Isabelle and the Backyard Fairy’s
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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Fun Izzy Foods
“Izzy, Breakfast! Izzy, Snack! Izzy, Juice! Izzy, Lunch!” Tutu Sometimes breakfast is as quick as fresh Blueberries, String Cheese, Banana Muffin, Celery with Peanut Butter, and Crinkle Cut Carrots ——————————————————— When Isabelle was born and I started becoming her main …
Strawberry’s and All Things PINK!
Welcome to Strawberry’s and All Things PINK!
Dried Hibiscus Flowers
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Pink Fudge with Dried Hibiscus Flowers
The Hibiscus Flowers are Sweet and Tangy, Almost like Gummy’s
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I have been eating lots of Strawberry’s this year, and loving all things PINK so I thought I would start a website page depicting those very things. Perhaps this is my hangover from the Barbie movie that came out a few years ago? I still haven’t seen it at this writing, May, 2025. I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually, but you don’t have to love Barbie to appreciate all things PINK!
Each season seems to have it’s favorite food colors. Pink seems to represent Spring and Summer to me.
Pink also tends to taste good! I hope you will think so too. 
Welcome to the Pink Kitchen,
Julie
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Simple Pink Fudge Topped with the Hibiscus Flowers
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Hibiscus Flower Impressions
(Recipe Down Below)
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My Pink Pajama Cocktail
Garnished with Strawberry’s and Enjoyed with some Dried Hibiscus Flowers
(Recipe Down Below)
I LOVE My Pink Pajamas!
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Strawberry, Jalapeno and Tomato Salsa
Eaten and Enjoyed with a Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Salt Spread onto a Toasted Baguette
(Recipe Down Below)
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Recipes Start Here
My craft foam flowers, some special things, along with my vintage Hawaiian Hibiscus plate.
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Pink Fudge with Dried Hibiscus Flowers
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I found these Dried Pink Hibiscus Flowers at Sprouts and knew that I had to try them.
Turns out they are quite good. Almost tastes like a Gummy.
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It was last Christmas, 2024, that I made some really great and easy Fudge.
I came across the recipe in one of my cookbooks. It was so easy! Delicious too!
I grew up in the south and when we would go to the mountains we would always come across these old timey fudge shops. Whether we were in Dahlonega, Georgia, Cherokee, North Carolina, or Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We always bought the sugar-free Peanut Butter Fudge. We would keep in in our rooms in our lodge and snack on it most every night. It was a treat! That is how I view sweets. They are treats.
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Ready to Make My Pink Fudge
Ingredients:
4 Cups White Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 Cup La Lechera Dulce de Leche Milk Based Caramel
(I wanted to add this to this recipe. If you can’t find any then just use 1 and 1/3 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk)
2 t. Vanilla Extract
1/2 t. Salt
Drops of Pink Food Coloring
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All of our Ingredients
You will need a casserole dish. I will be doubling the recipe and placing it into this larger casserole dish.
You will need to place a piece of Parchment Paper down into the bottom of the casserole dish.
I used a pen to draw the dimensions and then cut with some scissors. You can see in the photo above that it is in place and ready.
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La Cechera, Dulce de Leche Milk Based Caramel
This is my addition to the recipe. I wanted to add a Caramel flavor to my Fudge.
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Into a Microwave safe dish you want to place the White Chocolate Chips and the Sweetened Condensed Milk, and the Dulce de Leche Caramel.
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Now place into the Microwave for 1 minute, 30 seconds at 70 percent power. (That is important.)
When done remove and stir well.
Now quickly stir in the Vanilla and Salt, along with a few drops of Pink Food Coloring.
Because I doubled the recipe, you can see the first batch in the very top of the photo above, while I repeat the process with this new batch in these photos.
Microwaving the Second Batch
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Both Batches of Fudge Have Been Placed Into This Large Casserole Dish to Cool
Ready To Add My Hibiscus Flowers
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The Fudge Sets Very Quickly
If you want to embed the Hibiscus Flowers into the Fudge you must do so fast.
Beautiful and Delicious!
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My Pink Pajama Cocktail
Garnished with Strawberry’s and Enjoyed with some Dried Hibiscus Flowers
Fresh, Clean Strawberry’s
Ingredients:
1 lb. Frozen Strawberry’s
8 Cups Pink Lemonade
2 Cups Vodka
4-5 Cups Lemon-Lime Soda
Fresh Strawberry’s as a Garnish
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Pretty Glasses, Strawberry’s and Hibiscus Flowers
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Ingredients Ready for the Blender
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The Frozen Strawberry’s
Adding The Frozen Strawberry’s to the Blender
I placed the Frozen Strawberry’s into the Blender, then added the Pink Lemonade, followed by the Vodka, and the Lemon-Lime Soda.
I did slit the Fresh Strawberry’s down the middle to place on each cocktail glass.
Time to Turn on the Blander Until Mixed
Blending Away…..
Pour Into Prepared Glasses
My Pink Pajama Cocktails
My Love of Pajamas
When I am around the house I tend to wear Pajamas even during a week day afternoon, and especially a weekend when I am staying home and not leaving the house. I have never been one to wear “sweats.” To me sweats are sloppy, unattractive and cumbersome. I like something that looks nice, fits my personality, feels comfortable, and looks pretty. I very happily incorporate Pajamas into my daily life whenever I can.
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Strawberry, Jalapeno and Tomato Salsa
Eaten and Enjoyed with a Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Salt Spread onto a Toasted Baguette
Strawberry’s, Grape Tomatoes, Red Onion, Lime Zest and Juice, Jalapeno’s, and Fresh Cilantro
Amounts are up to you!
You first want to wash everything…
On a cutting board you want to start chopping your Strawberry’s into diced sized bites.
Set aside.
As I was slicing the top off of each Strawberry I noticed that they looked like pretty flowers.
I decided to save a few to use as a garnish.
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Now chop the Grape Tomatoes, leaving behind a lot of the Juice and Seeds.
See photo top right. Set them aside.
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Chop the Red Onion into a small dice.
I didn’t use the entire Onion. I did weigh and gage how much I wanted to add to finished mixture.
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Time to chop the Jalapeno’s into a small dice as well. I know that I have a hard time with Jalapeno’s. The fumes really bother me, and whatever I touch on my body after touching the peppers, will make that area hot and uncomfortable. Therefore, it’s a good idea to wear cooking gloves. They help a lot!
Everything is Beautiful and Nicely Chopped
I LOVE all the Colors!
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Time To Combine Everything
You can see in the above photo how the tops of the Strawberry’s look like Flowers…
which is why I wanted to keep some of them as a Garnish.
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Place your chopped items into a medium sized bowl.
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Zest your Limes into the Salsa, then add the Lime Juice. Don’t make it too soggy.
You don’t have to use the Juice of both Limes if you don’t want to.
Mix Together…
Add a Pinch or Two of the Jalapeno Sea Salt
(This stuff is sooooo good! So glad I found it online!)
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Now For The Bread and Cheese
I wanted to have a few options to see which one would be best, the Italian Toasts or the Baguette.
Turns out they were both great and I used both of them.
In one bowl I placed some softened Cream Cheese, and in the other I placed Crumbled Goat Cheese.
I then sprinkled a pinch or two of the Jalapeno Sea Salt. That was all that was needed! So delicious on it’s own.
Set Those Aside
Now It’s Time To Slice and Toast the Baguette
Place onto a Baking Sheet and put into the Oven on Broil. You just want to brown your bread slices.
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This is my new FAVORITE Thing!
Spread some Cream Cheese onto a Toasted Baguette, and then sprinkle some Jalapeno Sea Salt over top.
God is it good!
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With the sliced Baguette toasted, time to add the Crumbled Goat Cheese overtop, sprinkled with some Jalapeno Sea Salt.
Place back into the Oven, 300F just for a few minutes to melt the Cheese a bit.
Ready for the Salsa!
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I think my little Strawberry “Flowers” look nice.
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I hope your day is filled with Strawberry’s.
Have a very PINK Day!
Julie
Julie Barefoot In The Backyard
UNDER SPRING CONSTRUCTION Hello Happy Barefoot Spring, and Summer in my Backyard And Fall and Winter, but not so much. We spend a lot of time outside in our backyard. Gardening, Landscaping, Grilling, Picnicing, Playing…. The Dogs love …
Here’s a CLUE for Nancy Drew
“I don’t promise to forget the mystery, but I know I’ll have a marvelous time“ Nancy Drew ————————————————————————————– CURRENTLY ON A STAKE OUT, CHECK BACK LATER …
Building a Backyard Landscaping Retaining Wall, and Our Lanai Extension
STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION
2017
When we bought our house in 2006 we had this very simple unfinished backyard with little to no landscaping. It looked very basic and almost a blank canvas for us. We then decided to make the landscaping look more professional. So we decided to replace the simple blocks that were there with a two tiered block and capstone retaining wall.
We first had to rip out the blocks that were there then had to decide the line we wanted to use for the new retaining wall.
Here Gordon brought back a load of blocks that we will use for the retaining wall.
We liked the varied color of these as they had a mix of brown and tan.
This is the back left side of our yard.
Here you can see the wall that we are replacing. It’s just a small block ledge.
It does the job, but just not that good looking. It looks like a row of concrete beer cans.
Gordon put down about two inches of small rocks, then one inch of sand to provide the blocks a good base. You have to level the blocks from front to back and side to side, then each block after will be level with the first. Continue this for all the blocks.
Here you can see Gordon has progressed along the back.
The second row of blocks starts with a half block so that you have that overlapping brick pattern.
Our Sweet Monk
You Can See The Old Blocks In This Photo
Gordon is still working on the retaining wall placing down the small rocks then the sand base. This base prevents the blocks from sinking into the dirt. Cut the capstones with a circular saw using a concrete blade. Cut the back part of the capstone as the wall makes it turns so they will fit directly over the blocks underneath.
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Gordon’s Backyard Retaining Wall Completed
Finishing the retaining wall was an important part in getting ready for our backyard Christmas.
Here we are celebrating with our Limoncello and Pomegranate Cocktails
Happiest of Holidays
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Christmas, 2017
Backyard Looks Great For our Christmas Party
We did an Alice In Wonderland Christmas
The Retaining Wall Gave Our Backyard A Nice Upgrade
Time For The Party
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If You Would Like To View:
Click Here For Our Alice In Wonderland Christmas
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So, to go back to the beginning…..
Initially we wanted to build a backyard studio but our HOA Home Owner’s Association, would not allow it but, they do allow lanai extensions with a pool cage. Therefore we hired some people to extend our lanai out from our existing one about 36 feet and had them also make it about 18 feet across. Our goal was to expand our living space outdoors. Here is that progress.
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The AFTER, May, 2020
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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March 25, 2018
Our Lanai Extension….in Progress
Monk Fell in the Trench
With the exception of hiring a business to give us a new roof, and the installation of a new water heater many years ago, we are new to hiring a construction company to have work done on our property. Gordon has been our construction guy for years building all of our retaining walls and landscaping, and installing our new appliances saving us money, but Gordon can’t do this. We are at the mercy of a contractor and the people he hires as his sub-contractors for jobs the contractor doesn’t do. For example, all the work you see above has been sub-contracted out to a cement business which is a fairly common practice with all contractors. HOWEVER, the contractor may assume that the people he sub-contracted out to are actually working……..WHEN THEY AREN’T!
We were initially told that this project of preparing and pouring the cement foundation would take 4 days. 4 DAYS! So, Gordon took off from work to oversee this all last week so that I didn’t have to. I am out of my league here. We thought that we could knock out the foundation and have this leg of our new lanai done, then clean up the outside and prepare for a great Easter dinner, and then resume the construction with the pool cage, electric, French doors, two outdoor ceiling fans, etc. But now we’ve been told that the entire project will take up to one month! There is no way that Gordon can take off from work for a month so it has to be ME to deal with this. (So, you know I’m happy about it.) 
Because we never know when they are going to show up someone has to be here all the time. That falls to me! I love my home life but I also like to get out of it and go somewhere occasionally. I just don’t like it that for the next month I have to revolve my life around a bunch of workers that only show up when they feel like it. And yet, that is how it is here in America when you hire contractors.
Therefore, I will go with the flow, I will make the best of it, I will clean my house, work on my website, start a few new projects, and just have a blast in my home sanctuary.
My philosophy on life is to just bring a book and make the best of it. So that’s what I shall do!
Julie
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April 2, 2018
Lanai Extension Update
(Photographic Evidence Saved the Day!)
Our house is just under 2000 square feet and when we do have family over we have no choice but to spill over into our existing lanai and even our backyard. But when we do entertain in our backyard it does present a problem with all the bugs hovering around our food platters and dinner plates. Also, our squirrels can be quite the pests! They love to chew on my roses and hibiscus flowers. They especially love the buds before they bloom. Which means I get NO Roses or Hibiscus blossoms! Also, sometimes mosquitoes can be a problem. Not only are they annoying but they bite and can carry diseases. So we figured that if we could extend our lanai outward about 36 feet in length and 18 feet wide, and enclose it with a pool cage over top, we could have more living space in the backyard. So that we could spread out some more.
I took these photos on Friday afternoon after the cement pour.
Gordon took the day off to be here. I just didn’t want to deal with it all by myself. I think that I have a deep seeded resentment that for Gordon’s 20 year Naval career he was deployed a lot and it was always up to me to take care of everything. Now it’s his turn.
The Cement Truck and the Workers
Our contractor had subcontracted the cement job out to another company to do, which is a very common thing here in America. We were told the job would take 4 days. It actually ended up taking about 6 days spread out over a period of 2 weeks. Which is now, thanks to a big problem, will spill over into week 3. (Keep Reading)
Permits Taped to our Lanai Door in our Backyard
(I cannot tell you how many times I will look up and there will be an inspector plowing through that paperwork taped to our glass doors on our lanai, usually scaring me to death! I’m not a screamer but I am a yeller (hollerer), usually letting out a loud yelp when I turn around and see a strange man standing there.)
For the past, going on 3 weeks now, I get up before dawn, shower, get dressed, unlock both of our backyard fence gates very early, prop open our screen door, (if that screen door is locked then inspectors will just walk away and then we are at their mercy as to when they will come back),
and wait for the trucks to arrive……………or not!
You never know when they will show up, or if they even will show up?
Sadly, that is pretty “normal.” I know from previous experience with the condo I used to manage out in Indian Shores, that whenever they would contract work out to be done to the building sometimes it was a total disaster in getting them there to finish the jobs they would start. According to so many horror stories I’ve heard, ours certainly isn’t that bad, not by any means. But, it is a delay and it did cost us some aggravation. (Keep Reading)
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Gordon Searching for the Pipes
Found ONE, but Can’t find the Other one.
Because we have been undergoing this backyard work we have had the sprinklers turned off. Some of our things have died because of it. We have been watering with the hose a lot when we do go outside trying to keep some things alive. But when the dig was ready for the cement pour Gordon did turn on the sprinklers that night to give everything a good soaking because we then needed to turn them off again to get ready for this cement pour.
Ready for the Cement Pour
Gordon specifically made sure that the sprinkler’s were all working fine prior to the cement pour.
Also, we have appreciated all the hard work that these guys have done. They work on a few job sites at once so they tend to come and go from each job sometimes on a daily basis. Arriving at one job site at 8:00 a.m. and then arriving at our house at noon. They work very hard.
Pouring the Cement
The pour went great, there were no problems (that we knew of at the time.) The men worked hard, everything went according to plan. Gordon took off from work for the pour and between me and him, we took lots of photos. Luckily!
Of course, we usually always take tons of photos of everything that happens to us.
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The cement pour was on Friday, and one of the workers came back Saturday morning to cut the cement. By cutting it once down the middle and twice along the width, that helps to insure that the concrete doesn’t break and relieves some of the pressure. The trenches that were initially dug with cement poured in them as well, are there to insure that the slab of cement is secure.
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So, with all of that work out of the way I told Gordon to turn the sprinkler’s back on because we need to water our yard before everything dies. So he did, and that’s when Gordon noticed all this water pouring out the back of the cement slab! And that’s when he saw a long CRACK!!!
The crack is in a crescent shape and goes from one corner of the back left to the other corner of the back right. That makes it a good 18 feet, but because it’s curved that makes it more like 25 feet!
Gordon Digging Trying to Find our Pipes
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Gordon called our contractor to tell him of the problem, with the assumption that he would then take responsibility for this problem that obviously his guys did.
Weh..heh..hell… Not So!
Our contractor told Gordon that he knew a guy that we could hire to fix the problem, and that he would email us his name and phone number. He assured us that what Gordon was describing to him was a ‘simple fix’ that shouldn’t cost more than a few hundred dollars. Of course he went on to be friendly and talk about the rest of the work to be finished this coming week…..
I’m usually the one who panics while Gordon keeps controlled… so yeah, that’s how it was this time as well.
It’s not funny but Gordon just assumed that our contractor, we’ll start calling him Harry, would take care of it, after all, he’s just so nice…..
What upset me the most is that Harry was going to pawn this off on us and not take any responsibility. He then started avoiding our phone calls. That’s when Gordon and I started plowing through all the photos that we had taken of the work being done and that’s when we saw
THIS ONE………
This is the same photo below, but we cropped the bottom shot so as to better emphasize the wooden stake that you see nailed into the ground to hold that cement hose back.
VIOLA!!! THE KILLER!!!
Suddenly we were Sherlock and Watson, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot!!!
And my personal favorite…………….ADRIAN MONK!
That is when we emailed Harry these photos showing the exact point of contact with our pipe, that stake! Hard to see in this resized photo, but it’s there.
It was a few hours before Harry emailed us back but as an Empath I turned to Gordon and said, “He’s gonna pay for it. He’s gonna take care of it. I’m feeling it. He’ll let us know shortly.” So, Gordon was then relaxed by my news and went outside to bring in some things. A few hours later we got our email telling us that he would take care of it. (This is when being an Empath is fun.)
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So, good news right? It is good news that Harry is finally owning up to his responsibility to us as a business owner and hopefully a decent and honest human being. We are happy that as I have been working on this blog post, a man did come by to have a look at it and has told me that it is much worse than what was described to him by Harry on the phone. According to him he will have to reroute our irrigation all along the cement slab and half of our yard will be on a new system. He assured me that Harry will pay for all of it, he just needs to get in touch with Harry and that the appointment to get this work done will take place next week.
Hopefully our plants won’t all die off until we can turn our sprinkler system back on. We are planning on buying a new front yard once this work is completed but until then we have to water all the plants located in the landscaping and retaining walls, and all around the house, with the hoses. That’s a lot of work! The grass in the backyard can die but nothing else can.
I suppose that problems do arise in these kinds of jobs and that is o.k. Both Gordon and I understand this. And it looks like our water problem will probably run up into the thousands of dollars. And that is terrible. It was no one’s fault and I appreciate that Harry is going to take responsibility for it. But I can’t help but wonder that if we didn’t have photographic evidence that we could use against him in a court of law, if that is what gave him the change of heart? Or could it have been the Easter Bunny? Hmm…. we’ll never know….
Actually I DO KNOW!
Empath, remember?
Julie
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Later in April, 2018
I have been putting off talking about our new lanai extension and even creating a new post for it because I wanted to wait until this area was complete. It is as far as the cement pour is concerned, but I still have things I want to do to it before I start snapping away with the camera.
The French Doors Entering into our New Lanai
It was my idea to install the French doors. Apparently, we are the only ones in the history of the world to do so!! The reason that I wanted the French doors to begin with was because I knew that I wanted to add some nice furniture to the lanai, (eventually) and I wanted to be able to place the furniture inside the enclosure. But, I also wanted this grand entrance/exit to be a part of our backyard as well. I visualized the doors swung wide open and people entering and exiting them while enjoying the backyard as well as the lanai.
Ready for the Cement Pour
Julie
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Our New 18 x 36 Lanai Extension
(Gordon even refers to it as, “Hey, let’s eat out on the 18 x 36.”)
No pool, just the pool cage. Believe me most people that we know that have swimming pools hate them. Sure, when you first get a pool you are in it every single day for the first 6 months but then you will never get in it again. A pool is a money pit that will cost you every single month to maintain. So, imagine having to pour money into something that you just don’t use anymore? We didn’t want a pool, but we did want to extend our living space out into our backyard without the bother of mosquitoes and other bugs, or our backyard critters, like the squirrels. We also would like to have some little vegetable garden inside the lanai where we didn’t have to worry about the birds and other animals eating what we grew. There will also be an outdoor kitchen out there eventually, but not for a while.
I also wanted to have some lovely flowers that the squirrels didn’t chew up just for the sheer fun of it!
For some reason Monk likes walking around in all that space.
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We have enjoyed this lanai extension tremendously. We are also creating many wonderful memories with family and friends. This entire project was over $12,000.00 and it was worth every penny of it.
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Father’s Day Pizza Party
2018
This was our first Lanai Extension Celebration
Click Here For: Father’s Day Pizza Party
We have since had many great entertaining on this Lanai Extension.
We also hope to have many more.
Julie and Gordon
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To View All of Our Front Yard Landscaping Projects:
Click Here For: Front Yard Retaining Wall
AND,
Click Here For: Side of the House Retaining Wall
AND,
Click Here For: Front Yard Projects
AND,
Building A Backyard Landscaping Retaining Wall And Our Lanai Extension
AND,
How To Repair And Rebuild A Retaining Wall
AND,
Click Here For: New Front Yard Landscaping Project
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Mother of the Groom
Meet Brodie and Mackenzie December 2024 The Proposal Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida Champagne and My (Julie) Former Engagement Ring My Ring Has Never Looked More Beautiful Mackenzie and her Twin Sister Susannah ——————————————————— When I first met Mackenzie …
My Log/Blog Documenting Stalking and Harassment From My Neighbor
(Note Update April 10, 2025: If this harassment continues, or more damage is done to our property, then I will reveal their names here, and getting the police involved.) Where Do I Even Begin? 2025 For those of you that …
Typing with Julie in 1965, (I mean Blogging with Julie in 2025) Dear Diary…
Dear Dairy…
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….
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION
June 7, 2025
Catching Up. I’ve Missed You
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June 2, 2025
My Cyber-Stalker Paul Keith Gray 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 MICRSOFT has been hiding our photos and placing them into old files where we can’t find them.
His name is PAUL KEITH GRAY 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 Paul 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, ‘Paul has stalked us for 32 years now’ and ‘Paul has stalked us for 35 years now’ and ‘Paul 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, Paul is moving photos around in our Pictures. The Hero and the Zero.
That is the difference between Gordon and Paul.
I recently coined the name Gollum to describe Paul. You know, the pathetic unwanted creature from The Lord of the Rings?
You see, Paul 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 Paul exactly what we think of him. Both Paul 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. Paul’s obsession with us has done the same to him. He is nothing. He has nothing. And just like Gollum, Paul 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 said 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 Paul Gray 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., Paul Gray, 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 Demensia, Dori was Bi-Polar, Paul Gray 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 MICRSOFT has been hiding our photos and placing them into old files where we can’t find them.
His name is PAUL KEITH GRAY 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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My, My, Peanut Butter Pie!
My, my… Peanut Butter Pie I’m originally from North Georgia, Rome to be exact. Peanut Butter is probably my most favorite food in the world. I eat more Peanut Butter than I do anything else. I knew I would be making …
Julie Italian
Ciao e Benvenuto (Starting this in 2024) Although Gordon and I have many Italian website pages full of recipes and ideas, I wanted to start this page just for me. With Gordon working overseas, he is not here to co-contribute along beside me, …
The Inspiration of BLUEY and the Heeler’s
(For Peanuku)
CURRENTLY UNDER CREATIVE CONSTRUCTION
Happy Heeler Valentine
My PINK Flamingo Summers
Let’s Flamingle! —————————————————————————- Busy Standing on one leg…. Currently —————————————————————————————– Ambrosia, Pink Grapefruit Sake, and Toasted Coconut ——————————————————————- Julie’s Pink Flamingo Pasta Salad (A Rough Draft) Our Pink Backyard Bromeliad in Bloom I got the idea that I wanted to …
La Sciatta Giulia Anna’s (Italian Sloppy Julie Ann’s)
In Construzione —————————————————————————— If you would like to view our other Italian food posts…… Julie’s Italian Appetizers and Edible Gifts ——————————————————— Gordon and Julie Italian Seconda Parte 2 …
Oranges Sm’Oranges, And Other Citrus
(Because Nothing Rhymes With Oranges)
Orange is the New Muffin
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(I added a few Banana Chips as an accent, above.)
I Have Discovered Indian River Citrus, and There is NO Going Back!
My Florida Orange Muffins w/ Lemon Citrus Glaze
(Recipe Down Below)
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I LOVE an Orange Summer!
Be sure to look for the Florida Juice Oranges label if you will be juicing Oranges.
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Grandma Nell’s Ambrosia Recipe…
which I Embellished.
Julie’s Florida Ambrosia
(Recipe Down Below)
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Grapefruit Sake Ambrosia Cocktail
(Topped with Toasted Coconut)
I purchased the cute little bottle of Grapefruit Sake at the Asian Supermarket and decided to add it to a wine glass full of my Ambrosia. It was a Fruit Cocktail, and a Cocktail. Either drink it, or use a spoon or fork to eat it, or BOTH!
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Our Backyard Orange Tree…
…In The Morning Sun
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Recipes Start Here
My Summer Kitchen
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My Florida Orange Muffins w/ Lemon Citrus Glaze
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This recipe will make about 24 Mini Muffins, or about 16 Regular Muffins, or 10-12 Large Muffins.
I always double, and sometimes triple a recipe like this because I like to give them to family members to enjoy as well.
I will however, just give the recipe for ONE batch of Muffins.
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Greasing The Muffin Pans
I Decided to Make Large Muffins Here
For this you will need Crisco Shortening. You just want to grease all around the inside of the Muffin Pans with the Crisco. I tend to use a paper towel as I don’t like my hands getting all greasy.
Once the Muffin Pans are nicely Greased, now sprinkle some All Purpose Flour into the Muffin Pans.
Like So….
I then take each pan over to the sink and turn the Muffin pan sideways to move the All Purpose Flour around the sides, coating the Crisco with the Flour. You just want a nice dusting. When done, set aside for now.
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Ready To Make Our Muffins
Muffin Ingredients:
1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Baking Soda
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 t. Salt
2 Eggs
2/3 Cup Orange Juice
1 t. Grated Orange Peel
1 t. Grated Valencia Orange Peel
1/3 Cup Canola Oil
1/2 t. Vanilla Extract
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The Lemon Citrus Glaze Ingredients
1/4 Cup of Confectioner’s Sugar, or Thereabouts
The Juice of 1-2 Lemons
(Also the Zest)
1/2 to 1 t. Grated lemon Peel (From a Jar)
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Let’s Get Started
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Pre-Heat The Oven To 350F
My Muffin Pans are Ready
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This is a Pretty Easy Recipe
First Let’s Mix Our Dry Ingredients
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In a Large Mixing Bowl:
Add,
1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Baking Soda
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 t. Salt
1 t. Grated Orange Peel
1 t. Grated Valencia Orange Peel
Mixing The Dry Ingredients w/ a Whisk
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Time To Mix The Wet Ingredients
In a Medium Sized Bowl:
Add,
2 Eggs
2/3 Cup Orange Juice
1/3 Cup Canola Oil
1/2 t. Vanilla Extract
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Whisk the Wet Ingredients Together
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With the Dry Ingredients in One Bowl, and the Wet Ingredients in the Other…
..It’s Time to Combine Them
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Now, Time to Fill the Muffin Pans, up to 3/4 High
Into a 350F Oven for about 15 Minutes or So…
Depending on Your Oven
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In Order to Determine if They are Done, Insert a Toothpick,
if it Comes Out Clean, You Know They are Done.
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Allow The Muffins To Cool on a Cooling Rack,
For about 10 Minutes in the Pan.
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Time To Prepare The Glaze
The Lemon Citrus Glaze Ingredients
The Beauty of This Glaze is That You Can Add as Much or as Little, as You Like
In a Bowl:
Add,
1/4 Cup of Confectioner’s Sugar, or Thereabouts
The Juice of 1-2 Lemons
(Also the Zest)
1/2 to 1 t. Grated lemon Peel (For an Added Taste)
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You Can Make The Glaze as Think or as Thick as You Like
Simply Add All of Your Ingredients and Mix Together
I Placed A Tray Underneath to Catch the Excess Glaze
First Coat of Glaze on Muffins
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The Glaze That Fell Through, You Can Place Back on the Muffins
Delicious!
What a Great Morning Muffin to Have With Your Indian River Orange Juice
Store in the Refrigerator
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Making The Ambrosia
My Grandmother LOVED Ambrosia and would literally make it on a loop all summer long. Usually about 2 to 3 times a week. It was always in her refrigerator and she would help herself to it, usually in the afternoon’s, while asking me if I wanted some Ambrosia?
Her Ambrosia recipe was very simple, yet delicious.
When you are in the state of Georgia (or Florida) heat, you aren’t interested in how fancy and elaborate it is, you only want that refreshing hit that the citrus would give you to help cool you down.
I decided that I wanted to make Ambrosia Grammaw Nell’s way, so I did. I do have to say though that it was a MESS!
I have two Ambrosia recipes here to give you. I highly recommend the latter, as it was much easier and not as messy. But, here is my account of the two recipes.
For This Recipe I Used a Few Different Kinds of Oranges, Some Grapefruits and Some Mandarin Oranges Already to Eat.
I tried my best to segment each Orange and Grapefruit. I also wanted some of the Zest from both.
You Can See The Mess I’m Making
I Believe that I Threw More Away Than I Actually Used
I did buy a jar of Mandarin Oranges to add to the Ambrosia.
Just drain the juice, but be sure to save the juice for your breakfast the following day. If it’s too sweet, you can always add water to dilute it down.
Just Combine All Of Your Citrus…. and Some Zest….
I Bought Grated Coconut and Toasted Coconut
I want to top the Ambrosia with the Toasted Coconut. I made this Ambrosia with the intention of giving some away. I also gave my kids the Toasted Coconut in baggies to sprinkle on top when they ate the Ambrosia I gave them at their homes.
Adding Some Grated Coconut….
Mix Together and Add Some Granulated Sugar
(That was my Grandmother’s Recipe. Now for Mine!)
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Julie’s Ambrosia
Now that I am my Granddaughter’s main caregiver, I just don’t have as much time as I used to. So, I wanted to make my own Ambrosia, but didn’t want to do all that peeling and segmenting of the Citrus. I was happy when I found all these great ready made jars and containers of already peeled and segmented Oranges, Grapefruits, and Mandarin Oranges.
Now This is Easy!
You Will Need Some Colanders to Drain All That Juice
Once The Juice Is Drained… Be Sure To Save It!
Just Place All of Your Drained Citrus Into a Large Bowl
I Did Replace the Juice Back Into Their Original Containers.
Great For Breakfast The Following Week
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Here I Added Some Shredded Coconut to the Citrus
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Lemons, and Coconut Sugar
Next, Zest Some Lemons and Juice the Lemons, Into the Citrus
Give It A Good Stir
Now Add The Coconut Sugar
If you haven’t noticed, I eyeball all of these ingredients to my personal tastes.
You can do the same.
Stir Together
Pomegranate Seeds and Mint Leaves
You can either buy the Pomegranate’s and remove all the seeds yourself, which takes up so much time. Or, you can buy them already seeded and ready to eat. That’s what I did. The Pomegranate Seeds add such a lovely pop of color to my Ambrosia.
Then place the mint leaves however you like. You could chop them up and stir them in. Or, you could add them as a lovely flowering leaf. Either way, they add such a wonderful touch.
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Julie and Gordon
More of Julie’s Jezebel Recipes to Enjoy
I Heart Jezebel (Sauce) —————————————————— Julie’s Southern Jeze-Bells Pizza Made With My: Julie’s Georgia Peach Jeze-Bells Sauce Click Here For: Julie’s Jezebel Sauce I have 4 Jezebel’s on the webpage link above. We also have many recipes that you can …
Let the SUMMER In!
I Love Simple Flowers, Nothing Stunningly Beautiful, Just Very Pretty and Charming, With Personality Welcome Summer, Come On In! I’ve Missed You, Just Try Not To Be So HOT This Year But, If You Do Insist Upon It…. I Have …
Lilly Pulitzer (The Barefoot Queen of Pink and Green)
Lilly
Beautiful Lillian Lee McKim Pulitzer Rousseau
(1931 – 2013)
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Me, Mother’s Day 2023 with Sparky, Wearing a Lilly
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PINK, and Shades Thereof
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My Lilly Pulitzer Bread Box Doll House
Lilly Fabrics Create a Window Curtains, A Chair, Lamp and Footstool
There Are Widows That Look Out To The Ocean
I Love All The Furniture That Came With It
Flamingo’s Are Florida
The Phone on the Foot Stool
You Can See The Palm Trees Outside The Window
And, then there is the entrance through the front door…
I Love All The Cute Furniture and Accessories
What is painted all around the Bread Box Doll House is so lovely as well!
When I Bought All Of This I Didn’t Know Where I Would Put It
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My Lilly Collection
I was so excited to find the books and bags, and mugs, and plates, etc.
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I Was So Excited To Find The Lilly Barbie’s!
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Wearing Lilly, Reading Lilly…
Lilly
Palm Beach, Tropical Glamour, and the Birth of a Fashion Legend
by Kathryn Livingston
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Lilly Pulitzer, 2024
Celebrating 65 Years of Creating Sunshine
I Do Love That My Lilly Book Matches My Lilly Dress
I am thrilled to own it! I adore Lilly.
I believe that in life we recognize those people that are like us. We are then drawn to them. Even if we discover them after their deaths. The ones that I admire the most are all gone. There really isn’t anyone alive that I absolutely adore and can’t get enough of. But Lilly, through her I see me in the future. She wasn’t a greedy person, that has always been obvious. She is like me in the fact that I just want to get up every day and do whatever I want to do, and not what someone tells me to do. I’m not ambitious. Neither was she. I think that she and I just want to enjoy life and not slave away in it.
I do wish her children success, especially her daughter’s. I hope they continue Lilly’s legacy. She was too unique not to carry on her vision. I know there is more to know than what we have read. I hope they bring more to the surface for us to know.
Julie
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I LOVE This Book!
It was back in the summer of 2020 that we decided to rent a house for a week in Weeki Wachee along the spring. I wanted to buy some new clothing and looked online for a few new outfits for our vacation. My goal was to find something that looked as if ‘Florida Had Thrown Up All Over Me!” I found just what I was looking for in Lilly Pulitzer Clothing.
I did not know who she was, or anything about her, I just knew that I loved her clothes.
Then, when it came to doing more clothes shopping through the next few years, I found myself turning more and more to her. I have more Lilly’s now than I can count. A “Lilly” is a dress by Lilly Pulitzer. That’s what they were called back in the 50’s and 60’s.
The clothing just remind me of my childhood and coming to Florida. Bright bold colors, shift dresses. Also, when I was in Elementary School and Jr. High School I would wear dresses with shorts underneath my dresses. Many of her dresses come with shorts to wear underneath them. It’s all right up my alley!
I have stated a few times on my website that I’m not a fashion person. Even though I did go to a fashion college in Charlotte, North Carolina, The American Business and Fashion Institute. I also did go to New York with the school, but it was never me. I was trying to fit into something that I was interested in, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me. Had I known Lilly, I think that I would have fit right in nicely and even would have loved fashion because this kind of fashion is more something that I’m interested in.
So, I guess that I am a fashion person. I just needed to find the right designer.
However, I think this kind of fashion is more of a lifestyle than anything else. And, this is my lifestyle.
(I would like to add that although Lilly died in 2013, someone else has taken over the design part of the business and they are doing an excellent job for Lilly’s legacy.)
In reading this book about her life I cannot help but be impressed by her upbringing and the kind of people that were in her circle, and her family’s. They were rich and privileged, but they weren’t obnoxious. These wealthy families were trailblazers in America. They established so much. There are so many wealthy connections that I would be literally writing a book to describe them to you. Therefore, I just recommend that you read this book.
Lilly wasn’t greedy. She loved her family and friends and lifestyle. She just wanted to design her dresses, raise her children, and enjoy life in her home, Palm Beach, and be with her friends. She was such a creative person. Not just in her clothing, but in her life.
It was when I was browsing online looking for Lilly Pulitzer information that I came across the Biography of her life, but I also found that she authored a few Entertaining Books herself. She loved to entertain. She loved Holidays, although she hated the word, Holiday. She loved food and cocktails. She and her family were always around their pool. Her children and their cousins would put on dramatic performances in their backyard. They just seemed interested in being themselves and not interfering in the lives of other people, as our wealthy seem to do today.
And from what I am reading she was a generous person with a big heart. When her dresses were such a success that her business partners wanted her to design for Fall and Winter, she wasn’t interested. As she would say, ‘It’s summer somewhere.’ She seemed to just want to be herself and enjoy life.
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(I originally wrote this in March, 2024)
You Know You’re Getting Old When You Buy Your First Caftan Like Dress..
(And You Like It!)
I am not one for wearing “tents,” but I do love this dress.
My fashion sense has changed over the past few years once I discovered Lilly Pulitzer.
A Palm Beach designer.
Lilly Pulitzer
Born November 10, 1931
I LOVE Her Shoppe!
She did die on April 7, 2013, (I think that’s the day my step-father died), but someone is continuing her legacy and doing a nice job of it. She was 81 years old upon her death. I love all the clothing and accessories. I even read not too long ago that there are Floridians that hang her vintage dresses around their homes. I love all the colors and prints!
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If you happened to find yourself strolling along Palm Beach’s tony Worth Avenue on a warm day in the mid-1950s, it wouldn’t be unusual to encounter a small rhesus monkey. The monkey (Goony, as he was known) would likely be perched on the shoulder of a young, barefoot woman named Lillian McKim Pulitzer, who—despite what her dirty toes and unkempt hair might imply—was a local Palm Beach socialite with a privileged pedigree.
Lilly with her First Husband. Herbert Pulitzer
(I love this picnic! I would have done the same thing with the coconuts. The more I learn about this woman, the more I see her as a soul sister.)
As Taken From:
For many people, the name Lilly Pulitzer conjures up images of an affluent, prim-and-proper woman on her way to the beach; not a free-spirited bohemian who loved martinis, loathed underwear (she rarely wore it), and toted her pet monkey around town. But Lilly Pulitzer had a penchant for surprising people, and the story of how she launched her namesake brand is no different: it began in the confines of a psychiatric hospital.
Lilly, 1961
(This is the year I was born. I have a feeling I would have liked her.)
The year was 1958 and Pulitzer, a just-married heiress and new mom, felt she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. (“In hindsight, I think it was really and truly postpartum [depression],” Lilly’s daughter Liza said in a phone interview.)
Not knowing what was wrong with her, Lilly did what any wealthy twenty-something would do—she checked herself into a mental health facility. (“In the old days, we used to call it Bloomingdale’s,” she joked.) “I had never had a responsibility in my life,” she said in a 1994 W magazine interview. “I couldn’t button my shoes or do my own pigtails…All I had ever had to do was get to my tennis lesson or ride my pony.”
Pulitzer spent several months in treatment and eventually received a startling diagnosis from the doctor. “There’s nothing the matter with you,” she recalled the physician saying. “You just need something to do.” And so, she decided to open a juice stand.
As the story goes, Lilly thought up her now-iconic shift dress while squeezing oranges from her husband’s orchard. The design would be printed to hide the juice stains, thick enough to go commando, and unfitted, to keep comfortable and cool in the Florida heat.
Peter Pulitzer, Pilot and Owner
Lilly Pulitzer Exiting Her Husband’s Plane, Key West, Florida, 1963
(I LOVE this photo! That is my style!)
She asked a seamstress to create a sample, and before long, she was out of the juice business and into the dress business. “I asked my husband if we could put a few of my dresses in [his fruit shop], about 12 or 15,” Lilly told the Palm Beach Post in 1964. “He said ‘No—80!’ I said, ‘You’re out of your mind.'”
But they were an instant hit, even before Lilly developed a partnership with Key West Hand Prints, a screen-printing shop, which would become essential in establishing Lilly Pulitzer’s iconic vibrant aesthetic.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis Wearing a Lilly Pulitzer Dress in Italy
“The first Lillys were made from fabrics I’d buy in the dime stores in West Palm Beach,” she said in a 1971 interview in the Palm Beach Post. “We were a real shock to everyone. People thought the Lilly dress was a fad that would last about two years…We just picked up steam and kept going.”
The clothes sold because they were unlike anything else on the market.
“They were the antithesis of what most women were wearing at the time. In the late ‘50s, early ‘60s, women were corseting themselves to fit the clothes. They were wearing heavily constructed longline bras, panty girdles, full slips, stockings, stiletto heels—it was that Mad Men look, and Lilly would have none of that,” said Steven Stolman, who not only curated the brand’s 50th Anniversary Retrospective, and worked on the revival collection of Lilly Pulitzer in the ‘90s, but also had a personal friendship with the woman
herself. (Stolman is a regular contributor to TownandCountryMag.com).
“Remember, Lilly was not a little lady. She had a big personality, a huge heart, and an appetite for life. She loved good food and she loved a good cocktail,” he said.
Key to the success of the business was Lilly’s network of society women, both in Palm Beach and back in New York, but none of whom influenced the brand’s popularity quite like Jackie Kennedy.
After the first lady was photographed in Capri wearing a polka-dot Lilly Pulitzer shift in 1962, the business “took off like a zingo,” to quote the dressmaker herself. And by February of 1963, Lilly was the one being featured in magazines; the popularity of her clothes, which by that point were being sold in boutiques nationwide, had warranted her a Life spread of her own.
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Me, Wearing One of Many of My Lilly Pulitzer Dresses
I just wanted to say that I really do like her. Not just her clothing. She was a unique personality. I never knew she went around BAREFOOT, but hearing that just solidified my admiration of her.
I do shop her website and buy her clothing. What I love the most about it all are the loud colors. There was a time when I was so wearing so much black and all these dark colors. When I discovered her clothing I found myself wearing so many beautiful and loud colors. Bright and happy shades. It’s as if I wasn’t invisible anymore. I was suddenly seen, and admired.
I can’t tell you how many times I get compliments on her clothing that I wear. Just today I received a compliment. I have people that tell me they love the dress I’m wearing as I pass them by with my shopping cart, both men and women! I can be out at a restaurant and I will receive a compliment from the staff, or guests sitting at nearby tables. The clothing is truly magnificent!
All the colors also give a lift to my mood. Oh, the ‘Little Black Dress’ will always rule but, for all those other occasions, I like wearing color, many colors sometimes.
You know, I’ve been coming to Florida my entire life, probably having seen her clothing many times, I just didn’t connect it to her. Perhaps somewhere in the back of my mind I associate some of my happy Florida memories with some of her vintage clothing? Or the lovely ladies I saw wearing her dresses? Perhaps even my own Grandmother?
Either way, her clothing makes me happy. I will continue to wear her.
Thanks Lilly.
I would have loved to have known you.
I think we would have liked each other, seeing as how we have so much in common.
You are an inspiration. RIP.
Julie
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Mother’s Day Gift of Cookie Cutters
I Bought Several For My Daughter and My Son’s Girlfriend Mackenzie
The Pink and Green Gift Box I Painted Myself Back in the 90’s
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Tutu and Peanuku Barbie’s in the Kitchen
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Good Morning, Palm Beach Quiche
(Topped With Micro-Greens)
Served On My Lilly’s Plates with Coffee in My Lilly Mug
My Lilly Inspired Breakfast
Don’t Forget The Indian River, Florida Orange Juice
Lilly Wrote Two Entertaining Books
Pulitzer published a pair of lifestyle books—Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Entertaining and Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Holidays—with author Jay Mulvaney.
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Lilly Pulitzer, Also Known as The Barefoot Queen of the Jungle
Barefoot Queen of the Jungle
This Barefoot Palm Beach Royalty Queen went around Barefoot everywhere. She was also tan year round that people would mistake her for a Seminole Indian. My favorite story about Lilly was when she had her son Peter strapped to her back, and went to his pediatric appointment barefoot that the nurse at the front desk was so alarmed that she went into the back to tell the doctor that there was this Indian woman out there to see him! As if that was a bad thing. Lilly wasn’t a prejudiced person. She probably enjoyed being mistaken for a Seminole Indian.
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At The Beach
Lilly and Peter
Lilly Eloped and Married Herbert “Peter” Pulitzer Jr. in 1950, and was Married to him Until 1969.
They Had 3 Children: Peter, Minnie and Liza
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Indian River
I LOVE THIS CITRUS!
Peter Pulitzer’s orchards, Indian River, were some of the nicest tasting citrus in the world. He would work with the Seminole Indians. They produced some of the finest Oranges and Grapefruits. Indian River Grapefruit has a distinctive sweetness and juiciness that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth.
(I do know that I love Grapefruit Juice now. It never used to be a favorite, but it is now.)
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My Lilly Kitchen
I am known for changing the look of my kitchen every few years. It has gone from looking Hawaiian, to Old Florida, to Asian, and now to Palm Beach, Florida and Lilly Pulitzer.
I am my Grand-Daughter’s main care-giver, hence the High Chair.
With my husband working overseas I have pretty much made the kitchen all mine, which I am enjoying immensely.
My Lilly Bread Box Doll House From Above
Lilly’s From Our Property
Straws In a Flamingo Cup
Getting Ready To Make My Palm Beach Fruit Salad
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Julie’s Palm Beach Fruit Salad
Based on my love of Lilly Pulitzer’s 1960’s Palm Beach, Florida Living
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Julie’s Fruit Roll-Ups
To Get These Recipes…..
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Just a Couple of Cool Girls Out For a Drive…
While Wearing our Lilly’s
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See You In Palm Beach!
Julie and Isabelle
Quickie Italian
Quickie Italian Sometimes, All You Need is a Ready Made Tomato Focaccia, and some Wine I Call It Herb Bread When I think of cooking Italian food, I imagine a long list of ingredients, carving out a significant portion of …
Blogging With Julie MORE in 2024
Shirley Temple, Anyone? Julie Barefoot Blogging with a Baby Bed in the Living Room (I am my Grand-Daughter Isabelle’s (Peanuku) Main Care-Giver.) ‘Yeah, I see it. Thanks for letting me know.’ (Usually someone warning me about a threat from my cyber-stalker.) …
John’s Pass, and Bubba Gump Shrimp
Welcome to the Sunshine State
John’s Pass Intracoastal Waterway Located in Madeira Beach, Florida
John’s Pass is known for being a quaint fishing village. It was actually created by a hurricane on September 27, 1848. The locals just call it, “The Pass.”
John Levique, a pirate, made the first passage through the newly created pass, hence the name John’s Pass.
(His first name was most likely Jean, and not John. His last name was most likely Leviche, and not Levique.)
Regardless, John’s Pass is located on the West Coast of Florida near St. Petersburg.
It is a beautiful area with lots of shops and restaurants, not to mention hotels close by.
The Boardwalk is where we are here. We decided to take our children and their partners out to lunch with us around Father’s Day, 2023. Gordon and I also had such a good time that we decided to go back the following week for our 38th. Wedding Anniversary, and to do some more shopping.
Bubba Gump, was a MUST! BOTH times!
Here is our depiction of our great days spent in John’s Pass.
See you at the beach!
Julie
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Bubba Gump Shrimp CO.
185 Boardwalk Place West
Madeira Beach, Florida 33708
(727) 397-4867
Bubba Gump, Madeira Beach, Florida
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Bubba Gump Shrimp, CO. With Our Family
June 11, 2023
L to R: Susannah, Mackenzie, Veronica, Brian, Julie, Gordon, and Brodie
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Back to John’s Pass, June 22, 2023
Julie and Gordon
Our 38th. Wedding Anniversary
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Our Florida Sunshine Orange Cocktail
We came across a store on the John’s Pass Boardwalk that sold Florida wines.
Needless to say, we bought a few and created this cocktail using 2 of our purchases.
It tasted exactly like an Orange Creamsicle from our youth.
The ingredients are simple as you just need to combine the Orange Cream with the Orange Sunshine
Wine. We had this drink at a quaint wine shop down in Madeira Beach. You also must have the cool
glasses to go with the drink!
Add a few cups of ice to your blender then add the Orange Cream, and the Orange Sunshine Wine.
Blend until the ice is crushed nicely!
Pour into your special souvenir glasses and ENJOY!
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Cheers to Us!
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We go Together Like Peas and Carrots
Forrest Gump
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Shrimp Baby Mobile Project
This was my, Julie’s, idea once I saw these cups of cute little shrimp for sale in the gift shop at the Bubba Gump restaurant. I knew they would be great as a baby mobile. It also fits our personalities and interests to have a shrimp mobile and not some other kind.
Here Gordon is working on it.
The Finished Results for Baby Isabelle
(Project Instructions Down Below)
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Our Recreation Dinner of Bubba Gump Shrimp
(Above purchases made from the Bubba Gump gift shop.)
We Wanted to Recreate Our Delicious Shrimp Dinners
(My old Elvis magazine, above.)
Elvis and Forrest Gump
Gordon Creating our Shrimp Dinner
He’s packing our shrimp into our souvenir Bubba Gump glasses. I got out our Fondue Forks to use here. They are long and can reach the shrimp in the bottom of the glasses.
Topping off with Bubba Gump Hot Sauce
(We asked our waitress for some of the paper newspapers to use with our dinner.
She very happily agreed to give us a few.
Greenbow County Dispatch
Gump Shrimp and Peas and Carrots
(Recipes Down Below)
Greenbow County Dispatch
And Chocolate.. Because Life Is Like A Box Of…
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John’s Pass Boardwalk
As with any Boardwalk along the beach or ocean front, you will always find lots of quaint shops, and many eating establishments. You know you will find lots of seafood and ‘Specials of the Day.’ Souvenir’s, T-Shirts, Beach Towels, Swimsuits, and lots of beach toys. Just don’t forget the sunscreen!
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We wanted to take the family out to dinner for Father’s Day, and before Veronica gave birth to Isabelle, but also because Gordon would be leaving soon to work overseas for the foreseeable future, and it was just our way of creating some nice memories before he would be leaving.
Mackenzie and Brodie
Love all the restaurant themes! There is nothing as quaint!
Now, who wouldn’t want to ride on that Shark Boat?
The John’s Pass Intracoastal Waterway
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Julie Along The Boardwalk
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I thought this was a great shot of John’s Pass and you can see The Gulf of Mexico in the distance.
Gordon and Julie
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You Can Eat Outside Or Inside
(Gulf of Mexico View)
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July 6, just happens to be Veronica’s birthday.
Also, interestingly enough, the book the movie is based on is actually very small.
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A Great Tourist Shot
(The bench is in Savannah, Georgia.
They have since removed all of these great benches. Why? I have no idea?)
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Putting in our Reservation to Lunch
(They were short staffed that day so we had to wait awhile.)
Welcome
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Browsing the Gift Shop
“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”
Forrest Gump
Takes me back to my groovy childhood in the 70’s!
Brian, Gordon, and Veronica in the Gift Shop
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While we were waiting for our reservation inside…..
we decided to have a drink at the bar outside.
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Drink Menu with Souvenir Glasses
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Enjoying The Atmosphere
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Shown To Our Table Inside The Restaurant
A view outside of our window of the drawbridge at the connection of the Intracoastal Waterway and The Gulf of Mexico.
Our Table
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Everyone Studying the Menu…
Virgin Cocktails, and Cocktails Have Arrived!
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Appetizers and Food Has Arrived
Gordon’s Ribs
Veronica’s and Brian’s Foods
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While Everyone Was Eating, I Took a Tour of the Restaurant
It was a pretty slow day, which I enjoyed so that I could wander around taking photos.
I do love a good themed restaurant. Especially when based on a favorite movie of mine.
Not to mention that Gordon and I did grow up during the 60’s and 70’s.
Looks like one of our paintings we have at home.
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I Love These Booths!
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And Yes, There is Even a Hooter’s! Hence, the Giant Chicken Wing.
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Plenty of Dinner and Drinking Boats to Choose From
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The Drawbridge
(You will see many Drawbridges along the West Coast chain of Islands along The Gulf of Mexico.)
I Thought This Boat Looked Fun and Tropical
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Yet Another Eating Establishment
I Do Love These Two
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Time For Some Family Photos
(Worst Lighting EVER!)
Julie and Gordon
Mackenzie, Brodie, and Susannah
Veronica, (Baby Isabelle) and Brian
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Shops and Restaurants, with Parking
(This area is next to the Boardwalk)
Back to John’s Pass and the Boardwalk
(One Week Later)
We came back for our Anniversary and to do some more shopping.
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A Quaint Ice Cream Shop
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We Hit The Shopping First..
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…Then Straight to Bubba Gump for Lunch
Our Booth
Run Forrest, Run
(You display that when you don’t need your waiter or waitress.
When you would like someone to help you, then flip the sign to “Stop Forrest, Stop.)”
Sun’s Out, Rum’s Out
Happy 38th. Wedding Anniversary to Us!
Our Appetizer
I think this is the Run Across America Sampler.
The Fried Shrimp with Fries and Slaw is mine.
I think Gordon ordered the Jambalaya.
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RECIPES START HERE
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Write Up By Gordon
Peas and Carrots
Easy Peasy, Just Follow The Packaged Instructions
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Hush Puppies
(These were ready made in the frozen section of our Commissary. Just follow the packaged instructions.)
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On The Stove Top to Cook
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Thawing the Shrimp in the Sink
(This is a 2 lb. Bag)
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Ingredients:
5 Garlic Cloves – minced
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 ½ Tbsp Bubba Gump Cajun Seafood Seasoning
1 Lb. Shrimp – deveined and peeled from Argentina – delicious.
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The Bubba Gump Hot Sauce and Cajun Seasoning we purchased from the restaurant gift shop.
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Slice your Garlic, then mince it.
Here I did enough for two recipes… the other will be explained later.
Place your butter in a large sauté pan and turn to medium heat. When the pan is hot and the butter is melted, add your Garlic. You can also see the Peas and Carrots cooking in a small pot off to the side with a touch of butter. Cook these on a slow boil to just warm them up.
Sautee your Garlic for just a few minutes…
Then add your Bubba Gump Cajun Seasoning and let it cook for about 1 min.
Now, add your Shrimp to the pan and stir together with the other ingredients.
Shrimp cook fast (About 7 min.) so when they go from opaque to white and firm they are done. Stir occasionally as they cook. They will also continue to cook as they will remain hot for some time after you plate them so slightly under cooking them is recommended.
Add them to your large plate and serve with the peas and carrots!
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Here we just wanted to make Shrimp Cocktail, so again start with your Butter then add your Garlic.
Now add your Shrimp and stir all the ingredients together.
Again, they will cook in just a few minutes, so continue to stir for even cooking.
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Here is our Bubba Gump Glass… fitting for this cocktail.
Start by adding some Shrimp Cocktail Sauce to the glass as shown.
Now, add a few Shrimp to the glass, then another dollop of Cocktail Sauce and continue until the glass is full.
Here I am also adding some of the juices from the pan! Top off the cocktail with some more sauce.
Now that is a meal fit for Movie night watching … Star Wars!
No, I think we watch Forrest Gump!
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SHRIMP MOBILE PROJECT STARTS HERE
Lots of Cute Shrimp in Cups we Purchased at the Bubba Gump Gift Shop.
I knew that I would be our Grand-Daughter’s main caregiver, I also knew that we would be providing duplicate of everything she would need, including a baby bed with all the trimmings that come with. I also knew that along with the bed (which was given to us by our Son-In-Law’s sister’s mother and father-in-law), that we would need something along the lines of a mobile for her to look at.
Ready to Start The Project
We are beach people that love the ocean, and beach life living, we also love seafood, so when I saw all of these cute shrimp being sold in cute cups at the Bubba Gump gift shop, I knew they would make a great mobile.
Here is what you will need:
Plush Shrimp
Various sized Chop Sticks
Fishing Line
Small Drill Bit (1/32) and Drill
Scissors
Ruler
Needle
AND,
Two attentive dogs to provide morale support!
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At first, I was going to use this aluminum bar which would
attach to the crib, and I would hang the Shrimp Mobile from it.
I am removing the drill bit from the package.
I drilled a small hole in the end of the bar which would then
hold the nut and hanger seen to the left. I am using some scrap
press board to drill into, so I don’t ruin the table.
Here you can see me affixing the parts to the bar.
And Done! This may work well for you, but I ended up
scratching this idea… more to follow later. Now to make the
mobile.
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It was Julie’s idea to use Chopsticks. I have two long Chopsticks as the top part of the mobile and
everything could then hang from them. I located the center of
the chopsticks and drilled a small hole in each of them.
I then drilled small holes at the ends of those chopsticks. I
repeated this process for my other chopsticks. One set of two
chopsticks for every tier of your Mobile. We used large,
medium, and small lengthened chopsticks.
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Spooky… ever watchful!
She is so cute!
There is our Sparky!
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I started with the two long chopsticks and using my fishing line,
made a loop running the line through the center of both
chopsticks. I used the metal loop to prevent the line from
pulling through. I would cut it off later.
I then strung long lengths of fishing line from each of the
chopsticks ends and tied them off. This is the top of my mobile
I now moved using plant hangars on our lanai and hung the
mobile from them. This made it easier to tie my knots.
I then repeated my first step, tying my fishing line through the
middle of the chopsticks and the ends. You can see the top set
is well balanced.
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I used a fishing knot to tie the items together. You basically,
run the line through the hole then twist the lines together
about 5 times then run the end of the line back through the top
and pull.
Now, run your fishing line through the end of your needle and
push your needle through a spot on your shrimp.
(It was Julie’s idea to hang the shrimp differently and not thread the fishing line through the same place on each shrimp. This way, you have them doing different things.)
Pictured is a more detailed look at this step! Nice pic Julie!
Then place it to the length you want it to hang from your
mobile, and tie it off.
Here you can see we use the Sea Turtle’s flipper.
Repeat this step again and again!
Tie the shrimp at varying lengths from the chopstick ends.
Continue and repeat!
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Our Finished Shrimp Mobile
SHHHHH… she is asleep!
Sweet, Sweet Baby
Sweet Shrimpy Dreams Isabelle
What a great mobile she will have to look at when she wakes
up. Let’s just hope she isn’t allergic to shellfish when she gets
older.
We hope you try this great mobile yourself!
Something For The 4th.
When you are looking for … Something for the 4th. Our Dueling BBQ Sandwiches Waldorf For The 4th. Brunswick Stew with Dried Okra See Recipe For Our Brunswick Stew and Our Barbeque Here: Brunswick Stew and Barbeque We Used This Barbeque Recipe on …
Blogging With Julie All Along (Past and Present Blogging)
Hello and Welcome to My Personal Blogs I started this website in July, 2011, along with my very first blog post. I tend to write about whatever I may be going through. When I started the website I was …
Julie’s Backyard Wildlife and Gardening Blogging Continues…
It is Always a Thrill to see a Racoon in our Backyard
(One time I saw one peeking in our Kitchen Nook window. He was watching me while I was lollygagging around the kitchen. He was adorable. But, when he realized I had spotted him he scampered away. Sad, I would have loved to greet him at the window.)
When you live in a warm year-round climate like we do, outside gardening ends up becoming a part of your life, whether you originally seek it out or not. In some cases the lifestyle will just evolve as you live the Florida life. It was always in us to garden, but it has grown in scale as the years have progressed.
Also, a nostalgic history will play into your gardening as well.
For example, we have a few Plumeria Tree plants in our backyard because we had a beautiful Plumeria Tree in our backyard in Hawaii that our children and their friends would play in and climb.
Our Backyard Plumeria
We have also expanded our gardening through the years and we have learned as we go.
Growing our herbs, peppers, flowers, and banana and orange trees, our knowledge has increased and even a daring in us to learn and grown more.
Experience will make you a better gardener. But, don’t let that stop you from starting a garden of your own. I have always been a ‘learn as I go’ kind of person. That is how I learn. It is how I have always learned. So, don’t let a lack of knowledge or experience stop you.
Expect some garden “casualties” as you go. Whether they be by your own hands, or natures. Don’t view the “casualties” as failures. View them as learning experiences.
I see nature as being very kind to us amateur’s.
They always seem to give us a second chance, and they never complain about it. I will bring to you my further gardening accomplishments and hope that they will inspire you.
Gardening is very rewarding. To plant something, nurture it, and bring it to maturity, is very satisfying.
Happy Gardening!
Julie
(SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW BLOG ENTRIES)
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(Not to worry, I do have two legs. I’m just usually sitting on one of them.)
This is my view of my backyard. I position my desk in this way, facing my backyard, and NOT the T.V. that you see in back of me.
I get to see when visitors arrive. Here is an Osprey, or Sea Hawk as they are referred. Look how beautiful he is! My camera is always within reach to capture these majestic moments in my life. They bring me such joy!
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Our Banana Tree
Another nostalgic plant we have in our backyard. We always had the best producing banana tree in our backyard in Honolulu.
Not to mention the delicious bananas it would produce. Here we are trying to reproduce that banana tree and it’s tasty memories it gave us.
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Our very tacky garden bench where many a pot is stored, and many a plant emerges.
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Our Sweet Sparky
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Our Backyard Lizards
Of course, we have a TON of them! But, we don’t bother them. We keep our distance and leave them alone. Do this for about a year and then start to approach them. I can sit beside one and the lizard doesn’t flee because it knows I won’t hurt it. Pretty soon, I should be able to place my hand beside one and it will jump onto it. As we see it, our backyard does not belong just to us, it belongs to all life we have in our backyard. I just want us all to get along and be neighborly. I think that they do too. They are just so used to being chased and abused. Treat them with respect and they will love you.
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My Great-Grandmother Keith’s Majolica Pot
I am pretty devastated by this. Know that most of the time when something breaks in our home, I am o.k. with it. As I see it, it can be replaced so I don’t worry about it. BUT, this cannot be replaced! This belonged to my Great-Grandmother Keith. I have looked at it throughout my life. I am not interested in any monetary value that it probably had. To me this is very sentimental. It was hers. She bought it, she planted lovely things in it. She passed it to my Grandmother, who then passed it to me. It has a history. There are memories attached to this beautiful old pot.
Gordon has assured me that he can glue it back. It won’t be the same, but it will still exist. That makes me feel better. I need for it to still exist.
The reason that it broke to begin with is because we hired some tree trimmers and they accidentally broke it while they were working. I don’t blame them at all. They are tree trimmers and they cannot control where some of those limbs land. I blame us because we didn’t put it away like we should have. Let this be a lesson to all of us!
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DIRT CUPS
Blast From The Past (2013)
I came across these photos the other day and I wanted to repost them. I had originally posted them in 2013 in our very first webstite format. When we revamped our site in 2015 some things got lost. Then, when we revamped it in 2019 even more things got lost. I knew that these cute dessert cups would be appreciated so I wanted to repost them and the recipe for them.
Drying Some Herbs and Berries
This Recipe Calls For:
Oreos
Chocolate Pudding
Cool-Whip
Herbs
Gummy Worms
Artificial Flowers
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You first make the Chocolate Pudding according to the package directions.
You Then Add the Cool-Whip to the Pudding, then adding some of the Crushed Oreos
I Placed Some Crushed Oreo’s into the Bottom of Some Clear Cups
Next, you add the Pudding/Cool-Whip Mixture to the Cups
Now Add a Sprinkling of Oreo (Dirt), and some Gummy Worms and Mint Leaves
(You want to keep them refrigerated.)
Oh, Happy Spring!
NOTE: I just spotted my above Dirt Cups on my first gardening blog post. Good to know that I didn’t lose it! But, I think I will keep this one here as well seeing as how it is just so cute.
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Backyard Bubbles
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BLOG ENTRIES START HERE
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I Have Started A New Garden Blog:
Click Here For: Julie Barefoot In The Backyard
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Always a Pleasant Surprise to see a Spider Friend
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June 10, 2023
A Bird’s Nest in our Backyard
Interestingly enough, this is really just an old topiary bush. Very low to the ground.
I hope this lovely nest with it’s two eggs will be o.k. The mother is so beautiful! I hope they all make it safe.
Housing The Bird Nest
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Save The Old Rotten Lettuce
Every summer our frogs lay their eggs in our fountains and bird baths. I know that I have written about this many times in the past but, I enjoy writing about it for those that may not know. Frogs are important to our eco-system. They eat the bugs in our very Florida swampy backyard. That keeps the bug population down. I also love how they sing at night. When they are singing then I know everything is safe. When they stop singing, well, that means a predator is in my yard. Whether man or beast.
Here are just a few places where the frogs have laid with eggs and we have tadpoles to feed.
This particular fountain gets full sun. Used to that was no problem for them. But, now that things are hotter the tadpoles are dying in this hot boiling water. So, I started placing some palm leaves over them to keep them cooler and protect them from this hot sun. I also feed them some of our rotten lettuce to eat.
Draped With Large Leaves
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Our Key Lime Tree
We have had this Key Lime Tree since 2005. We brought it with us when we bought this house in 2006. So far we have had to relocate it in our backyard a few times, but it is coming back to it’s once grand self.
The blossoms are everywhere!
The bees pollinating it are everywhere! So excited for this next crop!
It may look small but I believe it is mighty!
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Growing Our Backyard Peppers
These will go into many recipes of ours.
Love that they supplement our daily meals.
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Our Purslane Flowering Weed
Excellent in so many of our recipes.
Great added crunch to so many foods, not to mention the many health benefits.
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Our Firecracker Trees
They look like little bells.
I love everything that is unique about our backyard.
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This is probably my most favorite spot in our backyard.
The beautiful alien looking plant in the pot surrounded by so much Goldilocks, a.k.a. Creeping Jenny. I love the bold green color!
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Harvesting Peppers
This was such a great haul! I love that they keep producing!
Hot, Hot, Hot, Florida Afternoon
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Gordon Measuring For The Sails
We wanted to put up some sails in our enclosed lanai for the baby shower that we would be hosting. We also wanted them for us to help keep us cool when we were using the extended lanai. Here, Gordon is measuring for the sails.
Here, Gordon and Brodie are placing the sails on hooks and extending them across our backyard lanai extension.
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This is just a beautiful blossom from one of my plants that I absolutely love!
I love our Terra-Cotta beauty here.
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Just a Few Tadpoles in our Fountain
Trying to Ready our Backyard
Looking Good!
My Lovely Asian Beauty
Beauty Around The Bench
And, Around our Retaining Wall
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April 30, 2023
Nearing The End of our Backyard Work for Spring
Here I am planting two different mints into two different hanging baskets.
In order for these plants to be successful, a few things are needed. A hanging pot, most attractive moss like lining on the outside, and some very heavy duty plastic on the inside. Now add plenty of Potting Soil, and plant the mints you wish to use. Done!
In the photos below, you can see the mint thriving in these baskets. It’s not just about the baskets, and my keeping them moist with water frequently, it’s also about the location. This location is perfect for them! They love it here! So, if a plant does well in a certain place then do your best to keep it there so that it can continue to thrive.
We now have some great mint to use in our cooking, baking or refreshments.
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Our pathetic Backyard Lawn
(We don’t have much of a backyard, as in grassy area, but we did want to make it look good.)
I do have to give my husband credit for this because I didn’t believe it would actually happen.
On April 13th., Gordon purchased some grass seed for our backyard. Our goal was to have our backyard complete by May 1st. You see, we hosted a baby shower for our daughter and son-in-law on May 7th. All that you see us doing here was to get it all ready for that baby shower. But actually, we did all of this for us, the baby shower was just the excuse that we needed to do it in the first place.
The Grass Seed Gordon Purchased
($10.00 a Bag)
Look How Nice it is! It Kind of Looks Like we Could Comb it!
I have to admit that I was wrong about Gordon’s idea to use this grass seed. My only experience with grass seed was from when we were living in Hawaii and the birds would eat all of the seed that we would lay. I was arguing for a new lawn by professionals, while Gordon insisted we try this.
He was right! We had a beautiful lawn in weeks! It also stayed very nice throughout our party. It has pretty much lasted a little over a month. It is a temporary lawn btw. Not permanent. But, it is easy, cheap, and it looks nice when it comes in. Perfect for our little backyard patch.
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We have a few fountains around our backyard just so we get to attract these beautiful creatures who want to stop by for a drink.
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Our Fire Balls are Coming in Nicely
The Ferns Have Overtaken It
The round retaining wall you see above, Gordon built a few years ago. Once he competed the retaining wall, he then built a path around it. The tree was always there but we did plant the beautiful Ape’s (Peace Lilies) all around it. Along with some Fox Tail Ferns. It is also the place where we place our broken statuary that is still beautiful and with character. The ferns have overtaken it and are now climbing up the tree. At first I didn’t like it and I would tear it all down. But, then it just got to be too much so I let it go. Now, I’m glad that I did. It looks kind of charming.
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I love it when I plant lovely things and then they grow into something beautiful.
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Tacky Garden Bench With Lots of Character
Something Elegant Beside Something Not So Elegant
My Spiritual Place in our Backyard
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Our Backyard
Placing Air Plants In Trees
I, Julie, happen to love having plants of various heights in our backyard. I not only want to look down upon them as I enter our backyard, I also like that they are eye level, and even above my eye-sight. I love placing plants in the nooks of trees. Here Gordon is doing exactly that.
These are Bromeliads/Air Plants Gordon is Placing into one of our Backyard Trees
When we water our other plants, we just need to aim the hose upwards as well.
We Did Finish This Area of our Backyard
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Here Gordon is placing more plants in the nooks of our trees.
This is a vine that will grow, and grow, and grow.
An area we are still working on.
And an outgrown topiary tree we are trying to decide what to do with?
Still Pressure Washing
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Mackenzie’s Spring Birthday Gifts
I love that my son’s girlfriend Mackenzie, has a spring birthday. I love spring! I think that she does too which is why I love to give her gardening things that she can use in her own garden. A few things for the kitchen, and a gift card to Lowe’s so that she can pick out her own backyard gardening things.
Happy Birthday Mackenzie!
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While Mackenzie is opening up her birthday things….
Gordon and Brodie are setting up this grand umbrella for our backyard lanai extension. This will play an important role in the baby shower.
Looks BIG and GRAND! PERFECT!
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Fire Ball Trees, Gordon Ready To Plant Them
Pressure Washing The Backyard Lanai
I think the photos are beautiful that I took of Gordon doing all that Pressure Washing.
It is certainly a very Florida thing to do yearly.
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Lunch: Kickin’ It Old School
Toasted Whole Wheat Bread, Olive Loaf, Medium Cheddar Cheese, and Yellow Mustard
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The Creeping Jenny is planted and started to thrive! Also, the grass seed that Gordon planted is sprouting up nicely and is looking really good! Much better than I gave him credit for.
This was an old section that we needed to spruce up.
Cleaning it out, adding new white rocks….
You can see that this part of our old dreary backyard is starting to really pick up and look nice!
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This patch of dirt has been an eyesore for us for a few years now. We didn’t know what to do with it. Grass never grew here. At one point we had rocks lining it, but they disappeared into the soil at some point. Anyway, we did notice that since we had our trees drastically trimmed, and our neighbors behind us had 3 trees removed, that we suddenly had this flood of sunshine into our backyard. So, we decided to plant these lovely Goldilocks/A.K.A. Creeping Jenny into this section. So far, things are looking great!
Gordon Pressure Washing Our Lanai
(The black is what it looked like originally from the mold, etc. Now it’s looking so much better.)
Inside our Round Retaining Wall in our Backyard I love to place our “ruins.”
They are simply our older statuary that has become a bit broken and aged.
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April 13, 2023
Doing Upgrades
We decided to reclaim this part of our landscaping from the ferns that had overtaken it. Gordon pulled quite a few up by hand, and we planted a few things in this area, while cleaning up the older pots and statuary. We wanted it to look white and bright and clean.
We chose this No Float Mulch for this area.
NO FLOAT
No Float means that if this area floods, it won’t float away.
Unlike bark, which would float away.
Grass Seed
Prior to us getting our trees trimmed in our backyard, as well as two backyard neighbors who also recently had some trees cut down, and/or lots of branches removed, we could NEVER grow grass in this middle section of our backyard. However, now that we have more sun coming through Gordon decided to put down some grass seed to see if it would take and a yard would grow. I was sceptical at first. Our only experience with grass seed was when we were living in Hawaii and whenever anyone would use it all the birds would flock to that yard and eat it all!
But, stay tuned…..
Here Gordon is spreading around our No Float Mulch.
This mulch really does help to define what we have here, unlike a bark that wouldn’t.
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This side of our backyard is mainly mine to do with.
I almost have it completed. I just need a few more herbs and pepper plants.
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When it’s finished, I can’t wait to sit back here and read a book.
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April 12, 2023
Backyard Clean Up and Plantings
It Just Takes Time and Work
The Blue Tarp is to cover up things we don’t want to get wet until we can put them where we need to.
Living in Florida with our hot humidity, always seems to bring with it lots of mold and mildew. Sometimes the mold is so thick you could scrape it up with a knife. That’s just life in Florida. Then rainy season happens and the mold just multiplies. Believe it or not but, there have been times when our lanai was nothing but black mold!
Gordon Pressure Washing
Our gas powered pressure washer is currently in a repair shop in Lakeland, Florida. So, we borrowed our son and his girlfriend’s to use to try and get a hand on cleaning all this up. Theirs is an electric one and just doesn’t have the power to do such a good job. Gordon was able to do some of it, but not to the extent that is needed. We are hoping that ours will be ready in the next day or so, but if it isn’t, a co-worker of Gordon’s has offered us the use of his.
We even use the pressure washer on some of our statuary.
Obviously, we haven’t done that yet on these.
Dragon Fruit and Elephant Ear
This Dragon Fruit is new for us. We love eating it. We just have never grown it. Very excited to see how well it does in our backyard. But, we have had Elephant Ear in our backyard before. That is the bulb. It’s huge! I hope it does well. I do love the Elephant Ear plants.
Gordon, Cleaning up This Landscaping
We Are Also Adding Some New Pots and Plants
Silver Buttonwood
My White Rabbit and Mushrooms
I always have my Alice in Wonderland items to make me happy.
Loving This
My Serene Buddha w/ White Mandevilla
Yellow
I love my Yellow!
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April 11, 2023
Replenishing
Filling in the blanks.
Sometimes I love to buy somethings new, and sometimes I just prefer our old tried and true favorites.
Either way, I love this area of our backyard.
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April 10, 2023
Replenishing This Side of the Backyard
Really Working on the Replenishing
Potting a White Mandevilla Vine in Front of the Trellis
All The Herbs and Flowers
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April 9, 2023
The Start of our Replenishing
We visit the home improvement stores regularly.
Whether they be Home Depot of Lowe’s.
We are very domestic when it comes to our home and property.
Here, we took both of our cars to Home Depot to start stocking up on a few things.
www.BarefootInFloridaWithJulie.com
I followed him home!
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Our Many Purchases
My Bleeding Heart
Blue Hydrangeas
Some of my Herbs in the Wheel Barrel
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This Calla Lily Comes Back Every Spring
April 8, 2023
Backyard Garden Updates
Our Black Widow Infestation
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9 years ago we saw this:
A Backyard Visitor w/ Egg Sack in Tow
We didn’t want to kill this mother with her egg sack in tow, so Gordon used the shovel to move her to the back of our yard. That was in 2014. We always see a black widow or two in our yard every year, but this year they are on steroids! We have found a good 70 this year! And they have built about 70 webs as well. At first we would just destroy their webs, but they rebuild them overnight. Therefore, we have had to use our gloved hands to squash them, or an insect spray to kill them. Now we seem to be mostly ‘web free.’ We believe that this little lady probably started it all and we are dealing with her Great-Great-Great-Great Grandchildren.
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Doing Just Fine Without Me
Sometimes It’s the Ones I Ignore That do the Best
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My Herb Garden
I realize it doesn’t look too good here but, I do let it go through the winter months. It will still produce some of our favorite herbs, and some plants will go to sleep for the winter, and even a few may die, but it still mostly lives on.
Some Pots Look Bare Here
This side of the herb garden is mostly plants.
Some of them go to sleep for the winter while the rest of them do tend to survive.
My job right now is to clean all of this up. Which is what I am doing.
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March 27, 2023
Cleaning Up The Backyard (The Start)
Phase 2
The Finished Results From Our Tree Trimming
Look how nice and “clean” our trees are!
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Our Lanai’s
The only reason I am showing you our horrible backyard lanai’s is because the end results are going to be beautiful!
I do have to admit, that we tend to let our backyard go during the winter months.
Gordon and I are working on Phase 2 of our backyard. Phase 1 was all the tree trimming, I write about that below. Phase 2 is cleaning up the backyard and getting rid of all the yard debris. We are also doing our best to organize our lanai’s and put things away, or get rid of things.
The clutter that you see in the photo top right, that is all GORDON!
Gordon is the kind of person that will put something down, and never touch it again.
When he does that, he is actually leaving it up to me to deal with. So, I either deal with it, or I leave it. As you can see, I left it!
But now, we are working toward organizing this area and cleaning it up.
We do have a big goal ahead of us that we are working toward. You will find that out eventually.
Yet More Yard Debris To Get Rid Of
Can’t wait to bring you Phase 3!
Julie
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March 25, 2023
Tree Trimmers
About every 4 years we hire a company to trim our trees. And in some cases in the past, they have removed a few trees from our property. Removing a tree to us is usually a last resort. So sad to cut down something so beautiful and grand. But, in some cases the tree was too close to the house and the roots will then interfere with the foundation of our house. We started with 9 great oak trees and now we are down to 7. It looks like these remaining 7 are here to stay for now. It’s amazing how in those 4 years between tree trimming how much these trees can grow and sprout new branches.
They used a Cherry Picker in our Front Yard…..
and, they climbed the trees in our Backyard.
Our Backyard Left, Our Neighbor’s Right
Although we really aren’t required by law to trim our trees that hang over our neighbor’s houses, we do it anyway.
I think it’s only the right thing to do. One of our trees had limbs that were about to touch our neighbor’s roof. I know that we don’t want to be responsible to damaging our neighbor’s roof so we had the guys to remove all limbs hanging over their house.
They Trimmed All 7 of our Oak Trees
I was happy to have this one particular limb removed. What with all that we had done, which cost us $4,000.00, we have so much new light coming into our yard, front and back.
Two days later our neighbors directly in back of us had 3 trees removed from their property, and their trees trimmed up. We now have so much light streaming into our yard. It’s wonderful! Especially considering that we are required by our HOA to have St. Augustine grass in our yards. St. Augustine does require sun. Hard to grow in the shade.
Usually the entire block is happy when one of us trims our trees. It’s entertaining, almost like watching a coordinated tree ballet. Some neighbor’s set up chairs outside to watch the show. And, everyone is usually happy because we know that the more branches that are cut down, the less tree debris we will all have in our yards. A good wind will carry our leaves around the neighborhood into other people’s yards. The less leaves we all have, the less work we have to do.
There is another reason we are trimming all of our trees. We will be having a big party in our backyard soon.
Tree trimming is just phase 1.
Julie
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Bottom Line: (Which will be at the bottom of this page.)
Don’t interfere with a former baton twirler with a dowel at a home improvement store.
These Home Improvement Stores are probably the only stores where I can twirl a dowel and get away with it….
although I am pretty sure they are watching me on their security cameras and wondering what this crazy woman is doing?
NOW, I’m ready to leave…..
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View My Other Herb Garden and Project Pages:
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Julie’s Backyard Wildlife and Gardening Blogging
AND,
AND,
AND,
Julie’s Backyard Wildlife and Gardening Blogging Continues
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An Old Florida Jezebel (Sauce)
(The picture above not only showcases my Old Florida Jezebel Sauce, I also depict our daughter Veronica’s art from when she was a Fine Arts student in college. Any chance I get to do that, I do!) Let The Sunshine In …
Grillin’ Italian
Ciao and Buongiorno! Welcome to Grillin’ Italian We love to grill, we love Italian, therefore it makes sense that we would create a page dedicated to Grillin’ Italian. Italian food showcases a lot of food that we love. …
Brunswick Stew and Barbeque
Happy 4th. of July!
Brunswick Stew…
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Soup Spoons On!
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Seasoned Crackers
Our Seasoned Crackers with store bought Dried Tomatoes, etc.
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And, BBQ…
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With, Pickled Red Onions…
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Along with a few of our other homemade condiments.
Our Corn Relish:
Click Here For: Corn on the 4th. of July
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Our Homemade Mustard’s:
Click Here For: Pork, Sausage, and Mustard
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Our Pickles
Click Here For: In a Christmas Pickle
(Although I am still working on the write ups for the pickles.)
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I have done a Brunswick Stew Website Page before:
Brunswick Stew, Cheese Straws, and Angel Food Cake
If You Would Like To Check It Out
I Just Wanted The Repeat For Our 4th. Foods
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And Now For a Side…
Making My Baked Beans
This is a recipe that I can do short, or long.
My long version is to take all of these ingredients and bake into a casserole dish in the oven for about 45 minutes.
The short version is to just do it on the stove top.
This is more of my long version. I empty the liquid of 2-3 cans of Van Camp Pork and Beans into the sink. I then place the beans into a casserole dish. I add lots of Freshly Ground Black Pepper, some Chopped Onions, Chopped Green Bell Peppers, a squeeze or two of Yellow Mustard, Lots of Ketchup, a spoon full or so of Molasses. A nice wad of Brown Sugar, and several dashes of Tabasco Sauce. I then stir it all together, tasting if I need to add more of any of the ingredients. If I am happy with it, then I place it into a 350F oven for about 35-45 minutes. Depending on how large the casserole dish is.
When done, add some already cooked Bacon to the top. Or, chop it up and distribute it throughout the beans…..
It’s just not the 4th. without Baked Beans!
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Taking the Gift of Brunswick Stew and Barbeque over to Brodie and Mackenzie’s
(Along with my Baked Beans)
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House Warming Gifts
Mackenzie and Brodie in Their New Home (2022)
Although Off Topic, I Did Take Brodie Over Some nice Asian Things
A Very Comfortable Living Room
Julie, Sparky, Hank and Gordon
Sparky, Spooky, Brodie, and Mackenzie
Theater Seating
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Cutie Spooky
We Did Take Over a Few Cocktails
Ignore the Mess, They Just Did Move In!
All Dogs Love Gordon
Sparky, Spooky, and Hank
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Our Gifts To Brodie and Mackenzie
(All The Bowls, some Soup Spoons, and the Condiments we Made Ourselves)
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Setting the 4th. Table of Foods and Condiments
Julie’s Cooked Baked Beans, Adding the Bacon
Along with our homemade condiments!
Also some ready made snacks from Sprouts, along with my homemade Seasoned Soup Crackers.
What a Delicious Plate!
We also brought over the Buns, and some bags of Potato Chips.
We also gave them a big pot of Brunswick Stew and BBQ for them to freeze and save for their 4th. celebrations.
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Our Home Table
(This is next day eating.)
You see, we did all of this cooking in early June. We wanted to make it ahead of time to give as house warming gifts to Brodie and Mackenzie, but, we made so much extra that we froze the extra BBQ and Brunswick Stew to save for our 4th. Turns out, everyone saved the extra for their 4th. That made our holiday so much easier. We also took over a big pot of stew for Veronica and Brian.
The Bowls and Spoons in the photo above are for Brodie and Mackenzie. Also, the larger pot filled with the stew. (They also got to keep the pot.) The smaller pot is for Veronica and Brian. We also gave each family a jar of our Pickled Red Onions.
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Corn on the Cob in a Pool of Butter
BBQ Sandwich with Corn Relish, Pickled Onion, Mustard and Pickles on a Pretzel Bun
Pretzel Buns, Potato Salad, Corn on the Cob, Baked Beans, etc.
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Adding our Homemade Corn Relish to the BBQ Sandwich
We did cut corners and bought the Potato Salad already made.
Hey, we can’t do everything!
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Great 4th. Inspired Dinner
Don’t forget the Butter, Salt, and Pepper…
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The BEST BBQ Sandwiches
The Buns, the BBQ, the Mustard, the Pickled Red Onion, the Corn Relish, the Pickles, and the BEER!
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Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This!
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Recipes Start Here
Flowers from Brodie and Mackenzie’s Garden
(My Souvenir)
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It is a tradition in my Georgia family to eat Brunswick Stew and BBQ on July 4th.
My Grandmother would make the Brunswick Stew, and my mother would pick up the BBQ from this small little shack of a business near downtown Rome. I would usually make the Baked Beans. My Grandmother would also make her Pressure Cooker Green Beans. She would snap them herself while sitting on her front porch. Other than the Buns and Condiments, and Potato Chips, I can’t really remember what else we would have? Other than perhaps Homemade Ice Cream hand cranked by me. It would get really hard to crank so I would have my little brother Johnny sit on it while I turned it. That was always the best ice cream I had ever eaten in my life. Every time!
We would then load up the car with blankets/towels/folding chairs etc. and then head down to the Levy to sit and watch the fireworks. We would find a nice spot, while surrounded by other Roman’s coming to watch the show. Always beautiful!
So, I present to you My Brunswick Stew….
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Brunswick Stew
Although I am tripling the batch here, I will give you the ingredients for just one batch to make yourself..
Ingredients:
1 Whole Chicken
1 lb. Onions
3 lb. Potatoes
2 Cans Crushed Tomatoes
2 Cans Cream Style Corn
1 Can English Peas
1 Can Lima Beans
1 1/2 Bottles of Ketchup
1 Bottle Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Cup Vinegar
3/4 Cup Lemon Juice
4 t. Tabasco Sauce
2 T. salt
Black Pepper
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Pink Post-It: Thaw Chicken
Whenever I make my Brunswick Stew, I always double/triple the batch.
Why? Because we love it!
We make so much of it because we enjoy it, we give it to our children and their families, and we freeze some to enjoy throughout the year.
Here I am Thawing Out Two Chickens
If they aren’t fully thawed before you start to cook them, you can place them into a batch of warm water in the sink until they are ready to cook.
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Where Do I Even Begin Here?
ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS!
You Will Need Some Sort of Food Processor
Like I said, I am tripling it and making it more towards our tastes.
I May Start Out With Two Pots, But It Ends Up Being Four By The Finish
My Two Chickens Boiling
Here I am making the Broth to use in the Stew. You can see the “Scum” on top of the pot at top, right.
I use that screen thingy to remove the scum and I place it onto another bowl or plate.
I want to try and keep my broth “clean.”
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I start out by boiling my chickens on a high heat, then when it becomes a rolling boil I turn the heat down a few notches so that it will continue to boil, but not boil over.
I also boil the chickens until the meat is falling off the bone.
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I have removed my whole chickens from both pots and placed them into a colander with large bowls underneath them.
You can see the Chicken Broth in the pot above? You can also see the rings around the pot from where the Chicken cooked? Well, I want to clean that pot before I continue to use it.
The Colander at left has one of my Chicken’s in it, and I’ve got the blue rimmed screen to the right, to strain my Chicken Broth into.
With the Broth safely in another pot, I will now wash the white one because it will be a pot I will need to continue cooking my stew.
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My Two Whole Chicken’s in the Colander’s/Bowls above.
This gives the Chicken’s a chance to drain the rest of the broth into the bowls.
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Time to Clean the Green Pot, left of the “rings” from boiling the Chicken.
Getting All My Clean Pots Together
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Letting The Chicken Cool
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Time For The Potatoes
Here I am using several Idaho Potatoes for my Stew.
You just want to wash them, peel them with a Potato Peeler, Poke Holes in them with an Ice Pick or a Fork…
Now, place your Potatoes into a large pot of water, set up to boiling, until tender.
So, while the Potatoes are Boiling….
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Time To Pick the Chicken
The Chicken has cooled a bit and now it’s time to pick it off the bones.
I prefer to remove the Chicken from the bones and place the good meat into a large bowl, while placing the bones and bad stuff around the Colander to be thrown away.
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The Potatoes Are Boiling
The fork is there to insert into the Potatoes to determine doneness.
You want the fork to slide in with no trouble. Then you know they are done.
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The Food Processor
The Food Processor is for grinding up the cooked Chicken. That is the traditional way of eating this stew.
Once I have ground all the Chicken, I place it all into a large bowl.
Like so….
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When the Potatoes are Fork Friendly….
Then remove them from the pot of boiling water and place them onto a cutting board to cool.
I’ve Got My Pots All Lined Up And Ready
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The Chicken Broth
Although I do have the broth from two Chickens, sometimes I need more broth so I make sure I have some on stand by.
I want to have 4 large pots of Brunswick Stew.
All Burners Are On a Medium-High Heat, Above
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Now, To Start Adding To The Pots
Our Ground Chicken Goes In First
You Can See That Beautiful Golden Broth!
My 4 Pots of Broth and Ground Chicken I Distributed
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Time To Chop The Potatoes Into Chunks
When they are cool enough, you want to chop them into bite sized chunks.
Then place them into a large bowl.
Time to distribute the Potatoes into all 4 Pots.
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Now for The Onions
These Are Yellow/Spanish Onions
They Are Perfect Here
It’s Really Just a Matter of Peeling Them and Chopping Them
They Are Going Into The Food Processor
Placing Them Into The Food Processor
You Want To Grind Them All Up
Now, Distribute Them Between The 4 Pots
Look! A Full Moon!
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At This Point, I’ve Got 4 Pots Simmering Away On Low
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At This Point I Need To Wash All These Dishes
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Time To Finish Making This Stew
The Rest of The Ingredients:
Chicken Broth, Ground Chicken, Potatoes, and Chopped Onions
I like to first add all the liquids. The Ketchup, Worcestershire Sauce, Vinegar, and Lemon Juice.
The levels will rise in the pots as we add the ingredients.
Because I have been making this Stew for so long, I go by my taste buds.
I also go by how I know the Stew should look, as in what color it should be.
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This Stew Needs To Thicken and Simmer Away
Look At That Beautiful Color
This Stew is NOT Brown, it is Burgundy!
Although I don’t have it pictured, I did add all the cans to all 4 pots. I did also drain the liquid out of all of the cans before adding the ingredients to the pots.
Now, it is a runny soup. But, we want a Stew.
It needs to simmer away some more…..
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I love keeping a stool in the kitchen for these long attention getting food projects.
The pillow that says, Monk, was our pug’s pillow. He died a few years ago. But, never forgotten.
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Whenever I do my Brunswick Stew I start the project early in the morning with coffee, and end it at night with wine. I stir pots and make sure that nothing is sticking or burning to the bottom of any of my pots. I also monitor the thickening.
Still Simmering Away…
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Adding Our Heirloom Tomatoes
I love to throw in any extras that we have that may go with the stew, such as tomatoes.
Now, It Simmers. And, We Wait.
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Look How THICK It Is!
This is what we want.
Now, it’s time to allow the pots to cool before putting them away in the refrigerator or freezer.
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The Last Bowl of Brunswick Stew
When it was all over, this was the last bowl.
Topped with my crushed Soda Crackers.
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Always Recycle!
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Seasoned Oyster Crackers
I believe that some people could state that these flavors clash with our Brunswick Stew. They would probably be right, except that we don’t seem to care, and we don’t just eat them on the Stew. Sometimes, they are just a savory snack that we enjoy.
Ingredients:
One Bag, or 5 Cups of Oyster Crackers
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Packet of Ranch Style Dressing Mix
1/2 t. Dried Dill Weed
1/4 t. lemon Pepper
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You want to combine all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl, then place them into a 250F oven for about 20 minutes.
Remove From Oven and Let Cool
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Pickling Red Onions
Enough to Make Two Pint Jars
Ingredients:
2 Large Red Onions – sliced thinly
4 Tbsp. Sugar
~ 3 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Pinches of Sea Salt
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Start by removing the root and stem end of your Red Onion.
Slice the onion in half the slice the Onions thinly as shown.
Pack the sliced Onions into the jars. Add your sugar into a small container…
and pour some Apple Cider Vinegar into the bowl to let the sugar dissolve.
Stirring the mixture will help the sugar to dissolve. Now add your Sea Salt to the mixture and when the sugar is dissolved, pour it into the jars of onions.
Let the mixture sit for at least an hour before using or let sit within your refrigerator for a month or more. These make great quick gifts as well. The pickled onions are great on burgers, hot dogs, and BBQ pulled pork.
TIP: This can also be done with most any other type of vinegar. Examples are White, Red or White Wine, Rice Wine, Balsamic, Malt, Asian Black Vinegar etc…
Enjoy!
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Pulled Pork Barbeque
Write up by: Gordon
(Made in a Dutch Oven and a Crock Pot)
Here you can see the ingredients and bowls I used to create these two recipes.
All the ingredients help to flavor the meat during the cooking process.
I love Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce, which I use after I have cooked the pork.
I love to use a lot of seasonings when I make my pulled pork as I feel it gives the BBQ a deep depth of flavor.
This recipe below is for two sets of pork done in two different cooking methods… Dutch Oven and Crock Pot. The ingredients are the full amount I used and will need to be halved in order to cook both methods. The above Vidalia Onions help to add sweetness to the BBQ.
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Ingredients:
~ 8.25 Lbs. of Bone in Pork Shoulder “Picnic”
~4 Lbs. Pork Roast
To Make one pot, half the ingredients listed below…
4 Vidalia Onions – chopped
3 – 6oz. Cans Pineapple Juice
1 1/2 Cups Muscovado Sugar
2 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
4 Tbsp. Ground Mustard
2 Tbsp. Smoked Paprika
I Tbsp. Ground Nutmeg
2 Tbsp. Ground Ginger
2 Tbsp. Ground Coriander
2 Tbsp. Honey Hickory Rub “Grill Mates” McCormick brand
2 Tbsp. Smokehouse Maple “Grill Mates” McCormick brand
2 Tbsp. Sweet Paprika
14 Cardamom Pods – seeds removed from the pod
4 Tbsp. Sweet & Smokey Rub – “Grill Mates” McCormick brand
Unsalted Chicken Stock, as needed
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Remove the onion skins and chop the onions.
Place half of the onions in your Dutch Oven and the other in your Crock Pot.
Pineapple juice is a great thing to use as it naturally breaks down the meat.
It is also used in many Hawaiian pork recipes.
Again, place half of the pineapple juice in Dutch Oven and the other in the Crock Pot.
This is a great type of brown sugar which has an interesting sweet flavor.
If you can’t find this, any brown sugar will work.
Again, be sure to split the amount in half.
Here is a great picture Julie took of the Crock Pot.
Now with the spices…Cumin.
Then add your Mustard which is in most every BBQ recipe … then your Smoked Paprika and Nutmeg.
Now Ginger, Coriander, and Honey Hickory Rub.
This last seasoning provides a great smoked Hickory flavor to the meat.
Next is your Smokehouse Maple and Sweet Paprika which both add to the sweetness of this recipe.
Cardamom is kind of my SECRET ingredient as I love the sort of ethnic sweetness it provides.
This is the main ingredient in Chai tea.
These come in pods, which have to be opened to get to the seeds. The pods are very soft and easily opened.
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Here you can see the seeds at the end of my Chef knife.
Now I used some Sweet & Smokey BBQ rub.
Here you can see all the ingredients in the Dutch Oven pre-mixed and mixed.
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Shown are the two types of pork I used.
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Always rinse the meat to remove any leftover blood and bone fragments.
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Now, I slice some of the fat off the pork.
Fat is flavor so don’t take too much off.
Here you can see the bone in the pork which provides the meat a great flavor.
I slice the pork into small sections so it will fit nicely into both pots and cook quickly.
When the meat is cut, begin to fit them into the pots.
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It’s gonna be so great!
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The Picnic shoulder has a good amount of skin and fat on it which I like to remove.
Use your knife to get under the fat to cut it away from the meat.
Slice around the bone as best you can.
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Here you can see the Crock Pot start to fill with the pork.
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Still slicing around the pork shoulder bone.
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After you have added all the pork to the pots, mix them around with the seasonings.
Add Chicken stock to your pots to ensure the meat is submerged.
Heat your oven to 400’F and place a sheet pan on the bottom shelf under the Dutch Oven just in case it overflows.
I like to cook the pork on High for 6 hours in the Crock Pot.
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Here you can see all the dishes washed and out of the way for the next step in the process.
Thank you Julie!
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You can see the BBQ is cooked and swimming in some delicious sauce. I remove the meat chunks with tongs and place them in a colander with a bowl underneath it in order to drain off the sauce.
Save The Sauce
This is another great shot of both the pots of cooked pork.
Both methods are good, but I do prefer the Dutch Oven method on the right.
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I poured the sauce from the Crock Pot into the dutch oven and placed it over medium high heat to reduce the sauce by about half.
While the sauce is reducing, shred the meat using your hands getting rid of any bone or fat chunks, and place the meat into a bowl.
Here is what you should have when done.
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While the sauce is reducing, be sure to stir it so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
You can see the fat rise to the surface which you will remove with a spoon.
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Here I am liberally pouring the Sweet Baby Ray’s into the pulled pork.
Add as much or as little as you like leaving room for the sauce you are reducing in the pot. You can also use the pot’s BBQ sauce to top your buns with when making a BBQ sandwich!
Here you can see the pulled pork in one of our largest Tupperware containers.
This will make many sandwiches!
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Here the BBQ sauce has finished reducing.
Let this rest a bit and remove any excess fat that will be on the surface.
This is what you should have when the sauce is done… deep brown rich sauce that still has a little fat in it.
TIP: To take away even more fat…
If you place it in the refrig for an hour or so, the fat will harden and you can easily scrape it away with a spoon as shown.
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Enjoy Your Dinner
Have a Very Tasty 4th. of July!
Happy Independence Day!
Julie and Gordon
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Freezing Brunswick Stew
I love that it freezes so well. Just place some of your stew into a freezer safe container. When ready to thaw it out, just whip up some nice seasoned crackers to eat with it. Great leftovers!
Yum!
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DIY Home Function Upgrades
Welcome to DIY Home Function Upgrades This is our first project for this website page. We do plan on bringing you more. What you see here is the side of our house. There was grass here at one time but our yard …
Pizza, Pizza
Pizza: Latin for “to pound, or stamp.” The Lombardic word bizzo, or pizzo, meaning mouthful. Was brought to Italy by the Lombards in the middle of the 6th. century A.D. A Pizza consists of a base of dough with a selection of …
Let Us Eat Cake, (Julie’s Cakes Continues)
Currently Baking Until You Can Insert a Toothpick and it Comes Out Clean
Strawberry Jalapeno Sheet Cake
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Gordon and Julie, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1982 in Gordon’s parents kitchen.
We are baking Christmas Cakes/Breads for his parents to give to their friends and associates as gifts.
Note the expression on my face. I remember this day very well. I HATED Baking cakes. I HATED that they roped me into this.
All I remember are the Cranberries. I HATED Cranberries. Unless a cake was packed with Chocolate then I wasn’t interested.
That was a very long time ago and here I am starting yet another Cake Blog Page on my website, 38 years later at this writing, 2021. I will need to ask for this recipe so that we can bake them all again.
p.s. I’m pretty sure they passed our cakes/breads off as theirs. Grrr….
Julie Lancaster-Whann
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Welcome to Let Us Eat Cake!
Julie’s Strawberry Jalapeno Cake
AND,
Strawberries Dipped in Strawberry Jalapeno Frosting
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Recipes Starts Right Here!
Julie’s Strawberry Jalapeno Cake with Strawberry Jalapeno Frosting
Gathering All of the Ingredients
Including my Vintage Electric Mixer
The Ingredients For The Cake:
3/4 Cup Butter, Room Temperature
1 1/2 Cups Sugar (We used Splenda)
3 Cups Cake Flour, Sifted
1 T. Baking Powder
3/4 t. Salt
4 Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 1/2 t. Vanilla Extract
2 Cups Chopped Fresh Strawberry’s
1-2 Chopped Jalapeno Peppers, De-seeded
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Get out your mixer….
This vintage Mixer was a gift to me from my Grandmother. She bought it at a yard sale in Rome, Georgia for $20.00 and brought it in her suitcase to Honolulu, Hawaii to visit us when we were living there. I treasure it!
The Ingredients on the Right are for the Frosting:
1, 8 oz. Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
1/2 Cup Butter, Room Temperature
1 Jar Jalapeno Strawberry Jam, or Less if you Prefer
5 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
To Garnish the Cake:
A Jalapeno Pepper and Whole Strawberry’s
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Freshly Washed Strawberry’s for the Cake
Spray a Sheet Pan with Pam Baking Oil with Flour in it
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Time to Make the Cake…
You first want to place your room temperature Butter and Sugar into your largest Mixing Bowl and beat on a medium speed until well blended and a bit fluffy.
You next want to add all of your Eggs, one at a time until well blended.
Blend together after each Egg.
Using a Food Mill Potato Ricer as a Sifter
(Hey, it works!)
In another bowl, adding my Cake Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt to the Ricer.
Sifting into the bowl.
My Dry Mixture and My Buttermilk
Time to Add my Dry Mixture Interspersed with the Buttermilk
(Start with the Dry, and End with the Dry.)
In other words, add some of the dry mixture to the mixing bowl and blend. Once blended, add some of the buttermilk until blended. Then add some of the dry mixture until blended, then add some wet. Start with the Dry, End with the Dry.
All Mixed Together
Now It’s Time to Add the Vanilla Extract
Mix Together
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Now It’s Time to Chop the Jalapeno’s and Strawberry’s
I Chopped About 1 and 1/2 Jalapeno’s into Small Dice
I then placed them into a colander with some Flour to coat.
I shook out the extra Flour and then added the Jalapeno’s to the batter.
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Mix Together
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Chopping the Strawberry’s into small Chunks
Coating Them With Flour…
Adding Them to the Batter
Time to Pour into our Sheet Pan
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Preheat the Oven to 350F
Bake For Approximately 25 Minutes
When You Can Put a Toothpick in and it Comes Out Clean, It is Ready
Cooling on Top of a Jigsaw Puzzle
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Jalapeno Strawberry Jam
(This entire cake and frosting is because of this Jalapeno Strawberry Jam inspiration.)
Making The Frosting
Again, time to use the Mixer.
Jalapeno Strawberry Jam, Cream Cheese, and a Jalapeno Garnish
Place your Room Temperature Cream Cheese and Butter into Your Mixing Bowl and Beat Until Creamy
Now Add Your Jalapeno Strawberry Jam, as much as you like, to the mixture.
I added about 3/4 of the jar.
Now we add all of the Confectioner’s Sugar, beating as we go.
Gordon Being Goofy on the Right!
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The Cake and the Frosting is Ready
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Time to Pour the Frosting Over the Cake
We Want This to Set
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Delicious! Garnish with a Jalapeno Pepper and some Strawberry’s
Really Good Too!
Can I fix you a Plate?
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Some of the Leftover Frosting
I thought that Strawberry’s would be delicious dipped into the leftover Frosting.
I was right!
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Let us eat cake!
Julie
Our Asian Inspired 4th. of July
Happy Independence Day! On this particular July 4th. we wanted to do something a bit different. We always seemed to eat the same foods each year, over and over again. Those classic and traditional foods are …
Sparky Doodle Dandies
Happy 4th. of July Meet Sparky Whann And His Sparky Doodle Dandies When I adopted Spooky and Sparky I would always refer to Sparky as “Sparky Doodle Dandie.” Therefore, it made sense that we would make some Sparky Doodle Dandie …
My Sloppy Jules
My Sloppy Jules
Remember Sloppy Joe night when you were growing up?
I sure do! I loved them!
It was the closest thing to a hamburger on a bun without the patty. I would usually drench mine in yellow mustard as well. Every bite I would take the meat would ooze out from all sides of the bun and land all around my plate. Sometimes landing on the kitchen table. I would usually grab a potato chip or a French Fry to scoop it all up and place it into my mouth with such delight.
This is a delicious food memory of mine that I wanted to recreate except I wanted to change them up a bit to fit my now adult tastes. I haven’t eaten a Sloppy Joe in probably 30 years. Which is why I wanted to recreate them now. I knew it was time.
I was watching an episode of Modern Family a few years ago when the Patriarch of the family, Jay Pritchett, was making his Sloppy Jay’s for his Grandchildren who were coming over to spend the night and watch Western’s on T.V.. That reminded me of the Sloppy Joe’s that I ate growing up and that is when I decided that I wanted to create my own Sloppy Jules. Jules is a nickname for all of us that are named Julie. I am still called that in certain circles. I also wanted to try and make them into “Jewels.”
I do hope that I succeeded. This was a lot of fun to do and I enjoyed every minute of it. I had an idea of what I wanted to do but it also just unfolded right before my eyes as I am plowing through the pantry looking for ingredients to add to them. When Gordon came home from work and walked into the house he told me that he can smell my Sloppy Jules from the driveway and how delicious that was. I piled some onto a spoon and gave it to him to taste. He then grabbed a bowl and started spooning more in for him to taste as he settled in from a long day at work. He then kept raving about them and how sweet the meat was and how perfect they tasted.
It made my day that a culinary chef liked what I created.
Having said that, I hope that you do too!
Happy Eating!
JULES
Here are MY SLOPPY JULES!
I Also Wanted to Add Some Bling
And if you notice my Buns are shaped like Diamonds…
I Snuck a BITE!
(Was it the lipstick that gave me away?)
Topped with a Jewel
Served with a side of Sliced Tomatoes and our Dill Pickle’s
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The Recipe Begins Here:
The Potatoes
I wanted some of the Blue/Purple Potatoes to add to my Sloppy Jules because I knew they would keep their color and I hoped they would look a bit Sapphireish or look a bit Amethyst.
Washing the Potatoes
I am withholding the blue potatoes for my Sloppy Jules.
The Potatoes Drying
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Our Blonde Bells From our Garden
Getting Out All of My Vegetables
Washed and Ready
The small potatoes that you see here I was hoping would look a bit like ‘rocky jewels’ and would make a nice side to my Sloppy Jules.
Getting Out All My Pots and Pans
Boiling These Potatoes
I just added some water and some salt to a pot and when it started to boil I added the potatoes. They are done when you can insert a fork into them. I did poke holes prior to their boiling with an ice pick.
Adding Some Vegetable Oil to a Large Saucepan
(About 2 Tablespoons)
This saucepan will saute my vegetables.
I eyeball everything so I will do my best to give you amounts. But, I also know that we all have our personal tastes and some may like more of this, while other’s may like more of that….
Chopping ONE Red Onion
(I probably ended up using 3/4 of it.)
Chopping My Bells
(Red, Green and Blonde)
My Blue/Purple Potatoes on the Left, the rest on the Right.
(My smaller Potatoes we bake later on.)
I chopped half a Red, half a Green, and 2 small Blondes.
Adding Some Vegetable Oil to the Large Skillet
Sauteing the Red Onion
Here I’ve Chopped My Jewels
My Boiled Blue/Purple Potatoes, Some Red Bell Peppers, Green Bell Peppers, and our Blonde Bells
Sauteing All the Bells and Onions Together
(On a Medium Heat)
Adding Some Freshly Ground Black Pepper, Left.
Adding my Blue/Purple Potatoes, Right.
Adding Some Shakes of this Delicious Merlot Salt
Now that the vegetables are simmering away…..
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Time For the MEAT
This is about 3 Pounds of Ground Turkey Meat.
I added this to my cast iron skillet with a touch of Olive Oil.
I am cooking it in this cast iron skillet.
I wanted the “jewels” cooked separately from the meat so as not to stain the jewels. I wanted the meat to be done before I added the sauteed vegetables.
Now that the meat is done I am adding some Ketchup and a can of Tomatoes. The Ketchup I just eyeballed it. Probably about 1/2 a Cup. I did add about 1/2 cup of Water as well.
I also add a large can of Tomato Paste and about 3/4 Cup of Brown Sugar.
I also added some more Ketchup to taste. Just a few more squirts.
I let it simmer away to thicken up and then reduced the heat to low until I was ready to combine the two.
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Cooking Separately
My Jewels Gleaming
Now Ready to Combine the Two
So Excited About This!
The Smell is Amazing!
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Now For My Potato Side
We just placed these “jewels” into a baking dish with some Butter, some leftover Roasted Garlic, some leftover chopped Red Onions…..
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some Freshly Ground Black Pepper and some Specialty Salt….
Now Into the Oven on a 400F Oven for 25-30 Minutes.
When Fork Tender They Are Done
My Sloppy Jules Meat
(I was hoping that my Jewels would Sparkle through.)
More of My Jewels
My Sloppy Jules and my Diamond Bread
So thrilled to find some bread shaped liked a diamond.
The Red Peppers we bought, the White Pearls, we Pickled.
I thought it would be great to insert our pearls into the red peppers.
Slapping Together My Sloppy Jules
Get ta Eatin’!
Jules
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I Heart Sloppy Jules and Jeweled Potatoes
This is also something nice to eat for July 4th. Especially for the kids.
How To Repair and Rebuild a Retaining Wall
Introduction to the Repair and Rebuilding of a Retaining Wall Before Left, After Right ——————————————————————————- You Can Also See Here The After Photos Once Our Pavers Were Put In Place Spooky and Sparky Once all the Work is Done Even the Backyard …
Gordon and Julie’s Everyday Seafood
Blackened Grouper Cheek Po’ Boys These are actually based on our love of Grouper Cheeks. The Slaw above is actually an excellent one we did for St. Patrick’s Day and we used the leftovers here. See that recipe below: …
Sixty’s, (Sensational or Surviving?) We’ll see, right?
Welcome to My Sixty’s
Currently Aging to Perfection
(Or Rotting and Disintegrating? But I swear this to you, as long as there are moisturizers and Loreal Superior Performance Medium Blonde, I will always be here for you.)
When I look at myself in the mirror, I see that this is what I am supposed to look like. My entire life has been leading up to this. Being born, growing up, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, and now my senior years. I have arrived! Now it’s time to put all the pain of growing up and maturing behind me and just enjoy what time I have left. I am hoping that this is MY time. My time to shine!
Julie Lancaster-Whann
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I turned 60 on February 13, 2021
60!
Happy 60th. Birthday to ME!
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It is very easy to look in the mirror and see all the growing pains. The scars of growing up. My C-Section scar from where they removed my daughter when she was born. The scars on my knees of every bicycle/skate board accident that I ever had when I would fall down and scar my knees bloody. Every brown spot on my body from growing up in the sun whether it be in Georgia in my youth, or Florida and Hawaii in my adulthood.
Just like in an autopsy, everything on my body tells the story of my life. I wear every scar as a badge of honor that tells my story.
I have no desire to erase the history of my life by having some face lift, or laser treatment to remove my sun spots that represent every fun day I ever had in the sun. As long as they aren’t skin cancer then I am o.k. with them. They aren’t beautiful but they represent my story. And my story isn’t always very beautiful either.
I have no earthly idea what to expect from my sixty’s? Will they be nifty? Sensational? Or will I just be surviving them? I have no idea! But, I will find out, won’t I?
I will do my best to make them the best years of my life.
Julie Lancaster-Whann
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And we need to eat a lot more of this in our 60’s.
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If you would like to follow my 50’s:
Click Here For My: Nifty Fifties
AND,
My Nifty 50’s and 60’s Skincare
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Loving the Organized GOLD!
Accessories That I Always Have With Me
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I.C.U.
(Photography is a fun and rewarding hobby of mine.)
My Herb Garden is Therapy to Me
So, Let’s Get Started.
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Blog Entries Start Here
Blogging With Julie
(Sparky and Spooky, always by my side.)
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March 15, 2025
I Turned 64 on February 13, 2025
I Wanted a Harry Potter Cake with the Mum Spelled out. Not Mom as we say in America, but Mum.
The Mum is what they say in the U.K. when referring to their Mom’s, but I wanted the Mum because of the T.V. Australian T.V. show Bluey, where they refer to their Mom as Mum. Isabelle’s favorite show.
The reason I wanted a Harry Potter cake is because Harry Potter got me through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, The Inauguration, and my Birthday. I’ve been a bit down since Election 2024 when Trump won. Harry Potter got me through it all. Not Harry Potter the character, but the entire series with all of the characters combined. I even did a Harry Potter Christmas. We all enjoyed it immensely.
Flowers and Isabelle Art
I LOVE MY Cake!
Isabelle Helped Me Celebrate
MUM!
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Isabelle and her Parents, Veronica and Brian
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Isabelle With Her Bluey Sidewalk Chalk
Future Artist, It’s In Her Blood
Her Mom Is An Artist
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Drawing Tutu a Pretty Picture
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I don’t know what 64 has in store for me.
What with our failed American healthcare system I may not even make it to 65.
Tutu and Peanuku, (I Live For Her)
My heart doctor originally from Syria fled the country with his family once Trump got elected. The heart doctor I saw that replaced him forgot me in the exam room. Dr. Muhammed. After I waited 45 minutes he came into the room, turned the computer on, then received a phone call and left me in the exam room alone with the computer on. Then, he never came back. I heard him go into the exam room beside me and start to see that patient. Had I not left the room and gone to the front desk I might have been locked in the building for the night! I kid you not! I informed the two people left in the office building what happened to me. They were very sympathetic. But…..
The bottom line is that I was invisible and I was forgotten. My doctor from Syria cared about me. Dr. Muhammed didn’t. So yeah, let’s deport those foreign doctors that care about us and put into place those that don’t. Oh, don’t be fooled by the Dr. Muhammed name. He was a very handsome man fluent in English. As in he has lived here his whole life and most likely was born here. But, my impression of him is not very favorable.
As I see it, each and every one of us is going to be responsible for our own health. We cannot count on this healthcare system to look after us. Our American diet is designed to create ill health so that we are reliant on a ‘for profit’ healthcare system, where we go into debt just to survive. We need to educate ourselves, eat healthy, exercise, and do what all we can to survive all that is to come. We truly are on our own.
At least I’ve made it to 64.
Happy Birthday to Me,
Julie
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February 10, 2025
This is Me at 63, Almost 64
The older we get the uglier we are on the outside, but the happier we are on the inside.
At least that’s my story.
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Comparing Myself To Others
I am very sad to say that whenever I come across anyone around my age I can’t help but compare myself to them. I don’t do it on purpose. I know that there are many factors that determine how well we age. Our DNA plays a major role, also our diet and our health. How well we may, or may not have taken care of ourselves from youth on.
I do come across people that I will find out they are younger than me, and I am sometimes immediately shocked. My insides are saying, ‘What? YOU are younger than ME?’
I believe that I need to be kinder in my thoughts where that is concerned. Oh, I never say anything to the person whom I see as not looking very well, but I do think it. I really don’t want to think it anymore.
No one younger than you sees you as young. Only those older than you.
Oh, there is that occasional person that will see you and acknowledge that you look good for your age. But most will never see it.
I like getting older. I am a much happier person now than I ever was in my life. I think it’s because I am ageing. I will be 64 on February, 13th. and I can’t wait! O.K., birthday cake plays a major role in my loving birthday’s, but so does my Grand-Daughter Isabelle.
I just want to be old enough to put her before me, and young enough to keep up with her.
If someone were to ask me why I am a youthful 64 year old, my answer would be, “Immaturity.” Too stubborn to age, willingly.
It’s actually quite freeing to age. People don’t expect you to be this perfect person. After all, you are an old lady.
At the end of the day, it really has never mattered to me what people think about me. I have always liked myself, even when there were times that no one liked me.
It all boils down to how you feel about yourself.
As it is, I live in my head.
Julie
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November 11, 2024
MOOD
Today is Veteran’s Day. Gordon is a vet. Today we honor all of those that came before us and risked their lives, some died, lots of them bled just to give us the freedoms that we just freely gave away to Trump on November 5th. for him to destroy. Yeah. I’m having a hard time with these election results. I ended up having an extra day off today. I keep my granddaughter about 3-5 days a week. I was originally supposed to keep her today but Veronica then informed me that I didn’t have to as Brian got the day off. As much as I love her, I also needed this day to myself. You see, I’m still grieving. I’m not just grieving for me and my family, I’ve grieving for everyone. Americans and the rest of the world.
I won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving this year. Gordon is back overseas now so it would be me doing everything myself, and I just don’t feel like it. It’s not that I’m not thankful, I just don’t have the energy to dedicate to the holiday, so if I do anything at all it will be something very simple like a T.V. dinner or a turkey sandwich. I don’t even know if I will be doing anything for Christmas this year. Usually, I already have my holiday plans, but not this year.
I guess that what I am trying to say to all of you is that if we don’t feel like doing it, then let’s not. I understand that if you have small children that you really do need to make the effort. I will do something nice for my granddaughter, and I have a nice idea of gifts that I will be giving everyone, I just don’t know if my home will reflect what all we used to do in the past.
We all grieve differently. Oh, we may go through the same stages of grief, but some of us may take longer than others. I’m going to go at my own pace, and not someone else’s.
Julie
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November 7, 2024
How The Next Few Years Will Affect ALL of Us
This is ME at 63!
I’ve been meaning to update my 60’s for awhile now but I’ve been busy doing other things, or working on other website pages. However, I can’t get all of this out of my head unless I write it all down. It becomes a distraction and I don’t wish to be distracted. There are many things I want to get to. I decided to write all of this here instead of my personal blog because all of this is going to affect my 60’s in a very negative way. My 60’s blog isn’t just about my physical health, it’s also about my mental health. Therefore, I wanted to place it here. Know that every American will be affected negatively by the new administration coming into power come January 2025.
Once I get this out of my system then I will be blogging here once again about any ailments I have, or will have. You know, the fun topics. But for now, I want to write about this.
I’ve Been Trying to Save my Fellow Americans Since 9/11
(Not from the terrorists, I figure a good National Security can do that, but from Republicans themselves.)
And as you can see, I have failed miserably.
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Time to Grieve, along with Self Love and Care
I’ve been up since 4:00 this morning. Today I kept my granddaughter so I got up early to shower and be ready when she arrives. Today was a short day to keep her.
Isabelle, A.K.A. Baby Pierre
Her dad will pick her up after 10:00 a.m. and then I have the rest of the day to myself. I don’t keep her everyday, but I do keep her a good 3-5 days a week. Some days are short, some days are long.
Baby Pierre with her Toys
I’m just happy that I have this block of time to myself right now as I really do need it. I don’t keep her again until Monday. That gives me until then to be sad, grieve, lick my wounds, eat some nice comforting foods, and just do whatever is necessary to heal myself. Not totally, but to have it all sink in and form my survival plan.
My Second Breakfast
(Small Broccoli Quiche from SPROUTS with my Broccoli Greens)
In need of some comfort food. Because I get up so early on those days that I keep Isabelle, by 6:00 a.m. I am hungry and in need of something in my stomach. I will generally eat a bite or two of something after I give Isabelle a bottle and put her down for her very early morning nap. I then take a nap too, but when we do get up a few hours later we are hungry for a real breakfast. Today, this was mine!
I’m also doing some things around the house, but I’m mainly just taking it easy. If the dishes don’t get done, or the laundry isn’t totally ready, it really doesn’t matter right now. The priority for today, tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday, is ME!
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It’s Truly Over
I’m not licking my wounds because the political party that I supported lost. This isn’t the Super Bowl and my team didn’t win. EVERYONE lost on November 5th. Even the republican voters themselves. They just don’t know it yet. White people generally don’t suffer too many consequences when it comes to politcs, it’s usually black, brown, and poor whites. But now, the chickens are coming home to roost for EVERYONE!
When I mention above about how I’ve been trying to save my country since 9/11, I’m referring to the policies of the republican party, I’m referring to the incompetence that enabled that day to even happen? Did you know that not ONE person has been held accountable for the largest terrorist attack on our nation? NOT ONE! What the republicans did was to spread the blame around so that no one would be held accountable. Condoleeza Rice should have been fired. She wasn’t. Not only that, but all of that happened under a George W. Bush Administration. Yet, no one ever seemed to blame him, (except the families of the victims and those of us that know all the facts.)
If you were to come home and find all of your children dead but the babysitter is still alive, don’t you want to know what happened? Or are you just going to shrug your shoulders and say, ‘well, we can’t bring them back, time to move on.?’ Are you going to allow the babysitter to talk you out of having autopsy’s done on the dead children to find out what happened to them? Are you going to allow the babysitter to thwart any investigation into the matter? And, will you be hiring the babysitter again to perhaps sit your dogs? If you are a republican, then the answer is YES!
I’m not interested in getting into all of that. But, 9/11 changed me forever. I woke up that day, while most of my fellow American’s fell asleep, and they haven’t really woken up since. Oh, they do stir occasionally, yawn, open their eyes, stretch their arms, babble something about the time, and then fall right back to sleep.
Such Is The American Way
When Kamala Harris gave her speech yesterday to her supporters, admitting the concession to Trump, she said something rather unbelievable. She told her supporters to keep fighting, to never give up. Sorry people, but the time to fight is now before Trump is ‘anointed.’ Once in there, then it is truly over for all of us. So, this is how Democracy dies. It isn’t killed, it’s handed over freely. This time, it is being handed over by the Democrats to the Republicans. (You’d think they’d be a little hesitant?)
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Trump Will Never Leave Office Until He Dies
(Even then, he will appoint a successor.)
White middle/upper middle class people just never seem to suffer the same consequences as black/brown/ and poor whites. It’s because they have more privilege than the rest. They either have a good education, a good paying job, or something to sell if things go badly for them, stocks to cash in to help them out, or they have connections they use to give them that leg up on everyone else during tough times. All of that is about to change. And I am here to tell you how and why….
American Seniors
For those senior citizens that didn’t lose their homes during the Bush/Cheney years due to catastrophic medical costs, or those seniors that haven’t had to get those reverse mortgages just to stay afloat and in their homes, well, your Social Security is about to be slashed, or done away with totally. That’s right. No more money for you old people! So, what’s your plan? Did you manage to save a lot during your life? Did your husband leave you behind a small fortune? Or, do you have things that you can sell to get you through until you die? Perhaps you have a child with a spare room that can take in grandma? A mother-in-law suite would be great, wouldn’t it? With your own bathroom? I certainly hope that you will have some money set aside to help with the rent and food costs? Oh, and what about those medical bills? Are you a diabetic? As I recall insulin used to be around $200.00 until those nasty democrats put a cap on it and made it no more than $35.00. (Don’t you just hate those democrats!)
I hope you are prepared for all those dirty looks your son or daughter’s spouses will be giving you for ‘free loading’ off of them. (We are talking about white republican’s after all.)
Oh, and just a reminder, your children/grand-children will be having it hard too, so don’t expect any luxuries there. They won’t be able to take off from work to get you to your doctor appointments. They will also need every penny they make to get through.
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The Middle Aged
So, you’ve managed to buy your ‘sort of’ Dream Home! Wow! What a great life you and your wife and your children are going to have there. With the extra bedroom you can create your MAN CAVE. Bit screen T.V., giant comfy couch, gaming system! WOW!….
But wait!….. Ring, ring… Ring, ring…
Phone call from mom and dad. They can’t afford to live on their own with the Social Security cuts. They want to know if they can live with us here? What do we tell them? Can’t they go and live with your sister? I know she has a small apartment, but they can make it work. I want my MAN CAVE!!! (Again, we are talking about republican’s.)
So, now you are forced to take in your mother/father/or both in order to help them out. Otherwise, they are homeless.
The stress is enormous. 4 adults and 3 children all living under the same roof.
(Although that used to be the norm in the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s, they were more tolerant than the average American is now. America has since turned into a nation of selfish hot heads. So, good luck in the ‘family’ environment.)
Paycheck to Paycheck
Oh, there won’t be any saving money. Everything you buy from abroad, which is a lot, is about to cost you about 40% more. You see, Trump’s Tariffs. That means that all those business’s that import from other countries are having to pay more, therefore, they are passing their extra costs onto YOU. After all, they need to make huge profits, ya know?
The Average Family Will Pay Around $4,000.00 Extra A Year
Also, expect to pay more for your Fruits and Vegetables. A simple tomato may end up costing you $8.00! Why? Well, we don’t have all those brown illegal rapist immigrants anymore over here taking your job away? And, exactly when did all those white republican’s ever work the fields picking vegetables? Who knew?
Trump has promised that there will be immigrant deportations on day 1 of his Presidency. Imagine driving to work and seeing armed guards with large groups of brown people in them. They are worried, scared, their children are crying, they are being herded onto buses…. you are pleased. After all, those damn rapists are finally getting their due. Good, you think.
The news is filled with all the stories. Oh, a watered down version of them anyway, after all we won’t have a free press anymore. It will be the Trump News Network. Our Great Leader will address the nation every evening with his accounts of how he is keeping us all safe, whether we like it or not. WHEW!
The bills are adding up. Everything costs much more. You parents are no help as they are old and can’t get jobs themselves. But, they do try and help out around the house when they feel good enough to help. Your mom is doing some cooking and cleaning up, and your dad is mowing the yard while you are having to work extra hours. Life just isn’t enjoyable anymore. It’s just all work, work, and work.
Then something terrible happens…..
What with Daylight Savings Time it’s now dark when the kids have to catch the bus on their way to school. That particular day two of your children were sick because RFK JR. is the ‘Health Czar’ and doesn’t believe in vaccinations, so your 11 year old daughter has to walk to the bus by herself. A car of men see her and hone in. Two men jump out of the car and grab her, throwing her into the trunk. They then drive off to a secluded location and rape her. They left her for dead on the side of the road, but she was found by passerby’s who called the police and she was taken to a local hospital. The hospital alerted the family who were so relieved! The family rushed to the hospital to be by her side. So happy that they have their baby girl back again. However, they are informed by the hospital staff that she will be monitored for a pregnancy. Everyone is stunned! NO! She can’t be pregnant! She’s just a child!!! That doesn’t matter, we have no abortion laws so therefore she must give birth to her baby.
I Will Stop There…
But, I will say this. If the child is forced to give birth then the new grandmother, or the great-grandmother will be forced to care for that child, or the child is put up for adoption. However, the orphanages are full of unwanted children as it is, and must send the baby to another states orphanage.
Or, consider this…..
A young married woman is raped and it results in a pregnancy? How is her new marriage going to work out? There are no abortions, how will that marriage work out as the new wife’s stomach keeps getting larger and larger? Is that marriage going to last? Or is that husband going to resent the fact that another man impregnated his wife?
In This America Rapist Get To Choose The Mothers of Their Children
So, why is it that republican men and women can never see that all of this is possible?
Because they just don’t think any of this can happen to them….until it DOES!
THEN, they wake up! But, there won’t be an Obama to save the day like in 2008, or 2012.
NO! There is a Trump for the rest of our lives. Or a Trump appointed successor.
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I would like to add something else. Trump has said that he will kick out all those welfare recipients from their housing. Are you prepared to see thousands of homeless people on the streets? Men, women, children, toddlers, babies? Are you o.k. with that? They will be dirty and begging. They will be hungry, sad, mistreated, abused. You o.k. with that? Because if you are a republican, then the answer is yes!
Oh, and let’s not forget all the new homeless animals that will be everywhere. Stray dogs and cats. But, don’t worry, according to Trump the immigrants will be eating them, so….
Your Children Will Be Scarred
Imagine being at school one day when a group of armed military storm in and round up some of your children’s classmates? Perhaps even their friends? Or simply that sweet girl Maria from math class? Your children will hear their screams and their cries of terror. Your children will see their fear. Your children will have nightmares over what they witness at school. Unless they are republicans in which case they probably don’t give a damn.
Perhaps they don’t even come for children. What if they come for your young teacher? Never to be seen again?
Is everyone o.k. with that? I guess if you’re republicans.
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I heard on Morning Joe this morning how the democrats need to do some sort of soul searching to find out where they went wrong in loosing this presidential election. Seriously Joe? The democrats have to do some soul searching? What would you like for them to become? Bully’s? Criminals? Rapists? Liar’s? When did the good ones need to do some soul searching? My country really is fucked up! But, there is nothing more I can do. And you know what I’ve discovered? They aren’t worth saving!
Julie
p.s. It’s time to delete those accounts. You know what I mean. Do it!
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August 3, 2024
Update on Skin Cancer Neck Wound
10 Week Update
The photo at left shows me with a bandaid on my neck. I don’t really need it, but I do use one when I go out because the wound is still unattractive. The photo at right, shows you the wound as it is now. It is getting smaller and healing nicely. It will just take some time before it smooths out and is no longer that worm looking thing on my neck. At least I no longer need those large bandages, and a simple bandaid will do.
Julie
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July 11, 2024
8 Week Update On My Skin Cancer On My Neck
(No Make-up Day)
I don’t believe the lighting is too good here. But, my wound is getting better. Next time I will shine a flashlight on it so that you can see it better. But, I am still allergic to the glue on the bandages.
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June 15, 2024
One Month Wound Check
See that white bandage left? That bandage that I asked for meant that the doctor I saw considered the wound check visit a ‘new visit,’ and charged me for it, along with my insurance company. The wound check is just that. Which means all is paid for they are just evaluating my wound. When I removed the bandage so that they could look at it, I asked if they could give me another to place on my neck as I would be doing some shopping and errands and I didn’t want my yucky neck exposed.
That prompted my doctor to see this as a new visit and charged me $37.00 for that bandage. Not to mention the several hundred they charged my insurance company. I no longer have respect for the woman that stitched my neck up. I will also be requesting a different doctor in the future.
I never complain to them, I just never go back.
My neck is healing nicely. I realize that it looks like my neck is sticking it’s tongue out at people. The doctor stitched it up, so that it will settle down. Had they stitched it flat, the wound would sink in. This way it won’t. It does take some time for it to settle. I’ll keep you posted.
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June 4, 2024
My Skin Cancer Wound is Healing
Lucky You! You Get 2 Yummy Photos!
It’s been about 3 weeks since the procedure. One reason is still looks a bit bad is because I had just ripped off the bandage before I took this photo. I am allergic to the glue on these bandage tapes. Therefore, you see all this redness.
I have tried some of the ‘organic’ kind, but they don’t stick very well. I pretty much need those bandages that are causing the allergic reaction just because they work.
I am my Grand-Daughter’s main care giver so I need it covered so that she won’t poke it or even be exposed to it. I also keep it covered when I go out and about so that no one has to look at it. However, when I am at home alone, I cover it with Vaseline and leave it bare without a bandage.
I will get a ‘wound check’ in the next week or two from my Dermatologist. The redness goes away when I leave it uncovered, but it comes back immediately when I use the bandages.
My Catch 22!
I’m sure some of you are wondering why I would even show these very personal photos?
Answer: Because these kinds of things don’t bother me. I’m not trying to gross you out, I’m just giving you an insight into what it could be like for you, or someone you know and care about.
I was raised in a medical family where my step-father would show us the kidney stones that he removed from a patient that day. They were beautiful! We passed them around at the dinner table and looked at them with fascination. I guess that’s the reaction that I hope to get from you?
Julie
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May 31, 2024
Shopping Around For Bandages
If you are familiar with my Skin Cancer Neck Diagnosis, then you know that wearing a bandage around my neck is important for the healing process. I write about my Skin Cancer below….
Keeping a moist bandage with Vaseline on it, keeping my wound covered, will greatly help in the healing process so that my wound will smooth out around my neck, and not sink in causing it to look unattractive.
However, it turned out that I was allergic to the glue in the tape of both brands of bandages that I was using.
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So, I went shopping.
(See Bandages in my sink in photo above.)
I bought most everything that I could get my hands on. I need to wear a bandage when I am out and about. I also need to wear a bandage when I keep my Grand-Daughter Isabelle, but other than that, I don’t bother to wear one while I am at home. In order to heal the skin around my neck, I do need to keep it moist with Vaseline.
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May 26, 2024
You can see that I’m allergic to the glue in the bandages I’ve been using in the photo above.
You can see the redness all around my neck.
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May 29, 2024
Through experimentation, I think I’ve found my bandage that I can wear without it breaking me out and making me even more miserable. Because, after all, the wound isn’t just the problem. It’s also the irritation, rash, discomfort, and itching from the allergic reaction.
I’m wearing bandages when I go out in public, or when I am watching my Grand-Daughter.
Wound today, May 31, 2024
It’s looking better, but it does take time.
When I am at home I wear the kind of clothing that you see me wear above. I also keep my hair back in a pony tail in order to keep it away from my wound. I then smather the entire area with Vaseline so that it gets the moistness that it needs, without the irritation from the bandages.
I’ll keep track of it and let you know how things turn out. Oh, and most important, I am sleeping on towels so as not to get any of the Vaseline on my bedding. So far, it’s working out just fine.
Julie
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May 16, 2024
Everything is Changing, Everyone is New
(Hopefully, For the Better.)
And No, I Didn’t Try and Slit my own Throat
(No make up in the photo above left, just lipstick.)
All Bandaged Up!
Bandages for my Wound
(The waterproof are especially helpful for our humid Florida heat. They are sweat proof, humid proof, and waterproof.)
Earlier this week I went to have a Basel Cell Skin Cancer removed from my neck. It was discovered at a bi-yearly skin check recently.
I have my skin checked twice a year. Sometimes a suspicious area is discovered and a scraping will be taken and sent off to a lab for analysis. Most of the time everything is fine. But, sometimes it isn’t. This was one of those times. I have had Basel Cell skin cancer in the past in another area. Basel Cell is the most manageable of all the skin cancers. All they have to do is to make sure they carve out all of it, so as to not leave any behind. In the past they also found a Squamous Skin Cancer and they removed all of it. I have never had Melanoma, that is the most dangerous of skin cancers. Which is why I go for my bi-yearly skin checks in order to stay on top of my skin health.
I grew up in the south long before sunscreen. I spent many months outside playing in the sun, running around barefoot, I got sunburned, I freckled, I tanned. Then, once I got married to Gordon we moved to Florida. More sunburn, freckling, and tanning. Then we moved to Hawaii. More sunburn, freckling, and tanning. The beach was my life. And it shows too!
Now, ever since 2003 we are back in Florida. Sunscreen has been a part of my life since my late 20’s. I wish I had started using it sooner, but I was using it sooner than a lot of people that were still tanning with baby oil on their skin. (I have never done that!)
I also raised my children on sunscreen as to protect themselves. Luckily, they have been regular users their entire lives.
When I was growing up my mother would allow me to get sunburnt so as to teach me a lesson. When I was about 7 or 8 I got so sunburnt that my mother had to take me to the emergency room in Dahlonega, Georgia and have my back bandaged up. I had been to the Dahlonega City Pool for 2 days straight all day with no lotions or clothing protection. I was in so much pain but I was made to get dressed and go to some outdoor cookout party with my parents where I was so miserable and in so much pain I just laid down on some bench crying the entire time. I think it must have been out of embarressment that my parents finally took me to get medical attention.
Oh, and don’t think my mother was just some ignorant woman, she was a Medical Technologist with a 4 year college degree. And my step-father was the town doctor! So, they basically took me to HIS Emergency Room Hospital!
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Tending to My Wound
Twice a day I clean my wound with an anti-bacterial soap and water. I then pat it dry and apply a generous amount of Vaseline to my wound. And then place a bandage over it. You do NOT want it to air dry. It will sink in and become some yucky looking scar. You want to keep it moist as it heals. Therefore, I am doing my best to care for my wound so that it heals nicely. It is on my neck and I don’t want some ugly scar.
Did I Just Get a Mini Neck Lift?
The Dermatologist that removed my skin cancer is new and she is from India. I knew she would be good because Indians are very good with the body. They make great Coroners. Also, the Dermatologist that discovered my skin cancer is also new at the clinic where I go. New medical professionals for me to get used to. Luckily, I liked both of them, including the woman assisting the Indian Dermatologist removing my skin cancer.
I do wonder though, if I actually also got a free neck lift? After all, isn’t this the basic concept of a “facelift?” They make an incision, cut out some skin, stitch it up, and viola! A new neck! We’ll see, right?
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My Heart Health
My Bleeding Heart Plant
About a month ago I had a CT Scan of my heart. My daughter Veronica went with me. I didn’t want to go by myself. It was in an area of Tampa that I wasn’t familiar with, and at a time of day that had huge traffic. Veronica knows that area so I just wanted her with me. Gordon is working overseas so I am more reliant on my daughter, son-in-law, and son Brodie.
I wasn’t worried about the procedure, I was just worried about finding the location and arriving on time in all that Tampa afternoon traffic. Having Veronica drive me just made me feel better. Sometimes we just need a support system of someone we trust to be with us.
Everything went fine and I had a follow up appointment with my heart doctor for the results, and for the treadmill stress test I had taken 6 weeks prior.
Turns out, I HAVE THE ARTERIES OF A 20 YEAR OLD!!!!!
(Bragging rights!)
But wait! There is bad news here…..
MY LIVER IS FATTY!
Probably from the amount of wine I drink, so…… I have to cut back.
That’s O.K. I can manage that. And I am! One glass a night now!
Depression may be setting in soon. I will let you know.
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All joking aside, I tell you these things about my health, and show you ugly photos of my skin cancers in the hopes that it will encourage you to keep up with your 60’s health.
When my heart doctor called me in through the waiting room for my appointment, I held the door for this very decrepit woman who needed to use the restroom. She was short, overweight, and using a walker. She just looked so old and in ill health.
After my appointment, when I was leaving, I encountered that same woman. She commented on the dress I was wearing. She said that she liked it and asked about it? I told her that it was a Lilly Pulitzer, a former Palm Beach, Florida designer, known for her shift dresses from the 1960’s. She then said, “Oh, that is before my time.” I then said inside my head, “Aren’t you like 80?” Seriously, I am older than her?
I suddenly felt like a 30 something young woman and wanted to immediately go out and eat a bunch of bacon!
I then realized that the reason my arteries are that of a 20 year old are because I don’t do those things!
Know this, just because my arteries are young, I still have health issues. I am working on those. Because I want to live and be around for my children and grandchildren. Plus, I have a TON of blogging to still do! I’m not done yet!
Take Care of Yourselves!
Julie
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March, 2024
You Know You’re Getting Old When You Buy Your First Caftan Like Dress..
(And You Like It!)
I am not one for wearing “tents,” but I do love this dress.
My fashion sense has changed over the past few years once I discovered Lilly Pulitzer.
A Palm Beach designer.
Lilly Pulitzer
Born November 10, 1941
I LOVE Her Shoppe!
She did die on April 7, 2013, (I think that’s the day my step-father died), but someone is continuing her legacy and doing a nice job of it. She was 81 years old upon her death. I love all the clothing and accessories. I even read not too long ago that there are Floridians that hang her vintage dresses around their homes. I love all the colors and prints!
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If you happened to find yourself strolling along Palm Beach’s tony Worth Avenue on a warm day in the mid-1950s, it wouldn’t be unusual to encounter a small rhesus monkey. The monkey (Goony, as he was known) would likely be perched on the shoulder of a young, barefoot woman named Lillian McKim Pulitzer, who—despite what her dirty toes and unkempt hair might imply—was a local Palm Beach socialite with a privileged pedigree.
Lilly with her First Husband. Herbert Pulitzer
(I love this picnic! I would have done the same thing with the coconuts. The more I learn about this woman, the more I see her as a soul sister.)
As Taken From:
For many people, the name Lilly Pulitzer conjures up images of an affluent, prim-and-proper woman on her way to the beach; not a free-spirited bohemian who loved martinis, loathed underwear (she rarely wore it), and toted her pet monkey around town. But Lilly Pulitzer had a penchant for surprising people, and the story of how she launched her namesake brand is no different: it began in the confines of a psychiatric hospital.
Lilly, 1961
(This is the year I was born. I have a feeling I would have liked her.)
The year was 1958 and Pulitzer, a just-married heiress and new mom, felt she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. (“In hindsight, I think it was really and truly postpartum [depression],” Lilly’s daughter Liza said in a phone interview.)
Not knowing what was wrong with her, Lilly did what any wealthy twenty-something would do—she checked herself into a mental health facility. (“In the old days, we used to call it Bloomingdale’s,” she joked.) “I had never had a responsibility in my life,” she said in a 1994 W magazine interview. “I couldn’t button my shoes or do my own pigtails…All I had ever had to do was get to my tennis lesson or ride my pony.”
Pulitzer spent several months in treatment and eventually received a startling diagnosis from the doctor. “There’s nothing the matter with you,” she recalled the physician saying. “You just need something to do.” And so, she decided to open a juice stand.
As the story goes, Lilly thought up her now-iconic shift dress while squeezing oranges from her husband’s orchard. The design would be printed to hide the juice stains, thick enough to go commando, and unfitted, to keep comfortable and cool in the Florida heat.
Lilly Pulitzer Exiting a Plane, Key West, Florida, 1963
(I LOVE this photo! That is my style!)
She asked a seamstress to create a sample, and before long, she was out of the juice business and into the dress business. “I asked my husband if we could put a few of my dresses in [his fruit shop], about 12 or 15,” Lilly told the Palm Beach Post in 1964. “He said ‘No—80!’ I said, ‘You’re out of your mind.'”
But they were an instant hit, even before Lilly developed a partnership with Key West Hand Prints, a screen-printing shop, which would become essential in establishing Lilly Pulitzer’s iconic vibrant aesthetic.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis Wearing a Lilly Pulitzer Dress in Italy
“The first Lillys were made from fabrics I’d buy in the dime stores in West Palm Beach,” she said in a 1971 interview in the Palm Beach Post. “We were a real shock to everyone. People thought the Lilly dress was a fad that would last about two years…We just picked up steam and kept going.”
The clothes sold because they were unlike anything else on the market.
“They were the antithesis of what most women were wearing at the time. In the late ‘50s, early ‘60s, women were corseting themselves to fit the clothes. They were wearing heavily constructed longline bras, panty girdles, full slips, stockings, stiletto heels—it was that Mad Men look, and Lilly would have none of that,” said Steven Stolman, who not only curated the brand’s 50th Anniversary Retrospective, and worked on the revival collection of Lilly Pulitzer in the ‘90s, but also had a personal friendship with the woman
herself. (Stolman is a regular contributor to TownandCountryMag.com).
“Remember, Lilly was not a little lady. She had a big personality, a huge heart, and an appetite for life. She loved good food and she loved a good cocktail,” he said.
Key to the success of the business was Lilly’s network of society women, both in Palm Beach and back in New York, but none of whom influenced the brand’s popularity quite like Jackie Kennedy.
After the first lady was photographed in Capri wearing a polka-dot Lilly Pulitzer shift in 1962, the business “took off like a zingo,” to quote the dressmaker herself. And by February of 1963, Lilly was the one being featured in magazines; the popularity of her clothes, which by that point were being sold in boutiques nationwide, had warranted her a Life spread of her own.
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Me, Wearing One of Many of My Lilly Pulitzer Dresses
I just wanted to say that I really do like her. Not just her clothing. She was a unique personality. I never knew she went around BAREFOOT, but hearing that just solidified my admiration of her.
I do shop her website and buy her clothing. What I love the most about it all are the loud colors. There was a time when I was so wearing so much black and all these dark colors. When I discovered her clothing I found myself wearing so many beautiful and loud colors. Bright and happy shades. It’s as if I wasn’t invisible anymore. I was suddenly seen, and admired.
I can’t tell you how many times I get compliments on her clothing that I wear. Just today I received a compliment. I have people that tell me they love the dress I’m wearing as I pass them by with my shopping cart, both men and women! I can be out at a restaurant and I will receive a compliment from the staff, or guests sitting at nearby tables. The clothing is truly magnificent!
All the colors also give a lift to my mood. Oh, the ‘Little Black Dress’ will always rule but, for all those other occasions, I like wearing color, many colors sometimes.
You know, I’ve been coming to Florida my entire life, probably having seen her clothing many times, I just didn’t connect it to her. Perhaps somewhere in the back of my mind I associate some of my happy Florida memories with some of her vintage clothing? Or the lovely ladies I saw wearing her dresses? Perhaps even my own Grandmother?
Either way, her clothing makes me happy. I will continue to wear her.
Thanks Lilly.
I would have loved to have known you.
I think we would have liked each other, seeing as how we have so much in common. You are an inspiration. RIP.
Julie
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February, 2024
Turning 63
February 13th., 2024, My Birthday
I feel as if I am at an Alcoholic’s Anonymous Meeting and I’m making a confession.
‘Hello, my name is Julie and I’m 63. I’ve been 63 now for a few hours. It’s been a rough journey but I’m still alive to tell my tale.’
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My Birthday Dinner
Tiki Docks
(I wanted an Aloha Birthday.)
Gordon Carrying Isabelle
Brodie and Mackenzie
Veronica, Isabelle, and Brian
Isabelle, Being Entertained by her Dancing Fruit and Vegetables
(I have a problem with this but, I’ll get to that in the future.)
My Tiki Docks Cocktail, The Painkiller
(In my Lovely Souvenir Cup.)
Cheers!
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Our Appetizers Before Dinner
Fish Spread on Pork Rinds (This was GOOD!)
Scallops
Pork Nachos (Ours are Better.)
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Veronica and Gordon’s Shrimp Tacos
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My Coconut Shrimp and Fries
(I should have photographed them before I added all the Ketchup.)
Mackenzie’s Shrimp Ceviche
Brian’s Pulled Pork and Fries
And, I believe that Brodie also ordered Scallops for Himself.
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Gordon Lighting My Birthday Candles
I wanted my birthday cake to be Isabelle’s first taste of Sugar. It was!
Gordon, Gettin’ Some Sugar
We all met up at Tiki Docks for my birthday. We all have Hawaii on our minds right now. The reason will be revealed in the future. Although, to be honest, Hawaii is always on my mind. Hawaii is like the greatest love I have ever had, but lost. The memories are beautiful, exciting, seductive, obsessive, and heart warming. They say that it takes most people 6 months to get over leaving a place. It took us 2 years to get over leaving Hawaii, and even then I’m not sure we are over it. It sometimes hurts to think about Hawaii. In the same way it hurts to talk about the greatest love you have ever had in your life, and then lost. Kind of like going from riches to rags. I miss the riches!
Back Home:
Late Night Snack of Hawaiian Chocolate Macadamia Nuts
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Thoughts On Turning 63
To be perfectly honest, this is all new for me.
On the one hand, I am so much happier on the inside being 63, yet uglier on the outside, being 63.
Most days I don’t fix myself up. I am my Grand-Daughters main care giver so there are many days of no make up and styled hair. There is stringy wet hair that she tends to pull, and a very plain looking me, while wearing big glasses that she loves to look at the reflections they pick up. Comfortable clothing, not frumpy is a must, but comfy.
I’m not here to tell you how wonderful it is being 63, that will depend on your own health.
And I think that if I didn’t have a website I would probably feel so much better about taking photos of myself at 63. Being in the spotlight, whether large or small, seems to come with some responsibility, and some angst as well.
Some days when I feel so wonderful about myself, I’ve just gotten out of the shower with wet stringy hair, put on nice comfy pajamas, no make up, no hair styled, just wearing a color that looks good on me and I feel so beautiful! However, if you were to take a photo, I’m not sure I would actually be beautiful. Why can’t feeling beautiful, be beautiful? I ask you?
Why does everything have to be so visual?
I want to age gracefully. I do not want to photo shop my pictures. To me that is such a waste of time. Not posting how you really look is deceitful. If you feel the need to disguise how you really look then just put someone else’s photo as your Avatar. Just sayin’.
I just want my photos that I post on this website to be honest. Not airbrushed, or photo shopped. I may not always be beautiful enough, but I do want my photos to be honest enough.
Julie
P.S. I will say this about Tiki Docks, they didn’t have a good Hawaii menu, they had a Florida version of a Hawaii menu. I would have loved some Mahi-Mahi, Ahi Tuna, etc. It just wasn’t to be here. But, the company was wonderful!
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jANUARY 21, 2024
lEARNING tO lOVE mY aLARM cLOCK
fIRST OF ALL, i lOVE gROUNDHOG dAY!
iT IS ACTUALLY PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND RIGHT NOW AS i WRITE THIS. iT IS A FAVORITE MOVIE OF MINE.
i CHOSE THIS aLARM cLOCK AS IT REPRESENTS HOW i FEEL EVERY TIME MY ALARM GOES OFF EARLY IN THE MORNING.
i WOULD LIKE TO CONFESS SOMETHING TO YOU. wHENEVER MY ALARM CLOCK GOES OFF EARLY IN THE MORNING i HAVE ptsd. rEALLY!
i DON’T THINK THAT ANYONE LOVES IT WHEN THEIR ALARM GOES OFF EARLY IN THE MORNING. bUT FOR ME, IT BRINGS ME BACK TO MY YOUTH IN GETTING UP EARLY TO GET READY FOR SCHOOL, WHERE i WAS BULLIED HORRIBLY, aND, IT TAKES ME BACK TO MY DAYS OF WORKING JOBS WHERE i WAS VERY UNWANTED AND UNHAPPY.
sO, WHEN MY ALARM GOES OFF IT MAKES ME VERY SAD. i’M NOT JUST SAD TO BE GETTING UP EARLY, i’M SAD AT ALL THE UNHAPPY MEMORIES THAT IT BRINGS FLOODING BACK TO ME. tHAT IS THE ptsd!
hOWEVER, IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, OUR ALARM CLOCKS ARE ONLY DOING WHAT WE TELL THEM TOO, WHAT WE ASK THEM TO DO?
aND, ALTHOUGH WE MAY NOT BE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DAY IT IS AWAKENING US UP TO, IT IS WAKING US UP TO PREPARE FOR THAT DAY.
sOMETIMES WE NEED THAT PREPARATION. oUR ALARM CLOCK GIVES US THAT.
aLTHOUGH i STILL HATE IT WHEN MY ALARM CLOCK GOES OFF EARLY IN THE MORNING, i AM MORE APPRECIATIVE OF IT THAN i WAS. i AM COMING TO VIEW IT AS A FRIEND, NOT AN ENEMY. iT DOES TAKE SOME WORK TO SEE IT THAT WAY. bUT, AS i SEE IT, i DO HAVE THE TIME.
i DO HAVE TO ADMIT THAT MY FAVORITE DAYS ARE THOSE WHERE i DON’T HAVE TO SET AN ALARM. lIKE TOMORROW MORNING. oR THE WEEKENDS. dAYS WHERE i CAN SLEEP IN UNTIL i DECIDE WHEN TO GET UP.
fOR THOSE DAYS WHEN i DON’T HAVE THAT OPTION. i THANK MY ALRAM CLOCK FOR GETTING ME UP TO PREPARE ME FOR THE DAY AHEAD.
jULIE
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September 14, 2023
THE DENTIST
For the first time in 4 years I had a dental appointment today. I am embarrassed to admit that I haven’t seen my dentist in 4 years, not since the pandemic started. I have pretty good teeth and gums. I take very good care of my mouth. However, it is unrealistic to think that I don’t need a dentist ever. Of course, I do. I have just been a bit paranoid about Covid. I have never had it. One reason, because I avoid places like the dentist. It is the one place where we can’t wear a mask, and we are vulnerable to the people that we are around.
With Gordon working overseas now for the foreseeable future, I especially don’t want to encounter any sort of illness that I will then have to take care of on my own.
It looks as if I don’t have any dental issues other than a good deep cleaning, as in numbing me up in order to do so, AND, only being able to do half of my mouth at a time. So, two appointments to get the job done. I’m dreading it, but I will do what is necessary to keep me healthy.
I did notice something at my dentist’s office while I was there today. Things just seemed different. I recognized a lot of the same people. Some were new, but plenty were still there from years ago. Although everyone was professional, there just seemed to be a ‘cloud’ hovering over head. A sadness that wasn’t there before. I really don’t know why? Just an observation and a feeling on my part. My favorite dental hygienist, Rhonda (not her real name), was especially different. Not as friendly, not as happy, she even implied that she was looking for another job. To tell you the truth, she was the main reason I loved going there. She and I would watch The Price is Right on the exam room T.V. and laugh about jokes from Saturday Night Live.
It’s sad how things change. People change. I’ll still continue to go there. I like the place. I’m just noticing a difference in people’s behavior. Perhaps this is a reflection on what is going on out there in our country. It’s the working class that will be affected by whatever our politician’s come up with. Whether good, or bad.
Julie
P.S. You need to go to the dentist whether you want to or not. We just need to get through it. Our mouth health is just as important as our body health. We can do it! Just make the appointments, show up, and deal with it.
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September 8, 2023
Christie Brinkley and the ‘No Filter’
I tried to copy the original photo that she posted months ago and entitled, No Filter. I couldn’t manage to copy it in order to post it here, but I do have these lovely photos of her. It was a few months ago that Christie posted a photo of herself in New York, in her car, that she had entitled ‘No Filter.’
She then received a barrage of criticism into her looks. Some people were quite cruel. All that I can say is, we should all be so lucky as to look like her in our late 60’s!
I believe where Christie went wrong was to advertise that she was using a “No Filter.” I think when you do that, you are implying that all of your past photos had a filter, thus inviting scrutiny. I’m sure that it is very easy to invite scrutiny into your life without even wanting it. The press is always there to pounce on celebrities.
But, as we age we tend to grow into a new and different person. Our clothing sense does change and become different. Perhaps a bit more conservative, but that’s o.k. Our hairstyles change as well. Not as elaborate as they once were. Easier hairstyles to meet our more casual lifestyle as we age.
The next time Christie is condemned for not being perfect, then I would just breathe a sigh of relief that she has the life that she does. Why care what some average mind thinks about her?
She is a very good person. Most of the time she is aware of her influence on the public, And most of the time she tones it down when she needs to. Some times she does forget that, but, we can forgive her because she is a nice person.
More Power To Her!
Julie
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September 8, 2023
Pajama Comfort
One thing that I absolutely love, are comfortable pajamas!
I especially love a Sunday where I can get out of the shower, and put on a pair of comfy cozy pajamas for the day.
Invest in something that you love and is comfortable. I love attractive, yet comfy. This is our day to veg!
Julie
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March, 2023
I Am Being Left Behind
I just got a phone call today cancelling my doctor appointment with my family care physician for this Friday. He rescheduled me for the end of the month. This was an important appointment for me because I have not seen my bloodwork results in over a year. The last blood work I did was at my old clinic and that appointment was cancelled on me at the last minute just when I was supposed to find out the results for that blood work. Which is why I left that clinic because they had a habit of cancelling on me and I needed more reliable healthcare. I just had my blood work done last week and I was anxious to find out these results as I am a borderline diabetic, otherwise known as a pre-diabetic.
At the end of 2022 when I was supposed to take the heart stress tests at my cardiologist’s office, I was in that office for hours past my appointment time. As it was, I was in a weakened state with no breakfast or coffee so as not to interfere with the results. I was supposed to get on the treadmill. At one point they did come out to the waiting room to let me know that the patient in front of me was having trouble and I would be seen eventually. I honestly tried to stay alert and awake for another 40 minutes later, but I just couldn’t. So, I left! I let the office know, but I just felt as if I was being neglected. I also realized that most every appointment I have there, I am kept waiting long past my appointment time while I see so many others being seen before me. Sometimes I wonder if that is done intentionally?
I did have my mammogram and pap smear on Valentine’s Day of this year.
That all went smoothly and I’ve already gotten the results back and they were good!
I made the appointments specifically for Valentine’s Day because I couldn’t think of anything better that I could do for myself.
I would like to say that I did have a follow up with my cardiologist and saw another doctor instead and he said that everything looked good. I don’t go back for a year. I am just trying to catch up with my health. I feel as if I am doing my part but the so-called healthcare professionals aren’t. Sometimes I feel like I am on my own, all alone in the world to just squeak by until I drop dead one day. I have an unborn grandchild that I need to be healthy for. Our son-in-law Brian just lost his mother to a heart attack, she was 61. I am 62. My granddaughter deserves a grandmother, and it is going to be me. Treadmill, treadmill, treadmill…..
Julie
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February 13, 2023
Happy Birthday to ME!
62!
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September 24, 2022
My Cardiologist
For those that are regular readers of my many blogs I have on this website, then you know that I see a Cardiologist.
My heart is fine, as far as I know, but I do have a family history of both of my parents sides where heart attacks are prevalent.
Therefore, I do see my heart doctor every 6 months for a check up, and every few years for the heart stress tests.
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It was over a month ago while I was waiting to see my doctor in the exam room when I suddenly heard steps coming down the hallway. They weren’t the soft shuffle of orthopedic shoes from old doctor Blank, (although I am probably older than ‘old doctor Blank’), they were the steps of stiletto heels. Confident stiletto heels! Judging by the length of the steps of the person walking down the hallway, I would say it is a tall woman with long legs. Also, judging by the weight of the steps and the sound resonating, I can tell she is a beautiful woman. How do I know this? Those steps taken were of confidence! Those steps were not steps, they were struts! Someone that confident walking down the hallway, strutting, is obviously gorgeous! The last time I heard the strutting of confident stiletto’s was on a runway when I was modeling in my youth.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I then said, “Come in.” That was when the door suddenly opened as if by magic. Standing there was a tall woman, wearing a lab coat over her skirt, and wearing stiletto heels. She was Latina. Her hair was blowing! Why the hell is her hair blowing? I then realized the A/C had kicked in and the fan in the ceiling was aimed towards her. O.k., whew!
She then entered the room….
ALLOOOOOW, How are Jew??
She was gorgeous!
Yes, My doctor is Sophia Vergara…
Tall, slim, wavy brown hair down to her waist, perfectly coiffed. She told me her name, but I can’t remember it? She told me that my usual doctor, old doctor Blank, who is probably younger than me, was at the hospital with a patient and she was seeing his patients today. She then asked me the usual questions that I get asked every 6 months at my appointments. You know, the standard, have you had any chest pains, or hospitalizations since my last appointment?
I told her no.
She then realized that she had forgotten her STEEEETHOSCOOOOPE, and left the room to get it.
It was while she was gone that I looked down at my flip flops on my feet. My eyes then moved up to my new colorful Lily Pulitzer skort that I was wearing, and a black cap sleeve t-shirt. When I got ready that day I thought I looked kind of cute…. until about 5 minutes ago.
When she came back in I told her that I didn’t realize I would be seeing Sofia Vergara today.
She then threw her head back and burst out laughing with this very loud booming, yet charming laugh. She had a huge smile. Her hair flew back as she laughed, then fell back into perfect place. Yep, you guessed it, she has Disney Princess Hair!
She then told me that all of her patients call her Sophia.
Patients? She has patients?
I wanted to ask her if her patients were still alive? I mean, how many have died of a heart attack BECAUSE she is their doctor?
Not only did she look like Sophia Vergara, she also sounded like her. She must have read my mind because she then went on to explain that even though Sophia Vergara is from Columbia, and she is from Puerto Rico, that when they speak English they sound the same. She also told me that the Colombian people speaking their native language sounds as if they are singing. I thought that was a beautiful thing to say. She also told me that when she speaks Spanish that she sounds very rough.
The appointment went well and she ordered my heart stress tests. But, it was as I was leaving and in the waiting area for my next appointments that I realized that I could pick every pocket in this room and no one would notice! Everyone would be looking at her! Even though there are cameras here, even the security watching wouldn’t notice a thing because they were be looking at her!
I then thought that if I could just convince her to go the supermarket with me and ask someone about this jar of Peeeekkkkeelllllssss, that a large crowd would gather around her and I could wipe out every cash register there!
We Could Be RICH!!!!
It was then that I realized, why am I contemplating a life of crime? It was a nice little fantasy that I had for about 5 minutes. I then reluctantly came back to Earth, (although I know damn well we could pull it off!) Wink. Wink..
After spending some time with my doctor, Sofia Vergara, I then totally understand what it must have been like on the set of Modern Family to be Claire?
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I did go for my Treadmill Stress Tests a few weeks later, but after being neglected in the waiting room for hours I decided to reschedule and just leave and go home. I could barely keep my head up and my eyes awake. I didn’t have much sleep the night before and I wasn’t allowed caffeine before I take the test, so being in a weakened state I decided to leave.
There have been many days that I have been left waiting in the large waiting room without being called. I can’t tell you how many times I see everyone in that waiting room being called back, while I’m still sitting there. I have even asked a time or two if I have been forgotten?
You are probably wondering why I still go? I have looked into leaving and seeing another Cardiologist, but I figure they all probably know each other and I’ll just get blacklisted at the next location, and thus get the same treatment. Therefore, I just take a book or two and try and occupy myself during the wait. I’ve also decided that I will give them an adequate amount of time and if I’m not seen then I will leave. Thus, they won’t get paid. I have discovered that people are different now. Not as professional as when I was growing up. Also, people just seem to be more selfish and petty, vindictive, etc…
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I Fell In Love With My Heart
I did go for my Echocardiogram last week. Interestingly enough, I was seen fairly quickly that time. Not that that is what I want? I just want to be seen in a reasonable amount of time and not kept waiting for 2 1/2 hours at a time, every time.
The Echocardiogram is when they take an ultrasound of your heart. Kind of like when you are pregnant and they do a scan to see your baby?
The woman that did my scan was very professional, something I greatly appreciate, but she must have weighed over 300 pounds. Why is it so many health care industry workers are so obese? If anyone should understand how deadly that is, you would think that they would? I especially thought that the woman doing my scan, who looks at how hard hearts work every day, that she above all people should understand the importance of loosing weight?
As I lay there on the exam table and she placed the monitor on my heart and I could see it so clearly, I was enthralled! It looked so beautiful! I realize that sounds so ridiculous for me to say, but I just fell in love with it. My heart was just so busy and working so hard that I was grateful. Grateful to that little organ that is working so hard for me. I just wanted it to take a break from all that hard work and rest. Then I realized that I would die if it took some time off! It just gave me a greater appreciation for it, that’s all.
You know, just because someone dies of cancer, or diabetes, or an accidental death, or even a murder or suicide, in the end we all die of the exact same thing, our hearts stop beating.
Maybe all of us should fall in love with our hearts?
Julie
p.s. Next month I go for my Treadmill Stress Tests and then I see my doctor to get the results of the tests. I’m assuming everything will be good, but you never know? I’ll let you know.
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April 5, 2022
Colonoscopy Day, April 6th.
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Colonoscopy Prep, April 4th. and 5th. (ugh!)
Although I have blogged about my last two colonoscopy’s, you now get to hear about my third.
Lucky you!
My first one was at age 52. That prep went fairly smoothly and even the surgery went nicely. Except that I am prone to polyps, so my doctor recommended that I have a second one at age 55. I did. Everything went fine, except I was sick during the “prep.” Nothing wrong, just sick from sucking down yucky broth and drinking all that crap that they have you drink. You know, that Magnesium Citrate. Yuck! I don’t care how much lemon they put in it, it’s gross.
At this writing I am 61. I was supposed to get my 3rd. colonoscopy at age 60, but because of the pandemic I kept putting it off until I felt better about it. Now, I’ve decided it’s time. I hope that by postponing it for a year that I didn’t make a mistake. But, in these times I believe that we need to weigh the odds and make calculated decisions based on many things that are going on around us.
I’m seeing a different doctor for this colonoscopy. You see, the doctor that did my last 2 was always shoving this last form to be signed in my face when I am in the operating room. I didn’t have my glasses to read it. I think that’s why they do it. It’s probably a form exonerating him and his staff from killing me if they do so. The fact that they would slip it in right before my surgery made me no longer trust him or want anything to do with him. I also woke up from my last colonoscopy hearing him yell horribly at his staff. I don’t know what that was about, but when they noticed I was awake they all quickly shut up.
Tomorrow will be a new doctor and staff, and if they shove some paper in my face as I am in the operating room without my glasses then I will loudly protest and we will just see what happens.
My Liquid Diet
This is a much better “Prep Diet” than I have had before. In the past I was only allowed water, white grape or cranberry juice, and broth. But, this diet gives me coffee, sugar, jello, sodas, popsicles, etc.
Even though I have the thing memorized, I do keep consulting it just to see if I missed something. For example, cheddar biscuits, or pancakes? I just keep expecting those foods to appear. One can hope.
My Last Meal (April 3rd.)
Fried Chicken, Italian Green Beans, and Cheddar Biscuits
These green beans are the closest that I can find to my grandmother’s pressure cooker green beans. They are pretty good. Hers were just better.
I always put some thought into my last meal before a colonoscopy. After all, it really could be my last meal. Anytime any of us has surgery and we are put to sleep we always run the chance that we may not wake up from it. Therefore, I wanted my old southern favorites.
My Last Meal at Noon on April 4th.
A Repeat of the Night Before
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Afternoon of April 5th.
It’s time for me to start drinking my second bottle of Magnesium Citrate. I’m choking it down. It’s very sour and it kind of makes me sick. I am then supposed to chase it with 10 ounces of a clear liquid. I am to do this 3 times today. My stomach is so huge from all this liquid that I easily look 7 months pregnant.
I am chasing it with a green Jolly Rancher’s candy.
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Green Jello
I do like that I can have green Jello. So far, this has been breakfast and lunch. It will probably be dinner too. I do love slurping it between my teeth. Good thing I am alone.
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Gordon just called. He is on his way home from work, and looking for me some other popsicle’s besides green and orange. Fingers crossed that he is successful!!!!!
(After today I don’t think I’m going to eat the color green for a long while.)
To Be Continued…..
April 7, 2022
I wanted to continue where I left off.
Straining the Noodles out of the Chicken Soup
I do have to say that this colonoscopy prep was my worst so far. I thought the schedule was a bit screwed up. As in at what times you are supposed to do this and that. They had me drinking that Magnesium Citrate at 12:00, 2:00, and 4:00 p.m. Then, they had me take 4 Dulcolax at 7:00 p.m. (Of course I was going to be up all night, if you know what I mean?)
(Am I the only one that flosses after eating Jello?)
I would have preferred to have taken the laxatives earlier in the day so that I could have had a good night’s sleep the night before my surgery. But NO! I must have gotten out of bed and headed to the bathroom a good 8 times before 2:30 a.m. THAT, was when I really got sick!
I am sorry that I am about to get graphic, but I also want to explain to you what all I went through. Perhaps, it may help you in some way with your experience.
Well, it was 2:30 a.m. and I headed for the bathroom, once more. As I was sitting on the Throne of Whann, I suddenly started to feel funny, as in strange. I broke out in this terrible sweat! I was hot as hell! My entire body was wet with sweat! It was then that I imagined that this is how I am going to go? On the toilet, just like Elvis. Gordon is going to wake up tomorrow only to find my dead body, face down on the floor, and butt upwards. The last image in Gordon’s head of me is going to be THAT!
It was then that I screamed for Gordon!!!!
He came running into the bathroom! He asked me what was wrong? I then told him that I am going to die unless I get some water in my dehydrated body! Gordon then said, “No. You can’t drink anything after midnight.” I then informed him of the instructions on the list for those that take important medications. According to the instructions they are allowed to take their meds right before surgery. Exactly how do you think they are supposed to take them without drinking any water? By shoving them up their noses?? No! They get water! And if THEY get water, I get water!!! GET ME WATER!!!!
So, needless to say, I got a little bit of water. He also gave me a washcloth that he had doused in cold water and I placed it all over my face, neck, and chest. That cooled me down. I also had him to lay a big towel on the bed for me to lay on, and not get my sweaty wet body on the sheets. I also used an old blanket to cover me with so that I wouldn’t ruin our bedding.
Oh, and I was also nauseous. But, there was nothing to throw up, so….
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After all that drama I was able to get to sleep for a few hours. When my alarm went off the next morning, I got up and showered. I didn’t drink any water, BUT, I did rinse my mouth out with water just to keep it moist. I didn’t swallow, I just spit it out in the sink. I did this up until it was time to leave for my appointment. I would also dip my finger into a glass of water and place it into my mouth. Just a little bit of moistness.
I was able to get ready and we did leave the house and headed out where we needed to go for my appointment. From then on it really was smooth sailing. We arrived at the surgery center, checked in, and waited to be called back. I was very impressed with everyone that I encountered. When I was signing the paperwork I did tell the girl that I am not signing anything while I am in the operating room. So, therefore, I want all paperwork here in front of me now. She said that there is no paperwork other than what is here. And that they would never do that to any patient. I then felt better that there would be no surprises from that point on.
It was when I was wheeled into the operating room and I met all the nurses that one of the nurses was asking some weird questions to the other nurses. What letter comes before _urse? Is it curse? Purse? What can it be?
As I am just laying there, I wondered if she was doing a crossword puzzle? The other nurses joined in with great relish. They were all wracking their brains over what could be that letter? There was also very nice music in the operating room. It was a bit jazzy. I liked it. I do know from my step-father being a surgeon that they have fun in the operating room. It isn’t as dramatic as the old medical shows would dictate on T.V. There is levity. They do laugh. It was then that one of the nurses suddenly realized that the _urse, was NURSE!
Kind of alarming that the Nurses never figured out until a long time later that the word they were trying to figure out was the word NURSE?
Well, things went well for me. They did find one polyp that they removed. According to them it doesn’t look like cancer. But, I will find out eventually as they did send it off.
It was on our way home from my colonoscopy that we hit up 3 fast food restaurants.
I pretty much got fried chicken, fried chicken, and fried chicken!
Hey! Death by Fried Chicken? Really isn’t such a curse. It’s my heritage.
All for now!
Julie
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March 4, 2022
Referrals, Where Do I Even Begin?
Because Gordon is a retired Navy Chief, 20 years in the military, we have very good health insurance. However, it was during the pandemic that our once great top of the line medication’s and insurance were suddenly reduced to generic pills and creams. Gone was my top of the line Dexilent, to some generic pills that are supposed to do the same to help my heartburn. My $1,200.00 foam to kill pre-cancer on my chest is no longer, but replaced with a generic cream that is supposed to do the same. (I hope so.) I’m using it now.
As it was, it was hard enough making medical appointments. I can’t just call some foot doctor and make an appointment for a foot ailment of mine. Oh no, in the past I had to make an appointment with my family practitioner to get the referrals so that can make the various appointments. That was hard enough. But now, we have to make an appointment with our family practitioner, ask for the referrals, and now they are sent up to our insurance company for them to APPROVE! APPROVE!? Can You Believe It?
They now need to be approved? It’s as if they just assume that I love to have a Colonoscopy? Damn!, I want 2 of them a year! Not to mention that Mammography! I LOVE having my boobs smooshed in a machine! Oh! And! You know that yearly Pap Smear of mine? Make that 2 a year! Yeah! Love ’em! I so love that vaginal scrape!
This is what we are up against right now. I have a pre-cancer on my back that needs to be cut out soon. I also have a Colonoscopy that needs to happen in the next month, as I am prone to polyps. Yet, who knows? I am at the mercy of generic people to do what they need to do in order to make this happen. Are they competent? Or, are they losers? I guess I will see.
The very sad thing is that this should be basic health care for us. We are pretty healthy people as it is. It’s just maintenance. I just feel as if I am at the mercy of a system that is not in my favor. I’ll let you know the rest…..
Julie
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On February 13, 2022
I Just Turned 61!
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January 21, 2022
I Have a Rash Underneath My Eye
Your first thought is probably, ‘Gee Julie, why in the world do we care about your eye rash?’
Well, I’m gonna tell ya, smarty pants.
Right now I am just ‘surviving.’
I have had itching underneath the eyelashes on my right eye now for about 2 months. The first month I just had the itching, then some red bumps appeared after that. I knew that I needed to have it seen so I waited until my family practice appointment which I had a few weeks ago. The Nurse Practitioner that I saw sort of blew me off about it. She even said that giving me an antibiotic isn’t worth it for that small of a rash. She then recommend an ointment for me to use to apply to it. I asked her to give me a brand name that I can go and purchase? She wracked her brain trying to think of something and that is when she suggested Neosporin Ointment. I am very familiar with Neosporin as it is a staple in our house. I also believe that it was originally an ointment used for dog wounds. My late step-father, being the retired surgeon that he was, would tell us about things like that.
So, without even reading my Neosporin Ointment tube, I came home and applied some of the ointment to the bumps underneath my eye. It was about 30 minutes later that some of the ointment drifted into my eye and I got concerned about it. That’s when I did my reading and found out that it cannot get into the eye. And, not to use it around the eye. So, I flushed my eye to get it out and then called Gordon who was on his way home from work and asked him to stop into a drug store on his way home and find an ointment for me that can go around the eye.
(I’m mad at myself for just taking the word of this Nurse Practitioner, and not doing the research myself. Never assume these “experts” know what they are talking about.)”
I have sort of just self-diagnosed the rash around my eye as Eczema.
I have never had Eczema before so this is new for me. My mother and brothers have always had Eczema around their eyes but I was always spared that problem. Until now.
I do have an appointment with my Dermatologist in a few weeks. Shannon will take care of me. I’ll just deal with my eye rash until then. In the meantime, Gordon found an ointment for me that is for the eyes. It needs to be a sterile ointment. Gordon had to go to a few drug stores before he was able to find something. I always told him about how people from India are excellent where the body is concerned. They make excellent Coroner’s. So, when Gordon saw a man from India behind the Pharmaceutical counter he approached that man and he recommended the ointment.
Turns out, it does take away the itching and it does feel better, but my rash is still there.
I need medical attention, but I did not get what I needed from my Family Practice at my last appointment so I am going to just suffer through with this until I see my Dermatologist soon.
This is the American healthcare system, broken as it is.
Seeking help from our professionals doesn’t mean that you will receive it.
Julie
p.s. This ointment must emit some sort of vapor that fogs up the middle of my computer glasses on my right eye. I get that foggy spot in that same area no matter which pair of glasses I wear. Interesting.
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January 11, 2022
New Glasses and My Health
In December of 2021 Gordon and I finally made appointments for our eye exams and new glasses. Covid kept us away. It had been 3 1/2 years since our last appointment. Seeing as how they opened a new optical facility on the military base in Tampa, and had a large assortment of glasses, we decided to go there for our eye health.
Turns out my eye’s hadn’t changed that much in 3 1/2 years, much to my satisfaction. But, none the less, I picked out a new pair of frames with my new prescription. I also took in an additional 3 pairs of my old glasses to have the new prescription placed in them. I also brought in a pair of glasses to be made into computer glasses. You see, I don’t use my regular glasses when I am online. I don’t like the Progressive Lenses getting in my way of viewing the computer screen. Therefore, in the past I would always wear a pair of reading glasses. Except that I have different vision in each eye. One eye is a 3 and the other eye is a 4.5. I have astigmatism in one eye. I do love my new computer glasses, but I’m not so crazy about the new lenses in my old glasses, or my new pair I picked out. They just don’t turn as dark as my old ones used to. I like having the transition lenses that are sunglasses when I am outside, and regular glasses when I am inside. Therefore, I will be taking them back to be made to be darker when necessary.
Now that it is January I do get to pick out a new pair with my insurance so I am going to try and get a nice pair of prescription sunglasses. We do go kayaking and canoeing so an outdoor pair will be very nice.
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My Labs
It was back in September 2021 that I had my labs done and they were not good. I weighed 155 on their scale. (I actually think that my accurate weight was more like 158. I had diarrhea the day before and I was empty, if you know what I mean.) So, I was actually thrilled to hear their scale register me at 155, I figured it would be more like 160.
I was told that if I didn’t make some changes in my weight and diet that I would be a diabetic. Therefore, I decided to make some changes. I started choking down that Fish Oil everyday, (lemon flavor my ass!) I also started taking a pill to help control my sugar levels. I also cut out my morning bagel, potato chips, Doritos, and potatoes. I also started eating less. Although, I don’t eat a whole lot as it is.
I was originally scheduled at the end of December to see my family practice nurse practitioner but my appointment was cancelled because she had Covid. I didn’t know that at the time. It was about a week later when I went in for my rescheduled appointment that she told me she had Covid the week of New Year’s. She told me that her entire family had it. Her husband, son, parents, nieces, nephews, etc. The thing is I’m not surprised to hear it. She was very careless when I first met her a year ago when she carelessly whipped off her mask after me telling her I had only had the 1 shot so far. I was really surprised that she just took my word for it. She didn’t even know me. She was new at my clinic and that was our first meeting. I really like her. I’m glad she is o.k. but she did say that even though she was fully vaxxed and boosted that Covid really kicked her ass.
I went into my appointment expecting to hear the worst about my latest labs. Although interestingly enough I was in a great mood that day and I kept chastising myself for it. After all, consciously I assumed I’d hear bad news and subconsciously I think I knew I would hear good news. Well, subconscious won!
I did weigh in at 152. A weight loss of 3 pounds (officially) although I think I probably lost a good 6 pounds.
I was thrilled to hear that everything was better! My triglycerides were good, my sugar was good, my kidney’s are registering at a 95 even though a good kidney is at a 60. I thought it was funny when they remarked that I must drink a lot of water for my kidney’s to be so perfect. (Right. Try Ginger Ale and Red Wine!) Water? Honestly!
My cholesterol was down, but still higher than it should be. Still working on that one.
Making changes does work! I knew that they did but I have gotten lazy over the past few years. I no longer want to do that. At this writing I have so much to do around my home that I really need to focus on that. Putting Christmas away, bringing down from the attic the rest of the Christmas that we haven’t gone through and sorting it all out and giving it away to Veronica and Brodie. Also, we have old furniture up there that we need to get rid of. Either by donating or selling. Probably donating because it’s just easier.
I may not be on my treadmill right now but I am very busy and active around my home. An active lifestyle isn’t always about exercising, it’s also about just constantly being in motion. I want to get some of these projects and work done around our house so that I can actively get back on my treadmill. Right now I am working on my diet and getting our house back in order. And dare I say it? Downsizing!
I also have about 5 referrals for medical that I need to take care of in the next few months. As far as I know everything is fine with me for now. My referral appointments will give me more insight into my health. After all, we are running a marathon.
Julie
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December 30, 2021
Trying to Incorporate More Healthy Pasta Into My Life
I’ll be giving more of a healthy food update to this post soon. But for now, I’m trying to change my old eating habits and incorporate healthier foods.
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December 29, 2021
Ageing, Or Just Letting Go?
I really debated about writing this because I am about to use a woman as my example for this blog posting because she is the perfect example of what I have been looking for in showing the difference between ageing and letting oneself go. I guess you could say that I am about to “fat shame” someone. I realize that is a taboo in our society, and it should be, but I’m hoping that by doing this I am perhaps helping other women to consider loosing some weight themselves and becoming healthier as we age. As well as to give myself encouragement to keep going in my own struggles.
The woman’s name is Greta Scacchi and she is 61 years old. I myself will be 61 in about a month and a half. I’m using her as the example because she is in her 60’s.
I saw an article in a U.K. tabloid. Your first question probably is, ‘why am I reading a tabloid?’ This particular tabloid gives us more information on what goes on in our own country than our news outlets do here in America, so to answer your question. That’s why.
Just to give you an example. When the Parkland shooting took place on Valentine’s Day 2018, our news wasn’t giving any official number of dead. I read about the 17 dead in that tabloid HOURS before our news was reporting the tragic number. Why? Don’t know? But, I now turn to them as an additional source of information as they have a track record of being fairly accurate in our own country reporting.
The photo I saw of Ms. Scacchi was a tabloid photo. Obviously, she wasn’t posing for it. But, she was in a public place and she chose to wear that swimsuit out in public. It’s not like she was in her backyard when the paparazzi chose to intrude on her privacy. I’m sure she knew she would be photographed especially since she was with her daughter who is a celebrity in her own right and was married to Sean Penn.
For those of you that may not know of her, she was an actress in the 80’s and 90’s probably most known for her role in Presumed Innocent with Harrison Ford.
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Greta always had this very unique look about her. She wasn’t the typical average beauty. She had this spectacular exotic intelligent uniqueness to her. She stood out. She was sexy in a suit. She was sexy without trying to be sexy. Everything about her was unique. Which is one reason why when I first saw photos of her months ago having really looked as if she had just let herself go, I was shocked. This once beautiful woman now resembled someone that I would see at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) wearing sweatpants with house shoes, there to renew her driver’s license.
The reason that I am pointing out that this isn’t ageing is because it was her explanation about how she looked. She chalked it all up to ageing.
It is true that as we age our metabolism does slow down and we tend to put on a little weight. But, we also don’t need as much food as we used to. It’s not like we are still growing. It’s also o.k. to skip a meal occasionally, it won’t hurt us. I think food is more of our enemy as we age and not our friend. Changing our diet as we age is key. I myself am in the process of changing that. Is it hard? No. But, it’s also not easy either.
I also do not know what health issues that Ms. Sacacchi has going on in her life at this time. Perhaps that could explain the weight gain.
Oh, and just to be clear, this isn’t about how we need to get Greta a plastic surgeon STAT! This is about real ageing, and how we age will determine our health and happiness as we spend our remaining years.
I would like to try and enjoy what time I have left and not have to spend it dealing with major health issues.
No matter what health issues or problems that we all have, keeping our weight down is really important. Fat also acts as an incubator for cancer. We all know how cancer is becoming a part of our lives whether we are young or old. But, there does come a time when we have to take control of our health and become more responsible where it is concerned. Loosing weight is key. Eating better is key. Excercising is key.
When I look at Greta I see someone with “good bones.” The expression is usually reserved for an old house that is in need of fixing up, but that is how I see her. A once grand mansion that just needs a bit of work here and there to bring back that beauty that it once had. Just by loosing a bit of weight and excercising and choosing clothing that is more flattering to our ageing figures can make all the difference in the world. Sometimes we just need to care enough to do something about it. I sometimes get into a rut and sometimes it’s hard to get out of. But, I try and most of the time I succeed.
I really don’t mean to offend anyone with this post, especially Ms. Scacchi. I’m sure that she will never hear of any of this. After all, I think she has far more important things to do than to read my blog about her. (More power to her.)
Whether or not she looses any weight or not, she will always be that very unique beauty from the 80’s and 90’s that I remember her to be.
Julie
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December 9, 2021
I Start With The Worst and Go From There
Fish Oil
I have dabbled in fish oil now for the past few years. Usually, I would remove the cap from the bottle of the pill form of it and hold it in my hand ready to place the GIANT pill into my mouth, only to be disgusted and place it back into the bottle. It’s just so damn big!
However, now that I am 60 I can no longer “entertain” the idea of perhaps dabbling in it, and now I actually have to go through with it and choke it down.
I did find this bottle of fish oil at Sprout’s and purchased it. It promises the taste of lemon. (Yeah, right.)
Well, I choke down the spoonful while holding my breath. (You can’t taste it as much when you hold your breath.) The bottle is a bit pricey. It was $28.00. But, my health is worth it. I am trying to think of something that I can make with it and add the lemon tasting fish oil into a recipe but, until that happens, I just choke it down while that song from Mary Poppins goes off inside my head, ‘Just a Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine go Down.’
MY GUMMIES!!!!!
And now for the highlight of my day.
And again, I start with the worst and go to the best. GOLI! I HATE it! But, I take one a day.
Then, I savor the flavor of my little gummy orange Vitamin C.
Followed by a pill to help me control my sugar.
Now, I save the best for last…..
Digestive Advantage Gummy!!! Yeah!!!
It’s the little things….
Julie
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December 7, 2021
Treadmill, Treadmill, Treadmill
(Always Posing) Sorry, can’t help it.
You know, I am not the ‘jumping up and down in some exercise class at the gym’ kind of person.
I’m also not some pilates kind of person. (I can probably do like ONE sit up.) BUT, I can walk and I’ve been kind of a pro at it since I was about 9 months old. Therefore, walking it is!
If every person walked every day there would be NO Type 2 Diabetes.
So, WALK!
My recommendation is that since we live in a dangerous country, buy a treadmill so that it’s safely in your own home. People disappear all the time while out for a walk, even when they have a dog with them, so, walk in the safety of your own home. I do have to say that I believe the future is being in our own homes. Yet connecting to others virtually. Working from home, exercising from home, virtual school, etc.
I used to know this woman in Canada that wouldn’t go the gym unless her hair was colored and she looked great. I tried to convince her to buy her own treadmill, that way she could use it whenever she wanted and it didn’t matter what her hair looked like. Well, she wasn’t interested. So, I guess her physical heath depends on whether her roots are showing or not.
I don’t like being at the mercy of some gym membership. Or, heaven forbid, if my roots are showing and I’m too afraid to go to the gym. I like being independent. I like being in control of my life. I enjoy walking. I also do a lot of thinking while I am on the treadmill and I solve a hell of a lot of problems that way. If I so desire there is a large screen T.V. for me, which I normally forgo. I also have a mini DVD player with headphones that I can use if I please. But, most of the time I am just enjoying the time that I have with myself on the treadmill.
Julie
p.s. I also drink a ton of water while I walk. Another bonus.
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December 6, 2021
It’s The Little Contacts That Lift Us
Sixty Selfies
I am a news and political junkie. I can’t help it, I am from a long line of political scientists and intellectuals. I keep up with what is going on nationally. Oh, I can’t tell you crap about what is going on locally. However, I can name almost all of our Representatives in Congress, Senate and of course, The Supreme Court. Which is probably why I am always a bit down. When you read all of that on a daily basis it does get to you. I have however, discovered that the day to day contact with average people to be very uplifting.
On Friday Gordon and I had appointments for our eye exams and to get new glasses on the military base. It had been 3 1/2 years since we had last had our appointments. The pandemic kept us away. However, we did have our appointments and I discovered that my eyes hadn’t changed that much, neither had Gordon’s. We both had our eyes dilated, which was interesting driving home. I also picked out a new pair of glasses while my eyes were dilated. So, that will be interesting when I pick them up in a few weeks. Who knows what I picked out?
I also had the lenses replaced in some of my old glasses. But, it was while we were at our eye exams and choosing new glasses that we had the chance to interact with the people there. Everyone was very nice and helpful. They were pleasant to talk to. Extremely helpful. They went out of their way for us. And I did tell them how much that I did appreciate them. But, what they gave me just in being nice and helpful was a boost that I needed in my daily life. Reading the news as closely as we do can cause us to feel very isolated and lonely and a bit sad. So, being in contact with strangers on a daily basis I think, helps us to appreciate and understand that there are good people out there that care about the same things that I care about. I need to know that.
I always said that the less I know about someone, the more I like them.
Well, I still think so, but, who says that I need to know all the deep stuff about anyone? Just the day to day niceness is all that I need to care about. It does give us a boost. Sometimes a much needed boost.
I know that I am very appreciative to those that are very helpful and nice to me, and I let them know that.
So should you,
Julie
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(I have removed photos here for copyright purposes.)
November 9, 2021
The (Senior) Women Around My Age
(That I Adore, and Admire)
At this writing I am 60 and going through changes relating to that. I think that I look pretty good to be 60, judging by other people that I see as being younger/older than me. I’ve never had any work done. I also think that is obvious and I shouldn’t even have to say that. I do think that living in Florida has something to do with my being more limber and spry. After all, the warmer climate does contribute to us not having those aches and pains that other seniors do in colder climates. Also, because I am living in Florida I am on the younger side of being a senior so there are so many other people older than me living down here that I am not so invisible that other seniors go through while living in other states.
Me, Cooking in My Kitchen
As someone who comes from a modeling background (in my youth) I can relate to someone like Paulina Porizkova.
When you are known for the way that you look then that plays a big role in who you are. I was modeling as young as 17 so people that knew me then expect me to look a certain way now. Models like Paulina have been high profile models for way longer than I ever was and they are expected to look even better than I do.
Beautiful Paulina, age 56
Paulina has been very open and honest about aging. I loved her TedTalk.
Paulina and her then husband, Ric Ocasek and their sons, Johnathon and Oliver
Paulina pretty much goes over her upbringing here so there is no need for me to add to any of her history.
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I will say about Paulina that she is known as the “Crying Lady” on Instagram. Although I refer to her as the “Naked Lady” as she is always taking her clothes off. I do admit that it does make this Georgia Southern Belle a bit uncomfortable but I just chalk it up to shrugging my shoulders and saying, “She is from Europe, ya know?” As if they all go around taking their clothes off over there.
Paulina’s Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/paulinaporizkov/?hl=en
I have to admit that sometimes I think “The Crying Lady” on Instagram is nuts and other times I think she is brilliant. I know that she does appeal to a segment of any population in any country out there. I’m sure there are many people that cry and are unhappy, they just hide it whereas she shares it. I’m sure that does help many people in her same boat.
According to her she was not treated very well in her marriage which led to their separation and their impending divorce before her husband died from cancer. He then cut herself and his 2 oldest children out of his Will but when he did that he was taking in her money and saying it was his. Therefore she got nothing which wasn’t right. She has since sued and was given a settlement from the Will. Good! I hope she made out well.
I like her! I want her to be well and happy. I hope she does meet someone special someday that will appreciate her, and love her, and give her everything that she deserves. As in respect and consideration. She is a beautiful woman and a nice person. She still has quite a bit to contribute in life. I love that she does crochet. I can do all those old crafts as well because I was raised to do them by the ladies of leisure that I knew growing up in the south.
I also think that Paulina wants to have something very good and special in her life while she can. She is a very loyal person and that loyalty that she had in her marriage to Ric Ocasek wasn’t the fairy tale that she wanted and deserved so she wants to find that in her life before she dies. Someone to be in her forever home with her. I wish her well, but if she doesn’t find someone special it’s only because he’s not out there for her. But, still try and enjoy life. For all we know this is all that we get.
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Christie Brinkley
I Love Christie’s New Casual Hairstyle
Christie. Where do I even begin to talk about her? I have looked at that pretty smile on that pretty face since I was a teenager. At this writing she is either 67 or 68, I forget, but, she is still that pretty super model that we all know and love. Christie is also single and I don’t think she is by choice. She isn’t the reason her marriages ended. It was the men she married that screwed up badly. Christie has even said that she would slow her life down a bit if she were to meet someone.
I do love Christie’s attitude towards life. She is very positive, upbeat, active, energetic, etc… I’m sure she could outdo me with her energy any day of the week. I love that she has such a close relationship with her children and their partners in life.
Jack, Sailor, Christie, Alexa, and Nina (Jack’s girlfriend)
I also like that she doesn’t hang around with a bunch of old models from her past. She seems to have real friendships with real people. (No offense to any past models on that one.) It’s just that I see Christie as being raised in a very loving functional home and she doesn’t need all the drama that those of us raised in dysfunctional homes have. That’s all.
I too adore my children and their partner’s they have chosen in life and Gordon and I are very supportive of them and include them in our lives as often as they will let us.
I don’t believe that I need to go into some biography of hers because we all know her well. I do believe that she would love to have some partner in life but the fact that she doesn’t isn’t stopping her from enjoying the life that she has. That is how we all should be. Take an important lesson from Christie and just enjoy the life you have whether or not there is someone special in it with you, or not.
Christie’s Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/christiebrinkley/?hl=en
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Jane Seymour
I adore Jane! Always have! She was just one of those actresses that had the ability to be quite strong and vulnerable at the same time. In every part she played you were always rooting for her and supporting her. You knew she was good and deserving. Not just on film but also in real life.
She is also someone that has had a few divorces in her life, just like Christie. I also don’t think they were Jane’s fault. She, like Christie, just married the wrong kind of person. They wanted forever marriages, that just wasn’t what the men they married wanted.
I do love Jane’s attitude towards life. It is a lot like Christie’s. They just make the best of it and constantly go forward. That is all that any of us can do?
Jane does put other people before herself. Her children, grandchildren, ……
She is a drop-dead gorgeous woman of 70!
She should probably start a website depicting the Sensational 70’s that she certainly is!
What I loved the most about Jane was how she would reach out to her husband’s ex-wives and be friendly towards them. After all, in some cases they would be co-parenting and Jane took that role very seriously. She wanted to make everyone comfortable. Whether or not the relationships were ideal, she at least tried which is a lot more than most do.
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Jane does have a companion, his name is David Green
I do not think for one minute that David is the love of Jane’s life, but, I do see him as being a very important person in Jane’s life. He allows her to shine and be the star while he happily supports her. I think he’s just happy to go along for the ride. Jane has her sisters that I believe are very supportive. She just also has the ability to make friends and to keep those friends throughout her life. I admire her tremendously! She is special!
It was Jackie Kennedy that said, “The first time you marry for love, the second for money, and the third for companionship.”
Jackie Kennedy didn’t marry a third time but she did have a very loyal companion until her death.
I see that being Jane’s life.
That saying also does apply to my own mother. She married my biological father, her high school sweetheart for love, then she married my step-father the doctor, and now she is living with a man that she has known her entire life from childhood. So, I guess that rule also applies to my own mother.
Visit Jane on her Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/janeseymour/?hl=en
AND,
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Nigella Lawson
I have adored Nigella since about 2001 when I first saw her on the Style Network when we were living in Maryland.
I believe she is now on her 12th. cookbook and fixing to go on tour for it. Cook, Eat, Repeat is her current cookbook. The cookbook did debut on October 29, 2020, over a year ago. I don’t know that much about cookbook’s or the tour’s they go on to promote them but it seems as if going on a cookbook tour over 1 year after the cookbook is debuted wouldn’t be so lucrative. But, what do I know?
Nigella is 61 at this writing. 62 on January 6th. 2022.
I believe that she has a fairly decent U.K. following. They seem to adore her. I just find it hard to believe that her tour will be very successful. All of her diehard fans have probably already bought the book. I have watched a few of her speaking engagements and although I’m sure her fans find it nice to see her in person, the interview questions, (which she screens ahead of time) are very fluff. ‘What would your last meal be? And, ‘What food do you absolutely despise?’ Or something to that affect. (The answer is green bell peppers. She has also stated that the only people that should be allowed to eat them are Hungarian’s.) And how would she even know how to answer that question unless she had tasted every food in the world?
Asking about her children is off limits which I think is a bit harsh. I mean, we don’t want their addresses and phone numbers, we would just like to know what they are up to? How are they doing? She did start out with them on her first T.V. shows so we’ve seen them since they were little and are curious about them. When I run into someone that I haven’t seen in awhile I always ask about their children. Not because I want salacious details on their activities, I’m just curious as to how they are doing and what they are up to?
To me, you need to grow your audience as you age because they are dying off or have moved on. Nigella is a very attractive woman who could steal the limelight a bit more than she does by using her wardrobe to help enhance her appearance, and not just her intelligence. Nigella always seems to wear the same old thing. Black baggie pants, black shirt or turtleneck sweater, white blazer, and white tennis shoes. It’s not like she is poor or something like that. She chooses to wear the same old thing. (In my opinion) In order to appeal to a new audience and to grow that audience, you need to appeal to them. Wearing the same old thing doesn’t cut it. After a while people start to wonder if it smells or something.
It’s not just her wardrobe. Her audience is ageing. I wish that she would reinvent her T.V. show. It is very high quality but again, in order to stay relevant you do revamp yourself. Something she doesn’t ever do. I realize that I myself don’t do much to appeal and grow my audience on this website but you also don’t see me going on a tour for it. The tour is about making money.
I am curious as to how her book tour goes? Perhaps it will be very successful! I don’t know the mindset of the average European to judge at this time. The fact that she is going on tour and venue’s are booked does indicate an interest in her.
Regardless, she is still very relevant and I do enjoy hearing all that she is up to.
Good luck to you Nigella!
Nigella Lawson Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/nigellalawson/?hl=en
AND,
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Giada De Laurentiis
https://www.instagram.com/giadadelaurentiis/?hl=en
Who doesn’t love Giada? So cute and petite.
A trained Chef that looks like she only sucks down broth every meal. (Oh, I’m just jealous, that’s all.)
Giada barely made my list, only because she is 51. I didn’t want to include anyone younger than 50. She is also the youngest on my list. I’m pretty sure that everyone knows Giada so I’m not going to go into any lengthy biography. She was born in Rome, Italy while I was born in Rome, Georgia. (We could be twins!) Actually, the two Rome’s are sister cities. They are Romans, and so are we. Giada is divorced from her first husband Todd Thompson. They have a daughter together named Jade. Interestingly enough, Giada means Jade in Italian. So, they are both named Giada and Jade at the same time. Cool, huh?
Giada is of course from that famous De Laurentiis family from Italy. Her grandfather was famed director Dino De Laurentiis. Also, other family members are in the show business industry in many forms, such as producers, actors, etc. Her mother Veronica De Laurentiis is an actress. Interestingly enough, I named my daughter Veronica. It isn’t a name that you hear all that often.
I believe that Giada had something of a tough upbringing here in America when she first moved over. She couldn’t speak English and I can only imagine the bullying that she endured. She did go on to be trained at Paris’s Le Cordon Bleu and had quite an impressive start before starting her T.V. shows.
I envy her from coming from such a large and interesting family. I can imagine them as the loudest table in every restaurant with lots of laughter and the clinking of glasses. I also envy Giada as belonging in two different countries and being comfortable in both. America and Italy. One country that houses her past and family history with it’s beauty and success, and the other housing her present and future.
Giada always seems to be having a book coming out or a new T.V. show in the works. It does help in your success when you come from such an important film industry family. They may help get her to the top, but her talent has kept her there.
I love her Aunt Raffy! I wish I had one. I love it when they bicker. They are so cute together. Aunt Raffy obviously adores Giada but she is also very honest with her and doesn’t tell her what she wants to hear. That is the best aunt there is.
Giada with Raffaella De Laurentiis
Giada also has a boyfriend Shane Farley. I don’t know if they are engaged at this writing, I just know that he is in her life. I loved that he was helping to film her show during the pandemic. There were cameras set up in her kitchen filming while he hand carried a camera. I liked that.
https://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/
Giada’s Website Link
Giada and Shane
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It was back in the spring or summer when I was in this “mood” one day and looking at Instagram when I saw yet another recipe that Giada had posted which consisted of a white pasta, red tomato, and something green, and that is when I made a comment about it. I told her that all her food looks alike. The basics of Italian food are white pasta, lots of red tomatoes, and always something green like parsley. That’s just Italian food. And Italian food is delicious regardless of that. But, I think I angered some of her fans because my notifications starting going up in numbers. I don’t read them, btw.
I took a photo of this about an hour ago to show you that I don’t read my notifications on Instagram. I have read them in the past, a few years ago, but I stopped because they really weren’t important to me and by reading them I am allowing their comments about me into my life and I wasn’t going to give them that power. So, I no longer read them. And to tell you the truth I don’t even know what all that means? I guess the image of a person means a comment left by someone but I don’t even know what the little house means. Home, I guess?
But, the point is that it doesn’t matter. Likes, re-Tweets, Follows, none of that matters. If 100 people disagree with me that doesn’t mean that my comments are wrong, it just means 100 people disagree with me. I am not the kind of person that needs validation. I’m also not the kind of person that reads instructions, but that’s a story for another day.
The truth of the matter is that when you look at Giada’s website’s food, the colors are all bright and beautiful yet very similar. Perhaps using the same camera, or the same set, or similar platters, plates, cutlery,background etc…. all of that contributes to it’s overall look. That’s why I said what I did. What I said, I’m sure, was unwanted critique. And before I go I would like to offer up one more. Giada has admitted as much that she will under cook a chicken because it looks better in pictures that way. I believe that the chicken should be cooked to it’s doneness and photographed as such so that the average person knows what their chicken is actually supposed to look like and not believe that their chicken is overdone when comparing photos.
Having said that know that all the comments on my website have been disabled so don’t waste your time writing me. I only had them disabled because of the amount of SPAM I was getting, as in comments that were thousands of words long. But, I like no comments. I’m freer to say what I want without having to deal with any haters.
Giada’s website is stunningly beautiful regardless. And her food is delicious.
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Why I Wrote About These Women
The women I write about here are successful, mature, attractive, and just nice examples of women around my age that I believe have very full lives. No matter what any of them may be going through personally, if anything at all, they just seem to continue to strive to be the best they can, not only on the outside but the inside as well.
I know that having reached the age of 60 this year that I am noticing changes in myself that are new. I’m sure the pandemic had something to do with it as well. But, it just seems like there are so many challenges that we women are facing now that our mother’s and grandmother’s just didn’t. Life is just more complicated. And I guess I am just wondering how women around my age are handling things themselves?
Some of the women I mention above are in relationships, while other’s aren’t. It does seem like the pool of decent eligible mature men has dried up out there. I find myself thinking about death more now that I’m 60. I’ve wondered if I myself would even consider dating if Gordon were to die before me and I was young enough to even want to date again. (The answer is NO btw.) I don’t think that I would. I enjoy being alone too much. I would just much rather occupy my time with dogs, children and perhaps grand-children. I have told Gordon that if I die before him to go ahead and remarry. I would be o.k. with it. My only stipulation would be that he choose someone good because she would be the grandmother to my grandchildren. And I love my unborn grandchildren more than any jealousy that I would have towards another woman. (And besides, I would be dead so what would I care?) Although if she is 25 I will haunt his ass!
I am post-menopausal and thrilled by it! I’m not one to mourn the loss of child-bearing years. However, menopause itself certainly had it’s challenges. I refer to them as my “ugly” years. I put on weight, I was a sweaty mess, always miserable…. you get the picture. But having all that behind me has been wonderful! It’s funny but whenever I open up an old purse, or piece of luggage, or clean out a bathroom cabinet, I always seem to find the old maxi-pads or tampons. I keep passing them to my daughter whenever I find them and she’s amazed by just how many I had stashed everywhere.
I was driving on to the base one day when the gate guards decided to do a random search of my car and when one guy reached underneath the passenger seat (looking for a gun), he pulled out a giant ziplock baggie of maxi-pads. I then lit up like a Christmas tree and said, “Oh, I’d forgotten about them! Thanks for finding them.” He just looked embarrassed and put them back. I then told him that maxi-pads are the most dangerous thing you will find in my car and then I asked him if he wanted to keep searching? He said no and then they let me continue on to the base.
It’s amazing how the older we get the less we care about those things. I can remember being with my mother when I was in high school at the grocery store and she was buying me tampons and how devastated that I was because I knew the bag boy bagging up our grocery’s. Oh the horror!!!
Well, I suppose that I just wanted to let you know that I have my good days and my not so good days. Being an Empath, I pick up on so much unhappiness out there that sometimes I just can’t block it all out. I worry about the direction our country is going in. I worry about my children. I worry about Gordon’s and my health. Not just physically but mentally. I want us to be of sound mind as we age and enter into the last phase of our lives healthy. I can always do more towards that, we all can. Treadmill, diet, no sugar, cut back on carbs…
And for my news, my tests are indicating diabetes. I have until January to loose 15 pounds and take these meds to help control my sugar. If I can straighten all of this out by then, great! If I can’t? Well,
I do hope that everyone above is doing better than me in that department. I do wish you all health and happiness. And I hope you will be around for a very long time.
Julie
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July 13, 2021
Just Catching Up
As you may have read in my blog posts below I have been doing my best to catch up on all my doctor appointments that I slacked off on because of the pandemic. In some cases I hadn’t seen certain doctors in a year, to a year and a half, to two years.
One of my doctor’s, my heart doctor, I saw about a month ago. I usually go about every 6 months. My heart is fine but I do have a family history on both sides of my family with heart disease. Therefore I qualify through my insurance for the bi-yearly visits. I got an EKG and everything is fine. I really just go for a check up, just a wellness visit. I was happy to hear that I am fine. Nothing really changed for my health during the pandemic. I was worried what with my age that not seeing my doctor’s on a regular basis would hurt me but it turns out that it didn’t.
I will say this. I have had some pain in my hands a few times this year and that is new. One morning I woke up a few months ago and it was as if I had injured both of my hands. That is what it felt like. And as the day progressed by noon the pain in my left hand had disappeared. Then about an hour or so later the pain in my right hand disappeared. The pain didn’t come back until a few weeks ago in my left hand and it hurt for about 2 days. I decided to purchase some Aspercreme and the second I did the pain went away and it hasn’t come back. I’m sure it will but these are the first signs for me that I am aging and here come the aches and pains.
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As usual, I sometimes post photos of some of the food that I eat to share with you.
I LOVE SPAGHETTI!!!
To me it is the most perfect meal. It satisfies all of my tastes and senses.
Whenever I make it, I make a big batch to last for several meals during a week.
I also ADORE BREAD!
I filled this loaf with butter, Parmesan Cheese, and our Herbs
Here are mine and Gordon’s plates.
The meatballs are meatless and from Sprouts.
We also load everything with our garden herbs.
Red Wine is also a big hit with us.
The Reds are also loaded with antioxidants which are very healthy for us. Also, seniors that drink around 8 glasses of alcohol per week are less likely to break a bone when they fall down. Something to think about in our old age. Because once we do break a bone, our health tends to deteriorate from thereon.
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My New Favorite Pizza
Dr. Oetker Virtuoso Thin and Crispy Crust Pizza
Mozzarella and Pesto
This is a new favorite pizza of mine. I love to add some of our homemade pesto, or some jarred pesto, and some cheese stuffed peppers along with some Manchego Cheese and a drizzle of the very hot and spicy oil from the jar. Also some of our fresh Basil.
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Another Great Salad
Here we cut up a small baguette and spread butter on the slices and then topped with a garlic cheese and baked for about 8 minutes on 350F, and then broiled it until it got a bit browned.
A Great Salad and Bread Stick
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May 27, 2021
A Great and Easy Dinner
Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breasts
In the past I have featured a few foods that I eat at 60 just to give you an idea and perhaps influence you to eat something similar. It’s important for us to try and maintain a more slender frame in our later years. We don’t need foods to help us grow anymore. We need foods to sustain us and give us healthy poops. Sorry, but it’s true. We need to eat foods that will go through us and not linger around inside of us, that is when cancer can occur. Also, fat acts as an incubator to cancer so perhaps it’s time for us to shed a few pounds. It also won’t hurt us to skip a meal occasionally. We’ll be fine.
The Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breasts that you see above are the size of my fist, which is a good portion size for meats. Remember that. The Chicken is from when I joined Nutri-System over a year ago. I was only a member for a few months and still have a ton of the foods in our freezer. Every now and then Gordon and I will dig something out from my Nutri-System collection and we will eat it. However, you can find chicken breasts like the ones we have above in the freezer section of your grocery stores. We always doctor ours up as in adding more spices, or herbs… here Gordon broiled them to give them that great finish.
We also always have fresh lettuce and veggies in our refrigerator so creating a nice salad can be fast and easy. Here our salad bin extras helped to make this meal even more healthy and fun to eat. Drizzle a nice dressing over top and you have a very tasty dinner. Just a suggestion….
Julie
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May 26, 2021
The Dentist
It was during the Pandemic, probably around this time last year that a company took over the company that Gordon works for. Not much actually changed except some of our insurance through them. Gordon did get a small raise from this company which was much appreciated. Yet the insurance for our Eye and Dental did change.
I didn’t think that it would be any big deal. We just had different insurance, that’s all. Well, now that we are getting back out there with our medical needs we called our family dentist the other day to make our appointments for our usual cleanings, X-ray’s, etc. We also both have chipped teeth. Yes! We are hillbilly’s! Actually, mine chipped off a few months ago. You can’t even tell given the angle of it. I can smile big and you won’t even notice it. But, one of my veneer front chipped off. Gordon’s tooth chipped off the other day. Again, it isn’t noticeable when he smiles. BUT STILL, we do need a dentist.
I have a very healthy mouth only because I work very hard at it. Gordon and Veronica have very healthy mouths and they don’t even have to try. Veronica will be 34 in July and she has NEVER had a cavity! It’s just hereditary that they have healthy mouths. Brodie, took after my side of the family and in order for us to have healthy teeth and gums we have to work at it.
Anyway, I had called my regular dentist that I have seen for the past few years and have spent a lot of money there btw. I had made mine and Gordon’s appointments and told them of our new insurance. It was 2 days later that one of the girls called me to tell me that they aren’t in our insurance “network” and that is a problem. I didn’t understand why it would be a problem? We just changed insurance companies, other than that things should be the same? Yet NO, NOT really!
We contacted our NEW Dental Insurance Company to find out more and we were told that because they are not in our “network” that we would have to pay a higher copay. Instead of our usual $25.00 we would have to pay $50.00. Well, o.k., we can do that. Not such a big deal. BUT, we then found out that we would need to pay them in full, up front. They would then submit the paperwork and we would receive a check from our insurance company reimbursing us for the services. O.k, we can do that. But THEN, we found out that they have the ability to charge us as much as they want to and our insurance company will only reimburse us a certain amount and no more. So, if our dentist charges us 1,000.00 for work done and our insurance will only reimburse us $500.00 then we are out $500.00. That is NOT o.k.
So, we now have to find a new dentist that is in our “network.”
The thing that I do know from having a surgeon as a step-father and my working in his offices in two locations, in two states, as I was growing up is that a dentist or a doctor can charge whatever they want. They don’t have to charge an arm and a leg unless they want to. I saw my step-father erase $350,000.00 from his books that patients owned him that never paid. He didn’t have to do that. He did it because he knew what it was like to grow up poor and he had a sympathy for those people and he didn’t want to send the bill collectors after them. He always said that it is the people that don’t have the money that pay him, and the people that do have the money don’t.
My step-father may have been extremely abusive to me, but he was good to a lot of other people. That just wasn’t the man that I knew. I knew the monster while everyone else knew the kind person. I will always give him credit for the good he did to other people. I just didn’t know that person. I do recognize that other people did though.
So, my dentist whom I have been very loyal to for years will not agree not to charge me an arm and a leg for my dental procedures in the future so therefore I am saying goodbye and am forced to find another dentist. You know, I had very healthy teeth and rarely saw the dentist. I mostly saw the dental hygienist whom I adored. Having a good relationship with who does your teeth is important.
Gordon immediately got online and was looking up dentists in our network. The first one he came to was a woman with an uneven haircut. As am Empath I was paying particular attention as I can read people in photographs. I saw her and instantly disliked her. First of all, I have never gotten along with anyone with an uneven haircut. As I told Gordon, “She is a Karen and I am not going to her.” He then pulled up a middle aged man with a giant beer gut and told me that his office isn’t far from where we live. I told Gordon that I didn’t like him but show me his office anyway. The photo depicted several pick up trucks were parked outside his office. NO! I am not going to some MAGA Dentist! Go to the next one on the list…..
He then showed me a photo of an African-American woman in her late 30’s or early 40’s. Her credentials were educated. I didn’t pick up anything negative about her in her photo. Now show me where she is located. Turns out in a nice progressive area. And every car out front in the photo is a 4 door sedan. DONE! She is our new dentist! We just need to call and make our appointments.
Being an Empath is a Gift, and a Curse. In times like these it is a Gift.
Julie
P.S. Right now I feel as if we are just surviving.
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May 18, 2021
Still Working Outside
My Medical Appointments
And,
Indulging in a Bit of Gossip
What you don’t know is that in the photo at left was taken 1 second before I suddenly fell backwards for no reason whatsoever and hit my head on the table that is behind me that you cannot see, I also skint my arm in the process, photo right.
Post Menopausal Clumsiness
It’s as if I am 12 all over again and tripping over my very long toes and bloodying up my knees. I’m going through adolescence all over again and now my head and elbow hurt because of it. But I’m tough and I will get through it. I’m hoping there is some ending to this clumsiness other than death.
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Medical Appointments Update
I write way down below about how I am maneuvering our healthcare system all over again except as a newbie. Most of my medical doctors retired during the pandemic so I was left with pretty much starting over in trying to find good quality care in a system that is still broken. So, today I finally got my wellness checkups for my Pap Smear/Pelvic Exam and my Mammogram. My new nurse practitioner whom I met for the first time back in March at my Family Practice recommended this place. It was a very nice elaborate clinic, brand new, and a large building. It was a woman’s health clinic. I liked that. It is just for women.
I was kind of nervous as I haven’t had these much needed appointments in 2 years. When I was set to have all this done last year the pandemic hit and I went underground. Now that I am emerging I am trying to get back into the swing of things where my healthcare and just life in general is concerned.
I am not used to big and elaborate, I am used to small and intimate. I grew up in small towns my entire life and my step-father was a country doctor that made house calls so that is what I am used to and I tend to gravitate towards the small clinics and shun the large ones. I just feel as if I am going to get lost in them. Metaphorically, and literally. To be perfectly honest, I couldn’t figure out how to make the elevator work. Really! There were these big black buttons all along the front before you enter the elevator yet the button to make it work was this small silver button with a light in the center. I felt so stupid. Besides, my mind doesn’t work to initiate the simple things in life, my mind sees through all the noise to find that small hidden clue that most people miss. I was once at a restaurant and I couldn’t figure out how to use the salt shaker grinder. I was so embarrassed and the people that I was dining with were looking at me as if I were stupid but later on that night we were playing a memory game and I beat them all 3 times. I then regained a bit of dignity from that one.
I will say that the OBGYN part of the building was very efficient. Everyone was perfect. They said the right things, they were very organized, Oh! it is now required in the state of Florida to sign a statement saying that you are aware you are there to get a Pap Smear. I guess it’s not enough that I made an appointment FOR a Pap Smear for that to be obvious?
This is the Ron DeSantis Administration, our governor, inserting himself in women’s healthcare. Just where white men love to be. I will say this about something my right-wing wacko step-brother said a few decades ago. He was talking about women and he said that women are just the hosts that carry the men’s seeds. So, this has been going on awhile. It’s just coming to full fruition now. Especially now with Roe v Wade at risk and right-wing men feeling emboldened.
While I was sitting in the exam room waiting for my doctor to come in I noticed the rubber glove boxes on a shelf on the wall and how the Small box was full, the Medium box was half empty, and the LARGE box barely had any left. I then knew that my doctor most likely had large hands and that doesn’t bode well for a Pap and Pelvic Exam. Just sayin.’
They had me watch a 4 minute video before my appointment on how we can’t sue them if they maim or kill us and we need to just go into mediation. Also, our spouse and children can’t sue them either because our signature prevents that.
Just another day in the American healthcare system.
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Mammogram
Right after my Pap and Pelvis Exam appointment on the 3rd. floor, I entered the elevator to take me down to the 1st. floor, after learning how to maneuver the elevator successfully.
I liked the people in the mammogram department. They were just less robotic and extremely friendly but not in a fake way. It is a bit humiliating to be exposing yourself and have someone touching your breasts and manipulating them into various positions in that machine to have the much needed photos taken of them. But, I have never had a bad mammogram experience other than just the discomfort of the process. I will say this, when we were living in Hawaii and I would go to the Air Force military hospital for my Pap Smear there would be a Magnum P.I. poster on the wall above us and that is what we would look at during the proceeger. I get the humor, but it can be construed as very inappropriate. After all, there are teenagers that have Pap Smear’s that would be looking at that poster and that is when it is a bit inappropriate.
Bottom line: Everything went well. I am very happy to have these two big appointments behind me and now I am just awaiting the results. My test results always tend to be on the healthy side but as I age you never know, do ya?
Gordon drove me to my appointments and afterwards we did a bit of shopping. Found some great things and then grabbed a late lunch to take home and eat. I then took a nice nap because I was very anxious about my appointments the night before and didn’t get as much sleep as I needed. That is also something new with me. Anxiety. Once I was rested I put my hair up and hit the garden.
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I found what I wanted to put into the last vacant pot in my herb garden, Lemon Balm.
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I did finish the new plantings of our round retaining wall.
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A Bit of Gossip
Because I mention Chrissy Tiegan below I do feel obligated to say something about the ‘cancel culture’ surrounding her. I do defend her below when I talk of how the trolls drove her off Twitter. She was a good voice for the under privileged that I hate is silenced. And now she is even further silenced. I really didn’t know of her past comments to people like Courtney Stodden that are quite harsh. Telling a 16 year old girl to kill herself is quite horrible. She should apologize and should have never said such a horrible thing. I remember Courtney Stodden at that time and to me she was a young train wreck. The difference between me and Ms. Tiegan is that I kept my mouth shut and she didn’t.
Also, something that Ms. Tiegan said when she was 9 years old is being used against her. That is ridiculous! There needs to be a line drawn where something someone said at that young age should not be used against them.
You know, to get to the top of the super model spectrum is not an easy achievement and given my modeling and pageant background I can tell you that the kind girls don’t get that far. The mean girls do. Chrissy Tiegan probably did say some horrible things about other girls to get as far as she has but I also recognize that she became a better person as she grew and matured. Now karma is catching up to her and she is having a hard time because of it. She has been given such an excellent teachable moment. She can either use it to a good advantage, or not. That is up to her. But I do see good in her and I hope she comes back and continues to be a voice to the voiceless that she does recognize.
TTYL….
Julie
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May 11, 2021
Social Media/Anti-Social Media, and Tawny “Julie” Kitaen
We all hear every now and again how social media is ruining lives. I do believe that had I grown up in this era of social media it would have harmed me emotionally way worse than I had it, and I had it bad! As many of my readers know I grew up moving around a lot and was the new kid in school 9 times in 12 years. Being the new kid in school that many times meant that people never had a problem showing me their worst selves. And oddly enough that pattern has continued throughout my life. For some reason people have never minded showing me their worst possible selves?
I have also had a love/hate relationship with the telephone my entire life as well. Although at this writing it is only in the “hate” relationship. The telephone was a means of communicating to my friends and boyfriends, but it was also the weapon of the mean girls when I was growing up. Now it’s just the weapon of spam and con artists, which is why I cringe every time it rings and I rarely budge when it does. If someone I know starts talking then I meander over to the phone and pick it up if they are in the process of leaving a message.
When our neighbor Lesia lived next door to us she would always have her cell phone and beeper strapped to her body, while carrying her house phone in her hand as she would walk her dog. I used to ask her why she carried all her electronics with her and she said that she didn’t want to miss a call or a page. I then told her that I don’t live my life at the beckon call of others. They can just call and leave a message and I will get back to them when I have the time. She then looked at me as if something was “wrong” with me.
In my youth I was one of those people that worried all the time about what people thought of me, and if they liked me, and I worried when I had disappointed them. Those days are gone because I eventually realized that they were never worth my time to begin with and sometimes I kick myself for ever believing that they were?
The telephone was invented to help people communicate with each other and then the mean girls took it over and turned it into a weapon. Just like everything that is invented for good is then turned into something bad. Social Media comes to mind. It may have been started as a good way to connect to each other but was then taken over by trolls as a way to hurt and harm people.
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Most things are invented or created or developed in order to help you, but then the bad people take it over and use it against you.
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My Website
I never viewed my website as an interactive tool. I always viewed it as my way telling my story to whomever is interested. Kind of like a diary whether it be through food, or holidays, or how-to’s, or our history, crafts, or even my personal blogs. I never saw it as a tool to communicate with other’s. I used to have comments on my website and I welcomed them whether they be positive or negative as long as they were constructive. However, the majority of my comments were nothing more than spam, as in someone leaving a comment that is thousands of words long. So, when a comment would come in that is thousands of words long, I would have to scroll alllllllllll the way down to the bottom of the comment before I could delete it. And I did this about 7 times a day to several of these comments a day. The comments were nothing more than gibberish as it was. Just spam intended to clog up my website. I put up with this for a few years and I then told my website security company to just disable my comments. They really did object for a few weeks before they finally did it, but I kept insisting that they do it. I have not regretted it since.
Although I would love to hear “real” comments from “real” people, that is just no longer an option thanks to the bad guys taking over my comments with their spam.
But, I can communicate to you and you can receive my communications, we just can’t communicate with each other personally. That’s the social/anti-social aspect of my website.
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The Social Media that I Use
I mainly use Twitter. I am however signed up for Facebook and Instagram. I just don’t really use either of them. To me, Facebook was about connecting to our past and I don’t really care much for any of them. And Instagram to me is more of a mean girl bully forum. I do follow some very interesting people on Instagram and I will certainly give my share of likes and even a comment here and there but I really don’t care if they interact with me. I am only interested in what the people that I follow post, period.
I have never posted anything on Instagram.
Instagram Notifications that I have never checked in over a year.
In the past when I did check my Instagram notifications they were always mostly negative so I decided to quit checking them. I have never posted anything on Instagram but I do follow people that do, and I do “like” many things as well as leave a comment here and there. I just figure their loyal followers will occasionally read what I post and not the recipient of the post. I am o.k. with that.
I am active on Twitter and I do read my notifications that I receive. I just tend to like that crowd better than the other social media forums. I have come across some very nice people through Twitter and I do like connecting to them.
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The Trolls
For those of you that aren’t regular readers of my website I have had a cyber-stalker for almost 3 decades. We know who he is. He is my husband Gordon’s former best friend. His name is Paul Gray. My brother Johnny one day referred to Paul as a troll that harasses me when he was talking to a group of people. I then corrected my brother Johnny with this explanation: “To me, a troll is someone who stands outside your house yelling and screaming at you. You can close your drapes or blinds so that you don’t have to look at them. You can even turn the volume up on your T.V. so that you don’t have to hear them. But, Paul is inside our house. That is what I put up with. So to refer to him as a troll is downplaying just how serious my situation is.”
Everyone knows Chrissy Tiegen? She left Twitter due to the amount of trolls that harassed her? When I read that she left because of that the first thing that I thought was why did you leave? Why not just NOT read your comments? Why do you have to? Who cares what anyone says about you? Your true fans only care about what you post. Just continue to post, that is all anyone cares about?
Well, she left. And the next thing that I thought of is that she let the trolls win! But, I then realized that is not what happened. She left because she had a life to go to. She is married to John Legend. They have two great kids together. She has a few cookbooks underneath her belt. She is a former model. She has a family that loves her and she is opening a restaurant. She left because she had a life to go to. The trolls may have run her off but she ran to a great life whereas the trolls are still there because they have no life to go to other than to try and make people as miserable as they are.
I just wish that instead of her leaving Twitter that she had found a balance between being social/anti-social in her Twitter account. Why not hire someone to sort through the crap so that she didn’t have to?
We all need to find a way to still use social media but do it in a safer way? What works for me may not work for you. I suppose we are all figuring this out as we go.
One of my Mother’s Day gifts from Veronica
When I saw this it was perfect for me! My daughter does know me. And at first I thought it was a dig at my anti-social behavior but then I wondered if it also has the meaning of that I would just rather be with the rest of the mermaids and not with the people? I should ask her?
I write above about how people have never had a problem showing me their worst selves. Perhaps had I not known those experiences then I would be more social? I guess we’ll never know? But, through my anti-social behavior I have come to know myself very well. I like myself. I’ve also learned that the average person out there is nothing special. Average is neither smart nor dumb, and the majority out there is average. I don’t think I’m missing out on much by being a person that only surrounds herself with people that I love and can trust and rely on. Besides, I think the future is isolation. But, why not create your own oasis in your environment? Consider it your ‘all inclusive resort’ right in your own home. At the end of the day we are responsible for our own happiness and we can either take on that responsibility, or leave it up to others. I’m too much of a control freak to leave something as important as my happiness to someone else.
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Tawny Kitaen
Tawny was born Julie Kitaen on August 5, 1961, and died on May 7, 2021. She was an actress most known for her role in Bachelor Party with Tom Hanks. I liked that movie and thought it was really cute. The movie came out in 1984. Tawny was 59 at her death just 3 months shy of her 60th. birthday. Which actually confirms to me the importance of my holding my birthday cake in my photo at the very top of this page. I knew turning 60 was a milestone for me that other’s may not achieve, Tawny included.
Tawny’s most famous role was in her then husband David Coverdale of the band Whitesnake, video Here I Go Again, while doing gymnastics on the hoods of two cars parked close together. One of them was her husband’s.
Whitesnake, Here I Go Again
To me this is one of the most famous music video’s of all time. It had everything in it. A great song, a great band, a great video format, and the beautiful Tawny Kitaen.
You can’t help but be captivated by her beauty. That big smile with those gorgeous dimples. Her slender figure that she had no problem maneuvering into those gymnast moves, which is what she used to be. Her graceful movements and that magnificent head of hair. Tawny was the total package and I don’t think that video would have been as successful if not for her contribution. She was the icing on the cake. She also had a very unique look to her. In this day and age everyone seems to look alike to me. I like those who are different.
Her marriage to David Coverdale only last about 2 years. I remember that he once said in an interview that she just one day left and never told him why she was leaving him? And to this day he never knew why? I also saw him in an interview where he had won some award and was giving credit to her as one of the reasons he did win that award.
She is also in this video. I do love this song and can listen to it over and over again. Whitesnake did create some excellent songs and music video’s. They were talented musicians.
I did write to Tawny on Twitter a few years ago complimenting her on the video, Here I Go Again and explaining to her that no one will ever rival it and to be proud of it. She not only liked what I said but even wrote back some nice words.
I was following her on Instagram but I decided to just unfollow her about a year ago as it was hard for me to continue to watch the train wreck that she had become. (In my opinion.) Some of the photos she would post looked as if she had a mattress in her walk in closet where she would writhe around in her underwear taking selfies of her bloated self. I hope that her family has since removed some of those photos.
I know that she had a troubled life. I believe she was an unstable person. Two divorces, arrested for battering her 2nd. husband with her shoe. She one day got mad at someone who took the parking spot she wanted so she keyed their car, etc. etc…..
Although she may have been 59 on the outside I think that in her mind she was still that young 25 year old. She aged on the outside but never really grew up on the inside.
I don’t want to think about the troubled 59 year old. I just wish she had made it to 60. I think we are in a pretty exclusive club. I would much rather remember her as the beautiful girl doing cartwheels on top of the cars to that Whitesnake video.
RIP Julie “Tawny” Kitaen
Julie
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April 27, 2021
Grow Something, Anything
(Or at least nurture something that is growing.)
I started this herb garden a few years ago. It was nice to have this part of our backyard sectioned off just for me and my project. My project, to inject more fresh herbs into our diet.
This is my first herb garden.
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This is my Second Herb Garden
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And this is my continuing Herb Garden
Gordon Helping With The Hard Work
Every two years we have to clean the herb garden bed out and prepare it for the new year.
You can see how messy it is here. It usually collects a lot of dead leaves and sticks and some mold that needs to be cleaned off.
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Now It’s Time To Start Buying Up the Flowers and Herbs
(One of many carts btw.)
I always have herbs that last through the year, we do live in Florida after all. But, some I always need to replenish because we either eat them faster than we can grown them, or they just get too old that I want fresh new growth. Our Rosemary comes to mind. It is a very sturdy herb but it turns into long spiny sticks and no longer looks very good.
I can always buy our favorites at places like Lowe’s but some more exotic herbs I like to order from online.
Gordon and Myself Picking out our Favorites
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Excited to Get Started
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You can see my now cleaned out Herb Garden ready for me to start planting.
This is Thai Cilantro that I am Replanting
It’s Always a Fun Dirty Job
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How Pretty and Green
I like a mixture of Herbs and Flowering Plants
You can also see the fresh layer of Wood Chips in the Border Bed
Obviously I’m not finished yet as I do have some empty pots.
I’m trying to decide what I want to put in them?
The reason that I keep things a bit elevated and in pots is because I live in a neighborhood where many people will use those cancer causing lawn treatments. And although we never have, our neighbors have done so in the past and when it rains we will get the run off from their yards which means those chemicals drift into our property. Sometimes it takes decades to get those toxins out of the soil. Therefore, by bringing in organic soil and keeping everything elevated I am hopefully keeping our herbs safe from those pesticides and carcinogines.
I have a new goal that everyday I figure out how to incorporate fresh herbs into our foods. Sometimes it’s not easy. I mean herbs don’t exactly go with a peanut butter sandwich?
Can’t Wait to Fill These
New Rosemary
I love my Dirty Pots
To the right, Dill. To the left, my String of Pearls.
Thai Basil, Thai Buddah
Purple and Green Basil with Sparky
My Wild Garlic
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Do not be deterred from beginning your own Herb Garden simply because you don’t have some large plot of land to get started on. You could have a few pots sitting in your windowsill’s. It doesn’t have to be big or elaborate. It can be simple and productive.
Here we have two hanging baskets of Mint on our Lanai.
Mint to the Left, and Mint to the Right
So, get started. The benefits of growing something that contributes positively to your health and your life also contribute to the peacefulness of your soul. The two are connected. You can thank me later.
Julie
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April 20, 2021
Fried Rice and Veggie Egg Rolls
I just like posting the kinds of foods I do eat.
Many nights I eat light and not heavy.
ALSO,
We have a new Grand-Dog!
Meet Hank
Do you know how important animals are in our lives?
If you don’t then I feel very sorry for you. If you do then I needn’t speak another word about it.
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April 18, 2021
It’s Common Knowledge That I Hate My Hair!
I do write about it below. It is also common knowledge that I prefer a perm to my natural straight hair. It is mainly because of the volume that a perm gives me that my flat straight hair doesn’t. (I am from the deep south where big hair rules the day. Look, it’s in my DNA so just accept it.)
But, it was while Gordon was working overseas and I was relaxing on the Lazy Boy chair watching T.V. and using this thingy to massage my head…
The Head Massage Thingy
…that is when I went into the bathroom and WOWEE!!! LOOK AT MY HAIR! The Volume! I knew then that I was probably the envy of every limp haired girl from the south at that very moment if they could just see my hair. I was a HAIR GOD! I then looked down at the head massage thingy as if it were the equivalent of Thor’s Hammer, Wonder Woman’s Bracelets, Nancy Drew’s Magnifying Glass… well, you know what I mean. My hair looked wonderful! Beautiful! I could have gotten a job at Hooter’s as a waitress and beat out all those young girls with my hair alone!
It was at that moment that I knew the head massage thingy will be a part of my grooming process until I can safely get a perm once this pandemic is over with. This tool pretty much lifts your hair from underneath. I don’t just use it to to lift up and down. I use it to swirl around and around. I do close my eyes so that one of the prongs doesn’t blind me. (Highly recommended.)
But this tool lifts your hair and gives you volume and then you can style your hair how you like.
I will say that I have better volume when I have something of a perm still left in my hair. But, until that time, this tool does help with what I have.
Adding Volume, Added Volume
Finished Hair
(With a Curling Iron and Hair Spray)
Oh, and the dress above is what I call a house dress. I always wear old dresses like this when I apply my make up and fix my hair so that I don’t get all that stuff on my clothing I will be wearing out that day. I usually get face powder and hair spray all over my clothes.
Just a tip from me.
From one steel magnolia to another.
Julie
P.S. I do believe that Dolly Parton would be supportive of my big hair triumphs and attempts.
God bless her!
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April 17, 2021
2nd. Shot Yesterday!
Covid Vaccine
(Raymond James Stadium)
I was getting my cell phone camera set up and I didn’t even know that I had taken this photo of me.
The look in my eyes is… I don’t even know? Dread? Anticipation? But, I find it interesting.
Driving Through the Cones
As you can see there is hardly anyone here at 5:30 p.m. on a Friday evening.
That’s Red State Florida for you!
We got the Fizer shot both times and our only side effects have been a sore arm for about 24 hours and then it goes away. That’s it. Now whatever lingering things that have yet to be determined, have yet to be determined. But, we are fully vaccinated….for now.
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April 14, 2021
Health Issues Verses Health Problems
(April 17, 2021 Update: When I write below what I live for I failed to mention that I live for my husband and children and animals as well. I didn’t mention them because that is just a given. Oh, course I live for them.)
I believe that when I write below about trying to get an appointment since last March 2020 I am misleading you. I do wish to clarify. What I meant was that all of my doctor appointments were due last March/April 2020. But, the pandemic changed all that. I cancelled all of my appointments and I decided to wait and see how things would go. I knew that putting my important medical appointments off was a risk, but I also knew that attending them was a risk as well. I don’t know that there was a right answer. I was making decisions based on my instincts and logic. But, as time went by I saw that cloth masks did make a difference in the spread of Covid 19. I also learned that we can interact as long as we take precautions.
I did start my current health activism in late February of 2021. It is now mid April and I have yet to have my much needed appointments. They will come in May. It is because I needed the referrals to then see my much needed health specialists. That is our American health care system. But, I do have those appointments and I will show up to those appointments and then deal with whatever issues that I have to deal with. But, for now I am fine. As far as I know.
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Health Issues Verses Health Problems
To give you an example:
A health issue is something that you have to deal with to stave off a health problem.
A few years ago I injured my back. It caused sciatic nerve pain from my right buttock down to my calf. It was a shooting pain that I had never experienced before. It was horrible! It was painful! I hated it!
I looked online to try and read up on it. That is when I diagnosed myself but I was shocked by the treatment. Opiods! What? I am not taking those brain altering drugs! I will live with the pain before I ever become addicted to those things! But, I did notice that there are exercises that I can do to help me stave off that pain. So, every morning before I get out of bed I do those exercises and I haven’t had any pain now for almost a year.
That is a health issue. I found a way to control it and it isn’t a health problem. Understand?
If you have the same problem as me I would like to tell you how I deal with it. When I wake up in the morning, before I get out of bed, I like to stretch out my back and legs. How I do that is to bring my knees up to my chest until my knees are pressing against my boobs. It sometimes takes a while before I can do that. I am 60 and as we age out bodies become stiffer. Not as flexible as they once were. So, as I lay on my back I am bringing my knees closer, and closer to my chest, stretching my back as I go. I hold it there for a minute or so, then I release it, then I bring it back. Once I have done that I will then place my left leg straight, and take my left arm to grab my right leg and bring it around to my left side, stretching it. I can feel the stretch all down my right leg. The stretching. Then I do the same thing to the other side. Laying my right leg straight and stretching it out. I like that I am doing this in my bed. It is a more age friendly stretch than doing it on the hard floor. For all I know I may injure myself and I won’t be able to get off the floor. Did I mention that I am 60?
I may look fairly young but I do have a 60 year old body. And I do respect it.
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I am also a borderline diabetic. That means that I have a health issue. The moment I am diagnosed as a diabetic, then I have a health problem.
So, right now I have health issues that I am dealing with. I am hoping to stave off health problems by eating better, exercising, and stretching. What I do at age 60 will determine whether I make it to age 70. And I don’t just want to make it there, I want a nice quality of life when I get there.
We will talk about that in another post. But, we do need to take responsibility for our own health and not just rely on some outdated system to get us where we need to go.
Also, those people that have something to live for do tend to outlive those that don’t.
So, what is it that I live for? I plan on outliving all the bullies. I am determined to get to a point in my life where all the bullies are gone and I am left standing. I am determined to know what peace is. I can only know that when the bullies are gone. I will outlive them. I am determined.
Julie
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April 5, 2021
FINALLY! Had My Doctor Appointment
Julie, Easter 2021
Me, Easter, and with our backyard construction site in the background. Yuck!
I write below about how I have been desperate for a doctor appointment from since the pandemic first started, but because of staff shortages, doctor’s quitting my clinic, many doctor and nurse retirements…. I have not been able to get an appointment. Well, last week I finally got my appointment. It was supposed to be with the new female doctor who would be taking over our clinic, but, she is not confirmed yet and is still a “floater” so, I saw the new Nurse Practitioner.
The way our insurance works is we go to see our family doctor/nurse practitioner who will then give us a referral to other doctor’s to address whatever medical needs that we may have. They are pretty much a Middle Man. I cannot just call up and get an appointment for a mammogram. I have to see my family doctor or nurse first, and then they issue me a referral and only then can I get an appointment for a mammogram. I can’t even call where I receive my mammogram to make and appointment before I get my referral and just bring it with me to my appointment. Oh, NO! So, just think about that. If I need a mammogram I have to time it so that I can see my family doctor and get the referral weeks before my appointment in order for me to make the appointment about 3 weeks prior to my appointment, in order to receive my mammogram on time. As in the same time every year. Understand? I know. It’s complicated.
Our American healthcare system is broken, and has been for a few decades, but I had figured out a way to maneuver a broken system so that I could receive quality care from all angles. However, because of the pandemic, and so many medical retirements and departures, not to mention that my insurance has now decided to get all cheap on me, I am unfortunately back to square ONE in trying to work this broken system.
When I met my new nurse practitioner I liked her immediately. She was nice, and funny, and very friendly, not that I particularly care about those things. I just want someone competent and thorough.
I told her that both Gordon and I had received the first dose of the vaccine. It was then that she ripped her mask off, and told me that she was vaccinated so she wasn’t worried about being around me now.
O.K., alarming! I just met her. She doesn’t know me at all and yet she is just going to take my word for it? And, if she is going to just take my word for it then how many other people’s word has she just taken at face value when she meets them? My point is, how cavalier of her to not be more cautious! That in itself is very alarming to me of her carelessness during a pandemic.
I didn’t say anything to her about how alarmed I was with her behavior, but I was glad I was double masked in the same room with her.
She then put in my referrals for the mammogram, a pap smear, and my heart doctor. I am just awaiting them to arrive in the snail mail now so that I can then call for my appointments.
And Oddly enough I just got a call today from our pharmacy leaving a message to pick up my prescription. What prescription? News to me! Guess I’ll call them tomorrow to find out what that is about?
But, in the meantime, I am awaiting my referrals in the snail mail so that I can then call for my appointments that will probably be given me 3-4 weeks from now.
Right now I think I am just surviving.
Julie
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March 29, 2021
My Hair
(Tupperware for my Hair Color, Kitchen Baster to Color my Roots, and Hair Scissors.)
When my gray comes in I look very tired and old. I see my mother’s tired eyes when I look at myself.
Not something I like to see.
My Hair, Straight as a Board
(My hair holds water. I can wash my hair at 8:00 a.m. and it is still damp at 3:00 p.m.)
When the Pandemic first hit in March of 2020 I was really surprised how helpless so many women were when it came to a lack of caring for their hair as we were all in lockdown. All the whining and moaning because they couldn’t get to their hair stylist or beautician, or whatever they call the people that do their hair? OMG! My roots! My brown hair is showing! My gray is showing! All I could think of is, my goodness, how helpless all these women are?
I am no hairstylist, but I have been tending to my hair now for several decades. I can color my hair, I can cut and trim my hair, I can even add layers to my hair. The only thing I cannot do is to PERM MY HAIR.
So, how do I know how to tend to my hair? It’s because I have been watching everyone that has ever cut/trimmed/styled my hair for the past few decades. Instead of reading a magazine I am paying attention.
To me the atmosphere of a beauty shop is hell! The gossip, the insults… I can’t tell you how many times I have sat in that chair when a client would leave a salon only to hear the insults hurled about her when she only has one foot out of the door. I even spoke up to the ladies in the salon that I can only imagine what you say about me when I leave….
You should have seen the looks on their faces when I said that.
It’s as though their secrets have been exposed!
As an Empath a beauty shop environment is a toxic environment. I only go when I have to. Other than that, I don’t.
I have needed a perm since December 2019 but I no longer wanted to go to the person that I have been seeing since 2004 because I no longer trusted her. I will not reveal her name or where she works but I have come to believe that she was putting something into my perm when she would give it to me in order to ‘fry my hair.’ I think she has been doing that for a few years now. Whenever I would get an appointment it was always in the afternoon when it was just she and I in that beauty shop. Also, she, as the office manager quit ordering my Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Mist, BUT, she said that she would pick it up for me at the Beauty Supply Store as a favor to me. I paid her for the items and even a little extra for gas money for the items she purchased for me. When I started using them my hair started coming out in clumps. When I quit using the products and started ordering from the company itself I received quality products. I believe that she was putting some sort of chemical in them to make my hair fall out. I still have the bottles. I always keep the evidence.
So, what motive does she have to ruin my hair? Resentment.
First of all, there is no motive for crazy. People do what they do because it is in them to do it. Secondly, from the time I first started seeing her as my hair stylist, her life has gotten steadily worse, while my life has gotten steadily better. She is a devout Catholic and she knows that I am not a religious person. And, from what I know about religious people is that when they deem someone a heathen or a pagan then they see it as their duty to destroy that person in their god’s name.
One day I witnessed a woman that pretty much saved Gerda’s (not her real name), skin when it came to her job. She had gone out of her way to help her and fix a major computer problem that Gerda was having with her job. After the woman left the shop Gerda was thanking god for helping her to fix the problem. I then asked why she didn’t thank the woman that did all that work to help her? Gerda then said that because she didn’t help her, god did. Everything comes from god. I then asked if all the large tips I give her come from god as well? She said yes. I then told her that I don’t think that god wants me to tip you so large anymore. He just told me not to.
I was simply trying to prove a point. Yet, is it possible to prove a point with a person like her? I think not. She has been indoctrinated since birth into believing what she does and there is no educating her. All that I can do is to move on to someone else to do my hair once I feel safe as this Pandemic continues. But, until then, I am not totally helpless with my hair. There are zero curls left but I will just manage until the time comes when I can find someone new in my area of Florida. Hopefully a sane person.
Not holding my breath on that one!
Julie
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March 28, 2021
THE SHOT
First dose down, one more to go!
When our Governor lowered the age from 65 to 60 on March 15th. to get the shot, that is when Gordon and I started looking around for places where I could get it. Our medical clinic said they were trying to get it so that they can administer it to their patients. The local grocery stores were expected to get the shots with an appointment only but the details were still being worked out. That is when Gordon went online and we found a place at Raymond James Stadium. You have to live in the same county, and have proof of residency so Gordon signed us both up. They were also giving the shots to 50 and over. Gordon is 4 years younger than me so we were thrilled that we could both get the shot together.
So, we made the appointment online and got a call the following day confirming our appointment and asking us some questions about our health. We answered them. We were also given instructions on what to do the day of the shot. Just things like, ‘don’t show up any earlier than 15 minutes prior to your appointment,’ that kind of thing.
When our son Brodie’s girlfriend Mackenzie’s mother got her shot back in February, she had to wait in her car for 5 hours so we didn’t know how long we would have to wait. Turns out we were there a total of 30 -35 minutes the entire time. There were lots of workers and not that many cars in front of us.
I told Gordon to take a photo of me getting the shot. Well, there is my arm getting the shot. Which reminds me of the time back in 1986 when we were at Sea World and I got to pet a dolphin, I was so thrilled! He just swam up to me and had his head out of the water wanting me to touch him. I motioned for Gordon to take a picture. He did. I couldn’t wait to get the film developed! I was so excited when I got the pictures back…. and that is when I saw it. He got my ARM petting the dolphin. The point is, that could have been anyone’s arm. I wanted ME and the dolphin. Looks like things haven’t changed much.
Julie
P.S. We both woke up with sore arms from that shot but nothing else, so far. Finger’s crossed!
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March 29, 2021
I just wanted to let you know that our arms feel so much better the second day than they did the first. Just letting you know that both Gordon and myself are fine with no side affects. Looking forward to our second shot.
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Our Foods of Late
We are a big fan of Naan Pizza’s because they are a great way to use up a few things in your refrigerator. The Naan is a nice base and then you just go from there with whatever toppings you may want.
For example, the pizza above is Gordon’s and he spread a Hummus down first, then added some of our Cheeses, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, etc. and just cooked it in the oven to heat things up and melt the cheese and then he has a tasty dinner.
Before and After
These little Naan’s are mine. Cheeses, Mushrooms, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Peso, and a few Spices. I like these for lunches. Quick and easy. Ready made, just microwave for about 25 seconds.
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We’re Also Still Eating Our Chili
Cooked White Rice and Chili with Cheese and Crackers = Hawaiian Chili Cheese Rice
We love making a big pot of Chili because of the many ways we can eat it and have it taste differently each time. For example. Chili over Rice, Chili over Spaghetti, Chili over Corn Chips, Chili over French Fries, Chili over Slaw, oh and a Chili Dog.
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Grocery Store Bought Salad w/ Chicken and a Sprinkling of Bacon
w/ Parmesan Dressing
This salad can feed me a good 2 meals with lots of leftovers that I pass on to Gordon to finish.
We are currently trying to eat a bit better while also eating up the food that is already in our refrigerator. For example, I did add a sprinkling of our leftover bacon on top of my “healthy” salad.
I am not about to go cold turkey from eating rich, to eating light overnight. I am trying to incorporate the foods in the fridge with our healthier eating as well. I don’t want food to go to waste.
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I LOVE GARLIC!!!!
Roasted Garlic
If you know me at all, then you know that I LOVE Roasted Garlic!
All that I do is to turn on the oven to 400F. I then add as many garlic cloves as I like to a small baking dish. I then add as many pats of butter to that dish, cover with foil, and then place into the oven for about 20 minutes. I do cook this garlic for about an hour but removing from the oven every 20 minutes to stir together until nice and done. I love it nice and tan/brown and caramelized.
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I can pretty much eat this about 3 meals a week. However, I noticed in one of my cookbooks where they were frying garlic and I decided that I wanted to try that.
I pretty much told Gordon that this is what I want and he went to work creating it for me. I knew that I wanted to try fried garlic, but I wanted it to have some spice and crispness to it. Which was not mentioned in the cookbook I got the idea from.
Gordon sliced the garlic and then added some olive oil to a pan…..
He then added some Italian Pizza Spices to the oil….
Then, some dried oregano…..
Now add the chopped garlic to a medium-low heat in a saucepan to cook.
Cooking Away, You Want It To Cook, Not Burn
Simmer Away on the Stove for About 10 Minutes, While Stirring
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Our Italian Appetizers
This is also a favorite meal for me:
Sun Dried Tomatoes, Feta Cheese, Pesto, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Cheese Stuffed Peppers, Bruschetta, Roasted Garlic, and now Fried Garlic, along with some Toasted sliced Sour Dough Bread with a drizzling of Olive Oil.
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Gordon’s Italian Appetizer Plate
We do so love all the little tasty apps.
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March 25, 2021
Socially Distance Shopping
Gordon With The Binoculars
I was shopping around for Mackenzie something special for her upcoming birthday and I wanted Gordon’s opinion. We are socially distancing because he had surgery and you just never know…..
So, I wanted his opinion on which one to buy out of 3?
He helped me decide by using the binoculars to view each item on the computer.
Between the two of us, I think we nailed this one!
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The best Naan Pizza I’ve Ever Eaten
Julie’s Naan Hummus, Green Gouda Pesto Cheese, Mozzarella, Pesto, Mushrooms, Sundried Tomatoes with a drizzle of the Olive Oil, and a sprinkling of Garlic Salt, LEFT.
Right: My cute little Mini Me Naan that I had for lunch today.
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This is Gordon’s Pizza, same as mine, except he added some Marinated Artichoke Hearts to top his.
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I’ll get to all this in a minute, but…..
Brodie and Mackenzie’s Mushroom Tartlet
(Mackenzie’s parents recipe.)
Last night Brodie sent us this photo of what he and Mackenzie were eating last night. Apparently the recipe is from Mackenzie’s parents. Looks delicious? Doesn’t it?
Seeing as how great minds think alike I decided to post our pizza’s. I’ll try and find out the recipe for the Mushroom Tartlet, but in the meantime I can give you the recipe for our Naan Pizza’s.
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As I have been writing about, my cholesterol is high and I need to lower it so I am becoming more aware of what I put in my mouth. We all pretty much slacked off this past year due to the Coronavirus, and I need to return to my past behaviors that were far more healthy than I have been of late. The Naan Pizza’s that we made above are a good example of being able to eat healthy and have that great taste to go along with it.
Our Socially Distanced Naan Pesto Pizza’s
I told Gordon that I wanted the larger Naan and the medium sized Naan so that we can make pizza’s with them. The larger Naan is great for dinner, but the medium sized Naan is great for lunch.
I wanted to use up the cheeses that we already had, along with some pesto.
The first thing that Gordon did was to turn the oven on 400F and place the Naan in the oven to cook for 5 minutes on the bottom side of the Naan. Now, it is ready for the toppings.
I told Gordon that I wanted a thin layer of my Red Pepper Hummus on the Naan. I then wanted some mozzarella and some grated Pesto Gouda on top.
Followed by a few blobs of Pesto.
Next, some sliced Mushrooms with a drizzle of the Olive Oil from the marinated Sundried Tomatoes.
As well as a few Sundried Tomatoes on my pizza.
Now, it’s time for a sprinkling of Garlic Salt and then placed into the oven for about 8 minutes until done.
Perfection at it’s best!
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The End
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March 24, 2021
My Fast Food Indulgence of Late
I just wanted to address the irony of my doing my best to stay away from Gordon since his surgery out of a precaution that he may have picked up Covid while he was there in order for me to be healthy, and my indulgence of Burger King and McDonald’s of late. I know, I’m a hypocrite! BUT, sometimes we need to feed those indulgences because although they may be harmful to my body, they do tend to soothe my soul.
And, although this is no excuse for my indulgence, I hurt my big toe and ruined my pedicure, while we were visiting with Brodie and Mackenzie last Saturday. I didn’t see the step up in their garage and I rammed my toe into it. It sent me flying through the air while holding a pretty potted plant. Luckily, me and the plant slammed into their washer and dryer that prevented my fall from being worse than it could have been. I was wearing flip flops. Had I been wearing shoes then I do recognize that I wouldn’t have hurt my toe. Yet another irony for Julie Barefoot.
Julie’s Gnarly Toe
The good news is that because of this I cannot wear any tennis shoes in order to get on the treadmill. So, why is that good news? Because Gordon is isolating in the den where the treadmill is so instead of my resenting the fact that I can’t get in there to get on the treadmill, I can’t use it anyway because of my toe.
As far as my diet is concerned, I’ve gotten the fast food urges out of me and now it’s back to eating better food. The pandemic has contributed to throwing me off my game and I need to return to my old ways in order to be a healthier person in my 60’s. I promise I’ll do better.
Julie
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March 23, 2021
Isolating Gordon
I write below about how Gordon had surgery yesterday and because of that we are trying to Covid distance ourselves from each other as a precaution.
The fact that Gordon was unconscious during surgery is why we are isolating away from each other for a few weeks. He was not in control while he was in surgery and recovery so therefore I am assuming that he is infected with Covid and I am treating him as such. For MY health and safety.
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I speak below of how Gordon spends most of the day in our den working from home, watching T.V., reading books, and relaxing and recovering from his surgery. But, when it comes to sleeping, he is sleeping on our new sofa bed in our living room.
Our New Sofa Bed
The door you see above the bed is our bedroom where I have it all to myself until after Gordon’s isolation period. Gordon did say that our new sofa bed is very comfortable. That’s good to know.
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We were both so disappointed in our McDonald’s lunch yesterday after Gordon’s surgery because they were sold out of breakfast sausage biscuits, so Gordon ran to the drive through of McDonald’s AND Burger King for their breakfast sausage biscuits this morning. Seeing as how he won’t be cooking breakfast all week he bought us sausage biscuits to heat up for breakfast for a few days. Just something quick, tasty and easy for the microwave.
Burger King and McDonald’s
Burger King And McDonald’s
Burger King And McDonald’s
Eating on my Lap at my Computer
Right now we are doing what we can to keep me virus free and healthy. In this day and age that is the meaning of trying to stay healthy. I just wanted to note that Gordon has not been diagnosed as having Covid 19. We are just living as if he has it in order to keep me safe and healthy. You never know.
These are precautions that we are taking. Perhaps you should as well. If you are in our similar circumstances.
Julie
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March 22, 2021
Gordon Had Surgery Today
(Barely)
It was on March 12th. exactly when I was writing the blog post below this one that the phone rang and Gordon answered it. It was from our family practitioner’s office with news for Gordon of his labs that he had taken a few days ago. They were calling to tell him how wonderful he is and how his cholesterol is perfect, his sugar is perfect, his triglicerides are perfect. Blah, blah, blah…..yeah, yeah, yeah….
Funny how I always ask to have my labs sent to me in the mail and I never receive them but Gordon gets a phone call! WooOOooo…….. He then asked them to mail him his labs to our home address. I was also waving my arms in the air signaling to him to have them to send me mine as well. And of course they did! After all their boy Gordon requested it! I can ask till the cows come home but NO, I don’t get my labs sent to me, much less a phone call telling me how wonderful that I am.
So, I got my labs in the mail about a week later. I am only going to give you my sugar level results, 120. But, I am going to withhold my cholesterol and triglicerides. Hey, I have to have some secrets. And besides, they are high!
About my sugar: I am supposed to be under 100 in order to be “normal.” However, there was a time when it used to be that you had to be under 150. Then 130. Now 100. So, if you get an older doctor then he/she will not be as alarmed with a number of 120 like mine. But, if you get a younger doctor then they are alarmed by it.
The only reason I am telling you what my sugar level is, is because I have told you that I am a borderline diabetic. My labs state that I am Pre-Diabetic. Is there is difference? To me, a borderline diabetic means that you can go either way, but to be determined to be Pre-Diabetic tells me that I am destined to be a diabetic. This is why I need to speak to a doctor and not just diagnose myself through Google.
I am the kind of person that sees and fears the worst. If I were to read the symptoms of Ebola then I’m pretty sure I could convince myself that I have it. Which is why I need a professional to set me straight and address my fears.
I am still waiting for my family care physician appointment which comes at the end of the month.
Gordon however, was able to see a floating physician a few weeks ago at his appointment, that was able to diagnose his problem and refer him to a surgeon and schedule his surgery, which was today. And although this blog is not supposed to be about him, I will bring him into this as this is also about my health as well.
It was about a month ago that Gordon had an ingrown hair to become festered and turned into a giant zit on his stomach. It was huge! He was able to get an appointment to see a doctor. (Of course, he did.) And the doctor recommended surgery to have it removed. He was also told that it is probably the size of a tennis ball underneath his skin. O.k., gross.
So, today was the day! Surgery Day!!!!
We both got up early. Gordon had been fasting since last night so he was ready to get this surgery over with. We had also made arrangements for Gordon to spend most of every day in the den after his surgery and just sleep on the pull out sofa bed at night in the living room once I go to bed so that he doesn’t infect me with whatever he may have picked up at that surgery center. Which btw: that surgery center is the largest in all of America. I loved the place! Parking was great! Dropping off and picking up was easy. Hey, I’m into all that.
What with Covid being still a threat and Gordon undergoing surgery where he would be rendered unconscious and not in control, I was worried that he may pick up something and then pass it on to me. So, prior to his surgery we started making plans for Gordon to spend most of the day in the den where he can work from home, watch t.v., read, and relax on the Lazy Boy Chair. But, when it came to sleeping, he would sleep on the pull out sofa bed in our living room. I could then retreat to our bedroom when it came time to going to bed to watch T.V. and to just isolate myself at night away from him just out of a precaution.
We had our last meal, last night. Blackened Grouper Cheeks Po’ Boys with our leftover Grilled Cabbage Slaw. They were magnificent and Gordon said that they were one of the best foods he has ever eaten. We always like to plan for a last meal, just in case.
Our Blackened Grouper Cheeks Po’ Boys Sandwiches
They were Superb!
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When it comes to surgery, anytime that they put you under, you always stand the chance that you may never wake up. So, we like to prepare something special to eat for dinner, and to visit with our kids just in case things don’t go the way they should. I believe in saying goodbye.
It was as we were preparing to leave the house this morning for the surgery center that we get a call from someone at the surgeon’s office telling us that Gordon may not have his surgery today because although the surgery has been approved, our insurance company has not signed the paperwork for the surgery. The woman that called Gordon also told him that she is having a hard time getting our insurance company on the phone to officially approve it! That’s when Gordon started dialing our insurance company to see if he could get the ball rolling. He did get through. That is when he put his surgeon’s office personnel that he had on his cell phone, next to our insurance agent that he had on our home phone. He pretty much put the two phones together so that they could talk and work it all out. They did. After 35 minutes of stupid conversation. Turns out that all it took was to replace an L with an M in the code to approve the surgery. Is this not ridiculous? Or what?
So, after a hell of a lot of stress and worry, the surgery paperwork was signed and approved so off we go to the surgery center. I dropped Gordon off and he went inside. I drove home. I was not about to stay. He’s a big boy and he can get through this on his own. I also don’t want to expose myself to any unnecessary atmosphere. If you know what I mean?
I came home and I made my Chili!
I wanted to make a big pot of something comforting, mainly for me. I knew that Gordon wouldn’t be cooking for a good week so I wanted to make something that I could very easily heat up and eat. Something that I enjoyed. Something comforting. Hence, CHILI!
I also knew that Gordon would enjoy it as long as he could eat something as hearty as this.
I Topped our Grilled Cabbage Slaw with our Chili.
Perfect!
Chili Cheese Slaw (Something New.)
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Gordon’s surgery was at noon. I got a call around 12:35 that he was out of surgery and in recovery. I was told to pick him up within about 45 minutes. I did. I left my chili to continue to cook on the stove top on a very low heat. I was able to pick him up and everything went according to plan. He was famished and we decided to run by our favorite McDonald’s for our usual breakfast sandwiches that they are supposed to have available all day long. Only to be told that they don’t have any more Sausage Biscuits or Egg McMuffin’s available. Yuck! Therefore, we had to order from the regular menu, which we normally don’t care for.
I ordered a yucky Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Fries. Gordon ordered a few burritos and a spicy chicken sandwich. This was nothing that we wanted. But we were stressed and a bit famished so we dove right in, and dove right in!
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Gordon is home and is safe. He is well. But, we just need to make sure that we both are well by staying away from each other for awhile. Just in case. So happy his surgery went well. So happy that he is doing good.
Julie
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March 12, 2021
Surviving and Fearful of Falling Between the Cracks
It was on March 9, 2020 (last year) that I hesitantly left the house for my family practitioner’s office to get my labs done. I, as everyone else in America and around the world, was keeping close tabs on the Corona Virus that was sweeping the world and had started to invade my own country.
I of course, had fasted the night before and that morning so that nothing I ate or drank would taint the results of my tests. I showed up for my appointment and purposely sat as far away from people as I could. When my name was called I went into the room where a woman took 3 vials of blood from me and then asked me to give a urine sample. I did. (I don’t mean to brag but I have never had a problem giving a urine sample. I can empty my bladder and then one minute later give you all the sample you need.) Oversharing, as usual.
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Oh, and I would like to mention how shocked that I was to see these magazines in the waiting room.
I did file a complaint at how disgusted that I was to see these magazines in our waiting room. Am I the only one that understands the purpose of a gun is to kill someone or something? And how they do not belong in any medical office where the purpose of my even being there is to be healthy? Hey, why not just have pamphlet’s laying around about how to commit suicide at a suicide prevention office? Or better yet, why not have child porn information laying around in the office of pediatrician’s?
Moving on….
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The following week was my doctor appointment with Lisa, my nurse practitioner. I preferred meeting with her as she was very familiar with my health history and I liked and trusted her. And besides, Dr. Patel had left and that put Dr. Horcrux (not his real name) in charge at the clinic and I despised him. That explained all the gun magazines in the office when they put him in charge.
I preferred to see Lisa because In my experience it’s the women that seem to care more about your health than the men. I also believe them to be more thorough. I also liked that it’s the women that would give me the bad news on my cholesterol but they would also give me the good news in other areas where I had improved, such as my sugar level. But, the male’s that I would see in the past never told me what I was doing right, only what I was doing wrong. I always felt like such a failure when I would leave their offices. The women gave me the truth, good and bad, but they also gave me the encouragement to continue doing well in areas where I was. They also might have given me bad news about my cholesterol but they also pointed out to me that even though it is still high it is down 30 points from last time. This is news that I need to hear which is why I preferred seeing Lisa instead of the male doctors. But, instead of making that appointment I ended up cancelling it because I was very afraid of the Corona Virus and it was on March 9, 2020 that I went into a self imposed lockdown. Every appointment that I had came due in March and April of last year. I ended up cancelling every single one of them. My dentist, my dermatologist, my mammogram, my heart doctor, and my pap smear appointment. All of my 6 month and 1 year appointments were due at that time and I was cancelling all of them and not knowing when I would be making them again.
That was a year ago. And now here I am trying to get back into the swing of things only to feel as if I am falling between the cracks of a society that has changed so much since I left it. Almost a month ago I went into my clinic to have my labs done. I was surprised to find out that both Lisa and Dr. Horcrux had retired and a new doctor had taken over the clinic. I didn’t care about Dr. Horcrux but I was sad to hear that Lisa was gone. The thing is they were both young so I was surprised to hear about their retirements. The good news is that there were no gun magazines sitting in that office. There weren’t any magazines at all, just pamphlets on health. I suppose magazines were removed because they just pass germs back and forth.
Everything went well with my labs (although I haven’t gotten any results back), and I had my appointment to see my new doctor a few weeks later. I was able to get a referral to see my dermatologist earlier this week, but they weren’t going to issue me any more referrals until I saw my new doctor. So, on Tuesday I get a phone call from my clinic telling me that they have to cancel my appointment the following day because my new doctor suddenly resigned and they needed to find a new one. Wow. Just wow. They did give me an appointment for later on in the month with some kind of doctor, probably a floater, but I’ll take it! So, my healthcare has been put on hold until I see this new doctor later on in the month and there is nothing that I can do but wait.
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I did get to see my favorite dermatologist this week. I hadn’t been in a year and a half. That is pretty bad for me because I usually see her every 6 months. However, I had a good check up. She did freeze about 12 – 15 tiny spots on my body to remove them. It was like being stung by 12 – 15 bees one after the other. It was quite painful. And the pain didn’t just go away immediately. It took quite a while for it to.
Even though I had to go through all that it was a good check up. That’s good! Seeing as how I have lived a life in the sun. I did tell her about how I’m a bit worried about what kind of doctor I may get because everyone seems to either quitting or retiring. That is when she started telling me that is happening quite a bit around here in our area. Wonder why? Doesn’t exactly give me much faith right now. I will wait for my new appointment with some doctor later on in the month and then I will decide then if I need to go elsewhere for my healthcare. I just feel so helpless right now that everything is being put on hold until I find someone to provide me with care. First we are all helpless where the Covid 19 virus is concerned and now this.
I just don’t want to fall between the cracks. So, right now I think I am just surviving.
Julie
Barefoot Beach Teas
Welcome to Barefoot Beach Teas I got the idea about 3 years ago to create a nice tea and have it look like the beach. I even thought of putting some sort of seashell candy inside of the tea so that …
Captain’s Galley
Clam Clams (As I like to call them.) (Ensure all your clams are still alive. If a clam’s shell isn’t closed, tap the shell to see if it closes. If the shells don’t close, the clam is likely dead and not …
Summer Seafood, Sides, and Salads
I SEA You’ve Caught Us!
Enjoying a Summer of Seafood, Sides, and Salads
We decided to start another seafood webpage.
If you would like to check out our other one, then click here:
We plan on bringing you many more recipes to this post.
And hope you will check back occasionally with us to see what we’ve caught.
Hook (Catch) You Later,
Gordon and Julie
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Appetizers of Blue Crab Salsa and Blue Corn Chips
Fried Clam Strips with Key Lime Tarter Sauce and Cocktail Sauce
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First Up:
Herbed Hasselback Potatoes (Our Way)
Buttered, Herbed, Grilled Mini Lobsters w/ Grilled Lemons
And Fried Scallops
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Making our Hasselback Potatoes
I used Russet potatoes, Blue Potatoes, and Yams to make this recipe. Here you can see I used chopsticks on the side of a yam to ensure I didn’t cut all the way through.
First, find the flat side of the potato and place that side down on your cutting board. Place your chopsticks snugly against your potato as shown above. Using a sharp knife, make cuts about 1/4 to 1/8 inch apart.
Here you can see how the multiple cuts begins to separate each individual section producing a cavity to where you can insert butter and various seasonings.
Here you can see all the potatoes cut. The yams were very firm and took more force to slice.
Beautiful Colorful Potatoes
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I went out to our herb garden and picked some fresh herbs to season the potatoes.
For the yams, I used Jalapeno, Cinnamon, and Ginger spices. I liked the contrast in heat the Jalapeno would provide and the Cinnamon and Ginger are common flavor pairings with Yams.
Recipe:
3 Yams
2 Blue Potatoes
4 Tbsp. Butter
4 Pineapple Sage Leaves – sliced Chiffonade
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground Jalapeno Powder
1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp. Salt and Ground Pepper
I then used pineapple sage to also provide another added flavor. Simply place the leaves on top of each other and roll them up tightly as shown. Now, slice the leaves perpendicular to the roll. This slicing technique is called Chiffonade.
I placed 1/2 a stick of butter into a microwave safe dish.
I then added the sage chiffonade, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Jalapeno, and the Ginger.
Lastly, add your Ground Pepper and Salt.
Place the ingredients into your microwave and cook the mixture for about 25 seconds on High or until the butter is mostly melted.
Stir the ingredients together.
Use your basting brush to coat the Yams and Blue Potatoes with your butter mixture between all their slices. Roast the potatoes at 400’F for about 45 minutes or until tender. The outside slices will be slightly crispy.
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Russet Hasselback Potatoes
The Herbs
Making the Hasselback Russet Potatoes
Ingredients:
8 Russet Potatoes
1 Stick of butter (8 Tbsp.)
Ground Roasted Garlic
1/2 Tbsp. Fresh Oregano Leaves
6 Sage Leaves – sliced Chiffonade
1 Tbsp. Fresh Chives – sliced thinly
1/4 tsp. Salt and Pepper
Slice your Russet potatoes as shown previously using the Hasselback method. Place your Butter and Roasted Garlic Powder in a microwave safe bowl.
Chiffonade your Sage leaves and add them to the butter.
Now, slice your chives as shown and place them into the bowl.
Then, slice your Oregano leaves thinly and place them into the bowl.
Now, add your ground Pepper and Salt to the bowl.
Microwave all the ingredients until the butter is mostly melted and then stir the ingredients together.
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Using your basting brush, coat the russet potatoes with your butter mixture being sure to get the seasoning between all the slices.
Roast the potatoes in a 400’F over for about 45 minutes or until they are tender.
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Perfect, and out of the Oven
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While our Hasselback Potatoes are cooking in the oven, it’s a good time for us to work on our appetizer.
Fried Clams in the Oven
Just following the package instructions…..
When done, allow to cool.
2 of our favorite dipping sauces/salsa’s.
Nice Appetizer While we Wait for Dinner
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Buttered, Herbed, Grilled Mini Lobster Tails w/ Grilled Lemons
Beautiful Lobster Tails
Preparing the lobster tails is easy and can provide a beautiful presentation. Using some kitchen sheers, cut down the top center of the shell all the way down to the end of the tail meat. Try not to cut the tail meat in the process.
This is the underside of the lobster tail.
Slightly spread open the top of the shell as you should hear some cracking. Now, use your thumb under the tail meat to push and separate the meat away from the shell. Pull the tail meat out of the shell so it rests between the shell halves as shown.
Clean off any shell fragments and adjust the meat for a nice appearance.
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Here the lobster tails are all ready for the grill.
You can also see the beautiful scallops in the background.
Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. Butter
6 Garlic Cloves – sliced and chopped
3 Tbsp. Chives – chopped
2 Tbsp. Dill – chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. Oregano – chopped
1 tsp. Sweet Paprika
1 tsp. Celery Salt
1 tsp. Roasted Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Onion Powder
Slice and chop the garlic cloves.
In a microwave safe bowl, add your butter, then the chopped garlic.
Julie being creative… nice!
Slice your chives as shown and add them to the bowl.
We are lucky enough to grown them in our herb garden.
Then slice your fresh dill… and yes, we grow this also.
Add your dill to the butter and other herbs.
Remove the oregano leaves from the stem and roughly chop them… and add them to the butter mixture. We grow oregano as well.
Now add your Sweet Paprika and Celery Salt to the butter and herb mixture.
Then add your Roasted Garlic and Onion Powder to the mixture.
Place the butter mixture in the microwave and heat for ~45 seconds or until the butter is mostly melted. Mix all the ingredients together.
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Turn on your grill to a medium high heat. I placed the lobster tails on a plate in order to catch all the drippings. Using a basting brush, cover the lobster tails with the butter and herb mixture.
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Place the lobster tails on the upper rack section of your grill to avoid flare ups from direct flames. The butter will produce high scorching flames which will tend to burn the tails. With your lobster tails well above the direct flame they will basically bake.
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If your grill doesn’t have this upper section, you could place your lobster tails above a section of your grill that isn’t turned on. This is indirect cooking. Pending on the heat of your grill, it will take about 15 min. for the lobster tails to cook on the upper rack. If you cook them directly on the flames of your grill, it will take considerably less time. When they are done, the shells will be bright red and the meat will be bright white and be around 135’F.
Here, I am grilling the sliced lemons on the hot spots of my grill. The grill had been on for about 10 min. now which made the grates very hot, producing great grill marks on the lemons.
Here is a great meal, Hasselback potatoes and yams, grilled lobster tails and lemons.
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Seared Scallops
Sea Scallops Pan Seared in Butter and Oil
~25 Sea Scallops – rinsed and dried
3 Tbsp. Butter
3 Tbsp. Peanut Oil
We bought just over 2 pounds of Sea Scallops for over $20.00, just to give you an idea of the average cost.
These are some really beautiful Sea Scallops. You can tell they are Sea Scallops and not Bay Scallops as they are very large. Unwrap your scallops and rinse them off using a colander.
Lay the scallops out on a few sheets of paper towels to dry them. The scallops need to be perfectly dry on the outside to sear properly. If they are wet, the scallops will only steam in the pan.
I am using a large cast iron skillet to sear the scallops, because the cast iron heats evenly and retains its heat longer when loaded with food items. Add your butter to your cast iron skillet that is heated to medium high heat.
Now, add your peanut oil to the butter as the oil will inhibit the butter from burning.
Place your dry to the touch scallops into the pan on its natural top or bottom. They should look like biscuits. I placed 12 scallops in to cook without the skillet loosing much heat. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you would probably only place 6 into the pan.
Here you can see all the scallops searing in the skillet. As they cook, you can see the scallops start to change color up the sides going from a dull white opaque to a more solid white color. Look at some of the first scallops you placed in the skillet to check the sear. If your skillet is too hot, you will sear the scallop too quickly and not cook it properly.
Using tongs, turn the scallops over when they are seared and cooked about half way up the scallop. As you can see, I didn’t turn some of the larger ones as they aren’t ready.
When they are fully cooked, place them on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil and sprinkle with a touch of finely grated sea salt. Here you can see that nice restaurant quality sear. This was a favorite seafood of mine to cook in culinary school. Great picture Julie!
When ready, plate the sea scallops and dig in. These were especially tender and sweet!
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Also Check Out Our Other Seafood Related Posts:
Our July 4th. Tribute to the Movie JAWS
And,
Check Out Our: Summer Seafood, Sides, and Salads
And,
Stay Out Of The Water! JAWS Week
How to Make a Beachy Cheese Cake
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You can also view our Sh..sh..sh..sh..SHARK!!! Week here……..
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AND,
Click Here For: Our Southern Shark Week Table
Just a few great recipes that you can make for Shark Week as well.
Also Check Out:
AND,
AND,
STAY OUT OF THE WATER!!!!
Gordon and Julie
Our July 4th. Tribute to the Movie JAWS (1975)
Amity Island Welcomes You We are Gordon and Julie 1975 ———————————————————- Enjoying my Shark Tea and a good book. —————————————————— Salt Water Taffy I have had a love affair with Salt Water Taffy at the shore my entire life. It’s tradition. …
Current Website Updates
The Bulletin Board pictured above is hanging in our Hallway. I put it there when we bought our house, and moved in. Nothing ever seems to get taken off of it although for some reason we keep cramming things into it through these …
Julie’s Backyard Wildlife and Gardening Blogging
Welcome to our Home
Isn’t that what Door Wreaths are for?
Well, tell that to the mother bird that built her nest into it.
Look at Her Beautiful Eggs
And, There is the Sweet Little Mother Bird, Isn’t she Pretty?
So, Come On In!
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Oh, look! Another Bird’s Nest in the Wall Planter!
Directly above the Pitcher Plant
Right Next to the Front Door
The Walkway to our Front Door
White Rocks and Topiaries
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Welcome to our Home
We are more than happy to share it with our animal neighbor’s that either crawl, slither, fly, or just wander in. It always makes for excitement to see our animal’s each and every day drop by for a visit.
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This is my second garden blogging website post. If you would like to take a look at my first one…….
Click Here For: Julie Garden Blogging
My Glorioso Vine
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The vegetables that we grow in our garden is only to supplement our diet. There is no way that we can grow as many tomatoes, bell peppers, etc. that we eat on a regular basis. But, it does help. It is also very rewarding spiritually to us to be outside in nature, planting, growing…. There is nothing like it. We highly recommend it.
My yucky potting place does have it’s charm, doesn’t it?
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I used to paint terra-cotta pots and sell them in craft fairs when we lived in Hawaii.
Here are some of my old one’s I found in the garage.
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New Blog Entries Start Here
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May 21, 2022
We have had this Pineapple Plant, left, for years now. We always get a pineapple every year but it somehow disappears and we never know what happens? In the past we figured that it was animals. But, we moved the plant into our screened in lanai in the hopes that it will mature into a nice pineapple, only to have it disappear? Perhaps this year we will have one to harvest. We’ll see.
The photo above right, is that of the flowering orchid like blossom that our Ginger Plants produce.
Isn’t it lovey?
These Bromeliad’s are to replenish a past project.
Will bring it to you once we have finished it.
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Rocks From Home, Rome, Georgia
Georgia has some of the most beautiful rocks in America.
I think so anyway.
I grew up spelunking with my family. Usually in caves, but we found the most beautiful rocks. One of my earliest gifts from my parents was a rock tumbler. I would even wear some of my rocks around my neck that I made into jewelry.
Here is a photo of Gordon and I dating back in 1983.
I am even wearing one of my rocks that I made into jewelry, around my neck.
Here we are being forced to make Cranberry Breads for Gordon’s parents so that they can gift their friends with them. Notice my facial expression? I was never very happy about this.
But, getting back to my Georgia rocks. I also grew up wading around in the most beautiful creeks and rivers in the south. The water brought out the beauty in the colors of the rocks. I would wade around and find the most beautiful rocks there were. But, these particular rocks are from my parent’s land in Rome, Georgia. I brought a few home with me from the last time I was there. They are beautiful! They are Home!
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May 17, 2022
Our Yearly Fountain Tadpoles
I have written about our fountain tadpoles many times before.
The frogs will lay their eggs in our fountain and they will hatch into little tadpoles.
They are sooooo cute!
To prevent them from cannibalizing each other, we will feed them our old lettuce and other green leafy veggies that we have rotting in our refrigerator bins. It’s interesting that we originally fed these tadpoles some red Kale. They seemed to take off after that! They literally grew so big in just a few weeks! Normally, it would have taken them longer. Regardless, they are doing quite well and we are quite proud of them!
They seem to love the most rotten of our greens.
Probably because it is already broken down for them to then consume.
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An Archaic Mating Ritual
I noticed these two lizards flopping around in our backyard. That is when I wanted to take a closer look. It was then that I noticed that one lizard had the head of another lizard in it’s mouth. It was a mating ritual. It is spring after all and they are in full mating mode!
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May 15, 2022
This is a corner that we are currently working on for another garden blogging post.
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May 8, 2022
This is the finished Herb Garden Redo:
This was so much fun to do.
I have the write-up here:
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The Lovely Windy Spinny Thing was a Mother’s Day gift from Brodie
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May 4, 2022
Herb Garden Redo Plants and Flowers
This is Such an Inspiring Project
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May 1, 2022
Spooky and Sparky
Our New Pineapple Plant
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April 26, 2022
This is the official redo of the Herb Garden:
So very excited for this!
Bringing this finished results to:
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April 24, 2022
I Love The Sticky Frogs
These frogs are usually born into our backyard fountain as tadpoles. Their mother’s laying their eggs and then leaving their birth and upbringing to us. I feed them our ageing lettuce. They tend to gobble it up!
It’s always happy to see them as frogs.
Our Georgia Peach Tree has 3 Peaches!
Our Backyard Deer
Actually, this is a “reindeer” that I inherited from my Grandmother.
She used to place him outside her home in Rome, Georgia.
I decided that I wanted him to be in our backyard and to just be a deer, and not a reindeer.
I usually stick flowers in the holes that are for antlers.
Our Backyard Elkhorn with Air Plants
(This was a redo. The ferns had overtaken it so we removed them and placed some lovely bromeliads and air plants throughout and even up the chain.)
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April 23, 2022
Baby Birds Can’t Fly
Their mother has pushed them out of their nest. They cannot fly but they can glide a bit. They keep hopping around our front doorway. Their mother is watching them from the tree. We just hope that they don’t encounter any predators until they learn how to fly and get away. They are so very cute!
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April 8, 2022
Our Backyard Woodpecker
Every creature is welcome in our backyard. Even the loud ones.
This is our backyard neighbor, the woodpecker. He pecks, and pecks, and pecks ALL DAY LONG!
ALL. DAY. LONG!
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December 39, 2021
Getting Dark and the Leaves are Starting to Fall
(We lose the leaves off of our trees in the late winter and early spring when the new growth pushes them off. The rest of the country seems to lose theirs in the autumn.)
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October 3, 2021
A casual stroll into the backyard yielded all of this!
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September 13, 2021
The Backyard Squirrels Playing
They may be pests, but they are the CUTEST pests ever!
They had so much fun this day! So did I in watching them!
I loved every minute of their enjoyment.
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August 8, 2021
Gift of Herbs in Vintage Vases
Gifts to my son’s Girlfriend Mackenzie
It is actually quite typical of me to give a gift of an herb plant. I usually place them into jars/vases/bowls that I want to get rid of. Not because they are old and ugly, but because they are so cute and nice. If I didn’t think the vases were nice then I would just place them in the recycling bin. To me this is recycling at it’s best! I am passing something nice onto someone else with a nice gift inside. Try it for yourself!
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July 31, 2021
Caterpillar’s Adore Parsley
We love these beautiful critter’s so much that we always sacrifice our Parsley supply to them.
Well, we can always buy more at the grocery stores. So, why not?
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September 2, 2021
I Love It When The Frogs Sing
Yesterday morning I woke up early and as I was lying in bed I could hear the frogs outside my window singing away. I love the frogs. We have many in our yard. We don’t use those pesticides to kill bugs and weeds like so many of our neighbors do because it will also kill all the lizards, skinks, and frogs.
Because of all the frogs we have in our backyard we don’t have a lot of bugs. The frogs, Dragon Flies, Bats, and Lizards eat them. Oh, there will always be that annoying mosquito but there really aren’t that many of them to worry about. But as I lay there listening to them sing I could hear some low rumbling from a distance. Thunder. I knew a storm was coming. As the minutes went by the thunder came nearer and became louder. Flashes of lightening started illuminating the bedroom. Then all of a sudden here comes the rain. It was as if the bottom fell out of the sky. It was so loud it was almost deafening. The rain, the cracks of thunder, and all that forked lightening. It was wonderful!
I was happy it was raining because I had planned to get outside and do some extra watering because we hadn’t had a lot of rain and I didn’t want some of my outside plants and flowers to die. Thankfully with this wonderful drenching that we were having everything is getting a good soak.
Gordon was in the shower oblivious, and missing all of this weather orchestra that was performing all for me. I say ‘all for me’ because it was extremely early in the morning and most people are still asleep, except for Gordon because he goes into work early. My first instinct was to go back to sleep because nothing can soothe you more than a sleepy storm. But yet I didn’t want to miss any of it. So, I lay there in bed hearing it all, seeing it all, and loving it all.
When Gordon came out of the shower and was dressing he noticed that I was awake. Usually, I’m trying to get back to sleep because Gordon’s early schedule does interfere with my sleeping sometimes. It was while there was a lull in the storm that the frogs started singing again. I do have to admit that they are very loud. Some people even complain about it, but not me. I love it. I know that as long as they are singing that I am safe. It’s when they stop singing that you need to worry. That usually means that someone or something is around that shouldn’t be there. Just think of all the money that is spent on home alarms when we’ve got the frogs working round the clock outside for free.
Instead of going back to sleep I decided to get up and enjoy the storm, have some coffee, get online, and start my day. It was the best day ever although I’m sure you won’t agree with me. You see, the rain and storm lasted all day long. When I got out of the shower instead of getting dressed I grabbed some comfy cozy pajamas. I let my wet hair dry naturally and just let it hang loose all day. There was an Indiana Jones marathon on one of the channels and I happily played it. When they were all over I wanted to watch them all again. I didn’t want my great day to end. Gordon brought Chinese home for dinner from one of the take out restaurants that we hadn’t been to since before the pandemic started. I had forgotten how perfect their egg rolls were. Dipped in some Chinese mustard and it is just heaven. And that is what my day was yesterday, pure heaven.
You know, it’s the little things in life that make me the happiest. I can take pleasure in the things that most people take for granted. Snuggling with the dogs on the couch watching a favorite movie marathon. Enjoying take out with Gordon on the living room coffee table. Laying in bed enjoying a thunderstorm and hearing the frogs outside the bedroom serenading me every night with their beautiful voices and keeping us safe.
Julie
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July 16, 2021
Beautiful Red Bells
Along With My Rainbow Bells
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June 17, 2021
Mandevilla Vine
Sometimes it is so humid outside that it fogs up the camera lens.
Looking So Beautiful!
Along With Our Lemon Balm
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June 13, 2021
Magnolia Tree Has a Bloom
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June 7, 2021
This Mandevilla Plant Does Love the Sun
Growing some HOT PEPPERS!
( I swear I almost DIED!) HOT! HOT! HOT!
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June 4, 2021
Rainy Season is HERE!
I have a love/hate relationship with Rainy Season.
First of all, Florida never used to even have a rainy season.
That has just occurred over the past decade or so.
To those of you that believe that all this rain will then cool down the temps, NO!!
It only makes it more humid/miserable!
Regardless, at least I don’t have to get outside and water everything every other day.
Oh, we do have sprinklers, but they just don’t reach every single plant in our yard, front or back.
Just Cutting Some Herbs For Dinner
Rainy Season Does Make Everything So Green!!!
My Favorite Fern Shot
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May 20, 2021
We Are Finished! What Do You Think?
I do love the stones, I just wish that we had more of them.
The stones were a definite upgrade.
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The Finished Results
Click on the link above for my lovely picnic in my Herb Garden.
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May 19, 2021
Our Blonde Bells
Gordon is starting at project here on this side of our backyard. I order to prepare for it, he is removing all those stones that you see in the photos above, and he is placing them all around my Herb Garden and that side of our yard.
They are kind of like puzzle pieces.
The BEFORE and DURING
This side of our yard tends to flood during rainy season.
It will be nice to step on to some stones and not the muddy yard.
Planting Peppers and Flowers
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May 18, 2021
I finally finished my round retaining wall project of cleaning it out and doing a few more plantings.
Photo left: Working on the last reaming empty pot.
Photo right: I fell backwards and scraped my arm on the cement and it’s bleeding. I am becoming more clumsy in my old age.
With the Dogs, Spooky and Sparky
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May 17, 2021
New Plantings
(Not just for the Herb Garden)
The Herb Garden is Coming Along
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May 15, 2021
Some Adornments To The Round Retaining Wall
An Old Broken Down Bird House
Broken Pottery Pieces That Look Like Ruins
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May 6, 2021
Lizard Love
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May 5, 2021
My Desert Roses
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May 1, 2021
Find The Lizard
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April 27, 2021
Mint to the Left, Mint to the Right
Some people don’t realize that you can plant herbs in hanging baskets.
It is a great way to shore up some space as well.
Cleaning Out The Retaining Wall
Some times it’s just a matter of pulling up a few weeds, removing some twigs and sticks, and some times even putting in a few new plantings. This retaining wall was my weekly project.
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April 25, 2021
An Osprey, Sea Hawk
I love all the wildlife that visits our backyard. Actually, this tree is in our neighbor’s backyard. I was outside when he/she flew in. Isn’t it gorgeous? So regal. I do so love these birds.
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April 22, 2021
My Beautiful Cactus
Sparky With the Purple and Green Basil
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April 19, 2021
Thai Basil, Obviously!
Just doing a yearly replenishing of my herb garden.
Every other year it requires more of a revamp.
The between years, I just need to replenish a bit.
We do eat a hell of a lot of parsley.
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It usually just requires a bit of cleaning up.
Dill, and what’s left of my String of Pearls
Our Best Friends!
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April 18, 2021
Beautiful Herb Shopping
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Garlic Flowers
Rescuing Some Thai Cilantro
Herb Garden Containers are Ready for Plantings
The Mess of Putting it all Together
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April 16, 2021
Front Yard
This front yard jungle is about to be transformed. (Stay Tuned)
Is This Rocky?
While I was taking photos I noticed this squirrel very comfortable with me. It allowed me to get very close to take photos. In the past, I rescued a baby squirrel whose nest fell out of the tree in our front yard. I brought the baby squirrel into our home and fed him pedialyte. And, I even massaged his penis just like the instructions said to do so that he could urinate. I let him sleep in a bowl on my lap overnight while I held him with my warm hand so that he could be comforted. I named him Rocky and he was my baby for about 24 hours. The following day I replaced him in the original nest that fell out of the tree. I put the nest into a crook in the tree. Pretty much where you see the squirrel above. I left him there for a few hours and his mother did find him and take him back with her to their home. I know this because he was gone from the nest but the nest wasn’t disturbed. This squirrel just reminded me of my little boy Rocky.
I Adore My Herb Garden
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April 4, 2021
Garlic Chives
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March 26, 2021
See my backyard buddy?
Isn’t it cute?
I love the sticky frogs!
Key Limes From Our Tree
These are Ferns. People do eat them in a salad.
They are toxic however.
So, unless you know what you are doing then I wouldn’t venture into this at all.
Working on the Herb Garden Clean-up!
Hey Spooky! What are you doing?
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March 16, 2021
Bananas Are Ready!
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March 2, 2021
What’s Blooming in the Backyard?
Azaleas!
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Citrus Blossoms
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Some Orange and Yellow Thing
Bananas
Peach Blossoms
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February 5, 2021
Yellow Looks Really Pretty Today
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January 8, 2021
It escapes me right now, the name of this plant in our backyard, but what I see is a soup. A soup of orange peppers, black rice, chives, and bay leaves. That’s what I see anyway.
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November 19, 2020
Our Little Spooky
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November 7, 2020
Red OKRA Flower
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October 13, 2020
Trying to Grow Red Okra
This was such a disappointment as we were very successful growing Okra when we lived in Maryland. We had quite the haul. However, we were not so successful here.
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October 9, 2020
A Lizard Shedding His Skin and my Tabasco Peppers Coming In
All of this, in our backyard.
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September 29, 2020
New Bananas and Spooky
You can see the new growth of bananas on our tree.
Also, check out that beautiful Spooky sunning herself.
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September 18, 2020
He Has a Sweet Heart
If you look closely, you can see his/her sweet little heart.
This adorable frog was on our sliding doors right beside my computer as I look out into the backyard.
How sweet is that?
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September 17, 2020
In Our Backyard
FINALLY, a Key Lime!
A few years ago we had to move our tree because we were having our lanai extended. We placed the tree in a large pot and there it sat for a few months until the work was done. We then replanted what we thought was a dead tree. We nursed it back to health and finally, it has produced it’s first lime in years. You cannot imagine the thrill that we feel right now. It’s kind of like being a nurse and helping a patient heal again. Can’t wait for the tree to come to full fruition again.
Our Banana Tree Has Bananas
I bought this tree about a year and a half ago. It was only 2 feet tall. But, I planted it, and nurtured it, it ended up growing a few more feet tall, and now we have bananas sprouting from it! This is so very exciting! We are already thinking of recipe ideas for the bananas and the flower.
An old forgotten plant that flowers beautifully without any help at all from us.
Those are the best kind!
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September 8, 2020
New Plants, and our Backyard Snake
We are always on the look out for something new and pretty to plant in our backyard. We have sunny areas and shady areas so a lot of thought has to go into whatever we decide to purchase, grow, and even plant. This Ginger Plant variety is so pretty and fits in well with a partly sunny/mostly shady area. All this tropical reminds us of Hawaii.
The leaves are even beautiful and lush.
Rat Snake in our Pink Lemon Tree
Growing up throughout the south we did a lot of camping, hiking, and gardening. I can remember being in my 30’s and being out in my parents large garden. I then saw a 5 foot snake just a few feet away from my step-father. My step-father informed me not to be afraid because it is a rat snake and rat snakes are harmless. They protect the garden from rodents. He was a very intelligent man and I found it interesting that a large snake is just a few feet away from him yet he was so relaxed and not worried. I did learn a few things from him where nature and wildlife are concerned. It really is important to learn about the snakes in your area so that when you see one you know how to react. We do have some aggressive snakes here in the south, we also have some harmless snakes. Kind of like people. Some are good, some are bad. Know the difference.
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August 23, 2020
I just had to take this photo of our French Doors on our lanai.
I thought they looked nice that day.
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July 29, 2020
Poor Little Skink Lost His Tail
I love the skink’s in our backyard.
Their skin is so shiny and black that it sometimes looks blue.
It was a few weeks ago and Gordon and I were out on our lanai with our dogs when I saw this beautiful skink near me where I was sitting. I shooed him away because I knew our dogs might get him and I didn’t want that to happen. Well, he came back to me and that is when Spooky, our killer Chihuahua/Rat Terrier mix went after him!
Spooky grabbed his tail, he shed it, and then got away while the tail is still flopping around to distract the predator. When we yelled, NO, to Spooky, she stopped but it is in her nature to be a serial killer. She has so far killed a squirrel. It has upset us as we like to view our property as a sanctuary for all animals yet we have a serial killer among us.
All we can do is to watch her closely when we are outside to hopefully prevent any more killings.
p.s. The skink survived and it will grow another tail. But, I had developed a nice peaceful relationship with our backyard lizards that are not afraid to approach me, and now I’m afraid they will be.
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June 25, 2020
Hanging Baskets
Green String of Pearls
Gordon and I have been meaning to hang some baskets on our lanai now for a year years. Well, we finally got around to doing it. We have a few more that we want to hang as well. But, here is the start.
(Write Up By Gordon)
When I first screwed in the wrought iron hook, the screws pulled out from the weight of the hanging plant. After some thought, I saw that the beams to our Lanai were connected together using this U-shaped metal section. You can see a section of it held on with the five screws to the right of the hook.
I wrapped a three inch section of the beam connector around the wrought iron hook then screwed the connector to the beam securing the hook. The strength of the side screws would allow for more weight to be applied to the hook and wouldn’t pull out so easily if at all. I was able to obtain the U-shaped metal from my contractor who built our Lanai as well as the screws.
I think it looks great and was a simple fix that goes very well with the rest of our Lanai.
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Just Checking on my Garden
My Succulents are always great.
So happy the Curcuma’s are coming in.
Checking on my Side Project
We’ve got Eggplant and Tomatoes Growing Here
We have to keep them covered underneath this tent otherwise the birds and squirrels would eat our tomatoes.
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June 10, 2020
Growing Asparagus
As much Asparagus that we eat, we actually contemplated growing some ourselves. I have no idea whether or not this will be lucrative, but we wanted to try. So, we ordered some to plant and here is where our project starts.
I purchased this planter a few years ago. It’s been sitting in the garage all this time. It has been during our Coronavirus lockdown that we have been utilizing what we had on hand and not to go out shopping. We’ve been plowing through our garage and backyard construction area for pots and soil, and vegetable cages.
Here Gordon is using tacks to secure this black screen all around the wooden planter.
The screen will line the planter and help to prevent the soil from falling through, and allowing the water to flow through for good drainage. I told Gordon to place it onto blocks because this side of our yard floods and I didn’t want it to sit in water when it rains.
Here Gordon is using thumb tacks all around the insides of the planter as he secures the lining.
Like so…….
Time to Add the Potting Soil
(Remember potting soil for pots.)
Adding the Potting Soil in the Planter
The Asparagus Crowns
It is recommended to position the soil into a pyramid and then drape the Asparagus Crowns over top.
Looks Beautiful! Now it’s time to cover with potting mix.
I like the fact that we utilized some of our old landscaping border blocks for this project.
We most likely won’t see anything for a year.
But it will be a year to look forward to.
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Although at this writing we have entered June, 2020, we are a bit behind on our usual seasonal gardening. We usually start full force in March but because of the Coronavirus I wanted us to take things a bit slow in order to see where things were going for us as a nation and therefore that would tell me where things were going for us as a family.
For a few months I just wanted us to focus on what we had going on in our backyard and property and not focus too much on new buying. I was just afraid to spend the money at first. I wanted us to just clean up and culture what we already had going on. Then it was baby steps after that. Buying a few new herbs here and there. And as time went on I felt more comfortable in us buying larger pots and even some fruit trees, vegetable plants, more herbs…..
Audrey Hepburn once said, ” To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
So, whether or not I personally believe in tomorrow, I believe that I still need to plant a garden. First of all, it is very therapeutic. It is helping us to cope with the trials and challenges of the political climate we live in right now whether or not our country’s problems are solved or not.
And second, we have some nice herbs, vegetables, and hopefully some fruit from our trees to enjoy. After all, life is temporary. We never know when our time is up but we can enjoy what time we have here until that time is over.
So, on that positive note….. Here is what we have been up to.
We have been ordering plants from the internet to be delivered to our house. One particular herb that we were interested in was this Longevity Herb. It is supposed to grow quite a bit and we needed a trellis. So, Gordon made one. We have bamboo growing in our backyard so he just cut down a few chutes and created this great trellis.
TRELLIS HOW-TO
I, Gorodn, started by cutting some large bamboo chutes from the many we have growing in our backyard. I wanted two with a curve or bend in them so they would overlap each other and still be straight. I then cut a long bamboo chute which was about the same thickness, but was very straight. I laid the two bent chutes on the concrete floor and found they crossed each other very well. Then, I cut some cross bars for the trellis in lengths that would hang over the edge of the vertical bamboo chutes. I found some thick bamboo skewers in our kitchen, a drill bit the same size, and some white craft glue to adhere all the pieces together. Lay out your vertical chutes and find a good overlapping point which makes an “X”. Use your drill bit to drill a hole at the center of the intersection of both chutes. Place some glue on the end of the skewer and thread it through the first bamboo chute’s holes. When you get to the point of going through the next bamboo chute, place some more glue on the skewer to hold the two pieces of bamboo together. Push the skewer through the other bamboo chute, allowing it to extend out about 1/8 of an inch. Using a pair of needle nose pliers, twist the end of the skewer to break it off leaving about 1/8 of an inch. Looking at your “X” sort out what will be the top and bottom of your trellis. Now, place your horizontal pieces on the “X” making sure you leave enough space at the bottom of the trellis to be placed into the dirt (See above picture). Space out your other chutes on the trellis to a distance of your liking. Using your drill, make more holes centered through both bamboo chutes and place a piece of unglued skewer through both bamboo chutes. Doing this after each hole is made will keep the individual chutes in place as you drill new holes. Once you have completed, start gluing the bamboo skewers the same way you did the first one. Let the glue cure overnight then you are ready to use it.
Planted in our Herb Garden, our Longevity Herb and Gordon’s Trellis
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The Arrival of our Pomegranate Trees and our String of Pearl Plants
This was such an exciting delivery!
We decided that we wanted to really go ahead and fix up our backyard lanai.
In order to plant the Pomegranate Trees we ordered two large pots and lots of bags of potting mix.
Remember, potting mix goes into pots.
Because there needs to be good drainage in the pots, and we didn’t want all that soil leaking out of the bottom of the pots onto our lanai, Gordon had the idea to place towels in the bottom to catch that soil. Fingers crossed that it will work.
Gordon placing plenty of soil into each pot.
Now he’s planting each tree. This is very exciting!
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How I Love Plants In Trees
We had these series of air plants in our backyard that I wanted Gordon to make good use of. So, I told him I wanted them in our big oak tree right outside our backdoor. That way we can see them as we walk outside. I just wanted something charming.
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Our Backyard Bells
Growing Spring Onions
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Black Widows in our Backyard
We have several of these, unfortunately. Although we have never been bitten.
We found 3 in one day!
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Our one and only Gerber Daisy left. And our Garlic Growing, right.
We’ve actually got a few experiments going on here.
Gloves, Seeds, Garden Tools
When you order herbs or plants online you really are at their mercy to send you something nice.
Some were nice, other’s were not.
Here I am doing some plantings. We may be in a pandemic but we can also eat healthy herbs in the meantime.
Photo right: We have a backyard Armadillo that works his way underneath our fence creating holes that our dogs can then squeeze through. Therefore, I always try and block them.
I told Gordon not to take my photo and just take my herb garden in back of me.
He never listens!
Here I am planting tomatoes in with our eggplant.
This year we feel that we want to designate this area for tomatoes and eggplant only. We just need to order a few more for this project to be complete.
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The sun was doing down and it shown this spotlight on my Honeysuckle Vine.
I loved it and photographed it.
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It’s just not spring without seeing all the lizards and their mating rituals.
A beautiful courtship.
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Old Photos of our Backyard
I came across these photos that I took of our backyard when we moved into our house in 2006. See the beautiful White Bird-of-Paradise tree? It truly was magnificent. We had two of them side by side. You can even see a wooden fence in one of the shots. It belongs to our neighbor in back of us. We then installed our white vinyl fence several years ago. I do miss the White Bird-of-Paradise trees but sadly they eventually tend to grow into something monstrous that then needs to be dealt with, as in removed. Still, they were a part of our backyard history that I miss.
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We are very busy ordering plants and herbs for our backyard garden.
Veronica and Brian gave us this beautiful mini Plumeria Tree.
We replanted some of our Stick Cactus in various pots.
It had become so enormous.
Every beautiful lanai needs a rustic tacky area. This is ours! Just as every kitchen needs a junk drawer.
Tacky, yet beautiful and functional.
YELLOW
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Welcome to our Backyard
This is an Osprey
a.k.a. Fish Hawk
Although this guy is in our front yard, we get so many on our property throughout the years. They are predatory birds. We have seen them eat snakes, squirrels, rats, mice, lizards…..
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This particular guy landed in our backyard on one of our trees.
I was so pleased that he let me get within 5 feet of him to takes these photos before he flew away.
What a beautiful profile!
This is actually a funny story.
The black water hose that we have here in our backyard apparently looked like a snake to an Osprey so he pecked at it. Causing our hose to leak badly and we had to buy another one. Bad luck in owning black hoses here in Florida.
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Succulent’s and Parslane, an Edible Flowering Weed
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Lemon Grass
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Our Herb Garden Exiting into our Front Yard
From our Backyard
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Herbs are pretty easy to grow which is why we always have an Herb Garden. You just need a sunny area on your property or even a windowsill. They are healthy and delicious. They are also cancer killers so try and incorporate as many as you can in your daily meals. Sometimes I just pick a Basil Leaf or two just to snack on when I’m outside. If you would like to take a closer look at our Herb Garden…….
Click Here For: Julie’s New Herb Garden
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WASPS
One danger that we do have all around our property are WASPS!
You really must make sure that you have a wasp spray on hand at the ready for when you see a nest. They are dangerous and can hurt you, your children, and your pets. Also one nest can yield dozens of them!
Here are just a few I came across in our backyard that I had to get rid of. I was trimming some of the other plants that I have growing in my herb garden when I disturbed a nest and they all flew out, 2 of them hitting me on my forehead but not stinging me. I quickly got away while a few dozen were flying around me. I learned that now I really should do a good inspection of anything that I am about to cut or trim so this same thing doesn’t happen again.
Can you See the Nest There? Look Closely.
Look at How Many Have Yet to be Hatched!
I doused them really good with a Wasp Spray so that they cannot hatch.
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My Backyard Skink
I am very sad to say that this little special guy has died. He lived in this post happily for months. He was so cute in how he would greet me when I would go outside onto our lanai to water some plants. He would look up at me, not afraid at all. He loved this pot. It was his home and I was o.k. with that. I would say hello, and usually touch him and stroke him from his neck down to his back. He didn’t seem to mind. I miss his sweet face looking up at me.
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Bulbs I Had Forgotten About
(Always a nice surprise to come across some mystery bulb that I will then plant and see something beautiful come up in the spring and summer.)
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My Tacky Little Gardening Corner of our Lanai
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Our First Crop of Peaches From our Peach Tree
Wherever you see a blossom, you will see a peach.
The Blossoms are Beautiful
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Monk and Myself, when we first bought our new Peach Tree
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Goldilocks Ground Cover
Remember the story of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears?
This is Goldilocks. It’s beautiful and it spreads out nicely in your garden, beautiful ground cover.
Our Alice in Wonderland Section of our Backyard
This is also our Pet Cemetery
Can You Spot the Ibis?
One of the many birds that come for a visit to our backyard.
I hope Monk and Sugar are Happy Here in Wonderland
Our Precious Pugs that have Passed On
To the left you see Garlic Growing in the Pot
Our Garden does attract plenty of Butterflies, though not that fake one on the right.
I always love the new growth on our Sago Palm every spring when it comes in.
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Snakes
(Florida Ring Neck)
In Florida we have several varieties of snakes. 50, actually. But only 6 are considered venomous. This is the most common that we see in our backyard. It is a black snake with an orange ring around it’s neck. It is not dangerous, but slightly venomous. Although they aren’t aggressive, it is never a good idea to provoke any animal. They do keep the bug and lizard population down. Respect them, and they will respect you.
A good thing about snakes is that they aren’t territorial and do travel frequently.
Out on our Lanai
A tip on snake spotting for your own protection: Snakes tend to align and elongate themselves beside a flat surface. It makes them harder to see. So be aware of your surroundings. Also, when stepping out your door to the outside just take a peek at what may or may not be elongated along the step where you are about to place your foot.
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Tree Trimming
An Extremely Humid Day
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Trimming your trees are very important to getting rid of dead branches that could fall onto your house, or even you. Especially here in Florida as we have lots of storms. I hired an Arborist, a tree professional, that does what is best for the tree.
I knew that I needed our trees trimmed but I didn’t want to just hire anyone. Gordon was working overseas at the time and he helped me to do some research online in hiring a professional that would do what was best for our trees, and therefore us.
I have seen so many tree trimming services in our neighborhood that tend to trim a tree so far back as to please the HOA, Home Owner’s Association, and not necessarily do what is best for the tree, or the home owner. That is not what I wanted here. I wanted what was best for our trees.
This is our backyard. The Arborist and his employee’s thoughtfully cut back all of our trees on our property and did what was best for the trees. He also opened up our backyard to a bit more sunlight. And even trimmed the skyline of our backyard tree’s from our rooftop. It was as if he designed it to look like open umbrella’s when you look upward. Especially the trees we have in our front yard.
They Did a Great Job!
It Was a Very Hot and Humid Day!
Sparky and Spooky Exploring
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An Arborist’s Equipment
We have hired lots of tree trimmer’s in our time of home ownership here. This was our first in hiring an Arborist. I have never seen such care going into tree trimming before. That is what I wanted when I hired them. Someone to actually care about our tree’s.
They did such a great job and really opened up our backyard to more sunlight.
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Independent Tree Service, INC.
(Next time we need our tree’s trimmed we will call them again.)
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Rocky
One thing that I told our Arborist who cut and trimmed our trees was that I didn’t want any branches cut off that had Squirrel Nest’s, or bird’s nest’s in them. Granted, the squirrel’s are so annoying. However, I recognize their right to exist and even thrive.
It was weeks later but this sweet little squirrel’s nest fell out of our tree one late afternoon.
The nest had apparently fell out of the tree and landed on our son, Brodie’s car. Then bounced off of it and landed on the lawn.
Brodie got a box and put the baby squirrel and the nest inside of it and placed it on the ground hoping the mother would come for her baby.
She never did. So, as it was getting dark we brought the baby squirrel inside our house.
Look at that Sweet Little Boy
I loved how Rocky would wrap his tail around my hand when I would hold him.
Brodie ran to the store and bought some Pedialite and I fed our little sweet Rocky through a syringe his dinner. I had looked online about how to help a baby squirrel in need. The article also advised that in order for the baby squirrel to urinate, that I had to massage his penis. WHAT???
So, I did. We will not speak of this ever again.
I decided that I didn’t want the squirrel nest in the house so we kept it out in the garage and I placed little rocky in some comfy wash clothes and soft towels and put him underneath my lamp light on my computer desk to keep him warm.
I slept in the Lazy Boy Chair that night with Rocky on my lap in that bowl. I also kept my hand inside the bowl with him in my palm so that he could feel my warm hand and hopefully be comforted.
The following morning I put Rocky back in his nest and placed him in the crook of my tree. The tree that the nest had fallen out of. I covered him up inside the nest and went inside.
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After about an hour I went back outside and peeked into the nest. Rocky was gone. I hoped that his mother had come for him. I don’t think a predator got him because the nest would have been disturbed and torn to bits. But the nest was left totally untouched. I was pleased that he was gone. But as I was walking away to go back inside this squirrel was on my roof yelling and screaming at me in squirrel.
Your Welcome!
Now, every time I see squirrel’s running around our backyard I always wonder if one of them isn’t Rocky.
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Hiring Landscapers
We had been looking at this overgrown mess for a few years. We love the bamboo but the white bird of paradise tree had just become so much of an overgrown mess. I decided I wanted it removed so I hired a landscaping business to come out and remove it. It is a very bulbous plant with a huge ball underground. It takes quite a bit of digging to remove it all.
Of course the Bamboo Needed Trimming
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Look at the Giant Bulbous
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My Swiss Cheese Vine
I did want to save this and not have it torn up and discarded.
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Bamboo and Magnolia Tree
I had this Magnolia Tree placed where the White Bird of Paradise was.
Now all Gordon has to do is to extend the retaining wall in front of the Magnolia Tree.
He will. In time.
Love the Lizard on the Sprinkler
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Now It’s Time for a New Front Yard
You can see what bad shape it’s in.
I couldn’t get a new front yard until I had all the trees trimmed on the property. And then I had to do all the landscaping, bleaching, pressure washing, and now it’s time for the new front yard.
Sod-X came out and ripped up the front yard.
As you can see in the photo above.
They then came back the following afternoon and placed all new sod down. I am trying to find a photo of our finished yard and when I do I will post it here.
Home ownership is a lot of work especially when you live in these HOA neighborhoods that have an association.
But in the photo above you can see how beautiful the Arborist did our trees. It’s as if I just opened up an umbrella.
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Lettuce to Feed our Tadpoles,
in our many fountains,
and our birdbaths,
in our backyard.
Sometimes it is more important to bring these frogs into the world than for us to have lovely fountain’s.
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I love our Sticky Frogs!
Giant Toads
We do have a few of these guys in our backyard. Their skin is poisonous. If your dog were to lick the back of a toad like this they will die. Which is why we watch our dogs very closely when we are outside.
As always, yard work is dirty work and I do tend to get quite dirty. But, I wouldn’t pass it up for the world. There is nothing more rewarding than cultivating the soil, growing your own herbs and even some vegetables, and planting lovely flowering plants in your yard for you to enjoy. Create your own sanctuary where plants, flowers, and backyard animals are safe. We all make up this eco-system that I want to help keep all of us healthy and living in unison with one another.
Julie Barefoot
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View My Other Herb Garden and Project Pages:
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Julie’s Backyard Wildlife and Gardening Blogging
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Julie’s Backyard Wildlife and Gardening Blogging Continues
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Beachy Fun
CURRENTLY AT THE BEACH Why Don’t You Join Us? Digging my Sandy Toes deep into the Sand The best exfoliation you can have is to walk barefoot on the beach. Dig your feet into that thick sand and with each step your …
