A Nancy Drew Mystery ._ _ _ /./_ _.././_… ././. _.. Sauce
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Julie's Jabberwock
A Bluey Birthday Pavlova For Isabelle
3 Year’s Old!
Pavlova For Isabelle
Season 3, Episode 17
Pavlova
Bonjour! Bandit becomes a French speaking chef who tries to get Bingo to eat Edamame instead of the Pavlova that she wants. Bluey becomes an advocate trying to have Bandit and Chili give her the slice of Pavlova that she wants. It’s this episode as to why Isabelle was interested in trying a Pavlova.
We saw this as the perfect opportunity to give Isabelle the Pavlova that she wants to try, and for us to try it as well.
Veronica and Isabelle
Feather Wand
Fortune Cookies Are Big Here At Our House, They Are Also In A Bluey Episode
Bingo And Turtle Boy On The Swings
Pavlova Left, Bluey Food Truck, Right
Isabelle Exploring Her Birthday Toys From Us
The Dogs, Ever Alert 🙂
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She Loved Her Pavlova! So Did We!
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Our Favorite Afternoon…
Bluey Puzzles, and Bluey Juice
(Oh, and Pokey Sticks.)
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A Birthday Pavlova For Isabelle
(Garden Gnomes, Cupcake Topper Characters, Marshmallow Bunnies, Bluey Cookie Cutters, Chef Bandit, Bluey, Bingo, and Chili Kitchen Figures, Fresh Fruits of Strawberries, Blueberries, and Kiwi Fruit, and a Bingo Pavlova Birthday Card.)
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To View Our Other Bluey Website Pages:
Click Here For: The Inspiration Of Bluey And The Heeler’s
AND,
Click Here For: In A Bluey Kitchen
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Tutu Papa Ready To Make Isabelle A Birthday Pavlova
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Recipe Starts Here:
Write Up By Gordon
When looking up Pavlova recipes, I went to Ina Garten’s, Martha Stewart’s, and Nigella Lawson’s, but they all only used four to five eggs. We wanted to make a bigger Pavlova, so I settled on a kind of unknown lady’s ingredients. I also looked at their techniques, times, and temperatures which were very similar. This Pavlova turned out very nicely as I gave it my own twist to the traditional recipe by adding a layer of Marshmallow Fluff. I actually saw it in the baking isle as I was shopping for the ingredients. I like to think outside the box. I also thought of cotton candy, but maybe that will be for another time.
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Pavlova Cake Ingredients:
6 Egg Whites – eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
2 tsp. Corn Starch
1/2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
Top with Marshmallow Fluff
Top with homemade whipped topping… ingredients down below
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Here I cut out some parchment paper to fit the pizza pan. I used a pizza pan because the pavlova was circular and it gave me plenty of room to spread the mixture out.
Separating the eggs is the next step. Your eggs should be at room temperature as they beat best this way. If they are not at room temperature, simply place the eggs into some warm water for 10-15 minutes. You also want to ensure the egg yolks Do NOT get into your egg whites as the fat in the yolks will prevent the whites from rising and becoming fluffy. I use the three container method. One container is for the single egg white, one for the yolks, and use your mixing bowl for all the egg whites. Use the best tool in your kitchen… your hands to separate the whites from the yolks. Crack your egg and break it into your hand over one bowl. Let the egg whites drip into it being careful not to break the yolk. Then drop the yolk into the other bowl. Now, dump the egg white into the mixing bowl, since it is clean and free of yolk. Do the same for the rest of the eggs. If you were to break the eggs and separate them over the mixing bowl, you have the chance of contaminating the egg whites with the yolk if it were to break. The method I use makes it so there will be no cross contamination. Cover the yolks with some plastic wrap, place them in the refrigerator, and use them for your morning egg breakfast the next day!
Here you can see where after each egg white is separated, I placed the egg whites into the mixing bowl.
Now place your 1 1/2 cups of sugar into the bowl and using the whisking attachment at high speed, whisk the egg whites and sugar for about 6-7 minutes until they are at stiff peaks.
Stiff peaks is reached when you remove the whisk attachment and the mixture makes peaks.
Now you need to add your flavoring of the vanilla and lemon juice. The corn starch is also added now as it will absorb extra moisture, build a crisp outer crust, and keep the inside of the Pavlova soft and marshmallowy.
Mix the ingredients together for about 15-20 seconds until the flavors are combined.
Here you can see how fluffy the egg whites have become.
When I was making the Pavlova, Julie told me of a trick that Nigella Lawson used when she made her Pavlova.
She placed dabs of the egg whites off the whisk attachment under the parchment paper to prevent it from moving. It worked beautifully!
Using a rubber spatula, remove the egg white mixture from the mixing bowl and onto the center of the pizza pan as shown above.
Smooth out the mixtures edge using the spatula by turning the pan around.
Create a well in the center of the mixture to hold the other ingredients.
Bake the Pavlova in the oven at 250’F for an hour and a half, then turn off the oven and let it stay in the oven for another hour. Doing this completely bakes the mixture all the way though. It is very important that you don’t open the oven door during any of this process.
Here is the finished Pavlova.
This next step was an idea of mine. I thought adding some marshmallow would add to the flavors nicely and it was close to what the Pavlova was made of.
I used about 12 oz. of the 16 oz. container, but use as much or as little as you like. Spread it over the top of the Pavlova as it will seep into the cracks.
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Making The Frosting
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream – cold
2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
1/2 Tbsp. Vanilla
Making the whipped cream topping is very similar to making the Pavlova.
Pour all the ingredients into your mixing bowl using the whisk attachment.
Whisk the ingredients for 2-3 minutes until the cream is firm. Don’t whip it too much as it will turn buttery. If you aren’t going to eat the Pavlova within the hour, you can make this ahead of time and keep it cool in the refrigerator.
Spread the whipped cream over the top of the marshmallow.
Here is the finished desert, waiting for decoration and fresh fruit like Strawberries, Blueberries, and Kiwi’s for decoration. (We put the fresh fruit on the side.)
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Decorating The Pavlova
This Was My FUN Job!
I found all these Bluey character cupcake toppers online and placed them all around the Pavlova with a pink 3 in the middle.
Tutu Decorating The Pavlova And Preparing The Birthday Table
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Isabelle Working One Of Her Bluey Birthday Puzzles
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Hau’oli La Hanau!
Happy Birthday Isabelle
We Love You!
Tutu, and Tutu Papa
Italian Sangwitches
Buongiorno (Good Morning) What a Great Day to Have a Cafe and a Breakfast Sangwitch (The breakfast sandwich that you see above is something I picked up in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. It is a …
That’s Amore Italian
Welcome To That’s Amore Italian…
That’s Amore (Love)
My Stuffed Meaty Cheesy Shells With Cheeses, Spices, And Lots Of Herbs
Or A Few Shells On A Bed Of Salad Greens And Cheeses
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When I think of Italian Food I automatically think of Love and Romance.
I believe that they both go hand in hand.
No one falls in love over a cheeseburger, but I believe lots of people have fallen in love over a plate of Spaghetti. 🙂
It’s not just the food that promotes the romance, it’s the atmosphere of Candlelight, Drippy Candles, Wine, Wine Glasses, Bread Sticks, Waiters, Music, well, you get the picture.
Only in Italy! Or rather, Italian Inspired.
The Lady And The Tramp
Disney, 1955
A very famous scene of two lovers falling in love for the first time over a plate of Spaghetti.
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The Parent Trap, 1961
I loved this movie so much when I was younger. I was born in 1961, but it would air on T.V. in the later years and I was always glued to it. Maureen O’Hara was so beautiful, Brian Keith was so handsome, and Hayley Mills was so cute and adorable. This is one of my favorite childhood movies.
After all in the story, these two fell in love over an Italian Dinner.
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1953
Dean Martin’s Debut Of This Song
My Stuffed Meaty Cheesy Shells With Cheeses, Spices, And Lots Of Herbs
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(This Is A Similar Meat Mixture Recipe That I Have Used Many Times Before. I May Alter It Up, But The Base Is Usually The Same.)
Ingredients:
2, 19 oz. Packs Hot Italian Sausage
1, 19 oz. Pack Sweet Italian Sausage
Half a Medium Sweet Onion, Chopped
Half a Medium Red Onion, Chopped
3, Red Bell Peppers, Chopped
10-15, Garlic Cloves, Minced
(You do not have to use that much Garlic if you don’t want to. But at least use a good 5 Garlic Cloves.)
Pats of Butter, For Cooking
Olive Oil, For Cooking
1, 28 oz. Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
1, 28 oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 T. Chopped Calabrian Peppers (Warning: They are Hot!)
1, Box 12 oz. Jumbo Shells Pasta
1, 16 oz. Mozzarella Cheese Slices
Shredded Parmesan Cheese, To Taste
Sprinkling of Pizza Palooza Spice Mix (optional)
Bunch of Fresh Parsley
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Don’t Forget To Enjoy A Glass Of Wine Or Two While Cooking
Also, Turn On Some Nice Italian Music To Enjoy. Atmosphere Is Key!
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The Recipe:
Begin By Chopping The Onions…
..And Then The Red Bell Peppers
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Turn Your Pan On To A Medium Heat
I Added A Few Pats Of Butter To My Wok
Sometimes I Prefer A Wok To A Frying Pan, I Like The Heat Distribution Better
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Everything Chopped And Ready
With The Butter Melted I Added My Chopped Onions To The Wok
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Mincing My Garlic Into A Bowl
(Use As Many Cloves As You Want)
Once My Onions Soften, Which Takes About 5 Minutes, Then Add The Minced Garlic.
Sometimes I Will Add More Butter If Necessary.
Turn On To A Low Heat And Allow To Sit
(Remove The Onions From The Wok And Place Into A Smaller Frying Pan, Set Aside.)
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In A Smaller Frying Pan I Am Adding Another Pat Of Butter To Melt On A Medium Heat
When The Butter Is Melted, Add The Chopped Red Bell Pepper To Saute
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Time To Add All The Sausage
Remove The Sausage From The Casings As Well,
Place The Sausage Into The Wok To Brown
You Can Add Some Olive Oil To The Sausage To Help The Cooking Process And Add Some Flavor
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Now That The Sausage Has Browned It’s Time To Add The Tomato Products
(Sometimes If The Meat Mixture Is Too Greasy I Will Drain The Grease Into The Sink. I Did Not Do That Here.)
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It’s Best To Break Up The Whole Peeled Tomatoes By Cutting Them With Kitchen Scissors
Next You Want To Turn The Heat Up To Medium And Allow To Simmer Away
You Want To Thicken The Sauce, Stir Often
I Placed The Onions and Garlic Into The Pan With The Red Bell Peppers, And Set Aside
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WARNING: THIS IS HOT!!!!
I Am Adding A Tablespoon Of The Calabrian Peppers To My Sauce
You Can Also See That It Is Thickening Up
As My Sauce Bubbles Away And The Liquid Is Reduced, I Keep Turning The Temperature Down A Few Notches At A Time
I Am Now Adding My Onions, Garlic, And Red Bell Peppers To The Meat Mixture
Nice And Thick!
See The Grease In the Photo Right? That Is Flavor.
You Can Also See The Grease That Congealed Into The Container When Placed Into The Refrigerator
I Made The Meat Mixture Ahead Of Time, Now To Assemble And Finish This Great Dinner
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Now For The Pasta Portion Of This Great Meal
Prepare A Baking Sheet With Aluminum Foil
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Fill A Large Pot 3/4 Of The Way Up With Water, Bring To A Boil
Here I Am Heating Up Some Of My Meat Mixture In The Stove Top On A Low Heat
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You Can Always Add A Bit Of Salt To The Water While It Comes To A Boil
Also, Some Olive Oil To Help Prevent The Pasta Sticking Together
When The Water Starts Boiling Add The Pasta Shells
Cook According To Package Instructions. We Want The Pasta To Be Al Dente.
When The Pasta Is Finished Cooking, Drain Into A Colander In The Sink
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Now It’s Time To Stuff The Pasta With The Meat Mixture
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Use A Cooking Oil Spray On The Baking Sheet To Prevent The Pasta From Sticking
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Turn The Oven On 350F
When The Pasta Shells Are Cool Enough, Place Some Of The Meat Mixture Into Each One, Place Them Onto The Baking Sheet
I Sliced The Mozzarella And Placed Some In Each Pasta Shell
Time To Go In The Oven For The Shell To Cook A Bit, And The Mozzarella To Melt, About 10 – 15 Minutes
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Shredded Parmesan Cheese and Italian Pizza Palooza Spice Mix
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After The Allotted Time Remove From The Oven,
Sprinkled Some Of the Italian Pizza Palooza Spice Mix Over Them, And Add Some Shredded Parmesan Cheese,
Now Place Them Back Into The Oven For The Parmesan Cheese To Melt, About 5 More Minutes
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Time To Plate
I Added My Parsley In A Circle Around The Plate, And Then Placed My Meat Filled Pasta Shells All Around
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Add Some Additional Parsley Around The Shells,
Such A Beautiful Romantic Dinner For Two 🙂
Grazie,
Julie
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Julie and Gordon Whann Way Mexicana Seis!
Hola! Buen Dia! Es Hora De Desayunar (Time For Breakfast) Out The Door Early, Just Something Fast Cornbread Toppers with Mexican Chili Crisp (The yellow you see above is a flower or two shredding it’s petals, and me not wanting to clean …
65 and Beyond, (Finger’s Crossed)
On February 13th., 2026 I Turned 65 Gordon and I ‘Out and About’ on My Birthday 65 Feels Pretty Good —————————————————————————————— When I Turned 60 I Started this Website Page: Sixty’s, (Sensational or Surviving?), We’ll See, Right? (If you would like …
Julie Barefoot 2026, (‘Puke Punaewele, (Blog)
2026
A Morning Aloha
(Hawaiian Kona Coffee)
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Brodie In Our Backyard Plumeria Tree in Ewa Beach, 1996
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E Komo Mai
Welcome to My Aloha Julie Barefoot 2026 ‘Puke Punaewele (Blog)
Ready for 2026
This year will be a more eventful one from in the past few years. Traditionally we are home bodies as it is, but with Gordon working overseas for the past few years, and with me keeping the home fires burning, I am also my Grand-Daughter’s main caregiver. I don’t really have a lot of free time anymore. Especially when it comes to working on my websites.
You will find out as I take you along with me, and my Ohana throughout the year, what we have in store.
We lived in Hawai’i for 13 glorious years. Hawai’i means a lot to us. Both of our children were born there.
My Grand-Daughter Isabelle calls me Tutu, the Hawaiian word for Grandmother.
I sometimes call her Peanuku, (Peanut) because when we first saw the scan of her before she was born she looked exactly like a Peanut.
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This year our son Brodie Keith Kanakaleo Whann will be getting married in Hawai’i on the North Shore to his betrothed Mackenzie Meers Parish.
Click Here For: Mother of the Groom
We are all looking forward to it! Going back to Hawai’i, visiting our old stomping grounds. Brushing up on my Hawaiian Pidgeon, Da Kine! Eating our old Plate Lunches, and Shave Ice. Eating at Duke’s. Visiting The Aloha Flea Market at The Aloha Stadium. Visiting the Arizona Memorial Museum, and the site of the U.S.S. Arizona, perhaps if Gordon’s former ship is docked we can get a tour and show Veronica, Brian and Isabelle the ship itself.
We have a huge Luau planed in Waikiki before the wedding, hosted by us. I’ve been buying gifts for the occasion.
Click Here For: Whann Way Hawaiian Luau
I will blog more about that as it approaches. But for now, I am reliving the memories we created in Hawaii, and brushing up on my Hawaiian phrases that we will use while there. Especially when it comes to Wedding Toasts and Speeches.
A Hui Hou Kakou (Until We Meet Again),
Julie Barefoot
(Julie Lancaster-Whann)
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Click Here For: E Komo Mai To The Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Luau
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Favorite Snacks
We Take Hawaii With Us Everyday, Sometimes Even Out The Door 🙂
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The Original Blogging Key Board
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Time To Watch Blue Hawaii
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Also, Check Out A Few Of Our Hawaiian Website Pages:
Click Here For: Blue Hawaiians and Huli Huli Chicken
AND,
Click Here For: Huli Huli Julie Caesar
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A Flower In My Hair
I’ve written about this before on my website, but I would also like to write it here again:
When my family moved to Rockingham, North Carolina, 1978, the summer before my senior year in high school, I wore a flower in my hair every day. I was laughed at. Made fun of. And made to feel as if there was something wrong with me. But when I became an adult, got married, Gordon and I moved to Hawaii for his military career. I noticed that all the women in Hawaii would wear a flower in their hair every day. I knew then that there was never anything wrong with me, I was just living in the wrong place. 🙂
Aloha,
Kulii (Julie)
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I Also Created A Few New Recipes With Hawaii In Mind, To debut Here:
Kulii’s Teriyaki Spam and Pineapple ‘Ai Pu Ana
(Julie’s Teriyaki Spam and Pineapple Casserole)
AND,
My Tropical Naan’s
If I were to create a Christmas Pizza, this would be it. 🙂
(Recipes Down Below)
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Hawai’i has always meant a great deal to us. I cannot explain our connection to the state.
I have a closer connection to Hawai’i than I do Georgia, the state I was born into.
With an open mind, you will see the Garden of Eden, Beautiful Brown Angels Singing, Dancing, Ceremony, Spirituality, Music, Drums, History, Cultures Living Together, Working Together, Farming Together, Cooking Together, Celebrating Together, and Sharing With Each Other.
I look forward to bringing to you all that we will encounter on our trip back to paradise.
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Blog Posts Start Here
Out And About
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July, 2026
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July 13-16, 2026
Belated July 4th. Thoughts
Isabelle Wearing My Lilly Pulitzer Free Gift Cap With Purchase, I Gifted It To Her 🙂
The photo above, I took on July 2nd.. We had hired tree trimmers for the day and they were on a lunch break when we took the dogs outside. Isabelle instantly ran to the ladder, I grabbed my camera and I believe snapped one of the cutest natural pictures of her ever taken. 🙂
I also gifted her that cute outfit. 🙂
Gordon had taken the day off to supervise the tree trimming. (I didn’t want to do it as I was busy keeping Isabelle inside.) It had been 3 years since the last time we had our trees trimmed.
Just more Florida home ownership responsibilities. We live very close in proximity to our neighbors so we need to be aware when our tree branches start to hang close to their roofs, etc. The guys we hired were the best we had ever hired before! They were professional and worth almost all of the close to $4,000.00 that we paid them. The neighbors were even happy with them as they cleaned up every leaf that fell into their yards as well.
I suppose that no one really cares about tree trimmers so I will move on.
This past July 4th. was our country’s 250th. Birthday! I can remember back in 1976 celebrating our 200th. Birthday. We were living in Tennessee at the time. Even though I was a child of 15, I knew that it was something to be proud of. However, just 50 years later things are so much different in my country than 1976 ever was.
I really don’t want to go into all the details of that. (I would be writing a novel if I did.) However, there just seemed to be this depression that did hang over the holiday. A lot of the past enthusiasm was gone. The fireworks were not as much. The pride gone. The confidence gone. The arrogance gone. The day was just sort of a quiet day of reflection. At least for us it was.
Oh, I did post our past July 4th. Independence Day Celebratory website pages on the Homepage of the website, and even on social media. But you do that for your little ones. We have Isabelle here and she needs to understand that it is something to celebrate. Luckily for her, her parents are big on fireworks and a big 4th. party with lots of family and food. Brian has lots of his family over where they shoot off fireworks and party into the night. But Gordon and I were more subdued. Instead of the usual this and that, I wanted to focus on my favorite state, Hawaii.
1950’s-60’s Maui County Fair Flying Saucers
I didn’t want our usual July 4th. foods, and with all the talk of State Fair’s in D.C., I wanted to put my focus on our favorite State, Hawaii. I did my research and discovered that Hawaii would make these great grilled cheese sandwiches back in the day. The tool used to make them goes back to the 1940’s. I didn’t want to make grilled cheese sandwiches, but I did want to make some Sloppy Joe’s, or in our case, Sloppy Whann’s. 🙂
It’s funny but I was looking through my Instagram feed and I came across an account that I didn’t even follow, located in Hawaii that actually said, “Don’t make us your 4th. of July Celebration.”
That was exactly what I did!
I certainly didn’t mean any disrespect. I was honoring the state. Hawaii was the state that meant the most to me. Although Hawaii didn’t become a state until August, 1959.
Celebrating this past 250 Birthday while our country is currently being dismantled from within, is a bit like celebrating a wedding anniversary while simultaneously filing for divorce. It’s all so dysfunctional now.
My hope is that the right people are able to correct course and get us going in the correct direction without too much interference. But, we’ll see.
For now though life goes on, and so do we.
We did make it to 250 though. And I appreciate those who sacrificed so that we could get this far. 🙂
Julie
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June, 2026
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June 22, 2026
Today Is Our 41st. Wedding Anniversary
On Our Wedding Day, 1985
Driving Into The Future In Gordon’s First Jeep (Blue)
2026, Driving Into The Sunset In His New Jeep (Tan)
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June 22, 2026
Update On Justin’s Death
Brodie went to Mississippi for the funeral. He told us it took 9 Pallbearers to carry him. Justin was a very big man. I think he wore a size 22 shoe, that should give you an idea of just how tall he was. Brodie told us that because he was so large that the coffin had to be lowered into the ground by hand. I know it was very sad for all. Brodie, Jason and Justin were the best of friends since they were all 14. We will miss Justin. He was part of our family for decades.
RIP Justin
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June 14, 2026
We’ve Had Two Deaths This Month
I have been searching through my millions of photos trying to find a nice one of Brodie’s friend Justin, and Gordon’s mother, Sarajane. I must have about 12 external harddrives. I can’t find what I am looking for where Justin is concerned. And it just dawned on me where I can find a nice photo of me and Sarajane in Hawaii. (See below.)
Both of them have passed away earlier this month, two days apart.
Justin apparently fainted on a job site at work and died from heat stroke.
And Gordon’s mother died while in the hospital. I think she died from sheer unhappiness. She had an appetite while in the hospital, but she wanted to be fed. Nurses don’t do that anymore. You either feed yourself, get a loved one to do it for you, or you do without. Our fabulous American health care system not working yet again.
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(Me, with my mother-in-law, Sarajane Whann 1988, in Hawaii with our wrist lei’s.)
It was earlier this year that Sarajane’s assisted living facility apartment had a fire in the attic and the sprinkler’s went off throughout the building. Gordon’s sister Heather called me to tell me about it. Sarajane and her son Jeff had to move out of their apartment and into another apartment in another building on the grounds. All of their things were put into storage, and they were told they wouldn’t be back into their apartment for a good 6 months. I believe that is the catalyst that escalated her death. She loved her things. She had beautiful things that she loved looking at and enjoying them all. I think that had the flooding not happened that she could have lived another couple of years. I can just see her doing her counted cross stitch while sitting on her comfy chair. She has a Baby Grand Piano and would play for the other residents during the holidays on the piano in the restaurant dining room.
My mother-in-law and I were not close. She had never really liked me. But, the older that I have become, the more understanding I have become. Over the past years I no longer held any grudges towards her. The past no longer bothered me. I learned that it was never personal. It was just her.
I have asked for one or two of her counted cross stitch pieces. Or even a painting or two that she herself had painted. I would love to proudly own them.
I think that if we are lucky that we age wisely. We evolve into people that are more understanding, even if it doesn’t benefit us personally.
I will say this about Sarajane, she was a very interesting person.
RIP Sarjane,
Julie
See, I told you long ago that you can’t take everything with you when you’re gone. 🙂 I miss you though!
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June 14, 2026
Jeep Shopping and Vintage Florida
Doing Some Nostalgic Souvenir Browsing
With Gordon home permanently from working overseas we needed another automobile for him. He’s been talking about buying a Jeep for years now, but he wanted a used one and in the colors that he wanted, which are sometimes hard to find. So, he contacted a bunch of dealerships within a range of about 200 miles from us until someone gave us the call that they had found what he wanted. This was the day we drove to Ocala to take a look at one.
We ended up having to make two trips up to buy the Jeep. This was our first one.
THE One!
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It was while we were on our way back home that I spotted this from the highway.
I knew I wanted to stop in and shop around for some homemade jams and jelly’s from local sellers, and perhaps buy a big bag of Oranges etc.
Gordon Out Front
I love the nostalgia of these old Florida souvenir shops beside the highways.
They remind me of my childhood and our many trips down to Florida when I was growing up.
THIS is what I don’t love about Florida. To me this is like collecting scalps.
The alligator feet are cut off and used as backscratchers.
The heads are cut off as trophy’s to be placed so that they can be admired by other very scary people that I will never want to know in my lifetime.
The large alligator in the window was stuffed and placed there.
They did have these two cuties in a tank. It was a pretty large tank too.
They do have room to roam around quite a bit. (Bright side.)
We once knew a family in Georgia that had a Cayman in a small fish tank. The poor thing couldn’t move. It was like that for years. Finally it died one day. I didn’t blame it, it never had a life anyway. And why this family thought that was a good idea to do that to that animal is just beyond me?
This store was also selling what looked like baby sharks in jars in some blue liquid. I know the name of it but I don’t know how to spell it so I will just keep typing… (getting lazy in my old age.) Actually, at this writing I am recovering from a very bad cold and I’m still not feeling very well. I don’t get sick that often as it is. The last time I was sick was October, 2023, and prior to that January 2019. But, when I do get sick I tend to GET SICK!
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We did find lots of goodies and made several purchases.
The Pecan Log, or Pecan Roll
(THIS is my Childhood!)
It wouldn’t be Florida without getting one of these!
A soft tasty nougat rolled in chopped pecans.
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The Love Bugs Were Out In Force!
It’s just not Florida without Love Bugs splat all over your car and windshield.
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Gordon Got DUCKED!
And he got Ducked by his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. 🙂
It’s a Jeep thing. It seems like it is quite common among Jeep owner’s to place a rubber duck onto someone else’s Jeep. I know that when we are riding down the road that other Jeep owner’s will wave or honk their horns. It’s as if he’s joined a really cool club, or a dangerous cult. I’m still not sure which? But if all they do is worship rubber ducks then I’m O.K. with it. 🙂
When Gordon bought the Jeep it didn’t have any step to get into it. He ordered these and put them on with the help of our son-in-law, Brian. I know that I was always ‘spread eagle’ in just climbing in and out of it. Especially in my short Lilly Pulitzer dresses. (Not the prettiest site at 65.) But now I can jump in and out without so much as a peep. 🙂
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With it just being the two of us now we decided to get rid of my old Santa Fe. It’s about 20 years old. I haven’t owned many cars in my life. I’ve never been that kind of person that has to drive the flashiest or most expensive. As I saw it there was never really anyone I ever wanted to impress in that way. It’s funny but we just assumed that she wouldn’t start up as we haven’t driven her in over two years. So, when the tow truck guy arrived he suggested we try and start it. IT STARTED RIGHT UP!! I was happy. I saw it as a sign that the old girl is ready to move on where she can be appreciated in her old age by a veteran. Yes, we donated the car. I told Gordon to try and scrape off the website name from the back window. He did, but you could still read it. The sun had burned it into the windshield.
I hope she makes someone very happy.
Julie
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June 4, 2026
Creating A Nice Hawaii Bathroom
Diamond Head, the Wooden Aloha Surfboards
The Blue Hawaiian Hut Birdhouse on the right was painted by Veronica years ago.
Our small guest bathroom had gotten stale. We hadn’t done much to it in years. Although it is not a big space, I did want to freshen it up.
Our recent Hawaii visit had given me so much inspiration. We had found a shop at Ala Moana called CocoNene. They had the nicest wooden items. Gordon and I fell in love with so many things in their store. We did buy a few while we were there, and then ordered a few more things once we got back home.
The Starfish to the right was a gift from Veronica years ago as well. The Fish picture frame was a gift from a friend of Veronica’s when she was 3 and we were living in Honolulu. The cute fish towel is something we bought years ago. And, the Monstera Ferns in the wooden picture are from CocoNene as well.
Happy With This Very Simple Space In The Guest Bathroom
It’s Personal,
Julie
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May, 2026
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May 24, 2026
Time For Talk Story
Let Me Tell You A Story About Karma
There once was a woman that lived in a neighborhood in Florida. She kept to herself and minded her own business but that never seemed to matter to some arrogant trouble makers that were her neighbors. (Or as my grandmother would have called them. They are a bunch of spoons because they love to stir up trouble.) These particular neighbors loved to bother her and try and make her miserable. I won’t go into all the details, but this woman was an observer of the behaviors of her neighbors. One thing she noticed was that the families that were harassing her were of a certain mindset. It was important for them to look good to others. Oh, and they had the nicest homes, the nicest lawns, the nicest cars, and wore the nicest clothes, while carrying the nicest handbags, all just part of the disguise. All those pretty things were to distract from their true selves. For you see, they showed the woman they were abusing exactly who they really are.
As time passed the woman may not have liked being abused by them, but she knew that karma would come along and get them eventually. The Universe has a way of doing that. You see, in their efforts to look good on the outside, they employed companies to make their grass extra green and beautiful. Killing the Dandelions that the bees needed to pollinate. Every 3rd. bite of food that we eat was pollinated by a bee. Once the bees are gone, we are gone. But to these people it didn’t matter, they just wanted the nicest yard in the neighborhood. Gotta keep up with those Jones’. Whoever they are?
These pesticides that are used to accomplish this are killing the bees, and the other important wildlife that helps to keep us healthy and safe. I’ve noticed that my frogs haven’t lay any eggs in the past few years in our fountains. As ugly as the fountains may look, I knew that we needed the frogs so that our ecosystem would thrive and be healthy. I would even feed them lettuce so that they wouldn’t cannibalize each other. When the hurricane’s were coming we covered them up and protected them so that they would make it through the storms. Did you also know that when a tree is cut down and is nothing left but a stump that the other trees will feed that stump through an underground network so that the stump will still live? Did you also know that our planet has a heartbeat? Probably not, because who cares about science, huh? Science is truth whether you believe in it or not.
All that matters to these kinds of people are that they look good on the outside. HOA’s even encourage this, as most HOA leadership are of a certain political party that don’t care about the environment, and love to make everyone look the same as them. Houses must be painted approved colors, lawns must be perfectly green and attractive, no weeds, even though some weeds help our ecosystem. Not caring that those chemicals used to make everything look nice and green are giving dogs cancer of the mouth, and children that play on those lawns are getting cancer as well.
Which brings me to my point. Almost every week these neighbors in the neighborhood employ housekeeping services. Breast cancer is in their futures. So, how would I know that? I’ll tell you.
It was about 15 years ago that all these women out in California were getting breast cancer. The only thing they had in common was that they all had their homes professionally cleaned on a weekly basis. The kinds of cleaning products that were being used caused cancer. When we clean our house we use Bar Keeper’s Friend along with some elbow grease, and some bleach products that have been around for a long time. We don’t breathe in those cancer causing chemicals like so many others do. Now there are so many products on the market that are dangerous to use. Yet, they are also perfectly legal.
It’s those products that professional housekeepers use. Most of the women who clean homes professionally are Spanish speaking. (Not that there is anything wrong with that but stay with me.) These women tend to be small in stature and probably have a few houses to get to each day. Their employer most likely wants them to finish each house as quickly as possible and move on to the next. That means that there is no time for them to use safe products like Bar Keeper’s Friend. That will require a lot of elbow grease from these women and they will take longer to finish cleaning and may be late to the next house on their list because of irate people that employ them don’t like waiting around. So, they spray on the highly industrialized stuff that will dissolve the messes so that all they have to do is then wipe it all up and leave.
The toxic chemicals aren’t just being used in the bathrooms, also the kitchen and other places in the home. And what with everyone wanting the ‘open concept’ home so that they can be just like everyone else, family’s can be sitting in their living rooms watching T.V. while breathing in the chemicals just a few feet away from the kitchen.
If you are thinking that those things only happened in California, wrong, things may start in California but then they spread to the rest of the country quickly. California being a progressive state, for good and bad reasons, is just where something will start. However, California being a blue state will then ban the toxic stuff once they discover it, while the red states will green light the toxic because they can’t disappoint their corporate donors. Living in a red state is like maneuvering through a daily mine field. If you don’t keep up with everything, then you lose.
When Bill Clinton was President he empowered the FDA to protect the American people. If a product was toxic and a business didn’t remove that product from it’s shelves then the FDA had the power to close that business. But, then along came W. who removed that power from the FDA and made it so that businesses could decide on their own whether they wanted to remove the toxic products from their shelves. One morning while W. was President I read online how the Sara Lee Bread was being recalled due to metals from their factory in China. I then drove to the Commissary on base where I saw all this Sara Lee Bread in the front of the store with a $1.00 price along with a $1.00 off coupon. Pretty much FREE. Free toxic bread! I saw a woman with 3 young children happily loading her cart with this bread. I went over to her and told her that this is the recalled bread from China that has metal in it. I wanted to help her. She just looked at me as if I were crazy. Well, I tried.
Well, Getting Back To Karma
This woman that was being abused by her nasty neighbors observed all this and knew what was coming their way. She had two choices, she could either tell these rotten people and help them, although it probably wouldn’t go very far. (Remember the woman above with the bread?) Or, she could just sit back and let karma do all the work for her. So, if this were truly a good decent woman then would she try and tell them just to clear her conscience?
She Is. She Is Telling Them Right Now.
Julie
P.S. That doesn’t mean that she ever wants to have anything to do with them again. After all, they showed her their true selves years ago.
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May 1, 2026
May Day Is Lei Day
Happy Lei Day!
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April, 2026
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April 20, 2026
Renovation Aloha
https://www.hgtv.com/shows/renovation-aloha
Meet The Kalama’s, Kamohai and Tristyn
Renovation Aloha debuted on HGTV on February 20, 2024. Although Gordon and I haven’t seen every episode, we’ve seen enough to know that we love this show! We’ve been watching for over a year now. Whenever there is a Renovation Aloha marathon on HGTV we always get excited!! 🙂
We love the show because they take usually old run down homes in Hawaii and make them beautiful. They always incorporate something original from the home into their design. We love the reveals! They are stunning! We can usually recognize some of the Hawaiian artists they use in their staging. This talented couple is inspirational! I cannot use enough exclamation marks as I write this. !!!! 🙂
There are a lot of homes in Hawaii that look as if they are unique ‘shacks.’ When we left the island in 1999 the average home cost about 450 thousand. And their version of average, is our version of below average. It is extremely expensive to live there which is why you will see families living together. As in ageing parents, children and their spouses with their own children, and in some cases aunties and uncles. Only then could they all afford a descent home to live in. Also, no one owns the land. You may buy a house on land, but you won’t own the land. At least that is how it was on Oahu when we left. I do think The Big Island is different. We did know a local woman that owned land on The Big Island but it was covered in lava from the volcano oozing.
Watching the talent that is revealed through these two remarkable people is sometimes awe inspiring. In many cases they will take a ‘treasure’ they find from the home and alter it in a very unique and special way, and then regift it back to the owner that sold them the house. Also, Kamohai’s father is a spiritual leader who blesses the house once it is finished and ready to be placed on the market. It’s just that added Hawaiian Spirituality that just makes you feel good.
Well, I have probably bragged enough on this family. They brought us back to HGTV. I hadn’t watched HGTV in years prior to discovering the Kalama’s. Oh, and Kalama means Torch, or Flaming Torch in Hawaiian. And they are certainly lights that we love to follow.
Aloha and Mahalo,
Julie
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April 19, 2026
Still Unpacking, Still Putting Things Away, Still Eating Off Paper Plates,
And Drinking Out Of Disposable Cups, and Coffee Cups
Just An Average Day With Isabelle
Stickers All Over My Legs
(I usually leave them on even after she has left for the day.
I collect the mail from the street while wearing them too.) 🙂
Ever since we got back from Hawaii we have been very “chill.” Taking our sweet time with getting back into the swing of things. Oh, we do what we have to when we have to do it, but everything else has taken a backseat. What with major events going on at the moment, Gordon is now home for good as it is no longer safe to work overseas. We had planned on him perhaps coming back here later on this year, and perhaps going back the following year for another two years, but now things are so up in the air that plans have had to be altered. It looks like he is home for the foreseeable future. He did just get another job here doing what he does. He’ll just do it here and not over there. But now gone is all that hazard pay. 🙁 But, we would much rather have Gordon home safe and sound now.
Both Gordon and myself have at least one suitcase each that we haven’t unpacked from Hawaii yet. We’ve just been doing other things. I think we took “Hawaiian Time” too serious. There is EST, MT, PST, HST, and Hawaiian Time, or Island Time. The locals of Hawaii are on their own time and they get to things when they get to things. 🙂 I know that it frustrated Mackenzie’s mother when it came to the wedding planning. It actually wasn’t until the Sunday before the wedding that was scheduled for that Friday, did the Wedding Planner get back to her. Yeah, they cut things very close but that is just who they are. I will say that I did warn her. 🙂 But, as far as anyone could tell the wedding went off without a hitch. It was beautiful! I did thank the wedding planner when I met her and told her that she did a great job.
I’m still working on the other Hawaiian website pages of our trip there. It has been a lot of fun to recount it all.
At this writing I am still working on them. Although I have gotten a few done.
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Happy Birthday Mackenzie
Today is Mackenzie’s Birthday, April 19th.
Here Are A Few Gifts I Sent Her
I Purchased Them From CocoNene
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel Wooden Puzzle
Brodie and Mackenzie stayed at The Royal Hawaiian for about a week when they first arrived on the island. I saw that CocoNene had a wooden puzzle of the hotel and thought I would include it with the other gifts.
The U.S. Mail at The Royal Hawaiian Hotel
(Brodie Enjoyed This)
Spam Musubi, and Eating at their Hotel
Royal Hawaiian View, Diamond Head
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Brodie and Mackenzie, Diamond Head in the Background
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COASTERS! GET YOUR COASTERS!!!
I also mailed Brodie and Mackenzie the extra coasters that I had made as party favors at the Rehearsal Dinner Luau to pass out to all. We couldn’t take all of the coasters as they would be too heavy in our luggage.
I am embarrassed to say that I bought too many. I honestly didn’t know how to order them and wrote in the wrong amounts. But, as I see it, Brodie and Mackenzie either have ‘coasters for life,’ or excellent ornaments for their 2026 Kalikimaka Tree. 🙂
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CocoNene For US!
It was while we were shopping at Ala Moana Shopping Center for a dress for me to wear to the wedding, that we discovered CocoNene. We were instantly smitten! The wooden art, the artists, the beauty of all of the creations! We loved it all! That is when we did do some shopping. We also did some shopping once we got back home and visited their website.
I Am Redoing The Guest Bathroom Here
Ever since my nasty neighbors started harassing me, I do all my bathing and skin care in the guest bathroom.
I was very happy to recreate it into this lovely Hawaiian sanctuary.
Here are some of my CocoNene Trivets! Love them!
Kulii
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March, 2026
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March 28, 2026
Back From Aloha, Banyan Tree, Hale Koa Hotel, Waikiki
It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged. We have had a lot going on in our lives. Gordon came home from working overseas in February. He got home before my birthday. Because he came in late at night our son-in-law Brian picked him up from the airport. Interestingly enough he flew over the country everyone is talking about right now.
It was less than a week after he got home that where he works overseas was evacuated. Gordon was on the phone trying to find his stuff. It was all sent to another state’s base here on the mainland. It wasn’t until we got to Hawaii on the 28th. of February and saw the news that I knew why they were evacuated to begin with. Gordon took leave to come home before all hell broke loose. Happy he was here already.
Yes, we were in Hawaii and had just checked into our room and turned on the news. That’s when we saw what was going on. It just seemed so bizarre to be on vacation while all hell is breaking loose. I do write about our vacation in other website pages on our website. The vacation was much needed by both of us! We did have a nice time in spite of everything going on in the world.
You see, our son Brodie married his long-time girlfriend Mackenzie on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii on March 6th.. 🙂
We were in Hawaii almost 2 weeks. We put our dogs into a kennel during that time. I just knew they would be mad at us when we came back for them once we got home. I was right, they were.
You know on videos online you’ll see these dogs running happily into their owner’s arms after having not seen them for awhile? I kind of thought that would happen. Nope! They just looked at us like, ‘You left us.’ Me, ‘I know, but we came back for you.’ Dogs, ‘You left us.’ Me, Yes, but Brodie got married to Mackenzie in Hawaii and we couldn’t take you with us, so we put you in a fun camp for Spring Break. Yeah!!!’
Dogs, ‘You left us.’ And they then proceeded to urine on the living room carpet. So, yeah, there was that. 🙁
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We got back home a few weeks ago. So many things had changed on the island. In a way I hate that we went back. I liked remembering it the way that we left it in 1999. There were some negative changes on the island, as well as some positive. It does look like we made it out from the island just in time. Our last full day there was spent with it raining, and having dumped a good 33 inches of rain overnight on us! Our hotel lost power for 8 hours until it was restored. We weren’t planning on doing very much that last full day because we did a lot of laundry and packing. We also put together 3 boxes to mail to our house of goodies we bought over there. Gordon ran those to the post office while I kept Isabelle in our room. Veronica and Brian had gone to the North Shore to tour the Jurassic Park tourist area. Luckily I had brought coloring books and crayons for Isabelle, along with some Bluey story books. Plus, Veronica had left behind her tablet with some movies for Isabelle. And as always, I had some great local snacks. (Guava, Ube, and Coconut Shortbread Cookies.)
Luckily for us our flight was scheduled to depart in a window between storms the following day. Also, we got out of there and back home without the back log of flight departures due to not funding our TSA Agents. We did really feel for them. Having to work those long and hard hours with no pay. The ones that we encountered were very professional and working so hard.
And let’s not forget the additional amounts of rain that fell on the islands after we left. I do appreciate that we got out just in time. But, we also can’t help but feel for the local’s left to deal with that devastation.
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Since we’ve been back home, and at this writing, I still have 2 suitcases to unpack and put away, I also have the 3 boxes we mailed home to really deal with. Not to mention we still have some Christmas to put away. That’s right. Some Christmas is still up. AND, I am even leaving up other Christmas things in our dining room, just because. I’m doing that because we really don’t know Gordon’s schedule or where he will be working in the near future? This week he attended a school to help with his job, and he is going into the base, but they really don’t have anything permanent for him, or others in his situation right now, so things are kind of iffy. Will he be here? Will he be sent back overseas somewhere? We just don’t know?
We are also down to only 1 car. We weren’t expecting him here now so therefore he needs it. And because things are so iffy, we don’t know if we need to buy another car now, or wait until later on? We do still have the Santa Fe that is dead, and sits in our driveway. We will need to have that one towed away and traded for whatever Jeep Gordon wants to buy either now, or in the future.
Living with so much uncertainty seems to be The American Way right now.
But, right now all we can do is to deal with things as they come. It’s spring here and that means we need to get on the ball and hire our yard guys to deal with the massive amount of leaves in our yard. Pull up all those dead things that died during our many frosts we had back in February. Taxes are due April 15th. While Gordon is here he needs to take care of all those doctor appointments that he needs to catch up, (bone spurs.) And, we just need to get things organized and packed away in the attic here in the house.
I am dying to create so many things from all the inspiration of Hawaii and the Islands. I am also very happy to catch up with my website. I’ve enjoyed finishing up old website pages from the past, along with new one’s I’m creating. We’re eating off paper plates and cups because I really don’t want to deal with dishes right now. I even lost about 6-10 pounds in Hawaii that I am afraid I will put back on just because we are grabbing a lot of take out at this time. 🙁
Oh, well, Doing the best I can,
Julie
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February, 2026
February, 2026 has 4 Mondays, 4 Tuesdays, 4 Wednesdays, 4 Thursdays, 4 Fridays, 4 Saturdays, and 4 Sundays.
Also, my birthday this year will be on Friday the 13th. 🙂
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February 13, 2026
Turning 65
It’s so hard to believe that I am now 65, but yet it also isn’t.
I can remember the lyrics to songs that I sang when I was 6, 7, 8, years old, etc. I was even singing some of them the other day.
So far 65 feels pretty good!
We tried signing me up for Medicare but because Gordon is younger than me, and still working, I don’t quality yet.
I wish that I knew when I was younger what I know today. Because I never would have cared what others thought of me. Ageing comes with this badass shield that protects you from the arrows others throw at you. They just deflect off of it. It’s really nice actually. Sometimes I feel like Wonder Woman with her Bracelets that reflect bullets. I think that I learned who to care about and who not to.
We are currently living in very hard times and it breaks my heart the amount of indifference that some people have about it all.
I can’t change anyone’s feelings and I no longer care to try. I just want to enjoy my life right now and the people that I love the most. I’m not out to save anyone, they are on their own. I’m done trying. I do feel for those vulnerable people who are suffering.
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My Haupia Birthday Cake with Haupia Frosting
The Hawaiian Royal Crown was an old stencil that I bought back in the early 90’s when I was stenciling coconuts to sell at Craft Fair’s.
The older that I get the more proud of myself that I am. I am letting go of what I cannot control and protecting all that I can, while I can. I think it’s what we leave behind that says a lot about who we are. I want to leave behind great children, and a wonderful granddaughter.
I don’t know what 66 will be like, but I do think that 65 will be pretty terrific!
Aloha, and Mahalo Nui Loa,
Julie Barefoot
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January, 2026
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January 31, 2026
Before, On My Way
After, On My Way Home
I realize that I do tend to post photos of myself in the car going somewhere, but if I didn’t there wouldn’t be many photos to post.
I wanted to write something today, January 31st., before February arrived.
I am looking forward to February, there will be a lot going on. All good! I just kind of wanted to get January out of the way.
In the photos above you can definitely see my white hair. It’s not really grey, it’s white. I colored it about a month ago and you would never know it to look at me. My hair grows very fast, annoyingly so. Also, I’m wondering if my white hair just isn’t taking the color anymore? When I have make-up on and my hair styled nicely then the white hair looks good on me. However, when I don’t have make-up on and I have it back in a pony tail, I just look old, sad, and tired. I’m just not ready to look like I belong on some revamped version of The Golden Girls. I also want my face to reflect how I feel. I don’t like looking tired when I’m not. I also don’t like looking sad when I’m not.
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The photos above I took on Thursday. I drove into the Air Force Base to do some much needed shopping. I hadn’t been in a long time. I was low on all my supplies. I spent so much money at the Commissary, but brought home barely anything to eat. 🙂
I wanted to tell you what I observed while on the base:
I tend to only buy gas when I am on the base. I feel much safer buying it there. I always hear about how people who buy their gas around here are always getting their cards scanned by criminals while at these large gas station business’s. So I do tend to fill up when I am on the base.
I then went to the Exchange hoping to find some things for Isabelle, and to just look around and see if there was anything else I wanted to buy? The children’s section, which is normally packed full of a large assortment of so many things, just looked very ‘thin.’ I bought her some crocks to wear here at my house, they cost $25.00. They normally would have cost under $5.00. There were no Bluey clothes, which in the past there were racks of them. I did find a few clothes for her, but nothing along the line of what I am used to finding and buying for her. In the toy and book sections, they were very thin as well. Hardly anything Bluey or really anything at all. Not many toys at all, not many books at all. I was very disappointed.
The women’s clothing section which is usually packed full, as in an entire length of the store area, but was very thinned out. I did come across some black pants that were ‘Made In Jordon.’ I have never seen anything ‘Made In Jordon’ in the Exchange in my life! And I look at those kinds of things. They were priced normally for $97.00 and I got them for the Exchange price of $72.00, but just a month ago those pants would have been around $38.00, in line with how the other items would be priced. This is a big indication of how things are going for the military families who depend on the Exchange and Commissary for affordable prices because most military families live from paycheck to paycheck as it is.
The Commissary items were also priced higher than normal. I can only assume that these are the Trump Tarif’s taking effect.
The funny thing is that most of your white military are republican’s.
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Life In America Now
Hillary Clinton did say about getting our reproductive rights back would take generations. It will. Also, what we are all going through now will take decades to undo and restore. It took 10 years to recover from the George W. Bush Recession. It will take longer to recover from what we are going through now. And there is nothing we can do about it. Oh, we can protest, and we should, but when this disastrous regime is gone, it will take a long time to rebuild, as in decades or even generations.
I don’t know how bad things will get, I just know it will be bad. But in the meantime, I want to enjoy life when I can, eat, drink and be merry when it is important to do so. If I can’t buy anything new for myself for years then I will b o.k. I am only worried about Isabelle as she is a growing little girl that will need things as she grows.
We have a lot to look forward to in the next few months. For all I know this will be the only life I get and I want to spend what time I have left having some joy and not so much sorrow as we see right now in our country. Sometimes we just cannot ignore the sorrow, but we can deal with it our own unique way. I like how the artists out there are dealing with the current tragedy’s. They paint pictures of the fallen, whether on canvas or on sand at the beach. They sing, they write songs, like Bruce Springsteen. Things may be bad but I feel as if I am in good company. No matter what happens next. I really don’t feel alone. In a weird way I kind of feel like someone I don’t even know has my back. 🙂
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My Log Blog Documenting Stalking and Harassment From My Neighbor
I Did An Update
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There are always good things in bad times. You just need to look for them. I think my upbringing of being the new kid in school as often as I was, and enduring the abuse from my parents for decades, has actually helped me in these times to deal with everything that is going on. I learned to survive it all. It wasn’t easy, but I did it!
If I can do it anybody can! But for now, we all do have each other. 🙂
Thank you for being my Cyber Spirit Friends,
Julie
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January 24, 2026
Doing The Best I Can
(Having some Cold, COLD, weather here in Florida.)
I want to blog but in some ways I don’t know what to say, yet I know I want to say something.
We are all going through so many trying times right now. I see the ending, I just don’t know when the ending will be? Or how horrific it will all be in the end? Everything runs it’s course. The more evil, the sooner the ending. Evil will always eventually burn itself out, or will be snuffed out, but not before it has done terrible damage to those that don’t deserve it. And there will be many damaged human beings from all of this.
It’s difficult to keep this blog all positive and happy when I am surrounded by so much unhappiness in my country right now. It also seems a bit insensitive to try and ignore it all. Trust me, I may not write about it, but I cry about it every single day.
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However, it was last February 12, 2025 that Brodie and Mackenzie took me into Sarasota, Florida for the day to be at their ‘Save The Date’ photo shoot. They then treated me to a great lunch at The Columbia Restaurant. It was in the car ride to Sarasota that I told them about a scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, where Harry and Ginny were discussing Bill and Fleur’s upcoming nuptials.
Ginny said something to the effect of, ‘It seems ridiculous to be having a wedding at this time.’ And Harry said something to the effect, ‘If you think about it, it is a perfect time for a wedding.’
I immediately knew what he meant by that. And it reminded me of something gay activist Dan Savage once said about the AIDS Epidemic:
‘We would bury our loved ones in the morning, grieve in the afternoon, and dance at night. It was the dance that got us through.’
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We all need something wonderful to celebrate. That is what Brodie and Mackenzie’s upcoming wedding will mean to a lot of us. I told them about what I write above because I didn’t want them at any time to regret getting married in such harsh times. Sometimes that special celebration during harsh times is exactly what we all need.
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On a Personal Note:
Gordon will be coming home from working overseas in less than 3 weeks. 🙂
I am doing my best to get the house back in order for when he comes home. Not that it is in terrible condition, it’s just that because I keep Isabelle a few days a week, and have 2 dirty dogs in the house, this is more of a daycare/dog kennel than it is an organized house.
I now have many irons in the fire and I am just trying to do the best I can.
I no longer have the energy that I once had when it comes to dealing with people. Sometimes I feel like a failure. That emotion comes from all the years my mother would chastise me for not being perfect. For not having a lot of energy to do what she thought I should be doing. I’ve come to realize that I need to give myself some slack. I did the best that I could given the abuse that I had to endure. I’ve grown tremendously from those early years. I enjoy my own company, pursuing my own interests. Yes, I am looking forward to Gordon coming home. We are a team, and I will be delegating many responsibilities his way. 🙂 Luckily, he doesn’t mind those kinds of things. Also, we have many fun things planned for both of us to enjoy. 🙂
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However, we do live in times where the people that surround us are not that great. I read today about a senior citizen male here in Florida was arrested for a DUI. He insisted that he didn’t drink and drive because he only drank at the stop lights. How do any of us reason with someone who thinks that way? That is the MAGA mind. There is no reasoning with them. All that you can do, is to stay away from them because they are just too dangerous to know. As much as I want to help people at this time, there will come a time when it will be every man for themselves. A person can only do so much.
Sorry to be so dark but we are living in dark times.
Trying to shine a little bit of light!
Julie
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January 8, 2026
Happy Birthday Gordon
Because we have a Hawaiian Wedding to plan, and all that comes with that, I started buying Gordon some Hawaiian shirts for the occasions where he will need to wear them. I didn’t want to send them to him overseas, that was pointless, so I started photographing them in our bedroom, sent them to him one in each email, and he “opened” his Christmas gifts on Christmas Day that way.
But, I did save the Duke shirt for his birthday!
He will be opening this today!
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku
He is THE famous Hawai’i surfer, famous for riding a wave 1 mile on a 16 foot wooden board with no fins. He is legend in Hawaii.
This shirt is THE BOMB for Gordon!
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I also bought him some Asian themed shirts because Hawaii does have a large Asian population and we will be going into China Town, and hopefully eating at Masaharu Morimoto’s restaurant in Waikiki.
The Aloha Shirt on the left looks a bit Christmassy, and the shirt on the right is perfect for everyday.
I have had a lot of fun shopping and planning for our big trip. Hawaii is a Democrat state and we are looking forward to just being around all the diversity and like minded people. There are no billboards in Hawaii, they are outlawed. Not so when traveling to my home state of Georgia. I always know I’m home when I see all The Jesus, Lawyers, and Porn Billboards. Yeah, that’s Christian Georgia for ya. Home, Sweet, Home! 🙂
Aloha for now,
Julie
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The Recipes Start Here
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Kulii’s Teriyaki Spam and Pineapple ‘Ai Pu Ana
(Julie’s Teriyaki Spam and Pineapple Casserole)
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Tiki Tomatoes
This entire recipe was born out of my finding these beauties at the grocery store.
I was actually excited and giddy when placing them into my shopping cart!
Look How Beautiful They Are!
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Ingredients:
Squid Ink Pasta
Tiki Tomatoes
1 Can Teriyaki SPAM, Fried in Chunks
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, Chopped
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Chopped
1 Can Crushed Pineapple, Drained
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Hawaiian Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce, To Taste
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In a Casserole Dish I placed my chopped Green and Yellow Bell Peppers, as much as I liked.
I then chopped Medium Onion into Chunks, as much as I liked.
I Then Added The Entire Can of Crushed Pineapple, Drained.
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I Then Added My Tomatoes To The Dish, Drizzled Some EVOO Overtop, and Added a Sprinkling of Hawaiian Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper.
Mix Together and Then Place Into a 350F Oven…
You Will Bake For About 20-30 Minutes Depending On Your Oven.
Have a Watchful Eye!
You just want all of the ingredients to have softened. And not be so crunchy.
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Meanwhile….
Teriyaki SPAM and Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce
In a Medium Pan on a Medium Heat, Place Your SPAM that you have Cut into Chunks
Now Place Some of the Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce Into The Pan
Cook on that Medium to Low Heat, Stirring Continuously, Until Caramelized.
While the SPAM is cooking, Boil some Water in a Saucepan and Cook the Pasta Until Al Dente, Then Drain.
Add As Much Pasta As You Like To The SPAM, Stir Together.
Add the Pasta and SPAM to the Casserole, Stir Together, and then Enjoy!
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My Tropical Naan’s
Pineapple Left, Mango Right
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I knew that I wanted to make a Pineapple Pizza with my beautiful Tiki Tomatoes.
I already had the Naan, the Tomatoes, Pomegranate Seeds, and some canned Dole Pineapple Rings.
So, I went shopping trying to find some sort of Pineapple Hummus. Well, I couldn’t find any. However, they did have a Mango Jalapeno Hummus.
BOOM KANANI! That’s it!
So, I bought some Fresh Jalapeno’s and Mango as well.
Ingredients:
Naan
Hummus, I used Plain and Mango/Jalapeno
Tiki Tomatoes
Pineapple Rings, Drained of Liquid
Mango Slices
Jalapeno’s Sliced and Deseeded
Mozzarella Cheese
Pomegranate Seeds
AND,
My Oriental Jezebel Sauce (optional)
Fresh Cilantro (optional)
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I wanted to use the Plain Hummus with the Pineapple Naan
I did Place My Naans Into a 350F Oven for About 5 Minutes
I Then Removed The Naan, and Spread The Hummus onto Each One
Plain Hummus for the Pineapple, and Mango/Jalapeno Hummus for the Mango Naan
Because Pineapple holds so much water, and you don’t want all that water on top of your pizza, I pressed down on the Pineapple Rings with some paper towels to get rid of some of the liquid. It worked, and the pizza tasted better because it wasn’t all soggy on top.
The Best Ingredients 🙂
Once I had placed all of the ingredients onto each Naan, I then drizzled some of my Oriental Jezebel Sauce over top and it was perfect!
They tasted wonderful!
When they came out of the oven I added the Pomegranate Seeds and some Fresh Cilantro.
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If You Would Like The Recipe For My Oriental Jezebel, Click On The Link Below:
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Aloha,
Julie Barefoot
(Aloha means, hello, goodbye, and I love you.)
www.VintageJulieBarefootArchives.com
I Created A New Website: Click Here For: VintageJulieBarefootArchives I gave my Web Designers in India instructions on what I wanted, and they did the most remarkable job of bringing my vision to life. I could not be happier with it! My …
This Jezebel is NUTS!
Currently Under Construction
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Also Check Out My:
Click Here For: Julie’s Jezebel Sauce
AND,
AND,
AND,
An Old Florida Jezebel (Sauce)
AND,
One HOT Jezebel for Breakfast (Sauce, That is.)
AND,
Click Here For: More of Julie’s Jezebel Recipes to Enjoy
AND,
AND,
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Quickie Italian – The First
Quickie Italian Sometimes, All You Need is a Ready Made Tomato Focaccia, and some Wine I Call It Herb Bread 🙂 When I think of cooking Italian food, I imagine a long list of ingredients, carving out a significant …
Lemon Tratta (Treats)
Lemony Cheerios Tratta’s With Lemon Marshmallows And Creamy Lemon Almonds There is just something about Lemons and Summer that go so well together. Perhaps it has something to do with the color Yellow? We tend to think of Yellow Sunshine, …
Isabelle and the Roma’s
Oven Semi-Dried Roma’s Packed In EVOO —————————————————————————— Roma’s (Plum) Tomatoes Benvenuto Isabelle(a) and the Roma’s (Photo Above Right, Isabelle Eating A Roma Like An Apple) Roma Tomatoes are the most perfect tomatoes in my opinion. They hold up very …
Summer Italian
Welcome to my Summer Italian
Favorite Appertiffs
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I created this fun Italian dinner based on the Palms in my backyard.
I also knew that I wanted to showcase this fun and delicious dinner on my Palm Leaf Platter.
It just looked so Summer to me that I knew it had to have it’s own page in our website.
I’m sure I’ll be adding more content to this page as time goes by.
Until then, enjoy your own Summer Italian,
Julie
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My Lemony Cheesy Asparagus Pasta
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Beautiful Purple and Green Asparagus
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Just Add Some Great BREAD, and Your Dinner is Complete
I am someone who loves to eat Pasta in Bowls more so that Plates.
I think I like to eat that way because all of your dinner is nestled nicely close together and not spread out on a plate.
Sometimes I even use Chopsticks to eat my Italian foods. Why not?
Add a Blob of Pesto, and some of your Asparagus, along with some Cheese,
and then you have something very special.
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Gathering Herbs in my Palm Leaf…
…from our Backyard
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Sparky and Spooky
Funny How Their Beds Match Them 🙂
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Recipes Start Here
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My Lemony Cheesy Asparagus Pasta
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Ingredients:
Asparagus, Purple and Green
Lemons
Lime Pepper
Olive Oil
Parmesan Cheese
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Any Extra Virgin Olive Oil that you choose will be fine.
I specifically chose this one that Gordon had brought back from The Middle East
I washed my Asparagus Spears and chopped off a few inches from the bottom of each one.
Always remove those woody ends.
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Parmesan Cheese, to be Grated
Before I Grate it I do Snack on it 🙂
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Roasting The Asparagus
(Turn Your Oven to 400F)
You will need a few Baking Sheet Pans for this. We will be roasting our Asparagus in the oven.
Spread out your Asparagus onto the Sheet Pans. Slice a few Lemons into Wedges and dot around the Asparagus.
Olive Oil, Lime Pepper, and Lemon Powder
(My Lemon Powder isn’t pictured in the photo above, but it is pictured in the grouping above this photo.)
I found the Lemon Powder at the Asian Supermarket. Probably not something you will be able to find at your local grocery stores. Try looking online. Or, you can omit it completely.
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You Want To Coat Your Asparagus With the Olive Oil, and Sprinkle on Some of the Lemon Powder and Lime Pepper.
Use Your Hands And Toss in Order to Coat the Asparagus.
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Grating My Parmesan Cheese All Over My Asparagus…
Place Into The Oven for About 15 Minutes
(Each oven warries in temp and time, so always be sure to monitor.)
After About 10-15 Minutes I did Remove From the Oven and Flipped the Asparagus Over..
I Then Placed Them Back into the Oven for about 5-10 Minutes until Al Dente (just like Pasta)
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Allow To Cool, and Then Plate With the Lemon Wedges Interspersed
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Making The Lemony Cheesy Pasta
Ingredients:
Spaghetti Pasta
Lemon and Herb Ricotta Pasta Sauce, 25 oz. Jar
Olive Oil
Jar of Asparagus and Italian Cheese Pesto
Grated Parmesan
Parmesan Ready to be Grated
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3 Medium Sized Pots…
In This Pot I Am Warming The Lemon and Herb Ricotta Pasta Sauce
In This Pot I Am Warming The Asparagus and Italian Cheese Pesto
And In This Pot I Am Boiling Water For My Spaghetti Pasta
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Simmering, and Boiling
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When the Spaghetti Pasts is Al Dente, Drain into a Colander, and then Decant into a Medium Sized Serving Bowl.
Pour the Lemon and Herb Ricotta Pasta Sauce over top,
Mix Together.
Grate As Much Parmesan Cheese As You Like Over The Pasta Mixture
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Time To Plate
I have this lovely platter shaped like a Palm Leaf so I placed the Pasta all over the Platter, then used some of the Asparagus to line the ‘veins’ of the Palm Leaf Platter. I then spooned some of the Asparagus Pesto down the middle of the Palm, and some Parsley dotted around the bottom.
Serve However You Like, Bowls or Plates, It’s Up To You
Summer Fun!
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Grazie,
Julie
A Tasty Asian Summer
Welcome To A Tasty Asian Summer I want to make this page about fun, and tasty foods that have an Asian flair to them. Nothing complicated, but the kinds of foods you would expect to eat in the summer. I …
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Welcome to Strawberry’s and All Things PINK! Dried Hibiscus Flowers ———————————————————————————– Pink Fudge with Dried Hibiscus Flowers The Hibiscus Flowers are Sweet and Tangy, Almost like Gummy’s ———————————————————————————————— I have been eating lots of Strawberry’s this year, and loving all …
Julie Barefoot In The Backyard
(See Down Below For New Content)
Hello
Happy Barefoot Spring, and Summer in my Backyard
And Fall and Winter, but not so much. 🙂
Our Backyard Peach Tree
We spend a lot of time outside in our backyard. Gardening, Landscaping, Grilling, Picnicing, Playing….
The Dogs love it in the Backyard, so does our Grand-Daughter Isabelle.
There have been some changes this year.
With Gordon working overseas I have decided to downgrade my massive Herb Garden, (situated on the side of our house) and to move it inside the Lanai Extension.
A smaller version of it, anyway. Oh, all the pots and planters are still on the side of the house for when we decide to make it all grand again. But for now, I don’t need all that.
I really don’t need the massive amount of herbs that I once did. I am cooking for 1 now. ME! And, sometimes I do create large meals that I will share with my daughter, son-in-law and grand-daughter. But most of the time I am just cooking for me. So, I created an area where I can harvest my most favorite and used Herbs for my meals. It’s just more convenient for me.
The New Planters
The larger one is for me and my specific Herbs, and the smaller one for Isabelle and her new found love of gardening. (Or so I hope!)
In her Planter are Mint and Flowers
I wanted Isabelle to have an Herb as well as something beautiful.
Me, with Spooky and Sparky
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My Favorite Section of the Backyard
I Like Having a Gardening Center
Something Just For Me
My Personality, My Tastes, My Style
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Gordon Created This Landscaping Area Years Ago..
We’ve Had Many Different Themes Here
This one, is one that I am greatly enjoying.
It represents my backyard evolution.
Mate
Pronounced Mah -Tae
This is a beverage we learned from Meghan Markle and her show from Netflix.
We saw the beverage at Sprouts and decided to try it. It is very good!
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Be Sure To Check Out:
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For Tutu on Mother’s Day, 2025
This is something that Veronica and Isabelle made for me.
I love it!
Isabelle’s feet turned into a butterfly. 🙂
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Mother’s Day, 2025
I wanted to be photographed in my favorite spot in the backyard.
Italian Wine and Roses
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Plenty of Beautiful Green Basil…
…In My Favorite Yellow Pots
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My Mother’s Day Dinner of Baked Valentine Jezebel Ham, and Arabic Potatoes
(Recipe Down Below)
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My Lemon and Herb Garden Treats
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Delicious Mother’s Day Garden Treats
Isabelle’s Mint
(Recipe Down Below)
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Why, Hello There!
A Beautiful Backyard Visitor
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This Majestic Beauty is Eating the Backyard Lizards!
NO! The Lizard’s Live Here, YOU Don’t!
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When The Ducks Come To Visit, Feed Them! 🙂
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A Bird Splashing Around In The Birdbath
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An Ibis Looking For Bugs
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2024, Backyard with Julie and Isabelle
The Lanai Extension
Gordon and Julie, 2025
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Isabelle’s Garden Planter
The Doggie Planter I Found While Shopping and got it for her Because she Loves Doggies.
(Doggie Project Down Below)
I Am Not The Artist Of The Family, Obviously 🙂
Backyard Lilly’s In My Hair
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Bluey Garden Set
Mini Garden Station for Isabelle
(I found it online and ordered it. Gordon put it together.
I’m hoping she will understand the concept of it as time goes by. She does like playing with it.)
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My hope is that Isabelle will grow up with an interest in planting something, nurturing it, and watching it grow into something useful and beautiful. It always starts at a very young age. Children grow up watching their parents and grandparents, and develop their interests. My intention isn’t to teach her to become a gardener. But, my intention is to teach her to be able to grow a few things on her own to help substantiate her future life. If she chooses to expand on that knowledge, then wonderful! But, it does start somewhere.
She Does Love To Play Here
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Isabelle and I will Eventually be Planting Seeds Together
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Uh, Oh… Texting and Driving is never good!
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Backyard Blogging Starts Right Here
The Orchid’s Perfect Spot
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July 29, 2025
Humid, and Hazy Morning on our Lanai
My Vanda Orchid is thriving in this humidity.
The name of my plant escapes me right now. But, what I love the most about it is the main resident.
This lovely lizard is living here. I see it on various leaves every day, and night.
I’m happy the lizard likes it here. I consider it my neighbor. I always look to say “hello’ every day.
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March/April, 2025
Every Spring we clean up our backyard that usually gets a bit overgrown during the Winter months here in Florida.
Lots of clearing, pulling up weeds, thinning Bamboo, and Pressure Washing.
This year was no different. We did all of that above, and even created a nice garden area inside the Lanai Extension.
The New Planters Project
The Planters I purchased online. One for me, one for Isabelle.
It’s just a matter of assembling them, purchasing all the potting soil to go in them, followed by the plants and flowers that you choose.
The Planters came with a cloth bottom that goes in the bottom before you place your dirt in it.
You do want to purchase Potting Soil. Potting Soil goes in pots, other dirt goes on the ground. Even though these are planters they are still considered pots.
The Dirt Has Been Placed In The Planters
I’ve Also Purchased The Plants and Herbs
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Starting To Plant…
While Isabelle Plays…
Isabelle May Be Playing In Her Garden Center, But She Does See Her Tutu Working
That is Important
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As Isabelle Grows I Will Include Her More Into My Projects
But For Now, She Plays
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Isabelle Does Love Rocks!
This is My Bleeding Heart
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Cute Doggie Planter Project
I found this cute doggie planter, and knew that it would be great for Isabelle and her garden planter.
If you can, place some sort of Tarp down to collect the dirt so the project doesn’t become a huge mess you have to clean up.
I chose these yellow flowers for the doggie because they would look nice, and be great in this medium light part of the Lanai Extension.
Use Potting Soil, and Plant the Beautiful Flowers
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This is the Last of This Backyard Grand Palm
It Recently Died, and we Removed It
(I just wanted to place it here as it has existed since we bought our house in 2006. And now, it has died in 2025. I think Hurricane Milton speeded up it’s demise. That area will be revamped, but no time soon.)
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Our Planters Are Completed
This is a great area for the sun to shine down on our Garden Planter’s.
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Isabelle Taking Notice of Her Flowers and Herbs
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I Love All My Backyard PINK!
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Isabelle and Her Bluey Sidewalk Chalk
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My Special Project, Thanks to Brodie
This area of the house was vacant of anything. We did have a lovely wooden potting bench at one time, but the Florida sun and humidity will ruin all woods eventually.
It did last about 5 years before we got rid of it.
I got the idea that I wanted to place a large cabinet here. Something with shelves and drawers. Where I could place pots out of sight that I didn’t use, and to even make it very attractive with nice pots and plants. Even serving up some foods for when we entertain or eat outside.
I would like to say that I have a great idea for a future project for this area. See that long window? That is our Den window, that used to be Brodie’s bedroom. I think that it would be nice to turn that window into a doorway to allow another backyard exit. Kind of like a Mother-In-Law Suite. The rectangular window in the top right of the photo above is the Guest Bathroom. Also, on the other side of the den is a spare bedroom. It might be kind of nice to create what would be an entire different wing of our house where someone else could live in that part of the house. Not that I want to do that. But, it would add value to our home and would be great for when guests visit. And, imagine how nice it would be to create an outdoor ‘porch’ of sort there as well? Kind of like a Mother-In-Law Suite.
Brodie is Assembling My Cabinet Above
This was a Mother’s Day gift to myself in 2024.
Having Brodie put it together for me is a gift in itself. 🙂
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Brodie Did A Really Great Job Of Putting This Together
The Finished Results 🙂
I have since added a few things here and there.
I love it!
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Recipes Start Here
Dubai Chocolate, My Special Treats From Gordon 🙂
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My Lemon and Herb Garden Treats
I based these on my love of Dirt Cups.
You know, the dessert made from Chocolate Pudding and Kool-Whip, with Oreo’s and Gummy Worms? A lot of people would place the delicious dessert in Garden Pots. I always loved them.
Except mine are based on Lemons and Herbs from my Garden.
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The first thing that I did was to make my Lemon Pudding to set overnight.
You can use as many Lemon Pudding’s as you like. I used 4! Just follow the package instructions.
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I Put Them All In One Bowl And Covered With Saran Wrap, Place In The Refrigerator
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Isabelle’s Mint
(I cut some to wash for our Lemon and Herb Cups.)
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Next Day: Time to Make the Lemon/Herb Cups
Ingredients:
The Ready Made Lemon Pudding that has been Refrigerated overnight
Tub/Tubs Kool-Whip, Thawed
Some Clear Plastic Cups
Lemon Snap Cookies, Crushed
Isabelle’s Fresh Mint (Garnish)
Micro-Greens
Fresh Lemon Peel, or Grated Lemon Zest (Or Both) Garnish
Lemon Cookie Thins (Garnish)
Mint Malted Milk Balls (Garnish)
Sunflower Seeds, Garnish
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Lemon Pancake Cookies, and Sunflower Seeds
My Lemon Pudding I Made the Day Before….
Me, Ready to Get Started
This food project is to be as big or as small as you like it to be.
I spooned about half of the Lemon Pudding into a separate bowl, and then added some Kool-Whip.
You eye-ball this for your own tastes. Then mix together.
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Lemon Snap Cookies…..
CRUSHED!!!
Just Place Into A Plastic Bag and Bash With A Wooden Mallet Until Chunky Crumbs
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Toppings Ready To Top 🙂
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The Assembly
Into each of the plastic cups you want to cover the bottom with the Lemon Snap Cookie Chunky Crumbs.
I Did Add a Few of the Micro-Greens to a Few of the Cups.
I tried to kind of swirl them around inside the cup.
I Then Shaved Some of the Lemon Peel
I Then Placed the Lemon Pudding into Each Cup
Bashing My Mint Malted Milk Balls
These were so good!
Continuing To Build On The Cups
Adding Some Sunflower Seeds
Fresh Mint
Placing a Few of the Lemon Pancake Cookies….
I made some plain, some for a medium taste, and the rest for a more garden greens taste.
It is all really up to you on how you make them.
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Outside, and Ready to Eat
Cool and Refreshing
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My Mother’s Day Dinner
I wanted to add the recipes here because this page is all about my 2025 Mother’s Day so I wanted to keep everything together.
Even though the recipes really don’t have anything to do with my outdoor projects.
Baked Valentine Jezebel Ham, and Arabic Potatoes
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My Arabic Potatoes
With Gordon working overseas he brings back the most exotic of spices and even a few interesting cookbooks. It was while I was flipping through one of them that I found a great potato dish. I loved the presentation, not that I copied it here, and I also loved the flavors. They just seemed so delicious together. Although I ignored the presentation, and even changed up the tastes a bit, I am very happy with my rendition of this creation. I hope you like it too!
Ingredients:
Potatoes: I used a Combination of Red and Yukon (About 5 Pounds)
Other Ingredients:
Onion (I used a Vidalia Onion, and a few large Shallots.)
1-2 Cups Vegetable Oil, For Frying
10-15 Garlic Cloves, Minced or Crushed
1 t. Cayenne Pepper
1 t. Paprika
Black Garlic Salt, Sprinkled Over as Desired
1/2 t. Turmeric Powder
2 t. Ground Coriander
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
Garnish with Fresh Coriander and Micro-Greens
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The first thing that you want to do is to have your Potatoes already washed and prepared.
The Cast Iron Skillet is for my Ham, the Wok is for my Potatoes.
Here I am Slicing My Potatoes into Small Bite Sized Chunks….
and then Placing them into a Large Bowl of Water.
(This will help to remove some of the starch.)
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My Vidalia Onion, and Two Large Shallots
Cutting Up the Vidalia Onion and Shallots….
Garlic to be Crushed
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Having chopped up my Potatoes, and Having them sit into the large bowl full of water, I have now Drained them into 2 separate Colander’s.
———————————————————————————————-
Time To Place Some Vegetable Oil Into The Wok, To Sautee The Onion and Shallot
(About a 2-3 T. of the Vegetable Oil, for now)
Sauteing The Shallots and Vidalia Onion in Vegetable Oil
Do this for about 5-7 minutes until it softens a bit…..
Now, Start To Crush Your Garlic Cloves Into the Onion/Shallot Mixture.
You can either mince them or crush them.
Time To Add More Of The Vegetable Oil Into The Wok, About a 1/4 Cup.
Add All of Your Potatoes To The Wok, Stir Everything Around
——————————————————————————————-
It’s Time To Add The Spices As The Potatoes Cook
This is entirely up to your personal tastes.
To start I did add 1 t. of Cayenne, 1 t. of Paprika, 1/2 t. of Turmeric Powder….
Also, about 2 t. of Coriander and some Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste.
Also, I did a Sprinkling of Black Garlic Salt over Top. Just a Pinch or Two.
Blend Together and Keep Stirring in a Medium-Low Heat
If you need to add more Vegetable Oil, do so. You don’t want your potatoes sticking to the bottom of the Wok. If you would like to add a few more of the Spices, do so. This is all up to your personal tastes.
Season and Taste as you go!
When the Potatoes are Tender then you know they are done. Set them aside until ready to eat!
————————————————————————————————-
Time For The Ham
Baked in my Valentine Jezebel Sauce
Click Here For: A Valentine Jezebel (Sauce)
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This is so easy!
I simply placed a pre-baked Ham into my Cast Iron Skillet and then turned the oven on 350F.
I did add a little bit of water to the skillet, and then started spooning my Jezebel over the Ham.
I placed the Ham into the oven for about 10 minutes to start, and then removed it to spoon over a few more tablespoons of my Jezebel, and then placed it back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
I wanted a caramelization over the Ham.
Potatoes have been done and are on a very low heat.
Ham is Ready!
It was a very nice dinner for me!
Placed on Micro-Greens 🙂
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View My Other Herb Garden and Project Pages:
AND,
AND,
AND,
AND,
AND,
Julie’s Backyard Wildlife and Gardening Blogging
AND,
AND,
AND,
Julie’s Backyard Wildlife and Gardening Blogging Continues
AND,
Julie Barefoot In The Backyard
Be Sure To Get Your Toes Dirty!
Julie
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Here’s a CLUE for Nancy Drew
“I don’t promise to forget the mystery, but I know I’ll have a marvelous time“ Nancy Drew —————————————————————————— #45 The Spider Sapphire Mystery Thrilling, dangerous adventure confront Nancy Drew while on a safari in East Africa with a group of American …
My Log/Blog Documenting Stalking and Harassment From My Neighbor
(Note Update April 10, 2025: If this harassment continues, or more damage is done to our property, then I will reveal their names here, and getting the police involved.) “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Edward Bulwer-Lytton ————————————————————————– Write it all …
Typing with Julie in 1965, (I mean Blogging with Julie in 2025) Dear Diary…
Dear Dairy…
Olive Films
(I just liked the logo.)
Today I rearranged the cans in the pantry and dusted them off while wearing my new full skirt I sewed last week for the church picnic, and the pearls that my husband gave me for my birthday. I was so excited when Gordon came home and allowed me to remove his shoes and put on his slippers. He also complimented me on my backside. (Blush) My heart be still….
My Curry Leaf Roasted Olives, Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes
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Our Front Yard Curry Plant
I know how much my future boss loves olives so I created this recipe to impress him. I’m worried that if I don’t please him that I will be pushed aside for someone much younger than me.
You see, I am a DEI hire. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Anyone not a white male is a DEI hire.
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(Recipe Way Down Below)
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In My Spare Time My Husband Allows Me To Expand Myself And Learn To Type
My Goal is to Someday Work and Become a Secretary
I Type With Wine, How ‘Bout You?
Oh, I Can’t.
I have 2 Tupperware Party’s back to back this week, and I’m Overdrawn with my AVON Account.
I have to wait until Gordon gives me my allowance for the month before I can buy anything else.
Oops! I Dropped my Nail File! Hang on!
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Typing With Julie in 1965 is Brought to you By…
Southern Net Hairspray
Got BIG Hair?
The Perfect GLUE for our DO!
(My introduction is a parody. Just so you know. I have a great husband who knows better than to ever say to me what I write above. I was just trying to prove a point which will probably be lost on most people. But, oh well. Here’s to 1965! I mean 2025.)
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Afternoon Martini’s with the Boss
Hold all my calls, Mrs. Whann.
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Secretarial Lunch Break
Sometimes a Busy Secretary/Typist has to Eat at her Desk
Egg Salad with a Side of Olives is Always a Nice Choice
Back To Work!
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Diary Entries Starts Here
In Desperate Need of White Out
Bette Nesmith Graham
(1924-1980)
The inventor of Liquid Paper (White Out)
She was also the mother of:
Michael Nesmith, Far Right
Member of The Monkees
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If Australia Can Do It, So Can We!
Let The Movement Begin!
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In this day and age understand that there are many that cannot even grasp the concept of another’s opinion. Many do not have the intellectual capacity to do so. Therefore, it isn’t wise to even engage them. Keep to yourself. Be safe.
Julie Lancaster-Whann
Most of the time this is me. No make up, no big hair. Would you recognize me on the street?
Julie
I took this photo less than a week before the photos above.
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If you would like to view my other personal blogs:
Click Here For: Blogging With Julie All Along (Past and Present Blogging)
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Dear Dairy….
When I started my website in 2011, I always said that my future isn’t with people that I know, it’s with people that I don’t know.
They are the ones that will care about it.
They are the ones that will read it. Not the people that I know.
Julie Lancaster-Whann
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If there ever comes a day when I will be well known, it will be long after I am gone. I know that for certain. I am also o.k. with it.
Julie Lancaster-Whann
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January 1, 2026
As The Year Comes To A Close
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year
It was last year, 2024, that I didn’t wish anyone a Happy New Year. Why? Because I didn’t have the confidence that any of us would have a good one. However, this year is different. It just feels different. It’s as if more and more people are waking up to what is going on, so it does feel more like it just might be a Happy New Year. The more woke, the better.
2025 did fly by for me. I have no idea why? It just did. I was very busy. I keep my Grand-Daughter Isabelle, so I don’t have as much time as I used to, to blog and work on the website. Isabelle is 2 1/2, intelligent as hell, and a joy to be around. It is harder to care for an intelligent child than it is of an average intelligent child. I am constantly on my toes. This girl can outsmart me in a skinny minute!
And when she does… Bravo, girl! Bravo!
About a week ago she pressed a button on the cable box and it screwed up the T.V. The picture on the T.V. because some small little box in the upper right hand corner. I immediately started freaking out, “Isabelle! What did you do? I only know about 3 buttons!”
That’s when she said with all the confidence in the world, “I’ll fix it!”
I then started to hand her all the remotes when I came to my senses and I realized, ‘she’s just 2 1/2! What am I doing?’
It was at that point when a box appeared on the screen that said that if we don’t touch anything, that the T.V. will go back to where it was.
WHEW!! (So Jesus fixed the T.V. Hey, I say his name all the time. Guess he heard me?) 🙂
Shortly after that I found out that Isabelle calls the remote “buttons.” She got that from me. 🙂
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There is so much to say. I know that I haven’t done much blogging this year. Some years are more interesting than others. It’s just because I have been busy, and when I do work on the website, I am trying to update some past website pages. I am way behind, as most of you know. I am starting to drown in all my “Under Constructions.”
I have taken down most of my personal blogs and put them in Drafts. My reasons for doing so are because we don’t live in a Free Speech Zone anymore. They are banning books from schools and libraries. So, why not website blogs? Those of you that are Woke, know this. I have people that are dependent on me and I need to look out for that. I want to bring my blogs back when it feels safe to do so.
As the old Kenny Rogers song sang,
“You’ve got to know when to hold ’emKnow when to fold ’emKnow when to walk awayAnd know when to run.”
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I Started A New Website:
https://vintagejuliebarefootarchives.com/
I debuted it on my son Brodie’s Birthday, November, 29th. 2025.
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It was months ago that I was on the phone with Gordon, who is working overseas, when I called my cyber-stalker, P.G. a Mother Fucker, (we knew he was listening in to our conversation), It was pretty much two days later that this website quit functioning properly. (He’s quite sensitive.) Anyway, my website quit working for me and my guys in India were at a loss as to why? (My cyber-stalker works for Microsoft, so…..you do the math.)
It was then that I decided to create a new website and transfer a lot of older material over to it. To kind of lighten the load of this website, so to speak. Perhaps making it work and function properly again?
This website is still under some kind of construction, I just don’t know what? They were supposed to then remove the posts that I wanted transferred over to the new website, yet I still see them on this website. I like my guys in India, yet I sometimes think of them as Internet Detectives. They aren’t. I have to keep reminding myself of that. They are only website designers and host my websites. Period!
I do want to revamp this website this year, but we do have a wedding to plan and pay for in Hawaii, so this new website format is kind of on pause. The wedding takes precedence.
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My guys in India told me that my posts are too long and that is the problem. Yet, there was no problem until I called my Microsoft expert cyber-stalker a Mother Fucker.
I have taken some of the large posts offline and placed them into Drafts in an attempt to free up that space. My guys in India took my Quickie Italian and ruined it with all these boxes in an attempt to lighten that load. I won’t even look at it, I’m so upset about it. I doubt I will ever open it up and look at it again, let alone, post it online.
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I never wanted to be one of these ‘Recipe of the Day’ kind of persons. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.)
I didn’t want a million small website pages, I wanted to post a slew of items/recipes all at once on one page.
Kind of like a series.
At this writing I can no longer remove or place any website pages on this homepage. That is thanks to my cyber-stalker P.G.
My website guys have to do it for me. So, starting this month, I will place more generic things on the homepage so that I don’t have to rely so much on them to update it every month for me. I am hoping that once my new website format takes effect, that I will be able to have a bit more freedom to work on it, but for now, I am relying on them. I can update website pages, but sometimes the new content won’t even show up. And if I hear one more time, “You just need to clear your cache,” I’m going to pull my hair out! I clear my cache until the cows comes home, it doesn’t help me.
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My Photo Album Website
Creating the new website was a lot of fun! I never intended for it to be all Florida, it just evolved into that.
That is when I decided to go all Vintage Florida. I don’t even know if I will be working on it to add new content. I just wanted these blog posts and website pages to ‘go into retirement in Florida and stay there,’ as most things do. 🙂
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BarefootInFloridaWithJulie.com
I just wanted to add that because this website was split up, there will be links that won’t work that might be on some (or a lot) of the website pages located on both of the websites. It would take me a year to straighten that out. I don’t have that kind of time, or that kind of money to hire someone to do it for me, so we will all just have to live with the imperfections. We can all make fun of how unprofessional the websites are, and how they look, but then again I am an amateur nobody so it really doesn’t matter. (Oh, in my head I am a huge super star, but that’s only in my head.) 🙂
Besides, from the moment I started my websites I’ve always had a saboteur to make sure they look bad. After a while, you just get used to it.
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Goodbye 2025
I did want to add that 2025 was really hard on me. (Although it doesn’t look like it in the photo above. Gordon and I were shooting our Thanksgiving CLUE.)
For the past two years I’ve had so many things to break down while I’m here alone to deal with it all, (A/C, Hot Water Heater, Sprinkler System struck by lightening, Yard Guys mowing over my Sprinkler Heads, Tree Roots messing up the Irrigation, I’m down to 3 burners on our 5 burner stove, lightening taking out our T.V./Blu-ray/Cable Box, Modem….
Gordon and I Buying a New T.V. When he was Home in October
I’ve also had insect infestations.
I’m still sweeping up dead bugs everyday.
So, don’t envy me!
I think I am forgetting a few more big tragedy’s that I’ve apparently blocked out of my mind.
Oh, and Cataract Surgery this past November on both eyes!
(I’ll be blogging about that on my 60’s blog.)
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I did a quick costume change here, (from the red dress I have on at the top of this posting.) I saved a Lilly Pulitzer Make-up brushes box that had a pattern on it that resembled this dress I am wearing. I knew that I would do something with it, I just didn’t know what? That is when I gave the box to Veronica and sent her along these two photos for her to choose one of them to place into that box to be used as a picture frame. I’ll post it when I get it.
(Here it is!)
I am sad that the holidays are over with. It was a nice distraction from our American reality right now.
I am not taking down any Christmas until Gordon comes back in February. I will need his help packing all of this away. But, until then I can shoot a few more things while I still have the “set” up.
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When I started this blog in January 2025, I started it off with a recipe.
I decided that I wanted to end the year of 2025 with another recipe. And here it is!
My Mini Potato Skins
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I had a craving for Potato Skins, and the only potatoes that I had in the house, were these:
So, I got the idea to just rework all the ingredients.
The tastes would be the same, just not packed in a traditional Idaho Potato.
Potatoes and Bacon
Turn Oven On 350F
Place your clean Potatoes into a Casserole Dish, add pats of Butter/Margarine, and Salt and Pepper.
In To The Oven They Go For About 10 Minutes
In The Meantime…
Let’s Fry Up Some Bacon, Drain Onto Paper Towels
If You Are Smart Save The Bacon Grease
(Eggs Fried In This Are Heaven!)
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After 10 minutes I removed the Potatoes and placed more pats of Butter/Margarine on them, stirred them around a bit, then I placed them back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
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After that additional 10 minutes that I put them back into the oven.
They still weren’t fork tender, so I covered them with foil, and put them back in for another 8-10 minutes.
While the Potatoes are cooking, I grated some Cheddar Cheese and got the Sour Cream out of the refrigerator.
Now that the Potatoes are done, I added the Cheddar Cheese
The Cheese immediately started to melt. I then added some of the Bacon all crumbled up.
After Adding Dollops of Sour Cream, DONE!
The photo is not the best, but that didn’t detract from the taste!
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A Christmas Confession
After New Year’s last year, the thought of taking down my Harry Potter Christmas and packing it all away just made me sad.
I had been so inspired by the movies and a lot of the books associated with the movies, that I created a Magical Christmas, and a few Harry Potter website pages have since emerged from that inspiration and creativity as well. I stood there looking at it all and I decided to just keep it up. It made me happy. Sometimes, whether it be April, or June, Or August, or October, I would just turn all the lights on and sit there in all it’s brilliance.
I know there were a few that made fun of me for it, but I didn’t care. And as I see it, whatever makes us happy? I knew 2025 wouldn’t be very good for any of us, but I also knew that I needed to do what I needed to do in order to get through it.
I seriously hope that 2026 will be a much better year for ALL of US!
Happy New Year!
Julie
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October 21, 2025
Happy Homecoming
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October 16-18, 2025
It’s Been Weeks of a Brunswick Stew Emergency
(Actually, I was on my 2nd. Thawed Batch of Brunswick Stew, which I Finished Last Week.)
It was about awhile ago that I was in the kitchen washing dishes one evening, when suddenly lightening struck in the backyard of a house cady corner to us. It was loud!!! The dogs reacted! I reacted! And, although we didn’t loose power, the T.V. went dead, along with the Blu-ray player, and the Cable. I didn’t panic, I continued washing the dishes, kind of waiting to see what would happen with the cable. Nothing ever did happen with the cable. The following day I called our cable company to report the outage and to get some help with getting back online. I also had no internet, or phone. We do still have a house phone.
Just an FYI: Tampa means, Sticks of Fire, so named by the Seminole Indians. Tampa is also the Lightening Capital of America. I can remember when our New Zealand friends came over they had never seen forked lightening before. They were fascinated by it. We see it all the time.
The cable company sent someone out the following day to give me a few new cable boxes, and to get my T.V. and Internet going again.
My Cable Boxes were fried, my Blu-ray player was fried, and my T.V. was half way friend, I’m told it will go out in the next month or so, and to get another one.
The Lightening also friend our Sprinkler system. I had to get that fixed as well. Nice big payment toward that.
I did order a few new Blu-ray players, and when Gordon comes home next week, we will be buying a new big screen T.V. for our living room.
I know that when I am feeling a bit down that my go-to food is Brunswick Stew. I usually have a few containers of it frozen in the freezer. So, when things get a bit sad, that is when I hit the freezer for some comfort. Along with some great Soup Crackers.
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Garbage Disposal Won’t Stop Running
Also, around the time the lightening struck I was turning on the garbage disposal when I couldn’t get it to shut off. I then called my son-in-law Brian, he told me to turn off the breaker in the garage in order to get it to stop. I did. So, for weeks if I needed to use the garbage disposal I would run the water in the sink, then run out to the garage to turn on the garbage disposal, run back into the kitchen to make sure it was all going downstream as it should, then run back out to the garage to flip the breaker off so that it didn’t continue to run.
Then, one day it magically fixed itself and now it works beautifully. Go figure?
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Website Problems
It was about a month ago that Gordon and I were talking on the phone when I called our Cyber-stalker P. G. a Mother Fucker. He listens into our private phone conversations. I had told Gordon about how “someone in Fish Hawk” logs into my Instagram every day. According to Instagram. I then told Gordon that I don’t believe it is someone in Fish Hawk, I think it is P. G. pretending to be in Fish Hawk. Interestingly enough, the next day it stopped. No one in Fish Hawk was logging into my account anymore. That is when I called P. G. a Mother Fucker and that is when our website quit working for us.
(Also, now I cannot access who follows me on Instagram. I usually “REMOVE” many who follow me. I am not interested in followers with Private Accounts. Usually yucky men. I’m sure a few of them are from P. G. who wants to follow me, yet I block men like him.)
He messed my website up so much that I could no longer post anything on it.
He is something of a Bastard and until he gets it out of his system, which generally takes a good 2 1/2 weeks, then I am on his retaliation radar. You see, I know him! Victims of abusers, we know our abusers better than anyone. They show us their true selves. They would never show anyone else who they really are. But they gladly let us know. You need to believe us. You need to listen to us. We have all the information needed. Believe us!
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Drove Into Tampa
It had been awhile since I drove into Tampa to do some shopping on the Air Force Base. It just happened to be Discoverers Day, that explained the lack of traffic on the road, and my easy ability to enter the base without waiting in a line of cars to do so. Gordon will be coming home soon and I wanted to get a lot of major shopping over with before he gets here. He will be here for just a short time and we try and cram as much into his time here as possible.
I Always Take Food With Me
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I hit up my usual spots, but with the Government Shutdown I wanted to ask some questions to those that I encountered that are Federal Workers. Everyone that works on the base is a Federal Worder. Except the Military, I mean of course they are Federal Workers, but they get paid no matter what. I don’t know why the news media’s lie, but the Military gets paid whether there is a Government Shutdown or not. I hear it being reported inaccurately by my liberal leaning news agency’s. Don’t know why they do it? But they do.
The cashiers that ring me up are not getting paychecks. The workers are not getting paychecks. So, how much longer are they going to be able to continue to come into work while getting no money? I mean, after awhile there is no money to fill their tanks with gas to even drive into the base to work. As it is these people live paycheck to paycheck. But, with no paycheck coming, what to do?
Not to sound selfish, but how will any of us be able to shop on the base anymore if there are no workers in the stores? Will they close? Will they just install more self-checkouts? Will all those Military that live on the base have to drive elsewhere for food and supplies? The base is the cheapest place to shop. As it is Military families live paycheck to paycheck. Having to spend more on food and supplies on the outside, will hurt them.
I worry about all of us, but there is nothing I can do about it.
I Bought A Haul Of Autumn
It’s Pumpkin Season so of course I loaded up!
I’m looking forward to this Halloween run up. Can’t wait to share it with you!
Julie
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September 14, 2025
News, News, And More News
The Traditional Car Selfies
(Especially After Lots of Shopping)
Two weeks ago Gordon and I were on the phone talking about our upcoming plans, which I cannot disclose yet, and I called my cyber-stalker P. G. a Mother Fucker. (He is in our cell phones, computers, and other devices. He always listens in.) Literally a day or two later, my website no longer worked correctly for me, and my cell phone has been disabled. All in the same day. Coincidence? I think NOT!
This is very typical of him. He is a highly sensitive almost 63 year old boy/child. I would say, man/child, but I don’t consider him a man. To me a man is an adult with honor who doesn’t stoop to the level of abusing, stalking and harassing women. But, he is male. We’ll just leave it at that.
Gordon will be coming home in a little over a month from now. He has been working overseas. We talk pretty much every day on the phone, and we have been making plans. Not only for when he comes home, you know, the fun stuff. But, also some more serious things we have going on. Things I cannot share with you quite yet. We are hiring people to help us. Gordon will only be here for about 2 1/2 weeks, then he will go back overseas, but he will be coming home permanently early next year.
I am still keeping Isabelle on a regular basis. I am also back on the treadmill, trying to slim down for my health, and I want to look good in Hawaii next year. We do have a wedding to help plan, and to attend. And, our big news I cannot reveal quite yet. (You know this is hard for me because I cannot keep a secret!) 🙂
Because of the corruption of my current website, I asked my guys in India to create a new site for me. I want to move certain blog posts over to the new site, while keeping the current site a bit lighter, and more current. I have been giving them directions on what I want. Even sending them some of Veronica’s art and old photos of me, and other family members from my youth. I have no idea what it will look like. When I talk to them on the phone, they have the thickest Indian accents. It is sometimes difficult for me to understand them. I’m also not really sure if I am conveying my vision for the new website accurately enough. They are smart guys, but we do have a language barrier. The thing is, they speak English to conform to me. I don’t dare criticize anything they say because I cannot speak their language. At least they try with me. And, I appreciate that.
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Can’t Change The Lights In The Guest Bathroom, So….
If you read my website then you know that my nasty neighbors next door have been harassing me for over a year by throwing things against that side of the house at 4:00 a.m. in the morning. That is when I moved into the guest bathroom in the middle of the house to avoid that. I do write about my harassment from them in:
My Log Blog Documenting Stalking and Harassment From My Neighbor
Bottom line, my lights in the guest bathroom are out and I cannot change them. So, I use camping lanterns to see when I shower very early in the morning. I do still use the master bathroom for hair and makeup, I just don’t go in there early in the morning. So, am I a chicken for being driven out of the master bathroom? Probably, but these people are mean, evil even. I am a woman alone. So, what do you think I am going to do?
I suppose that I could write a novel over what is happening in my country right now, but it won’t do any good. Suffice it to say, it makes me sad and I do cry quite a bit because of it. But, I also have a grand-daughter to keep, and educate, and entertain, and teach. I want her to have happy years so I am doing my best to provide her with those. Every child deserves a happy upbringing. I got my happiness from my Grandparents and Great-Grandparents. I want to give that to Isabelle. She may not have a happy adulthood here in America, but I will make sure she has happy memories to get her through life.
Julie
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September 1, 2025
The Rockinghamification of America
It’s Here!
(I started this on September 1st., but I’ve had some trouble with my website over the past few weeks, so I am starting this again here on September 10th.)
In the past I have written about Rockingham, North Carolina. We moved there the summer of 1978 from 3 years in Sevierville, Tennessee. Rockingham had won All America City at that time. That award attracted people from around the world, and the country, to be able to move to a city in the south that was liberal. Oh, we didn’t say the word liberal at the time. We called it ‘open-minded.’ There were doctors and their families from Iran, and Iraq, not to mention other northern states here in America. The town also attracted my family. One reason we left Sevierville, Tennessee is that my step-father didn’t think that politics belonged in the hospital. (Isn’t that what we are experiencing now in this current political climate? Before it became national, it started in these small southern towns and then has spread throughout the country.)
With doctors moving in, and medicine expanding, my step-father was a General Surgeon, money started coming into Rockingham. They built the Rockingham Motor Speedway, to attract tourism from around the world. Business’s started opening. My family even opened a bookstore in the town square, something Rockingham didn’t have. Rockingham was about an hour and a half or so from Charlotte, the nearest big city where many would have to drive to do their shopping.
I have written about our time in Rockingham, and I have gone into greater detail of our time there. I really don’t care to go into it all again here. But, you can read about it in one of my past blog website pages. I would cite it for you but I am kindof rushed for time and I’m not even sure that what I am writing now will appear on this website page.
The bottom line here in my story of our time in Rockingham, is that while Rockingham was growing and attracting outsiders, there were many locals that were unhappy with all the people coming in. They were the MAGA’s of their day. You see, I’ve known MAGA’s my whole life, they just didn’t have a name. Now, they do.
So, the ‘Make Rockingham Great Again’ crowd started organizing.
The haters started organizing in their efforts to drive out the ‘foreigner’s.’ They succeeded. My family sided with the foreign doctors so that’s when we became targets of their wrath. I have horror stories from our time there. Some I will never share with anyone as I have a hard time speaking of them. I have never known such hate before, and I can assure you that I have known evil in my life.. I would be driving down the road in my blue Datsun 310 and people that I didn’t even know would shoot me the bird. Oh, it gets much worse but I don’t care to go into any of that now.
Suffice it to say, the hater’s won! (No one stopped them!)
That’s when people started leaving Rockingham. Soon business’s started closing. The Rockingham Motor Speedway shut down. and now if you look up Rockingham online you will see that they are a nothing town. An insignificant redneck town full of insignificant redneck people. Which is exactly what is happening here in America. The haters took over, no one stopped them, and they are driving out the people they don’t like. The people that have made America great.
RIP America,
Julie
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July 30, 2025
Say Cheeeeeeese…
SMILE
My mother bought me my first camera when I was in the 2nd. grade, age 7.
She herself, was an avid photographer, who came from a father who was an avid photographer, who came from a mother who was an avid photographer.
That is probably where it ends, or rather begins. It started with Honnie and Gordon Haskin, passed down to their adopted son Frank Haskin, who then passed it down to his daughter, my mother, Mary Keith Haskin, who then passed it all down to me. I think I am probably the only one of 4 siblings that has inherited this hobby/gift/talent, etc. My brother’s never had an interest.
There are many things about my upbringing that I am very grateful for, and photography is one of them. Probably my main appreciation. I have always been a very avid photographer, but with starting this website, my photography skills have really improved. Initially, it was all about taking a picture of a person, or a set, or a room, or anything out in nature. But, it has evolved into using lighting, shading, and even the daily humidity into creating lovely photos. No one taught me anything, I just learn as I go. I always have. Sometimes I hate that about myself, other times I love that about myself. You see, I don’t read instruction books. I just dive right in! (Not that I recommend that to any of you. It’s just who I have always been.)
With the website turning 14, I wanted to acknowledge what is most important about it, the photographs.
That is what we tend to get the most compliments on.
I will say that our website is not as popular as it once was. There isn’t as much traffic as we used to have.
Our audience has always been above us, not below us.
What I mean by that is that bots from around the world scan our site, and we do see our ideas in books and magazines around the world. I have mixed feelings on that. It is flattering being copied. Especially since I come from a family of abuse where I was told most every day that I am a nothing. I mean, why would anyone copy something from someone who is a nothing? I also tend to get upset when some of our ideas are in books and magazines that then sell and make money for other people. After all, we have never made a dime off this website.
But, what I have come to realize is that everyone copies off everyone else. Fashion people do it, car designers do it, hair salons do it, landscapers do it, movie people do it, food people do it, restaurants do it, shoe people do it, and so on, and so on, and so on. So, I’ve made peace with it all.
Now I just want to continue to be creative for me. Not that that was never the case. I’m just saying that I just want to focus on me, us, our children, grand-child, dogs, and not so much on what other people are doing, or imitating. I just want to do what I love, and if others are interested then you are very welcomed here.
I am trying not to create as much, and just work on what I have already created and do the write up’s for the website. That is hard for me because I have so many ideas that I am squashing in order to catch up with other things. Imagine holding yourself back from having great ideas? Not a simple thing to do. Especially fore a creative person.
Julie
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July 15, 2025
Happy Birthday to BFIFWJ!
BarefootInFloridaWithJulie
We are 14 Years Old as of July 6, 2025!
(As my husband said, “Great hair day Julie!)
He knows what’s important. 🙂
(Out on our Lanai Extension)
I always like to acknowledge the birthday’s of our website. I never thought it would last this long.
When I started it I figured I might have a website for a year or two, I could actually see it going up to 7 years. Not 14!
But, I kept going, and it kept growing!
A Special Tasty Croissant Treat, and my Lovely Shell Wine Glasses
I am in love with our backyard. I spend a lot of time out there.
Whether it be in the backyard itself, or on our main lanai, lanai extension, and even our pavers.
The Banana Trees on the left of the photo, are ready to produce. I hope they do soon!
Ready to Pop the Bubbly
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Flip Flopped In Florida With Julie
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So, What’s Up With Us?
Gordon is still working overseas. We are saving to buy a few rental properties in Weeki Wachee. It’s toward our retirement investments. Plus, something we would like to pass down to our children. Our son Brodie and his fiance, Mackenzie, have moved to North Carolina. We are sad by this move, and a few things associated with it, but we want them to be happy, because that is what you want for your children. There will be a wedding next year that we are all looking forward to as well.
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Isabelle just turned 2!
In this crazy country in which I live, I’m happy we got her to the age of 2 unscathed!
Now, let’s get her to 3!
Happy Birthday, Isabelle!
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Politically, there is so much to say, yet I really don’t feel like saying it. It doesn’t do any good anyway. I’ve been speaking up since 9/11 and all it has gotten me is isolated from so many people. Granted, I have come to realize that those people weren’t worth knowing. But, I’m getting old, I have a granddaughter to take care of. It really is up to the younger generations to fight for it.
I can remember when being informed by politics, and world events made you the life of any conversation.
Not anymore!
I do have to say that working on my mental health has become more of a job than it used to. I am having a harder time with being alone than I ever did before. It’s all this extreme weather that I am having to deal with, alone. It was a month ago that we received this big flash food and got 4 inches dropped on us in a matter of a few hours. Had this loud clap of thunder not woken me up, I never would have known. The pump out back, the circuit had tripped and I didn’t know that. Water was fixing to come pouring into our home and I got outside and just started bailing water off the main lanai with a big bucket, and hurling the water to the lanai extension which is tilted in order for water to run down it. I was scared! But, luckily the rain suddenly stopped and the water was able to drain out of our lanai. I was also pushing it out with a broom.
Our Existing Lanai Floods When It Rains Heavily
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Flash Flood Warning for Wednesday-Friday
So, tonight at 3:00 a.m. we are supposed to experience a lot of rain, and having the storms extend into Friday. Our NOAA Radio has been going off since this morning, non-stop! I ended up turning it off just so as not to be bombarded by it. Also, Hillsborough County has been calling the house phone all day sending out their warnings as well.
I have moved some things outside, and on our lanai’s to prevent things from being broken. And while I was doing that, I broke something. So…. 🙁
The loud thunder has started….
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Cleaning Out The Bedroom Closet
I’ve had the past 2 weeks off!
Tutu’s Hale (pronounced Ha-Lay, as in the Hawaiian word for House) Daycare has been closed, but will re-open early tomorrow morning.) 🙂
The Hale is ready for my favorite Keiki!
Veronica and Brian have taken their vacation time off what with the 4th. celebrations, Isabelle’s birthday on the 5th., and Veronica’s birthday on the 6th. They did do the Disney Parks as well.
But, I have started the giant task of cleaning out my side of the walk in bedroom closet, that Gordon and I share. I have so many clothes that they will no longer fit. My Lilly Pulitzer Collection has grown tremendously. I figured that it would be hard for me to part with anything, yet I am able to. Surprisingly!
BUT, NO LIILY WILL LEAVE THE PREMISES!!!!
I’m giving myself through August to get it all done. I am trying to pass some things to Veronica, the rest I’ll donate.
It is quite a task though. And, I am taking my time. But, now is the time to do it what with Gordon not here. I have so many things strewn all over the bed. I myself, am sleeping on the couch.
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My Mental Health
I do mention my ‘mental health’ above. I have always been one to work on my mental health as it is, but now especially.
I realize that I have a very nice life. It isn’t a perfect one, but it is a good one.
Gordon and I have noticed that information in our accounts and beneficiary files are being changed. Information in my medical records, is being changed. This has us alarmed as we have our important information being changed, and we are not changing it. We believe this to be by our cyber-stalker P. G.. We are also looking into hiring people to help to protect us, which will most likely lead to hiring attorney’s. We have to protect ourselves from him. He can access our insurance information, and change it. He can erase everything. And he will, too.
So, how’s your day goin’? I’m guessing it’s better than mine!
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Yes, I take pictures. Yes, I smile. Yes, everything looks great.
But, what you don’t see is that I do my fair share of crying. I am afraid. I have many fears. Not just for my crazy country right now, but for our personal life. After all, we have someone obsessed with harming us. Obsessed with ruining us. Why? We have no fucking idea! When evil targets you, evil doesn’t seem to stop, until you stop it. This is way over our heads. Which is why we are looking into hiring those that can protect us, from him.
Julie
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June 17-18, 2025
Catching Up, I’ve Missed You
Looks like at this writing my cyber-stalker P. G. has taken our site down from FireFox.
I’ve alerted my guys in India. Waiting to hear back from them.
I have news to tell you on that front, but it will have to wait. We have plans where he is concerned but I cannot tell you at this time. (But I will say that I hope that Millie Bobby Brown, and Julia Roberts play me in the movie. A young, and old Julie.) 🙂
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Everyday I feel a range of Good, Bad, Happy, Sad….
That is not just about my cyber-stalker, but about my country, and all that is happening around me.
I just feel like saying to those that have better things to do than vote and keep up with our country’s democracy, so, was leaving your future up to others to decide, worth it? Must have been. Otherwise you would have taken charge of your own lives and futures by keeping abreast of our political climate, our politicians, and the decisions that they make about our own lives. I just sometimes get so angry when thinking about “those” people and how they helped to get us here as a country through their own inaction.
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With Gordon working overseas this has been a particularly hard time for me. Yes, we talk everyday on the phone.
He’s running to a bunker about 7 times a day because of incoming…. (that’s all I can say.)
We’re also in the midst of planning a wedding for next year. AND, Brodie and Mackenzie are moving to North Carolina at the end of the month.
Mackenzie has been offered her dream job, and she is taking it! I don’t blame her. She deserves all the good that comes her way. It’s just that they will be moving away from all of us, and we are sad about it. I do come from a family that has moved about quiet a bit, so moving for me is quite normal.
Just to give you an indication of that:
I lived in 4 cities in Georgia, 2 cities in Virginia, 1 town in Tennessee, 4 cities in North Carolina, 4 cities in Hawaii, and 4 cities in Florida. I know what it’s like to move around. It’s actually quite normal to my family. Oh, and I forgot Maryland! See, it comes with the territory. I’m not worried about Mackenzie adjusting to a new state and all that comes with it. However, I am worried about Brodie. It will be harder on him. They are excited/terrified! That’s normal.
I spend my days keeping Isabelle, working on the website, and creating new projects.
I love my simple life. I’m not looking for anything complicated. I enjoy being 64. To me, 64 isn’t so bad. It’s actually quite liberating. AND, it’s normal to age.
From what I understand from my Grandmother and Grandparents, Isabelle is just like ME!
Oh, they are long gone. But their depiction of me is still alive and well in Isabelle. 🙂
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I suppose there really isn’t that much to catch up on after all. I am trying to finish all the many website pages that are “Under Construction.”
Because my Cyber-Stalker P. G. keeps getting into our photos, moving them around, and even stealing them, I have bought a computer that I keep offline at all times and just use it to house my pictures, and only transfer them over to this computer when I’m ready to upload them onto the website.
P. had removed all my photos that I had placed on this new computer but when he heard of the plans that Gordon and I have for him, he put them all back. I guess in the hopes that it would appease me. You see, P. is not only in our computer’s, but he is also in our phones and listens in to our private conversations everyday. Gordon and I even started a segment of ‘Let’s tell Paul what we think of him seeing as how he’s here with us on the phone.’ Hey, if he’s going to invade our privacy he might as well hear about how much we hate him.
Hope all is well out there!
Julie
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June 2, 2025
My Cyber-Stalker P. G. of Charlotte, N.C. Strikes Again
(He’s always doing something, I just don’t always talk about it.)
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Draining My Olives and Washing My Curry Leaf Branches
(I can’t believe that I have no photos of my Olives that I used here in the jars they came in. However, I will do my best to name them in the ingredient write-up.)
UPDATE: June 2, 2025
I wrote the above statement months ago when I was putting this recipe together. I noticed that pictures were missing from the files they should be in. I just found the missing photos yesterday and will add them here.
MY MISSING PHOTOS:
I will add these to the recipe that I have down below at the bottom of this website page.
My Cyber-Stalker of 30 years who works for M has been hiding our photos and placing them into old files where we can’t find them.
His name is P. K. G. OF CHARLOTTE, N.C.
Isn’t this what women have had to endure for generations? Men trying to control them? My blog introduction may be a parody, but it’s concept is real in the 30 year harassment that I have had to endure from this very insecure little 62 year old man/child.
You know, Gordon and I have been waiting for years for P. to get bored with us and move on, perhaps even finding a life of his own that doesn’t involve stalking anyone. When I say that he’s been stalking us for 30 years, he has! And as I told Gordon a few months ago, we are going to be saying things like, ‘P. has stalked us for 32 years now’ and ‘P. has stalked us for 35 years now’ and ‘P. has stalked us for 40 years now.’ It’s never going to end. He is a 62 year old man who’s life has passed him by. He has nothing to look forward to except his daily pleasures of stalking and sabotaging others. Do you know how truly pathetic that is?
While my husband is working overseas helping to keep us safe, P. is moving photos around in our Pictures. The Hero, and the Zero.
That is the difference between Gordon and P.
I recently coined the name Gollum to describe P. You know, the pathetic unwanted creature from The Lord of the Rings?
You see, P. listens into our daily phone conversations so I suggested to Gordon that seeing as how he is with us interfering in our private conversations that I say we spend about 10 minutes of our time telling P. exactly what we think of him. Both P. and Gollum are pathetic creatures worthy of our pity. They have a lot in common. Gollum’s obsession with the Ring ruined his life and drove him to madness. P’s obsession with us has done the same to him. He is nothing. He has nothing. And just like Gollum, P. will destroy himself in the end.
Julie
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April 8, 2025
March, 2025
Gordon’s Home!
Julie and Gordon Out and About
With Gordon working overseas as a contractor, when he is able to come home we only have a few weeks here and there to be together, and to be with our family. This visit has since come and gone but, we had a really nice time together. There was a lot of work to do as well.
He initially wanted to come home in February around my birthday, but I told him no. I wanted him here in March to help with all the spring prep outside. Spring is a lot of work here in Florida. We tend to lose our leaves from our trees in late January and throughout February, and even into March. That is a lot of raking, etc. However, because Hurricane Milton knocked down so many large branches of ours in our backyard, we had hardly any leaves to fall this year. I remember paying our yard guys $500.00 last year just to rake up all of our leaves.
There was also lots of algae and mold all around our property on our retaining walls, pavers, and lanai. That comes from the Florida heat and humidity. Bleaching, pressure washing, and so on, are all part of upkeep for Florida homeowners. We also ended up extending our existing fence along the side of our house because of our abusive neighbors.
I do detail all of that here:
My Log/Blog Documenting Stalking and Harassment From My Neighbor
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Honey-Do’s
I always have lots of Honey-Do’s for Gordon when he comes home. You know, ‘Honey Do This, and Honey Do That.’ 🙂
This was one of those cute little Honey Do’s I had Gordon to put together. I knew the Trump Tariffs would make everything go up so I bought all of this stuff before they took effect. This is a cute little Garden Center for our Grand-Daughter Isabelle.
I even bought all the accessories for it as well.
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Isabelle’s Little Planter
I Had Gordon To Put These Together As Well
It’s just not Spring or Easter without some sort of garden project to put together.
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Our time together was way too short, but we always manage to pack quite a bit into each visit.
We were thinking about him coming home permanently this October but with all that is going on in our country, perhaps he needs to stay over there longer just in case. Who knows, he may have to support all of us here if things get really bad?
We Are Truly Living In Uncertain Times
I wish that I had better things to write about. In these times it’s really up to us to make our own happiness. To create our own magic. I would go into greater detail on how to handle these times, but it will sound like everyone else giving advice on what to do. I don’t want to be that way. Each person’s circumstances are different. Some of us have better means than others. Some of us have better connections and opportunities than others. Personally, I wish and hope that all of us will survive these coming times and even thrive afterward. But, realistically I know that won’t happen.
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Julie Barefoot Backyard in the Garden
At this point I honestly don’t know what to say? I wish that I had all the answers, but I don’t.
I do know that it’s time to hoard. Time to be on offense. Time to stay quiet.
Julie
P.S. We all miss Gordon. He is a good husband, a good father, and a good grandfather. 🙂
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March 13, 2025
We’re All Going To Hell In A Hand Basket
(Not to be TOO Negative)
Tuesday, March 11th.
I drove into the base in Tampa on this day to do some shopping. Gordon will be coming home soon from working overseas and I am shopping in preparation for that. We have many things planned. Some fun, some work. I found it interesting that the base was pretty empty compared to what it usually looks like. No traffic entering the base, no problem finding good parking, no long lines at check out, not waiting in line for gas, no waiting in line for prescription drive through pick-up, etc.
The Air Force Base is usually pretty busy. It is actually a small city with everything on it. This is Florida after all, what with lots of seniors coming onto the base to pick up their prescriptions and do their shopping. It was a nice day. I enjoyed it. To me a good day is when everything goes according to plan. I’m not one of these people that craves any sort of excitement. I prefer boring. To me boring is nice. Boring is also peaceful. Plus, boring isn’t boring to me.
I did my usual that day but it was while I was doing some Commissary shopping that I overhear conversations from other shoppers. This one white couple, probably in their 50’s were comparing brand prices looking for bargains. As it is prices are very cheap on base. But they were looking for cheaper.
Also, when I rounded a corner and headed up an aisle as I was looking at some products on the shelves an Empath noticed me and said something to the effect of, ‘We’ll be buying fewer things soon.’ I then looked at her and said, “I know. And things are about to get a lot worse.” She agreed with me as she walked past me.
She was an African-American woman, probably around my age, she was dressed very nicely and her cart was pretty full. She also had plants in the top section of her cart. I too was dressed nicely, (in one of my Lilly Pulitzer dresses), with my cart full as well, and plants all around the top part of my cart. So, you may wonder why she said that to me? Simple. She is an Empath, she read me, she knew I was safe to say those things to. Most white women and men that shop on base are republicans. You really can’t say anything to them without getting some negative reaction. Yet this woman knew that I was not that way. She knew she could say to me what she did and that I would respond in her favor. Which I did.
Oh, and I’m sure you’ve noticed that I have removed my Empath Blog Pages from my website.
Perhaps one day I can restore them. But not now.
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After doing my shopping I headed home. Oh, the car was full! I did a LOT of shopping!
And, on the way home I had my chicken that I picked at in the car ride home. It took me and hour and a half to get home that day. Horrible Tampa traffic!
Plants, Juice, and Chicken
When I did get home it took me probably a good 35 minutes to unload the car. At this writing, Thursday, March 13th. I am still putting things away. I still have grocery bags full of items to take care of.
Ya know, I don’t think that I really have to go into my headline above. I think that most people that keep up with what is going on knows exactly what I mean above when I say, “We’re all going to hell in a hand basket.” I mean, it’s obvious. At least to those that have eyes and can see. Or ears that can hear? Or feelings that can feel.
Yesterday when our daughter Veronica got off work and picked up Isabelle from our house, she told me that 17 employees where she works were laid off. She did say that she made the cut, but that instead of working 5 days a week, she will only be working 4. Which means that I too get every Friday off from watching Isabelle from now on. That means I get a 3 day weekend all the time. Good for me, but not for Veronica and Brian that need the money.
So, the Trump Presidency has hit us close to home now.
I knew that it would.
Now I wonder what else is to come our way? I guess we’ll all find out.
Julie
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February 1, 2025
February is Here
Saturday Selfies
Grabbing my Jalapeno Cheddar Muffin to Go
Ran some errands today and did some shopping. It was a busy Saturday with lots of traffic on the road and at the stores. While I was at the grocery store I overheard a woman on her cell phone talking to someone about how scared people are right now. I didn’t want to chime in to her conversation but I very well could have because I understand exactly as she does. She was a black woman. I also heard plenty of white women on their cell phones talking to others about the shopping list, or what time they will be picking up so and so to go wherever. And there were a few white men on the phone with their wives as they were tracking down items on their shopping lists. Interesting to me that it was the black woman that knew what was going on while the white people were still oblivious and just doing their shopping.
Oh, the white people will find out soon enough just how scared they should be.
We are all in danger now. None of us are safe. Know that.
Safety regulations on our food and drink are being removed right now. Also, if there is an outbreak of some contaminated foods, or some disease we will not know of it. Those agencies are being shut down, and the information will be squashed.
For the first time in our lives Gordon and I are considering buying a weapon. I don’t want to live in the Old West but that may just be how things turn out.
I’m also sure you have been aware of the latest plane crashes in our country? Well, when you fire and gut the department that made sure we were safe, then these things happen.
Each day I wake up feeling Good/Bad/Happy/Sad, just like the song says.
I have my good moments, my bad moments, my happy moments and my sad moments.
This is all of our futures. Unless you are a billionaire then you are not immune, and you will feel the pain quickly.
They tried to gut Medicaid a few days ago but there was so much outcry they changed their minds. Understand that this is only temporary. They will try again when the coast is clear. Republican’s never give up on any damage they want to do. They don’t stop, they don’t take a day off, they plot, they plan, and they always succeed. It’s because you take a day off, you have a life you want to live and enjoy, they count on that. You turning your back to do something else. That is when they strike!
They have a grand plan for all of us that I cannot even begin to describe to you here. You wouldn’t even believe me if I tell you. Oh, I’ll tell you what I see coming when you are ready to hear it. But, not yet. For now, look out for yourselves. Stay low. There are no laws now in our country. Murderers will be forgiven as long as they fight for our leader. We are entering the American Holocaust.
During the George W. Bush years the only place that you could hear the truth was on NPR. National Public Radio. And also the foreign papers, which I frequented daily. However, they may just end up blocking our access to these foreign papers. In which case, we are left with pretty much nothing and it will be up to us to use our common sense to survive it all.
The thing that I do know well is that the truth always finds a way.
When the Bush Administration suppressed the news outlets, that made way for the rise of the political bloggers. It was only there that you could find the truth. However, they too will be squashed this time around. The truth will have to come in another forum. And it will! Because like I said, the truth always finds a way.
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My MAGA Next Door Neighbors…
I don’t even know where to begin on this one. It’s so bizarre, but when I started keeping my Grand-Daughter in the Autumn of 2023, I have had to get up very early on the mornings I keep her. If Veronica drops her off I have to get up at 4:00 a.m. to be ready for when she drops her off. If Brain is dropping her off, I have to get up at 4:30 a.m.. Yea! I get to sleep in!
Being up that early in the morning just makes me feel vulnerable. I’ve just always felt like someone was outside my bathroom peeking in one of the windows. I also could have sworn that while I was in the bedroom naked, searching for something to wear and getting dressed, that someone was sitting on the roof on the house next door to us. I’ve thought I’ve seen that a few times. One time I thought I saw two men sitting together on the roof. And interestingly enough, the garage was open that morning on the house across the street. My first thoughts were that they must have forgotten to close their garage door. But I did think that was very strange.
In our bedroom we have a window that is very high up and spans probably 12 feet long and two feet high, and arched. We have very tall ceilings in our house. That window is also pretty standard. No one places curtains on it because it’s so high up and you will never find any kind of window covering to fit it. Also, most people aren’t tall enough to look in your house through it. (Unless of course, they were on their roof.)
I don’t keep Isabelle every weekday, but I do keep her anywhere from 2-5 days a week.
For the past few months when I get up at either 4:00 or 4:30, I am in the bathroom toilet room, with the light off. I do have the bathroom light on, just not the toilet room light on. But, the light does shine through to me. Well, it’s then that I will hear this very loud THUMP against the side of the house. My first thoughts are, ‘what the hell was that?’ I will then jump up and look out the main bathroom window to see if someone is out there. It’s usually very dark and hard to see. But, I am usually a bit shaken wondering what that was? This happens quite often. Usually I would forget about it and go on with my morning, and then my day, until it would happen again the next morning, only to alarm me again, etc.
I have also heard this THUMP at night after I have gone to couch. Yes, I sleep on the couch. I am the female Fox Mulder. Anyway, I will also hear it at night sometimes.
Two weeks ago at around 4:35 a.m. I was once again in the toilet room when I heard the loudest THUMP I had ever heard up until then. That THUMP was right beside the toilet room window! It scared me so much that I leapt up, if you know what I mean. I’ll just leave it there where my response was concerned but…
Well, it was on Saturday that something told me to look out the bedroom window. I have to stand on the bed to do so. That’s when I saw it, a blue and orange ball. It was right between our houses. That’s when it all made sense to me. It’s that BALL that I am hearing in the mornings. He’s throwing that damn ball at the house around the bathroom. Why? I have no idea! I knew they were republicans, but I didn’t think ill will of them until now.
But just think about it. He gets up before me, and lies in wait for me to use the restroom, and then throws that ball at the house. Isn’t that bizarre? Who does these things?
I took pictures. I’m gathering my evidence. I even went over there yesterday while I was on the phone with Gordon and hurled that ball to the front of their yard. I’ve been talking to Gordon and Brian about it and they are on it! Gordon will be back in March and he is planning on talking to the next door neighbors. Gordon and Brian are going to install additional security for me. We just need to update what we have, and install new that cannot be accessed online. I do still have a cyber-stalker P. G. ya know? If it’s online he can access it and thus control it so….
Wow! Look at all my stalkers!!! 🙂
It’s kind of strange but when neighbors and others have been harassing me in the past…
(Leisa, Wheelchair Nazi John, Ed, Dori H., P. G., and a cast of many more.)
It used to bother me. But for some reason this doesn’t upset me as much. I think because I see the disorder in the person, and not the person. For example, Leisa was a Narcissist, Wheelchair Nazi John was a Paranoid Schizophrenic, Ed had Dementia, Dori was Bi-Polar, P. G. is a Sociopath..
Get the point? When you see the disorder in the person it makes more sense. None of the things the people I mention above, have to do with me or anything I’ve ever done. It’s all about them. My MAGA neighbor is no different. I have never done anything to him or his family. I have no idea why he lies in wait for me in the mornings? His wife must know about it and she apparently doesn’t care that her husband harasses another woman. That makes her (Co-Dependent.) See how this works now?
Remember when I mentioned above that I just had this feeling someone was peeking in my bathroom window? Well, he was outside my bathroom and bedroom, wasn’t he? So, why not look? Looks like I was right after all.
I’m going to be 64 this month.
This man next door is truly sick! Along with all of them!
Julie
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January 17, 2025
Before Inauguration Day
Thursday, January 16, 2025
I took this photo of me yesterday while I was on my way to MacDill AFB in Tampa to do some major shopping to stock up.
Granted, it’s not new for me to take a car selfie while on my way to the base to do my shopping but, it was just different yesterday. I set my alarm for early and got up, got ready, and got out of here for the day.
I of course, took food with me, I always do. And plenty of water. It was my day off from keeping Isabelle and I knew that I had to make the most of my day and shop until I dropped. Which I did!
According to Trump he is implementing his Tariff’s on day ONE! That is a tax on many imported goods to our country. Our Economists have warned us that the average American family will be spending an additional $4,000.00 a year more on regular household goods they normally buy.
Gordon and I don’t exactly fall into that “average” category, so we will probably be spending more than that a year on our food, etc. budget. We tend to eat a lot of Asian ingredients. We lived in Hawaii for 13 years and all the Asian foods that we ate there are ingrained into our diets. Just to add a bit of history here about Tariff’s, The Boston Tea Party, December 16, 1773, was in response to Tariff’s. So….
If you are thinking that the items you mostly buy won’t fall under that “tariff” tax, and that you don’t need to stock up on anything, well, having to pay that “tariff tax” will make the things you usually buy a bit harder because you won’t have that extra money to pay for those items.
You also need to understand that grocery stores here in America are also going to implement that Tariff tax on their goods, whether they already had them in the store before the tax took effect, or not. Publix is owned by a woman that supported and funded the January 6th. Insurrection. You think she is going to give you a discount? She will tax you as soon as she can because that is free money for her. And no, I won’t be naming her here.
I stocked up on everything yesterday. I hit up the Exchange for some clothing for Isabelle, and lingerie for me, dog treats, Isabelle some Bluey toys, books, there were also lots of Valentine’s Day things that I bought, just to get ahead. It was funny that they had leftover Christmas, Valentine’s Day things, and even the Easter stuff has arrived and was out on display.
I stocked up on so many things so that all I will need to buy for the next few months will be fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. I can get those at Sprouts.
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Already Packed
I wanted to add that I have started to keep some clothing and toiletries in my car just in case. I’ve been doing this since 2024. I read a few years ago that Climate Scientists are keeping a bag packed by their door, to grab on their way out of the house if there is a climate emergency.
I’ve always been the kind of person to carry a big purse with “additions.” What I mean by that is that in addition to the usual things women carry in their purse, I always had a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, painkillers, antacids, address book with phone numbers, mini-scissors, small compact make-up, in addition to the usual lip sticks and lip liners, mini hand lotions, … shall I continue? 🙂
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One Fine Day
Michelle Pfeiffer’s One Fine Day Purse, with George Clooney
I cannot tell you how many people that I knew that saw that movie back in 1996 and thought of me! It was the handbag! Michelle Pfeiffer had everything in that handbag, just like me. 🙂
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The California Fires
I can’t tell you how many times I heard interviews of people that said, ‘we didn’t have time to grab anything, we left with the clothes on our backs. We had nothing.
When you look at that cooler right behind me in the photo of my selfie, you see a blue cooler. In that cooler are clothing and toiletries. I am keeping those at the ready just in case I may ever need to evacuate in a hurry. I will at least have something, whereas there were so many that had nothing.
By our backdoor I have bags packed for our dogs. That way, all I have to do is to grab their food. I already have blankets, leashes, their papers, pads, blankets, toys, etc. all packed in carry-on’s.
I think this is how we need to live our lives in this day and age. Ready for anything. Especially, ready to evacuate. due to climate change.
I would like to credit Nancy Drew for my efficiency in always being prepared. Reading her books as a young child taught me that. Nancy was always prepared. She always had everything in her handbag that she needed. I know that may sound a bit silly, but it applies to today.
I managed to stock up on everything. Goods, Wine, Food, Toiletries..
As You Can See Here….
This is our future. Being prepared, being ready. I also have blankets in my car, batteries, rope, flashlights, first aid kits, even some books to read if I am ever stranded. Being prepared is our future. Like it or not. It is!
Julie
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January 12, 2025
From My Neighborhood Stalker… 🙂
This was left in our mailbox back in December, but I find it very interesting.
You can see my trash cans in the photo. Usually I just set out the two for pick-up on Tuesday’s, but this particular day I had collected quite a bit of yard debris so I had placed that container out as well. This photo was taken on a Monday night, around 3:00 a.m.
You can see the shadow of the person (man) holding their arms in the air, left, to take the photo at 3:00 a.m. They look slender.
The note they left is also a interesting. It says:
Hi,
Not sure if you realise (realize) it but your sprinkler is broken
🙂 Smiley Face
These guys did some work for me
_____ sprinkler
___-___-____ (Sprinkler company’s phone number.)
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First of all, this person doesn’t tell me who they are. It alarms me that someone would be standing outside the house at around 3:00 a.m. taking this photo. After they took this photo at 3:00 a.m. they had to have printed it out on their printer, and then placed it in the mailbox the following night. I know this because it was underneath my mail. As in, they placed the photo in my mailbox at night, and then the mailman delivered the mail the following morning, placing it on top of this note.
The smiley face added to the note is something a woman would do, but I believe this to be a man who wrote this. I don’t know many women wandering the neighborhood at 3:00 a.m., plus the note mentions how these sprinkler guys ‘did some work for me.’ We don’t have any single women living around me. A married woman would have said, ‘did some work for us.’ So, this is a man. (Or, it could have been the joint effort of a husband and wife team.)
I suppose I could call that number he gave me and ask who that business services on my street? But, I’m not going to. It’s funny but when you do contact any of these kinds of businesses they always ask the same thing, ‘How did you hear about us?’ What shall I say? Oh, my neighborhood stalker gave me your phone number, 🙂
P.S. I already knew about the busted sprinkler. I am a light sleeper and I get up throughout the night. The first thing I do is to look outside. I saw the geyser, I was just waiting until my son-in-law had the time to come over and fix it. He did, and all is well. The only mystery left is who is the sneaky neighborhood person?
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…And, What I’ve Been Up To
Now that the holidays are over with I am back to keeping Isabelle. Some weeks are just a few days, while other weeks are everyday. We’ve also had the nicest coldest weather now for about a month. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m just doing cold weather things like reading, organizing, working on my website. I’m currently working on 5 website pages at once, mostly Christmas’s from 2023.
I am also dreading Inauguration Day and will be doing a lot of shopping prior to that day. I suggest that you do the same. If we are to have to pay around $4,000.00 more a year on our normal household items because of the Trump Tariffs, then it would be a good idea to stock up now before day one of his Presidency.
Also, there needs to be an understanding by the American people of what is to come. Just watch how Trump handles the California fire situation when he gets in office and that will give you an indication of how he will handle everything. It will be up to us to survive on our own. There will be no help from any government official.
Do any of you remember the Brown Outs in California during the Gray Davis Govenorship? He was recalled and then replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Those Brown Outs were generated by the Bush/Cheney Administration just so the people would blame Gray Davis, which they did, and the people got rid of him, which they did, even though it really wasn’t his fault.
These fires will have every Democrat in the state fired and replaced by Republican’s. The state will then turn red in the next major election. (If we even have elections anymore.)
As California burns so does the rest of us. You’ll see. This really is the end of California as we know it. It’s also the end of America as we know it.
Can Biden do something before he leaves office? Sure. Will he? I have no idea? He could grant every citizen living here in America citizenship. Will he? I have no idea? I guess we will find out what Biden is made of before Inauguration Day. But, the Biden that we know will smile, and shake the hand of the dictator that will destroy our country. Just as Obama sat next to Trump at Jimmy Carter’s funeral, smiling and laughing with Trump. Those are our Democrats. We don’t have fighters, we have political pussy’s that Trump gets to grab whenever he wants to.
Miracles can happen before Inauguration Day. Will they? Well, I have never believed in miracles. I’m pretty sure I’ll be proven once again, that they don’t exist.
Julie
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January 11, 2025
Jimmy Carter’s Funeral, California Fires, and our Incoming President’s Unaccountability (I might have made up this word, not sure.)
The Start of 2025
(If you think this is bad, just wait.)
RIP Jimmy
I wanted to share a story with you. It took place in either the late 80’s or early 90’s but Jimmy Carter had organized a program to bring over some people from Soviet Georgia to receive surgery for their ailments. My parents, John and Mary Lancaster had one of the recipients of the program to stay with them. I remember his name was Iraqli, not sure if that is how you spell it, but it is how the name was pronounced.) He was a doctor over there. He didn’t have the money to come to America for the surgery he needed, his mother paid for it. I think that he just needed to get over here and then everything else was free. Iraqli had a huge tumor on his face. He came over to Georgia for probably a month. I believe it was Emory that removed his tumor. He stayed with my parents for a few weeks, and then another family in Atlanta.
Out of all the wonderful things being said of all that Jimmy Carter did, I haven’t heard one person say anything about this program. Probably because the Carter’s have done so many good things that are just too numerous to even name.
Jimmy and Rosie
(We named our cats after them.) 🙂
I may credit Jimmy Carter for this program but I’m sure Roslyn had something to do with it as well. Just as she had something to do with every good works Jimmy Carter was ever credited for.
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I remember my parents telling me that Iraqli loved pickles so much and could not stop eating them, so they just placed the jar in front of him and let him have all of them.
Another cute story is that at that time my parents had a copy machine in their house. Iraqli was fascinated by that. My parents tried to explain to him that the only reason they had that copy machine is that it was leftover from his practice in North Carolina and that it isn’t common for most families to even own one. (Iraqli assumed that all American families had copy machines.)
When he went and stayed with that family in Atlanta when he had his surgery, they also had a copy machine. 🙂
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I just wanted to state that I have told you things throughout my years of blogging of my abuse my parents inflicted on me for most of my life. My brother Johnny once summed it up by saying:
‘We might have had rotten parents, but they were good people.’
What he said about them actually helped me to get through a lot of the abuse that I received from them. But, the abuse never ended, so I finally decided to stop judging them by how good they are to other people, and only judge them on how bad they are to me.
The example of my parents taking in Iraqli is a perfect example of the good that they would do for other people.
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The California Fires
See the Palm Trees?
They are not indigenous to California, and they suck up a lot of water.
This is so very sad on so many levels. Not just the human, animal and plant life, but the destruction of homes, property, businesses, places of worship, schools, etc. Not to even mention the pollution that is contributing to the destruction of our planet.
When you hear on T.V. that Mel Gibson’s house has burnt down, all you think about is Mel Gibson. (Before I continue, I just wanted to state that I do not like Mel Gibson, I am just using him as an example.)
What most people don’t realize is that there are so many attached to Mel Gibson that have now lost in some way. There are the people that live with him, the people that work for him. His giant mansion is tended to by some very skilled gardeners, who also probably would tend to the gardens of many in the area. They have now lost their jobs and perhaps even gone out of business.
Also, the housekeepers that tend to Mel Gibson’s house most likely work for a company that tend to many houses in the area. They have now lost their jobs, and that business has probably gone out of business. There are also people that you don’t think about. Oh, and let’s not forget the pool boys, and who they worked for. Most of these wealthy have personal chefs, and personal trainers. They have now lost their jobs too.
Schools have burnt down, banks have burnt down, businesses have burnt down. They have all lost their jobs.
This tragedy is so grand that I don’t believe it can be fixed. Where are all these displaced people to go?
Of course there are solutions, but that would mean taxing the rich and we all know that won’t happen.
I would like to say something to those people that after every tragedy they all say the same thing, ‘I never thought this would happen here.’
Me: Why the hell not? Are you protected by magic fairies or something like that? Why can’t it happen to you? It can happen to any of us.
There is such a thing called, Global Warming. Yeah, I know we changed the name to Climate Change because when most ignorant people hear the words, Global Warming, they tune out because they think of Al Gore. Each year our planet gets hotter and hotter, dryer and dryer, yet no one can connect the dots, and not wonder why this is happening?
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My Spaghetti Pie
It was while I was making my Spaghetti Pie that I was using so many ingredients from California. That excellent Olive Oil that we use so often, and love so much The tomatoes grown in California, etc. I then wondered if the fires would affect our ability to even have these items in the future? I’m not trying to be selfish. I’m just pointing out that we are all connected and what happens in California can affect me here in Florida.
We need to care about each other. We need to help each other. We need to put our planet before profits.
Yeah well, stay tuned, huh?
And a big P.S.: Mel Gibson is the one that is going to be o.k. even though he is the one that lost his house.
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And Now For The Most Disgusting…
In my 63 years I haven’t seen too many evil people pay a price for all the evil that they do. I won’t be naming names, but you know who I am talking about.
When I was in Elementary School in Roanoke, Virginia we watched the Watergate Hearings on T.V. every day. It was history. Our teachers knew it was important that we watch and be engaged, to know what was going on, and how serious it all was. That was such a long time ago when the criminal activity of our politicians was considered bad and important for us to know about. But not now.
I’ve heard the Democrats talking about how they need to change to appeal to the rural voters. WHAT? CHANGE? TO APPEAL TO A BUNCH OF RACISTS?
Exactly how are they going to do that? Become racists themselves?
I say, be yourself. Don’t try and appeal to any bad actor. Why? Is selling your soul just so you can win elections worth it? I don’t think so. Yet, this is where we are in our country.
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If America is an evil country, then it’s an evil country. There is nothing we can do about it. Except perhaps to carve out a small significant portion ourselves in our daily lives where we disconnect from that evil and do good. There may come a time when I quit watching the news altogether. There may come a time when I deactivate yet another social media account of mine. I know that I have deleted some website pages of mine. Perhaps I will be deleting all my personal blogs as well if I see the need. There may come a time where I spend my days doing nothing but gardening, crafts, cooking, helping, etc.
As I told my brother Johnny in Ireland, ‘I guess I’ll just play princess castle with Isabelle until they drag me out into the town square and hang me for my liberal views.’
Julie
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January 6, 2025
My Inspiration In Life is Sea Biscuit:
(I realize I’ve posted about Sea Biscuit before, but with the coming 2025 Administration that is to be sworn in on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I think a lot of us will be looking toward the inspiration of the underdog. Sea Biscuit and his jokey and trainer, are mine.)
Sea Biscuit VS. War Admiral
I grew up with so many of my family and their friends who loved Sea Biscuit. In this clip you hear George tell the jockey Charlie, ‘So Long Charlie’ right before he takes off. I heard that said so many times when I was young, when anyone would leave our house. It was like saying, ‘see you later.’ But, the meaning was all about Sea Biscuit.
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So Long, Charlie,
Julie Lancaster-Whann
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RECIPE
My Curry Leaf Roasted Olives, Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes
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Our Front Yard Curry Plant
Draining My Olives and Washing My Curry Leaf Branches
(I can’t believe that I have no photos of my Olives that I used here in the jars they came in. However, I will do my best to name them in the ingredient write-up.)
UPDATE: June 2, 2025
I wrote the above statement months ago when I was putting this recipe together. I noticed that pictures were missing from the files they should be in. I just found the missing photos yesterday and will add them here. My Cyber-Stalker of 30 years who works for M has been hiding our photos and placing them into old files where we can’t find them.
His name is P. K. G. OF CHARLOTTE, N.C.
Isn’t this what women have had to endure for generations? Men trying to control them? My blog introduction may be a parody, but it’s concept is real in the 30 year harassment that I have had to endure from this very insecure little 62 year old man/child.
The Missing Photos:
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Ingredients: Amounts Are Up To You
Assortment of Olives, preferably Pitted
I used Kalamata Olives, Moroccan Olives, Italian Castelvetrano Olives, and large Stuffed Olives
Sundried Tomatoes
3 Branches of our Curry Leaves
Fresh Garlic Cloves
Roasted Garlic Cloves
Key Limes
Spices:
Oregano
Dill Weed
Dill Seed
Basil
Olive Oil
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My Roasted Garlic, Left, and Fresh Garlic Cloves, Right
(Each one adds a different flavor.)
Turn Your Oven on 400F
Line a Baking Sheet with Aluminum Foil and create a sort of “bowl” to be able to hold all the Olive mixture so they don’t expand all over the baking sheet.
In a Medium to Large Bowl I Added All My Drained Olives and some Fresh Garlic Cloves, as well as some Roasted Garlic Cloves.
I Chopped My Sundried Tomatoes into Smaller Pieces
(I love this brand of Sundried Tomatoes, I snack on them all the time.)
Add Everything To Your Bowl
Time To Add Your Spices,
And Key Lime (or Lime) Juice
(You don’t want your bowl full of olives, etc. all wet. You want everything to mix together nicely and not have some puddle in the bottom of the bowl. This should give you an idea of how much Lime Juice to add.)
Mix Everything Together and then Drizzle Your Olive Oil Over Top
This is a really good Olive Oil. By all means, stock up on it. You will use it quite often. It is one of the best.
(I tend to always add more, so just drizzle enough to combine everything together. You can always add more later on.)
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Now It’s Time To Place Them on the Baking Sheet
I Placed One Curry Branch Down First,
Then I Poured The Bowl of Olives Over Top
I Also Drizzled More Olive Oil Over Them to Make Sure They Were All Coated Well
Into The Oven They Go For 20 Minutes
Here I removed them and stirred them around a bit. Just to make sure they weren’t sticking to the Aluminum Foil, and to make sure they were coated well in the Olive Oil.
I Also Added More Spices… just a few Shakes of This and That
Then Placed Them Back into the Oven for Additional 20 Minutes
Curry Leaves Should Have Been Blacker
(I would have loved for my leaves to have been more Charred, as they eat them overseas, but I didn’t want my Olives, etc. to be more done than they were.)
After a Total of 40 – 50 Minutes in the Oven….
Allow To Cool…
Then Place Into a Bowl and Add Some Fresh Curry Leaves Around
Keep in the Refrigerator
Fingers Crossed They Win Me The JOB!!!
Very Sincerely,
Mrs. Gordon Whann
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When Only A Salad Will Do
Many years ago Kiwi Chef Leilani Wolfenden and her then husband Aussie Tomas Stanislovski came to Florida to visit us. Leilani was the daughter of our good friends from New Zealand, Trish and Bob. They stayed with us,we took them to all …
Southern Fried Shortcut
Hey Y’all! Every now and then I need to go back home. Oh, not literally. But with my Tongue Feelers. You know, Taste Buds? Growing up throughout the south you get a hankering for something Deep Fried, Black-eyed, Field Picked, and …
My, My, Peanut Butter Pie!
My, my…
Peanut Butter Pie
I’m originally from North Georgia, Rome to be exact. Peanut Butter is probably my most favorite food in the world. I eat more Peanut Butter than I do anything else. I knew I would be making a Peanut Butter Pie someday for the website, I just didn’t know how I would be doing it? Meaning, what I would put in it? Other than Peanut Butter? It then dawned on me to put everything I love to eat with Peanut Butter, in it. So, I did!
I also had in mind to try and make it in the form of a Pretzel Jello Salad. That is an old recipe that we also have here on our website. It’s usually made around Christmas and taken to Church Suppers and Holiday Events.
So, with that in mind I came up with this. I hope you like it. I did! I gave the second one to Veronica and Brian. They loved it too! (And trust me, they tell me when they don’t like things that I make. Usually, if something I make for them is “too spicy” then they let me know.) 🙂
When I think of Peanut Butter, I always think of Georgia and how the state is the largest producer of Peanut Butter in America. Alabama is second. However, the largest consumption of Peanut Butter in the world is China. Who knew?
My, my, Peanut Butter Pie is an homage to my youth. That little girl that put peanut butter on everything, Graham Crackers, Vanilla Wafers, Saltine Crackers, Animal Crackers, Potato Chips, Pretzels, Bananas, Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies, Rice Crackers, Popcorn Cakes, Rice Cakes, Bread, Bagels, etc.
I was never a Peanut Butter and Jelly kind of person. I have always been a Peanut Butter person. Jelly was never important to me.
I’m hoping that you see my creation as a guide to inspire you to create something special for yourself.
My, My, Southern Pie!
Julie
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My Two Pies
I Topped My Pie With Pretzel Balls, and Veronica and Brian’s Pie With Valdosta (Georgia) Glazed Pecans
(The candle I bought online and placed it on top of Veronica and Brian’s pie. I know how much she loves candles so I passed that on to her.)
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Yummy, Yummy, Deliciousness!
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I wanted these shots taken outside as something of an homage to those great picnics I attended when I was a child, and growing up. Cakes and Pies were staples at Outdoor Picnics.
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Yellow
Luckily for us in the South, Summer Weather lasts a long time. 🙂
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Recipe Starts Here
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My, My, Peanut Butter Pie
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Initially, I was going to make a Pretzel Pie Crust, but changed my mind and decided on a Graham Cracker Pie Crust. It was easier, as it was already made, and it reminds me of all the times I would eat Peanut Butter on Graham Crackers.
But first, I decided that I wanted to make some Vanilla Pudding to place on top of the Graham Cracker Pie Crust. The Vanilla Pudding reminding me of the Vanilla Wafers I would also eat Peanut Butter on.
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Making Vanilla Pudding
I made it the day before I assembled the pie.
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Assembling The Ingredients
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Most Of These Ingredients I Used, Some I Did Not
Ingredients: For Making One Pie
1, Graham Cracker Pie Crust
Vanilla Pudding Mix
1/2-1 Cup Peanut Butter Of Your Choice
1, 1/2, 8 oz. Cool Whips, Thawed
2, 8 oz. Cream Cheeses, Softened
Dry Roasted Peanuts as Desired
1 Cup Florida Crystals Turbinado Sugar
Rice Crackers w/ Chocolate
BelVita Cookies (Chocolate and Peanut Butter)
Snyder’s Pretzel Rounds
Valdosta Glazed Pecans
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You Will Need A Blender For This
Add the softened Cream Cheese, Peanut Butter, and Turbinado Sugar.
(I was so happy that I used the Turbinado Sugar in place of regular Granulated Sugar. When you bite into the pie, you taste that great brown sugar crystal and it is excellent! So much more satisfying that the Granulated Sugar.)
Just Mix Together Until Blended
Next, Add as Many Peanuts as You Like!
Stir Together, Do NOT Blend!
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Now It’s Time To Add The Thawed Cool Whip
(I used 1 1/2 per pie.)
Mixture Left, Vanilla Pudding Right
The First Thing I Did Was To Spread Some Vanilla Pudding Onto the Bottom Of the Graham Cracker Pie Crust
(I do wish that I had made 2 Vanilla Puddings instead of just one. That way I could have spread more on the bottom of each pie crust.)
I Next Started Layering With the Chocolate Covered Rice Cakes and the Cookies.
Kinda Looks Like Mickey Mouse, Doesn’t It?
You Just Want To Spread The Mixture Onto The Pie Crusts
I Did Hold Back With Veronica and Brian’s Pie and Dolloped The Mixture Twice. I Created Layers of the Cookies. So That it Had Two Layers Inside the Pie. In Mine, I Only Had the One Layer Onto of the Vanilla Pudding and Cookies.
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Before I Decorated Them, I Added a Glazed Pecan to the Top of My Pie
Pretzel Balls on Mine, Glazed Pecans on Veronica and Brian’s
The Candle Was Just an Added Touch I Liked
It Kind of Reminded me of Gordon, who Loves a Pecan Pie as a “Birthday Cake” and not a Usual Cake
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Flowers Are Beautiful, Even Just The Petals
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I actually couldn’t help myself. It is a flared dress, ya know.
Twirling kinda comes with the territory. It’s not like I had a choice.
Hey, at least I put it down here. 🙂
Have a Happy Slappy Day!
Julie
P.S. Keep Twirling!
Julie Italian
Ciao e Benvenuto (Starting this in 2024) Although Gordon and I have many Italian website pages full of recipes and ideas, I wanted to start this page just for me. With Gordon working overseas, he is not here to co-contribute along beside me, …
Yummy Sammy’s
Julie’s Perfect Sammy (with Purslane Weeds) AND, Our All American Ham and Turkey on a Sesame Seed Bun AND, Our Eggy in a Basket BLT The Egg is Baked into the Bread ——————————————————————————– (Recipes Down Below) —————————————————————————————- It was time to …
Grammaw Nell’s I’talian Sausage Suppah
Italian Sausage Supper
My Grandmother, Nellie Mae Keith Haskin, didn’t learn how to cook until she was in her 50’s, when her mother-in-law died, and Nell was forced to learn how. In her time you had your in-laws living with you. It may not have always been pleasant, but they tolerated each other because they had no other choice. When I came along in 1961, I was lucky to have my Grandparents and Great-Grandparents under one roof. I was the star of that show! And, I was so very happy. 🙂
My Great-Grandmother Honnie was an excellent cook, and she did all the cooking. My Grandmother probably did all the cleaning up. Honnie was a Yankee from Vincennes, Indiana. She and her husband Coy Lone, and my Grandfather Frank Haskin, migrated down south during the Great Depression looking for work. They found it in Rome, Georgia, and stayed.
So, for all of us, we always had a variety of food from up North, combined with food from down South. I guess we got the best of both worlds. 🙂
While I was flipping through the First Christian Church cookbook, I found this recipe that my Grandmother contributed. My first thoughts were that she copied it from some women’s magazine and is passing it off as hers. But, noting how some of the write-up was incomplete, well, that’s my Grandmother! 🙂 Neither myself or my husband have any recollection of her ever cooking anything like this. But, when I would go home I always requested my favorites, and those are the recipes she would make. So, perhaps it is hers. (Although I’m pretty sure she snagged it from some women’s magazine.) 🙂
I Miss You So Much Grammaw.
Love,
Ju-Baby
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Thousand Island Dressing
Every time we went out to eat, usually at Cafeteria’s, my Grandmother would always get Thousand Island Dressing with her Salad. So did I. And I still do. I only got it because she did. It’s my favorite dressing.
Salads to Eat with our Italian Sausage Supper
Don’t Forget The Bread
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Whenever I make anything like this, I tend to double, or even triple the recipe. That is what I did here. The original recipe is written above for you to use as a guide. This however, is my larger version. I also added more than is listed in her write-up. I hope you enjoy it. We all did!
Julie
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Recipe Write Up Starts Here
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I will be listing the ingredients and the sizes that I used to make about 3 casseroles. If you are just interested in one regular size, then use the recipe ingredients my Grandmother lists above in her write-up.
Hope you enjoy!
Julie
The Ingredients:
2 lb. Large Shell Pasta (I used 2, 16 oz. boxes of Mueller’s)
3 lb. Italian Sausage (I used 2 Hot and 1 Sweet)
2-3 Large Sweet Onions, Chopped
8 Garlic Cloves, Chopped and Minced
Enough Butter/Margarine to Saute your Onions and Garlic
6 T All Purpose Flour
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to Taste
2, 12 oz. Cans of Evaporated Milk
2, 10 oz. Bags Frozen Peas
1 t. Ground Turmeric (The Turmeric kills cancer cells in our bodies. It also doesn’t change the taste of food much. So, we use it often in our cooking.)
28 oz. Can of Crushed Tomatoes (Although I have 3 cans in the photo, I only used this one can.)
Although, adding the can of whole tomatoes would have been perfect as well!
Parmesan and Pecorino-Romano Cheeses, Grated
(My rule is to use as much cheese as you like.)
But, if you want a guide, I would say one cup of each.
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The first thing I did was to chop my Garlic Cloves, and set them aside in a small bowl.
I then chopped my Onions into a small dice. Onions are something that I eyeball. I never know exactly how many I am going to add until I do. So, I tend to chop more than is needed. I can always save them for other uses.
Garlic and Onions in Bowls
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Time to Saute The Onions…..
(Place your saute pan on a medium-high heat. Add enough butter/margarine to saute the Onions and Garlic. Start with the onions for about 5 minutes before you add the Garlic.)
..and then add the Garlic
(You want to soften the Onions and Garlic. Stir often until ready.)
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In another Pan add your Italian Sausage
Break it up into Chunks
Have the burner on a Medium-High heat, and stir regularly so as to brown all over.
Into the Onions, Add your Freshly Ground Black Pepper
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Meanwhile…..
When browning the Italian Sausage, it does generate a lot of grease. You just need to drain that fat into the sink, being careful not to spill any of the sausage into the sink as well.
Our Onions and Sausage
Although the recipe calls for both the Onions, Garlic, and Sausage to be cooked into the same pan, I don’t like doing that. I keep them separate, and then combine them when ready.
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It Was At This Point That I Combined The Onions, Garlic and Sausage Into One Pan
Now Add The All Purpose Flour…
Then The Evaporated Milk….
Stir Together
You want this mixture to thicken. So, continue to allow to simmer on the stove top, on a medium to low heat.
Continue stirring.
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Although you see 3 cans of Tomato products in the photo above, I only used one can…
This One!
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I thought the one can was enough. Just stir together and continue to allow to simmer away on a medium to low heat.
You Can See It Start To Thicken Up
(Continue to stir so that nothing sticks to the bottom and burns.)
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While the mixture is simmering away, it’s time to start boiling some water into a saucepan for the Pasta.
Getting Nice and Thick
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The Pasta, Awaiting it’s hot, boiling bath..
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Now that the mixture has been thickening up so nicely, it’s time to add the Peas.
The heat should be on low by now, just to keep it warm.
If you notice in the photo, top right, I’ve added the Turmeric.
Pasta Shells Are Boiling…
The close up, above right, of the delicious goo stuck to the side of the pan, is wonderful flavor! Never discard that. Always blend it in!
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Cook The Pasta According To The Instructions
Then either drain the pasta into a colander, or use a strainer and remove the pasta that way, as you see me doing above.
Add the Pasta To The Mixture, Stir Together
It’s READY!
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Time To Prepare The Casserole Dishes
The Blue One, I Froze. The Green One I Gave To Veronica and Brian. The Red One I Ate.
I did give each dish a light Olive Oil spray before I placed the mixture into each casserole dish.
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Time To Grate The Cheeses
This is where ‘personal tastes’ come in to play. I grated the amount of cheese that I wanted to add.
You can do the same for your casseroles. Add as much, or as little as you like.
When Ready To Eat, Simply Place Into A 350F Oven For About 20 Minutes.
You just want to warm it through and melt the cheese. 🙂
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If you would like to view our other Italian food posts……
Julie’s Italian Appetizers and Edible Gifts
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Gordon and Julie Italian Seconda Parte 2
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La Sciatta Giulia Anna’s (Italian Sloppy Julie Ann’s)
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Edible Gifts: Italian, Greek, and Irish
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Modern Day Mona (Lisa) Halloween
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Even More Italian (Just For You)
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Tavolino Da Caffe Italiana (Coffee Table Italian)
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Grazie,
Julie and Gordon
The Inspiration of BLUEY and the Heeler’s
(For Peanuku) 🙂 Our Cookie Ice Cream ————————————————————————————- Australian Cartoon, Bluey This show is Brilliant! I wish the Heeler’s had been my parents. 🙂 The parents, Bandit and Chili, are Blue and Red Heeler dogs. Their children are Bluey and Bingo, Bluey being …
My PINK Flamingo Summers
Let’s Flamingle! —————————————————————————- Busy Standing on one leg…. Currently —————————————————————————————– Ambrosia, Pink Grapefruit Sake, and Toasted Coconut 🙂 ——————————————————————- Julie’s Pink Flamingo Pasta Salad (A Rough Draft) Our Pink Backyard Bromeliad in Bloom I got the idea that I wanted to …
Tavolino Da Caffe Italiana (Coffee Table Italian)
February, 2024
Super Bowl Sunday
Airport Pick-Up, w/ Great Coffee Table Italian Foods to Follow 🙂
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With Gordon working overseas, he doesn’t get to come home very often. This was a very nice visit filled with lots of Coffee Table Italian. (I never knew we loved sandwiches so much until after he left to fly back overseas and I looked at all of our food photos.)
All of these creations were of so much fun!
We hope you enjoy them as much as we did. I mean, who doesn’t love a good sandwich?
Grazie Mille,
Julie and Gordon
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The Menu:
Pasta Topped Polenta w/ Sun Dried Tomatoes and Basil Leaves
Casserole
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An Italian Staple of Ours:
Focaccia, and Roasted Garlic
The Ultimate Italian Sandwich
This is one of the BEST Sandwiches that we have ever MADE!
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The Sandwich is Excellent with our Polenta Casserole from Above
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Olive Egg Salad, and Cider Vinegar Potato Salad
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Corona with Lime
Our Super Bowl Italian Sandwich
Buon Appetito!
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Chicken Parm Sandwiches (TWO WAYS)
Number 1
One day I Julie, was shopping in Sprouts and saw this delicious Chicken Parmesan, ready made. They just looked so good and I didn’t feel like cooking anything that night, so I bought them. I really hadn’t thought how I would be eating them? I just assumed that I would be baking them in the oven (to finish the baking process), and having them with a few vegetables. It was when I was going through the refrigerator that I spotted the Italian Mustard that I love so much. I wondered how I could have the mustard with the Chicken Parm I had just bought? That is when I realized how great a sandwich this would make! I even had the Baguettes and some great greens to eat it all together with.
The Chicken Parm was too big for one of my Baguettes, so I baked two!
This was an Excellent Sandwich..
..With Great Leftovers!
(Recipe Down Below)
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Chicken Parm Sandwich
Number 2
This is a great picture of the sandwich before it is cut, so you can see how it was laid out.
With Gordon working overseas, when he came back home for his Homecoming, October 2024, I told him about the great sandwich that I made and I would like for us to have one while he’s home. I gave him my ideas for making the sandwich even more elaborate than I had made it prior.
We did. And it was even more delicious than the one I had originally made.
We will tell you how we did it down below.
(Recipe Down Below)
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Coffee Table Lasagna
Perfect find from the freezer for a very nice long weekend of Italian Feasting.
(Recipe Down Below)
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The Gigantic Julie
(Sandwich, that is.)
(Recipe Down Below)
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Recipes Start Here
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Pasta Topped Polenta w/ Sun Dried Tomatoes and Fresh Basil
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Ingredients:
Pam “Olive Oil” Spray – as needed
Hawaiian Sea Salt
1 Cup Yellow Corn Polenta
4 Cups Water
1/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese – Grated
1 Pkg. Thin Spaghetti
~6 Cups of Water to boil the Spaghetti
8 oz. Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
~14 Basil Leaves
~1/2 Cup Smoked Sun-Dried Tomatoes
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This was an excellent recipe.
It was just something we threw together. It was Julie’s idea.
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Hawaiian Sea Salt
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This is a really good Polenta as we like all of this brand’s ingredients. Pour 1 Cup of dried Polenta into a medium sized pot, then add your water as directed. Heat to a boil and stir with a whisk to prevent lumps.
Cook the Polenta as directed switching to a rubber spatula, then turn off the heat.
Now add your Heavy Whipping Cream to the cooked Polenta.
Use your spatula to mix in the Whipping Cream.
Grate in your Parmesan Cheese
Mix the ingredients well …
Then add them into a large casserole dish that has been sprayed with the Pam cooking oil spray. You can use an Olive Oil spray.
Use your spatula to smooth and even out the Polenta in the dish.
Set this aside for later.
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Pictured are your next set of ingredients.
This Spaghetti worked great in this recipe as it was shorter than usual, making it easier to eat with the Polenta. You will better see what I mean later.
Cook the Spaghetti as directed.
Drain the Spaghetti in a colander without rinsing it. Rinsing pasta removes the starch on the noodles preventing the sauce, in this case our Pesto, from sticking to it.
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Fresh Basil is amazing and easy to grow!
Place your cooked Spaghetti into a large bowl, then add your Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto.
Toss the ingredients together as shown.
Add your Spaghetti to the top of your Polenta.
Top this with a good helping of your Smoked Sun-Dried Tomatoes. (We used regular Sun Dried Tomatoes as well as the Smoked.)
Looks great as it is!
Now, top this with your Fresh Basil Leaves.
This smells wonderful!
The sides are some leftover pasta salad, and Kalamata Olives.
Slice out some of this wonderful combination of ingredients and dig in!
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The Ultimate Italian Sandwich
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Pictured are some of the ingredients we used.
Ingredients:
Focaccia Olive Oil & Sea Salt bread – some insides removed to create a cavity
Pickled Banana Peppers – Drained
Roasted Red Peppers – Drained
1 heaping Tbsp. Parmesan Garlic Aioli
10 Coppa “Capicola” Italian Dry-cured Ham Slices
6 Provolone Cheese Slices
4 Prosciutto Ham Slices
2 Tbsp. Basil Pesto
2 Roma Tomatoes – Sliced to a medium thickness
1 Cup Micro Greens
4 Basil Leaves
~2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
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Now this is a Great Sandwich… one of our favorites!
The pictures Julie took fully illustrate what we mean!
This bread was perfect as it was crunchy on the outside, while being soft on the inside.
Begin by slicing the bread loaf in half horizontally using your bread knife, then remove some of the bread from the top slice as shown.
Here are the jars of Pickled Banana Peppers and Roasted Red Peppers we used.
Place them in a colander, being sure to drain them well.
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A nice picture of the meats and cheese we used.
You should be able to find them in most any grocery store.
This Parmesan Garlic Aioli was a great addition to the sandwich. This may be a little harder to find, but well worth the effort. Spread a good amount of it over the lower half of the sandwich. If you can’t find it use your favorite mustard.
Now, place your sliced Capicola, Provolone Cheese, and Prosciutto onto the Aioli.
For good measure, I placed two more slices of Provolone and Capicola on top.
For the top side of the sandwich, I spread a layer of the Basil Pesto. This really gave the sandwich a great Italian flavor.
Turn your oven to 400’F and place your sandwich slices on a sheet pan lined with non-stick aluminum foil.
When the oven has come to temperature, place your sandwich in and let it bake for about 10 min. or until the cheese is melted.
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Meanwhile, slice your Roma Tomato into medium thick slices.
Now that your sandwich is browned and the cheese has been slightly melted, place on your Roma Tomato slices, and both types of peppers on top of the meat.
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Add your Micro Greens to the cavity side of the sandwich. Now you see why we removed some of the bread.
Top the Peppers with some Fresh Basil and pour your Balsamic Vinegar over the Micro Greens.
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Slide the two halves of the sandwich close together, and bring both slices together, then place the bottom side down. Slice the sandwich in half using your bread knife.
If your mouth isn’t watering right now, I think something might be wrong with you, because this looks delicious!
This is a great meal, a side of Focaccia Bread with Roasted Garlic as an appetizer, the sandwich is paired with some Blue Corn chips for a great contrast in color and texture.
You have got to try this sandwich as we know you will enjoy it!
Buon Appetito!
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Olive Egg Salad and Cider Vinegar Potato Salad
I Julie, saw this Olive Bread and knew immediately what I wanted to do with it.
I could just see my Olive Egg Salad would be perfect with it. Along with this excellent Moroccan Olive Spread that I had discovered months prior. It turned out great! It’s a keeper!
This bread requires that you finish cooking it before you eat it. Here, that is what Gordon is doing.
When done, just slice into it lengthwise.
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Here is that delicious Olive Spread I was telling you about. Gordon is spreading it onto the bread halves above.
Now he is adding some Arugula and my Olive Egg Salad.
(I wasn’t going to write my Egg Salad recipe here as it is in many places throughout the website. But, I will say that I made my Egg Salad in the usual way except instead of adding Dill Pickles, or Dill Pickle Relish, I simply chopped as many Olives as I liked and added them instead.)
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A Nice Sprinkling of Paprika..
..A Nice Mustard
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I Did Consider Placing Some Whole Olives Onto My Egg Salad, But They Already Have Plenty of Olives In It
Close The Sandwiches Together
Then Slice Into
Plate, and Enjoy!
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The Potato Salad Cider Vinegar Dressing
Recipe From Gordon’s Mother, Sarajane Whann
She passed along many recipes to us in a hodgepodge of an Herb Notebook in disarray, and a simple box with handwritten recipes and booklets in a small box. I found this and decided to try it. It is as she says, excellent!
The Recipe
(I used this recipe as a guide. I did add more than was instructed. I also added a few things that weren’t listed in the recipe. You can do the same!)
Excellent with our Olive Egg Salad Sandwiches
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Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Slivered Almonds
5 Medium Potatoes
3 Celery Sticks, Chopped
4 Spring Onions, Chopped
4 Green Shallots, Chopped
1 Medium Apple, Chopped
1 T. Lemon Juice
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Cider Vinegar Dressing
2 T. Cider Vinegar
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
2 t. Lemon Juice
2 t. Lime Juice
2 t. Brown Sugar
1/4 t. Dry Mustard
1 Clove Garlic, Crushed
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Make sure all of your ingredients have been washed.
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Washed Potatoes, Left—Placed Into a Pot of Water to Boil, Right
Boil on a High Heat until they are fork tender.
You Will Need A Large Mixing Bowl
When The Potatoes Are Done, Cut Them Into Bite Sized Chunks,
As You Can See, I Used A Nice Variety Of Colors
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Now, Slice Your Cleaned Celery Into Diced Sized Pieces
I Also Added Some Chopped Spring Onions
Chopping The Shallots
Adding Everything To The Mixing Bowl
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Chopping My Apples
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Adding Them and The Lemon Juice To The Ingredients
Cover With Saran Wrap and Place Into The Refrigerator to Chill
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The Cider Vinegar Dressing
LIMES
Toast Slivered Almonds in a 350F Oven for about 5-7 minutes.
Our Dressing Ingredients
I Used Two Different Vineger’s Here. Each Provides a Different Taste.
You Simply Want To Place All Of Your Ingredients Into A Jar As You go
Crushing Garlic Cloves
And There It Is! The Dressing
Keep Everything Refrigerated
Hope You Like!
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Our Super Bowl Italian Sandwich
Ingredients:
2 Garlic Batard Bread Loafs – Top half insides removed
Honey Dijon Mustard
Woebers Reserve Brand Mustard
Sriracha Aioli
Grey Poupon
Roasted Garlic Mustard
4 Honey Ham slices
4 Swiss Cheese slices
Deli Turkey Slices
Roasted Red Pepper Strips
Mild Banana Pepper Rings
Vidalia Onion – sliced thinly
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
1 Large Tomato sliced
Salsalito Turkey
Red Onion slices
Muenster Cheese
Baby Arugula
Rainbow Micro Greens
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Our Super Bowl Italian Sandwich
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More ingredients we used.
And here are even more ingredients we used.
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Sliced the bread in half, and remove some of the insides of the top halves.
Here I am slicing the other bread loaf in half using a bread knife. Good thing I have my thumb out of the way. 🙂
Pictured are the mustard’s we used.
For one on the sandwiches, I squeezed a liberal amount of the Honey Mustard on the bottom half of the bread loaf.
Since we only had a little bit of the Woebers Reserve, I spread it on top of the Honey Mustard.
On the top half, I spread a liberal amount of the Sriracha Aioli. It is a little hot, so taste it before you do this.
On top of the Honey Mustard, I placed four Sweet Honey Ham slices.
Swiss Cheese goes perfect with the Ham, so I added a few slices on top of the Ham, then I added some nice Roasted Turkey slices, and topped it with more Swiss Cheese.
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These are good peppers to use on a sandwich. They are very flavorful, and the mild Banana Peppers have just the right amount of heat.
Place a good amount of them on each sandwich. Don’t be shy with them!
The Roasted Red Bell Peppers taste as good as homemade.
So far so good!
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Slice your Sweet Vidalia Onion thinly. Julie and I both love the taste of raw onions on our sandwiches. They are also great on Veggie Burgers. They just give it an amazing taste and crunch.
Add your freshly cracked Black Pepper.
Slice your tomato to use later.
For the other sandwich, I started with some Grey Poupon on the bottom sections, I used the Sriracha Aioli just around the outside of the sandwich and spread the Garlic Mustard on the inside section. I then placed some slices of the Salsalito Turkey. This Turkey has some great heat to it, and Julie loves it. 🙂
Top the Turkey with some Muenster Cheese and a single slice of Swiss for good measure.
We had some Red Onion in the refrigerator, so I added them to both sandwiches.
Red Onions have a unique flavor to them.
If you haven’t done so already, place your sandwiches on a sheet pan lined with Non-stick aluminum foil. Turn your oven on to 400’F. When your oven is at temperature, place your sandwiches in for about 10 min. or until the cheese is good and melted.
You can see the cheese has melted nicely and the onion are slightly cooked as well.
Add your Micro Greens, Tomato slices, and Pepper Rings to the sandwiches.
I love Arugula as it has a Black Pepper taste.
Have fun with the ingredients!
Place the sandwich halves close then bring the halves quickly together with the bottom half down. Now that looks delicious!
Move the sandwich to your cutting board and slice them into thirds as they are pretty big. Leftovers are great!
We love the different combinations of ingredients.
You can see this was a big sandwich.
The bread really browned nicely.
Julie found a nice platter for the sandwiches. We hope you will try these great sandwich creations!
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The Leftover Potato Salad with Cider Vinegar
Perfect with our Super Bowl Sandwiches
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Chicken Parm Sandwiches (TWO WAYS)
First Sandwich Version:
I write about my thought process on this in the description at the top of this page.
My Version Was Delicious All On It’s Own 🙂
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Bread, Chicken Parm, and Italian Mustard
I placed the Chicken Parm onto a Baking Sheet and finished the cooking process in the oven according to the package instructions.
I also placed the bread onto a Baking Sheet and placed it into the oven according to package instructions.
Once Done….
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Now It’s Time To Build This Delicious Sandwich
Italian Mustard on Both Sides, Fresh Salad Mix, Chicken Parm, More Microgreens, Topped with the Tops
Just Slice and Eat
I Do Love Lots of Greens!
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Second Sandwich Version:
I Julie, write about this version as well in the upper portion of this page, and how this recipe came to be.
I tend to save the more elaborate recipes for when Gordon is home from working abroad. I love creating the ideas, and I love the photography that comes with it. It’s hard when I have to do it all at once by myself. This is why I will wait until Gordon is home so that we can work on the more elaborate food projects together, and not just me alone.
Our Chicken Parm I Bought From Sprouts, Ready for the Oven
(Bake according to the package instructions.)
(Gordon’s Write Up)
Pictured are the ingredients to make the sandwich:
Ciabatta Bread Loaf – sliced in half down the middle, as shown
3- Provolone Cheese Slices
Shredded Italian Cheese
Pesto
Spring Salad Mix
Sweet Italian Mustard
Black Garlic Finishing Salt
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Turn on your oven’s broiler and place your sliced bread on a baking sheet.
Then place your bread and Chicken Parmesan into your oven.
Watch it cook the bread and when the bread is to your liking, remove it from the oven… and turn your oven off.
You can see our Ciabatta Bread halves are nicely toasted.
Set your Chicken Parmesan aside and place your bread on a large cutting board.
On the bottom half of the bread with the sliced side up, spoon on a good amount of your favorite pesto, then top your pesto with the Spring Salad Mix as shown.
Top your Spring Salad Mix with your Chicken Parmesan.
On the Top half of the bread sliced side up, spread the Sweet Italian Mustard.
This sweet tangy mustard really works well with the flavor combination of the other ingredients.
Now, add your 3 slices of Provolone Cheese
Then top this with a good amount of the shredded Italian cheese.
Add your Black Garlic Salt to taste to the top of the shredded Italian cheese.
Using a spoon, dollop more of the Pesto on top of the shredded Italian cheese as shown.
Or not, but we really love Pesto.
Place this side of the sandwich back onto the sheet pan and broil it in your oven until the cheese melts… takes only a few minutes to complete.
Pictured is what it will look like when done… you can see the cheese was just starting to brown… This would be delicious to eat by itself!
Time to put the sandwich together.
I always like to make the sandwich having one side with less ingredients than the other, making it easier to combine.
Take the Ciabatta cheese side and place it on top of the sandwich.
Slice the sandwich in half or on the bias.
Again, the picture speaks volumes of how good this sandwich really is.
We hope you enjoy this great Italian themed sandwich as much as we did!
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Coffee Table Lasagna
(The Ingredients you see Below Were Made for TWO Large Lasagna’s. One to Eat, One to Freeze.)
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This is the one we ATE.
The above photos are the one we FROZE.
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Ingredients: (Where Do I Even Start?)
(You can always half the ingredients in order to make just one large Lasagna.)
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3, 16 oz. Lasagna Pasta Noodles (You may not use all of them, but you will use most of them.)
5 Jars Various Spaghetti Pasta Sauces (Around 24 oz. Each)
2, 1b. Italian Sausage, Sweet and Hot
3, 2 lb. Container’s of Ricotta Cheese
1, 16 oz. Container Cottage Cheese
Crinkle Cut Carrots (About 2 Cups)
2, 14 oz. Bags of Frozen Broccoli, Thawed and Drained
4-6 Large Whole Garlic Cloves, Minced
1/4 Cup or as Much as you Like, Italian Style Bread Crumbs
Sliced Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, as much as you like
8 oz. Blocks of Parmesan and Parmesan-Reggiano Cheese, Grated
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
Fresh Herbs of Basil, Oregano, and Parsley, as much as you want
Topping: 7.9 oz. Basil Pesto
High End Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Drizzling Overtop
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So Excited and Ready To Get Started 🙂
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The first thing that I want to do is to brown my Sausage in a large sauce pan on a medium-high heat.
The pan is a non-stick and I don’t need to add any Olive Oil. The Sausage will provide the fat needed.
Some of my Sausage is in casings. You just want to slit the casing open to remove the Sausage so that it can be browned evenly with the rest of the Sausage.
I’m using a combination of Sweet and Hot Sausage.
In the meantime, I have placed my Frozen Broccoli into a microwave safe casserole dish, with a lid, in order to thaw and cook my Broccoli. You can always use fresh Broccoli if you like. I’ve used both in the past and I don’t find that it matters much if you use Fresh or Frozen. I find that keeping Frozen Broccoli in the freezer to use for recipes like this comes in handy.
Cook the Broccoli according to your Microwave’s directions for Thawing and Cooking Frozen Vegetables.
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While my Sausage is browning in the sauce pan I am mincing some Garlic Cloves. Gordon and I used to chop so much Garlic that it would take forever to mince all that up into such small bits. Now, we just grab this wonderful tool and squeeze to have it turn out exactly how we want it and in just a few seconds. I’m mincing about 4-5 large Garlic Cloves in the photo above. You can use as much or as little as you like. We just LOVE Garlic!
Broccoli Ready…
Here I am draining the water out of the casserole dish and into the sink.
Then filling the casserole dish with cold water for the Broccoli to sit in so that it will stop the cooking process.
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My Sausage and Garlic have finished cooking. I used the spatter screen you see in the photo above to drain the excess fat into the sink.
Just make sure your Sausage doesn’t fall into the sink as well.
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In a very large pot on the stove top on a high heat, start boiling your water to cook the Lasagna Noodles in.
Add a bit of Salt to the water.
While that comes to a boil….
Make Sure the Fresh Herbs are Clean and Dry
Fresh Herbs, Carrots, and the Broccoli
The Carrots have been washed and the water is being drained from them.
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Now that my water has come up to boiling…
It’s time to add the Lasagna Noodles
(Cook according to the package instructions.)
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My Ricotta Cheeses
In two separate bowls I will be mixing the Ricotta Cheese with other things.
I am evenly dividing up all 3 containers to place into the two bowls.
In this bowl I am placing in some Fresh Parsley Leaves.
I don’t chop them I just pluck the flowering end off and add it to the bowl.
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My Lasagna Noodles are Done!
Time to Drain into a Colander
Allow to Cool a Bit
Keep them in the sink because you may need to add water to the noodles if they start to harden up while you are still working with them building your Lasagna.
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Into the Second Bowl of Ricotta…
Place a Nice Basil Pesto, as much as you Like
(Reserve some of the Pesto as a Lasagna topping.)
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Here Gordon is Chopping Some Basil…
..To be Equally Distributed into Each Bowl
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Our Two Casserole Dishes
Coat Both Well With a Cooking Oil Spray, Bottom and Sides
(One we are giving to Veronica and Brian as a gift, along with this great Lasagna that it will house, and the other is ours to place into the freezer for a later date.)
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My Various Jars of Spaghetti Sauces
In the bottom of each casserole dish place enough of the Sauce to cover the bottom.
You just need a nice thin layer.
Now, place down a layer of the Lasagna Noodles over the Sauce.
Like So…
Now place some of your Herby Ricotta Cheese.
Spread out a nice layer. Use a spatula to spread around.
Then add more of the Lasagna Noodles over the Ricotta Cheese, and then add a layer of yet another Spaghetti Sauce.
Like So..
Time for a nice layer of the Sausage.
Then top with more Lasagna Noodles.
More Ricotta Cheese….
More Sauce….
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Remember our Broccoli? Time to add it here.
Cooking and Softening the Carrots in the Microwave
Adding Slices of Fresh Mozzarella Over the Broccoli
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Cottage Cheese
Dolloping spoons of Cottage Cheese between the slices of Mozzarella Cheese Slices, photo top left.
My Carrots are cooked the ready, time to add them over top.
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Italian Bread Crumbs
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Here I did sprinkle some of the Italian Bread Crumbs from above, over the top.
Maybe about 1/4 Cup?
Now it’s time for more Lasagna Noodles
You can see them beginning to get hard in the photos above.
When this happens you can just add more water over top underneath the sink faucet and that will get them pliable again.
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Time For More Ricotta Cheese….
Dollop as much as you like and smooth over with a spatula.
Here I Added Fresh Herbs of Oregano
Then Top With More Lasagna Noodles
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Time to Top Them Off With the Remaining Spaghetti Sauce
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We Have Built Our Lasagna Up To The Very TOP!
Now It’s Time To Grate Our Two Parmesan Blocks Of Cheese
Grate As Much As You Like
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We Then Topped This Lasagna With The Leftover Basil Pesto, and a Drizzle of Really Nice Extra Virgin Olive Oil Overtop
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Place Into a 350F Oven for About 45 Minutes.
Be sure to check it at about 30 minutes to make sure it isn’t burning on top.
You can always cover it with Aluminum Foil to prevent it from burning.
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Allow To Cool A Bit
It’s Looking So Beautiful!
Delicious too!
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THIS is the Lasagna we Chose to Freeze…
..And we are Enjoying Right NOW!
Leftovers for Us, and Leftovers for Our Loved Ones
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My Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes Are Perfect With My Gigantic Julie Sandwich
Click Here For: Isabelle And The Roma’s
You Can Find The Recipe By Clicking On The Link
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The Gigantic Julie
This Sandwich Was Sooooo Good!
It Can Easily And Generously Feed A Good 4 People
I Just Threw Things Together That I Already Had, It Was Actually Quite Easy
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Frying Bacon First,
Drain Onto Paper Towels, Set Aside
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Ingredients:
Bacon, As Much As You Like
Large Bread Loaf, Preferable Italian
1, Medium Red Onion, Cut Into Slices
Jars of Pesto’s, To Taste
(I used a Sundried Tomato Pesto and a Basil Pesto)
Marinated Mozzarella Cheese In Balls, To Taste
My Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes, To Taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese, To Taste
Drizzle Of Italian Sweet Mustard, To Taste
Salad Greens
Spring Onions, To Taste
Fresh Basil and Parsley, To Taste
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Pre-Heat Your Oven To 350F
Slice Your Bread Loaf Down The Side To Open Up To 2 Halves,
Place Onto An Aluminum Lined Baking Sheet
Spread Your 2 Different Jars Of Pesto’s On Either Half Of The Bread
Now Place Your Marinated Balls Of Mozzarella On Each Side, As Many As You Like
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Slice Your Red Onion Into Rings,
Add Them To The Sandwich
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Now Place Your Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes Onto The Sandwich
You Can Use Any Sundried Tomato That You Like, And Use As Many As You Like
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Now Place The Sandwich Into The Oven For About 10-15 Minutes
You Just Want To Cook It A Bit, And Melt The Cheese Balls
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In The Meantime I Am Preparing My Salad, Spring Onions, And Fresh Parsley And Basil
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After About 15 Minutes I Remove The Sandwich From The Oven,
I’m Adding The Grated Parmesan Cheese Over Top,
And A Drizzle Of Sweet Italian Mustard
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Back Into The Oven It Goes For Another 10 Minutes
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When The Sandwich Is Done Remove From The Oven,
Add The Salad Greens, Bacon, Spring Onions, And Fresh Herbs
Put The 2 Halves Together….
..Slice..
..And Enjoy!
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If you would like to view our other Italian food posts……
Julie’s Italian Appetizers and Edible Gifts
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Gordon and Julie Italian Seconda Parte 2
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La Sciatta Giulia Anna’s (Italian Sloppy Julie Ann’s)
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Edible Gifts: Italian, Greek, and Irish
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Modern Day Mona (Lisa) Halloween
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Even More Italian (Just For You)
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Tavolino Da Caffe Italiana (Coffee Table Italian)
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Grazie,
Julie and Gordon
Oranges Sm’Oranges, And Other Citrus
(Because Nothing Rhymes With Oranges) 🙂 Orange is the New Muffin ——————————————————————————- (I added a few Banana Chips as an accent, above.) I Have Discovered Indian River Citrus, and There is NO Going Back! My Florida Orange Muffins w/ Lemon Citrus Glaze (Recipe …
More of Julie’s Jezebel Recipes to Enjoy
I Heart Jezebel (Sauce) —————————————————— Julie’s Southern Jeze-Bells Pizza Made With My: Julie’s Georgia Peach Jeze-Bells Sauce Click Here For: Julie’s Jezebel Sauce I have 4 Jezebel’s on the webpage link above. We also have many recipes that you can …
Let the SUMMER In!
I Love Simple Flowers,
Nothing Stunningly Beautiful, Just Very Pretty and Charming, With Personality
Welcome Summer,
Come On In!
I’ve Missed You, Just Try Not To Be So HOT This Year 🙂
But, If You Do Insist Upon It….
I Have a Few Suggestions For Us All
I have created a nice area here in our backyard. The Shelving Cabinet is anchored to the wall, and has some protection underneath the house eaves. Our son Brodie put it together for us.
I purchased the white shelving unit to use for my gardening as well as an area of the backyard to entertain. I thought it could also make a great Buffet for food.
In Florida, any kind of wooden furniture only has a shelf life here of about 3 – 5 years. Wood always eventually rots here and there is nothing we can do about it. Even Teak will only last so long. What with our heat, humidity, mold, and storms, there is constant cleaning, bleaching and pressure washing. So, we do try and make the best of it while we have it looking good.
I have however, enjoyed the different ideas that we have had for this area over the years. And, I’m sure that in a few years we will be doing something totally different. For example, I think removing that window you see behind me, and replacing it with a door, would be really nice. Then, we could turn the area you see into some sort of nice patio. Well, perhaps someday. But for now, let’s just enjoy what we have.
So, for now, Let The Summer In,
Julie
(I do hope to update as time goes by with new summer entries.)
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Julie’s Fruit Cocktails
I had this idea in my head that I wanted to fill our cooler with ice to the very top, and place a few bottles of Bubbly along side a platter of Fruit surrounded by Colorful Flavored Ice Cubes with tongs to fill pretty Pink Wine Glasses with the Ice, Fruit, and Mint Leaves.
The Bubbly is Mango, Peach and Strawberry Moscato
I also have a few other juices, along with some nice round plump juicy grapes.
My idea was to pour the Moscato of your choice into a glass, then add the flavored Ice Cubes, along with some Fruit and Mint. To me, they are now “Fruit Cocktails.”
The Umbrella Offers Some Shade and Cool
I also had a fan blowing on me, which you cannot see.
I have my special plants and flowers around me.
I also wanted some of my pretty flowers in the cooler as well with my Fruit Cocktails.
A Toast To Summer
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My Strawberry Moscato,
..with My Tea Sandwiches
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I wanted just a few goodies to eat with the Fruit Cocktails.
A favorite tea sandwich of mine is Pimiento Cheese, and I did use a Carrot Hummus to create another tea sandwich topped with Pimientos.
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My Fruits:
Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, and Pomegranate Seeds
Although not pictured above, I do have slices of Limes and Lemons
I Love Adding Flowers to Food in the Summer
I Also Added Some Parsley to my Carrot Hummus Sandwiches
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I LOVE This Lighting…
It’s just what the camera picked up.
I didn’t do anything but point and shoot.
My Simple Flowers With My Simple Sandwiches
Now You Can See The Lemons and Lime Slices Around The Colorful Ice
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Just a Few of the Cooling Cocktail with Fruit
I Do So Love My Beautiful Orchids Here
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This is How I Want it to Look Year Round
Pretty Plants and Flowers
Strawberry Moscato Shelfie
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Chinese On The Outside Buffet
Our Pickled Thai Eggplant
I Opened a Jar of My Oriental Jezebel Sauce to Eat With My Egg Rolls, and Potstickers
Also, With My Tea with Limes
Thai Rice With Lime and Herbs
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I was actually quite proud of my Potstickers.
Usually Gordon is the one that makes them to perfection but I thought mine were pretty good!
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Making My Colorful Flavored Ice Cubes
These Flavored Waters are so Delicious! Gordon used to drink them all the time to take with him to work with his lunches, or even when he would be running errands he would grab one from the fridge in the garage to take with him. Which is why I thought of these when I wanted to create some nice flavorful and colorful ice cubes for my drinks, above.
I just poured the many flavorful drinks into the ice cube trays you see above…
I then placed them into the freezer to freeze…
And then I placed them into this refrigerator tray when they were ready.
I kept making them as long as I had the flavored water to add to the ice cube trays.
When Done, I Added Them To The Platter On My Cooler For The Fruit Cocktails.
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Luckily, this is a Florida Summer, which means we will be around for awhile. 🙂
Julie
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Be Sure To Check Out:
Julie Barefoot In The Backyard
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Lilly Pulitzer (The Barefoot Queen of Pink and Green)
Lilly Beautiful Lillian Lee McKim Pulitzer Rousseau (1931 – 2013) —————————————————————————- Me, Mother’s Day 2023 with Sparky, Wearing a Lilly ——————————————————————————- PINK, and Shades Thereof ———————————————————————————— My Lilly Pulitzer Bread Box Doll House Lilly Fabrics Create a Window Curtains, A Chair, …
An Easy Labor Day Dinner
Labor Day, 2023 Taking it Easy Until Next Labor Day…. 🙂 My Longaberger Pottery Pitcher with Flowers A Gift of Labor Day to our Daughter, and Son-In-Law It was back in the summer of 2014 that Veronica and I visited my old homestead …
Even More Italian (Just For You)
Ciao e Benvenuto
Il Mio Piccolo Pezzo D’Italia
(My Little Tiny Piece of Italy)
Actually, very tiny! Just a barrel, a barrel lid turned into a Lazy Susan, and some clay pots.
This is more about the food presentation, and is it ever good!
We made all of this in 2023 for Super Bowl Sunday LVII (57 years)
Kansas City Chiefs 38-35 Philadelphia Eagles
Our Italian Wings Topped with Pesto
Our Roasted Garlic and Goat Cheese Italian Spread Topped with Olives and Thyme
Not to Mention, the Best Tasting Bread to go With
This is soooooo DELIZIOSA!
ARRIVEDERCI!
Julie and Gordon
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Like I said, My Little Piece of Italy 🙂
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Recipes Start Here
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Our Italian Wings
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Pictured are the wings we used for this recipe.
28 Wings – Do not separate, wash well.
Here are the seasonings we used.
Ingredients:
2 Large Ziplock Bags
~1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Hawaiian Sea Salt
2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
1 Tbsp. Paprika
3 Tbsp. Dried Basil Leaves
1 Tbsp. Italian Bread Dip Seasoning (Tuscan)
2 Tbsp. Italian Herb Seasoning
1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
2 Tbsp. Raw Cane Sugar
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Pictured is the Olive Oil we used for this recipe. Add your Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the
bags.
All the above seasonings should be doubled as each amount goes into each Zip lock
bag.
Now add your Sea Salt and Garlic Powder to the bags. Then your Oregano.
Now the Paprika and Dried Basil. Then your Tuscan Bread Dip Seasoning.
Add your Dried Italian Seasoning to the bag along with your Onion Powder.
Now for a touch of sweetness, add your Raw Cane Sugar.
Mix all the seasoning in the bag and taste the seasonings. Adjust the mixture until it is
the way you like it.
Here I have the wings ready to be washed. You want to wash your chicken as it could
have some dried blood, loose feathers, or bone fragments which need to be removed.
Rinse the wings well with cold water as shown.
Let the wings drain on a plate or you can pat them dry with paper towels.
Place the uncut wings in the bag with the seasonings.
Then mix the chicken with the seasonings. Do this for both bags of chicken. Let the
chicken marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Mixing Well The Chicken and Marinade
Into The Refrigerator They Go!
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The next day, I started the grill with the burners on high. This will heat the grill and
clean it from the residue left behind. Use a grill brush to clean the grates.
After about 5 minutes turn the grill down to Medium and place your chicken on the
grates.
Grill the chicken for about 12 min. on both sides or until the internal temperature
reaches 160’F.
I like to grill the chicken and then place it on the top shelf, the chicken will bake the rest of
the way to 160’F. Doing this keeps it away from the direct heat.
Here you can see the wings after they have been grilled.
We hope you enjoy these wings as much as we did!
Now, Just Add a Little Pesto!
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Roasted Garlic and Goat Cheese Spread
Deliziosa With Some Great Bread
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Start by roasting your 35-40 Garlic Cloves in butter in a 400F oven for about 55 min. or until
golden brown. Julie likes to check them and move the garlic cloves around every 20
min. or so of cooking.
Ingredients:
~40 Garlic cloves
1 Stick of butter or about 8 Tbsp.
½ Cup Asiago Cheese
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
4 – 10.5 oz. Goat Cheese – 2 Garlic and 2 Plain
1 Tbsp. Dried Thyme
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
½ Cup Milk
Garnish with Stuffed Olives and Fresh Thyme Sprigs
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Serve with sliced bread that has been buttered and baked/broiled until golden brown.
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The Ricotta Cheese we Used
Use some of the butter from the roasted garlic to butter the baking dish. Use a paper
towel to spread out the butter all over.
Place your Goat Cheese into a large Bowl
Add your Dried Thyme to the bowl.
Now add your Roasted Garlic to the bowl.
Then add your shredded Asiago and Parmesan Cheese, and mix the ingredients with a
potato masher or Fork.
Add your milk to the cheese mixture and mix the ingredients again.
Place the baking dish on a sheet pan just in case it overflows. Place the baking dish in
a 400’F oven for about 35 to 40 min. or until the top browns.
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Garnish the top of the cheese with your olives, then bake.
Here we have sliced a baguette into semi-thin pieces and buttered them. After which….
Broil them in your oven until golden brown.
Garnish the cheese with some fresh Thyme sprigs.
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An Aperitizo
A Nice Little Merenda Before Dinner
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All you will need for this is some lovely Mozzarella Pearls, and some Prosciutto Ham.
You just want to cut the ham into strips to wrap around the Mozzarella Pearls, then secure with some sort of toothpick or cocktail pick.
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Place onto a Platter and top with a Pesto or other Italian Sauce
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Buon Appitito!
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An Old Florida Jezebel (Sauce)
(The picture above not only showcases my Old Florida Jezebel Sauce, I also depict our daughter Veronica’s art from when she was a Fine Arts student in college. Any chance I get to do that, I do!) Let The Sunshine In …
A Labor Day Vacay Away
Labor Day Weekend (Friday – Monday) The Parrish Condo Our Destination On Our Way (Julie, Sparky, Spooky and Gordon) It’s The Florida Hillbillies! Headed Toward Indian Shores, Florida (In the rain.) 🙁 —————————————————————– ABBA, Of Course 🙂 Not till …
Grillin’ Italian
Ciao and Buongiorno!
Welcome to Grillin’ Italian
We love to grill, we love Italian, therefore it makes sense that we would create a page dedicated to Grillin’ Italian.
Italian food showcases a lot of food that we love.
For example, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, cheese, artichoke, eggplant, herbs, etc.
So, here we bring to you some of our favorite recipes that are Italian inspired for the grill.
We hope that you will enjoy them as much as we do.
Arrivederci!
Gordon and Julie
(Be sure to check back periodically to see what new we have grilled.)
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Grilled Colorful Bell Peppers with Mozzarella, Pesto, and a Basil Leaf
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Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches w/ the Works!
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Grillin’ All The Peppers and Portobello Stuffed Mushrooms
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A Lovely Appetizer
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Feta and Spicy Pepperoncini Oil
(Baked in the Oven)
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Fresh Peppers
Sourdough Bread
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Our Sandwich Spread Ingredients
(For our Portobello Stuffed Mushroom Sandwiches)
This was a delicious sandwich spread and very easy to make.
My suggestion is to just eyeball the ingredients to your liking.
Of course you will need a Mayonnaise and a Mustard.
(I, Julie, used Dukes Mayonnaise and a Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard.)
I chopped some leftover Marinated Artichoke Hearts that we had in the refrigerator into small pieces.
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Just place the Artichoke into a bowl.
add some Mayonnaise and Mustard to your tastes.
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Grate in some Parmesan Cheese…
Stir Together
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Leftover Quinoa
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Beautiful Colorful Sweet Peppers
This was actually an afterthought.
We had some leftover Quinoa and these beautiful Sweet Peppers.
I, Julie, thought it would be great to stuff them with the Quinoa and bake them with some Cheese.
Here Gordon is slicing them down the middle and removing the seeds.
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Stuffing the Peppers w/ Quinoa
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The jar you see in the photo top left, is a favorite food of mine.
Cheese stuffed Peperoncini.
The oil has some heat and I love it! I will sometimes cut up other cheeses such as Manchego to marinate in that delicious oil. We don’t tend to throw it out. We use it whenever we can in our cooking and eating. Here I wanted it drizzled over the Quinoa and Feta Stuffed Peppers to be baked. Simply place them into a 350F oven for about 15 minutes or so until they are done to your likeness.
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Gordon Creating the Colorful Bell Pepper, Mozzarella and Pesto Appetizers
(This write up by Gordon)
Here, I am cutting our Bell Peppers into wedges using the natural curves of the pepper to hold the ingredients.
Now, lay the cut sections on a baking tray.
I like using the Fresh Mozzarella as it melts easily and tastes great.
Being pre-sliced is another good option.
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Use your knife to slice the Mozzarella sections to fit into the peppers.
Fill the pepper sections with the cheese as seen above.
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Jarred Pesto
Use about a tsp. of some nice Pesto to accent the Mozzarella as it needs some additional flavor.
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Here I scraped out the black gills of the mushroom with a spoon, as they don’t taste good when they are this big. I left the stem of the mushroom in, but it can also be removed and chopped up and mixed with the stuffing.
The Stuffing Ingredients for the Portobello Mushrooms
To make the stuffing we used Cream Cheese, Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Pecorino Romano Cheese. Fresh Garlic, Roasted Garlic, and Bacon. How can this combination of ingredients not taste delicious on anything?
To start, grate your cheeses into a large bowl
Sharp Cheddar
Now, add your Cream Cheese…
Then slice your Garlic thinly using as many, or as little as you like.
Once sliced, continue to chop them into a small mince.
Add the minced Garlic to the cheese mixture.
Chop the Roasted Garlic as well.
I like using the varied flavors of Garlic which make the stuffing mixture more flavorful in my opinion.
Add the Roasted Garlic to the bowl.
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BACON
Into The Microwave
We like to cook our bacon using this cup like device which keeps the cooked bacon away from the grease.
Using the microwave to do this is another plus!
Here are the results.
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We recently used most of the Grilled Artichoke Hearts which are in a nice seasoned oil. I thought it would be good to use this olive oil on the mushrooms to keep them from sticking and add some great flavor.
Use a brush to coat the olive oil onto the mushroom caps as shown above.
Here I am breaking up the bacon to place into the stuffing mixture. Be sure to taste the bacon to ensure it’s good!… Yeah right! Add some freshly cracked pepper then mix the bacon into the cheese mixture until well combined, then taste the mixture. You shouldn’t need any salt as the Parmesan Cheese and Bacon should have enough salt in them. Either way, add more ingredients as needed to suit your taste.
Use your best tool to load up the mushroom caps. Stuff them staying just below the stem as if stuffed too full, the cheese will run out creating a big mess.
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Here you can see all the items I am about to grill for this great meal.
I usually preheat the grill on high for about 5 min. then scrape off any excess items using a grill brush. Then I turn the heat down to medium and spray the grill grates with a high heat oil. Pam makes a brand especially for the Grill. Now, place your stuffed mushrooms on the main part of the grill.
I placed the stuff Bell Peppers on the top rack to bake.
When the mushrooms become pliable, remove them and place them back onto your baking sheet.
I then grilled the long sweet peppers for a few minutes on each side until they were soft and slightly charred on each side. When the cheese melts and the peppers are slightly softened, you can remove them and place them on a baking sheet. You may have to remove some liquid around the cheese during the cooking process or as least before you place them on the tray.
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Take the baking sheet and place the stuffed mushrooms under the broiler until browned as shown above. It will take a few minutes to broil them to this color.
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Here you can see the melted Mozzarella Cheese inside the pepper sections.
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The Sourdough Bread
Slice your bread loaf into sections about 3/4 of an inch thick as shown.
Use your broiler to toast the slices as shown on both sides.
To make this great sandwich, spread the Mayonnaise mixture on one side of the bread
Add some lettuce leaves, Green Leaf, Red Leaf, Romaine… etc then top with a stuffed mushroom cap.
Add a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar and top with another slice of bread!
Here we basically did the same thing, but this time added some of the Grilled Sweet Peppers that were skinned and de-seeded!
Another great way to eat these great ingredients between two slices of bread!
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Here we garnished the Bell Peppers with some Basil Leaves.
You could also add a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar to them.
What an excellent grilled Italian dinner!
CIAO!
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If you would like to view our other Italian food posts…….
Julie’s Italian Appetizers and Edible Gifts
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Gordon and Julie Italian Seconda Parte 2
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La Sciatta Giulia Anna’s (Italian Sloppy Julie Ann’s)
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Edible Gifts: Italian, Greek, and Irish
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Modern Day Mona (Lisa) Halloween
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Even More Italian (Just For You)
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Tavolino Da Caffe Italiana (Coffee Table Italian)
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Grazie,
Gordon and Julie
DIY Home Function Upgrades
Welcome to DIY Home Function Upgrades This is our first project for this website page. We do plan on bringing you more. What you see here is the side of our house. There was grass here at one time but our yard …
Pizza, Pizza
Pizza: Latin for “to pound, or stamp.” The Lombardic word bizzo, or pizzo, meaning mouthful. Was brought to Italy by the Lombards in the middle of the 6th. century A.D. A Pizza consists of a base of dough with a selection of …
Amiamo I’italiano
Benvenuto
Stiamo Iniziando Un’Altra Pagina Di Cibo Italiano
(Welcome, We Are Starting Yet Another Italian Food Page.)
Olio D’Oliva, Pomodori Secchi, Pasta, Salsa….
(Olive Oil’s, Sundried Tomatoes, Pasta’s, Sauces…)
We Love It ALL!!!
Amiamo I’italiano
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Julie and Gordon’s Spagett
(Recipe Down Below)
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Buona Giornata,
Julie and Gordon
We Also Have:
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Julie’s Pasta Italiano Casserole
(Because I can’t think of what else to call it.) 🙂
With Puff Pastry
This has everything that we love in it!
(Recipe Down Below)
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Julie’s Italiano Dip
(Recipe Down Below)
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Gordon and Mackenzie’s Marinated Artichoke Risotto
(It was a joint collaboration.)
(Recipe Down Below)
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Bread Basket Timbale
Meat, Veggies, Bread, All in ONE Bite!
(Recipe Down Below)
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I LOVE GARLIC!!!!
Roasted Garlic
(And now Fried Garlic.)
If you know me at all, then you know that I LOVE Roasted Garlic! I also have it featured quite a bit throughout this website.
All that I do is to turn on the oven to 400F. I then add as many garlic cloves as I like to a small baking dish. I then add as many pats of butter to that dish, cover with foil, and then place into the oven for about 20 minutes. I do cook this garlic for about 50 minutes to an hour but removing from the oven every 20 minutes to stir together until nice and done. I love it nice and tan/brown and caramelized.
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I can pretty much eat this about 3 meals a week. However, I noticed in one of my cookbooks where they were frying garlic and I decided that I wanted to try that.
Sliced Thin Fried Garlic
I pretty much told Gordon that this is what I want and he went to work creating it for me. I knew that I wanted to try fried garlic, but I wanted it to have some spice and crispness to it. Which was not mentioned in the cookbook I got the idea from.
Gordon sliced the garlic and then added some olive oil to a pan…..
He then added some Italian Pizza Spices to the oil….
Then, some dried oregano…..
Now add the chopped garlic to a medium-low heat in a saucepan to cook.
Cooking Away, You Want It To Cook, Not Burn
Simmer Away on the Stove for About 10 Minutes, While Stirring
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Our Italian Appetizers
This is also a favorite meal for me:
Sun Dried Tomatoes, Feta Cheese, Pesto, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Cheese Stuffed Peppers, Bruschetta, Roasted Garlic, and now Fried Garlic, along with some Toasted sliced Sour Dough Bread with a drizzling of Olive Oil.
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Gordon’s Italian Appetizer Plate
We do so love all the little tasty apps. 🙂
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Julie’s Pasta Italiano Casserole
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Gathering All of My Ingredients
Fresh Basil, Parsley, Chives and Oregano from my Herb Garden
My Herbs Enhance Everything Italian
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Jars Full of Goodness
I Even Got out a Few Casserole Dishes for This Delicious Experiment
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The ingredients that you see above ended up making 2 large casseroles. I also didn’t use all that I have pictured. At least in amounts, I did use most of it though, but I did not use all of the ingredients that you see pictured. But, I give you the exact ingredients and amounts in the write up. The casseroles were delicious! This is definitely a keeper, it was also an experiment, just like any recipe that you create or expand upon. Even when you base it on something simple, it is still an experiment when you add so many other ingredients. You don’t know that it is going to taste good, you just assume that it will. And this recipe did!
The Ingredients:
2 Boxes of Frozen Puff Pastry, Thawed
Pasta: In one casserole I used my leftover Vegetable Dyed Autumn Pasta, and in another casserole I used Orzo. I eyeballed the amounts as you will see.
4, 8 oz. Packages of Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
1 1/2 Jars of Sundried Tomatoes in Olive Oil, 8.5 oz. Jars, Drained (Save the Oil.)
Grated Cheeses: Parmesan, Parmigliano Reggiano, and Asiago (They are around 8 oz. each, I used half of each block of cheese.)
Kalamata Olives, Pitted, Drained and Chopped (I used half of a 16 oz. jar, so 8 oz.)
Leftover Roasted Garlic: About 20 Cloves Smashed
7-8 Eggs
(And an additional egg to brush over the puff pastry in the oven.)
Half of a 14.8 oz. Jar of Artichoke Bruschetta
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Your Tastes
Fresh Herbs: Bunches of Parsley, Chives, Basil, and Oregano
Also, Basil as a Garnish
I Washed and am now Drying my Fresh Herbs from my Garden.
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You need a clean surface for the Puff Pastry. Here I am using a cutting board with a sprinkling of All Purpose Flour to prevent the pastry from sticking. It is also still in the process of thawing out.
In the Meantime….
I ADORE these Sundried Tomatoes packed in this delicious Olive Oil!
I placed them into a small colander with a Tupperware Bowl beneath to catch the oil.
Now I am Chopping the Contents of 1 1/2 Jars
Saving the Oil
This is delicious and will go well with what I have planned. 🙂
Here I’ve Placed All the Chopped Sundried Tomatoes in a Large Bowl.
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Now For The Kalamata Olives
I think this is a 16 oz. jar and I only used half of it.
Drain the olives of the liquid and then chop.
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The Chopped Sundried Tomatoes and the Chopped Kalamata Olives
Next, Add Your Room Temperature Cream Cheese
This is just some leftover Roasted Garlic that we always seem to have on hand in the refrigerator.
Roasted Garlic
I added about 20 cloves. Because they were roasted I ended up just smashing them and adding them to the bowl.
Everything Mixed Together….
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Time For The Puff Pastry Sheets
Remember the Oil from the Sundried Tomatoes that we saved? I have a Baking Sheet here lined with Aluminum Foil. I did drizzle some of the Oil. I then placed 5 Sections of the Puff Pastry on top of it.
PREHEAT OVEN TO 400F
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Using a Fork Poke Holes into the Pastry
This will prevent it from baking all funky.
Place in the Oven to Bake for 8 Minutes
While that is Baking…..
Time to Grate the Cheeses
I Grated about Half of Each of Them and Added Them to the Mixing Bowl
Puff Pastry Out of the Oven and Looking Golden
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Now It’s Time to Add Our EGGS
I realize that I have about 10 of them pictured but I didn’t use all of them. I used about 7.
Next, I added an excellent Artichoke Bruschetta, about half of the jar.
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Now For The Pasta
I had this beautiful pasta leftover and wanted to use it up. I thought it looked wonderful here! The colors were magnificent. I probably have about 2 cups here. I just boiled it in water until al dente.
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While that is Cooking…..
All of My Ingredients Mixed Together
Time To Add The Herbs
Parsley, Chives, and Oregano
Boiling My Beautiful Autumn Colored Pasta
(They are actually vegetable dyed and healthy.)
When Al Dente, then Drain into a Colander
Adding the Freshly Ground Black Pepper and a few Basil Herbs
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Time to Split the Ingredients In Two
Because I am making two casseroles I wanted to split the ingredients into two different bowls.
In this bowl I am adding the Autumn Colored Pasta to these Ingredients.
Remember my Sundried Tomato Oil from above? Here I am adding it to the bottom of the casserole dish.
Then I add the baked Puff Pastry fitting it in as I can.
Making a few cutting adjustments.
Now it is time to add the mixture with our Autumn Pasta stirred into it.
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Cooking More of the Puff Pastry
Again, place the Sundried Tomato Oil on the Aluminum Foil and just poke holes in the Puff Pastry with a fork and place into a 400F Oven for 8 minutes.
Here I am Placing Some of the Puff Pastry on top of one of my casseroles.
Set Aside….to be baked in a bit.
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My Second Casserole
Orzo is the Pasta I use Here
I just placed it into a pot and boiled it until Al Dente.
Then I drained into a Colander.
I probably used about 1 1/2 – 2 Cups of Orzo.
Now, place the Orzo into the remaining mixing bowl and stir together.
I placed some of our Sundried Tomato Oil into the Casserole Dish here.
I then added some of our Puff Pastry on top of the Oil.
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The Puff Pastry All in the Bottom of the Casserole Dish
Now it is time to place the remaining mixture into this casserole dish on top of the Puff Pastry.
Because I didn’t have enough to fit it exactly, I cut it into squares and rectangles to place on top.
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Now it is time to cover with foil and place into a 350F Oven for about 35 – 40 minutes.
Into the Oven they Go!
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Here I am using a jar to capture the leftover oil that I love so much and can use it in other recipes.
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Creating an Egg Wash
I simply cracked and egg and added a teeny bit of water to it. Then used a fork to whip it into a frenzy, and then spread it onto the top of my Puff Pastry.
I do this right before the casserole are ready. About 5 minutes prior. Just smear the Egg Wash onto the top of the Puff Pastry and then place back into the oven for an additional 5 minutes uncovered from foil.
Back into the Oven They go!
(With the Egg Wash)
Out of the Oven
Cooling on a Rack
Just Look At That! 🙂 YUM!
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This is what I came up with by using all the leftovers from above, plus adding a few more ingredients. It was when I was making the casserole above that Gordon came home and remarked that this would be a great tasting dip. That’s when it dawned on me to just use the leftovers and create something that we can eat as an appetizer before dinner.
Here is that Appetizer:
Julie’s Orzo Italiano Dip
(I did NOT use the Red Onion in the photo above.)
Ingredients:
Orzo Pasta, About a Cup Full, Boiled to Al Dente
2, 8 oz. Cream Cheeses, Room Temperature
1, 8.5 oz. Jar of Sundried Tomatoes in Olive Oil, Chopped (Save the Oil)
4, 6 oz. Cans Tomato Paste
My Leftover Grated Cheeses: Parmesan, Parmigliano Reggiano, and Asiago
Kalamata Olives, the leftover jar, Drained, Pitted, and Chopped
Leftover Roasted Garlic, about 10 Smooshy Cloves, Smashed
4 EGGS
A Few Heaping Spoonfuls of the leftover Artichoke Bruschetta
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to Taste
Fresh Herbs:
Oregano, Chives, Parsley and Garnish with Basil Leaves
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My Leftover Cheeses, Left
(Again, I did NOT use the Red Onion in the photo above.)
Draining the Sundried Tomatoes into a Colander and Saving the Oil
Chopping the Sundried Tomatoes and Smashing the Roasted Garlic Cloves
Chopping the Remainder of the Kalamata Olives
Place Everything into a Mixing Bowl
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Time to Boil about a Cup of Orzo till Al Dente
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Adding a Few Heaping Spoonfuls of the Artichoke Bruschetta
Tomato Paste
Although I only have 2 cans featured here I did use about 4 of them.
Orzo Boiling Away
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Time to Add the Room Temperature Cream Cheeses
Grating the Remainder of the Cheeses
Draining the Orzo into a Colander
Time to Place all of the Ingredients Together
Mix Well and Add your Eggs and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Now It’s Time to add the Al Dente Orzo to the Mix
This is also where I added some of my Fresh Herbs that I chopped into small bits.
I have 2 small casserole dishes here that I am adding some of the Sundried Tomato Oil into the bottom of the dishes. This is nice flavor and a good way to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom while it cooks.
Save The Oil, This Stuff is GOLD! Or Rather, AMBER!
The Recipe Filled 2 Small Casserole Dishes Nicely
You can see some of the Green Herbs and the White Orzo Pasta Peeking
Place Into a 350F Oven for around 35-45 Minutes
Cover With Foil Until Ready to Brown the Last 10 Minutes or So, then Remove the Foil
Allow to Cool a Bit Before Eating
Garnish With Some Fresh Herbs and Serve with Little Toasts
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Gordon and Mackenzie’s
Marinated Artichoke Risotto
(During lockdown Gordon and our son Brodie’s girlfriend, Mackenzie created this together.)
Ingredients:
1 Qt. Chicken Stock
2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 Yellow Onion – sliced into a small dice
~2 1/2 Cups Arborio Rice
~3/4 Cup Pinot Grigio Wine – or other White Wine of your liking
3 Jars Marinated Artichoke Hearts – roughly chopped
1/2 Cup Parmesan Reggiano – Grated
3 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Chives – chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
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First, this is a recipe of patience. It takes time to make a proper Risotto, so relax and enjoy the process. Start by placing your Chicken Stock into a small pot and turn to medium heat. Now, cut your Onion in half, then into thin small dice sections.
(Gordon’s Lockdown Beard) 🙂
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Add your Olive Oil into a large pan and turn to Medium heat.
Add your Onions to the pan to saute.
Here you see the Broth and Onions heating. Be sure to not let the Broth boil over.
Here, you can saute the onion down to softened to where they are now, or cooked further to browned and caramelized.
When the Onions are cooked to your liking, add the Arborio Rice and mix well with the Olive Oil and Onions.
Continue to saute or “To Flip – in French” the rice during this cooking process. If you can’t saute the rice, use a spatula. You want to slightly brown the rice before the next step.
When browned, add your Wine. We like this Barefoot Pinot Grigio as it give a nice flavor to the rice. If you don’t like or drink wine, you can omit this step, but know that there will be No Alcohol in this dish when it finishes cooking. Only the flavor of the wine will be left as the alcohol will cook out under the heat.
Continue to cook the rice until the wine is cooked down to half the volume.
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Now, add a ladle or two of your heated Chicken Stock to the rice and stir well. You will need to almost constantly stir this now to make the risotto creamy. It needed to be heated, so it doesn’t bring down the temperature of the rice while cooking.
While the rice is absorbing the Chicken Stock, drain your Marinated Artichoke Hearts and chop them into nice sized chunks as shown.
Add more of your stock (about a ladle at a time) to the rice and keep stirring. This will likely take about 30 min. until the rice can’t absorb any more liquid and is a creamy state. Then add your chopped Artichokes. You should have some stock left over, as if this Risotto sits in your serving dish, it will absorb more liquid. Add some more liquid to make the Risotto creamy again.
Here the Risotto has absorbed most of my stock and is at a creamy state. Now is the time to add your grated cheese and chopped chives. Stir in the ingredients then add some freshly ground pepper and taste the rice. Be sure the rice is soft and creamy and check your salt level. If the cheese didn’t add enough to your taste, add more then taste again!
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Julie and Gordon’s Spagett
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I, Julie, had been craving Spaghetti but I didn’t want to do it the same old way that I would always make it. I wanted it packed with green Spinach, along with everything Italian that we had on hand to throw in it. It was delicious! My only regret was when Gordon told me that I had added enough Spinach. I knew that I should have put as much as I thought was necessary, and not what he thought was fine.
In looking at the photos above, do you think there is enough Spinach? I didn’t think so.
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Our Ingredients:
Any Spaghetti Pasta You Desire
You will need some sort of Red Sauce: I am using a Vegetable Sauce with Mushrooms
One Can of Diced Tomatoes
One Small Can of Tomato Paste
An Heirloom Tomato That Was Laying Around
Some Vegetable Dyed Pasta We Had in the Refrigerator
Leftover Roasted Garlic Cloves
Fresh Spinach Leaves
Parmesan Cheese, Grated
Toasted Pine Nuts, however many you so desire,
(Although I have no photo of them, add as many as you like. Just toast in a saucepan for a few minutes until tanned.)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
A Few Shakes of Turmeric
Fresh Herbs of Basil, Oregano, Parsley, and Chives
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Don’t Forget The Bread
You will need a large pot. Turn the burner on a medium heat and add the Red Sauce that you will be using. Then add the diced canned Tomatoes, Chop up any tomatoes that you may have laying around that you want add, and then add your Tomato Paste to the pot to simmer away.
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Now add the Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
Add a Few Shakes of Turmeric
(Turmeric kills cancer cells. It is also a bland spice. So, add it to as many foods as you like.)
I am actually getting rid of some stray Italian that we had in the fridge.
This was some of my Sundried Tomato and Feta Cheese leftovers.
Also, add a few of the Roasted Garlic Cloves. As many as you want.
Simmering Away
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Fresh Herbs From Our Garden
With our Red Sauce simmering away, I am adding our fresh Oregano and Chives to the pot.
In an additional pot, Gordon is adding our Spaghetti Pasta to the already boiling water. I like to add a teaspoon or so of Olive Oil to the water just to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick together.
My Beautiful Herbs
Fresh Spinach and Leftover Pasta
Red Sauce and Pasta Cooking
When the Pasta is at Al Dente, drain into a Colander and set aside.
Now place the old leftover pasta in a pot of simmering water for just a few minutes to revive it.
Then drain into a colander.
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With your sauce simmering away, add as much Fresh Spinach as you want.
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When the sauce is ready, add the Spaghetti Pasta.
We needed a large bowl so we placed everything in here.
The Red Sauce, and all the Pastas.
Turn out onto a Platter and Grate as much Parmesan as you like.
Garnish with some Fresh Basil and some Parsley
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As for the Italian bread…
Just slice, butter, sprinkle with some Garlic Salt or Paprika, then broil in the oven until browned and then serve.
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Enjoy Al Fresco!
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Bread Basket Timbale
Meat, Veggies, and Bread, All in ONE Bite!
Slice as you Would a Pie
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Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 1/2 Medium Onions – diced
4 Garlic Cloves – chopped thinly
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste – for the main dish
1.3 Lbs. Ground Turkey – 99% Fat Free
1 Lbs Sweet Italian Ground Sausage
3/4 Cup Marsala Cooking Wine – Holland House Brand
1 Tbsp. Sea Salt – for the pasta water
1, 6 oz. Can Tomato Paste
1 Jar Tomato Sauce – Classico Brand
8 oz. Pkg. Rigatoni Chickpea Pasta – Banza Brand
1 Cup Frozen Peas
Merlot BellaVitano Cheese – entire block
Don Wine – Goat Cheese soaked in Red Wine – entire block
3/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
3/4 Cup Mozzarella Cheese – Creamy Melt
1/2 small block Parmesan Cheese – cut into 1 inch section
1/2 small block Shredded Parmesan Cheese
8-10 Basil Leaves
1 Large Eggplant – sliced into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices
1 Medium Round Loaf of Bread – around 6 inches wide and 6 inches high
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All of our Ingredients
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Peel and slice your Onions in half then slice and dice them as shown.
Place your Olive Oil into a large saute pan and heat to medium heat.
Add your diced Onions and saute them until softened, about 6-8 min.
Peel and slice your Garlic thinly…
then chop the Garlic into small pieces.
When the Onions are cooked to your desired doneness, add your Garlic and continue to cook for another 5 min.
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Add Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste.
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Now add your Ground Sausage to the Onion and Garlic mixture.
Using your spatula, chop the Sausage into small pieces and continue to cook into browned.
This will take about 10 minutes.
When browned, drain off any fat then add your Marsala Wine to the pan and mix all the ingredients well. To drain the fat, we use a large spatter screen to cover the mixture and turn the pan of its side over your sink or trash can. We didn’t have really any fat to drain as we used very lean Ground Turnkey.
Cook the mixture until the Wine is almost gone.
The alcohol within the wine will not be in the dish and will evaporate as it cooks.
Place about 8 Cups of water into a large pot and add ~ 1 Tbsp of Sea Salt.
Turn the heat to High to boil the water.
Here you can see the Marsala Wine in the mixture beginning to cook away.
Add your Tomato Paste to the mixture when the Wine has mostly cooked away.
Mix the Tomato Paste into the meat as shown using your spatula.
Now, add your Tomato Sauce to the pan and mix well.
When the water is boiling add your pasta.
Boil the pasta as per the boxes directions.
Here is what the meat mixture looks like when done.
Trust me, this is delicious now, and we still have more ingredients to add!
When your pasta is cooked, drain it well in a colander as shown.
Add your meat mixture into a large bowl.
Add your Frozen Peas to the bowl.
Then add your cooked Pasta.
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Here I am slicing our Merlot Cheese into 1 inch blocks.
Do the same with your Wine Goat Cheese.
Carefully fold in the ingredients being careful not to break them up.
Here I am adding the Pre-grated Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheeses. You can grate your own if you like.
Again, fold in the cheese.
Here I am slicing a small block of Parmesan Cheese into small 1 inch pieces which I then added to the mixture.
Add some Fresh Basil Leaves to the bowl.
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Slice your Eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 to 3/4 inch sections as shown.
Spray your Eggplant slices with a little Olive Oil then grill them on medium high heat until browned and softened. This will take about 5 minutes on each side. Turn the slices half way through the grilling process to achieve the cross grill marks.
When done, set aside for later use.
Using a bread knife, slice the top section of your bread off as shown.
Using your fingers. remove most of the bread’s insides leaving a 1 inch barrier creating a bowl.
Do the same with the top section of the bread.
In the background you can see the hollowed out bread bowl.
Line your bread bowl with a few slices of the your grilled Eggplant as shown.
Add your meat mixture into the bowl, gently pressing down to fill the entire cavity.
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When filled, add a few more slices of your grilled Eggplant to the top covering the meat.
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Now, grate some Parmesan Cheese to the top of the Eggplant and place the bowl onto a sheet pan.
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Add some more grated Parmesan Cheese to the underside of the top of the bread.
Bake the bowl and bread top in a 350’F oven for about 15 min. or until the cheese melts and the top of the bread is toasted.
To serve, add the breads top and display the Bread Basket Timbale on a large platter or dish.
Cut out a wedge of the Bread Basket Timbale and serve to your hungry guests.
Just Because I LOVE Repetition. 🙂
You Know it Tastes So Good!
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GRAZIE,
Julie and Gordon
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How To Repair and Rebuild a Retaining Wall
Introduction to the Repair and Rebuilding of a Retaining Wall Before Left, After Right ——————————————————————————- You Can Also See Here The After Photos Once Our Pavers Were Put In Place Spooky and Sparky Once all the Work is Done Even the Backyard …
A Picnic in the Herb Garden
Meet You In The Herb Garden for a Picnic My Herb Garden means a lot to me. It was one of the first sections on our property that we sectioned off and cultivated into something very productive that nourishes …
Sixty’s, (Sensational or Surviving?) We’ll see, right?
Welcome to My Sixty’s
Currently Aging to Perfection
(Or Rotting and Disintegrating? But I swear this to you, as long as there are moisturizers and Loreal Superior Performance Medium Blonde, I will always be here for you.) 🙂
When I look at myself in the mirror, I see that this is what I am supposed to look like. My entire life has been leading up to this. Being born, growing up, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, and now my senior years. I have arrived! Now it’s time to put all the pain of growing up and maturing behind me and just enjoy what time I have left. I am hoping that this is MY time. My time to shine!
Julie Lancaster-Whann
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I turned 60 on February 13, 2021
60!
Happy 60th. Birthday to ME!
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It is very easy to look in the mirror and see all the growing pains. The scars of growing up. My C-Section scar from where they removed my daughter when she was born. The scars on my knees of every bicycle/skate board accident that I ever had when I would fall down and scar my knees bloody. Every brown spot on my body from growing up in the sun whether it be in Georgia in my youth, or Florida and Hawaii in my adulthood.
Just like in an autopsy, everything on my body tells the story of my life. I wear every scar as a badge of honor that tells my story.
I have no desire to erase the history of my life by having some face lift, or laser treatment to remove my sun spots that represent every fun day I ever had in the sun. As long as they aren’t skin cancer then I am o.k. with them. They aren’t beautiful but they represent my story. And my story isn’t always very beautiful either.
I have no earthly idea what to expect from my sixty’s? Will they be nifty? Sensational? Or will I just be surviving them? I have no idea! But, I will find out, won’t I?
I will do my best to make them the best years of my life.
Julie Lancaster-Whann
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And we need to eat a lot more of this in our 60’s. 🙂
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If you would like to follow my 50’s:
Click Here For My: Nifty Fifties
AND,
My Nifty 50’s and 60’s Skincare
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Loving the Organized GOLD!
Accessories That I Always Have With Me
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I.C.U.
(Photography is a fun and rewarding hobby of mine.)
My Herb Garden is Therapy to Me
So, Let’s Get Started.
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Blog Entries Start Here
Blogging With Julie
(Sparky and Spooky, always by my side.)
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January 5, 2026
November Cataract Surgeries
This will probably be my last blog entry on this page. I turn 65 in February and I will start a new 60’s website page then. This one is a bit too heavy as it is. It will actually be a good time to start a new 60’s blog when I do turn 65. Finishing out the 60’s, Part 2! (If I’m lucky, I get a Part 2.)
A Selfie After Both of my Eye Surgeries
It was back in August that my vision suddenly started going bad. I was a bit surprised seeing as how my vision really never changed much over the past 5 years prior. It was as if I was suddenly having to look through a dirty window all the time. I immediately called the military eye doctor for an appointment. I was told that they didn’t have an eye doctor at this time and that it would be a few months before a new one was hired. I then panicked! (Like I do when I get bad news.) That is when I called a more local eye doctor for an appointment at one of those big department store like businesses where they have tons of eye glasses for you to choose from with doctors in the back of the building. I got an appointment and showed up knowing full well that I most likely had cataracts, yet hoping it was just a case of needing a new eye glass prescription.
The doctor I saw dilated my eyes and determined that I had cataracts, and recommended a cataract medical facility to help me.
I hate it when they dilate your eyes. I asked them if I could safely drive home, and they told me, yes. Well, after my appointment I could barely see. I got into my car dreading the drive home. It was then that a delivery truck pulled in back of me, preventing me from leaving. Instead of feeling upset by this, I viewed it as a blessing in disguise. He blocked me in for a good 25 minutes. I was fine with it! When he came back he had this smirk on his face when he looked at me as if he had the pleasure of screwing over this old white woman. Little did he realize that I was fine with it! 🙂
When I did leave and was on my way home, I don’t even know how I got home? I was following shapes and colors. I had a death grip on the steering wheel with my foot hovering over the brake at any time one of those “shapes” crept up on me.
As it is, I had impaired vision, now throw in cataracts, then add the dilation. There was no way in hell that I should have been driving a car! Once I did make it home, which was a miracle in itself, it was hours until my vision straightened out.
The following day I contacted the cataract surgery center and made an appointment. This was in early October. I knew to show up with no make up on, especially no eye make up. They did a series of tests on my eyes, even dilating them. I have never had so many eye drops placed in my eyes in my entire life!
I met my doctor that would be doing the surgery. I really did like her. I think she liked me too.
After all the tests I made an appointment for early November for my first eye surgery, and paid the money required. With my insurance paying most of it, my portion I had to pay was around $1,500.00 per eye. They do your strong eye first.
I did have to place the Refresh Eye Drops in my eyes 4 times a day prior to my surgery. I had to do this for weeks!
Cataract Eye Surgery Appointment, October 31, 2025
Halloween
Gordon Home To Help Me
Gordon had come home in mid-October from working overseas. He was only home for about 2 weeks. I was very happy he was here for this particular appointment because they dilated my eyes and I was happy that I didn’t have to drive home by myself. We did run to pick up my prescriptions from a local pharmacy that didn’t take our military insurance. You see, MacDill AFB would not acknowledge that the doctor put in the order for me. The doctor put in the order 3 times! They even showed us in the computer that they did. I desperately needed those eye drops for my before/after surgery. However, MacDill said they never received it from the doctor, so therefore, they were not about to fill it, so we had to go to a pharmacy near us and pay FULL PRICE!! Had MacDill done their job it would have been free for us. We had to pay around $600.00 dollars, 3 times for the eye drops, so that equals about $1,800.00.
Now, here is the kicker. When you have a cyber-stalker that gets into your accounts, your medical records, your doctor’s offices, etc. was this a MacDill error? Or was it done on purpose by my cyber-stalker P.G., that can get into any computer he wants to? This is what I live with. And this was a big “fuck you” to me.
Oh, and I lost my Zultanite Tennis Bracelet, most likely in the pharmacy parking lot when we had to pick up my prescriptions. Gordon was more upset about it than I was. But as I pointed out to him, it was free. So….. He has since picked me up another free one that he’ll be bringing home this February. (He has great contacts overseas.) 🙂
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Gordon ended up leaving to fly back overseas a day before my first surgery. That’s just how it worked out.
Veronica and Isabelle ended up taking me to my first surgery. She had to take the day off.
My first surgery went really well. My eyesight was very blurry for the first 4 days and then all of a sudden it was as if a miracle happened and I could see clearly again! It was wonderful! (That’s when I noticed all the dust on my furniture that I hadn’t seen before.) 🙂
The thing about that first eye surgery is that you cannot lift anything over 20 pounds for weeks, and you cannot bend over to retrieve things. Funny, because I spend my entire life going up and down, and up and down about 50 times a day on a regular basis. I had to stop that.
I did continue to keep Isabelle throughout my recovery, I just couldn’t lift her up anymore. I had to change her diaper on the floor, instead of on the table. She had to learn to climb in and out of her crib because I couldn’t lift her. I placed the dogs little stepping stool thing inside her crib, and I would guide her as she would get herself out.
She was such a trooper! I was so proud of her!
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My second Cataract Surgery was in mid-November. Once again, Veronica had to take the day off to be with me. I was so grateful that I had her to help me.
That eye surgery really didn’t go as well as the first one did. They had a hard time clamping that thing over my eye, it caused stress. They had to cut some of my eyelashes off.
I just remember being very quiet and taking it all in. My vision in that eye has been a bit “erratic” since then. It still is sometimes. The second surgery didn’t go as well as the first one did. I now have to make an appointment with the original doctor that discovered the cataracts in order to round this all out.
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A December, 2025 Kitchen Nook Selfie
It’s funny but I found out that my brother Johnny in Ireland had Cataract Surgery on one eye this past November. What a coincidence that both of us had Cataract Surgery in the same month without ever telling each other? I am 8 years older than he is.
When I initially discovered that I had Cataracts, I was upset about it. I was thinking that I was just too young for this kind of thing. But now, I’m happy I got them when I did. I turn 65 in February and I have no idea what Medicare will be like. I think it was probably a good thing that this happened prior to. At least I have this out of the way. I no longer need glasses, but I do need readers when I use my computer or read books and magazines or any kind of close up instructions.
You know, it’s all about maintenance now, as we age.
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See That Gadget Above?
I highly recommend that to anyone having Cataract Surgery. Actually, I recommend it to everyone in general! I could pick up a single Cheerio with that thing!
Because we aren’t supposed to bend over to pick up anything after our surgery, this was perfect for all that I had to pick up where Isabelle was concerned. Even the dogs with their toys.
Because both of my surgeries were in November, I really did end up taking a lot of time off. I viewed it as my recovery. I don’t think I wore make-up for a good 6 weeks. And, I was fine with that. I rested when I felt like it. I worked when I felt like it. When I did work, it was very light.
I did it. I got through it. I am glad this chapter is over for me.
Julie
P.S. I’m just glad I saved all my Reading Glasses from years ago! 🙂
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You know you are an Wino when your husband gives you a loofah and you automatically think it’s a wine bag.
WOW! What a cute wine bag! Thanks! 🙂 (I’m using it as a wine bag, just so you know.)
My favorite thing to do when I am grocery shopping, and what makes me happy is when I buy herbs and flowers. Cheap flowers. I am not a fancy flower kind of person. Oh, they are so beautiful! But, most of the time they just don’t fit in with my lifestyle. I’m fine with a simple daisy, and not some expensive rose.
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July 8, 2025
Refresh Eye Drops
Last year when I went to my eye doctor for an exam, I was told that my vision hadn’t changed much in the past 2 years, which was the last time I was there. But, he did notice that my eyes were dry. I had noticed that every day in the afternoon that my eyes became very itchy. He prescribed Refresh Eye Drops. So, I bought them from the Commissary. He told me to use them about 3-4 times a day. I don’t. 90% of the time I only use them in the morning after my shower. Sometimes, I have had itchy eyes in the afternoon and I have used them then as well. Honestly, when I do, It’s like I just took a shower!
I hide them here in my mini cocktail shaker in the bathroom.
I highly recommend them!
Julie
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July 7, 2025
I Have Planters Fasciitis
(I also have lovely Greek Feet) 🙂
Notice my left foot, which happens to be on the right?
Notice how my 2nd. and 3rd. toes have that space between them?
That has to do with my Planter’s Foot. That’s what I call it anyway.
It was about a year and a half ago that I was laying down on the couch, and suddenly got up, and started walking towards the kitchen. My left foot felt strange. It felt like something was stuck to the bottom of my foot! On the ball of it. I immediately reached down and felt underneath my foot. Nothing! I felt nothing! I then continued walking. But, I felt as if something was stuck to it. I then sat down and examined my foot. It looked fine. I did notice 2 of my toes with a space between them. I had no control over them. I couldn’t make them go back to the way they were.
Planter’s Fasciitis is characterized by pain and inflammation in the planter fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot connecting the heel to the toes. The causes are in some cases, the types of shoes, overuse, and types of walking surfaces. (I took that from Google.) It was at that time that I was overusing my feet by jumping over baby blankets barefoot, that I had on the floor, filled with lots of toys and books. Doing lots of barefoot dancing around in the living room with Isabelle as we watched Bluey on T.V.
I did call my doctor. He told me that it is most like Planter’s Fasciitis. He immediately went into telling me about special shoes to buy.
My response, ‘Shoes! I hate shoes! I don’t want to wear some special shoes.’
At this point my foot wasn’t painful, it just felt funny. It was never really painful.
So, I pretty much powered through it and continued on with my life. Even my busy treadmill life. Well….. I ended up really overworking my foot and it became very sore. It was at that point that I was limping!
It was one day when I went to the grocery stores around me, instead of driving into the base in Tampa to shopping at the Commissary, that I was getting out of my car in a large parking lot and I realized that I was limping into the store. Normally, I have this fast brisk pace that I walk, yet now I’m slowly limping. I suddenly realized that I am a perfect target for a mugging. I’m 63/64, a senior citizen, alone, and limping. I then felt very uncomfortable. Scared even! I hurried into the store gripping my purse in front of me, protecting it from any would-be purse snatchers.
It was at that time that I also quit shopping at businesses where I didn’t feel safe in their parking lots. As I age I notice those things. I feel safer in some parking lots than I do others. I think as we age we need to take those things into account.
My foot eventually got better. Is it cured? I don’t think entirely. But, I have been able to walk as if nothing is wrong now for the past year. I wear flip flops. If I go somewhere that I need to do a lot of walking then I wear tennis shoes with gel inserts. I also haven’t gotten back on the treadmill in a while hoping that I can start that up again without further injury to my foot.
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I haven’t mentioned my condition until now because I wanted to see how everything is turning out.
Well, this is how it’s turning out.
I do use a series of Foot Massagers
What you see above, that blue thing. It vibrates and sometimes I run my foot over it while I’m on the computer.
I adore this foot massager as it has rollers that massage my feet perfectly, it even has a heat setting.
In my daily life I only wear flip flops. They suit me. They aren’t adding injury. I have been walking with a brisk pace for the past year, even with the Planter’s Foot. I have not suffered any pain since that time I overworked my foot and was limping.
The only symptom I still have of the Planter’s Foot is the space between my toes.
The Toes on my Left Foot are Giving the Peace Sign 🙂
I’ll take this over something more serious. I am aging.
I’m guessing there will be a lot more of these signs of aging in my future.
Julie
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March 15, 2025
I Turned 64 on February 13, 2025
I Wanted a Harry Potter Cake with the Mum Spelled out. Not Mom as we say in America, but Mum.
The Mum is what they say in the U.K. when referring to their Mom’s, but I wanted the Mum because of the T.V. Australian T.V. show Bluey, where they refer to their Mom as Mum. Isabelle’s favorite show.
The reason I wanted a Harry Potter cake is because Harry Potter got me through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, The Inauguration, and my Birthday. I’ve been a bit down since Election 2024 when Trump won. Harry Potter got me through it all. Not Harry Potter the character, but the entire series with all of the characters combined. I even did a Harry Potter Christmas. We all enjoyed it immensely.
Flowers and Isabelle Art
I LOVE MY Cake!
Isabelle Helped Me Celebrate
MUM!
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Isabelle and her Parents, Veronica and Brian 🙂
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Isabelle With Her Bluey Sidewalk Chalk
Future Artist, It’s In Her Blood
Her Mom Is An Artist
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Drawing Tutu a Pretty Picture
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I don’t know what 64 has in store for me.
What with our failed American healthcare system I may not even make it to 65.
Tutu and Peanuku, (I Live For Her)
My heart doctor originally from Syria fled the country with his family once Trump got elected. The heart doctor I saw that replaced him forgot me in the exam room. Dr. Muhammed. After I waited 45 minutes he came into the room, turned the computer on, then received a phone call and left me in the exam room alone with the computer on. Then, he never came back. I heard him go into the exam room beside me and start to see that patient. Had I not left the room and gone to the front desk I might have been locked in the building for the night! I kid you not! I informed the two people left in the office building what happened to me. They were very sympathetic. But…..
The bottom line is that I was invisible and I was forgotten. My doctor from Syria cared about me. Dr. Muhammed didn’t. So yeah, let’s deport those foreign doctors that care about us and put into place those that don’t. Oh, don’t be fooled by the Dr. Muhammed name. He was a very handsome man fluent in English. As in he has lived here his whole life and most likely was born here. But, my impression of him is not very favorable.
As I see it, each and every one of us is going to be responsible for our own health. We cannot count on this healthcare system to look after us. Our American diet is designed to create ill health so that we are reliant on a ‘for profit’ healthcare system, where we go into debt just to survive. We need to educate ourselves, eat healthy, exercise, and do what all we can to survive all that is to come. We truly are on our own.
At least I’ve made it to 64.
Happy Birthday to Me,
Julie
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February 10, 2025
This is Me at 63, Almost 64
The older we get the uglier we are on the outside, but the happier we are on the inside.
At least that’s my story.
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Comparing Myself To Others
I am very sad to say that whenever I come across anyone around my age I can’t help but compare myself to them. I don’t do it on purpose. I know that there are many factors that determine how well we age. Our DNA plays a major role, also our diet and our health. How well we may, or may not have taken care of ourselves from youth on.
I do come across people that I will find out they are younger than me, and I am sometimes immediately shocked. My insides are saying, ‘What? YOU are younger than ME?’
I believe that I need to be kinder in my thoughts where that is concerned. Oh, I never say anything to the person whom I see as not looking very well, but I do think it. I really don’t want to think it anymore.
No one younger than you sees you as young. Only those older than you.
Oh, there is that occasional person that will see you and acknowledge that you look good for your age. But most will never see it.
I like getting older. I am a much happier person now than I ever was in my life. I think it’s because I am ageing. I will be 64 on February, 13th. and I can’t wait! O.K., birthday cake plays a major role in my loving birthday’s, but so does my Grand-Daughter Isabelle.
I just want to be old enough to put her before me, and young enough to keep up with her.
If someone were to ask me why I am a youthful 64 year old, my answer would be, “Immaturity.” Too stubborn to age, willingly. 🙂
It’s actually quite freeing to age. People don’t expect you to be this perfect person. After all, you are an old lady. 🙂
At the end of the day, it really has never mattered to me what people think about me. I have always liked myself, even when there were times that no one liked me.
It all boils down to how you feel about yourself.
As it is, I live in my head.
Julie
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November 11, 2024
MOOD
Today is Veteran’s Day. Gordon is a vet. Today we honor all of those that came before us and risked their lives, some died, lots of them bled just to give us the freedoms that we just freely gave away to Trump on November 5th. for him to destroy. Yeah. I’m having a hard time with these election results. I ended up having an extra day off today. I keep my granddaughter about 3-5 days a week. I was originally supposed to keep her today but Veronica then informed me that I didn’t have to as Brian got the day off. As much as I love her, I also needed this day to myself. You see, I’m still grieving. I’m not just grieving for me and my family, I’ve grieving for everyone. Americans and the rest of the world.
I won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving this year. Gordon is back overseas now so it would be me doing everything myself, and I just don’t feel like it. It’s not that I’m not thankful, I just don’t have the energy to dedicate to the holiday, so if I do anything at all it will be something very simple like a T.V. dinner or a turkey sandwich. I don’t even know if I will be doing anything for Christmas this year. Usually, I already have my holiday plans, but not this year.
I guess that what I am trying to say to all of you is that if we don’t feel like doing it, then let’s not. I understand that if you have small children that you really do need to make the effort. I will do something nice for my granddaughter, and I have a nice idea of gifts that I will be giving everyone, I just don’t know if my home will reflect what all we used to do in the past.
We all grieve differently. Oh, we may go through the same stages of grief, but some of us may take longer than others. I’m going to go at my own pace, and not someone else’s.
Julie
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November 7, 2024
How The Next Few Years Will Affect ALL of Us
This is ME at 63!
I’ve been meaning to update my 60’s for awhile now but I’ve been busy doing other things, or working on other website pages. However, I can’t get all of this out of my head unless I write it all down. It becomes a distraction and I don’t wish to be distracted. There are many things I want to get to. I decided to write all of this here instead of my personal blog because all of this is going to affect my 60’s in a very negative way. My 60’s blog isn’t just about my physical health, it’s also about my mental health. Therefore, I wanted to place it here. Know that every American will be affected negatively by the new administration coming into power come January 2025.
Once I get this out of my system then I will be blogging here once again about any ailments I have, or will have. You know, the fun topics. But for now, I want to write about this.
I’ve Been Trying to Save my Fellow Americans Since 9/11
(Not from the terrorists, I figure a good National Security can do that, but from Republicans themselves.)
And as you can see, I have failed miserably.
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Time to Grieve, along with Self Love and Care
I’ve been up since 4:00 this morning. Today I kept my granddaughter so I got up early to shower and be ready when she arrives. Today was a short day to keep her.
Isabelle, A.K.A. Baby Pierre 🙂
Her dad will pick her up after 10:00 a.m. and then I have the rest of the day to myself. I don’t keep her everyday, but I do keep her a good 3-5 days a week. Some days are short, some days are long.
Baby Pierre with her Toys
I’m just happy that I have this block of time to myself right now as I really do need it. I don’t keep her again until Monday. That gives me until then to be sad, grieve, lick my wounds, eat some nice comforting foods, and just do whatever is necessary to heal myself. Not totally, but to have it all sink in and form my survival plan.
My Second Breakfast
(Small Broccoli Quiche from SPROUTS with my Broccoli Greens)
In need of some comfort food. Because I get up so early on those days that I keep Isabelle, by 6:00 a.m. I am hungry and in need of something in my stomach. I will generally eat a bite or two of something after I give Isabelle a bottle and put her down for her very early morning nap. I then take a nap too, but when we do get up a few hours later we are hungry for a real breakfast. Today, this was mine!
I’m also doing some things around the house, but I’m mainly just taking it easy. If the dishes don’t get done, or the laundry isn’t totally ready, it really doesn’t matter right now. The priority for today, tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday, is ME!
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It’s Truly Over
I’m not licking my wounds because the political party that I supported lost. This isn’t the Super Bowl and my team didn’t win. EVERYONE lost on November 5th. Even the republican voters themselves. They just don’t know it yet. White people generally don’t suffer too many consequences when it comes to politcs, it’s usually black, brown, and poor whites. But now, the chickens are coming home to roost for EVERYONE!
When I mention above about how I’ve been trying to save my country since 9/11, I’m referring to the policies of the republican party, I’m referring to the incompetence that enabled that day to even happen? Did you know that not ONE person has been held accountable for the largest terrorist attack on our nation? NOT ONE! What the republicans did was to spread the blame around so that no one would be held accountable. Condoleeza Rice should have been fired. She wasn’t. Not only that, but all of that happened under a George W. Bush Administration. Yet, no one ever seemed to blame him, (except the families of the victims and those of us that know all the facts.)
If you were to come home and find all of your children dead but the babysitter is still alive, don’t you want to know what happened? Or are you just going to shrug your shoulders and say, ‘well, we can’t bring them back, time to move on.?’ Are you going to allow the babysitter to talk you out of having autopsy’s done on the dead children to find out what happened to them? Are you going to allow the babysitter to thwart any investigation into the matter? And, will you be hiring the babysitter again to perhaps sit your dogs? If you are a republican, then the answer is YES!
I’m not interested in getting into all of that. But, 9/11 changed me forever. I woke up that day, while most of my fellow American’s fell asleep, and they haven’t really woken up since. Oh, they do stir occasionally, yawn, open their eyes, stretch their arms, babble something about the time, and then fall right back to sleep.
Such Is The American Way
When Kamala Harris gave her speech yesterday to her supporters, admitting the concession to Trump, she said something rather unbelievable. She told her supporters to keep fighting, to never give up. Sorry people, but the time to fight is now before Trump is ‘anointed.’ Once in there, then it is truly over for all of us. So, this is how Democracy dies. It isn’t killed, it’s handed over freely. This time, it is being handed over by the Democrats to the Republicans. (You’d think they’d be a little hesitant?)
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Trump Will Never Leave Office Until He Dies
(Even then, he will appoint a successor.)
White middle/upper middle class people just never seem to suffer the same consequences as black/brown/ and poor whites. It’s because they have more privilege than the rest. They either have a good education, a good paying job, or something to sell if things go badly for them, stocks to cash in to help them out, or they have connections they use to give them that leg up on everyone else during tough times. All of that is about to change. And I am here to tell you how and why….
American Seniors
For those senior citizens that didn’t lose their homes during the Bush/Cheney years due to catastrophic medical costs, or those seniors that haven’t had to get those reverse mortgages just to stay afloat and in their homes, well, your Social Security is about to be slashed, or done away with totally. That’s right. No more money for you old people! So, what’s your plan? Did you manage to save a lot during your life? Did your husband leave you behind a small fortune? Or, do you have things that you can sell to get you through until you die? Perhaps you have a child with a spare room that can take in grandma? A mother-in-law suite would be great, wouldn’t it? With your own bathroom? I certainly hope that you will have some money set aside to help with the rent and food costs? Oh, and what about those medical bills? Are you a diabetic? As I recall insulin used to be around $200.00 until those nasty democrats put a cap on it and made it no more than $35.00. (Don’t you just hate those democrats!)
I hope you are prepared for all those dirty looks your son or daughter’s spouses will be giving you for ‘free loading’ off of them. (We are talking about white republican’s after all.)
Oh, and just a reminder, your children/grand-children will be having it hard too, so don’t expect any luxuries there. They won’t be able to take off from work to get you to your doctor appointments. They will also need every penny they make to get through.
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The Middle Aged
So, you’ve managed to buy your ‘sort of’ Dream Home! Wow! What a great life you and your wife and your children are going to have there. With the extra bedroom you can create your MAN CAVE. Bit screen T.V., giant comfy couch, gaming system! WOW!….
But wait!….. Ring, ring… Ring, ring…
Phone call from mom and dad. They can’t afford to live on their own with the Social Security cuts. They want to know if they can live with us here? What do we tell them? Can’t they go and live with your sister? I know she has a small apartment, but they can make it work. I want my MAN CAVE!!! (Again, we are talking about republican’s.)
So, now you are forced to take in your mother/father/or both in order to help them out. Otherwise, they are homeless.
The stress is enormous. 4 adults and 3 children all living under the same roof.
(Although that used to be the norm in the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s, they were more tolerant than the average American is now. America has since turned into a nation of selfish hot heads. So, good luck in the ‘family’ environment.)
Paycheck to Paycheck
Oh, there won’t be any saving money. Everything you buy from abroad, which is a lot, is about to cost you about 40% more. You see, Trump’s Tariffs. That means that all those business’s that import from other countries are having to pay more, therefore, they are passing their extra costs onto YOU. After all, they need to make huge profits, ya know?
The Average Family Will Pay Around $4,000.00 Extra A Year
Also, expect to pay more for your Fruits and Vegetables. A simple tomato may end up costing you $8.00! Why? Well, we don’t have all those brown illegal rapist immigrants anymore over here taking your job away? And, exactly when did all those white republican’s ever work the fields picking vegetables? Who knew?
Trump has promised that there will be immigrant deportations on day 1 of his Presidency. Imagine driving to work and seeing armed guards with large groups of brown people in them. They are worried, scared, their children are crying, they are being herded onto buses…. you are pleased. After all, those damn rapists are finally getting their due. Good, you think.
The news is filled with all the stories. Oh, a watered down version of them anyway, after all we won’t have a free press anymore. It will be the Trump News Network. Our Great Leader will address the nation every evening with his accounts of how he is keeping us all safe, whether we like it or not. WHEW!
The bills are adding up. Everything costs much more. You parents are no help as they are old and can’t get jobs themselves. But, they do try and help out around the house when they feel good enough to help. Your mom is doing some cooking and cleaning up, and your dad is mowing the yard while you are having to work extra hours. Life just isn’t enjoyable anymore. It’s just all work, work, and work.
Then something terrible happens…..
What with Daylight Savings Time it’s now dark when the kids have to catch the bus on their way to school. That particular day two of your children were sick because RFK JR. is the ‘Health Czar’ and doesn’t believe in vaccinations, so your 11 year old daughter has to walk to the bus by herself. A car of men see her and hone in. Two men jump out of the car and grab her, throwing her into the trunk. They then drive off to a secluded location and rape her. They left her for dead on the side of the road, but she was found by passerby’s who called the police and she was taken to a local hospital. The hospital alerted the family who were so relieved! The family rushed to the hospital to be by her side. So happy that they have their baby girl back again. However, they are informed by the hospital staff that she will be monitored for a pregnancy. Everyone is stunned! NO! She can’t be pregnant! She’s just a child!!! That doesn’t matter, we have no abortion laws so therefore she must give birth to her baby.
I Will Stop There…
But, I will say this. If the child is forced to give birth then the new grandmother, or the great-grandmother will be forced to care for that child, or the child is put up for adoption. However, the orphanages are full of unwanted children as it is, and must send the baby to another states orphanage.
Or, consider this…..
A young married woman is raped and it results in a pregnancy? How is her new marriage going to work out? There are no abortions, how will that marriage work out as the new wife’s stomach keeps getting larger and larger? Is that marriage going to last? Or is that husband going to resent the fact that another man impregnated his wife?
In This America Rapist Get To Choose The Mothers of Their Children
So, why is it that republican men and women can never see that all of this is possible?
Because they just don’t think any of this can happen to them….until it DOES!
THEN, they wake up! But, there won’t be an Obama to save the day like in 2008, or 2012.
NO! There is a Trump for the rest of our lives. Or a Trump appointed successor.
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I would like to add something else. Trump has said that he will kick out all those welfare recipients from their housing. Are you prepared to see thousands of homeless people on the streets? Men, women, children, toddlers, babies? Are you o.k. with that? They will be dirty and begging. They will be hungry, sad, mistreated, abused. You o.k. with that? Because if you are a republican, then the answer is yes!
Oh, and let’s not forget all the new homeless animals that will be everywhere. Stray dogs and cats. But, don’t worry, according to Trump the immigrants will be eating them, so….
Your Children Will Be Scarred
Imagine being at school one day when a group of armed military storm in and round up some of your children’s classmates? Perhaps even their friends? Or simply that sweet girl Maria from math class? Your children will hear their screams and their cries of terror. Your children will see their fear. Your children will have nightmares over what they witness at school. Unless they are republicans in which case they probably don’t give a damn.
Perhaps they don’t even come for children. What if they come for your young teacher? Never to be seen again?
Is everyone o.k. with that? I guess if you’re republicans.
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I heard on Morning Joe this morning how the democrats need to do some sort of soul searching to find out where they went wrong in loosing this presidential election. Seriously Joe? The democrats have to do some soul searching? What would you like for them to become? Bully’s? Criminals? Rapists? Liar’s? When did the good ones need to do some soul searching? My country really is fucked up! But, there is nothing more I can do. And you know what I’ve discovered? They aren’t worth saving!
Julie
p.s. It’s time to delete those accounts. You know what I mean. Do it!
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August 3, 2024
Update on Skin Cancer Neck Wound
10 Week Update
The photo at left shows me with a bandaid on my neck. I don’t really need it, but I do use one when I go out because the wound is still unattractive. The photo at right, shows you the wound as it is now. It is getting smaller and healing nicely. It will just take some time before it smooths out and is no longer that worm looking thing on my neck. At least I no longer need those large bandages, and a simple bandaid will do. 🙂
Julie
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July 11, 2024
8 Week Update On My Skin Cancer On My Neck
(No Make-up Day)
I don’t believe the lighting is too good here. But, my wound is getting better. Next time I will shine a flashlight on it so that you can see it better. But, I am still allergic to the glue on the bandages.
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June 15, 2024
One Month Wound Check
See that white bandage left? That bandage that I asked for meant that the doctor I saw considered the wound check visit a ‘new visit,’ and charged me for it, along with my insurance company. The wound check is just that. Which means all is paid for they are just evaluating my wound. When I removed the bandage so that they could look at it, I asked if they could give me another to place on my neck as I would be doing some shopping and errands and I didn’t want my yucky neck exposed.
That prompted my doctor to see this as a new visit and charged me $37.00 for that bandage. Not to mention the several hundred they charged my insurance company. I no longer have respect for the woman that stitched my neck up. I will also be requesting a different doctor in the future.
I never complain to them, I just never go back.
My neck is healing nicely. I realize that it looks like my neck is sticking it’s tongue out at people. The doctor stitched it up, so that it will settle down. Had they stitched it flat, the wound would sink in. This way it won’t. It does take some time for it to settle. I’ll keep you posted.
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June 4, 2024
My Skin Cancer Wound is Healing
Lucky You! You Get 2 Yummy Photos!
It’s been about 3 weeks since the procedure. One reason is still looks a bit bad is because I had just ripped off the bandage before I took this photo. I am allergic to the glue on these bandage tapes. Therefore, you see all this redness.
I have tried some of the ‘organic’ kind, but they don’t stick very well. I pretty much need those bandages that are causing the allergic reaction just because they work.
I am my Grand-Daughter’s main care giver so I need it covered so that she won’t poke it or even be exposed to it. I also keep it covered when I go out and about so that no one has to look at it. 🙂 However, when I am at home alone, I cover it with Vaseline and leave it bare without a bandage.
I will get a ‘wound check’ in the next week or two from my Dermatologist. The redness goes away when I leave it uncovered, but it comes back immediately when I use the bandages.
My Catch 22!
I’m sure some of you are wondering why I would even show these very personal photos?
Answer: Because these kinds of things don’t bother me. I’m not trying to gross you out, I’m just giving you an insight into what it could be like for you, or someone you know and care about.
I was raised in a medical family where my step-father would show us the kidney stones that he removed from a patient that day. They were beautiful! We passed them around at the dinner table and looked at them with fascination. I guess that’s the reaction that I hope to get from you?
Julie
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May 31, 2024
Shopping Around For Bandages
If you are familiar with my Skin Cancer Neck Diagnosis, then you know that wearing a bandage around my neck is important for the healing process. I write about my Skin Cancer below….
Keeping a moist bandage with Vaseline on it, keeping my wound covered, will greatly help in the healing process so that my wound will smooth out around my neck, and not sink in causing it to look unattractive.
However, it turned out that I was allergic to the glue in the tape of both brands of bandages that I was using.
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So, I went shopping.
(See Bandages in my sink in photo above.)
I bought most everything that I could get my hands on. I need to wear a bandage when I am out and about. I also need to wear a bandage when I keep my Grand-Daughter Isabelle, but other than that, I don’t bother to wear one while I am at home. In order to heal the skin around my neck, I do need to keep it moist with Vaseline.
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May 26, 2024
You can see that I’m allergic to the glue in the bandages I’ve been using in the photo above.
You can see the redness all around my neck.
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May 29, 2024
Through experimentation, I think I’ve found my bandage that I can wear without it breaking me out and making me even more miserable. Because, after all, the wound isn’t just the problem. It’s also the irritation, rash, discomfort, and itching from the allergic reaction.
I’m wearing bandages when I go out in public, or when I am watching my Grand-Daughter.
Wound today, May 31, 2024
It’s looking better, but it does take time.
When I am at home I wear the kind of clothing that you see me wear above. I also keep my hair back in a pony tail in order to keep it away from my wound. I then smather the entire area with Vaseline so that it gets the moistness that it needs, without the irritation from the bandages.
I’ll keep track of it and let you know how things turn out. Oh, and most important, I am sleeping on towels so as not to get any of the Vaseline on my bedding. So far, it’s working out just fine.
Julie
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May 16, 2024
Everything is Changing, Everyone is New
(Hopefully, For the Better.)
And No, I Didn’t Try and Slit my own Throat
(No make up in the photo above left, just lipstick.)
All Bandaged Up!
Bandages for my Wound
(The waterproof are especially helpful for our humid Florida heat. They are sweat proof, humid proof, and waterproof.)
Earlier this week I went to have a Basel Cell Skin Cancer removed from my neck. It was discovered at a bi-yearly skin check recently.
I have my skin checked twice a year. Sometimes a suspicious area is discovered and a scraping will be taken and sent off to a lab for analysis. Most of the time everything is fine. But, sometimes it isn’t. This was one of those times. I have had Basel Cell skin cancer in the past in another area. Basel Cell is the most manageable of all the skin cancers. All they have to do is to make sure they carve out all of it, so as to not leave any behind. In the past they also found a Squamous Skin Cancer and they removed all of it. I have never had Melanoma, that is the most dangerous of skin cancers. Which is why I go for my bi-yearly skin checks in order to stay on top of my skin health.
I grew up in the south long before sunscreen. I spent many months outside playing in the sun, running around barefoot, I got sunburned, I freckled, I tanned. Then, once I got married to Gordon we moved to Florida. More sunburn, freckling, and tanning. Then we moved to Hawaii. More sunburn, freckling, and tanning. The beach was my life. And it shows too!
Now, ever since 2003 we are back in Florida. Sunscreen has been a part of my life since my late 20’s. I wish I had started using it sooner, but I was using it sooner than a lot of people that were still tanning with baby oil on their skin. (I have never done that!)
I also raised my children on sunscreen as to protect themselves. Luckily, they have been regular users their entire lives.
When I was growing up my mother would allow me to get sunburnt so as to teach me a lesson. When I was about 7 or 8 I got so sunburnt that my mother had to take me to the emergency room in Dahlonega, Georgia and have my back bandaged up. I had been to the Dahlonega City Pool for 2 days straight all day with no lotions or clothing protection. I was in so much pain but I was made to get dressed and go to some outdoor cookout party with my parents where I was so miserable and in so much pain I just laid down on some bench crying the entire time. I think it must have been out of embarressment that my parents finally took me to get medical attention.
Oh, and don’t think my mother was just some ignorant woman, she was a Medical Technologist with a 4 year college degree. And my step-father was the town doctor! So, they basically took me to HIS Emergency Room Hospital!
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Tending to My Wound
Twice a day I clean my wound with an anti-bacterial soap and water. I then pat it dry and apply a generous amount of Vaseline to my wound. And then place a bandage over it. You do NOT want it to air dry. It will sink in and become some yucky looking scar. You want to keep it moist as it heals. Therefore, I am doing my best to care for my wound so that it heals nicely. It is on my neck and I don’t want some ugly scar.
Did I Just Get a Mini Neck Lift?
The Dermatologist that removed my skin cancer is new and she is from India. I knew she would be good because Indians are very good with the body. They make great Coroners. Also, the Dermatologist that discovered my skin cancer is also new at the clinic where I go. New medical professionals for me to get used to. Luckily, I liked both of them, including the woman assisting the Indian Dermatologist removing my skin cancer.
I do wonder though, if I actually also got a free neck lift? After all, isn’t this the basic concept of a “facelift?” They make an incision, cut out some skin, stitch it up, and viola! A new neck! 🙂 We’ll see, right?
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My Heart Health
My Bleeding Heart Plant
About a month ago I had a CT Scan of my heart. My daughter Veronica went with me. I didn’t want to go by myself. It was in an area of Tampa that I wasn’t familiar with, and at a time of day that had huge traffic. Veronica knows that area so I just wanted her with me. Gordon is working overseas so I am more reliant on my daughter, son-in-law, and son Brodie.
I wasn’t worried about the procedure, I was just worried about finding the location and arriving on time in all that Tampa afternoon traffic. Having Veronica drive me just made me feel better. Sometimes we just need a support system of someone we trust to be with us. 🙂
Everything went fine and I had a follow up appointment with my heart doctor for the results, and for the treadmill stress test I had taken 6 weeks prior.
Turns out, I HAVE THE ARTERIES OF A 20 YEAR OLD!!!!!
(Bragging rights!)
But wait! There is bad news here…..
MY LIVER IS FATTY!
Probably from the amount of wine I drink, so…… I have to cut back.
That’s O.K. I can manage that. And I am! One glass a night now! 🙂
Depression may be setting in soon. I will let you know. 🙂
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All joking aside, I tell you these things about my health, and show you ugly photos of my skin cancers in the hopes that it will encourage you to keep up with your 60’s health.
When my heart doctor called me in through the waiting room for my appointment, I held the door for this very decrepit woman who needed to use the restroom. She was short, overweight, and using a walker. She just looked so old and in ill health.
After my appointment, when I was leaving, I encountered that same woman. She commented on the dress I was wearing. She said that she liked it and asked about it? I told her that it was a Lilly Pulitzer, a former Palm Beach, Florida designer, known for her shift dresses from the 1960’s. She then said, “Oh, that is before my time.” I then said inside my head, “Aren’t you like 80?” Seriously, I am older than her?
I suddenly felt like a 30 something young woman and wanted to immediately go out and eat a bunch of bacon!
I then realized that the reason my arteries are that of a 20 year old are because I don’t do those things!
Know this, just because my arteries are young, I still have health issues. I am working on those. Because I want to live and be around for my children and grandchildren. Plus, I have a TON of blogging to still do! I’m not done yet!
Take Care of Yourselves!
Julie
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March, 2024
You Know You’re Getting Old When You Buy Your First Caftan Like Dress..
(And You Like It!)
I am not one for wearing “tents,” but I do love this dress.
My fashion sense has changed over the past few years once I discovered Lilly Pulitzer.
A Palm Beach designer.
Lilly Pulitzer
Born November 10, 1941
I LOVE Her Shoppe!
She did die on April 7, 2013, (I think that’s the day my step-father died), but someone is continuing her legacy and doing a nice job of it. She was 81 years old upon her death. I love all the clothing and accessories. I even read not too long ago that there are Floridians that hang her vintage dresses around their homes. I love all the colors and prints!
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If you happened to find yourself strolling along Palm Beach’s tony Worth Avenue on a warm day in the mid-1950s, it wouldn’t be unusual to encounter a small rhesus monkey. The monkey (Goony, as he was known) would likely be perched on the shoulder of a young, barefoot woman named Lillian McKim Pulitzer, who—despite what her dirty toes and unkempt hair might imply—was a local Palm Beach socialite with a privileged pedigree.
Lilly with her First Husband. Herbert Pulitzer
(I love this picnic! I would have done the same thing with the coconuts. The more I learn about this woman, the more I see her as a soul sister.)
As Taken From:
For many people, the name Lilly Pulitzer conjures up images of an affluent, prim-and-proper woman on her way to the beach; not a free-spirited bohemian who loved martinis, loathed underwear (she rarely wore it), and toted her pet monkey around town. But Lilly Pulitzer had a penchant for surprising people, and the story of how she launched her namesake brand is no different: it began in the confines of a psychiatric hospital.
Lilly, 1961
(This is the year I was born. I have a feeling I would have liked her.)
The year was 1958 and Pulitzer, a just-married heiress and new mom, felt she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. (“In hindsight, I think it was really and truly postpartum [depression],” Lilly’s daughter Liza said in a phone interview.)
Not knowing what was wrong with her, Lilly did what any wealthy twenty-something would do—she checked herself into a mental health facility. (“In the old days, we used to call it Bloomingdale’s,” she joked.) “I had never had a responsibility in my life,” she said in a 1994 W magazine interview. “I couldn’t button my shoes or do my own pigtails…All I had ever had to do was get to my tennis lesson or ride my pony.”
Pulitzer spent several months in treatment and eventually received a startling diagnosis from the doctor. “There’s nothing the matter with you,” she recalled the physician saying. “You just need something to do.” And so, she decided to open a juice stand.
As the story goes, Lilly thought up her now-iconic shift dress while squeezing oranges from her husband’s orchard. The design would be printed to hide the juice stains, thick enough to go commando, and unfitted, to keep comfortable and cool in the Florida heat.
Lilly Pulitzer Exiting a Plane, Key West, Florida, 1963
(I LOVE this photo! That is my style!)
She asked a seamstress to create a sample, and before long, she was out of the juice business and into the dress business. “I asked my husband if we could put a few of my dresses in [his fruit shop], about 12 or 15,” Lilly told the Palm Beach Post in 1964. “He said ‘No—80!’ I said, ‘You’re out of your mind.'”
But they were an instant hit, even before Lilly developed a partnership with Key West Hand Prints, a screen-printing shop, which would become essential in establishing Lilly Pulitzer’s iconic vibrant aesthetic.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis Wearing a Lilly Pulitzer Dress in Italy
“The first Lillys were made from fabrics I’d buy in the dime stores in West Palm Beach,” she said in a 1971 interview in the Palm Beach Post. “We were a real shock to everyone. People thought the Lilly dress was a fad that would last about two years…We just picked up steam and kept going.”
The clothes sold because they were unlike anything else on the market.
“They were the antithesis of what most women were wearing at the time. In the late ‘50s, early ‘60s, women were corseting themselves to fit the clothes. They were wearing heavily constructed longline bras, panty girdles, full slips, stockings, stiletto heels—it was that Mad Men look, and Lilly would have none of that,” said Steven Stolman, who not only curated the brand’s 50th Anniversary Retrospective, and worked on the revival collection of Lilly Pulitzer in the ‘90s, but also had a personal friendship with the woman
herself. (Stolman is a regular contributor to TownandCountryMag.com).
“Remember, Lilly was not a little lady. She had a big personality, a huge heart, and an appetite for life. She loved good food and she loved a good cocktail,” he said.
Key to the success of the business was Lilly’s network of society women, both in Palm Beach and back in New York, but none of whom influenced the brand’s popularity quite like Jackie Kennedy.
After the first lady was photographed in Capri wearing a polka-dot Lilly Pulitzer shift in 1962, the business “took off like a zingo,” to quote the dressmaker herself. And by February of 1963, Lilly was the one being featured in magazines; the popularity of her clothes, which by that point were being sold in boutiques nationwide, had warranted her a Life spread of her own.
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Me, Wearing One of Many of My Lilly Pulitzer Dresses
I just wanted to say that I really do like her. Not just her clothing. She was a unique personality. I never knew she went around BAREFOOT, but hearing that just solidified my admiration of her.
I do shop her website and buy her clothing. What I love the most about it all are the loud colors. There was a time when I was so wearing so much black and all these dark colors. When I discovered her clothing I found myself wearing so many beautiful and loud colors. Bright and happy shades. It’s as if I wasn’t invisible anymore. I was suddenly seen, and admired.
I can’t tell you how many times I get compliments on her clothing that I wear. Just today I received a compliment. I have people that tell me they love the dress I’m wearing as I pass them by with my shopping cart, both men and women! I can be out at a restaurant and I will receive a compliment from the staff, or guests sitting at nearby tables. The clothing is truly magnificent!
All the colors also give a lift to my mood. Oh, the ‘Little Black Dress’ will always rule but, for all those other occasions, I like wearing color, many colors sometimes.
You know, I’ve been coming to Florida my entire life, probably having seen her clothing many times, I just didn’t connect it to her. Perhaps somewhere in the back of my mind I associate some of my happy Florida memories with some of her vintage clothing? Or the lovely ladies I saw wearing her dresses? Perhaps even my own Grandmother?
Either way, her clothing makes me happy. I will continue to wear her.
Thanks Lilly.
I would have loved to have known you.
I think we would have liked each other, seeing as how we have so much in common. You are an inspiration. RIP.
Julie
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February, 2024
Turning 63
February 13th., 2024, My Birthday
I feel as if I am at an Alcoholic’s Anonymous Meeting and I’m making a confession.
‘Hello, my name is Julie and I’m 63. I’ve been 63 now for a few hours. It’s been a rough journey but I’m still alive to tell my tale.’ 🙂
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My Birthday Dinner
Tiki Docks
(I wanted an Aloha Birthday.)
Gordon Carrying Isabelle
Brodie and Mackenzie
Veronica, Isabelle, and Brian
Isabelle, Being Entertained by her Dancing Fruit and Vegetables
(I have a problem with this but, I’ll get to that in the future.)
My Tiki Docks Cocktail, The Painkiller
(In my Lovely Souvenir Cup.)
Cheers!
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Our Appetizers Before Dinner
Fish Spread on Pork Rinds (This was GOOD!)
Scallops
Pork Nachos (Ours are Better.)
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Veronica and Gordon’s Shrimp Tacos
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My Coconut Shrimp and Fries
(I should have photographed them before I added all the Ketchup.) 🙂
Mackenzie’s Shrimp Ceviche
Brian’s Pulled Pork and Fries
And, I believe that Brodie also ordered Scallops for Himself.
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Gordon Lighting My Birthday Candles
I wanted my birthday cake to be Isabelle’s first taste of Sugar. It was!
Gordon, Gettin’ Some Sugar 🙂
We all met up at Tiki Docks for my birthday. We all have Hawaii on our minds right now. The reason will be revealed in the future. Although, to be honest, Hawaii is always on my mind. Hawaii is like the greatest love I have ever had, but lost. The memories are beautiful, exciting, seductive, obsessive, and heart warming. They say that it takes most people 6 months to get over leaving a place. It took us 2 years to get over leaving Hawaii, and even then I’m not sure we are over it. It sometimes hurts to think about Hawaii. In the same way it hurts to talk about the greatest love you have ever had in your life, and then lost. Kind of like going from riches to rags. I miss the riches!
Back Home:
Late Night Snack of Hawaiian Chocolate Macadamia Nuts
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Thoughts On Turning 63
To be perfectly honest, this is all new for me.
On the one hand, I am so much happier on the inside being 63, yet uglier on the outside, being 63.
Most days I don’t fix myself up. I am my Grand-Daughters main care giver so there are many days of no make up and styled hair. There is stringy wet hair that she tends to pull, and a very plain looking me, while wearing big glasses that she loves to look at the reflections they pick up. Comfortable clothing, not frumpy is a must, but comfy.
I’m not here to tell you how wonderful it is being 63, that will depend on your own health.
And I think that if I didn’t have a website I would probably feel so much better about taking photos of myself at 63. Being in the spotlight, whether large or small, seems to come with some responsibility, and some angst as well.
Some days when I feel so wonderful about myself, I’ve just gotten out of the shower with wet stringy hair, put on nice comfy pajamas, no make up, no hair styled, just wearing a color that looks good on me and I feel so beautiful! However, if you were to take a photo, I’m not sure I would actually be beautiful. Why can’t feeling beautiful, be beautiful? I ask you?
Why does everything have to be so visual?
I want to age gracefully. I do not want to photo shop my pictures. To me that is such a waste of time. Not posting how you really look is deceitful. If you feel the need to disguise how you really look then just put someone else’s photo as your Avatar. Just sayin’.
I just want my photos that I post on this website to be honest. Not airbrushed, or photo shopped. I may not always be beautiful enough, but I do want my photos to be honest enough.
Julie
P.S. I will say this about Tiki Docks, they didn’t have a good Hawaii menu, they had a Florida version of a Hawaii menu. I would have loved some Mahi-Mahi, Ahi Tuna, etc. It just wasn’t to be here. But, the company was wonderful!
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jANUARY 21, 2024
lEARNING tO lOVE mY aLARM cLOCK
fIRST OF ALL, i lOVE gROUNDHOG dAY!
iT IS ACTUALLY PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND RIGHT NOW AS i WRITE THIS. iT IS A FAVORITE MOVIE OF MINE. 🙂
i CHOSE THIS aLARM cLOCK AS IT REPRESENTS HOW i FEEL EVERY TIME MY ALARM GOES OFF EARLY IN THE MORNING.
i WOULD LIKE TO CONFESS SOMETHING TO YOU. wHENEVER MY ALARM CLOCK GOES OFF EARLY IN THE MORNING i HAVE ptsd. rEALLY!
i DON’T THINK THAT ANYONE LOVES IT WHEN THEIR ALARM GOES OFF EARLY IN THE MORNING. bUT FOR ME, IT BRINGS ME BACK TO MY YOUTH IN GETTING UP EARLY TO GET READY FOR SCHOOL, WHERE i WAS BULLIED HORRIBLY, aND, IT TAKES ME BACK TO MY DAYS OF WORKING JOBS WHERE i WAS VERY UNWANTED AND UNHAPPY.
sO, WHEN MY ALARM GOES OFF IT MAKES ME VERY SAD. i’M NOT JUST SAD TO BE GETTING UP EARLY, i’M SAD AT ALL THE UNHAPPY MEMORIES THAT IT BRINGS FLOODING BACK TO ME. tHAT IS THE ptsd!
hOWEVER, IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, OUR ALARM CLOCKS ARE ONLY DOING WHAT WE TELL THEM TOO, WHAT WE ASK THEM TO DO?
aND, ALTHOUGH WE MAY NOT BE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DAY IT IS AWAKENING US UP TO, IT IS WAKING US UP TO PREPARE FOR THAT DAY.
sOMETIMES WE NEED THAT PREPARATION. oUR ALARM CLOCK GIVES US THAT.
aLTHOUGH i STILL HATE IT WHEN MY ALARM CLOCK GOES OFF EARLY IN THE MORNING, i AM MORE APPRECIATIVE OF IT THAN i WAS. i AM COMING TO VIEW IT AS A FRIEND, NOT AN ENEMY. iT DOES TAKE SOME WORK TO SEE IT THAT WAY. bUT, AS i SEE IT, i DO HAVE THE TIME.
i DO HAVE TO ADMIT THAT MY FAVORITE DAYS ARE THOSE WHERE i DON’T HAVE TO SET AN ALARM. lIKE TOMORROW MORNING. oR THE WEEKENDS. dAYS WHERE i CAN SLEEP IN UNTIL i DECIDE WHEN TO GET UP.
fOR THOSE DAYS WHEN i DON’T HAVE THAT OPTION. i THANK MY ALRAM CLOCK FOR GETTING ME UP TO PREPARE ME FOR THE DAY AHEAD.
jULIE
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September 14, 2023
THE DENTIST
For the first time in 4 years I had a dental appointment today. I am embarrassed to admit that I haven’t seen my dentist in 4 years, not since the pandemic started. I have pretty good teeth and gums. I take very good care of my mouth. However, it is unrealistic to think that I don’t need a dentist ever. Of course, I do. I have just been a bit paranoid about Covid. I have never had it. One reason, because I avoid places like the dentist. It is the one place where we can’t wear a mask, and we are vulnerable to the people that we are around.
With Gordon working overseas now for the foreseeable future, I especially don’t want to encounter any sort of illness that I will then have to take care of on my own.
It looks as if I don’t have any dental issues other than a good deep cleaning, as in numbing me up in order to do so, AND, only being able to do half of my mouth at a time. So, two appointments to get the job done. I’m dreading it, but I will do what is necessary to keep me healthy.
I did notice something at my dentist’s office while I was there today. Things just seemed different. I recognized a lot of the same people. Some were new, but plenty were still there from years ago. Although everyone was professional, there just seemed to be a ‘cloud’ hovering over head. A sadness that wasn’t there before. I really don’t know why? Just an observation and a feeling on my part. My favorite dental hygienist, Rhonda (not her real name), was especially different. Not as friendly, not as happy, she even implied that she was looking for another job. To tell you the truth, she was the main reason I loved going there. She and I would watch The Price is Right on the exam room T.V. and laugh about jokes from Saturday Night Live.
It’s sad how things change. People change. I’ll still continue to go there. I like the place. I’m just noticing a difference in people’s behavior. Perhaps this is a reflection on what is going on out there in our country. It’s the working class that will be affected by whatever our politician’s come up with. Whether good, or bad.
Julie
P.S. You need to go to the dentist whether you want to or not. We just need to get through it. Our mouth health is just as important as our body health. We can do it! Just make the appointments, show up, and deal with it. 🙂
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September 8, 2023
Christie Brinkley and the ‘No Filter’
I tried to copy the original photo that she posted months ago and entitled, No Filter. I couldn’t manage to copy it in order to post it here, but I do have these lovely photos of her. It was a few months ago that Christie posted a photo of herself in New York, in her car, that she had entitled ‘No Filter.’
She then received a barrage of criticism into her looks. Some people were quite cruel. All that I can say is, we should all be so lucky as to look like her in our late 60’s!
I believe where Christie went wrong was to advertise that she was using a “No Filter.” I think when you do that, you are implying that all of your past photos had a filter, thus inviting scrutiny. I’m sure that it is very easy to invite scrutiny into your life without even wanting it. The press is always there to pounce on celebrities.
But, as we age we tend to grow into a new and different person. Our clothing sense does change and become different. Perhaps a bit more conservative, but that’s o.k. Our hairstyles change as well. Not as elaborate as they once were. Easier hairstyles to meet our more casual lifestyle as we age.
The next time Christie is condemned for not being perfect, then I would just breathe a sigh of relief that she has the life that she does. Why care what some average mind thinks about her?
She is a very good person. Most of the time she is aware of her influence on the public, And most of the time she tones it down when she needs to. Some times she does forget that, but, we can forgive her because she is a nice person.
More Power To Her!
Julie
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September 8, 2023
Pajama Comfort
One thing that I absolutely love, are comfortable pajamas!
I especially love a Sunday where I can get out of the shower, and put on a pair of comfy cozy pajamas for the day.
Invest in something that you love and is comfortable. I love attractive, yet comfy. This is our day to veg!
Julie
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March, 2023
I Am Being Left Behind
I just got a phone call today cancelling my doctor appointment with my family care physician for this Friday. He rescheduled me for the end of the month. This was an important appointment for me because I have not seen my bloodwork results in over a year. The last blood work I did was at my old clinic and that appointment was cancelled on me at the last minute just when I was supposed to find out the results for that blood work. Which is why I left that clinic because they had a habit of cancelling on me and I needed more reliable healthcare. I just had my blood work done last week and I was anxious to find out these results as I am a borderline diabetic, otherwise known as a pre-diabetic.
At the end of 2022 when I was supposed to take the heart stress tests at my cardiologist’s office, I was in that office for hours past my appointment time. As it was, I was in a weakened state with no breakfast or coffee so as not to interfere with the results. I was supposed to get on the treadmill. At one point they did come out to the waiting room to let me know that the patient in front of me was having trouble and I would be seen eventually. I honestly tried to stay alert and awake for another 40 minutes later, but I just couldn’t. So, I left! I let the office know, but I just felt as if I was being neglected. I also realized that most every appointment I have there, I am kept waiting long past my appointment time while I see so many others being seen before me. Sometimes I wonder if that is done intentionally?
I did have my mammogram and pap smear on Valentine’s Day of this year. 🙂
That all went smoothly and I’ve already gotten the results back and they were good!
I made the appointments specifically for Valentine’s Day because I couldn’t think of anything better that I could do for myself.
I would like to say that I did have a follow up with my cardiologist and saw another doctor instead and he said that everything looked good. I don’t go back for a year. I am just trying to catch up with my health. I feel as if I am doing my part but the so-called healthcare professionals aren’t. Sometimes I feel like I am on my own, all alone in the world to just squeak by until I drop dead one day. I have an unborn grandchild that I need to be healthy for. Our son-in-law Brian just lost his mother to a heart attack, she was 61. I am 62. My granddaughter deserves a grandmother, and it is going to be me. Treadmill, treadmill, treadmill….. 🙂
Julie
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February 13, 2023
Happy Birthday to ME!
62!
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September 24, 2022
My Cardiologist
For those that are regular readers of my many blogs I have on this website, then you know that I see a Cardiologist.
My heart is fine, as far as I know, but I do have a family history of both of my parents sides where heart attacks are prevalent.
Therefore, I do see my heart doctor every 6 months for a check up, and every few years for the heart stress tests.
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It was over a month ago while I was waiting to see my doctor in the exam room when I suddenly heard steps coming down the hallway. They weren’t the soft shuffle of orthopedic shoes from old doctor Blank, (although I am probably older than ‘old doctor Blank’), they were the steps of stiletto heels. Confident stiletto heels! Judging by the length of the steps of the person walking down the hallway, I would say it is a tall woman with long legs. Also, judging by the weight of the steps and the sound resonating, I can tell she is a beautiful woman. How do I know this? Those steps taken were of confidence! Those steps were not steps, they were struts! Someone that confident walking down the hallway, strutting, is obviously gorgeous! The last time I heard the strutting of confident stiletto’s was on a runway when I was modeling in my youth.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I then said, “Come in.” That was when the door suddenly opened as if by magic. Standing there was a tall woman, wearing a lab coat over her skirt, and wearing stiletto heels. She was Latina. Her hair was blowing! Why the hell is her hair blowing? I then realized the A/C had kicked in and the fan in the ceiling was aimed towards her. O.k., whew!
She then entered the room….
ALLOOOOOW, How are Jew??
She was gorgeous!
Yes, My doctor is Sophia Vergara…
Tall, slim, wavy brown hair down to her waist, perfectly coiffed. She told me her name, but I can’t remember it? She told me that my usual doctor, old doctor Blank, who is probably younger than me, was at the hospital with a patient and she was seeing his patients today. She then asked me the usual questions that I get asked every 6 months at my appointments. You know, the standard, have you had any chest pains, or hospitalizations since my last appointment?
I told her no.
She then realized that she had forgotten her STEEEETHOSCOOOOPE, and left the room to get it.
It was while she was gone that I looked down at my flip flops on my feet. My eyes then moved up to my new colorful Lily Pulitzer skort that I was wearing, and a black cap sleeve t-shirt. When I got ready that day I thought I looked kind of cute…. until about 5 minutes ago. 🙁
When she came back in I told her that I didn’t realize I would be seeing Sofia Vergara today.
She then threw her head back and burst out laughing with this very loud booming, yet charming laugh. She had a huge smile. Her hair flew back as she laughed, then fell back into perfect place. Yep, you guessed it, she has Disney Princess Hair! 🙁
She then told me that all of her patients call her Sophia.
Patients? She has patients?
I wanted to ask her if her patients were still alive? I mean, how many have died of a heart attack BECAUSE she is their doctor?
Not only did she look like Sophia Vergara, she also sounded like her. She must have read my mind because she then went on to explain that even though Sophia Vergara is from Columbia, and she is from Puerto Rico, that when they speak English they sound the same. She also told me that the Colombian people speaking their native language sounds as if they are singing. I thought that was a beautiful thing to say. She also told me that when she speaks Spanish that she sounds very rough.
The appointment went well and she ordered my heart stress tests. But, it was as I was leaving and in the waiting area for my next appointments that I realized that I could pick every pocket in this room and no one would notice! Everyone would be looking at her! Even though there are cameras here, even the security watching wouldn’t notice a thing because they were be looking at her!
I then thought that if I could just convince her to go the supermarket with me and ask someone about this jar of Peeeekkkkeelllllssss, that a large crowd would gather around her and I could wipe out every cash register there!
We Could Be RICH!!!!
It was then that I realized, why am I contemplating a life of crime? It was a nice little fantasy that I had for about 5 minutes. I then reluctantly came back to Earth, (although I know damn well we could pull it off!) Wink. Wink..
After spending some time with my doctor, Sofia Vergara, I then totally understand what it must have been like on the set of Modern Family to be Claire?
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I did go for my Treadmill Stress Tests a few weeks later, but after being neglected in the waiting room for hours I decided to reschedule and just leave and go home. I could barely keep my head up and my eyes awake. I didn’t have much sleep the night before and I wasn’t allowed caffeine before I take the test, so being in a weakened state I decided to leave.
There have been many days that I have been left waiting in the large waiting room without being called. I can’t tell you how many times I see everyone in that waiting room being called back, while I’m still sitting there. I have even asked a time or two if I have been forgotten?
You are probably wondering why I still go? I have looked into leaving and seeing another Cardiologist, but I figure they all probably know each other and I’ll just get blacklisted at the next location, and thus get the same treatment. Therefore, I just take a book or two and try and occupy myself during the wait. I’ve also decided that I will give them an adequate amount of time and if I’m not seen then I will leave. Thus, they won’t get paid. I have discovered that people are different now. Not as professional as when I was growing up. Also, people just seem to be more selfish and petty, vindictive, etc…
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I Fell In Love With My Heart
I did go for my Echocardiogram last week. Interestingly enough, I was seen fairly quickly that time. Not that that is what I want? I just want to be seen in a reasonable amount of time and not kept waiting for 2 1/2 hours at a time, every time.
The Echocardiogram is when they take an ultrasound of your heart. Kind of like when you are pregnant and they do a scan to see your baby?
The woman that did my scan was very professional, something I greatly appreciate, but she must have weighed over 300 pounds. Why is it so many health care industry workers are so obese? If anyone should understand how deadly that is, you would think that they would? I especially thought that the woman doing my scan, who looks at how hard hearts work every day, that she above all people should understand the importance of loosing weight?
As I lay there on the exam table and she placed the monitor on my heart and I could see it so clearly, I was enthralled! It looked so beautiful! I realize that sounds so ridiculous for me to say, but I just fell in love with it. My heart was just so busy and working so hard that I was grateful. Grateful to that little organ that is working so hard for me. I just wanted it to take a break from all that hard work and rest. Then I realized that I would die if it took some time off! It just gave me a greater appreciation for it, that’s all.
You know, just because someone dies of cancer, or diabetes, or an accidental death, or even a murder or suicide, in the end we all die of the exact same thing, our hearts stop beating.
Maybe all of us should fall in love with our hearts? 🙂
Julie
p.s. Next month I go for my Treadmill Stress Tests and then I see my doctor to get the results of the tests. I’m assuming everything will be good, but you never know? I’ll let you know.
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April 5, 2022
Colonoscopy Day, April 6th.
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Colonoscopy Prep, April 4th. and 5th. (ugh!)
Although I have blogged about my last two colonoscopy’s, you now get to hear about my third.
Lucky you!
My first one was at age 52. That prep went fairly smoothly and even the surgery went nicely. Except that I am prone to polyps, so my doctor recommended that I have a second one at age 55. I did. Everything went fine, except I was sick during the “prep.” Nothing wrong, just sick from sucking down yucky broth and drinking all that crap that they have you drink. You know, that Magnesium Citrate. Yuck! I don’t care how much lemon they put in it, it’s gross.
At this writing I am 61. I was supposed to get my 3rd. colonoscopy at age 60, but because of the pandemic I kept putting it off until I felt better about it. Now, I’ve decided it’s time. I hope that by postponing it for a year that I didn’t make a mistake. But, in these times I believe that we need to weigh the odds and make calculated decisions based on many things that are going on around us.
I’m seeing a different doctor for this colonoscopy. You see, the doctor that did my last 2 was always shoving this last form to be signed in my face when I am in the operating room. I didn’t have my glasses to read it. I think that’s why they do it. It’s probably a form exonerating him and his staff from killing me if they do so. The fact that they would slip it in right before my surgery made me no longer trust him or want anything to do with him. I also woke up from my last colonoscopy hearing him yell horribly at his staff. I don’t know what that was about, but when they noticed I was awake they all quickly shut up.
Tomorrow will be a new doctor and staff, and if they shove some paper in my face as I am in the operating room without my glasses then I will loudly protest and we will just see what happens.
My Liquid Diet
This is a much better “Prep Diet” than I have had before. In the past I was only allowed water, white grape or cranberry juice, and broth. But, this diet gives me coffee, sugar, jello, sodas, popsicles, etc.
Even though I have the thing memorized, I do keep consulting it just to see if I missed something. For example, cheddar biscuits, or pancakes? I just keep expecting those foods to appear. One can hope.
My Last Meal (April 3rd.)
Fried Chicken, Italian Green Beans, and Cheddar Biscuits
These green beans are the closest that I can find to my grandmother’s pressure cooker green beans. They are pretty good. Hers were just better.
I always put some thought into my last meal before a colonoscopy. After all, it really could be my last meal. Anytime any of us has surgery and we are put to sleep we always run the chance that we may not wake up from it. Therefore, I wanted my old southern favorites.
My Last Meal at Noon on April 4th.
A Repeat of the Night Before
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Afternoon of April 5th.
It’s time for me to start drinking my second bottle of Magnesium Citrate. I’m choking it down. It’s very sour and it kind of makes me sick. I am then supposed to chase it with 10 ounces of a clear liquid. I am to do this 3 times today. My stomach is so huge from all this liquid that I easily look 7 months pregnant.
I am chasing it with a green Jolly Rancher’s candy.
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Green Jello
I do like that I can have green Jello. So far, this has been breakfast and lunch. It will probably be dinner too. I do love slurping it between my teeth. Good thing I am alone.
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Gordon just called. He is on his way home from work, and looking for me some other popsicle’s besides green and orange. Fingers crossed that he is successful!!!!!
(After today I don’t think I’m going to eat the color green for a long while.)
To Be Continued…..
April 7, 2022
I wanted to continue where I left off.
Straining the Noodles out of the Chicken Soup
I do have to say that this colonoscopy prep was my worst so far. I thought the schedule was a bit screwed up. As in at what times you are supposed to do this and that. They had me drinking that Magnesium Citrate at 12:00, 2:00, and 4:00 p.m. Then, they had me take 4 Dulcolax at 7:00 p.m. (Of course I was going to be up all night, if you know what I mean?)
(Am I the only one that flosses after eating Jello?)
I would have preferred to have taken the laxatives earlier in the day so that I could have had a good night’s sleep the night before my surgery. But NO! I must have gotten out of bed and headed to the bathroom a good 8 times before 2:30 a.m. THAT, was when I really got sick!
I am sorry that I am about to get graphic, but I also want to explain to you what all I went through. Perhaps, it may help you in some way with your experience.
Well, it was 2:30 a.m. and I headed for the bathroom, once more. As I was sitting on the Throne of Whann, I suddenly started to feel funny, as in strange. I broke out in this terrible sweat! I was hot as hell! My entire body was wet with sweat! It was then that I imagined that this is how I am going to go? On the toilet, just like Elvis. Gordon is going to wake up tomorrow only to find my dead body, face down on the floor, and butt upwards. The last image in Gordon’s head of me is going to be THAT!
It was then that I screamed for Gordon!!!!
He came running into the bathroom! He asked me what was wrong? I then told him that I am going to die unless I get some water in my dehydrated body! Gordon then said, “No. You can’t drink anything after midnight.” I then informed him of the instructions on the list for those that take important medications. According to the instructions they are allowed to take their meds right before surgery. Exactly how do you think they are supposed to take them without drinking any water? By shoving them up their noses?? No! They get water! And if THEY get water, I get water!!! GET ME WATER!!!!
So, needless to say, I got a little bit of water. He also gave me a washcloth that he had doused in cold water and I placed it all over my face, neck, and chest. That cooled me down. I also had him to lay a big towel on the bed for me to lay on, and not get my sweaty wet body on the sheets. I also used an old blanket to cover me with so that I wouldn’t ruin our bedding.
Oh, and I was also nauseous. But, there was nothing to throw up, so….
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After all that drama I was able to get to sleep for a few hours. When my alarm went off the next morning, I got up and showered. I didn’t drink any water, BUT, I did rinse my mouth out with water just to keep it moist. I didn’t swallow, I just spit it out in the sink. I did this up until it was time to leave for my appointment. I would also dip my finger into a glass of water and place it into my mouth. Just a little bit of moistness.
I was able to get ready and we did leave the house and headed out where we needed to go for my appointment. From then on it really was smooth sailing. We arrived at the surgery center, checked in, and waited to be called back. I was very impressed with everyone that I encountered. When I was signing the paperwork I did tell the girl that I am not signing anything while I am in the operating room. So, therefore, I want all paperwork here in front of me now. She said that there is no paperwork other than what is here. And that they would never do that to any patient. I then felt better that there would be no surprises from that point on. 🙂
It was when I was wheeled into the operating room and I met all the nurses that one of the nurses was asking some weird questions to the other nurses. What letter comes before _urse? Is it curse? Purse? What can it be?
As I am just laying there, I wondered if she was doing a crossword puzzle? The other nurses joined in with great relish. They were all wracking their brains over what could be that letter? There was also very nice music in the operating room. It was a bit jazzy. I liked it. I do know from my step-father being a surgeon that they have fun in the operating room. It isn’t as dramatic as the old medical shows would dictate on T.V. There is levity. They do laugh. It was then that one of the nurses suddenly realized that the _urse, was NURSE!
Kind of alarming that the Nurses never figured out until a long time later that the word they were trying to figure out was the word NURSE?
Well, things went well for me. They did find one polyp that they removed. According to them it doesn’t look like cancer. But, I will find out eventually as they did send it off.
It was on our way home from my colonoscopy that we hit up 3 fast food restaurants.
I pretty much got fried chicken, fried chicken, and fried chicken!
Hey! Death by Fried Chicken? Really isn’t such a curse. It’s my heritage.
All for now!
Julie
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March 4, 2022
Referrals, Where Do I Even Begin?
Because Gordon is a retired Navy Chief, 20 years in the military, we have very good health insurance. However, it was during the pandemic that our once great top of the line medication’s and insurance were suddenly reduced to generic pills and creams. Gone was my top of the line Dexilent, to some generic pills that are supposed to do the same to help my heartburn. My $1,200.00 foam to kill pre-cancer on my chest is no longer, but replaced with a generic cream that is supposed to do the same. (I hope so.) I’m using it now.
As it was, it was hard enough making medical appointments. I can’t just call some foot doctor and make an appointment for a foot ailment of mine. Oh no, in the past I had to make an appointment with my family practitioner to get the referrals so that can make the various appointments. That was hard enough. But now, we have to make an appointment with our family practitioner, ask for the referrals, and now they are sent up to our insurance company for them to APPROVE! APPROVE!? Can You Believe It?
They now need to be approved? It’s as if they just assume that I love to have a Colonoscopy? Damn!, I want 2 of them a year! Not to mention that Mammography! I LOVE having my boobs smooshed in a machine! Oh! And! You know that yearly Pap Smear of mine? Make that 2 a year! Yeah! Love ’em! I so love that vaginal scrape!
This is what we are up against right now. I have a pre-cancer on my back that needs to be cut out soon. I also have a Colonoscopy that needs to happen in the next month, as I am prone to polyps. Yet, who knows? I am at the mercy of generic people to do what they need to do in order to make this happen. Are they competent? Or, are they losers? I guess I will see.
The very sad thing is that this should be basic health care for us. We are pretty healthy people as it is. It’s just maintenance. I just feel as if I am at the mercy of a system that is not in my favor. I’ll let you know the rest…..
Julie
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On February 13, 2022
I Just Turned 61!
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January 21, 2022
I Have a Rash Underneath My Eye
Your first thought is probably, ‘Gee Julie, why in the world do we care about your eye rash?’
Well, I’m gonna tell ya, smarty pants.
Right now I am just ‘surviving.’
I have had itching underneath the eyelashes on my right eye now for about 2 months. The first month I just had the itching, then some red bumps appeared after that. I knew that I needed to have it seen so I waited until my family practice appointment which I had a few weeks ago. The Nurse Practitioner that I saw sort of blew me off about it. She even said that giving me an antibiotic isn’t worth it for that small of a rash. She then recommend an ointment for me to use to apply to it. I asked her to give me a brand name that I can go and purchase? She wracked her brain trying to think of something and that is when she suggested Neosporin Ointment. I am very familiar with Neosporin as it is a staple in our house. I also believe that it was originally an ointment used for dog wounds. My late step-father, being the retired surgeon that he was, would tell us about things like that.
So, without even reading my Neosporin Ointment tube, I came home and applied some of the ointment to the bumps underneath my eye. It was about 30 minutes later that some of the ointment drifted into my eye and I got concerned about it. That’s when I did my reading and found out that it cannot get into the eye. And, not to use it around the eye. So, I flushed my eye to get it out and then called Gordon who was on his way home from work and asked him to stop into a drug store on his way home and find an ointment for me that can go around the eye.
(I’m mad at myself for just taking the word of this Nurse Practitioner, and not doing the research myself. Never assume these “experts” know what they are talking about.)”
I have sort of just self-diagnosed the rash around my eye as Eczema.
I have never had Eczema before so this is new for me. My mother and brothers have always had Eczema around their eyes but I was always spared that problem. Until now.
I do have an appointment with my Dermatologist in a few weeks. Shannon will take care of me. I’ll just deal with my eye rash until then. In the meantime, Gordon found an ointment for me that is for the eyes. It needs to be a sterile ointment. Gordon had to go to a few drug stores before he was able to find something. I always told him about how people from India are excellent where the body is concerned. They make excellent Coroner’s. So, when Gordon saw a man from India behind the Pharmaceutical counter he approached that man and he recommended the ointment.
Turns out, it does take away the itching and it does feel better, but my rash is still there.
I need medical attention, but I did not get what I needed from my Family Practice at my last appointment so I am going to just suffer through with this until I see my Dermatologist soon.
This is the American healthcare system, broken as it is.
Seeking help from our professionals doesn’t mean that you will receive it.
Julie
p.s. This ointment must emit some sort of vapor that fogs up the middle of my computer glasses on my right eye. I get that foggy spot in that same area no matter which pair of glasses I wear. Interesting.
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January 11, 2022
New Glasses and My Health
In December of 2021 Gordon and I finally made appointments for our eye exams and new glasses. Covid kept us away. It had been 3 1/2 years since our last appointment. Seeing as how they opened a new optical facility on the military base in Tampa, and had a large assortment of glasses, we decided to go there for our eye health.
Turns out my eye’s hadn’t changed that much in 3 1/2 years, much to my satisfaction. But, none the less, I picked out a new pair of frames with my new prescription. I also took in an additional 3 pairs of my old glasses to have the new prescription placed in them. I also brought in a pair of glasses to be made into computer glasses. You see, I don’t use my regular glasses when I am online. I don’t like the Progressive Lenses getting in my way of viewing the computer screen. Therefore, in the past I would always wear a pair of reading glasses. Except that I have different vision in each eye. One eye is a 3 and the other eye is a 4.5. I have astigmatism in one eye. I do love my new computer glasses, but I’m not so crazy about the new lenses in my old glasses, or my new pair I picked out. They just don’t turn as dark as my old ones used to. I like having the transition lenses that are sunglasses when I am outside, and regular glasses when I am inside. Therefore, I will be taking them back to be made to be darker when necessary.
Now that it is January I do get to pick out a new pair with my insurance so I am going to try and get a nice pair of prescription sunglasses. We do go kayaking and canoeing so an outdoor pair will be very nice.
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My Labs
It was back in September 2021 that I had my labs done and they were not good. I weighed 155 on their scale. (I actually think that my accurate weight was more like 158. I had diarrhea the day before and I was empty, if you know what I mean.) So, I was actually thrilled to hear their scale register me at 155, I figured it would be more like 160.
I was told that if I didn’t make some changes in my weight and diet that I would be a diabetic. Therefore, I decided to make some changes. I started choking down that Fish Oil everyday, (lemon flavor my ass!) I also started taking a pill to help control my sugar levels. I also cut out my morning bagel, potato chips, Doritos, and potatoes. I also started eating less. Although, I don’t eat a whole lot as it is.
I was originally scheduled at the end of December to see my family practice nurse practitioner but my appointment was cancelled because she had Covid. I didn’t know that at the time. It was about a week later when I went in for my rescheduled appointment that she told me she had Covid the week of New Year’s. She told me that her entire family had it. Her husband, son, parents, nieces, nephews, etc. The thing is I’m not surprised to hear it. She was very careless when I first met her a year ago when she carelessly whipped off her mask after me telling her I had only had the 1 shot so far. I was really surprised that she just took my word for it. She didn’t even know me. She was new at my clinic and that was our first meeting. I really like her. I’m glad she is o.k. but she did say that even though she was fully vaxxed and boosted that Covid really kicked her ass.
I went into my appointment expecting to hear the worst about my latest labs. Although interestingly enough I was in a great mood that day and I kept chastising myself for it. After all, consciously I assumed I’d hear bad news and subconsciously I think I knew I would hear good news. Well, subconscious won!
I did weigh in at 152. A weight loss of 3 pounds (officially) although I think I probably lost a good 6 pounds.
I was thrilled to hear that everything was better! My triglycerides were good, my sugar was good, my kidney’s are registering at a 95 even though a good kidney is at a 60. I thought it was funny when they remarked that I must drink a lot of water for my kidney’s to be so perfect. (Right. Try Ginger Ale and Red Wine!) Water? Honestly!
My cholesterol was down, but still higher than it should be. Still working on that one.
Making changes does work! I knew that they did but I have gotten lazy over the past few years. I no longer want to do that. At this writing I have so much to do around my home that I really need to focus on that. Putting Christmas away, bringing down from the attic the rest of the Christmas that we haven’t gone through and sorting it all out and giving it away to Veronica and Brodie. Also, we have old furniture up there that we need to get rid of. Either by donating or selling. Probably donating because it’s just easier.
I may not be on my treadmill right now but I am very busy and active around my home. An active lifestyle isn’t always about exercising, it’s also about just constantly being in motion. I want to get some of these projects and work done around our house so that I can actively get back on my treadmill. Right now I am working on my diet and getting our house back in order. And dare I say it? Downsizing! 🙁
I also have about 5 referrals for medical that I need to take care of in the next few months. As far as I know everything is fine with me for now. My referral appointments will give me more insight into my health. After all, we are running a marathon.
Julie
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December 30, 2021
Trying to Incorporate More Healthy Pasta Into My Life
I’ll be giving more of a healthy food update to this post soon. But for now, I’m trying to change my old eating habits and incorporate healthier foods.
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December 29, 2021
Ageing, Or Just Letting Go?
I really debated about writing this because I am about to use a woman as my example for this blog posting because she is the perfect example of what I have been looking for in showing the difference between ageing and letting oneself go. I guess you could say that I am about to “fat shame” someone. I realize that is a taboo in our society, and it should be, but I’m hoping that by doing this I am perhaps helping other women to consider loosing some weight themselves and becoming healthier as we age. As well as to give myself encouragement to keep going in my own struggles.
The woman’s name is Greta Scacchi and she is 61 years old. I myself will be 61 in about a month and a half. I’m using her as the example because she is in her 60’s.
I saw an article in a U.K. tabloid. Your first question probably is, ‘why am I reading a tabloid?’ This particular tabloid gives us more information on what goes on in our own country than our news outlets do here in America, so to answer your question. That’s why.
Just to give you an example. When the Parkland shooting took place on Valentine’s Day 2018, our news wasn’t giving any official number of dead. I read about the 17 dead in that tabloid HOURS before our news was reporting the tragic number. Why? Don’t know? But, I now turn to them as an additional source of information as they have a track record of being fairly accurate in our own country reporting.
The photo I saw of Ms. Scacchi was a tabloid photo. Obviously, she wasn’t posing for it. But, she was in a public place and she chose to wear that swimsuit out in public. It’s not like she was in her backyard when the paparazzi chose to intrude on her privacy. I’m sure she knew she would be photographed especially since she was with her daughter who is a celebrity in her own right and was married to Sean Penn.
For those of you that may not know of her, she was an actress in the 80’s and 90’s probably most known for her role in Presumed Innocent with Harrison Ford.
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Greta always had this very unique look about her. She wasn’t the typical average beauty. She had this spectacular exotic intelligent uniqueness to her. She stood out. She was sexy in a suit. She was sexy without trying to be sexy. Everything about her was unique. Which is one reason why when I first saw photos of her months ago having really looked as if she had just let herself go, I was shocked. This once beautiful woman now resembled someone that I would see at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) wearing sweatpants with house shoes, there to renew her driver’s license.
The reason that I am pointing out that this isn’t ageing is because it was her explanation about how she looked. She chalked it all up to ageing.
It is true that as we age our metabolism does slow down and we tend to put on a little weight. But, we also don’t need as much food as we used to. It’s not like we are still growing. It’s also o.k. to skip a meal occasionally, it won’t hurt us. I think food is more of our enemy as we age and not our friend. Changing our diet as we age is key. I myself am in the process of changing that. Is it hard? No. But, it’s also not easy either.
I also do not know what health issues that Ms. Sacacchi has going on in her life at this time. Perhaps that could explain the weight gain.
Oh, and just to be clear, this isn’t about how we need to get Greta a plastic surgeon STAT! This is about real ageing, and how we age will determine our health and happiness as we spend our remaining years.
I would like to try and enjoy what time I have left and not have to spend it dealing with major health issues.
No matter what health issues or problems that we all have, keeping our weight down is really important. Fat also acts as an incubator for cancer. We all know how cancer is becoming a part of our lives whether we are young or old. But, there does come a time when we have to take control of our health and become more responsible where it is concerned. Loosing weight is key. Eating better is key. Excercising is key.
When I look at Greta I see someone with “good bones.” The expression is usually reserved for an old house that is in need of fixing up, but that is how I see her. A once grand mansion that just needs a bit of work here and there to bring back that beauty that it once had. Just by loosing a bit of weight and excercising and choosing clothing that is more flattering to our ageing figures can make all the difference in the world. Sometimes we just need to care enough to do something about it. I sometimes get into a rut and sometimes it’s hard to get out of. But, I try and most of the time I succeed.
I really don’t mean to offend anyone with this post, especially Ms. Scacchi. I’m sure that she will never hear of any of this. After all, I think she has far more important things to do than to read my blog about her. (More power to her.) 🙂
Whether or not she looses any weight or not, she will always be that very unique beauty from the 80’s and 90’s that I remember her to be.
Julie
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December 9, 2021
I Start With The Worst and Go From There
Fish Oil
I have dabbled in fish oil now for the past few years. Usually, I would remove the cap from the bottle of the pill form of it and hold it in my hand ready to place the GIANT pill into my mouth, only to be disgusted and place it back into the bottle. It’s just so damn big!
However, now that I am 60 I can no longer “entertain” the idea of perhaps dabbling in it, and now I actually have to go through with it and choke it down.
I did find this bottle of fish oil at Sprout’s and purchased it. It promises the taste of lemon. (Yeah, right.)
Well, I choke down the spoonful while holding my breath. (You can’t taste it as much when you hold your breath.) The bottle is a bit pricey. It was $28.00. But, my health is worth it. I am trying to think of something that I can make with it and add the lemon tasting fish oil into a recipe but, until that happens, I just choke it down while that song from Mary Poppins goes off inside my head, ‘Just a Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine go Down.’
MY GUMMIES!!!!!
And now for the highlight of my day.
And again, I start with the worst and go to the best. GOLI! I HATE it! But, I take one a day.
Then, I savor the flavor of my little gummy orange Vitamin C.
Followed by a pill to help me control my sugar.
Now, I save the best for last…..
Digestive Advantage Gummy!!! Yeah!!!
It’s the little things…. 🙂
Julie
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December 7, 2021
Treadmill, Treadmill, Treadmill
(Always Posing) 🙂 Sorry, can’t help it.
You know, I am not the ‘jumping up and down in some exercise class at the gym’ kind of person.
I’m also not some pilates kind of person. (I can probably do like ONE sit up.) BUT, I can walk and I’ve been kind of a pro at it since I was about 9 months old. Therefore, walking it is!
If every person walked every day there would be NO Type 2 Diabetes.
So, WALK!
My recommendation is that since we live in a dangerous country, buy a treadmill so that it’s safely in your own home. People disappear all the time while out for a walk, even when they have a dog with them, so, walk in the safety of your own home. I do have to say that I believe the future is being in our own homes. Yet connecting to others virtually. Working from home, exercising from home, virtual school, etc.
I used to know this woman in Canada that wouldn’t go the gym unless her hair was colored and she looked great. I tried to convince her to buy her own treadmill, that way she could use it whenever she wanted and it didn’t matter what her hair looked like. Well, she wasn’t interested. So, I guess her physical heath depends on whether her roots are showing or not.
I don’t like being at the mercy of some gym membership. Or, heaven forbid, if my roots are showing and I’m too afraid to go to the gym. I like being independent. I like being in control of my life. I enjoy walking. I also do a lot of thinking while I am on the treadmill and I solve a hell of a lot of problems that way. If I so desire there is a large screen T.V. for me, which I normally forgo. I also have a mini DVD player with headphones that I can use if I please. But, most of the time I am just enjoying the time that I have with myself on the treadmill.
Julie
p.s. I also drink a ton of water while I walk. Another bonus.
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December 6, 2021
It’s The Little Contacts That Lift Us
Sixty Selfies
I am a news and political junkie. I can’t help it, I am from a long line of political scientists and intellectuals. I keep up with what is going on nationally. Oh, I can’t tell you crap about what is going on locally. However, I can name almost all of our Representatives in Congress, Senate and of course, The Supreme Court. Which is probably why I am always a bit down. When you read all of that on a daily basis it does get to you. I have however, discovered that the day to day contact with average people to be very uplifting.
On Friday Gordon and I had appointments for our eye exams and to get new glasses on the military base. It had been 3 1/2 years since we had last had our appointments. The pandemic kept us away. However, we did have our appointments and I discovered that my eyes hadn’t changed that much, neither had Gordon’s. We both had our eyes dilated, which was interesting driving home. I also picked out a new pair of glasses while my eyes were dilated. So, that will be interesting when I pick them up in a few weeks. Who knows what I picked out?
I also had the lenses replaced in some of my old glasses. But, it was while we were at our eye exams and choosing new glasses that we had the chance to interact with the people there. Everyone was very nice and helpful. They were pleasant to talk to. Extremely helpful. They went out of their way for us. And I did tell them how much that I did appreciate them. But, what they gave me just in being nice and helpful was a boost that I needed in my daily life. Reading the news as closely as we do can cause us to feel very isolated and lonely and a bit sad. So, being in contact with strangers on a daily basis I think, helps us to appreciate and understand that there are good people out there that care about the same things that I care about. I need to know that.
I always said that the less I know about someone, the more I like them.
Well, I still think so, but, who says that I need to know all the deep stuff about anyone? Just the day to day niceness is all that I need to care about. It does give us a boost. Sometimes a much needed boost.
I know that I am very appreciative to those that are very helpful and nice to me, and I let them know that.
So should you,
Julie
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(I have removed photos here for copyright purposes.)
November 9, 2021
The (Senior) Women Around My Age
(That I Adore, and Admire)
At this writing I am 60 and going through changes relating to that. I think that I look pretty good to be 60, judging by other people that I see as being younger/older than me. I’ve never had any work done. I also think that is obvious and I shouldn’t even have to say that. I do think that living in Florida has something to do with my being more limber and spry. After all, the warmer climate does contribute to us not having those aches and pains that other seniors do in colder climates. Also, because I am living in Florida I am on the younger side of being a senior so there are so many other people older than me living down here that I am not so invisible that other seniors go through while living in other states.
Me, Cooking in My Kitchen
As someone who comes from a modeling background (in my youth) I can relate to someone like Paulina Porizkova.
When you are known for the way that you look then that plays a big role in who you are. I was modeling as young as 17 so people that knew me then expect me to look a certain way now. Models like Paulina have been high profile models for way longer than I ever was and they are expected to look even better than I do.
Beautiful Paulina, age 56
Paulina has been very open and honest about aging. I loved her TedTalk.
Paulina and her then husband, Ric Ocasek and their sons, Johnathon and Oliver
Paulina pretty much goes over her upbringing here so there is no need for me to add to any of her history.
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I will say about Paulina that she is known as the “Crying Lady” on Instagram. Although I refer to her as the “Naked Lady” as she is always taking her clothes off. I do admit that it does make this Georgia Southern Belle a bit uncomfortable but I just chalk it up to shrugging my shoulders and saying, “She is from Europe, ya know?” As if they all go around taking their clothes off over there.
Paulina’s Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/paulinaporizkov/?hl=en
I have to admit that sometimes I think “The Crying Lady” on Instagram is nuts and other times I think she is brilliant. I know that she does appeal to a segment of any population in any country out there. I’m sure there are many people that cry and are unhappy, they just hide it whereas she shares it. I’m sure that does help many people in her same boat.
According to her she was not treated very well in her marriage which led to their separation and their impending divorce before her husband died from cancer. He then cut herself and his 2 oldest children out of his Will but when he did that he was taking in her money and saying it was his. Therefore she got nothing which wasn’t right. She has since sued and was given a settlement from the Will. Good! I hope she made out well.
I like her! I want her to be well and happy. I hope she does meet someone special someday that will appreciate her, and love her, and give her everything that she deserves. As in respect and consideration. She is a beautiful woman and a nice person. She still has quite a bit to contribute in life. I love that she does crochet. I can do all those old crafts as well because I was raised to do them by the ladies of leisure that I knew growing up in the south.
I also think that Paulina wants to have something very good and special in her life while she can. She is a very loyal person and that loyalty that she had in her marriage to Ric Ocasek wasn’t the fairy tale that she wanted and deserved so she wants to find that in her life before she dies. Someone to be in her forever home with her. I wish her well, but if she doesn’t find someone special it’s only because he’s not out there for her. But, still try and enjoy life. For all we know this is all that we get.
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Christie Brinkley
I Love Christie’s New Casual Hairstyle
Christie. Where do I even begin to talk about her? I have looked at that pretty smile on that pretty face since I was a teenager. At this writing she is either 67 or 68, I forget, but, she is still that pretty super model that we all know and love. Christie is also single and I don’t think she is by choice. She isn’t the reason her marriages ended. It was the men she married that screwed up badly. Christie has even said that she would slow her life down a bit if she were to meet someone.
I do love Christie’s attitude towards life. She is very positive, upbeat, active, energetic, etc… I’m sure she could outdo me with her energy any day of the week. I love that she has such a close relationship with her children and their partners in life.
Jack, Sailor, Christie, Alexa, and Nina (Jack’s girlfriend)
I also like that she doesn’t hang around with a bunch of old models from her past. She seems to have real friendships with real people. (No offense to any past models on that one.) It’s just that I see Christie as being raised in a very loving functional home and she doesn’t need all the drama that those of us raised in dysfunctional homes have. That’s all.
I too adore my children and their partner’s they have chosen in life and Gordon and I are very supportive of them and include them in our lives as often as they will let us.
I don’t believe that I need to go into some biography of hers because we all know her well. I do believe that she would love to have some partner in life but the fact that she doesn’t isn’t stopping her from enjoying the life that she has. That is how we all should be. Take an important lesson from Christie and just enjoy the life you have whether or not there is someone special in it with you, or not.
Christie’s Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/christiebrinkley/?hl=en
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Jane Seymour
I adore Jane! Always have! She was just one of those actresses that had the ability to be quite strong and vulnerable at the same time. In every part she played you were always rooting for her and supporting her. You knew she was good and deserving. Not just on film but also in real life.
She is also someone that has had a few divorces in her life, just like Christie. I also don’t think they were Jane’s fault. She, like Christie, just married the wrong kind of person. They wanted forever marriages, that just wasn’t what the men they married wanted.
I do love Jane’s attitude towards life. It is a lot like Christie’s. They just make the best of it and constantly go forward. That is all that any of us can do?
Jane does put other people before herself. Her children, grandchildren, ……
She is a drop-dead gorgeous woman of 70!
She should probably start a website depicting the Sensational 70’s that she certainly is!
What I loved the most about Jane was how she would reach out to her husband’s ex-wives and be friendly towards them. After all, in some cases they would be co-parenting and Jane took that role very seriously. She wanted to make everyone comfortable. Whether or not the relationships were ideal, she at least tried which is a lot more than most do.
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Jane does have a companion, his name is David Green
I do not think for one minute that David is the love of Jane’s life, but, I do see him as being a very important person in Jane’s life. He allows her to shine and be the star while he happily supports her. I think he’s just happy to go along for the ride. Jane has her sisters that I believe are very supportive. She just also has the ability to make friends and to keep those friends throughout her life. I admire her tremendously! She is special!
It was Jackie Kennedy that said, “The first time you marry for love, the second for money, and the third for companionship.”
Jackie Kennedy didn’t marry a third time but she did have a very loyal companion until her death.
I see that being Jane’s life.
That saying also does apply to my own mother. She married my biological father, her high school sweetheart for love, then she married my step-father the doctor, and now she is living with a man that she has known her entire life from childhood. So, I guess that rule also applies to my own mother.
Visit Jane on her Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/janeseymour/?hl=en
AND,
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Nigella Lawson
I have adored Nigella since about 2001 when I first saw her on the Style Network when we were living in Maryland.
I believe she is now on her 12th. cookbook and fixing to go on tour for it. Cook, Eat, Repeat is her current cookbook. The cookbook did debut on October 29, 2020, over a year ago. I don’t know that much about cookbook’s or the tour’s they go on to promote them but it seems as if going on a cookbook tour over 1 year after the cookbook is debuted wouldn’t be so lucrative. But, what do I know?
Nigella is 61 at this writing. 62 on January 6th. 2022.
I believe that she has a fairly decent U.K. following. They seem to adore her. I just find it hard to believe that her tour will be very successful. All of her diehard fans have probably already bought the book. I have watched a few of her speaking engagements and although I’m sure her fans find it nice to see her in person, the interview questions, (which she screens ahead of time) are very fluff. ‘What would your last meal be? And, ‘What food do you absolutely despise?’ Or something to that affect. (The answer is green bell peppers. She has also stated that the only people that should be allowed to eat them are Hungarian’s.) And how would she even know how to answer that question unless she had tasted every food in the world?
Asking about her children is off limits which I think is a bit harsh. I mean, we don’t want their addresses and phone numbers, we would just like to know what they are up to? How are they doing? She did start out with them on her first T.V. shows so we’ve seen them since they were little and are curious about them. When I run into someone that I haven’t seen in awhile I always ask about their children. Not because I want salacious details on their activities, I’m just curious as to how they are doing and what they are up to?
To me, you need to grow your audience as you age because they are dying off or have moved on. Nigella is a very attractive woman who could steal the limelight a bit more than she does by using her wardrobe to help enhance her appearance, and not just her intelligence. Nigella always seems to wear the same old thing. Black baggie pants, black shirt or turtleneck sweater, white blazer, and white tennis shoes. It’s not like she is poor or something like that. She chooses to wear the same old thing. (In my opinion) In order to appeal to a new audience and to grow that audience, you need to appeal to them. Wearing the same old thing doesn’t cut it. After a while people start to wonder if it smells or something.
It’s not just her wardrobe. Her audience is ageing. I wish that she would reinvent her T.V. show. It is very high quality but again, in order to stay relevant you do revamp yourself. Something she doesn’t ever do. I realize that I myself don’t do much to appeal and grow my audience on this website but you also don’t see me going on a tour for it. The tour is about making money.
I am curious as to how her book tour goes? Perhaps it will be very successful! I don’t know the mindset of the average European to judge at this time. The fact that she is going on tour and venue’s are booked does indicate an interest in her.
Regardless, she is still very relevant and I do enjoy hearing all that she is up to.
Good luck to you Nigella!
Nigella Lawson Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/nigellalawson/?hl=en
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Giada De Laurentiis
https://www.instagram.com/giadadelaurentiis/?hl=en
Who doesn’t love Giada? So cute and petite.
A trained Chef that looks like she only sucks down broth every meal. (Oh, I’m just jealous, that’s all.) 🙂
Giada barely made my list, only because she is 51. I didn’t want to include anyone younger than 50. She is also the youngest on my list. I’m pretty sure that everyone knows Giada so I’m not going to go into any lengthy biography. She was born in Rome, Italy while I was born in Rome, Georgia. (We could be twins!) Actually, the two Rome’s are sister cities. They are Romans, and so are we. Giada is divorced from her first husband Todd Thompson. They have a daughter together named Jade. Interestingly enough, Giada means Jade in Italian. So, they are both named Giada and Jade at the same time. Cool, huh?
Giada is of course from that famous De Laurentiis family from Italy. Her grandfather was famed director Dino De Laurentiis. Also, other family members are in the show business industry in many forms, such as producers, actors, etc. Her mother Veronica De Laurentiis is an actress. Interestingly enough, I named my daughter Veronica. It isn’t a name that you hear all that often.
I believe that Giada had something of a tough upbringing here in America when she first moved over. She couldn’t speak English and I can only imagine the bullying that she endured. She did go on to be trained at Paris’s Le Cordon Bleu and had quite an impressive start before starting her T.V. shows.
I envy her from coming from such a large and interesting family. I can imagine them as the loudest table in every restaurant with lots of laughter and the clinking of glasses. I also envy Giada as belonging in two different countries and being comfortable in both. America and Italy. One country that houses her past and family history with it’s beauty and success, and the other housing her present and future.
Giada always seems to be having a book coming out or a new T.V. show in the works. It does help in your success when you come from such an important film industry family. They may help get her to the top, but her talent has kept her there.
I love her Aunt Raffy! I wish I had one. I love it when they bicker. They are so cute together. Aunt Raffy obviously adores Giada but she is also very honest with her and doesn’t tell her what she wants to hear. That is the best aunt there is.
Giada with Raffaella De Laurentiis
Giada also has a boyfriend Shane Farley. I don’t know if they are engaged at this writing, I just know that he is in her life. I loved that he was helping to film her show during the pandemic. There were cameras set up in her kitchen filming while he hand carried a camera. I liked that.
https://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/
Giada’s Website Link
Giada and Shane
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It was back in the spring or summer when I was in this “mood” one day and looking at Instagram when I saw yet another recipe that Giada had posted which consisted of a white pasta, red tomato, and something green, and that is when I made a comment about it. I told her that all her food looks alike. The basics of Italian food are white pasta, lots of red tomatoes, and always something green like parsley. That’s just Italian food. And Italian food is delicious regardless of that. But, I think I angered some of her fans because my notifications starting going up in numbers. I don’t read them, btw.
I took a photo of this about an hour ago to show you that I don’t read my notifications on Instagram. I have read them in the past, a few years ago, but I stopped because they really weren’t important to me and by reading them I am allowing their comments about me into my life and I wasn’t going to give them that power. So, I no longer read them. And to tell you the truth I don’t even know what all that means? I guess the image of a person means a comment left by someone but I don’t even know what the little house means. Home, I guess?
But, the point is that it doesn’t matter. Likes, re-Tweets, Follows, none of that matters. If 100 people disagree with me that doesn’t mean that my comments are wrong, it just means 100 people disagree with me. I am not the kind of person that needs validation. I’m also not the kind of person that reads instructions, but that’s a story for another day.
The truth of the matter is that when you look at Giada’s website’s food, the colors are all bright and beautiful yet very similar. Perhaps using the same camera, or the same set, or similar platters, plates, cutlery,background etc…. all of that contributes to it’s overall look. That’s why I said what I did. What I said, I’m sure, was unwanted critique. And before I go I would like to offer up one more. Giada has admitted as much that she will under cook a chicken because it looks better in pictures that way. I believe that the chicken should be cooked to it’s doneness and photographed as such so that the average person knows what their chicken is actually supposed to look like and not believe that their chicken is overdone when comparing photos.
Having said that know that all the comments on my website have been disabled so don’t waste your time writing me. I only had them disabled because of the amount of SPAM I was getting, as in comments that were thousands of words long. But, I like no comments. I’m freer to say what I want without having to deal with any haters.
Giada’s website is stunningly beautiful regardless. And her food is delicious.
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Why I Wrote About These Women
The women I write about here are successful, mature, attractive, and just nice examples of women around my age that I believe have very full lives. No matter what any of them may be going through personally, if anything at all, they just seem to continue to strive to be the best they can, not only on the outside but the inside as well.
I know that having reached the age of 60 this year that I am noticing changes in myself that are new. I’m sure the pandemic had something to do with it as well. But, it just seems like there are so many challenges that we women are facing now that our mother’s and grandmother’s just didn’t. Life is just more complicated. And I guess I am just wondering how women around my age are handling things themselves?
Some of the women I mention above are in relationships, while other’s aren’t. It does seem like the pool of decent eligible mature men has dried up out there. I find myself thinking about death more now that I’m 60. I’ve wondered if I myself would even consider dating if Gordon were to die before me and I was young enough to even want to date again. (The answer is NO btw.) I don’t think that I would. I enjoy being alone too much. I would just much rather occupy my time with dogs, children and perhaps grand-children. I have told Gordon that if I die before him to go ahead and remarry. I would be o.k. with it. My only stipulation would be that he choose someone good because she would be the grandmother to my grandchildren. And I love my unborn grandchildren more than any jealousy that I would have towards another woman. (And besides, I would be dead so what would I care?) 🙂 Although if she is 25 I will haunt his ass!
I am post-menopausal and thrilled by it! I’m not one to mourn the loss of child-bearing years. However, menopause itself certainly had it’s challenges. I refer to them as my “ugly” years. I put on weight, I was a sweaty mess, always miserable…. you get the picture. But having all that behind me has been wonderful! It’s funny but whenever I open up an old purse, or piece of luggage, or clean out a bathroom cabinet, I always seem to find the old maxi-pads or tampons. I keep passing them to my daughter whenever I find them and she’s amazed by just how many I had stashed everywhere.
I was driving on to the base one day when the gate guards decided to do a random search of my car and when one guy reached underneath the passenger seat (looking for a gun), he pulled out a giant ziplock baggie of maxi-pads. I then lit up like a Christmas tree and said, “Oh, I’d forgotten about them! Thanks for finding them.” He just looked embarrassed and put them back. I then told him that maxi-pads are the most dangerous thing you will find in my car and then I asked him if he wanted to keep searching? He said no and then they let me continue on to the base.
It’s amazing how the older we get the less we care about those things. I can remember being with my mother when I was in high school at the grocery store and she was buying me tampons and how devastated that I was because I knew the bag boy bagging up our grocery’s. Oh the horror!!! 🙂
Well, I suppose that I just wanted to let you know that I have my good days and my not so good days. Being an Empath, I pick up on so much unhappiness out there that sometimes I just can’t block it all out. I worry about the direction our country is going in. I worry about my children. I worry about Gordon’s and my health. Not just physically but mentally. I want us to be of sound mind as we age and enter into the last phase of our lives healthy. I can always do more towards that, we all can. Treadmill, diet, no sugar, cut back on carbs…
And for my news, my tests are indicating diabetes. I have until January to loose 15 pounds and take these meds to help control my sugar. If I can straighten all of this out by then, great! If I can’t? Well, 🙁
I do hope that everyone above is doing better than me in that department. I do wish you all health and happiness. And I hope you will be around for a very long time.
Julie
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July 13, 2021
Just Catching Up
As you may have read in my blog posts below I have been doing my best to catch up on all my doctor appointments that I slacked off on because of the pandemic. In some cases I hadn’t seen certain doctors in a year, to a year and a half, to two years.
One of my doctor’s, my heart doctor, I saw about a month ago. I usually go about every 6 months. My heart is fine but I do have a family history on both sides of my family with heart disease. Therefore I qualify through my insurance for the bi-yearly visits. I got an EKG and everything is fine. I really just go for a check up, just a wellness visit. I was happy to hear that I am fine. Nothing really changed for my health during the pandemic. I was worried what with my age that not seeing my doctor’s on a regular basis would hurt me but it turns out that it didn’t.
I will say this. I have had some pain in my hands a few times this year and that is new. One morning I woke up a few months ago and it was as if I had injured both of my hands. That is what it felt like. And as the day progressed by noon the pain in my left hand had disappeared. Then about an hour or so later the pain in my right hand disappeared. The pain didn’t come back until a few weeks ago in my left hand and it hurt for about 2 days. I decided to purchase some Aspercreme and the second I did the pain went away and it hasn’t come back. I’m sure it will but these are the first signs for me that I am aging and here come the aches and pains. 🙁
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As usual, I sometimes post photos of some of the food that I eat to share with you.
I LOVE SPAGHETTI!!!
To me it is the most perfect meal. It satisfies all of my tastes and senses.
Whenever I make it, I make a big batch to last for several meals during a week.
I also ADORE BREAD!
I filled this loaf with butter, Parmesan Cheese, and our Herbs
Here are mine and Gordon’s plates.
The meatballs are meatless and from Sprouts.
We also load everything with our garden herbs.
Red Wine is also a big hit with us.
The Reds are also loaded with antioxidants which are very healthy for us. Also, seniors that drink around 8 glasses of alcohol per week are less likely to break a bone when they fall down. Something to think about in our old age. 🙂 Because once we do break a bone, our health tends to deteriorate from thereon.
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My New Favorite Pizza
Dr. Oetker Virtuoso Thin and Crispy Crust Pizza
Mozzarella and Pesto
This is a new favorite pizza of mine. I love to add some of our homemade pesto, or some jarred pesto, and some cheese stuffed peppers along with some Manchego Cheese and a drizzle of the very hot and spicy oil from the jar. Also some of our fresh Basil.
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Another Great Salad
Here we cut up a small baguette and spread butter on the slices and then topped with a garlic cheese and baked for about 8 minutes on 350F, and then broiled it until it got a bit browned.
A Great Salad and Bread Stick
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May 27, 2021
A Great and Easy Dinner
Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breasts
In the past I have featured a few foods that I eat at 60 just to give you an idea and perhaps influence you to eat something similar. It’s important for us to try and maintain a more slender frame in our later years. We don’t need foods to help us grow anymore. We need foods to sustain us and give us healthy poops. Sorry, but it’s true. We need to eat foods that will go through us and not linger around inside of us, that is when cancer can occur. Also, fat acts as an incubator to cancer so perhaps it’s time for us to shed a few pounds. It also won’t hurt us to skip a meal occasionally. We’ll be fine.
The Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breasts that you see above are the size of my fist, which is a good portion size for meats. Remember that. The Chicken is from when I joined Nutri-System over a year ago. I was only a member for a few months and still have a ton of the foods in our freezer. Every now and then Gordon and I will dig something out from my Nutri-System collection and we will eat it. However, you can find chicken breasts like the ones we have above in the freezer section of your grocery stores. We always doctor ours up as in adding more spices, or herbs… here Gordon broiled them to give them that great finish.
We also always have fresh lettuce and veggies in our refrigerator so creating a nice salad can be fast and easy. Here our salad bin extras helped to make this meal even more healthy and fun to eat. Drizzle a nice dressing over top and you have a very tasty dinner. Just a suggestion…. 🙂
Julie
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May 26, 2021
The Dentist
It was during the Pandemic, probably around this time last year that a company took over the company that Gordon works for. Not much actually changed except some of our insurance through them. Gordon did get a small raise from this company which was much appreciated. 🙂 Yet the insurance for our Eye and Dental did change.
I didn’t think that it would be any big deal. We just had different insurance, that’s all. Well, now that we are getting back out there with our medical needs we called our family dentist the other day to make our appointments for our usual cleanings, X-ray’s, etc. We also both have chipped teeth. Yes! We are hillbilly’s! Actually, mine chipped off a few months ago. You can’t even tell given the angle of it. I can smile big and you won’t even notice it. But, one of my veneer front chipped off. Gordon’s tooth chipped off the other day. Again, it isn’t noticeable when he smiles. BUT STILL, we do need a dentist.
I have a very healthy mouth only because I work very hard at it. Gordon and Veronica have very healthy mouths and they don’t even have to try. Veronica will be 34 in July and she has NEVER had a cavity! It’s just hereditary that they have healthy mouths. Brodie, took after my side of the family and in order for us to have healthy teeth and gums we have to work at it.
Anyway, I had called my regular dentist that I have seen for the past few years and have spent a lot of money there btw. I had made mine and Gordon’s appointments and told them of our new insurance. It was 2 days later that one of the girls called me to tell me that they aren’t in our insurance “network” and that is a problem. I didn’t understand why it would be a problem? We just changed insurance companies, other than that things should be the same? Yet NO, NOT really!
We contacted our NEW Dental Insurance Company to find out more and we were told that because they are not in our “network” that we would have to pay a higher copay. Instead of our usual $25.00 we would have to pay $50.00. Well, o.k., we can do that. Not such a big deal. BUT, we then found out that we would need to pay them in full, up front. They would then submit the paperwork and we would receive a check from our insurance company reimbursing us for the services. O.k, we can do that. But THEN, we found out that they have the ability to charge us as much as they want to and our insurance company will only reimburse us a certain amount and no more. So, if our dentist charges us 1,000.00 for work done and our insurance will only reimburse us $500.00 then we are out $500.00. That is NOT o.k.
So, we now have to find a new dentist that is in our “network.”
The thing that I do know from having a surgeon as a step-father and my working in his offices in two locations, in two states, as I was growing up is that a dentist or a doctor can charge whatever they want. They don’t have to charge an arm and a leg unless they want to. I saw my step-father erase $350,000.00 from his books that patients owned him that never paid. He didn’t have to do that. He did it because he knew what it was like to grow up poor and he had a sympathy for those people and he didn’t want to send the bill collectors after them. He always said that it is the people that don’t have the money that pay him, and the people that do have the money don’t.
My step-father may have been extremely abusive to me, but he was good to a lot of other people. That just wasn’t the man that I knew. I knew the monster while everyone else knew the kind person. I will always give him credit for the good he did to other people. I just didn’t know that person. I do recognize that other people did though.
So, my dentist whom I have been very loyal to for years will not agree not to charge me an arm and a leg for my dental procedures in the future so therefore I am saying goodbye and am forced to find another dentist. You know, I had very healthy teeth and rarely saw the dentist. I mostly saw the dental hygienist whom I adored. Having a good relationship with who does your teeth is important.
Gordon immediately got online and was looking up dentists in our network. The first one he came to was a woman with an uneven haircut. As am Empath I was paying particular attention as I can read people in photographs. I saw her and instantly disliked her. First of all, I have never gotten along with anyone with an uneven haircut. As I told Gordon, “She is a Karen and I am not going to her.” He then pulled up a middle aged man with a giant beer gut and told me that his office isn’t far from where we live. I told Gordon that I didn’t like him but show me his office anyway. The photo depicted several pick up trucks were parked outside his office. NO! I am not going to some MAGA Dentist! Go to the next one on the list…..
He then showed me a photo of an African-American woman in her late 30’s or early 40’s. Her credentials were educated. I didn’t pick up anything negative about her in her photo. Now show me where she is located. Turns out in a nice progressive area. And every car out front in the photo is a 4 door sedan. DONE! She is our new dentist! We just need to call and make our appointments.
Being an Empath is a Gift, and a Curse. In times like these it is a Gift.
Julie
P.S. Right now I feel as if we are just surviving.
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May 18, 2021
Still Working Outside
My Medical Appointments
And,
Indulging in a Bit of Gossip
What you don’t know is that in the photo at left was taken 1 second before I suddenly fell backwards for no reason whatsoever and hit my head on the table that is behind me that you cannot see, I also skint my arm in the process, photo right.
Post Menopausal Clumsiness
It’s as if I am 12 all over again and tripping over my very long toes and bloodying up my knees. I’m going through adolescence all over again and now my head and elbow hurt because of it. But I’m tough and I will get through it. I’m hoping there is some ending to this clumsiness other than death.
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Medical Appointments Update
I write way down below about how I am maneuvering our healthcare system all over again except as a newbie. Most of my medical doctors retired during the pandemic so I was left with pretty much starting over in trying to find good quality care in a system that is still broken. So, today I finally got my wellness checkups for my Pap Smear/Pelvic Exam and my Mammogram. My new nurse practitioner whom I met for the first time back in March at my Family Practice recommended this place. It was a very nice elaborate clinic, brand new, and a large building. It was a woman’s health clinic. I liked that. It is just for women.
I was kind of nervous as I haven’t had these much needed appointments in 2 years. When I was set to have all this done last year the pandemic hit and I went underground. Now that I am emerging I am trying to get back into the swing of things where my healthcare and just life in general is concerned.
I am not used to big and elaborate, I am used to small and intimate. I grew up in small towns my entire life and my step-father was a country doctor that made house calls so that is what I am used to and I tend to gravitate towards the small clinics and shun the large ones. I just feel as if I am going to get lost in them. Metaphorically, and literally. To be perfectly honest, I couldn’t figure out how to make the elevator work. Really! There were these big black buttons all along the front before you enter the elevator yet the button to make it work was this small silver button with a light in the center. I felt so stupid. Besides, my mind doesn’t work to initiate the simple things in life, my mind sees through all the noise to find that small hidden clue that most people miss. I was once at a restaurant and I couldn’t figure out how to use the salt shaker grinder. I was so embarrassed and the people that I was dining with were looking at me as if I were stupid but later on that night we were playing a memory game and I beat them all 3 times. I then regained a bit of dignity from that one. 🙂
I will say that the OBGYN part of the building was very efficient. Everyone was perfect. They said the right things, they were very organized, Oh! it is now required in the state of Florida to sign a statement saying that you are aware you are there to get a Pap Smear. I guess it’s not enough that I made an appointment FOR a Pap Smear for that to be obvious?
This is the Ron DeSantis Administration, our governor, inserting himself in women’s healthcare. Just where white men love to be. I will say this about something my right-wing wacko step-brother said a few decades ago. He was talking about women and he said that women are just the hosts that carry the men’s seeds. So, this has been going on awhile. It’s just coming to full fruition now. Especially now with Roe v Wade at risk and right-wing men feeling emboldened.
While I was sitting in the exam room waiting for my doctor to come in I noticed the rubber glove boxes on a shelf on the wall and how the Small box was full, the Medium box was half empty, and the LARGE box barely had any left. I then knew that my doctor most likely had large hands and that doesn’t bode well for a Pap and Pelvic Exam. Just sayin.’ 🙁
They had me watch a 4 minute video before my appointment on how we can’t sue them if they maim or kill us and we need to just go into mediation. Also, our spouse and children can’t sue them either because our signature prevents that.
Just another day in the American healthcare system.
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Mammogram
Right after my Pap and Pelvis Exam appointment on the 3rd. floor, I entered the elevator to take me down to the 1st. floor, after learning how to maneuver the elevator successfully. 🙂
I liked the people in the mammogram department. They were just less robotic and extremely friendly but not in a fake way. It is a bit humiliating to be exposing yourself and have someone touching your breasts and manipulating them into various positions in that machine to have the much needed photos taken of them. But, I have never had a bad mammogram experience other than just the discomfort of the process. I will say this, when we were living in Hawaii and I would go to the Air Force military hospital for my Pap Smear there would be a Magnum P.I. poster on the wall above us and that is what we would look at during the proceeger. I get the humor, but it can be construed as very inappropriate. After all, there are teenagers that have Pap Smear’s that would be looking at that poster and that is when it is a bit inappropriate.
Bottom line: Everything went well. I am very happy to have these two big appointments behind me and now I am just awaiting the results. My test results always tend to be on the healthy side but as I age you never know, do ya?
Gordon drove me to my appointments and afterwards we did a bit of shopping. Found some great things and then grabbed a late lunch to take home and eat. I then took a nice nap because I was very anxious about my appointments the night before and didn’t get as much sleep as I needed. That is also something new with me. Anxiety. Once I was rested I put my hair up and hit the garden.
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I found what I wanted to put into the last vacant pot in my herb garden, Lemon Balm. 🙂
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I did finish the new plantings of our round retaining wall.
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A Bit of Gossip
Because I mention Chrissy Tiegan below I do feel obligated to say something about the ‘cancel culture’ surrounding her. I do defend her below when I talk of how the trolls drove her off Twitter. She was a good voice for the under privileged that I hate is silenced. And now she is even further silenced. I really didn’t know of her past comments to people like Courtney Stodden that are quite harsh. Telling a 16 year old girl to kill herself is quite horrible. She should apologize and should have never said such a horrible thing. I remember Courtney Stodden at that time and to me she was a young train wreck. The difference between me and Ms. Tiegan is that I kept my mouth shut and she didn’t.
Also, something that Ms. Tiegan said when she was 9 years old is being used against her. That is ridiculous! There needs to be a line drawn where something someone said at that young age should not be used against them.
You know, to get to the top of the super model spectrum is not an easy achievement and given my modeling and pageant background I can tell you that the kind girls don’t get that far. The mean girls do. Chrissy Tiegan probably did say some horrible things about other girls to get as far as she has but I also recognize that she became a better person as she grew and matured. Now karma is catching up to her and she is having a hard time because of it. She has been given such an excellent teachable moment. She can either use it to a good advantage, or not. That is up to her. But I do see good in her and I hope she comes back and continues to be a voice to the voiceless that she does recognize.
TTYL….
Julie
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May 11, 2021
Social Media/Anti-Social Media, and Tawny “Julie” Kitaen
We all hear every now and again how social media is ruining lives. I do believe that had I grown up in this era of social media it would have harmed me emotionally way worse than I had it, and I had it bad! As many of my readers know I grew up moving around a lot and was the new kid in school 9 times in 12 years. Being the new kid in school that many times meant that people never had a problem showing me their worst selves. And oddly enough that pattern has continued throughout my life. For some reason people have never minded showing me their worst possible selves?
I have also had a love/hate relationship with the telephone my entire life as well. Although at this writing it is only in the “hate” relationship. The telephone was a means of communicating to my friends and boyfriends, but it was also the weapon of the mean girls when I was growing up. Now it’s just the weapon of spam and con artists, which is why I cringe every time it rings and I rarely budge when it does. If someone I know starts talking then I meander over to the phone and pick it up if they are in the process of leaving a message.
When our neighbor Lesia lived next door to us she would always have her cell phone and beeper strapped to her body, while carrying her house phone in her hand as she would walk her dog. I used to ask her why she carried all her electronics with her and she said that she didn’t want to miss a call or a page. I then told her that I don’t live my life at the beckon call of others. They can just call and leave a message and I will get back to them when I have the time. She then looked at me as if something was “wrong” with me. 🙂
In my youth I was one of those people that worried all the time about what people thought of me, and if they liked me, and I worried when I had disappointed them. Those days are gone because I eventually realized that they were never worth my time to begin with and sometimes I kick myself for ever believing that they were?
The telephone was invented to help people communicate with each other and then the mean girls took it over and turned it into a weapon. Just like everything that is invented for good is then turned into something bad. Social Media comes to mind. It may have been started as a good way to connect to each other but was then taken over by trolls as a way to hurt and harm people.
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Most things are invented or created or developed in order to help you, but then the bad people take it over and use it against you.
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My Website
I never viewed my website as an interactive tool. I always viewed it as my way telling my story to whomever is interested. Kind of like a diary whether it be through food, or holidays, or how-to’s, or our history, crafts, or even my personal blogs. I never saw it as a tool to communicate with other’s. I used to have comments on my website and I welcomed them whether they be positive or negative as long as they were constructive. However, the majority of my comments were nothing more than spam, as in someone leaving a comment that is thousands of words long. So, when a comment would come in that is thousands of words long, I would have to scroll alllllllllll the way down to the bottom of the comment before I could delete it. And I did this about 7 times a day to several of these comments a day. The comments were nothing more than gibberish as it was. Just spam intended to clog up my website. I put up with this for a few years and I then told my website security company to just disable my comments. They really did object for a few weeks before they finally did it, but I kept insisting that they do it. I have not regretted it since.
Although I would love to hear “real” comments from “real” people, that is just no longer an option thanks to the bad guys taking over my comments with their spam.
But, I can communicate to you and you can receive my communications, we just can’t communicate with each other personally. That’s the social/anti-social aspect of my website.
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The Social Media that I Use
I mainly use Twitter. I am however signed up for Facebook and Instagram. I just don’t really use either of them. To me, Facebook was about connecting to our past and I don’t really care much for any of them. And Instagram to me is more of a mean girl bully forum. I do follow some very interesting people on Instagram and I will certainly give my share of likes and even a comment here and there but I really don’t care if they interact with me. I am only interested in what the people that I follow post, period.
I have never posted anything on Instagram.
Instagram Notifications that I have never checked in over a year.
In the past when I did check my Instagram notifications they were always mostly negative so I decided to quit checking them. I have never posted anything on Instagram but I do follow people that do, and I do “like” many things as well as leave a comment here and there. I just figure their loyal followers will occasionally read what I post and not the recipient of the post. I am o.k. with that.
I am active on Twitter and I do read my notifications that I receive. I just tend to like that crowd better than the other social media forums. I have come across some very nice people through Twitter and I do like connecting to them.
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The Trolls
For those of you that aren’t regular readers of my website I have had a cyber-stalker for almost 3 decades. We know who he is. He is my husband Gordon’s former best friend. His name is Paul Gray. My brother Johnny one day referred to Paul as a troll that harasses me when he was talking to a group of people. I then corrected my brother Johnny with this explanation: “To me, a troll is someone who stands outside your house yelling and screaming at you. You can close your drapes or blinds so that you don’t have to look at them. You can even turn the volume up on your T.V. so that you don’t have to hear them. But, Paul is inside our house. That is what I put up with. So to refer to him as a troll is downplaying just how serious my situation is.”
Everyone knows Chrissy Tiegen? She left Twitter due to the amount of trolls that harassed her? When I read that she left because of that the first thing that I thought was why did you leave? Why not just NOT read your comments? Why do you have to? Who cares what anyone says about you? Your true fans only care about what you post. Just continue to post, that is all anyone cares about?
Well, she left. And the next thing that I thought of is that she let the trolls win! But, I then realized that is not what happened. She left because she had a life to go to. She is married to John Legend. They have two great kids together. She has a few cookbooks underneath her belt. She is a former model. She has a family that loves her and she is opening a restaurant. She left because she had a life to go to. The trolls may have run her off but she ran to a great life whereas the trolls are still there because they have no life to go to other than to try and make people as miserable as they are.
I just wish that instead of her leaving Twitter that she had found a balance between being social/anti-social in her Twitter account. Why not hire someone to sort through the crap so that she didn’t have to?
We all need to find a way to still use social media but do it in a safer way? What works for me may not work for you. I suppose we are all figuring this out as we go.
One of my Mother’s Day gifts from Veronica
When I saw this it was perfect for me! My daughter does know me. And at first I thought it was a dig at my anti-social behavior but then I wondered if it also has the meaning of that I would just rather be with the rest of the mermaids and not with the people? I should ask her? 🙂
I write above about how people have never had a problem showing me their worst selves. Perhaps had I not known those experiences then I would be more social? I guess we’ll never know? But, through my anti-social behavior I have come to know myself very well. I like myself. I’ve also learned that the average person out there is nothing special. Average is neither smart nor dumb, and the majority out there is average. I don’t think I’m missing out on much by being a person that only surrounds herself with people that I love and can trust and rely on. Besides, I think the future is isolation. But, why not create your own oasis in your environment? Consider it your ‘all inclusive resort’ right in your own home. At the end of the day we are responsible for our own happiness and we can either take on that responsibility, or leave it up to others. I’m too much of a control freak to leave something as important as my happiness to someone else. 🙂
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Tawny Kitaen
Tawny was born Julie Kitaen on August 5, 1961, and died on May 7, 2021. She was an actress most known for her role in Bachelor Party with Tom Hanks. I liked that movie and thought it was really cute. The movie came out in 1984. Tawny was 59 at her death just 3 months shy of her 60th. birthday. Which actually confirms to me the importance of my holding my birthday cake in my photo at the very top of this page. I knew turning 60 was a milestone for me that other’s may not achieve, Tawny included.
Tawny’s most famous role was in her then husband David Coverdale of the band Whitesnake, video Here I Go Again, while doing gymnastics on the hoods of two cars parked close together. One of them was her husband’s.
Whitesnake, Here I Go Again
To me this is one of the most famous music video’s of all time. It had everything in it. A great song, a great band, a great video format, and the beautiful Tawny Kitaen.
You can’t help but be captivated by her beauty. That big smile with those gorgeous dimples. Her slender figure that she had no problem maneuvering into those gymnast moves, which is what she used to be. Her graceful movements and that magnificent head of hair. Tawny was the total package and I don’t think that video would have been as successful if not for her contribution. She was the icing on the cake. She also had a very unique look to her. In this day and age everyone seems to look alike to me. I like those who are different.
Her marriage to David Coverdale only last about 2 years. I remember that he once said in an interview that she just one day left and never told him why she was leaving him? And to this day he never knew why? I also saw him in an interview where he had won some award and was giving credit to her as one of the reasons he did win that award.
She is also in this video. I do love this song and can listen to it over and over again. Whitesnake did create some excellent songs and music video’s. They were talented musicians.
I did write to Tawny on Twitter a few years ago complimenting her on the video, Here I Go Again and explaining to her that no one will ever rival it and to be proud of it. She not only liked what I said but even wrote back some nice words.
I was following her on Instagram but I decided to just unfollow her about a year ago as it was hard for me to continue to watch the train wreck that she had become. (In my opinion.) Some of the photos she would post looked as if she had a mattress in her walk in closet where she would writhe around in her underwear taking selfies of her bloated self. I hope that her family has since removed some of those photos.
I know that she had a troubled life. I believe she was an unstable person. Two divorces, arrested for battering her 2nd. husband with her shoe. She one day got mad at someone who took the parking spot she wanted so she keyed their car, etc. etc…..
Although she may have been 59 on the outside I think that in her mind she was still that young 25 year old. She aged on the outside but never really grew up on the inside.
I don’t want to think about the troubled 59 year old. I just wish she had made it to 60. I think we are in a pretty exclusive club. I would much rather remember her as the beautiful girl doing cartwheels on top of the cars to that Whitesnake video.
RIP Julie “Tawny” Kitaen
Julie
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April 27, 2021
Grow Something, Anything
(Or at least nurture something that is growing.)
I started this herb garden a few years ago. It was nice to have this part of our backyard sectioned off just for me and my project. My project, to inject more fresh herbs into our diet.
This is my first herb garden.
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This is my Second Herb Garden
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And this is my continuing Herb Garden
Gordon Helping With The Hard Work
Every two years we have to clean the herb garden bed out and prepare it for the new year.
You can see how messy it is here. It usually collects a lot of dead leaves and sticks and some mold that needs to be cleaned off.
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Now It’s Time To Start Buying Up the Flowers and Herbs
(One of many carts btw.)
I always have herbs that last through the year, we do live in Florida after all. But, some I always need to replenish because we either eat them faster than we can grown them, or they just get too old that I want fresh new growth. Our Rosemary comes to mind. It is a very sturdy herb but it turns into long spiny sticks and no longer looks very good.
I can always buy our favorites at places like Lowe’s but some more exotic herbs I like to order from online.
Gordon and Myself Picking out our Favorites
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Excited to Get Started
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You can see my now cleaned out Herb Garden ready for me to start planting.
This is Thai Cilantro that I am Replanting
It’s Always a Fun Dirty Job
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How Pretty and Green
I like a mixture of Herbs and Flowering Plants
You can also see the fresh layer of Wood Chips in the Border Bed
Obviously I’m not finished yet as I do have some empty pots.
I’m trying to decide what I want to put in them?
The reason that I keep things a bit elevated and in pots is because I live in a neighborhood where many people will use those cancer causing lawn treatments. And although we never have, our neighbors have done so in the past and when it rains we will get the run off from their yards which means those chemicals drift into our property. Sometimes it takes decades to get those toxins out of the soil. Therefore, by bringing in organic soil and keeping everything elevated I am hopefully keeping our herbs safe from those pesticides and carcinogines.
I have a new goal that everyday I figure out how to incorporate fresh herbs into our foods. Sometimes it’s not easy. I mean herbs don’t exactly go with a peanut butter sandwich? 🙂
Can’t Wait to Fill These
New Rosemary
I love my Dirty Pots
To the right, Dill. To the left, my String of Pearls.
Thai Basil, Thai Buddah
Purple and Green Basil with Sparky
My Wild Garlic
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Do not be deterred from beginning your own Herb Garden simply because you don’t have some large plot of land to get started on. You could have a few pots sitting in your windowsill’s. It doesn’t have to be big or elaborate. It can be simple and productive.
Here we have two hanging baskets of Mint on our Lanai.
Mint to the Left, and Mint to the Right
So, get started. The benefits of growing something that contributes positively to your health and your life also contribute to the peacefulness of your soul. The two are connected. You can thank me later. 🙂
Julie
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April 20, 2021
Fried Rice and Veggie Egg Rolls
I just like posting the kinds of foods I do eat.
Many nights I eat light and not heavy.
ALSO,
We have a new Grand-Dog!
Meet Hank 🙂
Do you know how important animals are in our lives?
If you don’t then I feel very sorry for you. If you do then I needn’t speak another word about it.
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April 18, 2021
It’s Common Knowledge That I Hate My Hair!
I do write about it below. It is also common knowledge that I prefer a perm to my natural straight hair. It is mainly because of the volume that a perm gives me that my flat straight hair doesn’t. (I am from the deep south where big hair rules the day. Look, it’s in my DNA so just accept it.)
But, it was while Gordon was working overseas and I was relaxing on the Lazy Boy chair watching T.V. and using this thingy to massage my head…
The Head Massage Thingy
…that is when I went into the bathroom and WOWEE!!! LOOK AT MY HAIR! The Volume! I knew then that I was probably the envy of every limp haired girl from the south at that very moment if they could just see my hair. I was a HAIR GOD! I then looked down at the head massage thingy as if it were the equivalent of Thor’s Hammer, Wonder Woman’s Bracelets, Nancy Drew’s Magnifying Glass… well, you know what I mean. My hair looked wonderful! Beautiful! I could have gotten a job at Hooter’s as a waitress and beat out all those young girls with my hair alone!
It was at that moment that I knew the head massage thingy will be a part of my grooming process until I can safely get a perm once this pandemic is over with. This tool pretty much lifts your hair from underneath. I don’t just use it to to lift up and down. I use it to swirl around and around. I do close my eyes so that one of the prongs doesn’t blind me. (Highly recommended.)
But this tool lifts your hair and gives you volume and then you can style your hair how you like.
I will say that I have better volume when I have something of a perm still left in my hair. But, until that time, this tool does help with what I have.
Adding Volume, Added Volume
Finished Hair
(With a Curling Iron and Hair Spray)
Oh, and the dress above is what I call a house dress. I always wear old dresses like this when I apply my make up and fix my hair so that I don’t get all that stuff on my clothing I will be wearing out that day. I usually get face powder and hair spray all over my clothes.
Just a tip from me.
From one steel magnolia to another.
Julie
P.S. I do believe that Dolly Parton would be supportive of my big hair triumphs and attempts.
God bless her!
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April 17, 2021
2nd. Shot Yesterday!
Covid Vaccine
(Raymond James Stadium)
I was getting my cell phone camera set up and I didn’t even know that I had taken this photo of me. 🙂
The look in my eyes is… I don’t even know? Dread? Anticipation? But, I find it interesting.
Driving Through the Cones
As you can see there is hardly anyone here at 5:30 p.m. on a Friday evening.
That’s Red State Florida for you!
We got the Fizer shot both times and our only side effects have been a sore arm for about 24 hours and then it goes away. That’s it. Now whatever lingering things that have yet to be determined, have yet to be determined. But, we are fully vaccinated….for now. 🙂
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April 14, 2021
Health Issues Verses Health Problems
(April 17, 2021 Update: When I write below what I live for I failed to mention that I live for my husband and children and animals as well. I didn’t mention them because that is just a given. Oh, course I live for them.)
I believe that when I write below about trying to get an appointment since last March 2020 I am misleading you. I do wish to clarify. What I meant was that all of my doctor appointments were due last March/April 2020. But, the pandemic changed all that. I cancelled all of my appointments and I decided to wait and see how things would go. I knew that putting my important medical appointments off was a risk, but I also knew that attending them was a risk as well. I don’t know that there was a right answer. I was making decisions based on my instincts and logic. But, as time went by I saw that cloth masks did make a difference in the spread of Covid 19. I also learned that we can interact as long as we take precautions.
I did start my current health activism in late February of 2021. It is now mid April and I have yet to have my much needed appointments. They will come in May. It is because I needed the referrals to then see my much needed health specialists. That is our American health care system. But, I do have those appointments and I will show up to those appointments and then deal with whatever issues that I have to deal with. But, for now I am fine. As far as I know. 🙂
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Health Issues Verses Health Problems
To give you an example:
A health issue is something that you have to deal with to stave off a health problem.
A few years ago I injured my back. It caused sciatic nerve pain from my right buttock down to my calf. It was a shooting pain that I had never experienced before. It was horrible! It was painful! I hated it!
I looked online to try and read up on it. That is when I diagnosed myself but I was shocked by the treatment. Opiods! What? I am not taking those brain altering drugs! I will live with the pain before I ever become addicted to those things! But, I did notice that there are exercises that I can do to help me stave off that pain. So, every morning before I get out of bed I do those exercises and I haven’t had any pain now for almost a year.
That is a health issue. I found a way to control it and it isn’t a health problem. Understand?
If you have the same problem as me I would like to tell you how I deal with it. When I wake up in the morning, before I get out of bed, I like to stretch out my back and legs. How I do that is to bring my knees up to my chest until my knees are pressing against my boobs. It sometimes takes a while before I can do that. I am 60 and as we age out bodies become stiffer. Not as flexible as they once were. So, as I lay on my back I am bringing my knees closer, and closer to my chest, stretching my back as I go. I hold it there for a minute or so, then I release it, then I bring it back. Once I have done that I will then place my left leg straight, and take my left arm to grab my right leg and bring it around to my left side, stretching it. I can feel the stretch all down my right leg. The stretching. Then I do the same thing to the other side. Laying my right leg straight and stretching it out. I like that I am doing this in my bed. It is a more age friendly stretch than doing it on the hard floor. For all I know I may injure myself and I won’t be able to get off the floor. Did I mention that I am 60?
I may look fairly young but I do have a 60 year old body. And I do respect it. 🙂
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I am also a borderline diabetic. That means that I have a health issue. The moment I am diagnosed as a diabetic, then I have a health problem.
So, right now I have health issues that I am dealing with. I am hoping to stave off health problems by eating better, exercising, and stretching. What I do at age 60 will determine whether I make it to age 70. And I don’t just want to make it there, I want a nice quality of life when I get there.
We will talk about that in another post. But, we do need to take responsibility for our own health and not just rely on some outdated system to get us where we need to go.
Also, those people that have something to live for do tend to outlive those that don’t.
So, what is it that I live for? I plan on outliving all the bullies. I am determined to get to a point in my life where all the bullies are gone and I am left standing. I am determined to know what peace is. I can only know that when the bullies are gone. I will outlive them. I am determined.
Julie
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April 5, 2021
FINALLY! Had My Doctor Appointment
Julie, Easter 2021
Me, Easter, and with our backyard construction site in the background. Yuck!
I write below about how I have been desperate for a doctor appointment from since the pandemic first started, but because of staff shortages, doctor’s quitting my clinic, many doctor and nurse retirements…. I have not been able to get an appointment. Well, last week I finally got my appointment. It was supposed to be with the new female doctor who would be taking over our clinic, but, she is not confirmed yet and is still a “floater” so, I saw the new Nurse Practitioner.
The way our insurance works is we go to see our family doctor/nurse practitioner who will then give us a referral to other doctor’s to address whatever medical needs that we may have. They are pretty much a Middle Man. I cannot just call up and get an appointment for a mammogram. I have to see my family doctor or nurse first, and then they issue me a referral and only then can I get an appointment for a mammogram. I can’t even call where I receive my mammogram to make and appointment before I get my referral and just bring it with me to my appointment. Oh, NO! So, just think about that. If I need a mammogram I have to time it so that I can see my family doctor and get the referral weeks before my appointment in order for me to make the appointment about 3 weeks prior to my appointment, in order to receive my mammogram on time. As in the same time every year. Understand? I know. It’s complicated.
Our American healthcare system is broken, and has been for a few decades, but I had figured out a way to maneuver a broken system so that I could receive quality care from all angles. However, because of the pandemic, and so many medical retirements and departures, not to mention that my insurance has now decided to get all cheap on me, I am unfortunately back to square ONE in trying to work this broken system.
When I met my new nurse practitioner I liked her immediately. She was nice, and funny, and very friendly, not that I particularly care about those things. I just want someone competent and thorough.
I told her that both Gordon and I had received the first dose of the vaccine. It was then that she ripped her mask off, and told me that she was vaccinated so she wasn’t worried about being around me now.
O.K., alarming! I just met her. She doesn’t know me at all and yet she is just going to take my word for it? And, if she is going to just take my word for it then how many other people’s word has she just taken at face value when she meets them? My point is, how cavalier of her to not be more cautious! That in itself is very alarming to me of her carelessness during a pandemic.
I didn’t say anything to her about how alarmed I was with her behavior, but I was glad I was double masked in the same room with her.
She then put in my referrals for the mammogram, a pap smear, and my heart doctor. I am just awaiting them to arrive in the snail mail now so that I can then call for my appointments.
And Oddly enough I just got a call today from our pharmacy leaving a message to pick up my prescription. What prescription? News to me! Guess I’ll call them tomorrow to find out what that is about?
But, in the meantime, I am awaiting my referrals in the snail mail so that I can then call for my appointments that will probably be given me 3-4 weeks from now.
Right now I think I am just surviving.
Julie
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March 29, 2021
My Hair
(Tupperware for my Hair Color, Kitchen Baster to Color my Roots, and Hair Scissors.)
When my gray comes in I look very tired and old. I see my mother’s tired eyes when I look at myself.
Not something I like to see.
My Hair, Straight as a Board
(My hair holds water. I can wash my hair at 8:00 a.m. and it is still damp at 3:00 p.m.)
When the Pandemic first hit in March of 2020 I was really surprised how helpless so many women were when it came to a lack of caring for their hair as we were all in lockdown. All the whining and moaning because they couldn’t get to their hair stylist or beautician, or whatever they call the people that do their hair? OMG! My roots! My brown hair is showing! My gray is showing! All I could think of is, my goodness, how helpless all these women are?
I am no hairstylist, but I have been tending to my hair now for several decades. I can color my hair, I can cut and trim my hair, I can even add layers to my hair. The only thing I cannot do is to PERM MY HAIR.
So, how do I know how to tend to my hair? It’s because I have been watching everyone that has ever cut/trimmed/styled my hair for the past few decades. Instead of reading a magazine I am paying attention.
To me the atmosphere of a beauty shop is hell! The gossip, the insults… I can’t tell you how many times I have sat in that chair when a client would leave a salon only to hear the insults hurled about her when she only has one foot out of the door. I even spoke up to the ladies in the salon that I can only imagine what you say about me when I leave….
You should have seen the looks on their faces when I said that. 🙂
It’s as though their secrets have been exposed!
As an Empath a beauty shop environment is a toxic environment. I only go when I have to. Other than that, I don’t.
I have needed a perm since December 2019 but I no longer wanted to go to the person that I have been seeing since 2004 because I no longer trusted her. I will not reveal her name or where she works but I have come to believe that she was putting something into my perm when she would give it to me in order to ‘fry my hair.’ I think she has been doing that for a few years now. Whenever I would get an appointment it was always in the afternoon when it was just she and I in that beauty shop. Also, she, as the office manager quit ordering my Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Mist, BUT, she said that she would pick it up for me at the Beauty Supply Store as a favor to me. I paid her for the items and even a little extra for gas money for the items she purchased for me. When I started using them my hair started coming out in clumps. When I quit using the products and started ordering from the company itself I received quality products. I believe that she was putting some sort of chemical in them to make my hair fall out. I still have the bottles. I always keep the evidence.
So, what motive does she have to ruin my hair? Resentment.
First of all, there is no motive for crazy. People do what they do because it is in them to do it. Secondly, from the time I first started seeing her as my hair stylist, her life has gotten steadily worse, while my life has gotten steadily better. She is a devout Catholic and she knows that I am not a religious person. And, from what I know about religious people is that when they deem someone a heathen or a pagan then they see it as their duty to destroy that person in their god’s name.
One day I witnessed a woman that pretty much saved Gerda’s (not her real name), skin when it came to her job. She had gone out of her way to help her and fix a major computer problem that Gerda was having with her job. After the woman left the shop Gerda was thanking god for helping her to fix the problem. I then asked why she didn’t thank the woman that did all that work to help her? Gerda then said that because she didn’t help her, god did. Everything comes from god. I then asked if all the large tips I give her come from god as well? She said yes. I then told her that I don’t think that god wants me to tip you so large anymore. He just told me not to. 🙂
I was simply trying to prove a point. Yet, is it possible to prove a point with a person like her? I think not. She has been indoctrinated since birth into believing what she does and there is no educating her. All that I can do is to move on to someone else to do my hair once I feel safe as this Pandemic continues. But, until then, I am not totally helpless with my hair. There are zero curls left but I will just manage until the time comes when I can find someone new in my area of Florida. Hopefully a sane person.
Not holding my breath on that one!
Julie
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March 28, 2021
THE SHOT
First dose down, one more to go!
When our Governor lowered the age from 65 to 60 on March 15th. to get the shot, that is when Gordon and I started looking around for places where I could get it. Our medical clinic said they were trying to get it so that they can administer it to their patients. The local grocery stores were expected to get the shots with an appointment only but the details were still being worked out. That is when Gordon went online and we found a place at Raymond James Stadium. You have to live in the same county, and have proof of residency so Gordon signed us both up. They were also giving the shots to 50 and over. Gordon is 4 years younger than me so we were thrilled that we could both get the shot together.
So, we made the appointment online and got a call the following day confirming our appointment and asking us some questions about our health. We answered them. We were also given instructions on what to do the day of the shot. Just things like, ‘don’t show up any earlier than 15 minutes prior to your appointment,’ that kind of thing.
When our son Brodie’s girlfriend Mackenzie’s mother got her shot back in February, she had to wait in her car for 5 hours so we didn’t know how long we would have to wait. Turns out we were there a total of 30 -35 minutes the entire time. There were lots of workers and not that many cars in front of us.
I told Gordon to take a photo of me getting the shot. Well, there is my arm getting the shot. Which reminds me of the time back in 1986 when we were at Sea World and I got to pet a dolphin, I was so thrilled! He just swam up to me and had his head out of the water wanting me to touch him. I motioned for Gordon to take a picture. He did. I couldn’t wait to get the film developed! I was so excited when I got the pictures back…. and that is when I saw it. He got my ARM petting the dolphin. The point is, that could have been anyone’s arm. I wanted ME and the dolphin. Looks like things haven’t changed much.
Julie
P.S. We both woke up with sore arms from that shot but nothing else, so far. Finger’s crossed! 🙂
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March 29, 2021
I just wanted to let you know that our arms feel so much better the second day than they did the first. Just letting you know that both Gordon and myself are fine with no side affects. Looking forward to our second shot. 🙂
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Our Foods of Late
We are a big fan of Naan Pizza’s because they are a great way to use up a few things in your refrigerator. The Naan is a nice base and then you just go from there with whatever toppings you may want.
For example, the pizza above is Gordon’s and he spread a Hummus down first, then added some of our Cheeses, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, etc. and just cooked it in the oven to heat things up and melt the cheese and then he has a tasty dinner.
Before and After
These little Naan’s are mine. Cheeses, Mushrooms, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Peso, and a few Spices. I like these for lunches. Quick and easy. Ready made, just microwave for about 25 seconds.
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We’re Also Still Eating Our Chili
Cooked White Rice and Chili with Cheese and Crackers = Hawaiian Chili Cheese Rice
We love making a big pot of Chili because of the many ways we can eat it and have it taste differently each time. For example. Chili over Rice, Chili over Spaghetti, Chili over Corn Chips, Chili over French Fries, Chili over Slaw, oh and a Chili Dog.
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Grocery Store Bought Salad w/ Chicken and a Sprinkling of Bacon
w/ Parmesan Dressing
This salad can feed me a good 2 meals with lots of leftovers that I pass on to Gordon to finish.
We are currently trying to eat a bit better while also eating up the food that is already in our refrigerator. For example, I did add a sprinkling of our leftover bacon on top of my “healthy” salad.
I am not about to go cold turkey from eating rich, to eating light overnight. I am trying to incorporate the foods in the fridge with our healthier eating as well. I don’t want food to go to waste.
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I LOVE GARLIC!!!!
Roasted Garlic
If you know me at all, then you know that I LOVE Roasted Garlic!
All that I do is to turn on the oven to 400F. I then add as many garlic cloves as I like to a small baking dish. I then add as many pats of butter to that dish, cover with foil, and then place into the oven for about 20 minutes. I do cook this garlic for about an hour but removing from the oven every 20 minutes to stir together until nice and done. I love it nice and tan/brown and caramelized.
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I can pretty much eat this about 3 meals a week. However, I noticed in one of my cookbooks where they were frying garlic and I decided that I wanted to try that.
I pretty much told Gordon that this is what I want and he went to work creating it for me. I knew that I wanted to try fried garlic, but I wanted it to have some spice and crispness to it. Which was not mentioned in the cookbook I got the idea from.
Gordon sliced the garlic and then added some olive oil to a pan…..
He then added some Italian Pizza Spices to the oil….
Then, some dried oregano…..
Now add the chopped garlic to a medium-low heat in a saucepan to cook.
Cooking Away, You Want It To Cook, Not Burn
Simmer Away on the Stove for About 10 Minutes, While Stirring
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Our Italian Appetizers
This is also a favorite meal for me:
Sun Dried Tomatoes, Feta Cheese, Pesto, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Cheese Stuffed Peppers, Bruschetta, Roasted Garlic, and now Fried Garlic, along with some Toasted sliced Sour Dough Bread with a drizzling of Olive Oil.
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Gordon’s Italian Appetizer Plate
We do so love all the little tasty apps. 🙂
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March 25, 2021
Socially Distance Shopping
Gordon With The Binoculars
I was shopping around for Mackenzie something special for her upcoming birthday and I wanted Gordon’s opinion. We are socially distancing because he had surgery and you just never know…..
So, I wanted his opinion on which one to buy out of 3?
He helped me decide by using the binoculars to view each item on the computer. 🙂
Between the two of us, I think we nailed this one! 🙂
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The best Naan Pizza I’ve Ever Eaten
Julie’s Naan Hummus, Green Gouda Pesto Cheese, Mozzarella, Pesto, Mushrooms, Sundried Tomatoes with a drizzle of the Olive Oil, and a sprinkling of Garlic Salt, LEFT.
Right: My cute little Mini Me Naan that I had for lunch today.
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This is Gordon’s Pizza, same as mine, except he added some Marinated Artichoke Hearts to top his.
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I’ll get to all this in a minute, but…..
Brodie and Mackenzie’s Mushroom Tartlet
(Mackenzie’s parents recipe.)
Last night Brodie sent us this photo of what he and Mackenzie were eating last night. Apparently the recipe is from Mackenzie’s parents. Looks delicious? Doesn’t it?
Seeing as how great minds think alike I decided to post our pizza’s. I’ll try and find out the recipe for the Mushroom Tartlet, but in the meantime I can give you the recipe for our Naan Pizza’s.
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As I have been writing about, my cholesterol is high and I need to lower it so I am becoming more aware of what I put in my mouth. We all pretty much slacked off this past year due to the Coronavirus, and I need to return to my past behaviors that were far more healthy than I have been of late. The Naan Pizza’s that we made above are a good example of being able to eat healthy and have that great taste to go along with it.
Our Socially Distanced Naan Pesto Pizza’s
I told Gordon that I wanted the larger Naan and the medium sized Naan so that we can make pizza’s with them. The larger Naan is great for dinner, but the medium sized Naan is great for lunch.
I wanted to use up the cheeses that we already had, along with some pesto.
The first thing that Gordon did was to turn the oven on 400F and place the Naan in the oven to cook for 5 minutes on the bottom side of the Naan. Now, it is ready for the toppings.
I told Gordon that I wanted a thin layer of my Red Pepper Hummus on the Naan. I then wanted some mozzarella and some grated Pesto Gouda on top.
Followed by a few blobs of Pesto.
Next, some sliced Mushrooms with a drizzle of the Olive Oil from the marinated Sundried Tomatoes.
As well as a few Sundried Tomatoes on my pizza.
Now, it’s time for a sprinkling of Garlic Salt and then placed into the oven for about 8 minutes until done.
Perfection at it’s best!
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The End
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March 24, 2021
My Fast Food Indulgence of Late
I just wanted to address the irony of my doing my best to stay away from Gordon since his surgery out of a precaution that he may have picked up Covid while he was there in order for me to be healthy, and my indulgence of Burger King and McDonald’s of late. I know, I’m a hypocrite! 🙂 BUT, sometimes we need to feed those indulgences because although they may be harmful to my body, they do tend to soothe my soul.
And, although this is no excuse for my indulgence, I hurt my big toe and ruined my pedicure, while we were visiting with Brodie and Mackenzie last Saturday. I didn’t see the step up in their garage and I rammed my toe into it. It sent me flying through the air while holding a pretty potted plant. Luckily, me and the plant slammed into their washer and dryer that prevented my fall from being worse than it could have been. I was wearing flip flops. Had I been wearing shoes then I do recognize that I wouldn’t have hurt my toe. Yet another irony for Julie Barefoot.
Julie’s Gnarly Toe
The good news is that because of this I cannot wear any tennis shoes in order to get on the treadmill. So, why is that good news? Because Gordon is isolating in the den where the treadmill is so instead of my resenting the fact that I can’t get in there to get on the treadmill, I can’t use it anyway because of my toe.
As far as my diet is concerned, I’ve gotten the fast food urges out of me and now it’s back to eating better food. The pandemic has contributed to throwing me off my game and I need to return to my old ways in order to be a healthier person in my 60’s. I promise I’ll do better. 🙂
Julie
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March 23, 2021
Isolating Gordon
I write below about how Gordon had surgery yesterday and because of that we are trying to Covid distance ourselves from each other as a precaution.
The fact that Gordon was unconscious during surgery is why we are isolating away from each other for a few weeks. He was not in control while he was in surgery and recovery so therefore I am assuming that he is infected with Covid and I am treating him as such. For MY health and safety.
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I speak below of how Gordon spends most of the day in our den working from home, watching T.V., reading books, and relaxing and recovering from his surgery. But, when it comes to sleeping, he is sleeping on our new sofa bed in our living room.
Our New Sofa Bed
The door you see above the bed is our bedroom where I have it all to myself until after Gordon’s isolation period. Gordon did say that our new sofa bed is very comfortable. That’s good to know.
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We were both so disappointed in our McDonald’s lunch yesterday after Gordon’s surgery because they were sold out of breakfast sausage biscuits, so Gordon ran to the drive through of McDonald’s AND Burger King for their breakfast sausage biscuits this morning. Seeing as how he won’t be cooking breakfast all week he bought us sausage biscuits to heat up for breakfast for a few days. Just something quick, tasty and easy for the microwave.
Burger King and McDonald’s
Burger King And McDonald’s
Burger King And McDonald’s 🙂
Eating on my Lap at my Computer
Right now we are doing what we can to keep me virus free and healthy. In this day and age that is the meaning of trying to stay healthy. I just wanted to note that Gordon has not been diagnosed as having Covid 19. We are just living as if he has it in order to keep me safe and healthy. You never know.
These are precautions that we are taking. Perhaps you should as well. If you are in our similar circumstances.
Julie
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March 22, 2021
Gordon Had Surgery Today
(Barely)
It was on March 12th. exactly when I was writing the blog post below this one that the phone rang and Gordon answered it. It was from our family practitioner’s office with news for Gordon of his labs that he had taken a few days ago. They were calling to tell him how wonderful he is and how his cholesterol is perfect, his sugar is perfect, his triglicerides are perfect. Blah, blah, blah…..yeah, yeah, yeah….
Funny how I always ask to have my labs sent to me in the mail and I never receive them but Gordon gets a phone call! WooOOooo…….. He then asked them to mail him his labs to our home address. I was also waving my arms in the air signaling to him to have them to send me mine as well. And of course they did! After all their boy Gordon requested it! I can ask till the cows come home but NO, I don’t get my labs sent to me, much less a phone call telling me how wonderful that I am.
So, I got my labs in the mail about a week later. I am only going to give you my sugar level results, 120. But, I am going to withhold my cholesterol and triglicerides. Hey, I have to have some secrets. And besides, they are high!
About my sugar: I am supposed to be under 100 in order to be “normal.” However, there was a time when it used to be that you had to be under 150. Then 130. Now 100. So, if you get an older doctor then he/she will not be as alarmed with a number of 120 like mine. But, if you get a younger doctor then they are alarmed by it.
The only reason I am telling you what my sugar level is, is because I have told you that I am a borderline diabetic. My labs state that I am Pre-Diabetic. Is there is difference? To me, a borderline diabetic means that you can go either way, but to be determined to be Pre-Diabetic tells me that I am destined to be a diabetic. This is why I need to speak to a doctor and not just diagnose myself through Google.
I am the kind of person that sees and fears the worst. If I were to read the symptoms of Ebola then I’m pretty sure I could convince myself that I have it. Which is why I need a professional to set me straight and address my fears.
I am still waiting for my family care physician appointment which comes at the end of the month.
Gordon however, was able to see a floating physician a few weeks ago at his appointment, that was able to diagnose his problem and refer him to a surgeon and schedule his surgery, which was today. And although this blog is not supposed to be about him, I will bring him into this as this is also about my health as well.
It was about a month ago that Gordon had an ingrown hair to become festered and turned into a giant zit on his stomach. It was huge! He was able to get an appointment to see a doctor. (Of course, he did.) And the doctor recommended surgery to have it removed. He was also told that it is probably the size of a tennis ball underneath his skin. O.k., gross.
So, today was the day! Surgery Day!!!!
We both got up early. Gordon had been fasting since last night so he was ready to get this surgery over with. We had also made arrangements for Gordon to spend most of every day in the den after his surgery and just sleep on the pull out sofa bed at night in the living room once I go to bed so that he doesn’t infect me with whatever he may have picked up at that surgery center. Which btw: that surgery center is the largest in all of America. I loved the place! Parking was great! Dropping off and picking up was easy. Hey, I’m into all that.
What with Covid being still a threat and Gordon undergoing surgery where he would be rendered unconscious and not in control, I was worried that he may pick up something and then pass it on to me. So, prior to his surgery we started making plans for Gordon to spend most of the day in the den where he can work from home, watch t.v., read, and relax on the Lazy Boy Chair. But, when it came to sleeping, he would sleep on the pull out sofa bed in our living room. I could then retreat to our bedroom when it came time to going to bed to watch T.V. and to just isolate myself at night away from him just out of a precaution.
We had our last meal, last night. Blackened Grouper Cheeks Po’ Boys with our leftover Grilled Cabbage Slaw. They were magnificent and Gordon said that they were one of the best foods he has ever eaten. We always like to plan for a last meal, just in case.
Our Blackened Grouper Cheeks Po’ Boys Sandwiches
They were Superb!
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When it comes to surgery, anytime that they put you under, you always stand the chance that you may never wake up. So, we like to prepare something special to eat for dinner, and to visit with our kids just in case things don’t go the way they should. I believe in saying goodbye. 🙂
It was as we were preparing to leave the house this morning for the surgery center that we get a call from someone at the surgeon’s office telling us that Gordon may not have his surgery today because although the surgery has been approved, our insurance company has not signed the paperwork for the surgery. The woman that called Gordon also told him that she is having a hard time getting our insurance company on the phone to officially approve it! That’s when Gordon started dialing our insurance company to see if he could get the ball rolling. He did get through. That is when he put his surgeon’s office personnel that he had on his cell phone, next to our insurance agent that he had on our home phone. He pretty much put the two phones together so that they could talk and work it all out. They did. After 35 minutes of stupid conversation. Turns out that all it took was to replace an L with an M in the code to approve the surgery. Is this not ridiculous? Or what?
So, after a hell of a lot of stress and worry, the surgery paperwork was signed and approved so off we go to the surgery center. I dropped Gordon off and he went inside. I drove home. I was not about to stay. He’s a big boy and he can get through this on his own. I also don’t want to expose myself to any unnecessary atmosphere. If you know what I mean?
I came home and I made my Chili!
I wanted to make a big pot of something comforting, mainly for me. I knew that Gordon wouldn’t be cooking for a good week so I wanted to make something that I could very easily heat up and eat. Something that I enjoyed. Something comforting. Hence, CHILI!
I also knew that Gordon would enjoy it as long as he could eat something as hearty as this.
I Topped our Grilled Cabbage Slaw with our Chili.
Perfect!
Chili Cheese Slaw (Something New.)
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Gordon’s surgery was at noon. I got a call around 12:35 that he was out of surgery and in recovery. I was told to pick him up within about 45 minutes. I did. I left my chili to continue to cook on the stove top on a very low heat. I was able to pick him up and everything went according to plan. He was famished and we decided to run by our favorite McDonald’s for our usual breakfast sandwiches that they are supposed to have available all day long. Only to be told that they don’t have any more Sausage Biscuits or Egg McMuffin’s available. Yuck! Therefore, we had to order from the regular menu, which we normally don’t care for.
I ordered a yucky Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Fries. Gordon ordered a few burritos and a spicy chicken sandwich. This was nothing that we wanted. But we were stressed and a bit famished so we dove right in, and dove right in!
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Gordon is home and is safe. He is well. But, we just need to make sure that we both are well by staying away from each other for awhile. Just in case. So happy his surgery went well. So happy that he is doing good.
Julie
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March 12, 2021
Surviving and Fearful of Falling Between the Cracks
It was on March 9, 2020 (last year) that I hesitantly left the house for my family practitioner’s office to get my labs done. I, as everyone else in America and around the world, was keeping close tabs on the Corona Virus that was sweeping the world and had started to invade my own country.
I of course, had fasted the night before and that morning so that nothing I ate or drank would taint the results of my tests. I showed up for my appointment and purposely sat as far away from people as I could. When my name was called I went into the room where a woman took 3 vials of blood from me and then asked me to give a urine sample. I did. (I don’t mean to brag but I have never had a problem giving a urine sample. I can empty my bladder and then one minute later give you all the sample you need.) 🙂 Oversharing, as usual.
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Oh, and I would like to mention how shocked that I was to see these magazines in the waiting room.
I did file a complaint at how disgusted that I was to see these magazines in our waiting room. Am I the only one that understands the purpose of a gun is to kill someone or something? And how they do not belong in any medical office where the purpose of my even being there is to be healthy? Hey, why not just have pamphlet’s laying around about how to commit suicide at a suicide prevention office? Or better yet, why not have child porn information laying around in the office of pediatrician’s?
Moving on….
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The following week was my doctor appointment with Lisa, my nurse practitioner. I preferred meeting with her as she was very familiar with my health history and I liked and trusted her. And besides, Dr. Patel had left and that put Dr. Horcrux (not his real name) in charge at the clinic and I despised him. That explained all the gun magazines in the office when they put him in charge.
I preferred to see Lisa because In my experience it’s the women that seem to care more about your health than the men. I also believe them to be more thorough. I also liked that it’s the women that would give me the bad news on my cholesterol but they would also give me the good news in other areas where I had improved, such as my sugar level. But, the male’s that I would see in the past never told me what I was doing right, only what I was doing wrong. I always felt like such a failure when I would leave their offices. The women gave me the truth, good and bad, but they also gave me the encouragement to continue doing well in areas where I was. They also might have given me bad news about my cholesterol but they also pointed out to me that even though it is still high it is down 30 points from last time. This is news that I need to hear which is why I preferred seeing Lisa instead of the male doctors. But, instead of making that appointment I ended up cancelling it because I was very afraid of the Corona Virus and it was on March 9, 2020 that I went into a self imposed lockdown. Every appointment that I had came due in March and April of last year. I ended up cancelling every single one of them. My dentist, my dermatologist, my mammogram, my heart doctor, and my pap smear appointment. All of my 6 month and 1 year appointments were due at that time and I was cancelling all of them and not knowing when I would be making them again.
That was a year ago. And now here I am trying to get back into the swing of things only to feel as if I am falling between the cracks of a society that has changed so much since I left it. Almost a month ago I went into my clinic to have my labs done. I was surprised to find out that both Lisa and Dr. Horcrux had retired and a new doctor had taken over the clinic. I didn’t care about Dr. Horcrux but I was sad to hear that Lisa was gone. The thing is they were both young so I was surprised to hear about their retirements. The good news is that there were no gun magazines sitting in that office. There weren’t any magazines at all, just pamphlets on health. I suppose magazines were removed because they just pass germs back and forth.
Everything went well with my labs (although I haven’t gotten any results back), and I had my appointment to see my new doctor a few weeks later. I was able to get a referral to see my dermatologist earlier this week, but they weren’t going to issue me any more referrals until I saw my new doctor. So, on Tuesday I get a phone call from my clinic telling me that they have to cancel my appointment the following day because my new doctor suddenly resigned and they needed to find a new one. Wow. Just wow. They did give me an appointment for later on in the month with some kind of doctor, probably a floater, but I’ll take it! So, my healthcare has been put on hold until I see this new doctor later on in the month and there is nothing that I can do but wait.
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I did get to see my favorite dermatologist this week. I hadn’t been in a year and a half. That is pretty bad for me because I usually see her every 6 months. However, I had a good check up. She did freeze about 12 – 15 tiny spots on my body to remove them. It was like being stung by 12 – 15 bees one after the other. It was quite painful. And the pain didn’t just go away immediately. It took quite a while for it to.
Even though I had to go through all that it was a good check up. That’s good! Seeing as how I have lived a life in the sun. I did tell her about how I’m a bit worried about what kind of doctor I may get because everyone seems to either quitting or retiring. That is when she started telling me that is happening quite a bit around here in our area. Wonder why? Doesn’t exactly give me much faith right now. I will wait for my new appointment with some doctor later on in the month and then I will decide then if I need to go elsewhere for my healthcare. I just feel so helpless right now that everything is being put on hold until I find someone to provide me with care. First we are all helpless where the Covid 19 virus is concerned and now this.
I just don’t want to fall between the cracks. So, right now I think I am just surviving.
Julie
Barefoot Beach Teas
Welcome to Barefoot Beach Teas I got the idea about 3 years ago to create a nice tea and have it look like the beach. I even thought of putting some sort of seashell candy inside of the tea so that …
Fruit
Dessert, Anyone?
I made a Fruit Salad yesterday and I was just fixing to spoon some over a nice Pound Cake I bought.
Would you care to join me?
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There is nothing prettier to me in the Spring and Summer than Fruit.
All the pretty bright colors, tastes, and textures. I also love nothing more than to create some delicious Fruit Salad to either eat by itself, or spooned over some Pound Cake or Angel Food Cake. It makes an excellent light lunch, or a nice dessert for a hot and humid Southern evening. It’s cool, refreshing, sweet and nourishing.
Here is something I whipped up that I would like to share with you.
Julie
So Happy To Burrow My Way Through A Watermelon Any Day Of The Week!
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Julie’s Palm Beach Fruit Salad
Based on my love of Lilly Pulitzer’s 1960’s Palm Beach, Florida Living
(Recipe Down Below)
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Julie’s Fruit Roll-Ups
(Recipe Down Below)
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Pears, Galore 🙂
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Strawberry Short Cake
An inexpensive, but tasty and quick dessert for the summer:
Not everything has to be complicated with several ingredients and homemade to perfection. Those times are great! But, for those simple and easy days, here is something quick and it actually kind of, goes without saying, but I will say it anyway. Just buy the ready made shortbread cakes from the grocery store, fresh strawberry’s, and some sugar free Kool-Whip. Perhaps serve with a dessert wine.
Enjoy!
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RECIPES START HERE
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All In ONE!
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I wasn’t going for some stunning presentation.
I just wanted to use the fruits and flavors that I loved best.
Here are my Ingredients for this delicious Fruit Salad:
Strawberry’s
Blueberry’s
Blackberry’s
Raspberry’s
Green Seedless Grapes
Kiwi
Watermelon
Honeydew Melon
Cantaloupe
Red Seedless Grapes
Yellow Dragon Fruit
Lime Juice
Chia Seeds
Honey
Mango Juice
Fresh Mint
(NOTE: The dark berries such as the Blueberry’s and Blackberry’s tend to stain and take over the salad with it’s dark color. If you want your fruit salad to show it’s natural colors then I would eliminate those berry’s.)
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Of course the first thing that you want to do is to wash all of your fruits and allow them to dry.
Removing the stems from my Strawberries and slicing them lengthwise.
I wanted them to look like hearts.
Washing my Berries
(Washing Raspberries can cause them to go soggy but I did anyway. But you can use a wet paper towel and wipe each individual berry if you like.)
Peeling My Kiwi
Ready to Slice and Add to Bowl
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A leftover fruit salad that I had in the refrigerator I decided to add to this salad.
I’m also squeezing some lime juice in as well.
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Adding the Green Grapes
Yellow Dragon Fruit
I just sliced the fruit in half and scooped out the seeds and pulp.
You can eat the seeds the fruit is quite tasty.
Now it’s time to add the Chia Seeds, Honey and some Mango Juice.
I just eyeballed how many of the Chia Seeds and Fresh Mint that I wanted and then stirred together.
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I then placed all of my fruit into a jar and refrigerated overnight just so all the flavors could meld together.
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The next day I removed my jar of fruit from the refrigerator and I poured the juice from the jar into a small saucepan to heat up on the stove top to thicken. It was convenient to have the two holes at the top of my jar, it made for easy pouring.
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I kept the juice on a medium heat just to get it boiling a bit so it would thicken up and made a nice syrup.
I bought a plain Pound Cake from the grocery store and sliced it…..
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I then drizzled some of the syrupy juice over a few slices of the Pound Cake…..
I then spooned over the delicious fruits.
Beautiful and Delicious
Dessert, Anyone?
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Julie’s Palm Beach Fruit Salad
I wanted to make a beautiful fruit salad. I wanted to base it on something lovely that would have been served in Palm Beach, Florida in the 1960’s. Something that would have been served at pool parties, or summer picnic’s.
I have my beautiful fruit salad above, sitting on a rug that I recently purchased.
Looks a bit Palm Beach, don’t you think?
Flowering Chives and Thai Mint
Along with some Blue and Black Berries
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Dragon Fruits
I wanted to use a few fruits that were exotic and only something Palm Beach society in the 1960’s would know of?
These Dragon Fruits do look a bit “scary.” Do not fear them! Just slice them, as I did in the photo above…
and then peel off the outer ring, as in the photo top left, so that they will then look like the photo, right.
Yellow Dragon Fruit
Do the same for these as you did for the Pink Dragon Fruit.
The seeds are soft and you can easily eat them. Don’t fear this beautiful and tasty fruits!
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Mini Melon’s From The Asian Supermarket
They call them Mini Melon’s at the Asian Supermarket. I have no earthly idea what their true name is. I will say this. The melons were delicious! They added some firmness to my fruit salad.
Notice The Seeds?
These seeds were so easy to remove with a spoon.
It was basically one swipe with a small spoon and the seeds were gone!
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Using my Manatee as a Spoon Rest
You Want To Place Your Fruits Into a Mixing Bowl
I knew that the Pink Dragon Fruit would turn everything Pink.
I was fine with it!
I’ve Added My Blue and Black Berries, Above
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Sugar Plums, De-seeded..
and then Chopped.
Sugar Plums Added, Along with Some Firm Green Grapes
The Salad is Coming Together
I’ve Added it to a Pretty Serving Bowl
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Now For The Extras
The Flowering Chives, Thai Mint, and my Mini Bananas
I sliced the Bananas in half, and placed them around the bowl with some Flowering Chives.
I also added some of my pretty Orchids.
I Added Fresh Thai Mint to the Middle of my Fruit Salad
If you are wondering if I added any sweetener, I didn’t. As a borderline diabetic there is plenty of sugar in all of these fruits as it is. There is no reason for me to add anything else.
Eat Up and Enjoy!
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Julie’s Fruit Roll-Ups
(I didn’t know what to call them. I know they aren’t what we think are “Fruit Roll Up’s,” but they do have fruit in them, and you do roll them up, so…)
They Actually Lasted a Few Days in the Refrigerator and Held Up Good
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I made these with my Grand-Daughter Peanuku in mind. I am kind of experimenting with foods that she will like to eat when she gets older, whether for a snack or lunch, or something for us to take with us in the car.
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These Are Really Easy To Make, Delicious To Eat
You Can Use Any Fruits That You Like
My Ingredients:
(You can use as much or as little as you like.)
Tortillas, (any you like)
Preserved Lemon Hummus
Pink Dragonfruit
Yellow Dragonfruit
Kiwi Fruit
Bananas
Micro- Beet Greens (I think that’s what I used. I was looking for something with a tinge of PINK.)
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Slicing The DragonFruit
DragonFruit may look a bit scary, but it is very easy to slice whether you slice it in rounds or lengthwise. The other skin always peels away quite easy. Because I was placing this fruit into the tortillas, I wanted to slice it all lengthwise.
Same With the Yellow DragonFruit…
I placed both on a few paper towels to help absorb all the liquid.
The Kiwi Fruit is also a bit juicy so I did the same with the paper towels here.
I allowed the fruit to sit for a little while on the paper towels.
The Bananas were great in this! They added something a bit firm to the roll up.
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Everything Sliced, Time to Assemble
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To Assemble:
Start out by spreading your Hummus all over the Tortilla.
Then add your Micro-Greens.
Next, start layering your Fruit only on one side of the Tortilla.
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Time To Roll Them Up!
Then Slice In Two
Eat Immediately, Refrigerate the Rest 🙂
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Have a sweet day!
Julie
