Jude Stringfellow's Blog, page 78

South vs. North

 In Dr. Seuss' story "The Zax", the good author expresses the stark and obvious differences (not the similarities) of the two main characters which are; the North Going Zax and the South Going Zax. In the story the North Going Zax proclaims that he always goes North and when he runs into the South Going Zax, he tells him flat out to "Get out of my way". Apparently, and you can imagine, the two meet at an intersection of life, and one refuses to budge for the other. There is a stand off. There is a non-movement. There is a problem.  I think the good doctor was really trying to hint at another issue all together with this one. Could it be that there are folks out there that don't see things the same way we see them? Could it be that there are huge differences between us all and we are more or less too stubborn to step aside allowing another person to have his or her own opinion? I think so, but feel free to disagree. I'll let you pass.

    The American Revolutionary War was a great conflict between people who mostly came from the British Isles, ( but there were many others who came from other parts of the world for a chance to live their own way) and the Crown, be it English, Scottish, Welsh, and some Irish, anyone and everyone who was loyal to the Crown by duty or birth. This war established a very strong ZAX movement indeed; but it was not to be the last.  Later, less than 100 years in fact, there was another war, the war of the States, the Northern Aggression, some call it the Civil War.  In that conflict we literally had the distinction of North and South for sure, and there are just a few things that were never conquered or changed even if the tallies were counted in that fateful event.  The South is still very much the South, and there's not a damn thing any Yankee can do about it.

    We sound different down here, we say things differently, we approach things differently, and believe me when I tell you we don't always let you see the cards we're holding, but we may fan them in front of you to pretend to stave off the heat. All we're really doing at that point is drawing you in for the kill. Be very careful around a long-legged bright-eyed girl bearing gifts of sweet tea and biscuits. You have been warned. One of the funnier things I've ever seen or heard come out of the mouth of a Yankee friend of mine (I do have them) is that we Southerners (he meant me, of course) can smile through the pain of an insult and say the nicest thing in retort when everyone with blood in their veins knows there will be an uprising and it will be both swift and precise....but you don't know exactly when or where that will happen. Just know it will in fact happen.

    I saw a meme the other day that made me giggle and thank Sweet Baby Jesus that I was born in the South.  The meme had a split picture showing cornbread on one side and buttered biscuits on the other. There was  caption that read "Pick one".  I thought that was hilarious. Why would I do something like that when the answer is obviously "both".  I read through the comments and noticed a few other souls had answered as I would have, only to find comments berating them for not "getting the point" of the meme.  Apparently the Yankee who produced such nonsense expected people to actually choose one side over the other. There is no reason for it when butter and honey spread nicely over both! That's a kin to asking someone to choose football or baseball; nonsense. The only true answer is "Both".

    I was just about to share the meme on my own Facebook wall when I noticed that the photo of the cornbread had a square glass pan in the background with the rest of the cornbread still inside of it. What the hell were they thinking? Where did that photo come from and who baked their precious cornbread in a Pyrex dish when everyone knows you use Gramma's old iron skillet? I couldn't even post the meme out of fear of possibly being turned in and then losing my Southern Card. I'm not about to let that happen. Close call. Good thing I looked!  If those two were given to me to choose from I'd have to take the biscuits, but then again, knowing what I know now about the damn cornbread, I may ask if they used sugar in either, or if (God forbid) they measured their butter before cutting it into the flour! (OMG...do you think they used something else other than butter?) No thank you, I'll just stay home and cook breakfast myself. 

    Some of my Northern friends think I'm crazy for saying "Thank you" to my phone Siri, or holding the door open for someone before I enter the store. I can't help it if my Mama put manners on me at an early age, and I can't help it if their Mama didn't love them enough to show them the right way to do things. I do pray for them though, and I hope they find it in their souls to be less stressed and more blessed. I think if I had to pick one really big difference between the North and the South it would be insistence up that way for fast-pace living and the impatience I see that they carry out when discussing a matter. They may have "won the war" but they don't hold a candle to our hospitality, and it's true, more people feel more comforted in an airplane that's experiencing turbulence if when the Captain comes on the overhead speaker to assure them everything is going to be OK, if that Captain has a Southern drawl.  Then again, a Northern Captain may not give a damn to let the people know.

    If you do decide to mosey on down to the South don't forget your manners. If you do, you will be cordially reminded.  Boomer Sooner.

Photo Credit: The Pioneer Woman (another Okie)

    

Spring Fitness - Phase II (2022)

 So, Spring Fitness 2022 did get off to a great start earlier in March of this year, but then, like a big ol' dummy, I over did it with my power walking and (Bam!) I hurt my freaking right knee to the point that I really couldn't exercise at all for about two weeks. I was really upset about it too. I went another week just nursing it and maybe stretching before allowing myself to get back into the walking but I did have to rein it in a bit and skip the part where I try to out do my last time and distance. I have to really work on not being too competitive with myself. I'm really not that competitive with anyone except me. I can let anyone pass me or go faster, longer, harder, maybe climb higher or something, but if I slack off I get really upset about it. I need to think about how hard I am on myself. I'm worth loving, too.

    Here it is April 30, and it's only Day 4 of the new beginning. I have so much time to make up, and so many calories to burn because not only was I not working out, I was actually comforting myself with more chocolate, more cookies, more ice cream, and less grapes and veggies.  I knew it wasn't the best thing to do, but there I was being really not-so-good at being healthy. I also told myself that I deserved a break from all the healthy stuff because I was applying for a new job, and finally found a great one. I was then in training, and you know, I needed the extra boost of energy from all that sugar. Wrong! I lied to myself.

    It's OK though, all is good.  Today is the last day of April, and tomorrow is not only a great new day, it's the start of a new week and a new month! I have this in the bag.  I can do it.  Tomorrow starts the new eating portion of Spring Fitness 2022; and it will be a really goodly planned out season, that's for sure. I plan very well, and when I take the time to plan things out I usually sink my heart and soul into it, and I make it happen. I rarely fail myself when I plan something.  I'll set the goal to an attainable and more reasonable number and I'll make it.  I think 10 pounds a month is doable if I can eat properly, work out, walk, box, dance, and jump rope. I just have to explain all this to my right knee so it's ready to join in with all the festivities. I forgot to mention the battle rope!! I have that too. I need to dig it out and do that tomorrow. It's in the truck of my car so I can easily get it, hook it to a fence post outside and work it for three to four minutes.

      The battle rope is amazing, and if you haven't ever done it, you may consider it. It is a full body work out and in only three to four minutes you really do feel it.  I know the extra hanging skin under my arms is tighter now and I have more of a core resistance line because of it. You may want to think about them. I think I paid $40 for mine which is really not bad at all. It was on Amazon, and it's covered in a light material; the grips are wrapped in red electrical type tape.  It is 30 feet long and 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Great work out. I bought a little anchor for it too and a D-hook thing to secure it to the fence post. You'll find picture of it on YouTube and when you order it. Make sure you buy the anchor too.

  It takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound of fat.  You can do that by eating less calories of course, and by working out and burning calories too.  It's best to do both so that you are balanced. It is really hard to just stop eating and think it's going to be healthy for you. You can lose weight that way, sure, but it's not good on the overall system(s) in the body. They can actually shut down, close off, do funky things if they think you're starving yourself. Moderation! Moderation!  Walking briskly (around 3.5 mph) for 1 hour burns about 450-500 calories depending on your size; I wear two-pound wrist weights to add another 100 calories to that. It helps. Everything helps. It's all about the numbers.

    Basically, the plan is simple. Throughout May and June I want to lose 10 pounds each month. Then in July and August I want to really work on the toning and specific body shaping so that when I do have my surgery to remove excess skin around my belly in the fall, I will have as much tone and muscle as possible which can assist in the healing process. I'm probably going to have a breast reduction and lift at the same time so that I can be in a better overall shape,  feel better about myself, bring more confidence to the picture, and basically feel that all this hard work has been for a good result. I'm not trying to look 22 again, though that would be really fun, but I would like to have a really shapely body that is stronger than it's really ever been and the way to do that is to start with the right mental picture of what that should look like.  Dieting and exercise should be replaced with a healthy lifestyle, not a fad or something you do for a few weeks to get into a particular part of jeans.

    Another form of Spring Fitness 2022 took place today when I went through all of my clothes and gave away anything and everything that I don't wear. I had 87 tee-shirts and admittedly I do wear about 1/2 of them, but I still managed to give away 51 and keep only 36.  I went through the bookshelves too, and next week I'll find other things to free myself of so that I can streamline and clear out unnecessary junk in my life. I won't ever put anything in storage. If I don't use it I don't need it. I just really don't want to drag that sort of baggage around with me. It collects dust in reality and in my head. I deserve to be free and I'm going to make that happen. 

    That is. The numbers for today were 4.1m of walking, 22.8 inch strides, 3.4 mph (but I actually walked almost exactly 1 hour to the minute and walked 4.1 miles, so that's odd to me) and I ate well today, not over doing it with calories. I also bought a bag of grapes, eggs, cheese, sausage, strawberries, tuna, and carrots for the start of this week's menu planning.  It's all in the planning!!  Happy trails.

Photo Credit: Cymax  (mine is 30 feet with red handles)

Forex Again....and Again.

 I won't actually apologize for being excited about something that makes me really happy. For years I've wanted to trade on the stock markets, but there was always something getting in the way. For years also, that which was getting in the way was money! I didn't have it. I couldn't really trade or buy because I never had enough to feel as if I was able to either make a dollar back, or be "in it" as they say. I watched it, I watched it all the time. I worked it in my head. I followed it in my mind and online when I got the chance. I will say this, I am too excited now about it. Sometimes  I have to stop myself because I will end up discussing pips and zones with people I've never met. These people probably never expected to be drawn into such a diverse conversation when they simply asked for directions to the mall!  In some ways I pity anyone looking for advice because if I run across those people I may actually feel obligated to give them good advice!  (Disclaimer: Because I am not a licensed Broker I will not give out advice. Anything I say will and should be used as information and for the purpose of learning, not being advised.) There, I covered my assets with that one. 

    When I was in the 9th grade my Civics teacher introduced me to the stock exchange through the 18 weeks we were expected to follow three separate trades. We were to keep a journal on them. This was a full grade and worth a great deal of our overall class evaluation.  We were to pick one company stock that was fast and furious, frivolous if we could find it, and we were to follow it every single day.  We had to pick a company stock that was steady and barely ever changed, and we were to pick a company that represented who we were as people; something we liked.  I chose the following companies:  Pan America Airlines as a steady Eddie, Pepsi-Cola as a stock that would flux, and Western Union because my Daddy worked there. 

    Over the course of the next 18 weeks of class we kept records, detailed records of our stocks. We were  only allowed to "Sell" if our stocks were way below market or if they closed or something drastic like that. In my case, Pan American did eventually close shop, but not when I was following it. I profited in that I made money on both Pan Am and Pepsi. Western Union was a wash to be sure. There was so little movement in that particular stock that I grew to think of my dad's employer as being perhaps the most boring place ever - - little did I know that Western Union was part of Western Electric, which is basically AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph) which would be so very vital and play a major role in all of our lives! See, as kids we really do need to step back and see the bigger picture at times.

    That was my introduction into stocks. I still believed only rich people could play that game. I never got into it, but really wanted to.  Now, because I am a bit wiser than I was at 14, and I do see things in a better light regarding what may or may not be viable, I think I will be entering into the world of money changing - - well, to be more specific, currency trading, better known as FOREX or the Foreign Exchange. When a person travels and takes their currency to another country they must exchange their money in order to purchase anything in the country they are visiting. That's the basic and most honest level of foreign exchange out there. The thing is, a bank used to be able to use their own discretion when making the exchanges and they weren't always on the up-and-up about it. They literally chose what their exchange rate would be, and other banks and merchants were in stark competition with those banks, allowing tourists and others to get a better exchange. That has changed. Thank you, Jesus.

    Now, because of the multi-faceted and ever-so-public markets being online and running 24/7 for six days a week, no one would dare short a visitor now if they had with them their handy-dandy exchange app that literally told the clerk at the window exactly what they are expecting to receive. It's not done nearly as much, and that's a good thing. The really good thing is, you don't need a license to trade on the online market if you're using your own money. WOW!  Let me just say that again....WOW!! This is a giant step in the right direction for anyone who can be disciplined enough to work the markets. Note that I didn't say "play the game" because trading is not a game, it is a major business, churning and trading over $5,000,000,000,000....that's TRILLION dollars every single day! EVERY single day! Let that soak in for a minute. I'll take my cut, thank you.

    Currently, as of end of April 2022, I am at the very beginning stages of my training. I am loving it, and I am taking it very seriously. I have a mentor of sorts, a coach online, who has been training and teaching would-be investors for about 5 years of the past 10 years that he's been successfully trading. He's a mild mannered man of sorts, but also an aggressive trader at times. I like his style, I absolutely love his planning, research, patience, and methods as well. He is disciplined, won't jump into a trade easily, and forces himself to obey by the set rules he's come up with which work for him and they work for dozens of others he's trained. I watch. I watch his moves. I watch their moves. I learn.  

    My personal journey can be seen as I'll blog about it. You can follow me, and you can learn too. If you want to get into the Forex market I have two bits of good advice to give you; the first thing is to know what you can lose, and not to trade or gamble really with an amount you can't afford to lose. If you think the market is your friend, you're crazy.  The second bit of advice I would lend to you, to my kids, to anyone, would be to research first, practice with demo type accounts through a brokerage, it's free, and just learn everything you can...BEFORE you trade. BEFORE you spend real money. 

    For me, and maybe for you, Forex is the way to go. I think I'll end up getting into SPY which is equity stock, and I'll do more long positions, or holding the positions longer with that. I'll be rather day-traderish on one trade account, likely a penny or junk account,  and keep a more steady as she goes approach to the actual account I'll be using to make an actual living. I'll be able to save and spend with the penny-stocks and SPY accounts.  One of the reasons I want to have such as diverse portfolio is to be able to really act aggressively and get the sting out of my emotions with something small enough I can control. I won't be so flippant with the way I approach the money or currency trading. I will be more reserved and do my research. I won't say that I won't do day trading from time to time, but for the most part my plan is to make a plan, and to keep the plan. If there is one thing I do well, it is to plan for the plan. I can do that.

    There you have it. First of the month is tomorrow, I'll start a journal and keep notes about all the videos I watch, the courses I do, and the money I invest into my investing. Before long I'll be in a demo account and keep you posted on what is happening, and then I'll gradually start open trading on the actual exchange(s).  I will start very low, very slow, very methodically, and in fact be rather boring intentionally. I want to be able to know my footing. It will happen. This will happen. I have set the goals, and I have set my mind. That means it's going to come to pass. I kick my own butt to make things happen. I don't need a cheering squad or any sort of motivator - - just me. Let's do this. Forex, Baby!

Photo Credit: Tetonpinefinancial.com(not an endorsement)

Edinburgh May Happen!!

 About two years ago I was making plans to move to Scotland but the C19 put an abrupt end to those plans. Time went on, pandemic this, pandemic that, and all the rules and regulations that have since been proven to be nonsense have come and gone. I hate to say "I told you so", but yeah, I did. It was without merit, and though there were issues and real cases, it was in fact man-made, and not only preventable, it was and is curable. People need to do their own research rather than trying to listen to the bobble heads on CNN and other national news; I'm not a true conspiracy theorist, but that one was spot on, wasn't it? 

    Two years ago the plan was to work with a great stock exchange in Edinburgh, a new company in fact, one that has yet to be fruitful. I think the C19 had something to do with all of the up and coming or start up companies. No one knew what to expect, so they just hunkered down and rode out the storm. I don't blame them. My thought was to work with the exchange as an American liaison and be the go between as needed. That was a great plan; the company appreciated it, thought it was a winner, but it didn't happen. I then fell out of love with the idea of moving to Edinburgh, thinking it was a bit too metropolitan for me. I began thinking about and researching areas to to the west and north of Edinburgh such as cities like Falkirk, Stirling, Dunfermline, Rosyth, and even South Queensferry.  I thought I would be able to find a place and save a bit of cash by moving just far enough out of the tourist areas. I may be right, but I'm now back to researching apartments (flats) in the City Centre.

    One of the reasons I wanted to move to Scotland in the first place was to be closer to the City so I could go to all the lovely museums, art galleries, the Castle of course, and the many many shops and restaurants afforded for the bigger and yes, more touristy, city.  That being said, if I'm already in the middle of it I won't have to take a bus to the city I can simply walk to most of the places I want to go. I will probably not take my bike, I will probably not get a bike when I'm there either. I'm thinking I'd rather walk or ride the bus rather than to try and ride around traffic. I'm not that confident on the fly.

    Most of the flats I find on www.rightmove.co.uk are affordable even though they are more expensive than what I am paying now. I recognize the fact that Oklahoma is a bit less expensive to live in, and I know I will need to hunker down a bit to be able to manage. Then again, I won't be spending nearly $500.00 a month owning a car either! My thought is to pay it off here before I do move, that way my daughter can use it, and she can pay the insurance for it. I'll share it with her when I return for those meager weeks I have to return to satisfy the laws about hanging out in a foreign country that you don't have a work visa for. I'll get one, but it will be after I've been on my current job a full year. I have to be on it six months before making the  initial move, but then I can return for a month and get the work visa in it's proper form, before returning to Scotland and buying a home. That's the new plan. We'll see if it works out for me. I can pray.

    The best areas for me at this time (in my mind) are in the City Centre of Edinburgh and near the great hill called Arthur's Seat, which is to the east side and a bit south of the crosshairs in the City. There are thousands upon thousands of flats near and around the area. Most of the one bedrooms (all I will need for now) don't have bathtubs and believe it or not, that's a deal breaker. I will pay more for a flat with a bathtub. I do take showers, but I soak every single day as well. I will have a damn tub! Other things I think I simply couldn't live without would be a dryer, a big enough sink to actually wash dishes in, and a bus stop right outside my door. It rains a great deal in Scotland. I don't want to walk further than I have to if I want to catch a bus, and I don't want to wait on the interior air of my flat to dry my clothes either. I realize the washers have a 2nd and 3rd spin cycle, but still. I'm a spoiled American!

    Most of the flats in and around the area are older, you can imagine they were built many years ago. In the City they don't use or allow fireplaces now, but the buildings all have them. They left the mantles and most folks add pretty flowers or even their room heaters in those areas. The houses/flats are heated not with what we call central heating, but with fixed coiled radiators that are rather flat and the size of an average flat screen television. In some instances they take up space that could otherwise be used for something else; again, I'm not complaining, but I have to get used to it. They do make radiators that are vertical and thinner, so when I do move permanently I think I will go with that. They also have little cabinets that go over the unit so you can utilize the space a bit adding frames, bowls to hold your keys and whatnot.  I'll post a photo.

    Some of the stark (and I do mean stark) differences of living in the City Centre of a very large European city versus living in the Capital City of Oklahoma, will be the sheer number of people milling about. In OKC proper there are about 1M people give or take on any day. In Edinburgh there are at least 3x that many, and about 1/3 of them are never going to be there again after they fly back to wherever is is that they came from. Surprisingly I didn't find the airport in Edinburgh to be much larger than the "World" airport we are so proud of in my hometown. To say Will Rogers World Airport is large and cosmopolitan would be a joke. It's more like something you'd find in a much smaller but viable city. We deal.   Another huge difference will be the prices for dining out; much more expensive in Edinburgh than it is in OKC and that may have to do with the fact that literally a 1,000,000 people are milling about as I said and they expect to pay more before heading home. There you go. Capitalism!

    Other interesting differences are things like ice cream. I know, that sounds really crazy, but there are no Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores in the country of Scotland. How do they live? Right? Well, they must have sufficient supplies of other fine dairy treats, but I will  not be able to indulge in my standard go-to ice cream store.  The washing machines are in the kitchens. You heard me. The washing machines are in the kitchens! IF they have dryers they may also be in the kitchens, but I have seen them in closets, hallways, spare bedrooms, bathrooms and some have actual utility rooms. My favorite spot to find a dryer once while I was searching the web, was to see the thing on the staircase landing! That's so funny and so not an American thing. Nope. I giggled.

    Falkirk, Stirling, Dunfermline, Rostyh, South Queensferry, even Dunbar, Haddington, Musselburgh, and Prestonpans (the last four being east of Edinburgh) all have promise for my permanent residency, but I think for the first six months I will land right in the middle of the City Centre so I can get around and be around what I need and want to see. I will have access to all the needed transportations, stores, restaurants, coffee houses, gyms, ponds, parks, walking areas, etc. It will be GLORIOUS! I don't think I will ever grow tired of the knowledge I can glean from the fabulous venues including the University of Edinburgh. Heck, I may enroll in a class. I need to do that so I can say I went there as a student. Woot! I would no doubt take a History course; just saying. 

    Big plans for making plans that will end up with me making new plans for sure. I tend to have lists for my lists and prep for my preps. I'm that way, always have been. Thorough is one thing, then there's me. I will overthink the heck out of anything worth thinking about. This is going to happen. If it only happens for a long extended visit, it will still happen.  My first thought is to go and visit for six months without a visa, just working on my Forex and keeping my regular job, but after that, when I do return, I'll need my company to sponsor me. It is a Scottish firm, and the rules will have been met in that I will have been employed at least a year by that time. This could actually be happening. Can I get excited? Yes I can. I can also dig out my Hearts of Midlothian t-shirt and wear it proudly! Of course when I yell out "Boomer" I may not receive a "Sooner" as often as I would here. That's another huge difference, but one I am willing to deal with. 

    In the photo below you'll see that the TINY refrigerator is to the left. Who in their right minds can live with these small appliances? (Nutters!)  The stove/oven is there, next to it, yes, that's a clothes washer friends. Then you have the sink with what looks like a possible dish washer as well - - no cabinet space but it's a 1 bedroom unit. Wow....just yeah, wow. I can do this!! I can do this! (she smiles and shakes her head)

Photo Credit:  Rightmoves.co.uk

Ignore the blue carpet. Another really interesting difference is style. I am not a fan of wild wall paper that you don't see here, but you do elsewhere. I am not a fan of bright carpets but some are.  Do you see the white flat radiator? You can buy a little cabinet that goes around it so it doesn't look like a flat screen without a picture.  At least they don't get hot and the kids and animals won't burn themselves on them. It's just a way of change. I can make it happen. 

Get Serious About Getting Naked.

 You and I both know that any given day, usually every single day, we all get naked at some point during said day.  If we're honest with ourselves we should be getting naked so we can take a shower and/or take a bath and it's that bath time that I'm about to talk to you about. I just needed to get your attention long enough to drag your eyes over here to read what it is that I'm rambling on about today. I've been on a writing streak lately, and if you're gonna streak, you should be naked. If you don't get that you don't get that, but if you do, it was hilarious! 

   You may or may not care to know this, but I am one of those wild and crazy women who take a bath every single day of the week. I don't care if I end up taking a shower too; that's OK, I'm good with getting naked a couple times a day, nothing wrong with that whatsoever, but it is going to happen at least once, because I refuse to wear my clothes in the bathtub. That's just silly talk right there. Nope, this girl is buck naked when she bathes. Let it be written, so let it be done. 

    When I do take that daily bath I fill the tub with not just the hottest water I can stand (girls are so weird) but I also put in over a cup full of white vinegar, about an ounce of sweet almond oil (I say an ounce, I'm very rarely measured anything in my life) and I empty about a 1/3 of a regular box of baking soda into the tub as well. But wait, I'm not finished, I also use a good amount of Dr. Teal's Lavender foaming bath Epsom salt as well - - to say I spoil myself is beyond an understatement. I am the worst and the very best to myself. I don't drink, smoke, do drugs, party, or collect things, so my baths can be a bit expensive, it's OK.

    I think the manager at Big Lots had to laugh at me today when I replenished my bath supplies. I took a big orange basket and filled it with 8 gallons of white vinegar, 16 boxes of baking soda, 4 bottles of Dr. Teal's Lavender foaming bath, and yeah, I bought a bag of shortbread cookies too; a girl's gotta eat something. The cashier asked me if it was a party at my house tonight! LOL...I told her I'd ask the dogs and cats if they had something planned because I don't. I just get myself naked and soak out all the heavy metals, stress and anxiety out of my entire system over and over again day after day. I swear, I have no worries at this point, and the last time I remember stressing I was still young enough and able to make children. I haven't been stressed in a minute or two.

    I don't even know when it was that I began filling up the bathtub in such a strange and unusual way, but nearly every time I get hugged at church or touched by someone who hasn't touched me before (that came out completely wrong) I am always complimented on how soft and smooth my skin is, and I've even had people lean into me and ask me what perfume I'm wearing because they can smell the light cast of vinegar and almonds I suppose. I usually say it's something I picked up at the store a while back. I'm not lying. If they licked me they'd probably taste the baking soda and give me a stare or two. So far I've not had anyone do that; which could in and of itself be a sad thing. I'll have to blog about my feelings concerning not being licked in another blog...not today.  (You can't see me on the floor trying to make it back into my chair from falling out of it laughing at myself.)

    Who knew getting naked could be so fun? Who knew getting naked could be so good for you, and it feels really good too. I mean after you've eliminated all the yucky toxins in your body from just walking around in polluted air every day, you need to get the smoke out of you, as well as the smudge and smog, the stuff falling into the air from being sprayed on plants, crops, in the clouds.  You can't be in the urban areas without literally being exposed to so many dangerous chemicals at the micro levels. I'm not kidding you when I say that this works. It works. I said it again, and I wasn't kidding then either. This bath concoction works.  You don't have to make your water hot as Hades, I just do that because I like to do that; most people (including me) will add cooler water to temp it down a bit at times. Does it work in cooler water? Sure. I've just never ever been a cold water fan. Even when it's really hot outside I don't do the whole icy water therapy thing - - I'm more of a Tropical Temp fan when it comes to water. Think Sea Turtle, not Polar Bear.

    There you have it. You have the best idea now for what to do with yourself next time you get naked. I mean, I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't do when you are, but at least now you know what can be done. Don't forget, and this is sooooo very important, don't forget to wipe the tub out when the water is fully drained. You don't want to slip on the oil the next day when you shower. I guess I do usually get naked twice a day; I use a big fat cup to pour the bath water all over my head about 100 times so yeah, my hair gets rather oily and I let it stay that way during the night and wash it in the morning. I don't do that if I'm not going anywhere but I do most days. You may or may not care to know this, but I don't blow dry my hair. No need. I let it dry on its own.  Now that you have that tidbit of information you'll understand why it is that I look like I've just slicked my hair back on an off day if you catch me walking the dog. Just smile. No need to ask now.

    Go ahead. You can do it. Get naked! Take time to defret yourself. The Bible says you shouldn't fret. I say you can only fret when you're playing your guitar - - otherwise, there is no need. Soak  it out. 

Photo Credit:  www.mashed.com 

    

    

FREEDOM of FREEDOM.

 When Elon Musk announced he was thinking of buying out Twitter my first thought was "Why would he do that? No one really uses Twitter anymore."  Well, I guess I was absolutely mistaken, and I don't mind saying so. Apparently, there were enough people using Twitter that he felt that the price tag of nearly $44B was worth actually going through with the deal.  Now, rather than hearing the Left celebrate that all will have the Freedom of Speech we are rightfully given, we only hear complains from them because in their words, the platform will now be bombarded and/or flooded with hate speech.  So, if that's to be believed, then they are openly admitting that many people were purposely and intentionally shut down and/or restricted from posting what they feel or believe.  We know Trump was censored and then suspended. I guess what the Left is saying is that THEIR opinions matter, but no one else has the right to have an opinion if that opinion is different from the one they have. 

    The funny thing about FREEDOM is that it goes out to everyone not just the Left, and not just the Right. There are so many who are outspoken, and so many who feel that their side of the equation hasn't been represented; let them speak! We don't have to agree with each other, but we should all agree that no one wins when one side is completely shut out so that they can't be heard. OK, it takes time, it takes effort, it takes courage to say what you feel if you think you're going to be blasted for it. I get it. I understand why some on the Left would want to shut out the loud mouths and those who rant and carry on about what seemingly is fantasy and/or higher expectations than can possibly be imagined. I do understand the thought process of censorship, but I can't tolerate and won't tolerate the application of it because it literally creates tyranny or superiority issues and as we are "ALL CREATED EQUALLY" or supposedly we are, we need to have our Freedom to say what we need to say or express what we need to express. 

    The Freedom of Speech doesn't mean that we can spew out lies and/or threats without consequence. No, it doesn't mean that at all. We are all still governed by civility and by our actual statutes which do and don't allow types of speech. We can't ignore the mandate against Hate Speech just because we have Freedom of Speech to express ourselves. We can still express ourselves without being degrading to others; we don't need to berate one another to make our point. Some may feel that they can continue their grotesque and crude way of expression; as long as it is within the confines of the statues it is to be allowed. We don't have to pretend to have such delicate ears that we can't hear another's thoughts without being overtly judgmental. I hope we all understand that; we won't, but I can hope we do.

    What Elon Musk did is extraordinary. Not many people COULD do what he did, and of those who could, not many of them would. Most of the Super Wealthy folks have no interest in balancing the playing field or making things pan out for the average Joe/Josie out in the big bad world. Most of the elite would probably choose to keep things buttoned down and in the nice and tidy boxes that keep the world silent by force. This has been the problem, and I thank God that Musk has been gracious enough to see through the lens of reality knowing there are millions (maybe Billions) of people who want to say what they want to say and either be heard or be ignored, but not to be shuttered. Thank you Mr. Musk. Thank you for your courage and for your insight. We may not agree with Elon's ways, beliefs, or methods. He's "out there" for sure, but this was one very good thing - - now, if he wants to buy out all of McDonald's and fix the ice cream machines, that would be GREAT!

    Let Freedom ring!

Photo Credit: Chemdiv.com

DNA. What's in a Cell?

 Because I wanted to one-up my sister, and prove to her that we really were more Scottish than her Ancestry.com DNA proved us to be in 2010, I decided to take a more up to date and state of the art type DNA through another company in 2021 - surely 11 years of technology and research in the field of DNA would prove something had changed.  What happens with the DNA results from so many years ago, is that we haven't changed, our parents and our ancestors haven't changed, but the amount of subjects and gene pool entries has changed and it has allowed for more accurate records to be pulled and pushed into the machines that eventually spit out what it is we are, who it is we are, where we came from, and more importantly, whether or not we are truly more English than we are Scottish!

    I mean, you can't force your ancestors to stop what they've already done so you can hand pick your great grands up the line! If you did that, if you could do that, you would probably not even be born at all! So where it is true that we are stuck with our DNA, we can at least hope against all odds that the tartan kilted clansmen would fight to the finish and win out over their stuff shirt English cousins! It's no wonder I fight with myself over and over and over again. There simply isn't room enough inside these cells to accommodate the two sides of my family when they begin to feud at the microscopic level. 

    My Scottish (pure Scottish you understand) friends will all but laugh out loud at me when I mention that I'm about 44% Scottish. Ha! They say, "I'm 100% Scottish" oh, but that's not necessarily true. They'd be shocked to find out how the Irish creep in, how the English maneuver, and how the Welsh hide so intricately among the folds in the nucleuses and they scream "I AM ALIVE IN YOU!" when they get the chance. The thing is though, when the Welsh scream it, it sounds differently, and all the letters are squished together so you really have no idea what they just said, but you have a clue really that they're pretty excited to be able to say you're not as pure as you thought you were. Remember, the Scots didn't drop onto the isles from Heaven! They came in big ships from Scandinavia and from up the coast on either side! There are very very few Scots who can actually say they are 100% Scots. They just don't want to take the DNA tests to prove it. They like bragging about their family trees. That's nice, my family trees can be and have been researched as far back as the 13th Century - - it's just those Stringfellow/Strengfelauge and other ways to spell it, came from Jolly Ol' England! DAMMIT!

    I did the MyHeritage kit and it came back that I was 30% Scandinavian, 28% English, 24% Scottish, 12% Iberian, and 5% Italian. No Irish, no Welsh. No Native American, but I sort of knew that. The whole thing with the fight for my blood however, is still up in the air because of the 30% Scandinavia thing. I wrote to the lab people at MyHeritage and was told that though they can't really pinpoint it at this time, but as time goes on there will be a more accurate telling since more and more people with the same markers that I have will have ancestors that are from identifiable places where pockets of that particular DNA match(es) are found.  Maybe in 10 years I'll be more Scottish than I am English. The way I was instructed to address the Celt/Viking issue is to find out from which grouping I am from and they had another test for that. Turns out, and this excites me, we are far far far more Celt than anything else, and yes, that means that more of my Scandinavian family and/or peeps landed, stayed, and cultivated in the Scottish isles before moving southward. YEA!

    My mother's maiden name is Edwards. Go figure. (don't get excited, I don't use my mother's maiden name for any passwords) My mother's mother is a FREE and her dad is a Hague.  Mom's father was an Edwards,  his mother was something English as well. The most and best I can find that leads to the Scottish sides are the Stringfellows on my dad's side and there was (and is) a great grandmother on mom's side who is from Edinburgh, so I'll cling to that. Dad's side has the most promising show of Celts who remained in what became Scotland and Northern England, a border area that was Scottish for hundreds if not thousands of years, but it wasn't Scottish most of the time as their were not Scots then, it belonged to the Celts.  I'm not happy that the Celts were not Christian, but that's another blog for another time. I'd rather say I'm a Celt than a Saxon. Actually, I'm Celt, then Viking, then Saxon; to be more specific. I may have more English in me, but damn it I have more Celt!

    The way the MyHeritage people put it was that I can divide the Scandinavian 30% into parts that correlate to the people who came down the west or east side of Scotland; that would make me more Celt and more "Scottish" by about another 65% of the 30% Scandinavians...so let's see, 65% of 30% is 19.5.  That means I can add 19.5 (round it to 20) to my 24% Scottish and I'm 44% Scottish. That leaves 35% of 30% which is 10.5, so round it up to 11, and I'm 39% English. YES! YES! YES!  I will take that. I'm not messing with the 12% Iberian or the 5% Italian. I'll accept them both since they have pigment to their skin and this would explain why only 17% of my body actually tans in the summer's sun! There had to be a reason, and now I know.  Thank you, DNA. 

    Bottom line? I'm happy to be Celtic. I really don't believe what they believed, as I am a born again believer and follower of Christ, but eventually they too became converted because of the ministers and priests in Ireland. Someone somewhere decided to follow Jesus and for generations we Stringfellows and Edwards have been packing the pews ever since. I'm simply fascinated by the science behind all of the tests.  A person could submit a test and not fill out any forms so the lab would be doing a blind testing and the lab would come back with exactly what that person's genealogy research had shown. In my family's case, my sister did the genealogy stuff for years. She was stumped for a minute and I picked it back up. She basically stopped at Plymouth Rock. We were here before that. We landed in the colonies in 1660 from Edinburgh (Stringfellows) and in the late 1600's with the Edwards side. I'm pretty sure we were some of the first to make mud pies in Virginia.  

    It's fun to know where you came from, and it's fun to realize where you're going next.  For me, I can't have the latter without the former. I need to know where my soul is leading me and why every time I hear a bagpipe my heart skips a beat....and now I know. I guess I've always known. It's the same thing I feel when I see a mossy moor or close my eyes to know I am surrounded by love and warm wishes of those who have lived before me. We will meet again, "when it's my turn to fly", I can't wait.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia.com

    

I May Marry Him, but I Won't Date Him.

 It's true, and I've felt this way for years now. I don't have time, nor will I take the time, to date someone. I absolutely refuse to do that. I've not been on a single date in over 23 years and though I'm not sure if I'm still celebrating that fact or not, it's still a fact. Dating is both overrated and underwhelming. I can count on one hand how many good dates I've been on where the guy wasn't thinking he was going to get something more than a thank you at the end of a really fun evening. Dating takes way too much effort on both the people involved and it's just not something I'm willing to put up with again. Nope.  

    If God, and God alone, decides that I need to be with a man He will not only pick him out for me, He will prepare the man for the journey as well. First, the man will need to know not to start off our first conversation with something stupid and syrupy like "Hello beautiful" or even worse, if he started to say something even remotely along the lines of a "line" he'd be better served to keep moving. MOVE.....MOVE! No! There is just no way in Hell I'm going to stand still long enough to hear what comes out of his mouth next if he starts out with that sort of crap. Maybe there are women out there who want to be sweet talked. Maybe there are women out there who think it's cute, sweet, or romantic to be told empty sentiments - - this woman is not one such woman.  Anyone who wants to "get to know me" can read my 3000+ Instagram posts, read my 900+ blogs, and then if he's still willing to think about it, he can get on his knees and ask God what the next steps may be. 

    The thing about God is, He's already told me what to expect, so if someone thinks he's going to walk up to me and say God told him we were supposed to be together, that may be the last thing the says to my face because at that point I'm purposely and decidedly turning on my heel and walking the other way. There will be no such revelation without it first being revealed to me. God and I have a pact where that one's concerned. If and only if He wants it to happen will it happen, and if and only if He does He'll make the man known to me so that I can be the best choice and only choice that man has to make. Simple. No dating, no wasting time, no wasting money, no spinning tales, telling lies, flattering, or questions that require me to be more blunt than I usually am already. If he doesn't know the answer by the time he comes up to me the chances of that man being THE MAN are rather slim. 

    It may sound like I'm intentionally trying to stave off any would be suitors and that wouldn't be a wrong impression, not really. I don't want a suitor. I have zero need for one, and I don't have a place to put one if he did come around. If and when God decides I'll be a wife, than I'll be a damn wife. I'll be the best damn wife possible actually, and that's the beauty of it. I don't necessarily have to do that because it may never actually happen. I won't hold my breath, that will give me more air between me and anyone who thinks I need to be protected or provided for. By this time, if you read any of my works you'd know I am fully capable of doing just that. If I ever needed a man to be a man I'd call my son to open jars, move furniture, kill wasps (I can handle the spiders but the wasps are a man-thing) and he can also teach me how to turn the TV back on and find the channel I was trying to find. 

    Men are surely and doubtlessly some of the most amazing things ever created. I am not anti-men. I may sound l like I am when I say I don't need one; I do want one. There is one that I want, but like I said that's not necessarily ever going to happen, so why try to force it? If God makes the sky blue and the oceans wet He can put the two of us together in such a way that no one will be or would be able to put us asunder. I don't think holding my breath would help, that may be something I would attempt, but nah - - I'll just whistle and think about the what-ifs.  There are a lot of What-Ifs and each and every one of them bring about another memory as to why it is AGAIN that I choose to sleep alone. I say that, I don't think I've actually slept alone more than 10 days out of my entire life! I've had a dog with me since the very beginning and Craig's been with me since before I divorced.  Having an imaginary husband has certainly saved me from having to find a real one. Craig's not really good at opening jars or holding the door open for me, but he has the best smile ever, and the dog likes him.

    God knew exactly what He was doing when He made men. He had a reason for them, and they've been really very important in my life, no doubt, but I just think that dating one would be the end of a good relationship if I had to put up with trying to be polite or laugh at jokes that really didn't make sense. I refuse to say nice things to have nice things said back to me. I won't go fly fishing, whitewater rafting  or ride a stupid rollercoaster to prove my feelings are genuine. He'll just have to take my word for it won't he? If I say I love you, I mean I love you, but those words simply won't come out of my mouth any time soon and if they do they are and will be quite  reserved. Please don't try.

    Let's all do ourselves a favor and assume I'm the meanest woman in the world. That way neither of us will be hurt and since I know the truth I'll be OK. Jesus made me, He knows me. If and when, when and if. Until then, I can buy my own dinner, take myself to the show (I don't go to shows) and I can certainly find my way around a long stretch of beach in the moonlight. If you see me actually walking the beaches in the evening be sure to talk to my dog; she actually likes being told how pretty she is. 

Photo Credit: www.californiabeaches.com

Outlander - My Thoughts.

 I'm not completely alone, but I think I'm among the minority of those who hadn't really heard of nor watched the Starz series "Outlander" several years ago. Nope, I literally just heard of it last summer, that would be 2021; and I think I binge watched every episode from Season 1 through Season 5 in just under two weeks time. I even went back and watched the entire thing again only because I had paid for a three month subscription to Starz and besides the more than well-worth-it-ness of it all, I found myself listening to the Scottish accents, drinking in the scenery, and trying my hardest to learn as much authentic history as one can assume is mixed up inside a fictional time traveling wonderlust series as possible. I loved every episode, but no, I didn't love every second of it. I'll explain.

    I'm not much of a Jamie Frazer groupie, not in the sense that I think he's the best looking, most attractive, or sexiest male character in the series. I like Jamie because he's a strong and lovely man with a heart for his wife and a good sense of loyalty both to Scotland and to his personal ideals; far be it from me to say whether I agree with his politics or religious views.  I appreciate the strong character. Personally, if I was to pick one or the other of the men to fancy it would be Roger MacKenzie or Rupert MacKenzie. Rupert wasn't married, and my morals would have gotten in the way a bit if I had been time-trapped on The Ridge and given a chance to chase Roger.  Nope, I would have needed to be transported just before April 16, 1745 near Culloden in the Highlands and maybe found ol' Rupert by the fire.  Maybe I would have been able to coax him away from the battle - - tricked him somehow; saved him. Maybe not.

    Many people won't say this, but I'm actually glad the series is almost ended. I have great fondness for so many of the characters and going on and on with the plots and seemingly endless twists have almost brought me to the point of boredom! If Claire got raped one more time I think I would have had to throw something at the screen before I fast-forwarded to a better scene! Enough is enough! I think the producers felt the same as I did. Not to be too callous about it, but the last couple of episodes in Season 6 have been equally boring as far as Claire Frazer is concerned. I was pissed, as everyone was perhaps, that Marva was allowed to cut off Claire's hair, but it did shake up the monotony of seeing Claire dose herself over and over again with her homemade ether potion. Nothing could have kept my attention when I saw the ghost or mind-trick of Lionel Brown again and again in the surgery room, the place he was murdered.  I will say he deserved it, and sorry, I think Marva got what she deserved as well.  The baby didn't need to die; that was sad. 

   Bree and Roger's mention of Perry Mason and the fact that he could have easily solved Marva's murder was in fact, my favorite moment of the entire series I think. OK...that's not true. Staring at Roger and Rupert was excitable and enjoyable; but I do wish the travelers could have let on a bit more to the audience regarding their origins.  I liked every mention of their future selves. I would have really loved it if Ian could have been transported into 1944 to see a dermatologist to possibly remove his facial tats if he wanted to do that; who knows?  I know we can't wrap up every loose end, but Jamie's sister Jenny and her husband Ian should have had the opportunity to see their son growing up and even though they would not have quite appreciated his choices they may have understood that they helped him to be the stronger person he eventually became.  I like Ian a great deal.

    So, my finale thoughts? All in all I'm giving the series a strong and solid 8 out of 10 for entertainment and maybe a 7 out of 10 for authenticity. To be able to think that much of it was true was good enough, and to know there is obviously going to be conflicting stories and creative license(s) used is evident. I loved it. I liked it. I respected it. I admired it, but I am glad it's coming to an end. I can only take so much of the over crudeness and harshness of the ignorant folk. I know it must have been that way, but I don't like to think of my ancestors as being completely brutish. My personal ancestors had been in Virginia about 173 years before the Revolutionary War. I know where their loyalties were; I myself am not in need of a time-machine-rock to know what must have happened to the Stringfellows when it came time to enlist with the Rebels to fight the King's Men.  I have history on my side for that.

    The books are no doubt as good if not better than the movies could ever be, but I wonder if Roger could be any more handsome in the pages written about him. I doubt it. At least now if I do ever have time to sit and read the innovative and imaginative tales of the people of my people I will be able to put faces with names and images with fanciful visions as I bury myself ever so deeply into the folds of fantastical witness through inkened colloguy!  Oh, to be in the Highlands with tartaned kilted men of mind and muscle -- knowing what I know now, I would have to bring a few rolls of toilet paper with me through the rocks. That much I know. 

Photo Credit: The Quiz Bliss  (Roger MacKenzie)

Forex For Me!

 I can't remember the first time I remember being fascinated with other people's money and the money of other countries. I know I was really small, because I was less than 8.  We moved churches when I was about 8 or 9, and I remember being in the first church I ever attended (I was born on a Wednesday and in the church nursery at 40th Street Baptist in Oklahoma City that same Sunday morning!) I know that someone in our church had traveled to Israel and other parts of the Middle East. They brought back coins and currency that  I had never before seen.  I remember the coin was about the same size as our American nickel but it was a different shade of silver and it felt different between my teeth. Yes, I really did use my teeth to test the metals. Maybe I'm weird, or more likely I saw my Grandpa Edwards doing that and it looked like he knew what he was doing; so I did it too!

    Money, not the love of it, has always been such an interest to me. To think that people including my parents would work for it, collect it, trade it, spend it, exchange it, and even give it away for nothing! I saw both my parents and my grandparents literally putting money in the church collection plates; most weeks someone gave a coin or two to learn how to give and give freely. I was told by my Granny that I could either keep it for myself or give it to the Lord by virtue of dropping the coins into the plate. My Aunt Wilma and probably my mom as well, told me later that God didn't need my money, He just wanted to see what choice I would make. It felt odd to me knowing that God knew me and He'd already know what I would do no matter which choice I made! Money was strange to me.

    The Stock Exchange, and by that I mean the New York Stock Exchange, was something that only RICH people talked about. It wasn't talked about in our house, that's for sure. It was only mentioned now and again by some adult here and there, and then my dad would say something about never being interested enough to find out more about it. That was it. We weren't interested. I couldn't imagine ever becoming interested because if Daddy didn't do it, we didn't do it. So, what happened? Why was it that only a few years out of my high school years did I decide that I wanted to learn more about being a stock broker? I knew it would somehow involve Math, and being allergic to Math I wasn't sure I could even handle the trade if I got a break and went into it. I had to think about this one.

    When I was in Hollywood, and living in a huge roomy 11 bedroom mansion that belonged to none other than the commodities giant Bernie Cornfield, I became VERY VERY interested in money and how it all worked. He wasn't necessarily aware that he was teaching me, but he was the best tutor ever in that I learned exactly how to lie, steal, and cheat my way into the business without being in the business. I remember thinking I could do the exact polar opposite of whatever it is that this guy and his wicked henchmen were doing and I could be on the right side of the equation! That was my thought process anyway.

    Time was just not on my side. I left Hollywood, went to work selling insurance, fell in love, made a baby, married another guy, made two more babies, and in between selling insurance, divorcing, raising kids, being fired at least a dozen times, and getting my education -- somewhere in there, I lost the drive I had to learn how to trade stocks and bonds. I never even REALIZED you could sell and trade MONEY! That wasn't something I thought could even be possible. Maybe if I had realized that money could be openly traded, I would have tried a bit harder, but yeah, like I said, it would have involved Math!  I think I had to wait for the internet to be created before ever thinking about trying something like figuring figures in my own mind. Nope! 

    FOREX, or the Foreign Exchange, is the largest trading market in the world. It literally trades more than Five Trillion (with a T) Dollars on a daily basis. I think that should spark anyone's attention. Anyone with a brain would want to know more about it, and since I actually do have a pretty good brain, I know I knew I wanted to know more about getting involved.  The year 2020 was a crusher for some but for me, being locked up and unable to do more than surf the net made it a bit easier for me to find videos on YouTube and books online about currency trading. I've been hooked on the training and the studying of it now for over two years. I'm just about ready to start putting all I know into actual practice. I've told people I will pretend and pretend well using Monopoly money before I put my own real money into it. I am Scottish at heart you know....I don't give up a penny when or if I don't have to.

    I've looked at the entire process from top to bottom and I've decided that for me, for my personal personality, I would and am considered a Bull Trader. I am an optimist, and will do better (I think) when the markets go up!  The Bear is a bit of a brute at times, but he serves his purpose. You can't expect the markets to climb all the time - - there must be a flux, there much be a balance, and there must be a downside; a time to sell.  You know the adage "Buy low, sell high".  Well, you have to learn it to earn it, and you can't do either if you're just sitting on the sidelines watching! There comes a time when all the watching won't do; that time has come.

    I'm looking at a Summer of Forex!  I'm hoping the Summer of 2022 will be full of fun times, good times, high times, Bull times, and even with the most fabulous of trade strategy inventions, the Stop Loss, I am hoping to love the little bears now and again as well. Maybe I can burn the "candles" at both ends and control my emotions when I can't control the pips!  If I've learned ANYTHING from the videos and the books, it is to never trade when excited or heated, but do so only when my mind is steady, thinking, clearly thinking, and know when to end the position. I'm hoping there will be a gentle learning curve for me; I don't mind losing as long as I'm learning. Dropping 1% of my investment is a good and fair price to take home a greater lesson on how to do it differently next time. The thing is, the next time may turn out differently even if it was exactly the same! The market is not a friend but a flowing river with ebbs and lows all day every day - - the raft is the most important part not the water; bring your oars and know when to slow down or even when to pull off to the side and wait.

    If you don't know about FOREX and you've never heard of it, I would greatly recommend you watch a few videos from The Trading Channel and Trading 212.  There are hundreds of idiots on YouTube trying to get you to buy their Bitcoin and selling lies about wealth happening overnight. Please, think, and ignore that type of hype. You have a brain - use it.  If you've been in the same boat I've been in, and you're thinking about it, looking into it, maybe reading up on it, and learning what you can, I suggest you watch the videos 2 or 3 times and begin to think about what your plan may look like. It will certainly be a bit different than mine. Everyone trades differently. That's another really really cool thing about it. You can trade your way! (You don't need any license either, not if you're only trading your own money.)

    Because I'm rather optimistic and a fan of the Bull, I have taken to buying a few cute t-shirts that reflect my new hobby or interest. I think my favorite one is a t-shirt with the question "Is it Monday yet?"  No one really likes Mondays - - but people who trade in and on the FOREX do!  Monday is the day it all begins and you can trade 24/7 around the clock if you wanted to all the way through Friday afternoon. Keep in mind, Monday comes earlier than the Mondays of the Central Time Zone - - Monday comes on Sunday! How did that happen? Well, it's a good thing.  I'd say wish me luck, but as I mentioned earlier, I'm Scottish by heart; luck is for the Irish.

Photo Credit: Full Stack