means that I too get every Friday off from watching Isabelle from now on.  That means I get a 3 day weekend all the time.  Good for me, but not for Veronica and Brian that need the money.

So, the Trump Presidency has hit us close to home now.

I knew that it would. 

Now I wonder what else is to come our way?  I guess we’ll all find out.

Julie

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February 1, 2025

February is Here

Saturday Selfies

Grabbing my Jalapeno Cheddar Muffin to Go

Ran some errands today and did some shopping.  It was a busy Saturday with lots of traffic on the road and at the stores.  While I was at the grocery store I overheard a woman on her cell phone talking to someone about how scared people are right now.  I didn’t want to chime in to her conversation but I very well could have because I understand exactly as she does.  She was a black woman.  I also heard plenty of white women on their cell phones talking to others about the shopping list, or what time they will be picking up so and so to go wherever.  And there were a few white men on the phone with their wives as they were tracking down items on their shopping lists.  Interesting to me that it was the black woman that knew what was going on while the white people were still oblivious and just doing their shopping. 

Oh, the white people will find out soon enough just how scared they should be.

We are all in danger now.  None of us are safe.  Know that.

Safety regulations on our food and drink are being removed right now.  Also, if there is an outbreak of some contaminated foods, or some disease we will not know of it.  Those agencies are being shut down, and the information will be squashed.

For the first time in our lives Gordon and I are considering buying a weapon.  I don’t want to live in the Old West but that may just be how things turn out.

I’m also sure you have been aware of the latest plane crashes in our country?  Well, when you fire and gut the department that made sure we were safe, then these things happen.

Each day I wake up feeling Good/Bad/Happy/Sad, just like the song says.

I have my good moments, my bad moments, my happy moments and my sad moments.

This is all of our futures.  Unless you are a billionaire then you are not immune, and you will feel the pain quickly.

They tried to gut Medicaid a few days ago but there was so much outcry they changed their minds.  Understand that this is only temporary.  They will try again when the coast is clear.  Republican’s never give up on any damage they want to do.  They don’t stop, they don’t take a day off, they plot, they plan, and they always succeed.  It’s because you take a day off, you have a life you want to live and enjoy, they count on that.  You turning your back to do something else.  That is when they strike!

They have a grand plan for all of us that I cannot even begin to describe to you here.  You wouldn’t even believe me if I tell you.  Oh, I’ll tell you what I see coming when you are ready to hear it.  But, not yet.  For now, look out for yourselves.  Stay low.  There are no laws now in our country.  Murderers will be forgiven as long as they fight for our leader.  We are entering the American Holocaust. 

During the George W. Bush years the only place that you could hear the truth was on NPR.  National Public Radio.  And also the foreign papers, which I frequented daily.  However, they may just end up blocking our access to these foreign papers.  In which case, we are left with pretty much nothing and it will be up to us to use our common sense to survive it all.

The thing that I do know well is that the truth always finds a way.

When the Bush Administration suppressed the news outlets, that made way for the rise of the political bloggers.  It was only there that you could find the truth.  However, they too will be squashed this time around.  The truth will have to come in another forum.  And it will!  Because like I said, the truth always finds a way.

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My MAGA Next Door Neighbors…

I don’t even know where to begin on this one.  It’s so bizarre, but when I started keeping my Grand-Daughter in the Autumn of 2023, I have had to get up very early on the mornings I keep her.  If Veronica drops her off I have to get up at 4:00 a.m. to be ready for when she drops her off.  If Brain is dropping her off, I have to get up at 4:30 a.m..  Yea!  I get to sleep in!

Being up that early in the morning just makes me feel vulnerable.  I’ve just always felt like someone was outside my bathroom peeking in one of the windows.  I also could have sworn that while I was in the bedroom naked, searching for something to wear and getting dressed, that someone was sitting on the roof on the house next door to us.  I’ve thought I’ve seen that a few times.  One time I thought I saw two men sitting together on the roof.  And interestingly enough, the garage was open that morning on the house across the street.  My first thoughts were that they must have forgotten to close their garage door.  But I did think that was very strange.

In our bedroom we have a window that is very high up and spans probably 12 feet long and two feet high, and arched.  We have very tall ceilings in our house.  That window is also pretty standard.  No one places curtains on it because it’s so high up and you will never find any kind of window covering to fit it.  Also, most people aren’t tall enough to look in your house through it.  (Unless of course, they were on their roof.)

I don’t keep Isabelle every weekday, but I do keep her anywhere from 2-5 days a week.

For the past few months when I get up at either 4:00 or 4:30, I am in the bathroom toilet room, with the light off.  I do have the bathroom light on, just not the toilet room light on.  But, the light does shine through to me.  Well, it’s then that I will hear this very loud THUMP against the side of the house.  My first thoughts are, ‘what the hell was that?’  I will then jump up and look out the main bathroom window to see if someone is out there.  It’s usually very dark and hard to see.  But, I am usually a bit shaken wondering what that was?  This happens quite often.  Usually I would forget about it and go on with my morning, and then my day, until it would happen again the next morning, only to alarm me again, etc.

I have also heard this THUMP at night after I have gone to couch.  Yes, I sleep on the couch.  I am the female Fox Mulder.  Anyway, I will also hear it at night sometimes.

Two weeks ago at around 4:35 a.m. I was once again in the toilet room when I heard the loudest THUMP I had ever heard up until then.  That THUMP was right beside the toilet room window!  It scared me so much that I leapt up, if you know what I mean.  I’ll just leave it there where my response was concerned but…

Well, it was on Saturday that something told me to look out the bedroom window.  I have to stand on the bed to do so.  That’s when I saw it, a blue and orange ball.  It was right between our houses.  That’s when it all made sense to me.  It’s that BALL that I am hearing in the mornings.  He’s throwing that damn ball at the house around the bathroom.  Why?  I have no idea!  I knew they were republicans, but I didn’t think ill will of them until now.

But just think about it.  He gets up before me, and lies in wait for me to use the restroom, and then throws that ball at the house.  Isn’t that bizarre?  Who does these things?

I took pictures.  I’m gathering my evidence.  I even went over there yesterday while I was on the phone with Gordon and hurled that ball to the front of their yard.  I’ve been talking to Gordon and Brian about it and they are on it!  Gordon will be back in March and he is planning on talking to the next door neighbors.  Gordon and Brian are going to install additional security for me.  We just need to update what we have, and install new that cannot be accessed online.  I do still have a cyber-stalker P. G. ya know?  If it’s online he can access it and thus control it so….

Wow!  Look at all my stalkers!!!  🙂

It’s kind of strange but when neighbors and others have been harassing me in the past…

(Leisa, Wheelchair Nazi John, Ed, Dori H., P. G., and a cast of many more.)

It used to bother me.  But for some reason this doesn’t upset me as much.  I think because I see the disorder in the person, and not the person.  For example, Leisa was a Narcissist, Wheelchair Nazi John was a Paranoid Schizophrenic, Ed had Dementia, Dori was Bi-Polar, P. G. is a Sociopath..

Get the point?  When you see the disorder in the person it makes more sense.  None of the things the people I mention above, have to do with me or anything I’ve ever done.  It’s all about them.  My MAGA neighbor is no different.  I have never done anything to him or his family.  I have no idea why he lies in wait for me in the mornings?  His wife must know about it and she apparently doesn’t care that her husband harasses another woman.  That makes her (Co-Dependent.)  See how this works now?

Remember when I mentioned above that I just had this feeling someone was peeking in my bathroom window?  Well, he was outside my bathroom and bedroom, wasn’t he?  So, why not look?  Looks like I was right after all.

I’m going to be 64 this month.

  This man next door is truly sick!  Along with all of them!

Julie

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January 17, 2025

Before Inauguration Day

Thursday, January 16, 2025

I took this photo of me yesterday while I was on my way to MacDill AFB in Tampa to do some major shopping to stock up.

Granted, it’s not new for me to take a car selfie while on my way to the base to do my shopping but, it was just different yesterday.  I set my alarm for early and got up, got ready, and got out of here for the day.

I of course, took food with me, I always do.  And plenty of water.  It was my day off from keeping Isabelle and I knew that I had to make the most of my day and shop until I dropped.  Which I did!

According to Trump he is implementing his Tariff’s on day ONE!  That is a tax on many imported goods to our country.  Our Economists have warned us that the average American family will be spending an additional $4,000.00 a year more on regular household goods they normally buy. 

Gordon and I don’t exactly fall into that “average” category, so we will probably be spending more than that a year on our food, etc. budget.  We tend to eat a lot of Asian ingredients.  We lived in Hawaii for 13 years and all the Asian foods that we ate there are ingrained into our diets.  Just to add a bit of history here about Tariff’s, The Boston Tea Party, December 16, 1773, was in response to Tariff’s.  So….

If you are thinking that the items you mostly buy won’t fall under that “tariff” tax, and that you don’t need to stock up on anything, well, having to pay that “tariff tax” will make the things you usually buy a bit harder because you won’t have that extra money to pay for those items.

You also need to understand that grocery stores here in America are also going to implement that Tariff tax on their goods, whether they already had them in the store before the tax took effect, or not.  Publix is owned by a woman that supported and funded the January 6th. Insurrection.  You think she is going to give you a discount?  She will tax you as soon as she can because that is free money for her.  And no, I won’t be naming her here.

I stocked up on everything yesterday.  I hit up the Exchange for some clothing for Isabelle, and lingerie for me, dog treats, Isabelle some Bluey toys, books, there were also lots of Valentine’s Day things that I bought, just to get ahead.  It was funny that they had leftover Christmas, Valentine’s Day things, and even the Easter stuff has arrived and was out on display.

I stocked up on so many things so that all I will need to buy for the next few months will be fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.  I can get those at Sprouts.

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Already Packed

I wanted to add that I have started to keep some clothing and toiletries in my car just in case.  I’ve been doing this since 2024.  I read a few years ago that Climate Scientists are keeping a bag packed by their door, to grab on their way out of the house if there is a climate emergency.

I’ve always been the kind of person to carry a big purse with “additions.”  What I mean by that is that in addition to the usual things women carry in their purse, I always had a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, painkillers, antacids, address book with phone numbers, mini-scissors, small compact make-up, in addition to the usual lip sticks and lip liners, mini hand lotions, …  shall I continue?  🙂

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One Fine Day

Michelle Pfeiffer’s One Fine Day Purse, with George Clooney

I cannot tell you how many people that I knew that saw that movie back in 1996 and thought of me!  It was the handbag!  Michelle Pfeiffer had everything in that handbag, just like me. 🙂

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The California Fires

I can’t tell you how many times I heard interviews of people that said, ‘we didn’t have time to grab anything, we left with the clothes on our backs.  We had nothing.

When you look at that cooler right behind me in the photo of my selfie, you see a blue cooler.  In that cooler are clothing and toiletries.  I am keeping those at the ready just in case I may ever need to evacuate in a hurry.  I will at least have something, whereas there were so many that had nothing.

By our backdoor I have bags packed for our dogs.  That way, all I have to do is to grab their food.  I already have blankets, leashes, their papers, pads, blankets, toys, etc. all packed in carry-on’s.

I think this is how we need to live our lives in this day and age.  Ready for anything.  Especially, ready to evacuate. due to climate change.

I would like to credit Nancy Drew for my efficiency in always being prepared.  Reading her books as a young child taught me that.  Nancy was always prepared.  She always had everything in her handbag that she needed.  I know that may sound a bit silly, but it applies to today.

I managed to stock up on everything.  Goods, Wine, Food, Toiletries..

As You Can See Here….

This is our future.  Being prepared, being ready.  I also have blankets in my car, batteries, rope, flashlights, first aid kits, even some books to read if I am ever stranded.  Being prepared is our future.  Like it or not.  It is!

Julie

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January 12, 2025

From My Neighborhood Stalker…  🙂

This was left in our mailbox back in December, but I find it very interesting.

You can see my trash cans in the photo.  Usually I just set out the two for pick-up on Tuesday’s, but this particular day I had collected quite a bit of yard debris so I had placed that container out as well.  This photo was taken on a Monday night, around 3:00 a.m.

You can see the shadow of the person (man) holding their arms in the air, left, to take the photo at 3:00 a.m.  They look slender.

 The note they left is also a interesting.  It says:

Hi,

Not sure if you realise (realize) it but your sprinkler is broken

🙂  Smiley Face

These guys did some work for me

_____ sprinkler

___-___-____  (Sprinkler company’s phone number.)

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First of all, this person doesn’t tell me who they are.  It alarms me that someone would be standing outside the house at around 3:00 a.m. taking this photo.  After they took this photo at 3:00 a.m. they had to have printed it out on their printer, and then placed it in the mailbox the following night.  I know this because it was underneath my mail.  As in, they placed the photo in my mailbox at night, and then the mailman delivered the mail the following morning, placing it on top of this note.

The smiley face added to the note is something a woman would do, but I believe this to be a man who wrote this.  I don’t know many women wandering the neighborhood at 3:00 a.m., plus the note mentions how these sprinkler guys ‘did some work for me.’  We don’t have any single women living around me.  A married woman would have said, ‘did some work for us.’  So, this is a man.  (Or, it could have been the joint effort of a husband and wife team.)

I suppose I could call that number he gave me and ask who that business services on my street?  But, I’m not going to.  It’s funny but when you do contact any of these kinds of businesses they always ask the same thing, ‘How did you hear about us?’  What shall I say?  Oh, my neighborhood stalker gave me your phone number,  🙂

P.S.  I already knew about the busted sprinkler.  I am a light sleeper and I get up throughout the night.  The first thing I do is to look outside.  I saw the geyser, I was just waiting until my son-in-law had the time to come over and fix it.  He did, and all is well.  The only mystery left is who is the sneaky neighborhood person?

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…And, What I’ve Been Up To

Now that the holidays are over with I am back to keeping Isabelle.  Some weeks are just a few days, while other weeks are everyday.  We’ve also had the nicest coldest weather now for about a month.  I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  I’m just doing cold weather things like reading, organizing, working on my website.  I’m currently working on 5 website pages at once, mostly Christmas’s from 2023.

I am also dreading Inauguration Day and will be doing a lot of shopping prior to that day.  I suggest that you do the same.  If we are to have to pay around $4,000.00 more a year on our normal household items because of the Trump Tariffs, then it would be a good idea to stock up now before day one of his Presidency.

Also, there needs to be an understanding by the American people of what is to come.  Just watch how Trump handles the California fire situation when he gets in office and that will give you an indication of how he will handle everything.  It will be up to us to survive on our own.  There will be no help from any government official.

Do any of you remember the Brown Outs in California during the Gray Davis Govenorship?  He was recalled and then replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Those Brown Outs were generated by the Bush/Cheney Administration just so the people would blame Gray Davis, which they did, and the people got rid of him, which they did, even though it really wasn’t his fault. 

These fires will have every Democrat in the state fired and replaced by Republican’s.  The state will then turn red in the next major election.  (If we even have elections anymore.)

As California burns so does the rest of us.  You’ll see.  This really is the end of California as we know it.  It’s also the end of America as we know it.

Can Biden do something before he leaves office?  Sure.  Will he?  I have no idea?  He could grant every citizen living here in America citizenship.  Will he?  I have no idea?  I guess we will find out what Biden is made of before Inauguration Day.  But, the Biden that we know will smile, and shake the hand of the dictator that will destroy our country.  Just as Obama sat next to Trump at Jimmy Carter’s funeral, smiling and laughing with Trump.  Those are our Democrats.  We don’t have fighters, we have political pussy’s that Trump gets to grab whenever he wants to.

Miracles can happen before Inauguration Day.  Will they?  Well, I have never believed in miracles.  I’m pretty sure I’ll be proven once again, that they don’t exist.

Julie

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January 11, 2025

Jimmy Carter’s Funeral, California Fires, and our Incoming President’s Unaccountability (I might have made up this word, not sure.)

The Start of 2025

(If you think this is bad, just wait.)

RIP Jimmy

I wanted to share a story with you.  It took place in either the late 80’s or early 90’s but Jimmy Carter had organized a program to bring over some people from Soviet Georgia to receive surgery for their ailments.  My parents, John and Mary Lancaster had one of the recipients of the program to stay with them.  I remember his name was Iraqli, not sure if that is how you spell it, but it is how the name was pronounced.)  He was a doctor over there.  He didn’t have the money to come to America for the surgery he needed, his mother paid for it.  I think that he just needed to get over here and then everything else was free.  Iraqli had a huge tumor on his face.  He came over to Georgia for probably a month.  I believe it was Emory that removed his tumor.  He stayed with my parents for a few weeks, and then another family in Atlanta.

Out of all the wonderful things being said of all that Jimmy Carter did, I haven’t heard one person say anything about this program.  Probably because the Carter’s have done so many good things that are just too numerous to even name.

Jimmy and Rosie

(We named our cats after them.)  🙂

I may credit Jimmy Carter for this program but I’m sure Roslyn had something to do with it as well.  Just as she had something to do with every good works Jimmy Carter was ever credited for.

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I remember my parents telling me that Iraqli loved pickles so much and could not stop eating them, so they just placed the jar in front of him and let him have all of them.

Another cute story is that at that time my parents had a copy machine in their house.  Iraqli was fascinated by that.  My parents tried to explain to him that the only reason they had that copy machine is that it was leftover from his practice in North Carolina and that it isn’t common for most families to even own one.  (Iraqli assumed that all American families had copy machines.)

When he went and stayed with that family in Atlanta when he had his surgery, they also had a copy machine.  🙂

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I just wanted to state that I have told you things throughout my years of blogging of my abuse my parents inflicted on me for most of my life.  My brother Johnny once summed it up by saying:

‘We might have had rotten parents, but they were good people.’

What he said about them actually helped me to get through a lot of the abuse that I received from them.  But, the abuse never ended, so I finally decided to stop judging them by how good they are to other people, and only judge them on how bad they are to me.

The example of my parents taking in Iraqli is a perfect example of the good that they would do for other people. 

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The California Fires

See the Palm Trees? 

They are not indigenous to California, and they suck up a lot of water.

This is so very sad on so many levels.  Not just the human, animal and plant life, but the destruction of homes, property, businesses, places of worship, schools, etc.  Not to even mention the pollution that is contributing to the destruction of our planet.

When you hear on T.V. that Mel Gibson’s house has burnt down, all you think about is Mel Gibson.  (Before I continue, I just wanted to state that I do not like Mel Gibson, I am just using him as an example.)

What most people don’t realize is that there are so many attached to Mel Gibson that have now lost in some way.  There are the people that live with him, the people that work for him.  His giant mansion is tended to by some very skilled gardeners, who also probably would tend to the gardens of many in the area.  They have now lost their jobs and perhaps even gone out of business.

Also, the housekeepers that tend to Mel Gibson’s house most likely work for a company that tend to many houses in the area.  They have now lost their jobs, and that business has probably gone out of business.  There are also people that you don’t think about.  Oh, and let’s not forget the pool boys, and who they worked for.  Most of these wealthy have personal chefs, and personal trainers.  They have now lost their jobs too.

Schools have burnt down, banks have burnt down, businesses have burnt down.  They have all lost their jobs.

This tragedy is so grand that I don’t believe it can be fixed.  Where are all these displaced people to go? 

Of course there are solutions, but that would mean taxing the rich and we all know that won’t happen.

I would like to say something to those people that after every tragedy they all say the same thing, ‘I never thought this would happen here.’

Me:  Why the hell not?  Are you protected by magic fairies or something like that?  Why can’t it happen to you?  It can happen to any of us. 

There is such a thing called, Global Warming.  Yeah, I know we changed the name to Climate Change because when most ignorant people hear the words, Global Warming, they tune out because they think of Al Gore.  Each year our planet gets hotter and hotter, dryer and dryer, yet no one can connect the dots, and not wonder why this is happening?

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My Spaghetti Pie

It was while I was making my Spaghetti Pie that I was using so many ingredients from California.  That excellent Olive Oil that we use so often, and love so much  The tomatoes grown in California, etc.  I then wondered if the fires would affect our ability to even have these items in the future?  I’m not trying to be selfish.  I’m just pointing out that we are all connected and what happens in California can affect me here in Florida.

We need to care about each other.  We need to help each other.  We need to put our planet before profits.

Yeah well, stay tuned, huh?

And a big P.S.:  Mel Gibson is the one that is going to be o.k. even though he is the one that lost his house.

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And Now For The Most Disgusting…

In my 63 years I haven’t seen too many evil people pay a price for all the evil that they do.  I won’t be naming names, but you know who I am talking about.

When I was in Elementary School in Roanoke, Virginia we watched the Watergate Hearings on T.V. every day.  It was history.  Our teachers knew it was important that we watch and be engaged, to know what was going on, and how serious it all was.  That was such a long time ago when the criminal activity of our politicians was considered bad and important for us to know about.  But not now.

I’ve heard the Democrats talking about how they need to change to appeal to the rural voters.  WHAT?  CHANGE?  TO APPEAL TO A BUNCH OF RACISTS?

Exactly how are they going to do that?  Become racists themselves?

I say, be yourself.  Don’t try and appeal to any bad actor.  Why?  Is selling your soul just so you can win elections worth it?  I don’t think so.  Yet, this is where we are in our country.

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If America is an evil country, then it’s an evil country.  There is nothing we can do about it.  Except perhaps to carve out a small significant portion ourselves in our daily lives where we disconnect from that evil and do good.  There may come a time when I quit watching the news altogether.  There may come a time when I deactivate yet another social media account of mine.  I know that I have deleted some website pages of mine.  Perhaps I will be deleting all my personal blogs as well if I see the need.  There may come a time where I spend my days doing nothing but gardening, crafts, cooking, helping, etc.

As I told my brother Johnny in Ireland, ‘I guess I’ll just play princess castle with Isabelle until they drag me out into the town square and hang me for my liberal views.’

Julie

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January 6, 2025

My Inspiration In Life is Sea Biscuit:

(I realize I’ve posted about Sea Biscuit before, but with the coming 2025 Administration that is to be sworn in on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I think a lot of us will be looking toward the inspiration of the underdog.  Sea Biscuit and his jokey and trainer, are mine.)

Sea Biscuit VS. War Admiral

I grew up with so many of my family and their friends who loved Sea Biscuit.  In this clip you hear George tell the jockey Charlie, ‘So Long Charlie’ right before he takes off.  I heard that said so many times when I was young, when anyone would leave our house.  It was like saying, ‘see you later.’  But, the meaning was all about Sea Biscuit.

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So Long, Charlie,

Julie Lancaster-Whann

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RECIPE

My Curry Leaf Roasted Olives, Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes

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Our Front Yard Curry Plant

Draining My Olives and Washing My Curry Leaf Branches

(I can’t believe that I have no photos of my Olives that I used here in the jars they came in.  However, I will do my best to name them in the ingredient write-up.)

UPDATE:  June 2, 2025

  I wrote the above statement months ago when I was putting this recipe together.  I noticed that pictures were missing from the files they should be in.  I just found the missing photos yesterday and will add them here.  My Cyber-Stalker of 30 years who works for M has been hiding our photos and placing them into old files where we can’t find them. 

His name is P. K. G. OF CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Isn’t this what women have had to endure for generations?  Men trying to control them?  My blog introduction may be a parody, but it’s concept is real in the 30 year harassment that I have had to endure from this very insecure little 62 year old man/child.

The Missing Photos:

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Ingredients:  Amounts Are Up To You

Assortment of Olives, preferably Pitted

I used Kalamata Olives, Moroccan Olives, Italian Castelvetrano Olives, and large Stuffed Olives

Sundried Tomatoes

3 Branches of our Curry Leaves

Fresh Garlic Cloves

Roasted Garlic Cloves

Key Limes

Spices:

Oregano

Dill Weed

Dill Seed

Basil

Olive Oil

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My Roasted Garlic, Left, and Fresh Garlic Cloves, Right

(Each one adds a different flavor.)

Turn Your Oven on 400F

Line a Baking Sheet with Aluminum Foil and create a sort of “bowl” to be able to hold all the Olive mixture so they don’t expand all over the baking sheet.

In a Medium to Large Bowl I Added All My Drained Olives and some Fresh Garlic Cloves, as well as some Roasted Garlic Cloves.

I Chopped My Sundried Tomatoes into Smaller Pieces

(I love this brand of Sundried Tomatoes, I snack on them all the time.)

Add Everything To Your Bowl

Time To Add Your Spices,

And Key Lime (or Lime) Juice

(You don’t want your bowl full of olives, etc. all wet.  You want everything to mix together nicely and not have some puddle in the bottom of the bowl.  This should give you an idea of how much Lime Juice to add.)

Mix Everything Together and then Drizzle Your Olive Oil Over Top

This is a really good Olive Oil.  By all means, stock up on it.  You will use it quite often.  It is one of the best.

(I tend to always add more, so just drizzle enough to combine everything together.  You can always add more later on.)

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Now It’s Time To Place Them on the Baking Sheet

I Placed One Curry Branch Down First,

Then I Poured The Bowl of Olives Over Top

I Also Drizzled More Olive Oil Over Them to Make Sure They Were All Coated Well

Into The Oven They Go For 20 Minutes

Here I removed them and stirred them around a bit.  Just to make sure they weren’t sticking to the Aluminum Foil, and to make sure they were coated well in the Olive Oil.

I Also Added More Spices… just a few Shakes of This and That

Then Placed Them Back into the Oven for Additional 20 Minutes

Curry Leaves Should Have Been Blacker

(I would have loved for my leaves to have been more Charred, as they eat them overseas, but I didn’t want my Olives, etc. to be more done than they were.)

After a Total of 40 – 50 Minutes in the Oven….

Allow To Cool…

Then Place Into a Bowl and Add Some Fresh Curry Leaves Around

Keep in the Refrigerator

Fingers Crossed They Win Me The JOB!!!

Very Sincerely,

Mrs. Gordon Whann

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