GRACE - (Name Change of my New Book)

     I decided to change the name of my new book from "The Grange" to "Grace" because I don't want or need the people of the area to start anything with me over what they may assume is slander or misrepresentation. This is a fictional work, but no matter how often you say that, it ends up dissatisfying to someone. I don't need that. 

    The cemetery on Edinburgh's south side is called Grange Cemetery. It was built in 1847. The Grace Cemetery will be in the same area but built a few years before that, somewhere around 1820; I have my reasons. It will fit better with the storyline, and that's what this is - a book with a story.

    I've also changed the name of my name character from Elle MacFarland to Elle (short for Janelle) Raeh Finlay. She'll be the great-great-granddaughter of Alexander Harris Drummond Finlay Sr., her grandfather being Alexander Harris Drummond Finlay III. He dies and leaves the family land in Scotland to her but fails to mention to her that it is in the middle of a cemetery. 

    Unfortunately for the City of Edinburgh, when her great-grandfather, Alexander Harris Drummond Finlay II, left Scotland in 1920, the City began planting coffins on his land without his permission. Fast forward 100+ years later, and that sharp-minded, wickedly intelligent new heir refuses to allow any more burials and will ask the City Council and/or the Grace Foundation to move the bodies that are buried on her land or suffer the consequences of paying rent in the future and for the last 100 years!

    With her American roots firmly planted in the legal system, she's passed the bar and is practicing remotely; the Council may have a Scorpion dragon to deal with. She may not have her "Irish" up when they cross her, but her thick, rich Scottish blood flowing through her American veins is enough to start a small war over the matter. Who would you bet on winning this one?

    "Grace" will be written over the next 6-8 weeks; it should be fun, and it will be creepy. It needs to be a bit weird, quirky, odd, and off the wall, but at the same time, it will be informative, interesting, educational, and a lot of fun to write. I'm already pretty excited about it -- I'm glad I changed the name. I want to really dig in...pun intended. (it's a cemetery thing)

Photo Credit: Me.

http://www.judestringfellow.com

Monarch of the Glen (My Opinion)

     A little over a month ago, I found a new (old) show on Amazon and began watching it. It's a Scottish drama series filmed on location in the highlands of Scotland, and the show's name is Monarch of the Glen. It's a modern or present-day drama with a large estate or manor house as the centerpiece and all the family members, MacDonald, who have lived in the estate for about 400 years.  The current family is not all one group, but a mix of family, workers, friends, and hangers on. The house is called the Big House, or Glenbogle House.

    My first impressions were that it would be fun, it would be interesting, and it would keep my mind occupied. I've just finished writing one book, "Stratford," and I've not yet picked up the pace on writing the next one, "The Grange." Oddly enough, my next book takes place in modern times in Scotland as well, but not in the highlands, and certainly not in a large manor house, but in a family crypt at a cemetery just south of Edinburgh's City Centre.

    Monarch of the Glen, or MOTG, as it is referred to online, was fairly entertaining, if not predictable, exhaustively British, and of course, we can't forget the accents. I could go all day listening to most Scottish people speak, but there were a few I was thrilled to see leaving the glen; I won't go into too much about it, but the writing was incredibly cheesy at times, and the casting could have used some work. It's not a great series by any means, but if you just need to numb your mind for a while, it works.

    Before I go further, let me say there is NO WAY under God's heavenly skies that I could have done better. I am not an actress; I would never say I was, and I could never begin to imagine being a part of that life; we'll let that stand where it is. Still, as a customer, viewer, watcher, and/or would-be fan, I can say that it was decent. It ranks up there with Quincy M.E. when it comes to storylines and less-than-beautiful people as the main characters. I love that about Quincy. I love that about MOTG - most British shows have average-looking actors and actresses. Here, in the US, there's a completely different way of doing things; again, we'll let that stand.

    One of the things I LOVED about MOTG was the location, the view, the landscapes, the loch, the crofts, hills, animals, and skyscapes. I loved the nature, and I loved the genuine attempt that the actors made to make the series work - it was the writing that suffered and caused the rotten tomatoes to be brought out, especially toward the end. The writing was so very jumpy, almost as if the scripts had ADHD, show after show, forget about the time spans between each season, or series, as they call them in the UK. American audiences would never stand for the gaps and unexplained concepts that apparently the Brits don't mind.

    I noticed throughout the series (and with Heartland, as well, another "drama" show that can virtually be compared to MOTG but from a Canadian point of view), is that the characters can't say what they feel or mean; they get tongue-tied so often, it leaves the audience screaming obscenities at the television; just giving their favorites advice! I can't tell you how many times I threw a rolled-up pair of socks at one or the other of these people who just couldn't be bothered to stand up for themselves, at the risk and sometimes expense of true love. 

    Well, MOTG is 7 series long, and again, it may be a British thing, but the seasons only have a few episodes each. I don't get that; it's nothing like it is here. I suppose that could be good, depending on whatever else is on the telly to watch. I became rather bored after the 6th series and wanted more action. I also wanted to shove a few characters down the mineshaft or lock them in the wine cellar for good. It's crazy how I never knew the show was even a thing - until 2025, or close to it. Christmas Eve was the first time I found it.

    Anyway - it's a good show to watch if you have watched all your regular shows and need something to watch while waiting for the others to come back -- who was my favorite on the show? Well, it wasn't Lexie; I can tell you that. I would say it was Molly; I couldn't stand Hector, Kilwillie, Dorothy, Heromine, or Zoe -- Yes, it was Molly or Susan Hampshire if we're talking real names.

     Second would be Golly, played by Alexander Morton, and in third place, Duncan MacKay, played by Hamish Clark. It's worth watching, don't let me sound negative. I just had it in my head that they could have reupholstered the dining room chairs with a little money they would spend on stupid things like wild wolves. Yes, you heard me. That's where my mind went. Caging the wolves was a really dumb thing to do, and "Gee gosh, I wonder what could happen?" It's that predictable. 

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com (a photo of the fictional "Glenbogle House," which is really called Ardverikie near Inverness.

http://www.judestringfellow.com

Big Lots is Closing (Nationwide)

 The local (best store in the world) Big Lots is closing in my neighborhood. I'm so sad. I really, really mean that. I went to Big Lots all the time, and when we went, we talked to the people who worked there. We didn't just go in, get what we wanted, pay for it, and leave. No, we had relationships with the cashiers and workers. I can name nearly every single person who worked there for the past several years.

    It will be incredibly sad to see it pulling out of our neighborhood. I just found out they are closing nationwide. We get most of what we want sent to us by Amazon, so I can see how a brick-and-mortar store would shutter if most people do that. The only things I would buy at Big Lots recently would be candles, the ones on sale because they always have them.  I bought cleaning products, cat litter, some foodie items that I don't think Kroger has, and I bought bathroom products.

    Lately, to be honest, I have purchased most of my bathroom products online as well. The prices are great, and they're delivered to my house. Laura and I went to get a few things for another reason today. I needed to break a couple of $20 bills, and I figured, why not buy a candle with one $20 bill and get the change, and then buy something else under $10 to get another broken. I need the $10 bills to tip my Kroger delivery men and women. It's a win-win.

    We went into the store, and the flyers told the story boldly enough. There were orange, red, yellow, and white flyers saying the store could not accept any returns and that all sales were final, and that led me to believe that the store was closing. EVERYTHING was on sale, so yeah, it's closing. I decided to look about, and I'll go back over the weekend to see if there is anything I simply can't live without, and at 10-40% off. I can find a few things that meet all the necessary criteria when the price is good enough.

    Today...because I can, I bought a pair of Laura Ashley pajamas that online would cost $44. At Big Lots, they were marked $19.99, and then, with the 20% markdown, I was able to get them for $16. I think, or close to it. Not a bad price for really very comfortable pajamas - and/or work clothes if you know me. I wake up and put my pajamas on; I don't wear them to sleep in. Working from home has been so very wonderful. I look outside during the winter months, see the ice and snow on the roads, and pour another cup of hot coffee.

    Big Lots...I will miss you. I can't remember the first time I saw an advertisement for the store, but Jerry Van Dyke was the main lead in the commercials. He was funny, and I liked his smile. I think it's been right at 25 years. I just Googled it, and it says 2000 - so there you go, close enough. The fact that all Big Lots stores are closing is really something else - the CEO is hoping another store chain will come through and purchase all their wares, but they're starting their big close-out sales. I may go Christmas shopping 11 months early; why not?

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com 

http://www.judestringfellow.com

Wow...Those are Some Well-Fed Chickens!!

     This morning, I decided to make myself some eggs with spinach and cheese mixed into them. I buy brown eggs at Sam's Club, and boy-oh-boy, when I cracked the first one open, the yolk could not have been more ORANGE. I'm not talking yellow, it was a vivid orange color; one I had never seen before.

    Naturally, like anyone else unfamiliar with the unique coloring of the yolk, I decided to crack open another to see if it, too, was as brilliant in color! There it was! ORANGE!  So, yeah, I did the whole Google search thing to be sure I wasn't eating something nuclear; that all would be alright. I had 24 of these things to go through. I hoped I wouldn't have to chuck them all.

    Turns out the reason the yolks are so bright, is that the chickens they come from are fed carotenoids - I hope I spelled that correctly. The chickens are fed better; therefore, the yolks of their eggs are much brighter, much thicker, much darker, and even more sticky. They literally cling to the fork when you stir them up to scramble them. It takes quite a wee effort to get the yolk off the fork when washing it.

    The fun fact of the day is that I was going to make some pancakes without sugar, but I thought against it, as I'm trying to eat better, and carbs are just as important to try and cut as are the sugars in one's diet. The best thing for me, I determined, was to make a scrambled egg thing with spinach and throw in some good asiago cheese! Let me just say -- I made the right choice!

    The darn eggs are so much more flavorful than the lighter yolked eggs, and now I think I'll forever search out these brown beauties at Sam's; it's only a mile from my house, and if I remember correctly, they were rather reasonable in price as well. I had to look it up, but I paid $8.24, so $4.12 a dozen, and that's not too bad. It beats the $2.74 dozen for the weak light yellow yolked eggs - every day!

    That's it, that's the entire blog - nothing really exciting, but then again, it could be the beginning of a new lifestyle change. You just can't overhealth yourself. If you are like me, and you've never seen such a crazy thing before; go ahead and check out the eggs at Sam's Club. I'm sure they're sold in other places, but this one is one I know is a good source to go to.  While you're there, you can pick up Mark's Member dog food that's made by the more well-known brands but is somewhere around $33-39 for 30-35 pounds vs $63! (same recipe!)

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com 

http://www.judestringfellow.com

Press Release - Jude Stringfellow Novels

     Sometimes, not all the time, I get really good ideas, and I run with them. Today was one of those days. I woke up feeling as if I had been sleeping on and thinking about a great idea about getting the word out about my novels. I decided to implement the plan immediately, and I did precisely that.

    I don't have the manager I wanted to have, and I don't have a publicist; I need either or both. If I can't get someone to do the hard push, I'll do it myself. Today is a Saturday, I don't have much else going on, and it's literally 25 degrees (F) outside. I have no excuse not to do what I am now doing. 

    I'm taking a break from it, having been at it for several hours. I'll get right back to it after I blog.  I decided to write up a press release and send it via email to literally every newspaper, television, and/or media site that I can find online. Yes, in case you're wondering, that is a lot of emails. I've sent over 200 already and am just barely scratching the surface.

    The rules have changed dramatically since I was younger, and I would have to rely on someone else to create my press release and send it out - now, I'm fully willing, able, and capable of doing all the work myself. I'm even getting good at designing things on both Adobe and Canva. I chose Adobe Express for the press release today, and though it's really basic, I am really happy with how it turned out.

    A press release is to be simple. It's to grab the attention of the media; it's to be concise, precise, entertaining, and engaging. Why not use AI to make it happen? Again, I used a good AI program and a free service and created a really cool "flyer" if you printed it, but it was a press release. It looks, reads, sounds, and is quite professional. I've added two images and researched the best templates for the job.

    I'll post it below and see what happens with it. I'm going to send it to thousands of places where news and stories are talked bout, and that's just the email campaign. After the email campaign (probably next weekend), I'll start an X campaign and send out thousands of tweets to these same places, just in case they missed their email notice. 

    That's me...Little Miss Action! Let's hope it all works out, and by this time next year, maybe I can say I live in both Scotland and the US, and I'm writing to my heart's desire!! God is good all the time!! (You didn't think I came up with the idea by myself, did you?) 

Photo Credit: Me

http://www.judestringfellow.com

STRATFORD is Published!!

     I try not to think about how long it takes me to write a book. I've been known to take four months, and I wrote one in 28 days as well. It just depends on what happens, how life decides to play out, and what's being thrown at me in terms of decision-making, working, living, shopping, sleeping, and, you know, all the other stuff that goes into being an adult. I'd rather be writing; believe me!

    Well, "Stratford" is done! It has been published and will be available on Amazon HERE  for sale in exactly one week. I ordered 10 copies and had them printed before their press date so I could get them in time to send off to the people whose names appear in the book; seven of my co-workers who allowed me to use their names, personalities, and likenesses to make up characters who they will no doubt be able to relate to.  

    I'm even going to send a copy to the woman (I won't say her name) who I modeled the disgusting and pig-headed court clerk in my book after. She is the court clerk of Stratford, and I don't know if she's having an affair with her relatives or not (like the character in the book does) and I don't know if she's slightly obese with thinning hair and an off-putting odor, but I will let her know in a very direct way that I didn't appreciate the way she handled the VERY erroneous case against me.

    In the book, I call her Mary Pigley; we'll stick with that. The real-life person in that position absolutely refused to listen to me, and she refused to help me when I told her the truth about what took place 17 years before; how I was railroaded in that small town and forced to pay over $700 for something that would normally have been a $100 fine IF IF IF I had done what I was accused of doing. 

    She is either in on the schemes or heartless, uncaring, rude, and inhumane...IN MY OPINION. She refused to help me; she refused to hear my plea. She refused to lift a finger to assist me when I was being lied about, and I was being compelled to pay fees on a matter that never should have been. I had the LEGAL right not to pay it; but she refused to assist. Therefore, the woman lost her right to stay out of my novel.

    I think we all know what a creative license is.  I have one. I have every available endorsement for it as well. I am a card-carrying creative licensed author, and that pseudo excuse for a clerk has been forever memorialized in my new book. It's the least I can do to send her a copy. No worries, I say at least twice in the Disclaimer, as well as the Author's Notes, that the book is fiction. I can't imagine anyone seriously thinking she's going to throw herself off a bridge to avoid going to jail.

    I like this book. I like all of my books, but I liked writing this one, thinking about that woman reading it, and chuckling to herself while trying to maintain a semblance of being angry at me for getting the last laugh.  Yes, I had to pay a monstrous fee for something I didn't do, but in the end, that's only money. She'll be asked over and over again how her father is, if she really killed her cousin, if she's been trying to lose a few pounds, and if she finished the 8th grade or not. 

    Mean? Me? No, it's not mean, just creative. If I were mean, I'd never pay a bit of attention to her. I'd be indifferent. No...I'm not mean. I'm reasonably resourceful and use what I know to create realistic characters in fictitious books. To see other books I've written to go to: judestringfellow.com 

Photo Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

http://www.judestringfellow.com

First Snow and More.

    Oklahoma saw its first snow of the 2025 season, and it wasn't too bad. It wasn't the amount of snow that fell just above us into Kansas and over to our east. It was weird when I looked at the weather map; it was as if God drew a line around Oklahoma's borders and sent the white stuff on its merry way but only gave us a little dusting. I think officially we ended up with 1.2 inches or something like that, where my friends in Kentucky received 10 inches of snow! Crazy! 

    We have four dogs, and only one of them, Ginger, had seen snow before. Kiah and Rose were born in February and March, but no doubt they spent their first several weeks indoors. Kiba was born in July, and this was his first time experiencing it. Let me say, for a six-pound (mostly) Chihuahua, he was not that brave. The snow engulfed his belly and all the parts attached to it. He is not a fan.

    Other than that, we're all just sort of sitting around waiting for January 20th to roll around so we can have our president back in office. That last statement may offend, but it's my opinion, and this is my blog. I'm not here to be polite or even cordial; I am here to express myself, and I do it from my heart in a very genuine manner. I am a Trumper!  He would probably not be my friend, but he's a good leader; I can't say otherwise. 

    Another fun fact about the last ten days or so is that I've been sugar-free, or virtually sugar-free, for 10 solid days and now 11 if you count today. I've been able to steer clear of anything that has added sugar or is simply made with sugar, to begin with. The only "cheat" I think I had was when I ate a canned biscuit because I had them in the fridge and didn't want to waste them.  There are 2 grams of sugar, and 1 of those is added during the process. So, if that's my only drawback, I should be OK.

    It's not hard to do a sugar-free lifestyle once you determine that sugar is a drug, and like any other abusive substance, it's not worth putting into your body. How many of us would say oh, there's only X amount of cocaine in that biscuit, so I'll be OK...right? I know the two chemicals are different, of course, but you see my point. I won't allow my body to fall back into the addiction. I feel so much better already, and it really has only been 10 days.

    One of the things that I found that I can do now is move my shoulders better; my arms stretch and move better. I'm still feeling stiffness in my knees and my right upper hip, but I'm hoping that the inflammation will leave soon, and those will also be better; it could also be the weather. I'm happy to report that Laura is taking care of any extra candy, ice cream, cake, cookies, or chocolate we have in the house, but she stated to me that once it's gone, she'll likely not replace it. She seems to think that starting this lifestyle earlier than I did is a good thing -- she's right.

    Today is a reading day. I'm reading through "Stratford" to see if I can find mistakes. I'll read it all through today and tomorrow and send it up for actual publication. It will be available on January 22 (Amazon), and they're charging $18, but I'll also add the EPUB, and it will be ready (Kindle Edition) in about 3 weeks. It should be $3.99. Such a deal. The only other thing I can talk about today is my experience at Sam's Club. 

    I am a member of Sam's Club rather than Costco because Sam's is 1 mile from my house.  I buy my dog food, my dog and cat treats, toilet paper, water, and breakfast sandwiches there. Today, I also picked up 10 days/nights worth of chicken, ham, burger meat, lasagna, and such...and eggs.  Kroger's delivery service said they were out of eggs! Crazy enough. I paid $7 for 18 eggs, which is a little high, but I'll be fine.  The toilet paper was the champion buy of the day. It's normally $22.97 for 45 rolls, but today they had it for $21.97 -- what? True. That makes each roll just at .50 a roll or so. (I'm not doing the math) CRAZY.

    The dog treats caught me off guard as well. They packed them in two-packs, and for $16, I got 4 pounds of Beggin' strips. That is amazing! My dogs weren't complaining, either. I think I can bring my dog to Sam's if I want to. She would like that, but she's not fully trained to behave herself in public. Maybe someday...I can always bring the "big boy" Kiba, the full 6-pounder!! He fits nicely in the little sling bag thing I bought Laura so she can carry him about.

    OK, well, that's about it for me -- I really didn't have too much to say, but thought I'll put it all into one blog. Did I tell you I have a new grandson? I'll have to go back and see if I blogged about him or not. I hope I did. He's amazing. He's nearly 2 months old now; Gramma needs to hug him and his sister. I would love to see all four of my grandkids together; that would be wonderful. Maybe this year, that can happen!!

Photo Credit: dawn.com 

http://www.judestringfellow.com

First Day to Start The Grange.

     I woke up this morning around 3:15 a.m. with a headache behind my left eye. I was thinking about being upset about it when I realized it was just the normal reaction to someone who has given up an addiction; for me, it was sugar.  I wrote just yesterday that I wasn't going to bore you with all the details of the day-to-day changes, but I also stated I hadn't had any ill effects since giving up sugar on January 1.

    Well, I'm keeping my promise. I'm not going to go into it other than to say it happened, but it was gone soon enough. I prayed about it first, then took a hot shower and drank copious amounts of strong coffee and then tea. It may or may not have helped to drink the beverages, but maybe the prayers worked because it didn't last long at all. YEA!

    Today was supposed to be a reading day. I am expecting the book "Stratford" to be delivered by mail, only to find out its been switched to being delivered by UPS - big difference. I won't get it until Tuesday. They claim over and over again that they can't find my house - which is literally on a corner of two very average and well-driven streets. You can't get much easier than that; but here I am without a physical book to read to make corrections, so I've decided to do a bit of recon for the new book. 

    The new book is titled "The Grange". It takes place in the present time and is centered in and around the actual cemetery by that name in Edinburgh, Scotland. I thought about making the book about a cemetery closer to Glasglow, but I've been to The Grange and I liked it. I haven't been to the cemeteries outside of Edinburgh, to be honest. I passed by one or two, but didn't take the time to walk them. I need to. I love finding old graves, reading their stones, looking at how their loved ones honored them, and just thinking about the people who once carried the name that the stones now bear.

    There is literally a Wikipedia page for the cemetery. I'll link it HERE to see who is buried in the cemetery.  I am going to read this entire page today and tomorrow and choose a few names to mention in the book.  I won't say anything derogatory about the real people buried there; there will be a few I degrade in the book, but they will be fictional. There are real murder victims in the cemetery, and they will be mentioned of course, as my main character Rachelle Tia Bigelow ("Elle" and/or "L.T." ) is a 3x great granddaughter of one of the murderers. 

    Elle received her B.S. in Biology from Penn State, and now she's attending the University of Edinburgh for a Masters in Forensics. She wants to research, not practice. She writes articles and dives into the lives of the dead. She's hoping to clear her relative's name but fears she may only find more murders the deeper she digs. This is going to be a fun book to write.  I'm just now realizing how much fun it really will be. I may change my style to only writing about creepy facts, but I know I won't. (she laughs)

    What's hilarious is that I can write about it, and I can read about it, but seeing creepy or scary things bothers me. I have nightmares. I can't even watch the Passion of Christ! I know how it ends! I just can't force myself to think about the suffering He did for me; it riddles me with sorrow to do so. I think there's a word for those of us who can read and write about gore but not stomach it when it's presented. I know people will say "squeamish," but it's more than that; it actually affects my inner soul when I see it. I'm the person you've heard about that covers their eyes during a surgery scene on television.

    My main character's leading friend is an Abercromby, not an Abercrombie - but the two names are related. He's a wealthy young man in his own right but also an heir to many generations of folks with the same name. He believes he can also help Elle find more money for herself, considering her name is old and very established in the United Kingdom. She has very little interest in becoming rich; he's using his money to undermine the stability of his family, believing they stood on too many to gain their wealth. In other words, he's a rich brat.

    The book will be written over the course of a couple of months. I'm going to take my time with it. I've got the cover set already, so the book will need to remain the same basic size as all the others. You can find it on my website and Amazon once it's finished, but go ahead and look at my book website to read other blogs and learn more about this crazy woman who thinks blogging is still a thing!

Photo Credit: grangeassociation.org

http://www.judestringfellow.com

Day 3 No Added Sugar.

     I promise I'm not going to bore you with keeping up with the daily differences in my head, heart, and body now that I've given up added sugar. In fact, I'm not going to talk about it much unless and until I see a real change in the way my clothes fit.

    Since I refuse to weigh myself, I'll never know exactly how much weight I've lost. I'm around the 200 mark, but I'd be devastated if I got on the scale only to see that it was more. So, because I don't like feeling bad, I won't step on a scale unless it's one that tells me how much weight I would weigh if on the Moon. I like that scale. I even like the European scales because I can take a higher or lower number - before I do the conversions. 

    I'll weigh myself AFTER I know I weigh somewhere in the 170 mark, and then I'll start there and say I've lost this much, plus whatever I was before. I'll even cap it at 200 so I don't hate myself, and that way, I'll still be able to impress my brain and live within my skin all at the same time.  It's a thing -- I like myself, I just don't particularly like the body I'm living in. I do have to keep it for a while to come yet, but when Jesus decides to take us up...yeah, that!

    OK, so it's been three whole days that I've gone without added sugar, and truly, I could say it's been three days without any real sugar at all other than natural sugars from fruits and such. I've been a label reader to the max, and even going so far as to give my kid all my candies, snacks, and junk foods. I told her she can eat it or throw it out, I was not going to judge her either way. I just don't want it staring at me.  I've been telling myself that it's poison; this way, I can be in the same room with it, and nothing happens. My hand does not reach for it. This is a win.

    I read a lot of articles about what changes your body goes through during the first stages of the fast or, in my case, the new lifestyle I've chosen.  There hasn't been anything negative whatsoever in terms of physical withdrawal headaches, fatigue, or foggy thinking. I've not noticed any real difference at all. I'm not thinner yet. I'm not more mobile. My son has asked me twice if my joints hurt less; honestly, they hurt the same. It's only been three days! If better-feeling joints are something I have to look forward to, I can certainly give up the donuts!

    Let's see, for me, it has been morning snacks that have added sugar, candy throughout the day, chips, or the wrong type of juice. If it doesn't say 100% juice I'm not drinking it, and I still check the label for how many sugars are in it. It must be under 5g, or I'm not doing it again. I'll eat an orange. Instead of grabbing a granola bar with 13g of sugar, I can grab a 1/2 handful of almonds or dried goji berries. I'm a tea drinker during the day, so I drink another cup of hot tea and add lemon or lime to it. I'm good!

    I own three pairs of sweatpants that I bought when I weighed 160 pounds a few years back. I bought them, and I wore them for over two years; I kept the weight off for a while. From March 2023 to right up to the end of 2024, I gained it back; not all of it, but enough. I tell myself that when I can wear those sweatpants again, I'll know I'm around the 160 mark. I want those sweatpants to become my "fat" sweatpants, the ones I wear when I'm heavy -- this means I'll need to lose another 10-20 pounds once I hit that goal.

    I don't follow actors, but if you noticed the weight loss of one or the other of them and you go online and see what they did, most of them say they gave up added sugar - alcohol counts as added sugar.  You'd be surprised what you consume and later find out just how bad it was for you -- for me. I had my daily dose of Turkish delights; they're gone. I had a Tootsie pop in the evening; no more. I'd grab a half-hand full of M&Ms now and again -- I've substituted those for unsalted almonds.

    My creamer had sugar in it! I had the Coffee Mate original flavored, nothing fancy -- sugar!  I use half and half now. If I can do it, I hope you can do it if you want to. It's not easy, but if you're the one who buys the stuff and you're in charge of whether or not it comes to your home, pantry, or freezer, you can say no. You just have to want to, and I really do want to. Like I said, if having better feeling joints was the only reason to do it -- I'd do it.

    I will keep you posted, but not on a weekly basis. You'd get tired of listening to me go on and on about it anyway -- I know I wouldn't want to listen to me either. 

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