Jude Stringfellow's Blog, page 75

Press On Pop Off! (Nails)

 If you're anything like me you have really poor nails for being a woman, and that sucks. It really does. I can't catch a real break where that is concerned so what I do is fake it. I decided today to go to the store and try Press-On nails. I think the name of the brand is L.A. Color. They're awesome, but they don't work for me. I gave it a go! I really did. I read the instructions even though I knew exactly what to do.  I used the little prep cloth they give you; I was just so prepared. Alas, no matter how girly I want to be from time to time (and usually only from time to time) I can't keep nails on my fingertips to save my life. I even bought the shorter ones so as to lessen the chances of them being caught on something. NOPE...within 15 minutes of having the set in place, I lost the right-hand middle finger nail just by pulling on my shoes! 

    Usually, I can't keep the nails because I have to feed horses which means I have to carry buckets, lift large bags, shovel hay and do a lot of bumping around in the barn. I can keep my own nails but I have to have them really short. Even when you saddle a horse you can't do it with nails if they have a tendency to pop off every time you lift the saddle pads, lift or cinch a saddle, move things around, unlatch and unsaddle. I deal with bridles, bits, you name it, it can happen just because the nail catches on a single strand of horse hair from brushing out the tail! Anything goes in the barn, but the first things to go will usually be the pretty press-on nails. If you do get the gel nails from the salon you take a chance of really hurting yourself! OUCH!  Not worth it. I just tend to cut my own nails short and try to color them a couple of times a week. Pooey.

    Today, I thought since I don't have horses anymore (my daughter still does) I can probably try it again. You know, be a girl!  Nope. I'm not allowed to be one I guess. I did everything I was supposed to do, but like I said, just pulling on my tennis shoe (using my fingers to pull the heel up over my foot in the back) led to a nail coming straight off and that can only mean that the rest of them will find their way to the floor soon enough. I bet when I take a steamy bath tonight I'll find floaters. The instructions on the box tell you to be careful with using hot water as it can tend to loosen the glue. You're not supposed to try and pop them off by yourself, that could hurt, but the water softens them, and then if you use your hands for more than waving at folks, you're gonna lose nails left and right. 

    I think what I'll do is go do the gel nails again at the salon since I don't have a horse. It will cost more, but at least I won't have seven good nails and three stupid-looking fingers without nails attached to them. You can tell I'm right-handed as I tend to lose those nails first. My left hand can look prettier for a bit longer until I do laundry or something and they get tied up on the bed sheets or towels. I think the funniest way I have ever lost one (that I remember) is when I was trying to put the Christmas tree up and I got my nail stuck in the slot where you put the branch into the base. I was literally attached to the tree and had to ask my son to help me.  I never claimed to be brilliant.

    That's it, sort of a short blog really - - just me complaining that I can't keep nails on my hands. I don't know why I would even want them either; I can't type as well with nails, and I sure as heck can't text very well. I end up using the balls of my fingertips rather than my nails and it takes more time and I make more mistakes. Why is it again that I think it would be cool to be all girly-girl? I have no idea. I should just accept the fact that some of us (Me) are more of the Tom Boy type and just move forward. If you remember Scout Finch from "To Kill a Mockingbird" you'll know who I am -- no, I'm not actually the actress that plays Scout.  I act a lot like Scout. I have always acted and/or behaved a lot like that little girl and I can absolutely relate not only to her curiosity but her moxie as well. I don't think I would ever have called my dad by his first name, but I did climb fences, eat wild fruits, chase the boys, punch the boys if they needed it, and I would have corrected my guest if he put gravy all over his entire plate, too.

    Well, that's it for me. I'll give the salon one more try, but if I can't seem to make it work for me I'll just let it go and let it be. It's cheaper being less girly anyway.

Photo Credit:  Charactour.com

Groceries Please. I'm Good.

 If you know me, you know I love love love to go grocery shopping. I remember when online shopping for groceries was ONLY available in Chicago, New York, London, etc., and I would go onto their sites and pretend I had a residence there so I could get a free membership. If you didn't live in the area they would charge you $2.00 a week or something to look at their items!  I faked my way through it, and I literally fake or pretend shopped hours and hours online. I spent an average of $400 weekly in pretend money. I bought everything I wanted!! It was glorious and I cherished my time with Peapods and other online stores. So unique. So fresh. 

    Now, everyone and their customer's dog have online shopping. Since C19, you're even encouraged to do online food shopping. They either deliver it to you, or you come by and pick it up curbside. It sort of takes the fun out of it. I love going into the store and going up and down literally every aisle, staring, gawking, reading, again pretending, and just thoroughly enjoying myself. Aldi is my favorite store now, and I know that may trigger my UK friends who think Aldi is on the lower end, but here in Oklahoma, Aldi  is rather nice. The people are nice. I think one thing I really appreciate, but my UK friends hate, is the speed of which the Aldi cashiers will zip a customer through a line. OMG...done!  Sort of like Chick-Fil-A but without the greeting and the smile!

    My UK friends also don't appreciate that you have to pack your own bags at Aldi, but that's not really a problem for me. It's not even a First World Issue for me because I, yes I, Jude Stringfellow, am the FIRST Girl Sacker in Oklahoma City, THANK YOU!! It's a fact. I don't know where it may be archived, but it is a fact.  Lisa Gann and I were hired at the same time, but I accepted the job about two hours before she did, so there you go, I was first.  The store was called Humpty Dumpty, yes, I'm telling the truth. My mom thought it would be a perfect job for me and since girls weren't allowed to sack groceries we had to petition the store manager to let me do it.  My mom can be pretty convincing. You may have guessed where I got my moxie.  Apples don't fall too far from their trees!!  If I had taken after my father I would have become an engineer or something. Mom was so much more fun.

    I love food. I have always loved food. I use it. I make it. I share it. I am a foody! You can keep your damn diamonds, I am not that interested in them. I am interested in rocks. I'll take a rock and research it but I don't need carbon on my hand. I'll take a burger in my mouth with avocado, bacon, cheese, and smoked ranch dressing! STOP...I'm drooling.  OK, so back to the fact that Aldi is my favorite store. You can't beat Aldi chocolate. You can't.  I also love the fact that the brands are "off" brands, but they may just be German brands with English translations. I don't know. I love the produce, I love the bread, I love the cereal, I love the chips. I love the cheeeeeeessssseeeee, and I love the meat. I've already told you I love the chocolate, but it's worth saying a second time. I can spend so much time and so much money at Aldi. I don't find anything shameful about those facts.

    Today, my good friend and I hit up Winco for their bulk section. Aldi doesn't have that. Winco is such a big store, you can certainly get your steps in just walking it so in the winter time or when it's raining I do that. Winco has about 16 rows, or 8 aisles of bulk foods.  Literally every meal, spice, nut, grain, dried fruit, and loose chocolates (think chocolate covered raisins or nuts) you can think of. You scope it out, tie it off, label it, and it can be literally 50-60% cheaper than buying it in a box or tin. I buy baking soda there for .63 cents a pound, but it's .99 cents a pound box elsewhere in the same store. You buy it without the box and it's amazingly cheaper. This is the concept.  Steel cut oats are $1.20 a pound bulk, and about $2.85 for the same amount in the round cardboard box. CRAZY!!  I just had to buy a few containers and label them. Why so much baking soda? I put 1/3 pound in my bath every night. Posh-Posh!

    Winco is good for meat as well, they do have more of a selection than Aldi. Bacon for instance, can have 20 different types, cuts, sizes, etc. I'm good with just average bacon, but why not splurge now and then and get the thin smoked so I can wrap it around my asparagus and treat myself to Heaven! (add cheese) We must have ended up with 15 small bags of this or that from the bulk. She was into the flours and meal such as flaxseed, she took a few types of lentils home as well. I did a couple of lentils, but I was more focused on the trail mix, dried fruits, and chocolate covered anything - - it's a weakness but I'm really not seeking any therapy for it at this time. 

    I you don't do fizzy water you may not care, but my daughter loves Bubly brand. I am a LaCroix fan myself. Both were on sale today and yeah, I stocked up on that. Here's my friend going for the house brand, but she did get pink grapefruit, which I may have to try because back in the day I was a Fresca drinker. I won't expect any of you to understand, but it was .... refreshing!  I may have to do that. The bottom line is, we had more fun at the grocery store than most people do at Disneyland. We see things, try things, decide on things, put things in perspective. She bought bulk coffee and we both celebrated that she would not be drinking crap coffee for another month or so. If she ever thinks of going back to it I'll twist her arm behind her back and force her back to Winco's bulk section!!

    OK, we did have a MISHAP today in the bulk section. I wanted honey and I was trying to show my friend how you can just get your own from the cool self service dispenser. They sell the bottles separately, but that's not the issue at all. I opened a new bottle, tried to get the dispenser to work, and when I forced it I was DRENCHED (my hands were) in thick, goey, ooey, clover honey!!  I wasted at least 4 ounces of the stuff trying to make it go into the bottle and the dispenser wouldn't close!!! It did close after a few seconds of cascading amber icky-sticky everywhere.  Thankfully Niki ran off to find a paper towel, but with no way of knowing when she would return there I was sucking my fingers and my hands for about six minutes just waiting on her to get back. Her paper towel was lovely, but it was dry, and that wasn't helping much. FINALLY, an employee came by and we were able to get her attention and I was allowed in the back to wash my hands.  Good on Niki!! Such a friend.

    We both had more than 15 items so we couldn't go to the self check, but I did notice that only one side of the self checks were being used. No  one had a credit card I guess. They were all lined up in the cash or credit card line. I never carry cash really.  We ended up in the best lane however as the lady was all about our choices for the bulk. I know some people don't like chatting with cashiers but I do. We share recipes, talk about traveling, we make up things, we lie to each other for the fun of it. I'm all about it as long as there's no one behind me being triggered by the friendliness -- then again, it's Oklahoma, it's expected. We talk a bit - - even to people we really don't know or have never met before. It's our thang. You're welcome.

    That's it then, you are caught up on my grocery escapades! This wasn't a baking spree, I do more of that around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. This was just stocking up and being fun with a friend. I can't take my daughter, she's boring. She wants to make a list, stick to the list, go around the store in one big circle, and get things in such an effective and efficient manner so as to get out as soon as possible. Where's the fun or the adventure in that? I have failed my kids. At least my mom KNEW I belonged in a grocery store for my first job.  (Well, not my REAL first job, but the one that mattered) ENJOY YOUR FOOD and think about how many people were actually involved in bringing it to your table from the farm to the register!  It's an amazing thing when you think about the logistics of just anything whatsoever - - mind blown.

PHOTO CREDIT:  NorthPhoenixblog.com

Chicken Salad Snobbery.

 No matter what I'm doing on a Sunday I always crave Chick-Fil-A. I can't be the only one who does that! I'll be like, "Oh yes, I need a ....oh, yeah, it's Sunday, they're closed!"  Cane's is literally across the street from Chick-Fil-A here in the middle of OKC, but I don't even know if they serve a chicken salad or not. I need t check into that.  When at CFA (not to be confused with KFC) I always get the same thing. I am just such a predictable girl that way. I only only only go to CFA if the line is short. That's the other thing about me. I can be dying for a Market Chicken Salad but if there are 6 or more cars in the line (queue for those in the UK) I really just leave the parking lot and pull into Braum's where I know I can get a Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad for less money, and it's not bad - - and yes, they are always open on Sunday! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

    When it comes to chicken salads I am a bit of a meanie. I really am. My friends hate me when I put pineapple on my pizza and they hate me just as much when I tell them I get the chicken salad with the fruit rather than the savory toppings they're used to. I can understand loads of cheese and bacon on a salad, I really can, but when I want my chicken salad I want it with fruit!  CFA serves it with Feta cheese! They give me packets of crushed almonds and granola!! I still end up putting more cranberries on top. I love crannies with my chicken, it's a thang and it's my thang, so it will be done.  Oh, and no actual poppy seed dressing, too much sugar - - apple vinegar or balsamic; nothing drastic like a cream ranch or zesty anything. 

    If I had to be honest, and I say that as if I'm not, but I am, I would say I eat at least 2 or 3 chicken salads a week, and today was the FIRST CFA chicken (Market) salad in weeks because every time I drive by the restaurant I can't get near the place due to the line stretching out to and past the curb! It should be illegal to allow people to do that. It's a traffic hazard just stop! POLICE!!!  That's just me, I am usually pretty hacked that I can't get anywhere close to the sweet order takers who always make it their duty to make you as happy as you can possibly be. LOVE them.  I told my daughter to HURRY home so we could try and beat the crowd tonight. We did it!! We pulled into the line in and were the 3rd in line. (They have two lines) and just as we pulled in the place opened up! Six, ten, fifteen cars right behind us! WE DID IT. We had our food within 3 or 4 minutes of ordering and let me tell you, they don't cheat you on the amount of chicken they put on top of your salad at CFA! NOPE.

    Laura usually orders the #1 or the regular Chick-Fil-A sandwich with CFA sauce, but not today. She did the Cob Salad and she was over in her room just loving it. I could hear her bragging about it to her European friends who don't have a CFA. They wanted to know if it was like KFC....goodness, can you be less offensive please? Don't compare the two. It's drastic. It's really sad. Chick-Fil-A is just an amazing chain and if you don't have one you need one. Write to them and make it happen. Just maybe ask your city engineers to pick a location where when the cars start to line up they don't end up with cars waiting over 30 minutes to get into the ordering stage. It's just sooooooo not good for traffic and it makes me wonder who would be legally responsible if they were hit by oncoming traffic while in line. If that were to happen you'd miss your place in line and you'd miss that sandwich too. I mean, you could go in and order it I suppose. I wonder if many people just do that and skip the line.  Sad note: I did break my straw when I pulled it out of the wrapper to put into my tea! I sliced it in the middle, you can't recover from that! First World Issues MUCH?

    I'll give it to CFA for the salad, but Braum's does have better iced tea. You have to specify at CFA that you want UNSWEETENED tea, whereas at Braum's you say REGULAR tea. Thank you. It is regular tea. I may be from the South, but no sugar in my tea thank you! I don't like it in my hot tea, and I don't like it in my cold tea. I like my sugar in chocolate!  That's about it, I just wanted to brag a little on my dining choices tonight. I made it through CFA in record time and the chicken was the best. RANKED #1 in my book -- and yes, my book does count.  It's a great book.

PHOTO CREDIT: Wallpapersdsc.com

Liar Liar! Pants on Fire!

 As kids we often ran behind someone cackling out a really annoying cadence of "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!" and we were really so immature about it. We still do it as adults when we tease or want to appear cute or funny. Most of us don't do it in genuine after the age of say 12.  What it really symbolizes is that the person calling the cadence KNOWS that the other person(s) is a liar, a non-truth teller, and the kid being obnoxious is really just having a jest at the expense of the would be liar.  I think the "pants on fire" part is to warn them not to lie or else they'll burn up and go to hell. That seems about right. We were always thinking something was going to send us straight to hell when we were kids. (Now we know that only one thing will actually cause that fate to happen -- but that's another blog)

    Lies, as  it turns out, can actually make a person sick to their stomach. It can also affect their head in that telling lies can cause anxiety and stiffness in the neck.  We know when we're lying. We just do it for the dumbest of reasons too. Most of us lie to either fit in, or not to be pulled out of whatever clique we've adjoined ourselves to.  We lie to cover up a little problem. We lie to cover for someone else. We lie so we're not seen as being overly religious, overly domineering, overly blunt, or overly whatever. We lie because we're chicken-shit and we can't take the truth when it's standing right there in front of us. We choose to lie. Face it, sometimes it's just easier to lie.

    Bigger lies don't exist. You have, we have, all heard someone say "It was just a little white lie" it doesn't really matter, and it doesn't hurt anyone. It was said to smooth things over, and you know, there's that one that says "It's none of their business, so I just lied to give them something to think about. They wouldn't leave me alone! So I lied."  Hey, you're not alone if you've done that. We have all, and I mean ALL, done that from time to time. Is it right? No. Does it suffice? Sometimes. Is it going to be a bad thing if we don't straighten it out? Maybe.  The thing is, in the end, I mean the REAL end, we are all accountable for our actions. We will face the music. We will give an answer for it; maybe not here on Earth.

    I used to teach Ethics at the college level. On the very first day of class, I got there early, and I wrote on the board "QUESTION: Is it ever OK to tell a lie?"  The first assignment in order to introduce themselves to the class was to answer the question, say their name.  NOT ONE TIME did I ever ask anyone to explain themselves. NOT ONCE, but time and time again, over and over again, the students would stand up, read out their answers, tell their name and give reasons why lying could be OK. I think a few may have said no it wasn't, but really, almost every last one of them every semester, said it was OK and they told everyone why they thought that.  The second question I wrote on the board was "QUESTION: Why did you feel the need to explain yourself when I never asked you to?"  Wow...that as a show stopper EVERY TIME.  Laughter!  Red-faced laughter.

    According to so many documented professional white papers, there are reasons for a person to start telling the truth and one of them is to release themselves from the years of anxiety and stress caused by telling so many lies. They have to try and remember which friend they told this to, which friend they told that to. When it becomes necessary to rehearse an imaginary conversation with yourself before you see a friend, colleague or family member just to go over the ways and means of what it was you may or may not have said, there's a real problem. You may seek therapy for it, and the therapist may ask you to go back and remedy the situation; sort of like a 12-step program for alcohol or drugs, lying is a real killer! It can become so bad that people believe their own lies over time and they just hate themselves to the point of not wanting to be alone; they don't like the company they're with when they are alone.

    The suicide rate due to anxiety in some smaller countries is by capita so much greater than that of the United States, and you'd think the U.S. would have more attempts and suicides but we tend to let off steam and vent more; this could be a reason why we have less attempts and less successful events.  Suicide is never the answer, it really isn't. There is always someone somewhere who can at least try to help if the depression gets that bad. Another lie people tell themselves is that no one cares about them. That they don't matter, that the world would be better off without them. These too are lies. NOT the truth, and not the way things should become.  I wish I could just cut to the quick here and say STOP THE MADNESS just tell the BLEEPING truth!

    We lie to hide something we don't want others to know. We lie to conceal more than we lie to show. We lie to hide more than we lie to expose. We lie to cover up more than we lie to reveal. Are you getting the picture? What is done in the dark will be made known in the light -- eventually. NOTHING is hidden forever. What happens is that people pretend to be this way, when really they are that way, and then because of their job, their hobby, their position or status, they lie and say they are doing what is expected of them.  They tell other people things like "Your revelations couldn't be further from the truth" when in REALITY, the revelations mentioned where SPOT ON -- even if it isn't the business of the one making the revelations, stating that they are so far off is a LIE  Best to ignore someone than to lie and pretend to be something you're not (especially when the proof is overwhelming).  Best to let your yes be yes and your no be no.

    Lies = sickness.  Here's a great article about it,  https://www.nextavenue.org/truth-lying-makes-you-sick/       I won't go into full detail, but much of what I've talked about is covered in this article. It was sent to me by a friend who called me to say she had been lying to me for years. She and her husband were on the brink of divorce. He was living in the house to save money, but it was about to drive her crazy and she couldn't keep it up much longer without busting from the stress the lies (not the man) were causing.  The man was and is his own stress maker, but the lies of telling me, others, family members, church members, anyone that she was OK and that the marriage was really strong was just overwhelming after a while. Both had stopped posting things about love and fun things; it became apparent to anyone who followed them that there was something wrong, but rather than tell the truth she decided it was best to keep it in house and just lie - - it was after all, their business, right?  Right. Right up until the day she had a panic attack and was hospitalized for it. Her doctor prescribed telling the truth!  That was amazing!

    Well, I'll let you go, but I wanted to bring this up because so many people lie about who they are, what they are, if they are, etc.  They can't just say I am....(fill in the blank) because they think it's a private matter. Private or not your gut doesn't see things this way. Your gut will bloat and cause vile nasty things to happen to you because you decided to continue to lie about it. You, me, we lie when we don't want to be caught  - here's a thought, don't do anything you'd be CAUGHT at doing! Live your life in such a way that no one can say anything about you that isn't true.  That way you don't have to keep up the fairytales. Cut out the cause of your illnesses, both mental and physical -- be honest.

    It may not win you any popularity contests, but you'll rest better. 

Photo Credit: Bbmarketing.com

June is CHRISTIANITY Month.

 When the children of Israel were being afflicted and having to go through their trials, God sent Moses to rescue them. I don't know if many people outside the Baptist faith  know this, but Moses didn't finish the Book of Deuteronomy, it was written or finished by Joshua.  Joshua was a warrior really, a great man of God and a good foot soldier in returning the Israelites to their home. In one particularly famous statement Joshua says to his adversaries "Choose you this day whom you will serve, but for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."  Much as been made of this statement as we all know it wasn't exactly stated this way; I doubt Joshua spoke the Queen's English. You get the picture though, just read the words to know what he meant.  You, whomever YOU are, will need to make a choice.  Joshua, and apparently he spoke for his entire household, was known to follow God.  This is such a strong stand, and I make it as well.

    I'm not the most popular person during the month of June because there are so many others in the world who would celebrate a lifestyle that is utterly against that which has been preached to followers of God and believers in Christ. Remember, Joshua spoke during a time before the coming of Christ, so those who were believers at that time would be credited with believing what would happen -- yet future. We're in another yet future moment right now.  The Rapture of the Church is soon, very very soon, and we have not yet experienced it. Much like the Flood of Noah's days, people choose NOT to believe in the yet future event, and for all except Noah's family, this proved to be to their detriment.  They died. They didn't die an easy death either. They were flooded, they were panicked, they fought for the last, and they drown! If they had JUST listened to the old crazy man about the RAIN and the repentance of their sins they would have received the same salvation from the "wrath" that Noah did. They did not. We're right back to that time now.

    Lot and his wife were told (commanded) to leave the area known for it's vile and wicked sexual sins. Lot, though a good man, was slipping in his witness. He was a believer, he loved what he knew would some day be, but he was too involved, too tolerant, too accepting of his friends, family, and we'll say co-workers, to judge them.  He didn't speak up against their sin. He didn't tell them that they were in danger of God's punishment. They wouldn't have listened to him anyway, he had already lost their respect regarding his belief in a God they couldn't see; again, if they had listened. If they had realized that the sin they loved more than life, the sin they engaged in that they KNEW would cause death, caused death, they may have thought twice about it...maybe. Death by brimstone, fire, isolation, starvation, and though he was spared from the wrath itself, Lot suffered a great deal for his willingness to be a part of that life. His choice. 

    June is PRIDE month.  All around the world there are epic celebrations, parades, and social excitement all surrounding the lifestyle of homosexual freedom.  What does the Bible say about it? Well, there's actually 67 verses against homosexuality and not a single one in its favor, but here we have would be followers of Christ, authors, preachers, teachers, laymen, singers, and more proclaiming that they know more about the truth than God does. One author wrote a book about the war of the love of the situation, claiming that after becoming a Christian he didn't need to repent of what he didn't consider to be a sin. He's a minister now, and he's encouraging everyone to open their hearts, minds, and arms to receive anyone who is in this lifestyle. He claims Jesus wants him to be this way. He claims Jesus made him this way. I may not be a Bible scholar, but I can read.  There are 67 verses against the lifestyle and not one for it. I don't think this man's book, nor anyone's book, song, testimony, or speech will ever convince me that Jesus Himself would have approved. That's what Satan would have us to believe -- it's too easy to believe a pretty lie when up against an ugly and unpopular truth. It's 2022!! We're supposed to be tolerant. It's 2022, we're supposed to include everyone, not be judgmental. 

    June is also CHRISTIANITY month. How did that happen? How did June manage to host both sides? Isn't that a bit like Star Wars? Good vs. Evil? Makes me wonder which side the world thinks is "Evil" and which side God says is truly Evil. An End Time verse comes to mind Isaiah 5:20 "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter."  This is too important to just let it be.  WOE doesn't mean "Whoa".  It means DISASTER. It means DEATH. It means WRATH and condemnation.  Christians and those who believe know this. They may think it's 2022 and they may think it's OK to come out and be openly living their free life, and they have that legal right, don't get me wrong. It's legal and it's worldly accepted. But it is NOT and will NOT be accepted by the ONE who matters.  Choose you this day!  As for me, and my house...we will serve the Lord. 

    The fear of God is another issue. If you don't think you need to fear God you're not reading the same Bible I'm reading. If you think God wouldn't do that. If you think God isn't that way. If you think God is only love and the rainbow is a symbol of inclusion and peace -- you don't know the meaning of the BOW. You have somehow, and in some way, by someone  been misled.  Know this; God will not be forever mocked. God will not continue to allow the dragging of His name and witness. The Bow is the promise that He made to us, all of us, that He will not cause the world to flood again. He destroyed what He had made when it got to the point of no return. He can and will reclaim His people and all that is His to reclaim. People like to think of themselves as being so smart, so brave, so independent, but I've not met a single person yet who has ever breathed a single breath of air that God hasn't created and allowed. I know I didn't make the clouds. I know I didn't set those stars.  June is the month for BELIEVERS to warn those who are not following Him that there will be a day - - and it will RAIN. It may not be water, but it will be devastating.

    I sin.  I can't say I don't sin.  There is ONLY one sin that will leave us on this Earth when the Rapture comes and that sin is the sin of not accepting Jesus.  Homosexuality is a sin, it is NOT something to be demonstrated, celebrated, shared, or even appreciated. We don't go around celebrating our drug addiction, our drunken lives. We don't celebrate (worldwide) how we steal, cheat, manipulate, create havoc, cause trouble or how well we can tell lies. Sin is sin. We can and should call it what it is. We can't defend a pretty lie, but we must at least present the Truth as unpopular as it may be.  The problem is that as time goes by people take down posts, tweets, etc when they don't agree with mainstream wokeness.  The real problem is that the same people trying to keep you protected from the TRUTH are the people laughing at God and daring Him to show up and change things.  CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY. That's all I'm saying. If you lie to yourself it's one thing, but you can't lie to God. He already knows.  

    The thing is, Jesus died for every last one of us. He knew about this more modern day theme of pride month. It's not a big surprise to Him. It's just that it falls right into play with another verse or two about the End  Times being just like they were in the time of Noah, and you saw what happened there. You don't have to believe it. You can say it was a myth. You'd be wrong, and we don't have to discuss it.  Jesus is the only one standing between a person and their eternity. Every last one of us will face an eternity of some sort. It will be with Him or without Him. Do homosexual people go to Heaven? Yes, if they are saved. Why the fuss? Why preach and teach against it then? Because that sin is the one and only sin that has been called an abomination in the Bible. There had to be a reason for that.  Murder, pedophilia, even sex out of marriage, none of these was called an abomination. That's the word chosen to describe this one particular sin. Again, we don't have worldwide parades to celebrate murder - - well, we do for abortion I guess.  You don't have to believe it, but then again, you don't have to believe Bella Donna will kill you - - but it will.

    I won't judge. I can't judge, and by the way, it's NOT judging when someone points something out to someone. I think that's so base and so immature when a person will say "Stop judging me" when all the other person did was point out the truth about them. I won't judge. I will pray. I will only pray and I will make my personal stand. I won't condemn, as I have no authority. I will not suggest any harm befallen someone who is living a sinful lifestyle. I will pray.  I will make my stand, and I will openly make my choice. Is that fair? I can respect your choice, you can respect mine.  Your choice may not be in line with the Word, I hope mine always is. I simply don't want to find myself on the wrong side of what has already been written and given as a command - - ESPEICALLY if I'm calling myself a Christian. That would be worse than anything. Choose you this day - - I have chosen.  I may be "toxic" or maybe "relentless" I could even seem "damaging" for being honest and doing what I know we were instructed (commanded) to do. 

    There's a little song that we sang as kids in church.  It goes like this. "This little light of mine...I'm gonna let it shine. I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Hide it under a bushel? No! I'm gonna let it shine."  Another one goes like this, "Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong."  Nothing could be more true. 

Photo Credit:  Etsy  (Jesus is the same today as He was yesterday, and the same as He will be tomorrow. This is a very good thing.)

Waiting. Waiting. I Hate It.

 Tom Petty sings it, we feel it, "The waiting is the hardest part", yes, it is! It doesn't matter what you're waiting on, the waiting is just such a bother.  They call it a queue (que) in the UK, we call it a line in the U.S., but standing around waiting to get into a place, or to get checked out is just so time consuming and it's such a waste.  The Brits can do it so much better than we Americans can. I think that's why stores here have more cashier lanes than they do in other parts of the world. It's an illusion for some, as the stores don't open those lanes, but we see them and we're hopeful. Always hopeful!

    I will walk into a restaurant I really want to go to, but if there are more than a few (3) people in line I just turn around and head out the door. I don't stand in line to be seated to wait for a wait staff, to wait for my food. It's not happening. I'll go home and cook. I may stop by Braum's and go through the drive through but I won't go in if I think there's already two others at the counter. That's why, here in the U.S., when we drive by a Chick-Fil-A and we see a short line of only 3 or 4 cars we automatically jump in line (que) because Chick-Fil-A has it down to a masterful science! You are in and out of that line fast, fast, and it's always their pleasure to do so. They tell you as much when you say "Thank you".

    Right now I'm waiting to be told by an employment agency whether or not I've been chosen to be the next paralegal at a great law firm downtown. This is the sort of job we all dream about as people who are into both legal things and financial things. This particular job embraces both finance and law. I can't think of anything more sexy than that. Just sayin'; it will be marvelous if I'm the one they pick, but I won't and I can't know at the moment. I have to WAIT. I am waiting, but no where near as patiently as one would hope that one would wait. I'm dancing and talking to get my mind off of it. I can't sit still and read. I can't just not think about it. I may have already won the position, but I won't know until I get the call saying so! It's agonizing and it's the worse fate ever -- but we do it. 

    My daughter was in the middle of a horse auction yesterday through the original BLM, the Bureau of Land Management.  She does that from time to time. She will bid on a wild Mustang, bring it home, train it, and then sell it, but this time it was for herself. She was bidding and winning on the ONE she wanted and since she was only bidding on one she had to have about 15 in mind so that if she was outbid she could walk away without being emotionally upset about it. If you ever go to the site and see the animals you'll know that most are between the ages of two and ten and they are all recently captured, and by recently I mean usually about a year. There's really no way they would auction off horses that haven't been vetted first. All of the horses you bid on are healthy. I don't think I've seen on that isn't.  

    Laura had to WAIT an entire week to find out if the horse(s) she bid on were going to be hers. The one piece of advice I gave her was not to worry, God makes more. There are always more horses to bid on, and they are all lovely. The are all wonderful. They are all perfect in their own way.  The hardest part of these auctions is the last 15 minutes of the dang thing because the people who sat back since day one watching what was being bid on have now decided to come out and outbid anyone who has bid on a horse they have been interested in bidding on. This can happen in a minute and you'll miss it if you're not on top of things. Laura checked her bid every 30 seconds. She was outbid. She rebid. She was outbid again, she moved forward.

    On and on this went until the last minute of the week-long auction and BAM!  She got her gelding! He was the 3rd I think that she was hoping for. He's wonderful. He's really very nice, and she is quite satisfied with the outcome.  He is from Nut Mountain up in Northern California/Nevada. He's 15H and 3 years old. He's a solid bay and mostly out of quarter horse and thoroughbred stock that has been loosed and running with the packs for  years.  So graceful. Worth the wait for sure.  She checked on the others she was bidding on as well; one went for over $1600 and one went for $1000 or just at.  She paid $125, which is the price of 1 bid.  In the past we've paid as little as $25 for a Mustang. The U.S. Government literally pays a Mustang purchaser $1000 in the first year if you keep it and protect it in a good pasture. You don't even have to train them to get that incentive, it's a strange but wonderful program. Laura will have her boy trained within 3 months of having him in her care.  When I bought Norman I just paid the money and took him home. Done.

    Waiting, waiting, waiting. None of us like it, but it can be worth it in the end. Sure, we can also be disappointed when the results come in; we can lose. We can be set aside, and we can say to ourselves "that was a big waste of time" and it may be.  We can also say to ourselves, "It will be fine either way, I hope for this outcome, but know I'll be OK with another outcome."  It's all in how we choose to look at it. For me, I would rather just walk up and get my food or make it at home. I would rather be told at the time of the interview if I'm the chosen one. I would rather walk up to the stable and buy the horse. I'm just not that patient of a person I guess - - but I am sure that the wait for Christ's return will be worth it. I'm just (obviously) not sure when that will happen - - I've been saying He's late for years. 

    Most of us survive the wait (even if we don't think we will). 

Photo Credit:  Me (Facebook) The horse photo from BLMThis is Aero, Laura's new boy.

A Hard Lesson For Us All.

 When God says "Do this" He literally means for us to do whatever it is that He has asked of us. We know He's not going to ask us to do something we can't do. He asked Moses to lead the Hebrews out of the hands of Pharaoh, and He provided a way. Moses didn't think he was much of a motivational speaker, but God provided the voice through which Moses commanded the release of the people. Likewise, when God says "No" to something, or "Don't do that", He means it. He's not going to change His mind about it down the road and/or make some excuse about the year being 2022, so we're all just supposed be inclusive, tolerant, and accepting of whatever sin it is that we fancy, but God really has already had a say. He said no. We need to remember, we are mere mortals - - He is God. End of discussion.

    One of the most interesting lessons I remember as a child was found in The book of Ecclesiastes. It talks about what happens when we humans think we're going to bargain with God and we make some ridiculous promise to Him, but for whatever reason we never follow through with it. What happens then? Well, according to the Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 when this happens, God will literally destroy our work!  Best we stop making promises we don't keep and especially those we had no intention to keep. We may have had all the best hopes for keeping the promise, (the vow) but if we don't do it, He's not going to not only not bless our work, but because of our dishonoring Him, He will destroy what we worked so hard to achieve. 

    That sounds and seems so harsh to us! We're all about getting those brownie points and trophies just for showing up now, aren't we? He doesn't work that way. He's an amazing loving and caring God, but He is just, and if we make a promise and we don't keep it, He lets us know straight away that we didn't do what we said we would do, so then what we achieved through Him and His mercy, He can and will simply take it away. We may end up regaining that status again, maybe when we realize how foolish we were, and the vow is kept; maybe when we pray and ask for it, but we don't attach a promise we can't fulfil, just allowing God to have the full glory, the honor, the praise.  We have too much to be grateful for to allow our own folly to stand in our way of being the best we can be.

    It's never easy to be reminded that we are sinners. It's never fun, nor does it bring us peace when we realize how we have fallen so short of what we thought we knew and what we thought we were doing correctly. It is through prayer, through meditation, through continued service and dedication that we realize just how short sometimes we fall from the mark we thought we were making! Here we are thinking how wonderful things are going, and how great things seem to be; our families are sorted, our careers are falling into place. We seem to be right up on top of it, when it all comes crashing down. The first thing we do is blame others, then we get around to thinking maybe it could have something to do with us. Do we ever think it has to do with our vows to God? I know I don't think that way, but it very well could be just that.

    When I hear people say "God wouldn't do that" I want to laugh. I'm sorry, I shouldn't be that way, but if you read the same Bible I'm reading you'll realize where the fire and brimstones come from that smashed Sodom and Gomorrah. I mean, yeah, it was likely an earthquake that caused a volcano, but who made that happen?  I can't think of another example right now, not off the top of my head, but I do know that there have been times when I made stupid promises to God asking Him to bless me, to do this or that for me, and I will do this or that in return. I have. I've done that. I've suffered for not having completed my duties! I went through YEARS of rebuilding and YEARS of frustration with jobs, housing, changes, and challenges. Finally, after hearing a sermon on this one topic, I realized it was me this entire time! We're good now! He's always been good, but now WE are good.

    Do yourself a favor. If you follow Jesus, and you call yourself His, then stop making silly promises and just thank Him. Just praise Him. Just walk with Him. Just do what He says, and ask questions, but stop making promises if you don't intend to do what you say -- it just makes life for everyone so so so much better. This way God doesn't have to put up with an idiot, and you'll not be proven to be so. It hurt. I'm not gonna lie about it. I was so wrong.  It feels so much better to know I'm on the path I should be, and even though I'm criticized by people who fall short and think it's me that's causing their problems, I know I'm tucked away in the everlasting arms. I'm not even going to worry about it. 

    I like another verse too: Psalms 37:4  "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."  That verse gets me through so much! It's still  in the Book, and it's not goin' anywhere.

Photo Credit:  Teepublic.com

Triggered! (American vs. British)

 As I watch several YouTubers and giggle (often laugh so much my coffee is in danger of coming through my nose) I have to ask a few blunt questions. Firstly, if I didn't ask the questions bluntly, my British friends would think less of me, and if I danced around the question even the slightest bit, I would be accused of becoming "one of them", which simply cannot happen. I am an American with Scottish blood. I will never consider myself Scottish, if for no other reason, that I don't ever want to be considered British. We had our say about that a few years back -- we won.

    My first question is: Why change the measurements now? You're on metric, right? Why change back to or go to Imperial measurements? No one really knows what they are, no one will use them for another 30-40 years, so is that the plan?  It's hilarious that we Americans have zero clues as to what the actual weight of an apple, watermelon, or cantaloupe may be, but we can be assured that a "stone" is 14 pounds according to our British friends. I'm joking, so if you don't know what a stone is it won't be funny, but trust me when I say it was funny.  Just laugh. We're good.

    Second question: Can we all agree that Brits don't know what a biscuit is? They call a cookie a biscuit, but then again, they call a biscuit a scone. We call scones scones and we call biscuits biscuits. We damn well know what a cookie is, and there's that whole mess about not knowing what these things are: eggplant, zucchini, cilantro, and gravy. Don't send a Brit to the store with a list. Just smile when they return and agree to make whatever you can from whatever they bring back to cook. It's easier that way. If you want to do something right, you should just do it yourself.

    My British friends stare at me when I suggest going for drive to either watch foliage change, or rather to see the changes in colors, or when I say something like "We can drive out a ways, away from the city, and see the stars better."  They just don't want to do something that may take them to a remote place. They say they go camping (they don't use that word "camping") and they say they like to go fishing, but we Americans are apt to hike a few miles from civilization before pitching a tent, whereas my Brits are wondering where the Inn is, and if they'll be able to get Wi-Fi in the woods. No, by the way, there isn't a decent restaurant serving oysters where we're going - - get in the car and shut up! (big smile)

    Don't clean your gun in front of one of your British colleagues either -- they tend to wonder if you're really all that upset to make a show of what it is you're about to do to them. They start looking for escape routes, and they back away rather quickly.  It's considered impolite in their posh-posh culture I suppose, but you may need to mind your manners when you drink a glass of milk at dinner in England, Wales or Scotland, I don't know about Ireland. They may have more cows there. They may realize that the white liquid stuff comes from the cows; white liquid stuff good! 

    Americans put too much sugar in our food, I get that, but at least we serve portions that actually fill a person up for supper rather than handing over a half sandwich, a small cup of soup, perhaps a dozen grapes and charge an arm and a leg for it!  I vowed never to eat out when I traveled to Scotland but there I was complaining every single time that the waitress couldn't be bothered to either sit us, return to see if we're doing OK, and when she brought us our meal we wanted to know why she split it between us. Did she think we didn't have appetites? At the "till" or the register she all but robbed us blind -- and since we are accustomed to tipping, we were actually rather bothered by the entire experience, like I said, swearing we'll not do it again - - until we did. 

    I'm absolutely certain that the words "tumble dryer" are swear words in the UK, no one uses those words in public or polite company.  If you go about a house you won't usually find a dryer, either electric or gas, and you won't find large enough refrigerators to even stuff a turkey in to freeze for Thanksgiving. It's not going to happen, but damn it, every last kitchen will have an electric kettle for tea! There will be no ice cubes to be found. There will be no dishwashers. There will be no garbage disposals, they don't even say "garbage". I think they'd call them "food disposals" and they would be more correct if they were to use that term, as we don't put garbage down our drains, now, do we?

    We say "trash" they say "bin".  We say "hello" and "good morning" and they run the other way, or pull their children closer and walk off quickly.  Was it something I said? Oh, that's it. I said something. We are just so used to other people asking questions or starting a conversation with us, but my Brits are NOT used to that, not accepting of it, and they are not the least bit interested in getting to know someone they don't already know, which begs the question of how would one get to know you if they don't speak to you, ask you questions, or start a conversation? I think they wait to be forced into it such as a working relationship, attending church together, or perhaps they meet on the tube (subway) and politely exchanges words when trying to out-nice each other. Could happen.

    Well, let me just say, I'm so happy to be home when I get home. I can pop in my car, drive a few blocks to the local ice cream store, get what I want and head home. I don't have to walk to the bus stop, wait on the bus, get on and fight for a seat, make it to the nearest stop near the shop, walk to the shop, eat the ice cream there because you can't take it back on the bus, and expect it to be solid when you get home. You have to ride the bus back, walk back to your flat or hotel, whatever, and then by that time you could have had a party with a dozen friends and ended up playing darts! I don't know, I think my point is that we're rather spoiled in America. We like our conveniences. We like our routines. We like our toilets being in our bathrooms, not opening a random closet and finding one. This sort of thing triggers me and causes me to have nightmares about not being able to find a toilet when I need one.

    Don't get me started on community gardens. They aren't gardens anyway. They are tiny backyards. I've never seen so many hedges being used as a fence line. Dogs can run in and out of that you know. When I'm abroad I am constantly reminded that I have an accent. Of course I have an accent, I'm from Oklahoma! We speak funny, but we at least say things like "Please", "Thank you", "Excuse me" and my all time favorite "Bless your heart". I end up saying that so much when I'm in the UK...if you know you know. One thing the Brits and Americans both do is put on the fake smile and pretend everything is OK. I find that it makes for an easier few minutes until I can make some excuse to leave whatever situation I found myself in that requires an excuse to leave. SMILE.  (at least in Scotland you get eye contact!)

    It's all good. I'll keep going overseas. I'll continue to find reasons to visit my beloved Scotland. I'll find reasons to hop a train and go to England. I'll make up some excuse to make the trips, but when I come home - - OH....I swear I won't do  it again, until I do.

Photo Credit: Lingualearnenglish.com

    

Joel & Lia - - A MUST Watch

 They'll laugh at me for saying this probably, but the YouTubers from England known so affectionately by their names Joel and Lia, are the best at both entertaining and upsetting us Americans all at the same time. Here's a link to their YouTube channel -- they really are, and I'm not just saying this, they are AMAZING  https://www.youtube.com/c/joelandlia One of the best things I like about them is the way they get along with each other.  They are best friends. They are not a couple. They are good for each other, and are able to banter, tease, out-wit, combine forces, and they just make me smile and cringe within the same sentence. You have to watch them. They have over 30,000,000 videos, but yeah, you'll enjoy all of them.

    What I've learned so far from J&L (Can I call them that? I am a "legend" now, I do watch them every single day) is that Brits are so very very different from Americans. We knew that, we absolutely knew that, but now that I'm sort of in a pissing-match with a particular British man, I completely understand why he may consider me dangerously toxic and overstepping his privacy....or priv-a-cee. I'm a freaking American! He needs to get over it. I've gotten over his posh-posh attitude; he needs to realize we may use words he doesn't understand, etiquette he may not be familiar with, but there is OBVIOUSLY a language and cultural barrier between us. I'm NOT the DEVIL - - I swear it. I can't be more clear. I'm just from Oklahoma! We come across as forceful and arrogant to the Brits, in fact, according to J&L, who have been to our neighborhood (Texas) they think we're very confident and they love it.  We'll share. We'll teach you how to stand up for yourself and say no when you feel too embarrassed to do so. 

    We have a saying here (Who am I kidding? We have 100,000,000 sayings here) it's "Honey badger don't care" and what we mean by that is, we'll kick your ass if you keep pushing what you're pushing. We don't have time for your nonsense. To reiterate what we just suggested we may make a face, open our eyes up pretty widely, and screw up our mouths to make a point. It could be viewed as being insane really, but don't let that offend; we're dead serious. We really will knock you over if you don't stop. We also have the old cliche saying, "Bless your heart".  This one is more or less the same thing, only we don't even want to put forth the effort to stop you. We'll just walk away and shake our heads.  We say this one quite softly, that's how you can tell the difference. We're not spitting when we say it.

    There are just so many differences between the Brits and the Americans it would take living in the other country at least 10 years to get through them all; by that time you may understand why it is that one or the other of your friends was acting the way they acted, and whether or not they did so with intent or if they were teasing you (American thing) with "tongue in cheek" (Brit thing) or if they actually had purpose behind whatever it was that they said. You just can't be so offended at someone who is saying hello or trying to "chat you up" (Brit thing). Americans do that. My Gosh, come to the South and sit a spell on a porch or two, listen to the folk talk about one another as if they hated each other for years, then drop your jaw when you see them all sit down for dinner, hold hands and say Grace together. We're family! We do that. You're invited, you're welcome.

    I've just been so engaged with these videos from Joel & Lia. I'm finding myself pointing out things I could have and should have said, written, or done (so very) differently in order for my skeptical normal British (Scot) friend not to see me as "relentless" and "cheeky".  I am cheeky, I'll own that one. As for being relentless, here in the U.S. we call that persistent and it's a good thing. Again, it's a barrier and a cultural difference. Learning!! Learning so much, and I think it's time to rethink everything I've ever said to anyone from the UK. First let me say in my best Canadian voice "Oh, sore-rey" because I had no want or desire to offend or hurt. I have never been the one to want to prick someone's trust or to cause them anguish in any way, shape, or form....save my ex, I may have been purposeful then; but that's yeah, not this.

    THANK YOU Joel & Lia!  Thank you for your lessons, your videos, your laughter, your ignorance, your non-research, your guessing, your attempt at being serious when we all know you are the best at being who you are - that's why we watch and continue to watch. It's why we share your videos, talk about you, want others to watch you. It's why we are your LEGENDS.  Maybe now if my "friend" (can I call him that?) reads this, because I know he simply can't stop himself from reading what I blog just in case I do write about him, he will think twice, maybe THRICE about being so boo-bearish towards me, and he'll realize I'm not trying to impose, I'm trying to understand. Yes, that's it. We all just need to take a breath and understand each other. I'm willing. 

Photo Credit: FamousBirthdays.com  (Joel and Lia)

A Bit About Me.

 It is not the least bit uncommon, rare, or otherwise unusual for someone to say something to me about myself. Usually they are either pointing their finger, screaming, or even slightly muffling their voice so as to not make a scene when they say it -- quite the impression; perhaps I should be concerned. I am not.

    EARLY on in my life, I became quite aware that I was in fact not the same as others. My mother had a bear of a time wrangling me, and only a bit of trouble gathering the other three children she had, all of which were older than I am.  I was just not willing to come into the house just because the lamp on the corner light post was blaring. That's not a reason to come in, it wasn't for me anyway. The whippings I received for disobeying my mom could have been a clue for me, but no, they were just the result of my behavior. They didn't change anything about my personality. I will admit that there were times I climbed over the back fence, and pretended to have been home for a good long while before she came back into the front door frustrated that she couldn't find me. There's that.

    It wasn't my choice, but around the age of five, about the time one goes into Kindergarten here in the States, I was tested at the university level for a study being researched at the University of Oklahoma! What a big and glorious place! I was allowed on campus, I was given full attention by many, I was asked questions, I got to play games. It was an amazing time - - for a few years, but after I was about 10 or 12 I really thought this needs to stop. I was annoyed by it, I didn't want to do it, and yet there I was being forced now to continue the process. This went on until I was 18 and put an end to it.

    The result of the testing was never given to me, I suppose they were thinking they could keep all that wonderful information to themselves. They had to have shared some points with mom and dad because I certainly remember mom saying "You're not like the rest, so just be nice, and don't tell them how smart you are."  That was a clue.  Anytime someone gives me a clue, drops a bit of a nugget of intrigue,  or says something that can send my mind into search and research mode, I love it.  When I was about 24 I think, I demanded of the university chancellors what the results of my testing was, and why the evaluations in the first place. Wouldn't you know it, they said it was because I exhibited a higher than normal intelligence as a mere child and they wanted to possibly give me an opportunity to become a subject matter which would or could end up with not only a full scholarship for me, but also lead me into other studies of the brain (intellect).  Keep in mind, being smart doesn't always mean I have common sense.

    My parents didn't want this, or they didn't know how to handle this, so it was dropped when I put a stop to it. Not one of them explained it to me at that time. I may have said "HECK YEAH, I'll go to college for free!! I'd love that."  No, I was just released from the program and there you go. What I thought was pretty funny about the testing is that one point of the higher intelligence and wildly free thinking patterns that my brain exhibited was based on my like (love) for black licorice. Seriously? Is that a thing?  Well, years and years later they have come out with another study for those of us who are black licorice fans, and it revealed that we are carefree and wild spirited people. Here is what they said. I'll put in a link: 

"Conversely, fans of black licorice consider themselves more 'wild and crazy' when compared to those who prefer red. They like spontaneity and enjoy the thrill of adventure. They're more likely to be outspoken, freely share their opinions with others, and often feel as though they're going a million miles an hour." www.licoriceinternational.com

    At age 17 I graduated a year early from high school, and I did finish all of my degree courses, the Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. in good time with successful marks. I'm proud of my academic achievements and if having a craving or two for savory salty tar-rubber now and again can be credited, I'm OK with that. I don't like sugar in my tea, I put way too many pickles on my burgers, and also love reptiles, which  is something a lot of free spirited and outspoken people also like. So there's that too, I suppose. Couple that with the fact I was born on 11-22 in a year that you can turn the numbers upside down and they are still the same (1961) and you have a Scorpio kid, born in the year of the Ox, stubborn as the day is long, and she'll argue with Santa until they come to an agreement on what will be delivered, when it will be delivered, how it will be delivered, and so forth. He got it right every single year! Bless his heart! NO WONDER I believed! (I still believe)

    If I am anything out of the ordinary it is that I am unmoved by being called "Out of the Ordinary" and I really don't give a rat's backside if someone isn't all that happy about me, my personality, my ways, my means, or my results. I don't breathe through their lungs, and I don't see through their eyes. My heart and my soul belong to Jesus, and in the very very real sense of the word, He is my Savior. He is the ONLY one I really care about pleasing - - and my dog. I do feel the need to be kind to my dog. As for the rest of the world - - yes, friend, that includes you Tex; I am who I am, and I will never be anyone else. I may come across as arrogant, but the truth of it is I am confident. I know who I am, and I like me. If I had anything against myself it would be that I need to lose a bit of weight and try to see things through or from the point of view of others before doing what is EXACTLY NEEDED for them. Some people can be so lost that when you hand them the answers they swat the hand that gives it to them. I could be more empathic -- then again, if I was, I may not have the inner strength I have to give you what you need - - it's a trade off.

    I have never had a dog in my life that didn't love the stuffings out of me. I have never owned a horse that hated me. I have never had a reptile that once wanted to be with someone else. This leads me to think that humans have issues, but animals do not. My friends curse and swear at me all the time, but we get back into the car and go shopping or traveling, or just to the park to play. They aren't always pleased with me, but they love me and know I would literally die for them either because I was fighting for them, or because I tackled them before a car could strike them. I lead by example and by quick decision making that has always been a great method; it works. It's not always appreciated, but it works. 

    One more thing about me, and then I'll let you get back to whatever it was that you were doing. I am loyal to the day I die, or the day you die. I give my all, and I expect the same. I will never ask you anything that I won't first answer. I never seek to harm, but always to help. It may seem that I am invasive and I may be, but it to further protect, guide, lead, and assist, never to take advantage of. I was not only raised that way, but it is the way of my Savior - - He really does hold me back at times. If for no other reason than that, you should thank Him.  I say it all the time; "I am the only me I could ever be."

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