Talk About BOO-BOOs!!

 OMG...sometimes you just make the biggest and most idiotic mistakes in the world, and NO ONE calls you out on it. I mean, I just about made one of these types of unforgivable flub-ups but thank you, Sir. Walter Scott, for coming to my rescue! (Scott and Byron were close friends and I realized that before the last edit) No, seriously, I must have been on the wrong plane and going up the downstairs escalator a few too many times because in my new book "Of Kilted Pleasure" I literally (and this may or may not mean much to you) credited the writing of "Paradise Lost" to Lord Byron, who by the way, wasn't born for another two centuries!!  Nothing to see here folks, just a moron doing moronic things!!  I've read John Milton's "Paradise Lost" and I know who Lord Byron is; but why I would have written the author incorrectly in my own book is...well, it's stupid! That's what it is. 

    There I am, or was, writing the book, and I went through at least 12 readings and missed it every single time. I don't know why. I don't have a clue as to why I would have listed Lord Byron as the author, to begin with, but NOT ONE of the people I had read the book for me pointed out my mistake. No one said, "Hey Jude, you do realize that Lord Byron was about, I don't know, negative 200+ years old when that book came out".  Let's do the math. Paradise Lost was written in 1667 and Lord Byron, born George Gordon Byron, was born in 1788, so well, OK, it's not 200 years, but it's not him!!  He wrote "Jane Eyre", "Don Juan DeMarco", and other things. He wrote "The Vampyr: A Soap Opera" which I only started in the 9th grade and never finished. I need to do that.  Geez, I'm a dork.

    I guess I could just say I'm normal, but these are the types of mistakes I make. I rock along really well, and then BAM! I threw the entire world into a tailspin without so much as even really thinking about it. When I was writing the part of the book where I mention the books and authors I couldn't decide which one I wanted the lady to read. Then I realized that she was in 1731 and Byron wasn't born until 1788 so it couldn't be his work. I changed the title of the book to something that was written earlier, but forgot to take out the author's name! OMG!

    I quickly sent off an email to the lady who makes those corrections and she has been so gracious and kind not to charge me. I would have had to pay for it, and I would have paid for it. That sort of thing can't happen. Here I am claiming to be an avid reader with my Master's in Writing and English and I do that. I would have given myself a mark for sure had I turned in an essay with that sort of boo-boo. We all make mistakes, but mine do tend to be whoopers!! This is the reason, the one reason, the best reason, why I try harder than most to make fewer mistakes. I can out mistake just about anyone when I don't try to. 

    I feel better now.  I'm working on the cover and it's about to be done. Laura helped me with it. We sent it in for final approval, and we will find out if it is done or not. I hope it is. She did a great job. The one posted here is without the extra added fog at the bottom, to make it more romantic and mysterious, but you'll get the picture. The book comes out in May I think. It will be online at Amazon and with Kindle for $6.99 I think, or $7.99.  Then the paperback will be about $18.99 or so with discounts. I'm not sure I'm even doing a hardcover. There may be one available online, but I'm not ordering any to give out. I think romance books should be paperbacks....or now, Kindle. LOVE my Kindle. Don't get me started.

    Thank you, Kaye. Thank you, Laura.

Books on Hold for Now (Future Books)

 I was released from a trading support position in late December with nothing to do and nowhere to go, I was paid a severance, so I decided to write a book. Now, because that's over, and I need to work, I've made another decision to get my Series 7 out of the way, then take the exam for Series 66 so I can focus on earning money in order to further promote my books. It sounds like a vicious cycle, and that's because it is.

    Most writers, most anyone, don't have $$$$ in the bank sufficient to let them just sit at home for months and years on end so they can perform, write, paint, play, or act. Most artists have to work for a living; which of course, is a really sad thing.  I am not special, in that I am not the end-all of writers. I offer that I can offer, and I do what I can do, but I know and recognize that I am a writer and not yet a fabulously wealthy and successful writer or author. I like the word "author" better anyway. I mean yeah, authors write, but I'm more of an author.  

    Because I can earn a living outside of prancing on the keyboard, I do.  I have a means and way of figuring things out for others, and I am pretty good at selling things too.  I have my license to teach. I have licenses to sell insurance (all lines) and I have a license to be a Property & Casualty Claims Adjuster as well. The thing I don't have yet but have wanted for a very long time is my certification in Finance for the Series 7 exam and the certification for my Series 66. These certs will allow me to not only sell stocks, bonds, variable products, etc., but they will also allow me to advise others on how they should proceed with their trading, purchasing, and more, for their retirement, income growth, and more....and more...and more. 

    My plan is pretty simple: I'll write books, sell stocks, trade currency for myself, and earn enough to promote my books. There is a tipping point at some point, where my books will earn more, and I can simply stop selling and work harder on trading for my own income growth and book promotions. It's a way down the road, but it is the road I'm currently on, so that's a good start. Some people do what I'm doing as a hobby after they retire.  I really have no intention of retiring. What's the need? I can travel and work. I can write and work. I can stop working and live off the trading, and I can focus on what is most important; going home! I'm looking forward to the Rapture; nothing else could keep me interested long enough to keep the hope going. I'm ready.

    If you don't understand finance you may want to stay clear of that world. It can swallow you. I danced around the edges long enough to know I want to dive into the pools so that's where I'm headed now. I have a few stop-loss floaters to take with me, so I'm good. Trust me when I say I'd rather be writing than selling, and I'd rather be trading than selling, but for a minute to go, I have to do both. It's all good. Nothing worth keeping isn't earned. My plans have plans. 

Photo Credit: awayhome.ca

PRIDE

 You know, I really hate it when a group of people takes a word or a thing that was once held in such high esteem, and they make it the mascot of something really ugly. No, I won't go into details with that one; but what I will say is that the word "Pride" could and should be used with a certain group because it is exactly what is keeping them in their trouble.  No, they don't see it as trouble, and that's the real problem. They are blinded by that pride. They are captured by it. They are enslaved to it. You can stand there and try to explain it to them until you turn blue; it won't change them. They are given over to their depravity, which is again, EXACTLY what the Bible said would happen to them.

    Pride is a terrible thing. We can be proud without being prideful. We can be happy that something or someone has accomplished something. We can be boastful to a degree that our kid has won this or that award. We can have pride in our kinship, and we can have pride in our appearance, but when we allow that pride to take over and be the subject of worship or too much admiration, we have been deceived by ourselves! We have allowed this deception, and we will no doubt become what the end result is when that happens. We are given into that depravity.  We are no longer useful in our capacity because of the pride we clung to. The cold pride, by the way; demands from us, but never satisfies.

    I am as guilty of this as anyone else, so I think maybe I have the right to discuss it. When we are so bent on being right, and we refuse to hear the opinions of others, we set ourselves up for failure. We could be right. It could be that we are 100% correct about a matter, but perception is real, and if the other person believes they are correct, we can at least listen to them, and try to either show them the truth, or acknowledge that they feel that way, that we (me) feel another way, and you know what, it's OK to disagree! We don't have to wave our flags and scream at each other; we can be on different sides of the issue and still remain friends and/or civil. 

    Pride, according to the Bible, (no better source) comes before a fall. We know this, even if we're not into reading the Word because people tend to quote that one passage if nothing else. Pride comes before mistakes. Pride comes before we suffer. Pride comes before we lose it all because we were just too proud to budge, bend, or behave correctly. When we allow such feelings of overt rigid thinking, we can become as useless and as worthless as the very person or thing we were standing against because we simply aren't good enough to have been the end-all in the first place. If our pride and our devotion aren't in Christ we have NO reason to boast and say we are anything more than the walking dead. We're on our way out as soon as we get on the planet! We're not ON this planet long enough to be so full of pride and self-love.  Again, I am speaking from experience. I have fallen over and over again, and no, it's not fun...in fact, it hurts.

    When we get it in our heads and in our hearts that someone is a liar, or someone is a jerk, simply because they disagree with us, we are the problem. When we get it in our heads that it's OK to talk about someone we disagree with, we are the problem. When or if we begin to believe the lies we tell ourselves about someone else simply because they are not our favorite person, we again are the problem. God knows this. We need to figure it out before our pride (yes, it's pride in ourselves) topples us and causes God to take away our blessings. It's really truly not worth losing a blessing over.  It would be CRAZY to lose a blessing just because you (I) decided to be nasty in our hearts and our heads about someone who really never hurt us, but we thought they did (somehow).  

    Can we agree to agree on that one?  I hope so.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

SEX!! (Do I Have Your Attention Now?) It Happens.

 I've always been a writer, even before I could write. That's not a funny statement either. I told stories before I could write them down, and to me, that's the same thing. I told stories and tales, but I wouldn't take credit for them because I knew they were made up, so I said my dog Rover told me things and I thought that would cover any and all strangeness attached to those tales and/or stories. I know, right? I know what you're thinking, "Jude, you really had a dog named Rover?"  Yes. Yes, I did.

    After I was aged about five and I was able to legibly write my own name, which was at the time, Judy Stringfellow, I was given my very own Metropolitan Library card, and I was allowed to check books out and bring them home with me. Again, at the time, no one told me that I was limited to only two books at a time. My mom OBVIOUSLY put the other dozen or so books I wanted on her account, and then as I read them I would walk them back to the library one at a time. I was five. The library was about one mile from my home down one road; Mueller.  I was five!  You can't do that in 2023, folks. Kids would never walk their books back, would they? NOPE!

    I'm still writing, and I'm writing more now than I ever have. I write in my journal every day and go through a 250-page journal every six weeks. How many books have I actually written? Geez!  I have written five or six that have been published, and several more that have not. I have this one book, that I wrote in the '80s that is really nothing more than a trashy sexual experiment of erotica texts and prose; no you can't read it, it even makes me blush. I wrote it in the same style as I would a journal, just one sordid story after another, and my friends and I would read a passage or two when we had drinking nights -- except yeah, I didn't really drink. I was the designated driver; so there's that. 

    During "Pyrate Nights" or nights when the girls would literally swing from the rafters, the poles, or any apparatus we could find (monkey bars at the local school) the girls and I would write these types of sexual tales with the sole purpose of making the others blush and/or spit their drinks out of their mouth; it was a true challenge of which I have to admit, I took things very seriously. I wanted to win. It was sort of, somewhat, a wee bit, in this vein of thought that I decided to spice up my first romance novel.  I did go a bit far, yes, I'll admit it. I did cross a line or two, but in all fairness, it was a fantasy of the fictional character, not a reality, and therefore I think maybe I'm given some sort of leniency. I also pre-empted myself and confessed to my mother that I wrote it and that I was publishing it, but I also dedicated the book to her, so there's another brownie point -- maybe!

     OK, but as a Christian, you may ask, how can you (I) write such things and not feel the least bit guilty for it? Well, let's discuss that for a second. You're here, I'm here, and people had sex to make that happen. No. Don't argue with me. Your parents had sex, and my parents had sex. We were born, and we learned to read and we learned to write, but we also learned about sex. We learned when to have it, who to have it with, what the ins and outs (no, I didn't just say that sorry) about sex is, and we learned that sex is not always kept neat and tidy in its little box. If you're having sex in a little box, I can tell you right now, it won't be neat, and it won't be tidy. We are not non-sexual beings. God made us humans. We are to be responsible with our bodies, and yes, with our minds. I'll admit my shortcomings (no, I won't pun that one); He knows me.  I don't have sex with anyone except my brain....which often causes my face to smile. 

    This month I will celebrate (that's not the best word choice) the 24th anniversary of my chosen celibacy. I choose not to be actively sexual with my body; I still exercise and activate my mind.  Apparently, I activate and exercise my keyboard as well, and that's not a bad thing. I think we all think, and I know we all know. The ONLY reason I'm celibate is I'm not with someone. I'm not with someone because I choose not to be, and I choose not to be because the choices are really just not that pleasing to me. I watch. I observe. I witness. I investigate. I don't like what I see or find. I would much prefer to be single, alone, happily not engaging if engaging means I would have to put up with what I see, hear, find, witness, and observe.

   I've said it before and I'll say it again. If GOD and GOD alone wants me to be a wife I'll be a wife. I won't date anyone. I will not date anyone at all. I may marry someone, but I will not put myself through the whole "getting to know you" process and then realize that I would really rather not have put myself through that process. Nope. If God wants me to be a wife, He will make it happen. He will choose the man. He will put it together. He will line it up and cause it to be; until then, I'm counting the days until we just all go home. I'm so tired of the way people treat other people; especially the ones they SWORE to love, honor, cherish, and be faithful to. I can't stress that enough. God knows. If HE wants me to be married, HE will have to do the heavy lifting! 

    Sex takes place in my new book; c'mon, it's a romance novel. It goes without saying that sex takes place in the book. I'm mentioning it because my mom will want a copy, and my sisters, my brother, my nieces, and my nephews too. My kids of course will want copies, but so will their friends, cousins, neighbors, co-workers, etc, and then there's my preacher...yeah, he needs to know I sin in my head. I'll text him and tell him, but he probably figured it out already.  I'm pre-empting again because when they pick up the book for the first time and start off reading the very first chapter they may see steam coming out of their eyes and nose before they get to the fourth or fifth page...OH MY GOODNESS!  She said THAT!!!!  (Yes, I did, Rover did not mention these things to me...ever.)

    Why did I do that? Why would I go that far, too far, and hope it would be OK? I guess because we all think it. I've always been that girl who says what she thinks, and even when people stare wide-eyed at me with their jaws on the ground, I'm the one saying "You know you thought it too, I just said it".  It's sort of always been that way. We have different personalities and believe me when I say that I'm not overly sexual with my friends and family, I'm really not. I have to have a pen in my hand before I really get gritty; not that I have sex while I'm holding a pen, that could possibly be dangerous. 

    I hope you enjoy the book - - my realtor told me she had to read the first chapter a couple of times before moving on to the second chapter. That told me all I needed to know. The book may sell a few copies. I hope so.  I want to buy that flat in Edinburgh...and write the sequel. 

Photo Credit: Aliexpress.com

My Opinion. Doesn't Have to Be YOUR Opinion.

 I have friends and family, sometimes just people I meet, who say things like, "You shouldn't think that way" or maybe they'll phrase it differently, they'll say, "Well, that's not right, you can't possibly believe that."  I know they mean well, I do. I think they want me to have the best the world has to offer, etc., but the thing is, I am the only me I can be, and no matter how long we are left on this planet, my opinions will always be MINE and I don't mind sharing them, but you can't force them out of me just because we disagree. I try really really hard not to sound the same as they do, not to commit the very folly I find them distributing so freely. I try to be open, and I try to be understanding. If it goes against GOD then we may have an issue; but the issue is I won't agree ever and we'll just have to agree to disagree.  God is always right.

    Let me give you a few examples so you'll know exactly how very crazy I am.  There are gifted people in this world who are either musicians, artists, writers, singers, etc, and in their very essence they are incapable of being clerks, doctors, lawyers, engineers, or anything resembling anything other than who and what they are. There may be a talented engineer who also plays piano, but he or she is capable of making a living as an engineer, whereas the artist may or may not be. He or she is true to his or her own craft and if they make a living they make a living, but if they don't we need to help them. OK, there is it...I just said WE need to help them. Most, if not all of my friends and family, and yes, those randoms on the street, will say to me, "No, we don't have to help them, they can get off their ass and get a job."  This is where we differ. I don't believe these souls can actually function in those other capacities other than who and what they are. They are rare. They are few. We can help them, so we can continue to benefit from their God-given talents.

    I'm not talking about the people who are both talented and capable of taking on other jobs. I'm ONLY talking about those who are ONLY capable of performing and working within the confines of their mental and spiritual genius. It could be one reason God created Patreon and other platforms.  You've all seen these types and several have shunned them for not "pulling their weight", to which I question, "Can you, the hater, also play as wonderfully? Can you bring peace through your vocals? Can you paint to the point that we see visions on canvas and not just color?"  When a man or a woman meets, falls in love with, and then subsequently marries one of these/those people, it doesn't take too long before the bread gets thinner and the spouse begins squashing the dreams and means of the artist to get them to subject themselves to physical and/or intense mental stress for the purpose of bringing a buck into the house to pay a bill.  Here's a thought: YOU KNEW they were a musician. You KNEW they were a writer. YOU KNEW before you married them that you may or may not see $$$ coming into the bank account, stop pretending that a swan can be a goose or a duck! Love the one you loved the way you are supposed to love them. FREELY.

    If the musician, artist, writer, etc., can make money for themselves or the family, that's great, but if they are one of these rare and unique beings who absolutely can't be subjected to forced labor without killing their spirit, STOP forcing them to do so, and just support them. YOU DID PROMISE to do that. You did make that oath. You did give your word. YOU DID SWEAR TO THE ALMIGHTY through your vows that you would CHERISH and you're not cherishing anyone when you force them to be what they are not, or cannot become. Let them strum. Let them think. Let them play the keyboards, ENJOY!! You have a gift and a present like very few others have. That person can probably keep the house clean for you, he or she can watch the kids. They probably have no issues shopping for groceries, or perhaps making dinner. Talk about it before you sign the dotted line, that's all I'm saying.

    If there were millions of these types it may be different. They are like the golden eggs being laid by that one magical goose that came by now and again, but we can't capture it either, and we can't force it to lay another egg just like the last one. They are all so very very different. They are all so very very precious. If someone in this position abuses his or her position, then he or she is NOT actually that soul. I believe, and again, it is my opinion, that the true artist is on loan from Heaven to fulfill a purpose and we have an obligation to assist them so they can be in line with what God has in store, and we will be blessed not only for helping but because we are probably going to hear them, see them, admire their work, etc. If we squash their energy we cut off our noses to spite our faces! We lose, they lose, and the world loses. LET THEM PLAY!  Money is not the end-all.

    I'm not capable at this time to host someone like this really. I will be someday maybe soon, but not today. I thank God every day for the talent and the gifts He gives to others who both entertain me and bless me. I see it, I hear it, I feel it, I am moved by it. To think that others would purposely shut that down so the person can work at a grocery store as a clerk, or as a crossing guard for minimum wage; thrusting their talents into the sewer as well as creating mental angst...it's repulsive. YOU KNEW IT when you met them; you had to. They were probably holding a guitar, a pen, or a paintbrush, and they were no doubt showcasing their latest discovery or project. YOU KNEW.   The problem isn't money really, it's love. If I read my Bible correctly, it says if I delight myself in God HE will give me the desires of my heart. If that's correct, and I have a musician or an artist in my arms, I'm going to let them seek and do exactly what God wants them to do, this both allows them and me to please God. God will provide the rest.

    The problem that come up in these sorts of relationships, and in many relationships, is that one or the other person tries to live outside of their means. Then they expect and force the other person to keep up with their idiot decisions; forcing the couple into fights and upheaval.  Don't live outside your means. Don't have a champagne style on a beer budget. Be frugal, save, think, and if you can't do that with the gifted person, give up the gifted person to someone who will love them and keep them, care for them, help them, and watch them please God. If the person is NOT pleasing God, not doing what he or she is supposed to do with their talents, that's not what I'm talking about.  I am talking ONLY about those people who have been called by God, and given the talent by God to please Him. Let them. Be their wind so they can fly. Watch them. It's amazing. It's simply amazing.

    Yes, I may be crazy, but I'm a very happy crazy.

Photo Credit: merriammusic.com

Cover Underway. (We Compromised)

 There's something to be said about a good compromise as long as you don't shame yourself or God. If coming to a mutual agreement will help make things better, smooth over feelings, and get the ball rolling, there's nothing wrong with having that discussion.  It's not about "being the bigger person" it's about making things happen. I could have stood my ground, stomped my feet, cried "I PAID FOR THAT" and been the bitchy client, but instead, it just made sense to offer a solution I can live with, that will make the publishing efforts move forward.  So I did. 

    My book "Of Kilted Pleasure" is being published by Xlibris. This is probably the last book I'll ever publish with Xlibris, it's been a roller coaster, and no one should have to put up with that. I say it's my last, but to be honest, I'm not sure I won't use them again; since we worked out the kinks. It just depends on what I think I want in a publisher. I want someone who will send my books to places where they will be seen. I think Outskirts may be a better choice. We'll see.

    What I decided to do was to offer Xlibris an out so they could both save face and my time. I paid a reduced fee for the Level 3 illustration, but the illustrator was not happy about that. I was given the reduced fee by the project manager. He hadn't run it past the illustrator, and when she sent me a cartoon coloring book rendition of what I wanted my cover to look like, I about hit the roof!!  The first design graphics person said we would use a photo and superimpose my name and the title over the photo; that was OK, but that's not what I wanted. I wanted the whole man holding the woman, and they're being all sexy-like, but that's not going to happen without models and I can't afford that.  The thing is, I paid for the Level 3 service, with or without a discount, and that's what I should expect; but it wasn't going to happen without a long and drawn-out fight.

    I went online and looked up several books and decided that my book will be just fine with a photo on the front cover and my name and the title of the book being overly large and obnoxious. Why not? When in Rome, right? So, I did what all authors in my situation do, I compromised and I made it perfectly clear that I will be 100% satisfied with the cover and I expect them to get it right so I don't have to fight over the details. They agreed to make their best efforts. They've been really nice to me, letting me write, rewrite, submit, and repeat the manuscript, without charging me, so this will be a good thing. I think it will work out.

    I went back to Getty Images and I found the cover shot. I have asked them to digitally remove the tower part of the ruins, as my ruins in the book don't have a tower, and we'll see if they can do that without fudging up the photo. I think they can. It's romantic, mysterious, and all that. We'll see if it will be a good cover. I think it will be. I chose electric metallic blue for the color of the letters and different fonts for the author's name and the title. My name will be on top, the title on the bottom, and the title will be scriptish and lacy, where my name will be subtle and stated. My first name over my last. It will happen soon, and I'll post it. For now, I'll just say we're in the middle of the compromise and I think they're going for it.  It wouldn't make sense not to.

Viva la communication!!

Photo Credit:  GETTY IMAGES 

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

 OK, so no one is allowed to tell Reuben that I called him Baby Boy, OK? Thanks. So yeah, 37 years ago today I was in a lot of pain.  It's actually about the time I was in the middle of pushing. I delivered my firstborn child at 12:34 p.m. on March 22, 1986.  He was a long and skinny fella.  He came shoulder first on his first attempt at coming out, and the doctor had to reach in and give him a bit of a clue as to how to actually make his entrance. There was a joke however, at that time I didn't find it very funny, but it was...the doctor said to me, "Looks like you have yourself a lineman!"  LOL...yeah, really funny, and no, let's just get through this, OK!!  

    Reuben Andrew Stringfellow was born at 12:34 p.m. and he was 21" long and weighed just under 7 pounds. He was 6 pounds and 15 ounces. He was my longest and lightest baby.  He was already in command at the time of his birth, having been conceived EXACTLY 9 months to the day from the day he arrived. He's really always been that way; quite on time, precise, and punctual. He (nor I) is ever late.  At least I managed to get one of my kids to their destinations and appointments on time. Thank you, Reuben.

    Reuben was named after my father, Reuben Wayne Stringfellow. My father was named after his father, Reuben Jefferson Stringfellow. There are quite a few REU in the family. I believe my son is #17. There was one guy that named all of his 5 sons the same thing, using their middle names as the name they went by. My son's middle name is Andrew, named after my sister Andralyn.  So, since Andrew means "Masculine" and Reuben means "Behold a Son" My son is a masculine son to be beheld. So true.  I appreciate EVERY SINGLE DAY how God made him both strong-willed and strong-bodied. Reuben is an amazing fellow, and if you haven't met him you should do that. You'll be impressed. (I'm not biased, I promise)

    Since the day of his birth, Reuben has had a few traits that separate him from others. He is stubborn like me. He likes to have things HIS WAY, and I don't blame him. When he was starting school, and I do mean the first day of Kindergarten, he was dragged out of the school by his teacher. She presented him to me and stated that Reuben insisted on sitting in a particular chair even though she had assigned it to someone else. He literally traded his chair for the other one. Then, (the same day) he put all of the toys in size (or shape) order along the wall and told everyone that they were to be put back after they were played with.  The teacher told me that day my son had A.D.D. and he needed to be tested.  

    Reuben was tested at 6, 7, 8, 9, and finally 10.  EVERY single year the teachers INSISTED that he had A.D.D. and needed medication. EVERY single year he was tested and the doctors said no. Finally, when he was 10 the doctor wrote on his chart "This is a normal 10-year-old boy. Any teacher that can't handle him needs to find another profession."  I thought that was hilarious, but I did continue to discipline him when his teachers called me up to the school to discuss his dominant and commanding ways.  The boy was literally lining students up, telling them where to play, how to play, when to play, etc.  He's still doing that, only in the Oklahoma National Guard, having served several years in the Regular Army. Yep, he knew when he was little that he was going to be in charge. 

    In High School, and I guess in Middle School as well, Reuben played football. Guess what, he was a lineman!!  He did very well and was even invited by Bob Stoops himself, to attend the 2001 training camp in Norman. That was the year the Sooners took the National championship. Reuben couldn't hardly contain himself. I took him down every day for a week or so. He had the most fun ever. He played High School ball, and they went to the state play offs every year. When he was out of the Army and at the Indiana National Guard he played for the local club called the Marion Crusaders, and they took the National Championship in their division. Again, he was a lineman. 

    He graduated high school, worked for a year, then joined the U.S. Army. He's been in the military since September 21, 2006, and is about to become an E7 First Sgt. I am so very very proud of my son. He's made a couple of tours, and he's been stationed overseas for years. He's been home for a few years now and works for himself by selling insurance. Just last week he went to Los Cabos, Mexico, and was honored and recognized by the CEO and CFO of the company for his outstanding work. I am not surprised. He moved up to District Regional Manager in just under two years.   WOOT!!

Happy Birthday, son!!  I love you. 

Delight Yourself in the Lord.

 If you know me, you know my all-time favorite verse in the Bible, which is Psalms 37:4.  I like the next one too, but I REALLY get into the promise of Psalms 37:4.  The Bible doesn't say it, but we assume that David wrote this passage (maybe it says it, but I haven't seen where it is said) and it is so very simple.  Do this, and God will do that. If you do this, God will do that.  The Bible says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."  It goes on to say in the next verse, "Commit your way unto Him, and He will bring it to pass."  So that's really a reiteration of the first promise. The writer is telling you to do something, and when you do it, God will do something. God doesn't lie. Don't think He can. He can't. The writer knew this and wrote if you are happy in God and show it, He will bring your heart's desires. I am one of the MOST selfish people in the world...because of this one verse. I want my desires, I want them more than most things, and so, in order to have them, I only have to do one thing....the easiest thing ever, and that is to delight in God.  Done!

    One of the things I have found that brings so very much joy, fun, happiness, and yes, delight, is reading the Bible as it is written in the Scots language. I'm not talking about Scots Gaelic; I have that version as well, but the Scots language is a real language, and the New Testament has been translated into the Scots language, making it both fantastic and wonderful. I have too much fun reading it, and every time I do I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I laugh, I whoop, and I get really silly happy because of the way my mouth has to twist and pucker up just to say some of the words. I get the biggest kick out of it, and it really brings home the fact that my ancestors were both Believers and they talked funny! I am getting so good at reading Scots!!  I can't say it out loud really, not without sounding sort of stupid, and I would never try to do it in front of native speakers. I just read it, and I giggle to myself; unless I'm near someone.  If I'm near someone they have to hear me laugh; it's gonna happen.

    I'll post a single page from my Kindle so you can see what I'm talking about; you'll have to try it. I bought the New Testament in book form about four years ago, and I've been learning to read it faster and faster. It took me months to get past the first 10-15 pages. I was constantly looking up words to see what they meant, and then I'd read it again and again and try to do it without stopping. After as much time as I've put into it, I can say that I can read the Scots language so much better than I used to, and I wish I could speak it. I really do. I pull out a word now and again, but I don't have it down like I want to. Ay canna dae it.  But I do try.

    So, what are my heart's desires? Well, to be perfectly honest with you, that's none of your beeswax.  It's all going to be kept a big fat secret between me and God. He knows me. He knows my heart. He knows my wants, my wishes, my dreams, my desires, He knows it all. I'll just sit back against the mega pillows I have stacked on the bed, and pull up a dog to share my giggles with.  I have the New Testament on my Kindle now, so I read it from there. I lent the book out to my friend who said she simply had to try it. She's returned it, but not until she purchased her own copy!! It's just so much to take in, but worth every minute of every hour or every session. I try to read at least five pages a day. It's not hard now. I remember when I couldn't get one read without spending four hours diving into the Scots/English dictionary trying to figure out what I was reading. The Scots Gaelic version has the Scots Gaelic on one side and English on the other. This is simply just Scots. (LOVE IT)

    Since ay ken God tae be 100% honest, true, an' worthy, ay'll nae fash ane bit aboot my heart an' its desires. They're already being brought tae me. It's a done deal. God canna lie. Ay just hae tae wait for the right time(s) but that's OK, ay hae aa of eternity. Nae worries. Dinna fash! 

Photo Credit: Me 

FIRST WORLD ISSUE - - Cellular Phone Expense RANT.

 Every now and again, I am woefully reminded of just how ignorant I really am. I don't know if you know this, but being woefully ignorant never really makes me happy. In fact, it can have the very opposite result on my psyche. I can actually become upset. I don't want to become upset, so what I do is just rant here, taking all of my frustrations about the world and its issues out on my poor bald (blank) keyboard. If you don't know me, you don't know that my keyboard is about 10 years old, but I like it, so I don't replace it. It's one of the first curvy ones and almost all of the numbers and letters are completely rubbed off of it. The damn thing needs to be replaced, but it works, so yeah; not going to get another one. I don't even know if they make them now. This is another First World Issue and not the one I'm ranting about today.

    Today, I am ranting about my phone bill. I have U.S. Cellular, and I may stay with them for another four months until my phone is paid off, or I may pay off my phone and just switch to Consumer Cellular. I haven't made the decision yet. I called Consumer Cellular (CC) and asked them what their plans cost, and I was quite impressed with their answer. I never ever go over 3G of data so I can get the 5G plan for $25.00 and as long as my phone is owned and not financed, I can get away with just paying $25.00 + state and local taxes. We're talking $32.00 tops.  I have been paying $138.00 a month. WHY? I'll tell you why.  That's why I'm ranting.

    About a year or so ago, I went into the U.S. Cellular store here in Oklahoma City, and I spoke with a person who sold me on a LIE that I needed the insurance for my financed phone. She said it was mandatory, I never questioned her because having full coverage insurance on your car is required in our state if it is financed. I could have and I should have checked. I don't throw my phone. I don't ever put my phone into a bad situation; not that something bad can't happen, but I was paying $14.99 a month JUST for the coverage and if my phone was lost or stolen, I would have had to pay another $109.00 I believe, to have it replaced. I think that's what she said, it could have been more. That's not the real issue here. The REAL issue is that I was paying $10 a month (for more than 35 months) for an iPad tablet to be used with 1G of data and another $14.99 for insurance on it. I had NO NO NO idea that I was paying that because at the time I bought the new phone, I specifically asked and the lady told me no I wasn't paying for the tablet. I told her I better not be because I hadn't used it in almost two years at that time. THAT WAS A YEAR AGO.

    The ONLY reason I even realized I was actually paying for the tablet, is the woman I spoke to tonight about canceling the service told me I had the tablet on the bill. She was able to take off 3 months but not the 35 I have been paying. I'll have to write to corporate about that, and I will. I am livid. I am simply beside myself, so rather than freak out, blow up, and/or otherwise melt down, I decided to make a really cool chicken tortilla casserole and write this blog. I do that. I cook. I get in that kitchen, I find things, I mix things, I make things, and then I get on the computer and bitch! It makes me smile, the dog isn't kicked, and no one has to put up with my ranting unless you read my ranting, then you do. You'll be OK. I promise. The casserole is delicious. 

    Bottomline. I went from paying $138 to paying $63 since I am still paying for the phone.  I'll end up paying $29.99 for unlimited service, even though I never go over 3G and the CC has a $25.00 service. I don't mind paying another $4.99 to U.S. Cellular until I can get my phone paid off. I may just do it. I'm that way. I get a burr up under the saddle and I don't stop until it's gone. I may just pay it off and switch. I have a mind to do that. I was REALLY happy and pleased with the customer service woman Amanda. She was tops, and I told her I would leave her good reviews. She pointed out that I was paying too much for insurance on a phone that was almost paid off, she recommended I keep the insurance, but I have my phone insured under my renter's policy. If it is stolen it will be covered. If it is broken...well, that's when it may end up getting stolen, but I probably won't lie. I don't do that very well.

    Anyway, I'm down to paying a reasonable amount now. After the phone is paid off I can either switch to Consumer Cellular or stay with U.S. Cellular, and it will be either $25 or $29. and of course taxes. That's a whole lot better than what I've been digging in my purse for these past three long damn years. That's it, that's my rant. I'm done, and the food is ready, so I'm off to the kitchen. Check your plans people, don't be an igmo like me.

UPDATE:  USC gave me a $265 credit even though I had paid out more than $900 

Photo Credit: Pagedesignpro.com 

Scorpio November 22. JUST FOR FUN.

 This is an article I found for fun. I don't really follow this stuff but some of it is really spot on. (Except the introverted part.)

https://scorpiomystique.com/november-22/

Scorpio Born on November 22

Scorpios born on November 22 barely made the cut into Scorpio Season. In fact, it all depends on their exact time of birth. Similarly to the October 23 Scorpios, these Scorpios are cusp babies, absorbing the energies of both Scorpio and Sagittarius into their complex and dynamic personalities. These Scorpios demonstrate that they possess the physical stamina of Sagittarius, and the spiritual wisdom of the more introverted Scorpios, making them the best of both worlds.

If you were born on November 22, you have a very strong and stubborn personality. People tend to follow your lead, because even if you are not quite sure of what you are doing, you do it with confidence and assertiveness. You know how to both play the system and play your own rules, and this allows you to outsmart your competitors without making them realize how far ahead of the game you are. You are witty, sarcastic, spontaneous and remarkably intelligent.

You love connecting with those around you and merging with them, but you also always fiercely protect your individuality and freedom. You do not like to feel stifled, coddled or clung on to. You want to have the freedom to spread your wings, explore whatever your heart desires, and then come back to your loved ones to tell them of your adventures. Ideally, your social group is full of equally adventurous and risk-taking people, not only physically but also emotionally and personally.

November 22 Scorpios thrive in action-oriented careers such as sports, or those which allow them to exercise their mental muscles, such as politics, law or education. Full of strong opinions and an ability to say things as they are, these Scorpios are a breath of fresh air when it comes to how hopeful they can be. However there will always be a part of November 22 Scorpios which remains locked away in their Scorpio world, and no one will ever fully know who they are. This blend of being open and being mysterious makes November 22 Scorpios extremely intriguing creatures, full of sexuality and charm.

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There you have it  -- or me.

Photo Credit: Sunsigns.org