Center. Think. Be Aware.

 Earlier today I wrote a blog that came straight from my heart and onto the internet! I have since deleted it because it was a bit rushed and I didn't say what I really should have said. I said what I wanted to say. I said what I think needed to be said, but I didn't fully express myself and say what I should have said. There is a difference. Oh, I'm not upset with myself for calling the man a wanker, no, he's most assuredly a wanker, indeed!  I think what I should have said is, when people, (mostly wankers) publish facts about themselves, and/or they DON'T publish things when they should, people are going to be curious and some of those people, (people with knowledge, working brain cells, and curiosity) are going to dig a little bit. We're going to shovel up what we can in order to find out all the hidden "treasure" and remember, one man's trash is in fact another man's treasure. I have a new shovel today. Let's dig, shall we?

    I woke, minding my own business, but that changed rapidly the second I opened my email and found a toxic and snide little message from a person, the wanker, who seemingly has little else to do than to accuse me of spreading rumors (or rumours, if I'm properly quoting the email).  My response to him was to say I was not going about spreading muck, I was in fact writing to others asking for prayer and support for him during a time he was absent from writing on the internet; a full 12-14 weeks absent, mind you, not a day or two.  So yes, I will absolutely admit it, after a long stint of seeing more of nothing being posted about his well-being, as we all knew he was going through a bit of a crisis, I asked several people in the religious and spiritual communities to pray for him and his safety as well as his protection.  Sue me. I'm the biggest bitch out there I suppose. I dared ask for prayer! If the man had taken 1 minute to write a quick note on his website(s) to say he'd be out for a while, he was going through some private issues, then there would have been NO action whatsoever from me. I would have, as we all would have been, in the know, that he was having a private moment. We all get that, but when someone disappears or isn't available, there are reasons to worry and ask. REASONS to ask for prayer.

    Seems I have embarrassed the man. Well, OK, I will even admit to that, but the email he sent went on to say I was spreading rumors about his life, his lifestyle, his choices, etc. Was I? Is it rumor or innuendo if the evidence is there, right in front of your face through posts that both he and other men have posted about their relationship(s)? Is that rumor? I think that's called public awareness, and remember folks, the WORLD-WIDE WEB is, in fact, worldwide. Everyone sees it. You can't pick and choose who sees it; best to know your buddies have your back when maybe you don't post, but they did! Oops! That was your duck face I saw "Kissy-Kissy" Edin-Bae? Was it not?  I merely asked questions. I wasn't the one slumping around town on the arm of a known - - well, you know.  Rumors are statements, not questions. There is a LEGAL difference, just like there is a difference between an E shape and an A flat. I know the law; not music. I leave that up to the professionals. (Hint: the musicians should leave the law up to the professionals too)  The first set of witnesses would be enough to send the case packing! No one is going to lie for anyone under oath if they have a brain!

    The email he sent me was rough of course, but I could understand his frustrations. He asked me not to write again, so I wrote to say I wouldn't write. You don't just not write, then the man wouldn't know that I got the message. I wanted him to know he wasn't really worth much more of my time. I mean, I will continue to pray, but I don't need to be arsed with his nonsense. What does he do? Well, in true form, he writes me back! He just hadn't finished all he wanted to say, I guess. I think maybe we should both just sit down with each other or maybe put on some soft boxing gloves and just have it out FFS!  I mean, I think he may like that, and I know I sure as hell would.  At least now, today, when I dance with Bob the boxing dummy I'll have a new face in my mind! Bam! Bam!

    He basically told me to go to therapy; apparently, that's what's been helping him through the last 20 years. I guess the first three times didn't stick, but I'm hoping this last time may have done the trick. I choose to air my worries with Christ, not someone who has been a human as long as I have been. I don't need someone telling me to center, breathe, think about my actions, write down my thoughts, and discuss my feelings. Hell, that's what this blog is for, right? Why spend $38,000.00 that I don't have, or in some other people's cases, $38,000.00 that other people may or may not have, in order to know what I should do when my feelings are hurt. What I should do is address it. I should acknowledge it. I should evaluate it, and determine if I had a contributory factor or if the entire thing was a nothing-burger because the other party, the other person, wasn't being malicious, they weren't being slanderous, they weren't trying to defame me (as if I had fame to begin with) what they may have been doing is trying to (albeit in their way) help me. Gosh darn, look, I just saved myself $38,000.00 and months and weeks of group therapy!

    Listen, I'm not saying that people aren't naturally depressed. Some are. I'm not saying that people don't have anxiety or a level of anxiety. We'd be fearless and wreckless if we didn't respect some of the boundaries and know our own limits, but we all need to get outside of those comfort zones too! We can't allow our own souls to be crushed by the demons that could be, would be, or might be out there trying to drag us down. As Believers, we are given CHRIST and He died for that reason, for our salvation, for our healthy minds, bodies, and souls. We have an anchor in Him and if we don't use that anchor well, then maybe when we drift off to the sea we shouldn't question why that is! Maybe, just maybe, we can figure out that the only way to stop the madness is to put in the greatest STOP LOSS ever!  Jesus!  He really (really, no really) is the answer to literally every burdensome question we have. Oh, and here's a hint "friend", He can help you get rid of me too.  Just follow Him, and do what He wants you to do; that way I don't have to pray that hard anymore. To be honest, you're quite a pain in my ass.  I can't stop praying for you until HE releases me, not you. You're in more trouble now than you were before, so yeah, there will be more prayers going up, but that doesn't mean you need to talk to me about it. Talk to Him!

    Public record is public record.  You can go to www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk to see the records. They are there. Just like you can look up public records in my home town too. My divorce is a woot of a long record. If you do decide to dig your shovel into it bring a few extra hands, it's a long long ugly unruly case. More dirt than you can imagine! More miracles too.  Just so you know, when you find yourself knee-deep in quicksand, remember who made the quicksand. Ask for help.  While you're at the public record sites, investigate all the names (let me say that again, all of the names) you are associated with. You may find the dates don't add up the way you thought they would. Oh no, there's no mistake, those are the real dates. That is the real story. You were just too young to be told. You're a big boy now.  If you want to dig and threaten me with legal action, know that I too have a shovel, and a keyboard. NOTHING is done in the dark that can't be shone in the light. The photos of others are still important and neither you nor I have dominion over what others post; do we?  

    Life isn't fair. No one on this green Earth ever said life would be fair for you, for me, for any of us. We have choices, we make choices. We live with, deal with, cover-up, and lie all the time to protect our choices.  Maybe we shouldn't do that. We get awfully embarrassed about the choices we made/make then we start to spiral out of control and blame others for bringing those things to the light even when, even if, the others were not trying to embarrass, but truly trying to unwrap the truth so she/he could be closer, pray more accurately, and bring about a very needed peace for someone she/he may have ONCE admired. Let me say that again too, ONCE admired.  Ugly on the inside is so much more unattractive than on the outside. What could be considered beautiful to see or hear may in soul be decaying rapidly. I pray that isn't the case, but my prayers have been grossly reshaped today and I will only do the minimum at this point; because I won't stop pleasing God, He is my King. I don't have another king; I don't worship at the feet of those who could pay my way into a tea room.  I make or buy my own, thank you.

    Meditation is a good thing. We need that. I should have thought twice before hitting the publish button on the one blog I produced this morning, but it needed to be said, and I know the mark was hit. That's another thing about the World Wide Web, there are really cool apps to let me know who has read my blogs. Oops, maybe you didn't know that. Oh well, now you do.  We are all in the same fish bowl. We are all under the same bright lights. Maybe we think we can hide our spots behind a water-waving seaweed plant now and again, but really, we can't. Even the Sun will shine and show us all our folly.  Perhaps the best thing to do is to center, to think, to be aware of the actions before we made/make them. Maybe we should all remind Satan of his future when he tries to remind us of our past or present. We don't have to live with anxiety or depression; let it go to Hell where it belongs. We can have a joyful and meaningful today and tomorrow, because we KNOW who holds the future, and "Because HE lives, I can face tomorrow".  It's not just a line from a song, it is reality.  When Jesus is King, "everything glows" a little brighter....friend.

    

Photo Credit: Hubpages.com

    

Oh, the Possibilities.

 I mentioned to my boss this morning that the company would be better served both politically and in market ability if they hired more women for the trading floor, and as sales representatives; especially in the global markets.  His look was incredible. I wish I could have bottled his expression and sold it online.  Maybe if I could have duplicated his expression, mass-produced it then possibly sold it as a commodity or even a security, that would have been even better!  He sort of halfway laughed, but you could tell in the middle of the first slight movement of his upper lip, he realized how valuable the statement was.  He came back around with an affirmative nod which was followed by a question. He asked me if I would be interested in setting that up or if I was just spitballing.  I smiled right back at him and let him know that Scotland was a point of interest; it may be a great place to start with our eye on global expansion. He walked away slowly, turned, and stated that I may be onto something. I told him I wanted first dibs on Scotland, I wasn't much into London, Dubai, or any other world stage. 

    To say I'm new at the firm would be a gross understatement. I literally started there less than a month ago.  I have, however, been targeted for the sales and trading floor(s) because I showed initial interest when I was first interviewed for a support position. I turned down another position at another firm so that I could grow with the one I am with. I will keep my place for now. I will learn my current role, and I'll take any and all necessary measures to keep up with the growth and progress of the new seed I planted firmly inside the brain of the one person who can make it actually happen.  

    Our trading floor, and the trading floors of so many investment firms, have an overload of masculine representation; to put it bluntly. There is a lack of female counterparts for a few reasons, the first of which is the tradition of only hiring assertive, often overly confident personalities for the job. Not all sure-footedness comes with a male soul. Some of us stand-for-what-we-believe-will-be-best in the way of customer service, sales, and revenue growth comes from the sweeter of the sexes. We women can be quite persuasive when we need to be. Our base abilities to garner and nurture relationships are well renowned! Women have been selling, out-selling, and dominating many of the markets out in the big bad world; trading shouldn't be as far in arrears as they have been!  Times are changing! 

    I trade for myself now, and I'll be trained to trade for others later. I'm thinking I will couple that skillset with a business development model that I've used in the past, to not only hone in on a global market (Scotland) as a pilot group, but I'll end up either managing the global outreach program or at least be a part of establishing it. I'm seriously not interested in globe-hopping; I will be satisfied with keeping myself occupied and preoccupied in the land of Heather. There is/are plenty of fish to be found for what we will need, and it may be that another person may be more interested in continuing the growth abroad. We have offices now in about six or seven American cities; we need Canada, we need London; maybe Dublin too. We need the Virgin Islands for sure, but I think we need Scotland first; even if it is just more or less for personal reasons.  We won't go fully global as the trust level of many world markets are/is not what it would need to be in order to both invest in the build and sustain the relationship(s). We can trust Scotland! 

    It won't happen today or tomorrow, so I don't have to worry too much about finding myself a place to live.  When I do move it will likely be into the City Centre so I can have access to as many strong offices as possible; there are three major banks in Scotland, as well as the Bank of England (a national bank in Scotland) but there are over 2000 financial institutions and many of them would be considered our type of client. I'm sure I could keep myself busy for a year or two on the relations side and trickle in the trades as they come; such possibilities!! I'm in think mode at this point. I'll learn what I need to learn, do what I need to do, go where I need to go and achieve all that I can. Good plan!

OK, speaking of plans, I need to go make dinner!  Smothered chicken, or Marry Me Chicken, as it's often called. Woot!

    

Photo Credit: stv.tv

Back at It! (Studying for the Series 66)

 Yes, yes, I'm one of THOSE people who like to study, and accumulate degrees and licenses for various reasons, and mostly so I can say I have it in case I lose yet another job. I can fall back on one or the other of my professionalism(s) such as selling insurance, and even variable annuities soon. That's another reason I'm taking Series 66 and 7 (both FINRA-regulated exams). I want to be able to say I have the license(s) so I can work literally anywhere in the world and sell securities! I want my CLU and my CPCU also, so I can underwrite all lines of insurance besides being able to sell every line, or adjust the numbers for the clients and/or carriers with a Claims Adjuster's license. It's something I like to do; something I'm good at, so why not? Why not have a dozen licenses and four educational degrees under my belt? Can't hurt!

    The Series 66 exam will allow me to both give advice on financial matters, as well as perform some of the wealth management duties I'll need to do if I ever decide to become a Broker/Dealer.  The Series 7 is what is referred to as a "top off" exam, something you get so you can sell securities and manage other people's wealth (as well as your own, but you can manage your own without the exams. You just can't advise anyone about what it is that you're doing. You can say "this is what I do" but you can't say, "I think it would be a good thing for your to do as well."  Every wealth manager in the United States must be registered with FINRA (Financial Industry Regulation Authority) and if you sell securities for an investment agency, you must, as a representative, register in every state where you do business; whether or not you have an office in that state. There are rules that allow exclusions depending on who your clients are, but that would take too long to go into.  Suffice it to say, I'm back in the saddle again! I'm back to studying the study guides so I can pass the Series 66 in November.

    I took the test in April and I didn't pass it. You have to have a 70 to pass, and when you do pass the examiners don't tell you your score. I hate that. If you don't pass they do tell you. It's a bit different from the state insurance tests. I found out my passing score! Yea!  I was very disappointed when I was told my score for the Series 66 because seeing a score meant I didn't pass. I missed the exam cut-off by literally 1 question! You know you answer at least 3 or 4 questions on a 50/50 hunch, so even if ONE of those questions was correct, I would have passed. I was gutted, but it only made me resolve to do better. I didn't have time to do any real study over the summer months, but now I do. I will hunker down, watch every video, read every chapter again, and go over my PassPerfect account to find all the questions I missed along the way (they have study guides with quizzes to prepare you, and I was able to save them.)   www.passperfect.com is the BEST, and no, I'm not sponsored by them; I just really like them. I have used them a number of times to learn various materials for many of the licenses I have now. 

    My current job is in the back office of a trading firm. I'm learning the ropes from the ground up so that when I do go onto the trading floor I'll have all the puzzle pieces in place. I will understand the entire process; I'll appreciate the folks who do the work behind the scenes to make my trades happen!  I'm one of those hardworking folks now; it's only a matter of time before I am able to make a transfer in my position to apprentice trader, then on to floor trading solo. I trade for myself now with Forex, but trading my money vs. trading other people's money is way way different.  Our clients are money institutions. I won't say where I work; I want to keep that private. There are rules about what one can and can't say and I won't break a single rule -- not now, not ever. FINRA is the final say in all things regulated regarding being able to buy, sell, and manage money for others. I want to be a top performer by this time next year. I will keep my nose clean! No rule-breaking for me!

    In order to be able to sit the test(s) for FINRA, a person must complete an entirely different certification/exam called the SIE or Securities Industry Essentials. It's so NOT easy. The process for the exam is to first study of course, and then take the exam. There are study courses, books, videos, and quizzes online, and there are groups in your area that get together to both support one another, and to study. It's not cheap, it's not easy, it's not something most people wake up and say they want to do, but in the end, it is needed to be in wealth management. If you don't have the SIE you can't work in the industry in any other capacity than clerical or perhaps the management of people, but not money or securities.  The SIE was perhaps the hardest exam I've ever taken. I know I failed it once, I may have actually failed it twice. I'd have to go back and look. I think  I may have actually failed it twice. I know I passed it finally!! They don't tell you the scores (bastards) when you pass, but I had a little fun tallying up the questions I knew I got right on the exam vs. those I wasn't sure about. I had over 75 that I KNEW I was correct on, and I did pass, so I'm thinking I got about an 80-85 since the ones I KNEW were correct, and there were 83 of them.  Give or take factor of 3, let's say.

    The Series 66 deals with the Uniform Securities Act, and the laws (both Blue Sky state laws and federal laws) as they pertain to securities.  There are 100 questions and you actually have to get 73 correct, not 70. I don't know why. I think they throw in an additional 10 questions that are pilot questions; questions that won't be graded, but they expect you to know 3 of the 10. I don't know how it's weighted, but I know it is. The questions range from interest rate calculations to knowing the duties of individuals in the industry. You have to know intimate details about the business structures, types of accounts, limitations, and mostly suitability for your client(s). You can't think it's OK to sell a long-term bond to an 85-year-old client who is looking for a fast turnaround in his/her investment. You need to know the properties and material facts regarding each security, their functions, and how they will best suit your individual client(s); at any given time.  It's a lot to learn, but again, it's essential if you want to do what I want to do. So, I'm doin' it. 

    The Series 66 is actually a combined exam. It combines the Series 63, and the Series 65 into one exam.  If you have the Series 7 you want to take the 63. If you have a Series 6, you want to take the 65, but if you have the 66, you can do all the wheelin' and dealin' that both the Series will allow!  It's complicated but easy to Google, and if you're into such things as I am, you may want to find out whether or not the Series 66 is your cup of tea, or if you want to spare yourself a headache or two and just take the more limited exams if your company doesn't need you to do more than what they cover or include. I just want to be over the top prepared in case I ever need to be. I'd rather have more than I need than be short someday and find myself needing to have something I didn't have -- why not put it to rest? I'm also that person who shows up to work 15 minutes early and I stay the entire time I'm asked; I guess I'm anal to a degree, but some people still appreciate the work ethic! I know  I do.  I can't STAND IT when people are late for work when they have just as many hours and minutes in the day as everyone else. Planning people!! Good planning!! Make it happen.

    OK, so hopefully, in about a month or so I'll report back and say I have the Series 66! Then, I'll study for the Series 7.  After the Series 7, I'm going to pick up the CLU (Certified Life Underwriter) and the CPCU (Certified Property & Casualty Underwriter) just to have them. Heck, I'll renew my Workers Compensation Adjuster too, to make it that much more fun!  You laugh, or maybe you groan, but let me tell you, I am the bookworm of bookworms. If I can learn it, and I could possibly use it after I learn it, I want to learn it. I never wanted to be a CPA, but if it has to do with the management of money, or understanding life needs such as insurance, I'm there.  It may be a habit, but it's a good one to have. It's cheaper than cocaine; and safer! That much I can guarantee you. I can't actually guarantee much with FINRA watching, but I can guarantee that selling and understanding financial securities and insurance products is in fact cheaper than, and safer than, doing cocaine! At least we have that going for us. 

    OK, my Bearded Dragon is staring at me, I think it's time for a cuddle.

   For grins and giggles, watch Dean Tinney on YouTube with the Series 7 Guru. He will absolutely answer questions you need to have answered. 

    Photo Credit: SecurityIndustry.org

    

    

It's Time!

 https://www.facebook.com/amirtsarfatiofficial/videos/858451575137641

It Is About Damn Time Autumn!

 Here we are four days into Autumn (2022) and we have JUST NOW seen temperatures lower than 90 degrees (F) here in Oklahoma City. I'm all but beside myself with glee! I've been dancing in the mornings as I walk the dog! Thank you, God, for the nicer cooler morning weather. It has been lasting into the 10 a.m. hour, and it hasn't been unbearable throughout the day! It's about damn time! You've heard of Indian Summers and I know, the South is famous for them, but it's been way too hot for way too long, and we don't even hardly remember what rain even looks like When we do get it, it tends to pour from the open skies at a 100 miles a minute and then just like that it's gone again! I mean sure, we do get our cars washed, but flash flooding is a real thing! Little dogs can't swim that fast!

    I miss Autumn in Indianapolis! I really do. I know, even as an Engish professor I know, I'm not supposed to capitalize the seasons, but I do it anyway. I miss the heck out of Autumn in Indy! There, they have four seasons. I guess we have four here in Oklahoma as well; hot, cold, storm, and football!  We know how to do each with gusto too, let me tell you.  The colors in Indy are just breathtaking, and I can't get enough of the Japanese Maple trees that were planted right outside my house there (Avon, IN) just off the 10th hole of the Prescott Country Club.  Hundreds of pines, and dozens and dozens of other species, but my all-time favorite is the Blue Spruce. It doesn't really change colors as much as it is just so adorably majestic. The colors from the oaks, aspens, and maples are too inviting. If you haven't been up to Indiana, you're truly missing out on one of America's best-kept secrets. 

    While Florida sits on the top of the 80's today, and again tomorrow, Hurricane Ian is expected to blow its way through on Wednesday, and it's not going to leave many colorful leaves in its wake. In fact, it may take a few trees with it.  I was telling a co-worker today that I would rather have the two hours leading up to a potentially large tornado which then lasts less than 2 minutes once it comes through, and you don't have to worry for days, board up your place, or try to get out of town. You just hunker in a basement, closet, or bathroom with a mattress on top of you, and you pray really hard! It's a plan that's worked for me so far. Devastation is devastation, either way you look at it, so support, prayers, and thoughts are always with those who are going through it. Hurricane season should be over soon, I hope! We tend to see ice storms right after we burn to the ground with our summer's sun! Like I said, we have four seasons, one right after the other usually, but there are times we have them all on the same day!

    People, who aren't from here, ask Okies all the time why we stay in a place that has so many tornadoes, ice storms, deadly mosquitoes, and spiders the size of your fist? Well, at least you can see the spiders coming for ya! That's always a plus. The mosquitoes aren't actually out to get you, you usually have to invade their territory for them to be angry enough to bite you. They don't actually kill you either, that was hyperbole. Same with the spiders; I mean yeah, they're big, but not big enough to carry a weapon, vote, or steal your car. You'll be fairly safe if you just spray the house a couple of times each year when you think you see one. Where there is one there are hundreds more lurking behind the wall or baseboards. SPRAY like you mean it.  Summer is supposed to kill off most of the bugs, but anymore  I think they've learned to adapt.  Winter is supposed to kill off the summer ticks and fleas, and it's been doing its job lately. We've had some ice-packing, cold snap winter days that could challenge Alaska here in the Sooner State. We tend to clear the mess up pretty quickly once the sun realizes it's needed. Here in Oklahoma, we have over 240 days of sun out of the 365 days God gives us each year.

    I actually walked the dog for a full mile this afternoon with the sun glaring down on me without having to wear a hat or crawl back into the apartment after 11 minutes. That's a plus! That means we're on our way to a true Fall and not the Fake Fall that we get a lot of the time in the South and Southwest.  It's almost as if Summer just can't understand his/her place in the lineup each year. He/She shows up around May thinking we won't notice. A lot of folks are OK with it because it means or usually means the tornadoes stop or fizzle out, but not every year! That's a myth someone told Summer and he/she keeps poking around like it's allowed. Then he/she stays and overstays his/her welcome!! GO AWAY, thank you. I think Australia is a good place to visit around early September. If I were Summer that's where I would head off to!  Lots of water to play in too; leave the Plains, we don't really need you holding back the crop rains. 

    Whew! I looked outside and saw my American flag waving. You know what that means! There's a breeze outside. There is an actual good to the last-minute breeze! I love it.  C'mon Autumn, roll in! Show us the love we want, and the love we believe we deserve. I promise we'll treat you well too. Pull up a chair, we'll watch some football, make a bit of hot cocoa, roast a few marshmallows in the fireplace, and before I get too carried away in this wonderful fantasy I have going, let's just remember that Fall is the one season we get free candy on Halloween, it's the time of my birthday, and lots of food on Thanksgiving too! Yes, this is a good good time of year.  FINALLY!!!!

    

    

    

Photo Credit: Mountaintoplodge.com 

I LOVE Pinterest (Food Menu)

 Sometimes, if I get sad, or feel like I need something really cute and fun to pick up my spirits, I'll go to www.pinterest.com and just search for something like "chocolate cake" or "Dachshund puppies".  OK, I'll search "Pugs" too because nothing says "I'll make you happy and keep you there" like a fat little pug staring right at you from the other side of the monitor. I could look at Pinterest all day and night and probably not get very bored. I go down so many rabbit holes with it. I don't save things to my boards like I thought I would, I just go there, look, get ideas, move forward, and then try to mimic what I found! I actually can do that some of the time! I once used two sawhorses and an old vintage door for a desk.  The hole that the door knob went into was awesome for allowing cables through! You can't beat Pinterest for really cool ideas.

    I also use Pinterest, or I should say I have used Pinterest and still do, to look up, research, and find food menu ideas for lunch and dinner. I use it for ideas of what to take to an office party food event. I use it to look up and search for ideas for snacks when I want something different from what I usually make. I even look up really really unusual things with ingredients I haven't purchased often in the past just to see if I would think it was worth trying again. I decided against most of them, but I picked up a bit of courage along the way, and I did try one or two things.

    Earlier this month I decided to do 25 unique dinner preps for the month. You may say "but there are 30 days in September, why only 25?" The answer would be that I don't cook on Thursdays. I guess I could have looked up dinner menus that didn't require cooking! I don't know when I started the whole "I don't cook on Thursdays" thing, but it's a thing, and I really don't cook on Thursdays.  My darling kids know this by now and they often take me out that night! It's a win.  So, with Pinterest dinner and dining planning, I decided to look up meat dishes for the most part, but I threw in a few non-meat dishes. I'm a meat eater, so I don't often go without it. I won't apologize, I am who I am.  I only do dinners because I know I can make extra and save it for the next day's lunch! (Ha! Clever!)

    I found chicken meals, beef meals, pork meals, and more. I don't really cook lamb, but I would if I decided to. I would need a bit of research and practice on that one. It's a bit more expensive and to be honest, the kids wouldn't necessarily eat it, so I can get an authentic gyro on one of the Thursdays that I'm roaming about the town looking for a good meal that someone else has prepared. Gyros count! There are at least 3 really good Mediterranean restaurants in the area. We even have a really cool Med-T shop for food too! I love their olive choices!! I digress.  I found American dishes, Scottish dishes, other European dinner ideas, and of course Mexican food! I love good authentic Mexican food, but I can't always handle the peppers. I'm on the weenie side of things when it comes to that spice! I found a few Indian preps as well, and then of course...RAMEN!

    Tonight it was hometown goodness; BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, cornbread muffins, and iced tea!  To start the process so it would be ready at six, I began cooking the pork in seasonings and stock in the slow cooker around noon.  I added things as the day progressed, and by 5:30 it was time to separate the water from the meat, save a bit of meat for tomorrow's ramen meal, and then start chopping up the pork!  I added Sweet Baby Ray's sauce, and stacked my bun from Aldi! They have amazing bread choices.  I made cornbread muffins with a bit of flaxseed. I never cook with sugar, and a good Southern woman never adds sugar to the cornbread either -- so I used monk fruit. It's amazing!!  Let me just say, this meal is going on next month's menu planner as well as this month's.  Say what you wanna say, but you really can't overdo BBQ.

    I'm not doing things like sides of ribs, entire brisket, etc. I live with Laura, and soon I'll just live alone and if she wants to eat at my place she can.  I prep for one or two, and I cook for two or three just in case any one of my kids decides to knock on the door. They may bring a few others with them too, so I do appreciate a heads up so I can add more to the crock pot!  I typically make an announcement when I'm making something like a stew, Shepherd's Pie, or Marry Me Chicken. That way they can come over in droves and we can eat as a family - - always a fun time. We don't really do Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner as a family, as my two kids who are married have other plans and it seems silly for Laura and me to go all out for the two of us. We typically Pinterest something small and fun; this year will not be any different.

    As for desserts, that's next month! I'm not eating much in the way of desserts because I'm working out, but I think as the holiday seasons crop up I'll need to take something here and there to work so that the co-workers really understand who is sitting next to them.  I can be persuaded to pop into the office with a cobbler or a fun-fetti cake for someone's birthday! I'm told this office does impromptu food days as well as a month-end food day! That's wonderful. It's not just about the ingredients, but how you put them together, how you present them, and all the love and care you pour into the process as well.  I love my kitchen. When I do move, I've already decided to buy myself all new utensils, pots, pans, and anything that can be considered a cooking necessity. I will spoil myself. I have for years, why stop now?

    Tonight's BBQ sandwiches were inspired by something I remember seeing when I went to eat at Earl's BBQ, here in OKC. I'll put a link to that blog here: https://judestringfellow.blogspot.com/2021/03/earls-rib-palace-that-is-all.html  I watched as the cook was pulling the pork and it was both a pull and a sort of cutting, chopping. The pieces (bits) were bigger and chunkier, and you could really sink your teeth into them. I loved it!  My sandwiches turned out amazing tonight, and although it was just Laura and me tonight, no others, we had ourselves a nod or two with our mouths full of incredible goodness!  I think I want to take a minute and just say how grateful I am to have been born and raised right here in Oklahoma!  Boomer Sooner!

Photo Credit:  Me

A New Era - End Times

 I'm a prophecy watcher. I don't really attend church services anymore. Having grown up a Baptist in the Southwest of the US, I can pretty much recite the stories, tell you who is married to whom, how many kids they had, who they grew up to be, and what role they play in the lineage or life of Christ. I can also give you the facts surrounding and regarding every commandment, law, rule, and/or expectation of the Old and New Testament. I've often said that everyone should be a Baptist for the first 12 years of their life so they can know the Roman Road of Salvation, take the steps needed to become a Christian, be publically baptized, and then know (by heart) every book in the Bible both forward and backward - - yes, that is something we really did learn in Vacation Bible School. 

    With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II this month, an old era has been laid t rest, while a new era of time has been ushered in, and not in a subtle or easy manner. There are so many things happening on the geo-political stage right now, it would be impossible to try and name them all.  For beginners, the Prime Minister of Israel, who is actually not even a Prime Minister, but a man who is sitting in until November when the 5th try at a legal election will take place, is an idiot. This man, Yair Lapid, has literally offered a Two-State Solution to the opposite side for the purpose of bringing about "Peace and Security".  If those words ring a bell with you, and you are a Believer, and a following Believer, then you'll likely be like me, and start catching yourself gasping for air while staring up at the Eastern sky! "C'mon!! Let's Go!!!" (you'd have to know to know.)  If Damascus is destroyed by nukes this week I'll not be contained. I can tell you that!

    Around the world, as the Queen was being laid to rest, I caught videos and live vloggers talking about the differences between who really thinks her passing was important, and who didn't really care much about it either way. To say that it's a common event would be drastically overstated. She reigned for 70 long years, but the problem is that she REIGNED at all.  Most Americans, by design, thank you, are opposed to a monarchy of any sort, most of us were and are direct descendants of the men and women who left the control of the king and forged for themselves a new life here in this land, which became the United States. We aren't really big fans of kings and queens; but to be fair, I understand that her following genuinely loved her and they felt that she was a good example of what a monarch should be. We just don't think it's necessary, as we don't see the need to have one in the first place. (To be honest with you, I don't think there should be beauty queens either, and it would seem that America has been obsessed with these types for decades.)

    Those "across the pond" on the other hand, were literally raised with the monarchy being a real thing, and even an imposing thing, in that they, the Royal Family, literally own lands, have houses, manors, castles, and live the lives of the extreme privileged while millions can barely bring the ends to meet on a weekly or monthly basis. They were taught to respect, honor, and revere, but many do not. Many are, like those of us in the United States, of a more practical ilk, wanting freedom from anything opposing and they've been (slowly and steadily) showing their dislike, disdain, distaste, and in some cases (Glasgow Celtics come to mind) disrespect.  I will say that I am not happy that a 96-year-old woman who was so loved by so many has passed, but my opinion of her, and my opinion of the Royals in general, must be put aside, and I will pray for the family and friends, as well as for those who did and do love the Royals. They have truly suffered a great loss.

    What we here in America hear about the Queen or about the Royals, may very well be skewed in the same manner of how the media portrays Donald Trump to the world. Most of the Europeans I speak to hate the man, but when it comes to them narrowing down a reason, they only repeat what the news anchors have stated, they can't come up with answers on their own really. Some in the area of Aberdeen, Scotland are upset about a golf course he wanted to create in the area. They claim he was trying to force them from their homes. NEWS FLASH: He couldn't have even started the project if it hadn't been sold to him by the Scots in the first place. He didn't have rights to the land, someone sold them to him, and those people were their people.  Yes, he's an ass at times, but he's a helluva businessman, and even if you don't like his antics or his overtly charismatic personality, you have to admire that he wasn't born in a castle on an estate that took up 53,000 acres of someone else's land rights. He is self-made, and his mother was Scottish so yeah, he and the Queen have that in common too, don't they?

    With the new Prime Ministers in the UK and Israel and the new monarch with the decades of disastrous scandal in his background, I can't see how anyone in the UK can berate or belittle Trump. It's beyond me when you think about it. The very things they complain about Trump is being done to them in spades by the new king and it has been for centuries! It's hard to see that when you're a frog in a pot of warm water, it just feels so normal until suddenly you realize you're boiling.  When you point one finger at someone, four are pointing right back at you and your own past! Again, the old is dying and passing away, and the new is not as young as some would hope.  I have heard people speculate that Charles will soon be gone and William will be next in line. In line for what? Supposedly the family has no power. Supposedly, the family has no standing politically. I call bull-shit on that. Look at the following. Look at the way they are worshipped by some. There is certainly power being given to them, but I couldn't know why.

    The Bible is clear about the events in the very end, and we are right there within a gnat's eyebrow ("and yes, gnat's have eyebrows" - J.D. Farag) from seeing the Rapture of the Church.  Could it be that the Queen was the last good thing standing between what will happen in the UK and the rest of the political stage setting? At least parliament will support Israel for now, as will the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the other "young lions" as mentioned, but we (for the most part) will soon be taken; snatched away -- this will leave a huge mess for the new "man" who Charles himself discussed at a 2021's G20 world stage event when he literally said that the time has come to give this "man" the trillions of $$$ he'll need to run the show. Charles said it, not Trump.  Who is the man he spoke of? (Hint: Christians won't know, we'll be gone by the time he is revealed, but he is the Anti-Christ. No, it isn't Charles. He is neither charismatic nor from the right location.) This new king may not be the one in charge, but he will be willing to assist the one who he believes should be.

    They want you to believe there is a climate issue. Read your Bible. God created the climate issue. Does man really think he can reverse what God has set in motion? Nonsense.  The End Times will not only see increasing heat waves and areas of the world that has/have never seen such dry and arid temperatures, but there will be famine, there will be disease, there will be pestilence, and there will be earthquakes in greater numbers and greater intensity. We've seen more than 10 earthquakes in the past 10 days that have been over a 6.0 magnitude. This is more normal than rare at this point, but it wasn't always so. It won't stop. It will increase.  Wickedness will not stop. It will increase. These things must happen.  What things? Wars, rumors or threats of wars, crime, lawlessness, families failing to love each other, nations with civil unrest; it's all in there. Read Matthew 24 for context.  Read Revelation for the news update. Psst...we're sitting on top of Revelation 3 now, and when we cross over into the 4th chapter you'll see a mass exodus of literally thousands of millions of people!  Don't take my word for it, it was written more than 2000 years ago!'

    The Queen reigned for 70 years. She did not reign for 69 or 71 years, but for 70. If you are a follower you'll understand the significance of that alone. It may not be Biblical in that she wasn't named, but the symbolism of it is grand. Nothing escapes God. I won't give my personal opinion on what I think of the Royals. I won't go into detail about any research I've done or any speculation regarding who they may truly be. We are all destined to do the same thing; to meet Jesus Christ one-on-one, face-to-face, and there will be no one there with any greater standing than another. No rich, no poor, no Royal, no servant, we will all be absolutely equal before Him. The question is, and only can be, do you (or have you) accepted Jesus as your King? Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord? There is no other way but through this One. He and He alone is worthy.  We are right there folks. This is the proverbial "it".  This is how it ends, and then it all begins for eternity.  We are living in the most amazing times to be witness to these things. With this sort of witness comes great responsibility. I can't breathe for you, and I can't make decisions for anyone other than myself. 

    It is with honor, with humility and thankfulness that I can say beyond a shadow of any doubt, that I hold the belief that Jesus is the only Son of our Living God, and that He was born here on Earth, died for our sins, and here's the good part, He got out of the grave! He arose! He is alive! He is truly King. He is truly God. He will return, and I pray you to know that it is very very soon.

The Roman Road to Salvation.  Read it. Do it. 

https://www.compellingtruth.org/Romans-Road-salvation.html

Photo Credit: CBN News

Rapture Ready (No Matter When it is)

 If you keep up with the blog you know I'm a follower of Christ, and a Believer in His soon return. That being said, there are other Believers who don't think the Rapture will happen before the Tribulation period. If you aren't familiar with either of those terms, "Rapture" or "Tribulation", you may find yourself at a loss while reading, but I'll try to go into a bit of detail without changing the context of the titled blog.  Being Rapture Ready means you are someone who looks forward to the event known as the Rapture. The Rapture is a very specific event, not something that will happen over and over again. It is a defining event, in that once it does happen there will be no turning back, and all time stops for those who are "raptured".  We, the Believers, will be literally stripped from the Earth and in the space of less than a nano-second, our corruptible human bodies will be instantaneously changed to that of an immortal body. We will not stay on this Earth but will be taken (snatched away, in Greek, the word is "harpazo", meaning taken by swift force.)  It has never happened, and it will never happen again.  Some say there will be another Rapture after the Seven-Year Tribulation; it will be for those who become Christians during the 7-year Tribulation. That event will likely take place either at the time or just after the Second Coming of Christ. Wow...I just realized I may have to explain the Second Coming as well.

    OK, quick and easy one-minute explanation of the End Times Events.

• Rapture of the Church (or Believers) as well as all children and all simple-minded folks, is the snatching away of those who are saved, born again, looking for Christ's return. The good news is, even if you're not looking for His return, but you are saved, you will go up in the Rapture. It happens very very fast, and no one knows exactly when it is. It is believed by many that it will take place at or near the time of the Feast of Trumpets because of the trumpet references and the other Jewish wedding clues and innuendo that surround the Feast of Trumpets, which is also known as Rosh Hashana, the Head of the Year. This year those days are Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24-25, 2022, but it could bleed into Monday if the New Moon is slow in showing the sliver of waxing, which has to take place before the official start of the Year.

• Seven-Year Tribulation Period. As the name denotes, it is a 7-year period of time following the Rapture but is NOT triggered by the Rapture. It is triggered by the signing of an agreement between Israel and "many". That could also be a confirmation rather than a new agreement. Could have something to do with the Abraham Accords.  The Tribulation is a time on Earth that will start out really badly due to the disappearance of literally thousands of millions of Believers, and all children and simple minded people.  The Triublation will be incredibly difficult, horrific, terrifying, and dangerous for anyone really, but more so for those who become Christians after the Rapture because there will be a time shortly following the Rapture when the world leaders will force people to take a literal MARK, or tattoo, bio-science marker, to keep track of them. This is already starting, and the vaccines were a dry run to see who would push back.  Most of us who were pushing back are Believers, and we'll be gone! It won't be hard for those in charge to take over by governing food, water, and such; only giving the rights to buy and sell to those who take their mark. Many will die because they refuse. REFUSE!! If you find yourself here after the Rapture, REFUSE the Mark. If you take it you are transforming yourself from human to transhuman and you cannot be saved by Grace at that time. ONLY HUMANS can be.

• Second Coming: Jesus, the same Messiah who took the Believers, will spend the 7 years with us in Heaven, before returning to Earth. He will LITERALLY tough down (foot planted) on the Mt. of Olives in Jerusalem. When He does that there will be an enormous Earth Quake. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. Every mind will know that HE IS THE RISEN KING. There will be no doubt whatsoever, so if you're planning on escaping the Tribulation and continuing your life as you see fit, it will not happen.  The Believers will be with Christ when He returns. We will govern, we will lead, teach, and instruct. We will help Him rebuild His kingdom, and He will reign for 1000 years before ending time altogether. 

Many people get the Rapture and the Second Coming mixed up, or they think they are the same thing. They are not. No one knows when the Rapture will happen, but nothing has to happen before it does. We are so close to it, and if you are a Believer, and you're reading your Bible, you'll see that every last prophecy that needs to take place has and is taking place. There is NOTHING left to happen, not even earthquakes in diverse places. This past week alone we've seen an uptick in larger quakes in diverse areas. This is really looking like a good year for the Rapture. I really hope it is. Now, I'm not dogmatic about the timing. I can't know, I don't know, but I do listen and learn from men and women who spend and have spent their entire adult lives studying the specific clues.  Many good scholars believe the Feast of Trumpets is the fulfillment of the Rapture.

    

    With the passing of the Queen, an entirely new era has been ushered in, and there is no doubt it will not be the same as it was.  With the new Prime Minister in the UK, the 5th election for a Prime Minister in Israel, the destabilization of the Middle East, and so many other direct Bible references to what the world will look like at the time of the End (See Matthew 24 for context), we are looking at a great and marvelous collision of events and timing. If it is not this year, it is certainly very very close, and I can't stop hoping that it will be even earlier than Sunday! I want to go HOME!

    I still don't know what we're going to do when we get to Heaven. We'll be there, in our new bodies, without pain, death, decay, corruption, sin, or anything negative. If our beloved family or friends aren't there, I'm not sure we'll even be aware of it. I'm not sure we'll have any recollection of what our Earthly jobs were, who we worked with, hung out with, were married to, and gave birth to. It's all very new. We'll not be the same age as we were when we died if we died on Earth. We'll be something new and different. We'll be ageless. The Bible says we'll be known, and recognized, but it says nothing about what it is that we'll actually be doing other than celebrating and preparing for the wedding and wedding feast. I really don't think that's going to take more than a few weeks. What will we do for the rest of the seven years? I hope we just get to roam the place, meet up with folks, listen, sing, learn, and converse with Jesus! I know we'll be learning to ride horses if we don't know how to do that because we come back to Earth with Christ on horses. No cars, people!! I love that.

    

    When I think of the things that won't be in Heaven I am immediately caught up in thinking that there will be no hospitals, police stations, fire stations, clinics, dog or cat rescues, children's homes, orphanages, nursing homes, hospice, and no jails or infirmaries of any type.  There will be coffee! You know there will be coffee shops! We can get it to go while we walk the streets and try and name the animals we haven't ever seen before and collect as many flowers and cute little bugs that don't bite or cause you any discomfort.  The Bible says there are "mansions" but the translation could be "rooms" or "dwellings".  We will have our own, but we can no doubt share if we want to.  Did my Daddy go to Heaven early so he could put in my new kitchen cabinets and do all the beautiful trim work? Maybe! 

    

    Actually, the truth is, we aren't in our new bodies yet if we die on Earth before the Rapture. When our loved ones die we say they are in a better place, and they are but they are not yet, in physical form. Not one soul who has passed has been given their new form yet. We'll all be given those wonderful and incorruptible bodies at the time of the Rapture, at the last trumpet! That doesn't mean it will be on the Feast of Trumpets. The seven festivals of Israel are in fact for Israel.  Jesus can come at any moment, and He will come at the right time, not a second before. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Christ must or will come back on Rosh Hashana. He is coming for the Church, not the nation of Israel. 

    Whenever the Rapture comes, be it this weekend or another day, it will be a one-time event, never to happen again. You'll want to be a part of it.  If you are a part of it, you will live eternally with Christ in an incorruptible body and do really amazing and wonderful things for the rest of all non-time, which is why it's called eternity.  If you are NOT in the Rapture and you find yourself here on Earth after it happens, DO NOT TAKE THEIR MARK for any reason. Die first. I know that sounds really horrible, but if you do take it you are damned to an eternity without Christ and you will literally be sent to a real firey burning hell that really does exist, and I wouldn't want that for anyone; not even the worst of the worst. I would prefer that people simply don't exist but God has been very very clear on the matter(s). You have a choice. You have free will. It really is UP TO YOU to decide if you'll follow Christ or not. No one else can do it for you.

    Well, that's about it. Rapture Ready! I'm ret-ta-go!  I don't want to be on this Earth another day if it means I get to go see Jesus!  Eternity is just about long enough. I am truly looking forward to that; time stops, and we live. Joy! Have you ever been sitting around and thinking to yourself that you really do exist? This really is happening right now? I can't imagine how very cool it will be to be up in Heaven laying back against an ancient tree, looking over the many moons and planets that will be circling, coming and going, and just trying to figure out how that orca stays afloat out of water.  I may just have to get up and ask it. Ride it. Laugh! Carry on!

    Be blessed.  Seriously, if you don't know Jesus today is the DAY to find Him. You can Google the Roman Road, but I'll put a link here for you too. It's a really simple way to (1) realize you are a sinner and in need of Jesus (2) acknowledge that the wages for your sin is death without Christ (3) believe that He is the risen Son of God, and (4) confess your sin, asking Him to be your God, your King. He is faithful, and He promised that anyone ANYONE who asks shall be saved. ANYONE. No matter how bad you think you've been, Jesus has saved someone worse than you! 

The Roman Road.  What are the Scriptures in the Roman road?

• All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God ( Romans 3:23 ).
• The wages of sin is[eternal]death ( Romans 6:23 ).
• The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord ( Romans 6:23 b).
• Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead ( Romans 10:9 ).

Photo Credit: DoctorAfrica.com

Rude People. They are Everywhere.

 You really can't escape the base and low character(s) of some people. They just pop up no matter where you go, no matter what you comment. You could comment on something about kilts and they'll turn the damn thing around and make it about themselves by trying to create havoc about you. I call these people small, and they are. It's unfortunate that you have to deal with them. I suppose they can type, so they feel the need to get on social media and cause trouble. If I had to guess I'd bet they're either drunk or so high they can't remember if they actually overdid it, or they needed to take their medication. Whatever the reason, they just feel the need to needle and pester good people for no reason other than to take their own self-hate for a vacation. Cutting you down relieves them of their pitiful existence for a minute. 

    Why do I even bother commenting on sites when I know there is a chance for one of these (or more) idiots to jump on and give their opinion?  In most cases they haven't thought out any argument, they just like to argue for the sake of doing so. I could comment that the sky is a lovely shade of blue, and these jobbies would come on board to say it was green and everyone knew it. Well, I've decided to be my best, and let them stew in their own filthy-mouthed and incredibly base ways. Time will prove again that they can't sustain their stupor and they'll end up pissing on themselves in the gutters again; they can't help themselves, and worse, they won't help themselves when offered some assistance. I've tried. I'm not going to beg someone to stop self-harming. They need to realize they are actually worth so much more than they are letting themselves believe.

    I wrote a blog about an individual who is really very talented, and quite unique. I posted it. Suddenly, out of the blue, and again for no reason other than to make an ass of herself, a woman from Scotland decides to accuse me of stalking the man. Stalking? No, the word is "promoting" or you might use the word "admire" but to say someone is stalking has a connotation that could lead to legal action. People who are as base as this woman really should return to reading books, educating themselves on how to adjust and live in a civil society. Slander is a real thing. Her posting my post only assisted my numbers, so thank you! She needs to have her clocks cleaned, but I'm not in that business. I'll leave that to someone in her neck of the woods. She'll piss someone off soon enough to the point that they teach her what happens to the overly rude.

    The Bible was very clear about her and the demons like her. It states that in the end times we'll see more of it, have to deal with more of it, and have to put up with more of it. OK. That actually makes sense. Satan knows his time is short. He's unleashing the dogs; pigs really. It's time to buckle down, show your true light(s) and be the star you're meant to be. Let the turkeys fly. Eagles soar! The view is pretty good from where I am. I don't have to scrape the bottom of the pond for new thoughts. I should pray for her, and when I can I will. Right now I just want her and others to know they are seen, they are heard, but no one really cares enough to bother with them. I should though. I should pray she changes; it's just that there are so many like her and when one goes away the others come out to play. You can't go anywhere, say anything, have an opinion, or make a statement without them putting in their two cents, and doing so inappropriately. 

    Maranatha! The Rapture is the only thing that will separate us from this sort of trash, but again, my heart needs to be broken for them. When I can, I will. I don't want to lie and pretend I care at this moment when I honestly think they may be possessed, and I'm not really qualified to exercise a demon.  I'll pray and ask God to send someone stronger than myself to do that. We all have our gifts, and that is not one of mine. God isn't finished with me yet. Who knows. 

Photo Credit: Turbosquid.com

Coffee, Oh Coffee!

 Since I was about two years old I have been drinking coffee on a regular basis. I say regular, but when I was a toddler I had to wait until my mom stepped away from her coffee in order to scavage the last bits of it. She knew I was coming for it, so she'd add a dash of milk. Mom drinks her coffee black.  When my grandmother found out I was going around stealing sips from everyone's coffee she put tobacco in the last drops she had left in her cup to try and detour me.  The joke was on her! I nearly died from the spice being too aggressive as I chugged her cup's last; about six uncles and aunts unleashed themselves onto my poor granny, but all I remember is my aunt screaming at me to continue breathing! Good memories! Family fun! Watch the baby gag! She'll be fine.  Usually, you could say "Rub some dirt on it" but this was a case of granny grabbing me away from my aunt and apologizing to me, rocking me in her arms, and saying she'll never do that again! (For that, I was ever so thankful)

    I don't think I picked up the whole coffee "habit" until I was about 18 and working in Hollywood.  I drank whatever was left over in the pot as long as I had copious amounts of cream to put in it. I never cottoned to milk in my coffee. Cream I can handle.  At 18 I had graduated and had already worked for a couple of studios in Hollywood as a driver, an assistant to an assistant, as well as writing bits and pieces for dramas and sitcoms. Believe it or not, the writers in the 80's really did come up to the nobodies and ask their opinion. We weren't "paid" per se, but we were taken care of. We were given tickets to things or allowed to sit in during filming, and what not. I worked for James Garner, yes, THE James Garner, and he taught me how to drink coffee like a pro!

    Being from Oklahoma, both of us, enjoyed talking about the Sooner State and the things we grew up with that may or may not be the same or similar to what all those "Hollywood types", as Jim called them, had to put up with.  We Okies had it pretty good. We rode horses, drank fresh milk, and found fruit alongside the road and/or in someone's garden or yard. We could hitchhike and not worry about anything bad happening. We could catch a ride on a combine if we needed to; but even in those days, the big combines driving down the road blocking all the traffic would have a cup holder in the cab! In those cup holders were cups of coffee and usually served black. I don't get that, I never will.  Why do that to yourself? You should love yourself enough to bring the cream and sugar if you want it. I don't really like it that sweet, but yeah, I'm doing the creamer -- even if it's dry powdered crap, I'm not drinking the dredge black. 

    Jim and I would have at least a full pot before 6:00 a.m. and then another before 8:00 and another before noon.  We shut it off around 3:00 and drank whatever was left over; Jim would say we used a spoon to dig it out of the pot so we could drink it. He'd fight you for it! I was pretty much done by noon.  This was before Starbucks came along. I think they had them, Starbucks was probably up in Seattle at that time, but the world was not revolving around lattes and espresso drinks in 1979-82. We were good with our pots of drip coffee, and all of us knew how to make it using a tin can if we needed to. Not one of us was foo-foo enough to try foam or anything silly in our coffee back in those days. I just can't bring myself to even pretend to see James Garner ordering a Grande Caramel Macchiato! Wow. I just made myself laugh.

    When I went on the World Tour with Faith, and we were often up at 4:00 a.m. and in flight by 6:00 a.m. going somewhere cool, I remember being very grateful for the Starbucks that opened early or stayed open 24/7.  That was when I was drinking Four-shot capp with extra foam always in a Grande cup.  Damn. Those were the days. I think I'd die today if I tried that. Faith would lick the cup and sometimes I'd go ahead and get her a tall cup with either foam or whipped cream; whatever was available. She liked to be part of the drinking party you know!  Many of the Starbucks locations in Hollywood, Ventura, and other local cities now, have actor and director sightings all the time. You can literally sit outside and watch the beautiful people go in for a morning jolt. 

    One morning, I think it was back in 2008, but I'm not sure. I sat outside the Starbucks in L.A. at the corner of Ventura and something, where the Sportsman's Lodge is, and I watched so many would-be and already famous faces walk into the restaurant to get their morning fix. As I sat and watched there were others who would walk up shyly and ask these people for their autographs, or if they could have their photos taken with them. Time after time they were turned away. Seriously, and it wasn't always nice either.  Well, I thought I had had enough. I stood up and announced that Faith the Dog was in the house, and she would allow anyone to come to see her, to pet her, to talk to her, to take photos, and if she was willing and they were willing, she may even give them a big kiss on the mouth!  Talk about chaos!  The FAMOUS people were trying to move others out of the way so they could get there first -- you know how that went.  NOPE!

    Faith was a magnet for attention, that's for sure. As I drink my coffee now, and I think about the times I have sat outside or inside one of these restaurants in one of these cities, watching and waiting to see more soldiers or children in hospitals, I think Faith would be so proud of the way I've learned to drink my coffee without making a scene! She wasn't shy or anything, but she was absolutely exhausted by the time everyone in the store, outside the store, coming up to the store, or thinking about going to the store, had finished loving on her.  She was the best at it, I have to admit that. She never turned a single person away, not once.  (Faith, by this time, had been on over 110 tv broadcasts around the world, she had been on Oprah, Nova, and Discovery, been on the front cover of over 100 magazines, and she had visited more than 1,000,000 soldiers at home and abroad. (Not always American) She was in her own right, a celebrity. Eat your heart out Lassie!

    Today, I won't make a cup of coffee without thinking of my sweet puppy. We (together) went to more than 800 different Starbucks stores. I collected their business cards for years. I'm really not a fan anymore, but I can't not remember the times we had, and the gracious hosts and baristas! I'm not going to say I'd give anything to do it again, because I know I'll do it for eternity. That dog got to Heaven before me, and she's getting all the tourists out of the way so when I get there we'll have time to be together - - if I can pry her out of my dad's sweet hands. That may be a feat in and of itself.  I know there's going to be coffee in Heaven too, no doubt. It's a perfect drink, and there's nothing about Heaven that isn't perfect. I'm rather interested to see if Jim has even tried anything other than his black sludge as he referred to it. He let me make the coffee as long as I filled the filter up to the top! (Psst...even then we didn't drink Folgers!  Jim knew. Life is too short to drink bad cheap coffee.)

Photo Credit: Me

This is Faith with my daughter Caity.