Sesame Seeds are GREAT (I KNEW IT!!)

 Sometimes I pat myself on the back for knowing something, and other times I stand around waiting for someone else to do it because you know, you don't want to look too proud, but this is one of those times that I simply must toot my own horn because I was not only right, I was dang-flat-out right, and na-na-na-boo-boo to the kids I went to high school with who made fun of me; you know who you are!!

    I was that kid, and maybe you know one or two of us, I was that kid who ate licorice, chewed clove-flavored gum, and couldn't get enough of those sticky good sesame seed candies from the Asian store. I couldn't wait to visit my grandparents because I could sneak out of their backyard, cross a few streets and fields, and make my way to the part of town my parents whispered about; Oklahoma City's own "Chinatown".  They had a live fish market, and they had weird food for sure. One of the things they had were sticky sheets of candy that you weren't able to bend and break, you had to cut through it. It was made of sugar or corn syrup I'm sure, but 99% of it was nothing but sesame seeds; gloriously stuck together with love. I could not get enough.

    Because I didn't want anyone to know I had gone by myself to the stores we were all forbidden to go to, I could only buy enough to eat on the way back, and then hope Mom didn't find the tiny seeds in my pockets later on; but that was never happened. She knew. Moms know.  When I got a little older she would take me to the stores to buy it, but she wouldn't share it with me; she thought it was disgusting. I have to this day, no idea who introduced it to me, but I can't stop eating it. 

    In high school, we had a few cafeteria ladies who swore by sesame seeds as well, and they added them to several of our food items. I loved it. My friends hated it. I remember saying how good sesame seeds were for you, and I think I even said then that they could be the reason I'm so chill - - and now I know through research that I may have been right all along about that! Sesame seeds and sesame oil literally help to reduce anxiety and stress levels in both animals and humans! Not only that, it helps with pain, promotes and releases serotonins and it lowers bad cholesterol. WHAT? Will you look at that? Little Jude knew something way way way back in the day!! Do the dance.

    Not many people like black licorice either.  My mom would say it's like eating tar. I never really tried tar before I was four, but after the 10th or 100th time my mom made the comparison I decided to try it, and she was wrong. Yep, that woman was absolutely and completely wrong. Licorice was so much better than street tar, which was the only type of tar I could find. Licorice had a better taste than tar, a better texture, a better consistency, and it went down so much better than tar ever could. I don't think I actually tried tar more than a few times, but yeah, I had her dead to rights on that one!

    Today, because I'm a grown-up, I drive my own car, and I have the rights of an American citizen, I can get into my own vehicle and drive my happy self to the Asian section of our city, which is no longer referred to as "Chinatown OKC", but we do distinguish it from the rest of the area by calling it the "Asian Market Area"; where some of the best food is served and they still stock my favorite treat -- but not in sheets these days. I have to go the other side of town to get "rounds" of it, but at my favorite store to pick it up, I get bags consisting of bars of sesame seed candy. Some brands are better than others.

    Let me just say - - and I say it with such a happy face -- next to chocolate, sesame seeds candy ranks right there; which is next to chocolate. I'm not stupid. Chocolate will always be King! (dark over light, and if it has raspberry anywhere near it, I'm all over it.) Now, I'm thinking of a new recipe; one that will have chocolate-covered sesame seeds rolled in raspberry mash, then dipped again in chocolate - - and rolled in sesame seeds. Dare I dream?

Photo Credit: Netmeds.com

    

Joy!! Find it! Make It!!

 I recently heard someone say that you don't need to be happy all the time, but you do need to choose joy every time. They are not wrong. Happiness is an emotion. We can be up or down at any given moment over something that happens, but joy sustains us through the good and bad times.

    Joy, much like peace, is a gift. It's not something we are born with or something we'll run into now and again and think, "Oh, I can use a little of that!"  Joy is a choice; much again, like peace. We can choose to be upset about something or we can let God have it and find that peace He promised; the peace that literally passes all understanding. No one really quite understands how it is that I am at peace in my current situation, but it's true, I am at peace with it. Do I want it to change? Yes, and I also know it will change - - because again, I have that promise to cling to.

    Happiness wanes, and it is dependent on too many factors that frankly, I can't sustain most of the time. I like to think that I'm right most of the time, but even when I'm right it doesn't always make me happy. Sometimes, I'm downright sad because I'm right about someone or something. I can't tell you how often I wished I was flat wrong about a person who I believed loved me, cared about me, told me they were my friend, and even shared personal time and energy with me - - but then reality hits, and bam - - happiness is right out the door; isn't it? But...joy...stays.

    Joy comes from Jesus; it comes from a place I didn't create, couldn't imagine, and won't ever achieve by myself. It comes from the God who without question is the only Creator of it, and He's the one who allows me to share in it. Without Him, there is no joy, and without Him, there is no hope of finding the joy I desire or the peace I truly need. Times hurt. People hurt. We go through times that seem so unnecessary and then wonder why or how it happened...there's bound to be a reason or a lesson to be learned, but the pain is so deep and it runs without stopping to take a breath (at times). But...joy.

    Count it all joy, He told us. Because He suffered more. One of the things I like to tell myself when I have a little pity party is that no matter what I'm going through, He was taken captive, stripped, ridiculed, beaten, spat on, made to carry a 300-pound post up a steep hill naked in front of those who both loved Him and those who hated Him for what He stood for. It doesn't end there - - no, after that, He was literally nailed (not tied to) to the cross and it was dropped into the ground using a pulley action mechanism, jolting him and tearing at the flesh where the nails were placed. I have nothing to compare my suffering to.

    How then do we find joy when we're being hurt? We remember that He was hurt; and He not only went through it, He remains with us when we go through our trials too. He died that day; He was taken down off that cross...oh, but He didn't stay there, did He? No...no, He did not. This is why Joy lives. This is why Peace is available. This is why we can't find a single reason to worry. This is why being content is easier than we ever dreamed it could be. He did not remain dead -- He lives!

    "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know, He holds my future, life is worth the living just because He lives."  These are not merely words, they are inspired words. They are felt, they are lived, and they are soaked with promise and compassion. They are words that seep and stain our hearts with the indelible ink of His love and covenant. JOY comes to us when we seek it. 

    There are so many verses in the Bible that talk about it, but here's one that really lands and remains steadfast with me because I wasn't around when He walked the Earth. I wasn't around to experience what the disciples did. I am one of those who has to depend on faith to find the answers, so 1 Peter 1:8 radiates with me:  "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy."

    I'm so sorry - - does that sound too churchy? Well, get over it, I'm not really apologizing, how can I? "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart - down in my heart - down in my heart, I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart - down in my heart to stay!!"  Truth.  I may not be happy about things right now, but I am 100% sure it will be OK. What are my options? Live through it and survive or die and go to heaven - - don't tempt me!! 

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Poo Update 2 (No, I won't update too often after this one)

WARNING: There is a gross section. AFTER the red lettering. 

I think the first week of trying anything is and should be considered a trial period.  You shouldn't have to guess or wonder if a product works. Giving it a week or so to try it out seems quite reasonable to me. That being said, it's only been 3 days I think, and I already have a resounding "YEA" for you! 

    I think I started this Jude Poo on Monday, pretty sure it was the 29th of January, as the products came in on Sunday afternoon and I wanted to do the routine in the mornings.  So, Monday I used the product I created it, mixed it, and I took 1 teaspoon of the mix with the last 3 ounces of my coffee. I added a little more cream to offset the apple cider vinegar that was added.  Tuesday morning I had a regular poo, but it was a good one.

    I did the same thing Tuesday as far as using my coffee leftovers but this time I added a tablespoon of the mix thinking it may be that I need to do that. I found a really convenient scoop with a handle on it in the junk drawer; it is really close to being a measured tablespoon, so I am using it.  This morning I had three, count them..1, 2, 3...good solid poos. They were both the consistency and the amount of a regular average daily poo. This means that the product is most assuredly working.

    Now for the more detailed gross part, so you don't have to read the rest of the blog if you don't want to, but it is something I am going to report because there may be those people who want to know. You can skip to the last paragraph (blue)

    The first poo I had this morning was thick and round (circumference-wise) It was heavy and was what everyone would say was a good poo. No surprises there, but the second and third poo were uneven on the sides, they had notches and ridges, were not smooth, and not exactly round, as you would expect to see coming from a cylinder "tube", "pipe", or intestine.  They had the look of being ridged which according to the research I did online means that the product is scraping the poo from the sides of my intestines like it is supposed to do. YEA!

    I also drink about 30-40 ounces of lemon water every evening, sometimes it is lime water, but most of the time it is lemon water, and what that does for me from a  health point of view is to also scrap the sides of the intestines to get sludge and muck off the sides so it can be flushed. The water is key!!  You really do need to drink a lot of water. I drink about 100 or so ounces of it every day with the amount of tea and water I drink. I never count the coffee, but I do count the green tea. I drink about 4 cups of it, and about 4 cups of regular lemon water every day. 

    My gut feels so good today. I'm not kidding. I am not extended whatsoever and I literally can see a difference in it not just feeling a difference. People, it's only been 3 days. I don't know where you may be in your journey, but it's only been 3 days and I have been relieved of so much already. I took the product again today, this time trying to use juice. It didn't work out for me. I didn't like the texture or the taste. I poured it down the drain and made a 1/3 cup of coffee to use. I liked it so much better. This time it was warm because of the new coffee, other times it was not.

    That's it for the update. I am 100% sure that what I did was a great thing, and it saved me a lot of money too. Now, there is a catch - - I have powder to use, whereas the product you buy online is pills. I have NO IDEA how or if their product works. I do know mine does. No, I will not sell it. I will tell you again what I put in my mix, and what amounts I put in it. If you're a doctor and you think I'm doing something wrong, please feel free to tell me. I ran it by my P.A. before making the changes in my own life.  You should do that too. Here's what I use.

The recipe I used for the Jude Poo.

• Cascara Sagrada powder               8 oz
• Sea Buckthorn powder                  3 oz
• Aloe Vera powder                           3 oz
• Milk Thistle powder                      4 oz
• Turmeric powder                            2 oz
• Hyaluronic Acid powder               1 oz

I mixed this in a bowl and poured it into a container with a secured lid. I use 1 tablespoon of it every day now.  I add to the mix the following:

• Apple Cider Vinegar          1/2 ounce
• Psyllium Husk powder       1 teaspoon
• Casein Protein powder        1/2 scoop
• 1/3 cup coffee with creamer
• Chocolate syrup (a good squeeze)

Best of luck and hopes for you. I am NOT telling you to do it, I am telling you what I did and do. There is a HUGE difference.

Photo Credit: Uline.com

How to Treat a True Musician. (I may be the ONLY person who feels this way)

 In my life, I have met and come across many (a great many) professional music artists because I worked for a very elite group of concert promoters, and I was privileged to meet and get to know dozens of solo artists and members of many bands. Most of them would be recognized if I gave off their names. We aren't close; in fact, there have only been a handful who continued to speak and communicate with me after they came through town and after the company I worked for produced their gigs. 

       When I use the word "musician" I am not talking about someone who plays an instrument. I'm not talking about someone talented and lucky enough to earn a living from either playing an instrument or two, or if they are in fact songsmiths, those very precious who allow words and melody to blend and fulfill a purpose. I'm talking about a man or a woman who is that music; the embodiment of the blending. The person who absolutely cannot (and usually will not) be or do anything other than make music. (Note, I didn't say earn money making music...but making it.)

    The musician is a person who is deeply seeded and rooted in music; they breathe it, eat it, wear it, share it, become it, and who are destined to go where the music takes them whether it is up or down, in or out, with or without, they are the essence of that word. You may know one or two of these people; if you do you are blessed. They are not normal, they are not average, they are not typical, and therefore they cannot be expected to work, earn, pull their weight, or otherwise contribute to a world or society that demands that each partner in a relationship do so. It's not that way with them; it's impossible.

    Some musicians are "discovered" and in every single last case known, they were taken under wing, promoted, produced, and then probably abused and taken advantage of. If the musician didn't have someone in their corner to straighten out the mess they may find themselves in, it could mean the loss of not only their involvement with their gift but for many it means giving up their words, giving up their passion because they didn't know better and signed away the rights to their works before truly understanding the depth of their actions. 

    A musician cannot be expected to be more than what he or she is; if they can, they are only partially musically inclined, and have other aspects (good or bad) running through them; they are multi-faceted. A musician is just that; a mono-faceted being; a musician makes and is music. There really are only a few of these types among us, but they do exist, and when we stumble across one we know. We know, because they thrill our soul. We know, and we should be internally and eternally grateful for their presence. We should also know that they could have already been a victim of one or more who have not been fully affected and fascinated by them. We'll know by their spirit if they have been hurt, stung, crossed, or broken.

    Like an angel, very very much like an angel, a musician is a being of higher energy; consumed with a frequency much stronger and more potent than most. When I say they are not normal, they are not average, they are not typical, it's because they are so far far above the rest of us, we should admire their spirit and embrace their inspiration even if they don't themselves see themselves as being so marvelous. The good ones really never see it; they seem embarrassed or confused when the fact is presented to them.

    God has blessed me in some ways when it comes to my outlook on musicians. He has broken my heart and filled it with sympathy, compassion, and a willingness to bolster, love, and appreciate the grace that is the musician. I am not impressed by any amount of money one may earn, it is by far the least thing I am impressed with in fact. I am moved by their devotion to the calling. I am moved by their dedication, their own passion, and the way they seem to believe the world should be viewed. 

    If no one else is willing to do so, I am willing to forgive a true musician for what the world may see as being lazy, lax, or idle. I am more than compelled that they are anything but this; they are torn in their spirit because they do have families to support oftentimes, and they are expected to do more. They are expected to quit themselves for periods of time to earn,  to pay bills, to keep the fires burning at the homefront - - would it be cruel or inappropriate for me to say anyone who meets, falls in love with, and subsequently marries a musician KNEW or should know the very being of the one they love is not able to quit him or herself even for a moment?

    If God should (and I would not mind if He did) decide to bless me with sharing the rest of my life with a true musician, I would at least have the withal to know that I would not expect that man to work outside of his choice to do so with his music. He wouldn't need to earn but simply play. He wouldn't be expected to profit but to bless. He wouldn't be held accountable for income, but for his walk with his passion; I would hope he would want to share it. If God gave me such a man, then God Himself would also let the man know that I understood and understand all that is and will go with the word "musician". It isn't 94% but 100% of who the person is. God only made a few of them, and they are all so very unthinkably precious.

    Will God do that? I have no idea. God does God. He does what He is going to do. I can tell you this, there is no way under His Heaven or on His Earth that I am seeking to find anyone to share my life with at this point; it would ONLY be Him and His doing if it happened, so if it does happen, my prayer is that God finds me the perfect man for this chapter of my life; and that could only be a musician. That much I will admit to, but I'm not casting any nets. When I say they are few - - they are rare, quite limited, and extraordinarily singular. No net is needed. If it happens, it will be because God flat deemed it; end of story.

    The world at large suffers from not being as compassionate and willing to promote or produce the musician without strings attached, but I do prefer the strings. I have been uniquely redeemed in my spirit because I have the insight to know what is genuinely sacred. 

Photo Credit: Canva.com

I Stand With Texas (and that's sayin' something since I'm from Oklahoma!)

 Just in case you've been living under a rock, or you just don't keep up with such things, there has been a MASSIVE change in immigrant crossings over the past few months. It's been going on since the day Joe Biden took office, but it's been so much more aggressive lately, and a development of sorts has been developing quite rapidly at the Texas border. I don't know about the other borders, but the Texas border has seen a bit of action.

    Truckers and farmers in very large numbers have taken to driving to the border in their rigs both with and without trailers attached. Some of the rigs are farm combines and larger tractors; things you'd hope would remain off the streets, but this time is one of the few times we (others on the roads) honk and wave, and we even salute those brave men and women who have joined in the convoy to put a stop to this nonsense.

    We've been so patient, so very patient, and we've sought ways to help immigrants come over legally, but without vetting, and without some sort of record keeping, this has turned into a nightmare beyond imagination! Don't think for a second that it's just simple people with simple needs trying to make something better of themselves. That is not the case. For the most part, the ones coming over are men, younger men, not families, just men. They are truly invading our country.

    Too many of these people who are crossing by the literal thousands every single day are not doing so legally. They are from other countries other than those in Mexico and Central America. They are coming from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, China, and other places. They aren't here to find regular work, and to bring their families over to make a better life; they are here to destroy our great nation from within, and they are being assisted in this grave assignment by none other than our own government. 

    To say Biden and his administration have committed TREASON is tantamount to saying you can hear the song of the cicada in the South!! IT IS OVERWHELMINGLY true and it is overwhelmingly wrong and we the people, WE THE PEOPLE are not going to stand for it. They crept their way into Office in 2020, but it won't happen again. This time we're taking back our country and we're starting to do it peacefully through the two very important groups who make America GREAT to begin with; our truckers and our farmers!! (THANK YOU!!)

    Thank you, Governor Abbott of Texas, for your stand. Thank you, Governor Stitt of Oklahoma as well. We will stand united. We will stand together. Oklahomans stand with Texas, and when that happens we are unstoppable!! You can bet your last hard-earned dollar that the folks of Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, and others will too. We're sending truckers. We're sending farmers. We're buying t-shirts that show our support and tell everyone we can - - because your nation is ONE NATION UNDER GOD and until He comes to take us home, we will be indivisible. 

Buy your shirt here: I Stand With Texas Tee

Photo Credit: AmazonFashion.com 

Poo Update. (I know, right?)

 I've never been offended when people wanted to talk about their personal bowel issues because it's actually quite necessary to do so; it's just the when, where, and how they discuss it that can be a problem.  For me, because this is my own blog,  you may in fact catch me talking about my poo - - poo is what we need you know. When we can't or won't go it can be a real problem. Being able to express or release one's bowels can be a very happy and joyful occasion at times.

    So, I blogged about it a few days ago, here is the link, poo blog. In the blog, I describe a certain online product you can buy for about $28 a bottle, and the bottle will last you 30 days. I can't say a month as several months are longer than 30 days. It will last you 30 days, and the product advertising or reviews, even say it can take up to 60 or 90 days to really see the results you're hoping for. Let's say it's going to take you 90 days, and you're out $28 x 3, or $84 trying to get all the poop out of your body. That's not too much to pay really; not if you're about 10-20 pounds heavier with the stuff inside of you...just sitting there.

    The thing is, I don't like to pay that kind of money. I really don't. I'm a little stingy with my hard-earned money. I don't want to just "flush it down the toilet" as it were. (Joke...yeah, OK) and I don't want to just hope that something works if I pay for it to work. I did what anyone should do, I looked up the ingredients of the wonder pill and decided that most of what I found could and would work if taken in sufficient amounts.

    When it comes to anything that could have a laxative effect, you need to run it by your doctor and be sure that you can take it without any issues. I'm saying that both as a disclaimer and as a means of being realistic. You should consult your doctors anytime you try something new that will affect your systems and how they operate. Only you and your doctor know what you need. Don't let someone from the internet persuade you to do something; I mean that.

    I checked out the ingredients, and I bought them online through Amazon. Instead of buying the one product that had all the ingredients in it, I bought the ingredients separately, and in so much greater quantities too; for so much less! I bought about five or even six months worth of product for $36 and I added two ingredients that I had already at the house. I added the cayenne pepper, and I added the ginger root. The product they sell doesn't have psyllium husk, turmeric, vitamin C, or probiotics in it, but I added those as well. I don't know if I said so in my poo blog. (When I got the ingredients I had to do math to figure out how much to put into the mix and what quantities to use. It wasn't too hard, the amounts are on the back of the bottles.)

    I added the vitamin C and the other ingredients because I take them every day and they too are in powder form, so it made sense to add them to the mix before I blended it. I use my last 2 or 3 ounces of coffee, a bit of protein powder, and about a tablespoon of chocolate syrup too - - because I can.  I pour in about 1/2 ounce of Apple Cider Vinegar. Any more than that and it starts to taste really funky. I may add another 1/2 ounce of it later to lemon water, and that really helps with the sides of your colon - - stripping off any goo or gunk that may be hanging around.

    The thing is, and you can ask your doctors this, a lot if not most of cancers start in the colon. Cancer isn't our only concern though. There are a lot of ailments that start right there in the colon. That's why the doctors ask you to have it checked and cleaned as you get older. We don't drink enough water, and we should. I do, but I'm not the norm in that arena. I'm not necessarily normal in any arena really, but that's another blog entirely.

    So, the powder I made, the Jude Poo, is going to last me about five or six months. I'll keep you updated. I'll expect results in a few weeks not months, because I do exercise, I do drink a lot of water, and I do pray over the matter. Prayer is a key factor in all of my daily habits; it could be a good thing to add if you haven't done that already. God made me. He knows I need to poo to stay healthy and happy. There's a reason people say things like, "You're full of ..." and so forth. Being stuck or stuffed with it can make you irritable. It's not fun. 

    Today's update is a basic one. I started the program yesterday, and all is well so far. I have had my "movement" and it was normal for me, but I want greater results. I want to truly be able to say that this is an amazing decision. I want to see myself weighing 20 pounds lighter in a month. I want to reach my weight goals by April; we'll see if that happens. It's not just about poo at that point. I need to keep lifting weights and working out, walking, drinking water, and you know, eating correctly, and getting enough sleep. It all works together.

    Have a blessed one. Get out there and exercise if you can. Make a point to praise God for all He's done for you, and all He will do for you too. He listens. He smiles.

Photo Credit: Farmtohome.com

1211 (Slacking)

 Here it is Saturday, and I don't want to write. I'm not going to consider myself a total slacker, however. I'm going to watch two movies and see if I can get a few more clues and/or ideas for the book. I have in my mind what I want to say. I have a plan for this story, that story, etc., but I'm just sort of lacking the motivation to make it all happen today. I've been on a reading binge, which isn't a bad thing.

    Today is January 27, and I'm fairly certain I'll write either tomorrow or next week. I'm not really in any hurry, and I don't have to have anything penned by any time soon; it's just me putting myself under pressure, so I have decided not to do that. I'm going to read more, watch old movies, think, exercise, sleep, and take hot baths. That really sounds like an amazing plan.

    It's about 32 degrees outside, but the wind is kicking up and making it feel so much colder. I think the dog decided to pee really quickly so she didn't have ice sticking to her butt. She told me in no uncertain terms that we were running back to the door and we had just barely stepped out of it. She knows. She's not one to fool around when it comes to cold weather.

    Her being so persnickety about being outside brought to my attention that there isn't a dog in my book yet. I'm on chapter 15 and there is no dog. Who does that? I think Alistair will need a good dog soon. I'm wondering if he'll find one on the way home from school or if his dad comes up with one during his course of work.  You just never really know. Ama could use a dog too, she doesn't leave her house much other than to get groceries and go to church. She could use a dog. We'll have to dog this book up - - that may be what it needs.

    Until then, I bid you farewell, and a good evening. I'm about to choose which old-timey movie I want to spend my time with. It's gotta be about murder so I can get an understanding of what people said during the 30s and 20s about murder, science, and things like that. I listen and I learn. I like learning.

Photo Credit:  Wikipedia.com

Pecan Sandies. Because They Do Matter.

 I must give credit where credit is due, and that would be to my father, Reuben Wayne Stringfellow because he brought home the first bag of pecan Sandies I ever ate.  I am not about to say whether or not they were Keebler brand. I have no idea what they may have been. I can tell you this, my father was Scottish, and he probably never bought name-brand cookies, candies, or anything when we were kids. He may have bought Braum's ice cream, but that's an entirely different matter.

    So, the pecan Sandies or shortbreads that we eat today (in my house) do vary from the name brands to the off-brand names. The only criteria they must have is that they are in fact good tasting. I can even say that the cost of the bag is secondary to the taste of the product. I can go that far. That being said, I decided to do the side-by-side taste test this morning just to see if there really is that big of a difference between the two brands that are currently in my house.

    Keebler was the control cookie. The Aldi store brand is the challenger. When I set the bags one on top of the other for the photo I realized for the first time, that the portions were the very same. They were both 11.3 ounces. I don't think I even thought that would be possible, but it is. They are. The Keebler cookie is slightly smaller in circumference but slightly denser in texture, and they are in fact the same weight per bag, with the same number of cookies in each bag.

    The Aldi bag Sandie had more tiny slivers of pecans, and they were not as smooth as the Keebler brand either. I could turn them both at an angle and see the obvious roughness of the Aldi cookie. I'd say by comparison that the Keebler is a little Scotsman wearing a kilt with fashionable hose and polished shoes. It may have a vest, blouse, and jacket with a tie, where the Aldi cookie is also a Scotsman wearing a kilt, but maybe he's not so inclined to pull up his socks, and he's got on a pair of laced-up black boots and he's not wearing a jacket or vest, but a rough and wooly jumper (sweater for the Americans). That is the difference between the two cookies.

    How do they taste? To be completely honest I needed to try two or three from each bag to be sure, but I gave the Keebler more points for denseness and the Aldi brand for less greasy aftertaste. It's not as if Keebler has a greasy aftertaste, but it's there sort of faintly lingering, where the Aldi cookie was a little less noticeable. I would give each an 8 on a scale of 1-10. I like them both. I will buy them both. The difference in cost was fairly significant if you must know.

    The Keebler cookies were purchased at Winco, which is cheaper than say Target, Walmart, or another named store. They were $3.79 for the bag. (The Keebler bag opens on the top with an easy-to-open pull thing, whereas the Aldi cookie bag does not have that type of opening.) The Aldi brand was $2.99, so you're talking a good .80 difference, so that's roughly .... math. That's math, that's what that is. It's .80 less for the Aldi bag.

    So there you go - - a taste and side-by-side comparison between two of the finest -- you can do your own comparison if you need to. I would. I would go out there in the big bad world and pick them both up and just test my theory!! I double-dog dare you, and that means you have to do it....unless you wanna be called a chicken!

Photo Credit: Me.

ZuPoo vs. JudePoo

 It seems that every year some new "guru" with that obligatory young, liberal, and hipster look comes along and tells all of us that we should stop all the unnecessary dieting and we should give up our gym memberships because all the workouts, the time spent running on the treadmill and doing so much cardio is just not what we need to do. Our belly fat, they tell us, is only there because we allow it to be. We did it ourselves, and we're the only ones who can remove it.

    I'm not saying that the good folks behind the latest "fat burner" pills called ZuPoo are saying we're never to pick up another barbell or that we're not supposed to juice the greens again, but they sort of kind of said it in their advertising. They have some guy with a three-day beard looking all sexy in his loose-fitting sweats, pushing his agenda, or their agenda, and I decided to look a little closer at it....and at their agenda, too.

    According to the internet, which all of us know, is always correct, (right?) the ingredients found in the ZuPoo product are as follows (not in any percentage order): Magnesium, Cascara Sagrada, Fennel, Apple Cider Vinegar, Ginger, Cape Aloe, Burdock Root, Bentonite, Milk Thistle and Cayenne.  REALLY? We already knew that these ingredients could do the job of moving our bowels. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to go through the list and literally say "yep" each time we run into a supplement that another company used to claim the very same thing!

    How many of us have done the whole apple cider vinegar lemonade thing? How many of us tossed a bit of cayenne into the stew to bring up our temperature a little so we could burn a few more calories? We all do it. Well,  here's my take on it. I have a take you know, because I'm not paying $25.00 a bottle for a 30-day supply of something that generally takes 3-6 months to see the results I'm looking for. NOPE.

    I went on Amazon and I bought the same ingredients in powder form (except the Apple Cider Vinegar. I can pour that into the mix) and I'll make a shake out of it so I can drink it once a day and be done with it. I'll even add psyllium husk as well as turmeric because I'm really just that cool. I'll add it to a juice I would have juiced such as carrot or cucumber with an apple and there you go - - one healthy holy-moly 8-10 ounces of colon cleanser to chase the devil right out of you.

    I may have to sideline it with a good dose of Milk of Magnesia, but it can be done. I'll post the results as I get them and that way you'll know if I'm just a raging lunatic or if maybe I'm onto something. The ingredients cost me $36.00 and will last more than 120 days. I think the smallest bag of powder for the bunch was the fennel, and you only use a little of it anyway. I think I'll get 120 days out of the powders. Even if I only got 60 days I'd be on top, but I think I can get at least 120.

    Let the games begin!!

Photo Credit: LinkedIn.com

1211 (Chapter 14 is done) 45% done

 It doesn't seem like a big change really, but I have crossed a threshold in the book. I'm now genuinely in the book and writing about the house that is the star of the book. The Garvey House is an 8-unit apartment house that is situated in an affluent sort of area, just north of the downtown metroplex in Oklahoma City. Keep in mind, that it is not real, it does not exist in reality. The address I am using is part of one I lived in during my very young years as an adult - - if you call it that. I had barely graduated high school, so yeah, I was legal. 

    The 14th chapter was written today, laying some groundwork for the book's main character Nick Posh. He'll investigate things, dig up things, and literally nail someone in the process. He'll be looking for reasons to pin anything on a suspect to get him off the streets because he believes him to be dangerous. He's on a mission and nothing will stop him. 

    There will be quirks! There will be odd-ends. There will be "Can that even happen?" questions, and there will be shaking of heads. It happened to me, so I know it can happen. I'm pulling out the stops on this one. I'm going to have fun with it and get as much of it out there for the world to enjoy. If I happen to stretch the truth a bit in the process, well, you know I'm fully licensed in creative writing, and I have that right! I have no qualms about it - - let the games begin.

    I only wrote one chapter today, I won't consider myself a slacker until I either do that three days in a row, or if I don't write anything at all - - then I may consider my means, methods, and ways, but until then I am on track to finish the book in about 10 days, and then I can read through it, make corrections, have it published and call it done. I do want to go through it really well, and not have to make more corrections to it after it's published, so I may wait a week after it's written to take it up again and check it for mistakes. 

    I think it best.

Photo Credit: Zillow.com  (This is the actual house I lived in. My unit was upstairs on the left.)