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Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Dried Fruit Tea Is Everything

For anyone who likes fruit tea, here is my 'recipe':

  • Find a good quantity of dried fruit (I found this brand and it's more affordable than this brand made specifically for infusion). If you like adding sweetener (the brand of fruit might be sweet enough on its own) I suggest using honey. I use a natural honey or a creamed honey. However, dried fruit (depending on the mix) is pretty sweet on it's on. 
  • With dried fruit, you have to steep a lot longer than with regular tea. I generally start drinking mine after 15 minutes but I notice it tastes better and better as it continues steeping.
  • I use about a tablespoon of dried fruit (it will depend on the size of the pieces) to about 10-12 ounces of boiling water. 
  • Sometimes I will use more water and add a bag of another tea.  I sometimes like adding a bag of Raspberry Zinger or hibiscus tea.
The fruit I am using is of such good quality that I can eat all of it after I've finished the tea. Some of the pieces still retain a lot of their flavor. I love eating the bits of coconut because the steep has softened them.

Love the coconut and raisins
                                          

When I started drinking fruit infusions, I was using a Korean brand of fruit tea. It was good but not as good as this Oregon Farms brand. For one thing, it was almost $20 for a jar ($1.62/oz)...

...while the Oregon Farms is $0.71/oz.  It's also fresher. The Korean brand was in smaller bits and not all of it was edible after the tea was finished. Another downside is that I had to use more of it to get a good flavor.

I like everything about this dried fruit mix. The seller was also good about communication when I had questions - before I even made a purchase.


The labeling is good. I like knowing the ingredients, nutrition facts, and the lot number. There is even an expiry date on every bag.
And I love, love, love the ingredients.
I enjoy eating the 
raisins & coconut afterward
What I like about making tea from dried fruit is that, uh, I'm not crazy about eating dried fruit out of the bag but I do like the taste! Weird, I know...  Also, I could not find a good tea made from real fruit. the keywords are "good" and "real fruit". Tiesta Tea's Maui Mango tastes awesome but it's a bit stingy on the fruit and the fruit size. Also, there are too many pieces of bitter rind to eat all of it. It is at least $1.60 per ounce and can be as much as $3.00+ per ounce.

The Oregon Farms fruit not only looks plump and fresh but tastes as good as it looks. 


The Korean brand also looks good but it's not as fresh feeling compared to the Oregon Farms brand. 


As I mentioned at the start, the Oregon Farms fruit is even more plumped (of course) and delicious once I finish the tea.

Even though I use a specific brand, that doesn't mean that you can use another or one with a different mix of fruit. I suppose some folks might even dry their own fruit for longer storage. I can offer a couple of suggestions:

  • Make sure you look at the calories/nutrients. I have to watch out for this!
  • Make sure that you are not allergic to (or might have problems with) anything in the mix. 
  • Try to use boiling water of at least 200F. I finally have a kettle that is consistently that hot. (The hotter the water, the better the steep).
  • It helps to have a cup/mug that holds the temperature long enough for a good steep. I have several mugs and thermal cups but the one I use is my favorite for this tea. It's the right size and it keeps the water super hot. As a matter of fact, I have to open the lid to let it cool down enough for me to start sipping. (The mug is this cheap-o one that I can use with my Yeti lid!)
  • If I don't eat my fruit right away, I save it to add to the next brew.

Peace

-- Free



DISCLAIMER: I am not receiving any compensation of any kind from any of the brands mentioned. I am no medical professional so I'm not making any claims.

Saturday, December 09, 2023

**Wordly World** Is It Really 'News"?

  Reading the news makes me worry about society. Not because the news is so bad but because of what is considered 'news'. I might be making regular posts about this so here goes. This is what I saw in the 'news' this morning.





In addition to all the hate and madness going on, the thing that really caught my eye was the "mystery man" running for office in Ghana. What a world. Here in the US, we have schoolyard bullies, mean girls, and every kind of silliness going on in politics. Something in my Christian soul reacted to the idea of a "mystery" person seeking a political office.





Why is "partying" with a political leader even part of the current conversation? How about trying to find a candidate we'd like to have a serious conversation with?




Speaking of a lack of seriousness, this is the first of many articles mentioning the pop star Taylor Swift. 

I was having a conversation a few days ago with my brother about how I've been seeing this woman's name every time I scan the news.  And I'm not talking just lightweight news sources. I've seen her popping up on what I used to consider serious news sources.

Maybe it's just me and my disdain for pop culture but I find it weird. Seeing such frequent mentions of pop stars on the same page as stories about wars, deaths, and deadly politics is a little disconcerting. 




Here's Swift again. (Did you know they call her fan-actics "Swifties"? Beyonce has her Beehive - or whatever - so why not? Kids today, am I right?




And again. Newsweek really is into her. At least this mention is on one of their "culture" pages. Because this is so much "culture"...


That's it for today. There is more, I'm sure, but I'm a little tired of looking. I have to try to try to find some real and actual news to catch up on.


Peace

--Free

Saturday, December 02, 2023

Oh No, They Di'int... (Update)

UPDATE: BTW, in case you, like I, have been wondering how to dupe this fancy product... Here's my take.  Since Cetalox is the primary scent in Not A Perfume, I am assuming I can make my own version of this detergent. I already use Cetalox in the DIY scents I've been making. 



Why was I momentarily tempted to order this?

I found it via Shoprunner

One of my favorite fragrances - in a laundry detergent? Honey, please! You know I thought way too long about getting this. Thankfully, my common sense kicked in...

If you can afford it, go for it!

Peace

--Free

Monday, November 20, 2023

**REVIEW** Arm & Hammer Trash and Dumpster Deodorizer

This isn't going to be a lengthy post. It doesn't take a lot of words to tell you that this stuff works. 


pic is clipped from Amazon

That's the Arm & Hammer Trash & Dumpster Deodorizer.

My garbage isn't usually smelly enough that I need to use a deodorizer in the can. However, I have been eating a lot of fruit and drinking dried fruit tea infusions. The waste goes into the trash or down the garbage disposal and it can cause some serious stank.

I got this deodorizer, not really thinking it would work much better than regular baking soda. I was wrong. This works like some kind of trick. Not only does it work, but it works almost instantaneously, and - this is the best part - I only need to use about 1/16 of a teaspoon in my 13-gallon can.

For some reason, my order info shows this product as being "unscented". There is a scent - a light, fresh, "green" scent. I can only smell it when I am sprinkling the product, then it's gone. 

This works so well that I wanted to try it in other ways. Now when I scrub down my sink, I sprinkle just a pinch of this into the disposal when I run it. I also put a bit into the canister of my vacuum cleaner to get rid of the dusty smell it emits when it's running. I put a little into a small mesh bag to hang over the laundry hamper I keep in the bathroom pantry. I could smell the fresh scent of the product for about 2 minutes. 

This would be a good thing to control diaper pail odors. And probably could be handy to use somehow in sickrooms. I'm just saying.

My brother and his neighbor share a dumpster in between their houses so I told him about this. The dumpster doesn't usually smell but this is a just-in-case for the hot and muggy summer days.

I got this 2-pack at Amazon but, since it's an Arm & Hammer product, I'm sure it's available almost anywhere.

Peace

--Free

Saturday, November 18, 2023

My New Hobby (Smells Amazing)

 A while back, I started a page listing perfume dupes. I have a favorite place to buy dupes of Not A Perfume, Molecule 02, and Another 13. The more I thought about those, the more I wondered how hard it could be to make my own fragrances. Guess what? It's not difficult and, even better, it's not that expensive.

I started out with using some ingredients to add to my own store-bought or "brand" perfumes. I experimented with adding cetalox and ambroxan to my favorite fragrances. I have some Ana Abeyedh, Sweet Tooth (the original and the Caramel Dream version), Fancy, Fantasy, etc. I even doctored some of the Molecule 03 dupe from Miraclelayer. 

My results were pretty good for being new at this. Since I love the brand fragrances I wear, I really wanted to play with amping up some of the notes I particularly love. Also, I notice that I get better longevity from the doctored scents. A couple of them have gone from having very weak to medium weak lasting power to being almost eternal. 

I didn't intend for this to be a hobby but I love it. Playing around with the different ingredients and blends is something my screwed up brain can handle. I'm not trying to sell this stuff so I don't really bother to keep but the barest notes of my formulas. 

It's been a long time since I have found something I can do without getting all stressed out and frustrated. When I am playing around with doctoring my fragrances, I don't have to worry about being accurate or messing up anything. (I'm not using heat or volatile ingredients, by the way!)

As for supplies, I'm just using amber-colored glass bottles with stoppered drip tips (I already had plenty around), the pestle and mortar I never used much for anything but appearances, and I got some perfumers alcohol - which is really inexpensive.

My ingredients have all come from Perfumer's Apprentice (so far). As I said, I started with cetalox crystals (for an ambery/woody note)  and ambroxan (which has the same notes). Since then, I have added:

  • Ethyl Maltol crystals (super sweet-scented & described as "sugary, caramelic")
  • Ethyl vanillin (as strong vanilla scent that is supposed to add the middle/heart notes)
  • Fixateur 505E (a woody, ambergris scent - can you see a pattern?)
  • 5-Methyl-2-Phenyl-2-Hexenal (has cocoa/mocha undertones)
  • Iso E Super® (a woody/floral ambergris scent that adds strength to a fragrance)
  • Veramoss (the powdery-mossy scent that I adore in a fragrance)
Some of my favorite perfumes of the past several years have been Glossier's You, JHAG's Not A Perfume, and anything that resembles BR540 (something I'm too "BR4" - or Broke For!). When I looking into it, I learned that my fave scents tend to use a lot of cetalox (or actual ambergris which I cannot afford),  Ethyl Maltol, and vanillin. My favorite note of all in a perfume is a cloudy-powdery-papery one. 

By the way, if anyone is looking to make their own dupe of BR540, this is a video that lists a "recipe". I might try that one day.

Once I realized how affordable it is to amp up my existing perfumes and even make my own concoctions, I decided to whip up a few of them to give as gifts this season. I found some beautiful decorative glass bottles on Amazon and I'm going to be gifting them to loved ones. Of course, I had to get a set of small amber bottles to send the perfumes in because the cute bottles are mostly for show.

So I'm thrilled to have a way to amp up my existing perfumes or, eventually, make my own from scratch. Right now, I'm just loving the longevity of the doctored scents. I have some White Diamonds that I never wear because it's just not quite right for me. I mixed it up with some cetalox and ethyl maltol and it is so yummy I can't stand it. Also, I can spray my wrist and throat once on the morning and still catch the scent when I wake up the next day.  (By the way, this is the link to the video of the BR540 recipe someone presented.)

Now I have to go and get some rest. I'm totally wiped of energy this week but I sure do smell good!

Peace
-- Free

Monday, November 13, 2023

Thursday, November 09, 2023

**REVIEW** A DEEP Dupe for BR540

( First, a disclaimer. I have only ever smelled the original BR540 on a test strip.)

Guys, I have talked about Miraclelayer more than once. I love their Ambergris Musk (a dupe for JHAG's Not A Perfume) and I also love their 13 Aromatics (a dupe for Another 13) just as much - maybe even a little bit more.  (The only one of their dupes I don't like is Aromatic 04 (for Molecule 04) and that's fair because I don't like the original.)

However...

They sent me a sample of their BR540 dupe called Crystal Power in early September and, while I liked it, I wasn't immediately impressed. So I tucked it in my purse and forgot about it until around the first of this month when I was digging around for a lip balm. Well, the maceration was magical.

This is now my favorite dupe. The longevity on me is not as long as I'd like but that's normal for my dry skin so I spray my bra with it. The projection is amazing. I'm pretty sure that this stuff would have had eternal longevity on my 40-year-old skin. Shame. Still, it's so good that I want more.

So this is not going to be a long drawn-out post. All I really want to say is that for the price, I can indulge in this dupe every now and then. I can't even think about buying the original BR540. Even if I could, I would not. I'd rather have groceries and clothing! I wouldn't even want someone to buy it for me as a gift. I'd rather put the money toward a phone or a used car...

For the dupe-searchers who love some BR540, this is another one to take a look at. Also, keep in mind that Miraclelayer has free flat-rate shipping on all orders.

Peace

--Free




DISCLAIMER: In my September 2023 order, Miraclelayer included a free small sample of Crystal Power. I purchased all other items with my own money.


Wednesday, November 01, 2023

**CROSSPOST** Thinking About the Lord's Prayer

This is a Crosspost from my other blog.


I am trying to pay more attention to things in life because I have tended, in the past, to rush through. I noticed this about myself when I thought about the Lord's Prayer.  I have been saying this prayer (both before and after I accepted Christ) since I was a child.

What I am trying to do now, each time I say the Lord's Prayer, is to be aware of what I am saying. I really want to better apply the words to my life and keep them close to my heart. Here is how I now think of the lines in the prayer:

"Our Father who is in heaven, (Because He is in heaven - not some imposter living here on earth)

Hallowed be Your name. (Do I reverence His name? Do I keep it holy?)

Your kingdom come. (Not "kingdom now" as some people want. I need to be sharing the gospel and spreading the Word so that more people will be ready.)

Your will be done, (Sometimes, I resist this and want what I want instead of wanting what God wills. I need to know that His will will be done - whether I want it or not.)

On earth as it is in heaven. (Again, His will is the final authority. I need to want this for my life.)

Give us this day our daily bread. (Not bread for today and tomorrow - which may not come for me - and not riches and wealth and health abundant. Just my daily needs. He has always been faithful in this. )

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (This is the big one for me! I have to remind myself over and over to forgive as I have been forgiven. And I think of the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor in Matthew 18:21-35.) 

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

I think the main thing for me is to realize that God really is in control - of my waking and breathing and the existence of all of us. We have free will but He is in control.

So, yes, I really do need to be more - what is the trendy word? "mindful"? I need to not take living for granted. 

Peace

--Free


** I am in no way a Bible scholar or expert. This post is just to show my experience as a Christian who is trying to be better today than I was yesterday. 

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

**CROSSPOST** Goals, Maturity, Life and Lessons

This is from my other blog.


 I used to think of age as a sign of maturity. Finally, at 62, I realize that maturity is a lifelong process. Most of us think of levels of maturity as a set of milestones that we reach at the ages of 13, 16, 18, 21, and so on.

What I have learned - finally - is that we become fully "mature" when we learn how to behave better. So, for all the young people out there, here are some milestones of behavior that we all should strive for (and it's a lifelong process):

When you 

  • Become more of a peacemaker than a troublemaker
  • Become better at loving and listening than being lewd and loud
  • Learn to be more gracious and less rude
  • Get better at being more thoughtful and giving than grasping and wanting
  • Try being understanding as much as you want to be understood
  • Try thinking deeply and critically rather than being quick at the mouth
  • Listen more than you talk
  • Can disagree with others without hating, belittling, or disrespecting them
  • Practice more humility than indulging in pride
  • Learn patience and endurance instead of going for the quick wins
  • Appreciate beauty in the world without photobombing it with selfies
  • Learn to slow down and savor moments and experiences without rushing to the next one
  • Accept that you have some of the same flaws that you see in others
  • Are happy in peace in stillness
  • Can be grateful for every breath you take
  • Can recognize when you are wrong and not gloat when you are right
  • Realize how much your actions - no matter how small - can have a negative or positive impact 
  • Want to be a better person today than you were yesterday - even though you can never be "perfect".
If I could go back in time and change one thing in my life, it would be to know what true maturity is. When I was young, if I had realized that I was building my past, I would have done so many things differently. 

Every breath is a blessing. Every mistake can be a lesson. We are here for such a short time, but we do matter. Live as if you know that.

Peace
--Free

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Additional (little known?) Walmart Perks

I have a Walmart Plus membership but did not know about some of the additional perks that come with the membership. I will try to update this post (as a page) as I learn more. For now, here are some things to look into:

  • First of all, depending on eligibility, you might be able to get the Walmart Plus membership at a steep discount. The normal cost is $98/yr or $12.95/mo (which works out to be $155.4 per year). The yearly membership is a decent savings.
  • The discounted membership (Walmart Plus Assist) is $49/yr or $6.47/mo (which works out to $77.64 per year).  You can visit the link to see if you are eligible. If you are and already have a regular Plus membership, you will be switched over to the discounted cost. With the discounted membership, you still get all of the perks of a regular membership.
  • As an alternative to Audible (which currently costs $7.95/mo for basic and $14.95/mo for Premium), Walmart has an eBook and audiobook service through Kobo.com. Subscription choices are for eBooks only, audiobooks only - each for $7.99/mo), or the combo read/listen for $9.99/mo). Each plan comes with a free trial for each of the plans (only for new subscribers). These prices are current at the time of this blog post and are only for U.S. plans. There are plans and prices for other locations that you can find on the website.
  • The In-Home service is attached to having a Plus membership and is the one I'm most excited about but is not yet available in all locations (mine included). It offers deliveries with tips and delivery fees built into the $40/yr or $7/mo flat fee (which works out to be $84/yr so huge savings!). The additional service can include having items delivered inside your garage, brought to your doorstep, or even put away in your fridge. The delivery people are vetted associates. The service also makes returns easier. In my opinion, this service is perfect for the elderly and/or disabled.

I have already posted about some of the other Walmart Plus perks - free Paramount Plus, free Pluto.TV, etc. (BTW, I still can't get my Paramount to work ðŸ˜ž)


Peace
--Free  


Sunday, October 22, 2023

Another Day, Another Ache

 Today, I ordered some arnica gel for my aches and pains. While I was at it, I thought of ordering this t-shirt but, nah. I resent that it's a young chick modeling it!

Young body & young skin. So I cropped off her head!
The good thing is, I wasn't upset in the least about having to order the arnica gel. I just hope it works as well (or at all!) as the reviewers claim. 

What prompted me to even think about getting the arnica is funny. I walked around the apartment for a couple of weeks seriously thinking I had a flu bug. Turns out, my body aches (apparently) because that is what aged bodies are best at... 

My little brother and his wife were over the other day for dinner. I made the mistake of sitting on the floor afterward as we talked and had coffee. My brother had to help me when I was ready to stand up again. (He's not laughing though because he's right behind me on the age train!)

So, yah, I'm gonna give the arnica a try. The Tylenol isn't working. The Ibuprofen works really well but I'm not supposed to take that - so, of course, it's the one that works.

Shout out to Tracie for the truth!
I can remember being young and spry. I really just could not understand why my mother walked and moved the way she did. For a long time, I thought it was because she had bunions (which I wasn't sure was a real thing back then!). Nope. Turns out, she was just aging. Her feet didn't hurt, her entire body ached. And now I am where she was. It always startles me to remember that this is my 7th decade in this temporary existence. I just said that out loud and... Wow!

The thing about aging is how it sneaks up on you in stages. One day, you notice the lines on your face, and then you notice you can't lose 10 pounds just by cutting out bread for the weekend. Finally, the aches and pains start haunting you. Two years ago, I could still sit down on the floor, cross-legged for hours. I had only a little bit of trouble getting up. Fast forward to the other day when the family and I had a 5-minute giggling spell over my brother trying to help me up while my SIL moved furniture out of the way.

My 11-year-old great-nephew and I were having one of our regular after-school phone conversations recently when he asked how old am. I told him and he thought about it for a minute, then he asked me not to die soon. My late sister and I raised his mom, so I am sort of a Grammy to him. When she died, he was just old enough to be sad but just young enough not to fully understand exactly why.

I tried to assure him that I had no plans to die soon, "the good Lord willing". I don't know if that made my sweetie pie feel any better but I'm now prepping for our future conversations on the subject.

Meanwhile, I am happy in my "old age" and still laugh at times like a silly kid and I really do feel like a teenager sometimes. I am still awed by the beauty I see in nature. There are nights when I stare up at the stars like a child seeing them for the first time. 

When I wake up tomorrow, stiff and creaky, I am going to be thankful for another day. I have been blessed to live long enough to know what true beauty is, and what does and doesn't matter in life. I have a family who loves me and friends who do too. Whenever I do die, my nephew will know that mine has been a good life.

Peace
--Free


**REVIEW** La Roche Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser

 I can't believe that I forgot to post this review (it's been 7 months since I started using this) so I am going to do a quickie...

The cleanser is, no doubt, the most gentle one I have ever used. It's even more gentle on my face than the oil cleansers I've loved. The best thing about this is that as gentle as it is, it cleans like crazy. 

The first time I used the product, I over-used it. I thought that because it felt so creamy and gentle I needed to use more. Also, the cream does not produce any foam. Bottom line: it only takes a small amount of the product to clean my entire face really well. And, as well as it cleans my skin, it doesn't dry it out. I don't have to make a mad dash afterward to apply a moisturizer. 

As with other LRP products, this one has a really good list of ingredients. There is no scent - another plus - and the texture is so lux that I feel pampered. And, for such a good product, I am surprised at the affordable price (about $17 for almost 14 ounces of product). It only takes less than a nickel-sized amount of the cream to clean my entire face. I have plenty of product left and I've been using this bottle for over 7 months.

Look at what's not in this product

By now, I have tried a few LRP products - the Cicaplast, the Double Repair with UV Sunscreen, and the Lipakar lotion. I really like the moisturizers except I do prefer Neutrogena's sunscreen over the LRP Double Repair, but I am sticking with this cleanser. 

This cleanser has an expiry date of 2025 and the way it lasts, I might still have some then!

Check out the ingredients

There's not a lot else to say about this. It feels great and doesn't irritate my grouchy, bipolar skin. Have I mentioned that it's odorless? It is and I love that.

Peace

--Free


P.S.: Believe it or not, this cleanser is currently cheaper at Amazon than at Walmart! Walmart seems to have it marked down from $25 to almost $19 currently. Amazon still has it for the $17 price that I paid months ago. Make sure to check the official LPR site though. I see that they have subscription prices.


Sunday, October 15, 2023

A Surprisingly Tasty Tea

 I've been migrating away from coffee and sliding into becoming a tea drinker. (Don't get me wrong, I still love my coffee but am down to 1 or 2 4-oz cups of espresso in the morning.) 

The first tea I took on as a favorite quite a while back is the Maui Mango from Tiesta Tea. Remember my rant about that?

This tiny bag is too pricey
& the can is even more so

It's rather pricey so I really have to limit myself. I was looking for something similar - a tasty and aromatically pleasing tea with real fruit - when I found this:

The jar is bigger than it looks.

Thank goodness for translator apps - 
or I might know this is "food, food, and food!"

It's a dried fruit tea - I call it Berry Tea - and I did not like it at first. As a matter of fact, I was composing the angriest review ever right after making the first cup. I pushed the tea aside, still steeping, as I wrote about feeling duped. I said that I'd expected fruit tea and had gotten some kind of expensive fruit cake remnants! I was so mad and being so dramatic that I forgot what I was doing when I picked up my mug and took a second sip of the tea. And my tastebuds fell in love with what I now call liquid manna.

The tea smells amazing and looks pretty. Having a cup makes for a relaxing few moments.

BTW, I used too much for this cup.
About half of this would have been fine.

The ingredients are delicious

The trick with this tea is to let it steep much longer than the suggested 3 minutes. I now let mine steep for at least 6 minutes. This gives the fruit time to release all its flavor and goodness. When I add some honey, the tea goes from delicious to "yummly". That's the only word I could think of to describe it.

I was happy for the seal
& the expiry info.

As pro-USA as I have become (as a consumer), I have to admit that this tea out of China is the best fruit tea I have ever laid my lips on.

The Tiesta Maui Mango has real fruit in it but it doesn't really compare to the Berry Tea. For one thing, I really can eat almost every piece of fruit in the Berry tea once it's well-steeped. The Tiesta tea has several pieces of rind that I find too bitter to eat. Also, the fruit pieces in the Tiesta tea are much smaller. The Maui Mango has a stronger fragrance but the Berry tea tastes richer and fresher. Also, the Berry tea is much much more affordable in the long run. I do have to store it in the fridge though. That's how good the fruit is. The only problem I had with the Korean tea was naming it. I was going to call it the "food, food, and food tea" but I settled on "Berry Tea".

Both the Tiesta and the Berry tea are about the same per-ounce price (the Berry is about 1 cent cheaper), I have to use more of the Tiesta tea than I do of the Berry to get the best flavor. I notice that I use almost twice the amount of Tiesta than of the Berry. Also, I enjoy the Berry tea both cold and hot. The Tiesta tea is best only hot - at least for my taste.

Anyway, now I have 2 fruit tea choices. One benefit of Tiesta is that it's more likely to be available. That Berry tea coming from China could disappear from Amazon at any time!

My goal now is to find a local Asian grocery and locate more of this type of tea. I do miss the diversity of the Alaskan population. I especially miss all the various ethnic grocers... Living in lovely but culturally bland Iowa, I will probably have to go to another state to find a decent Asian market! It will be worth it though.

Peace

--Free


P.S.: I run everything past my doctors. When I  told my kidney doctor about this, he had no problem. He said that at least I won't be adding a bunch of sugary creamer to it!"

Sunday, October 01, 2023

"Scared Straight" vs Death

 I remember the Scared Straight programs of yesteryear. I think that, for a while, they probably had good results but eventually turned into TV entertainment. Whatever the case, I think that there needs to be a new program to turn people away from crime.

My mother used to say that people put no value on life - sometimes, not even their own. According to her, that's why so many people were doing dangerous and stupid things. If she were here today to see people killing each other with no regret, I don't know what she'd think. Maybe that people put no value on life because they don't understand the value until too late.

I think that people have gotten more brazen in everything - sex, drugs, crime, bad politics, etc. It's as if we are losing the ability for any personal restraint.

Politicians, public figures, and the media love to spotlight certain groups of people when they highlight crimes. Right now, the trending news is about brazen daylight store robberies. I mean, people have gone from dance mobbing to mob robbing... and the highfalutin folks - some of them "North of Richmond" - sit back, clutching their pearls and shaking their heads. But the truth is, that every group in society is just as bad in their behavior - most of all, the highfalutin ones. I have never seen such unashamedly horrible elected officials in my lifetime. No one group can claim to "be better" than any other when they practice bad behavior. Bad behavior of a different kind is still bad. It's like when Reagan was bashing "welfare queens" while everyone ignored (and still does) corporate welfare. 

By the way, the biggest difference between so-called "welfare queens" and corporate welfare kings is that the corporate bunch has the money and power to change and hide behind laws and lobbies. Please, do not get me started on that rant!

Society is going further south of decency than ever before. And each group in society is finger-pointing at the others. It's all "Them or Us". How united is America - especially in this era of Making It Great Again? The slogan should be Making America Hate Again.

This might annoy a lot of people on the hard, fringe edge of the Right but I'm no less irritated with the loonies on the Left. I am just going to point out that the rise of Trump as a politician is where things really started going off the rails.

The thing is, America has never been perfect. She has some horrible skeletons in the closet - mostly those of poor whites, blacks, or immigrants. However, I think this is the first time that we are striving harder to be more divisive and hateful instead of trying to be more united. Truth be told, our "unity" is looking pretty raggedy right about now. 

In times past (ITP), folks had to be of good character (or at least hide or lie about their bad character) in order to even run for office and be taken seriously. Not anymore. We are electing the most ignorant, mean, and divisive people we can. The more hateful and divisive, the more "real" a candidate seems to some people. The worst thing about this is that we are teaching the next generation to be horrible in order to succeed. Grace, civility, and plain old good manners have no place in Washington these days!

And now we worship rudeness

The madness has even seeped into the houses of worship. As a Christian, I am ashamed of many others who use that label. It's dismaying that there are pastors - black and white - inciting hate and violence against other races. I can't call a Muslim a terrorist if I am terrorizing another group just because they are another group. I can't call myself a follower of Christ (you know, The Head Hebrew In Charge) if I am terrorizing Jews. The Church used to stand for sanctuary. I am not sure what a Christian pulpit stands for in this era of hate.

Anyway, back to the original rant...

ITP, educators weren't proud of their side hustles (if any) that included nudity or poor judgement. Not to mention, it's getting to be a normal thing for teachers to have sexual relationships with students. 

ITP, parents took more (and had more) control over - or were at least more aware of - their children's behavior. These days, minor children have too many avenues of finding trouble. They can do things at school without their parents' permission - and are sometimes encouraged to. They have cell phones and internet access - which means access to people, places, and information that may lead them to harm.

And, yes, I understand that because we live in the Information Age, we have more access than ever before to news. I get that. But you know and I know that we have changed for the worse in many ways. It's not like there wasn't news reporting in the last century. The news might have been slower but it still got around.

Getting back to where I started, I think we need a new deterrent to crime - and not just among young people. Scared Straight gave youths a look at what actual incarceration was like. They got to go into jails and prisons and meet the people living that reality. They got to hear the doors locking them in. They got a sense of what being incarcerated was really like. probably that, ITP, worked well for a lot of those kids. Today, a lot of young folk think of being incarcerated as a chance to earn street credibility. I have an idea that might work better. 

Send people into the morgue or the autopsy room. Let them see what dead really looks like. Let them talk to the loved ones left behind. Let them see the lifeless bodies of people their own age. Let the coroner explain how death happened to this person or that person. 

Better yet, take them through the entire lead-up to the death. Let the detectives working the case explain the crime and the reason for the crime - how and where it happened. Let them hear a summary of the dead person's life - their hopes, dreams, and goals. 

Whenever I watch "Reality TV" centered around crime and justice, I am struck by how victims' loved ones are affected. It's so sad to hear how a person's life started well (or not) and then took a turn for the worse (or better) only for them to die senselessly.  To hear that "he was just getting back on track" or "she had plans to be a teacher" is so heartbreaking.

Most of us are, to a point, selfish about our lives. We want to live, we want another chance for things to be better. We don't want to die young. I'm sure that even suicidal people think about who and what they are leaving behind.

So I think we need to move past Scared Straight. I don't think enough people are scared of incarceration. I do think most of us are scared of death. At least, scared enough not to want to die young or painfully or needlessly. 

I would hope that people in such a program - maybe call it "This is Death" - would better understand the value of life.

When I watch those crime programs, I always think of the victim. No matter how little I have in common with their lifestyle or culture, I cannot help but realize that everything for them is over and done. I usually think of the premise of "It's a Wonderful Life". If only that person - or the person who caused their death - could have had a glimpse of it all.

Peace

--Free


Friday, September 29, 2023

Walmart's Scan & Go Is... Mostly Awesome

 Finally, I have tried Walmart's Scan & Go app. How was it? Not too bad, but I do have suggestions...

The Good:

  • It was fast. My family didn't have to wait as long for me to shop and check out.
  • It was easy. The app is user-friendly and easy to learn.
  • It was better than "regular" shopping. For the most part!
  • You are seeing your shopping totals as you add things to your cart. That was awesome. There were no surprises at checkout like "What did I spend so much on?!?!?!"
  • It's super convenient, especially when the store is crowded.
  • I didn't have to pull out my wallet at all.
The Not-So-Good:
  • The scanner in the app wouldn't read one of my items. I put it back.
  • You do have to hit a self-checkout register to, um, check out.
  • There is no checkout register designated for Scan & Go customers.
  • Not all the staff seem to know about it. Maybe.
Overall, I am impressed. I will probably always use Scan & Go when I have to be in the physical store.  For parents or other caregivers, it should be so much better to Scan & Go. Get in, shop, and get out. I would have loved Scan & Go when I shopped with my young nephew or my wheelchair-bound sister. 

I was a bit lost at first when I opened the app. I didn't realize that I had to wait to be in the store (connected to their Wi-Fi) to use it. The app walks you through the process from scanning and adding items to your cart to removing anything you decide you don't want after all.  Here are some parts of the process I really liked:
  • After the first 3 or 4 items, the app prompted me to verify the amount of items in my cart. 
  • When aiming the camera at a product, the scanner sort of searches for the code. As long as the code was somewhere in the photo square range, the scanner thing would "find" it. So I didn't have to worry about perfect aim.
  • The scanner is not picking up and adding random items because you have to press "Scan" for each item. It's easy to do one-handed
  • The running total is awesome. Every time I added an item to the cart, I got a total. It's a great way when you know you only have x amount of money. Like I said, no surprises at the end or having to put something back while people are watching.
  • You can check your receipt when you have checked out. There is a photo of an actual store receipt right there on your phone. (You don't get that kind of receipt when using delivery or pickup.)
  • You could change your mind and take things out of your cart if you wanted. The app will let you subtract that item.
My other slip-up was that it was only after I'd checked out that I remembered to go grab some bags for my items. This is another reason I think there should be a designated checkout station for the app users. Maybe I will remember to bring my own bags next time.

I think Walmart employees should be better educated on Scan & Go. The lady monitoring self-checkout was a bit confused when she didn't see me actually ringing up my items. She followed me to ask if she could "help me". Poor woman. She probably thought I was just a brazen shoplifter! I held up my phone to show her the "Exit Pass" on the app. 

The young dude manning the exit, was also a bit confused when I held up my phone to show him the Exit Pass. He let me go but still looked concerned. I walked out and that's when I remembered I needed a couple of bags. That poor guy at the door was really thrown when I came back for a quick moment, then left again with my items bagged. 

In spite of a couple of hiccups, that was probably the best-ever trip to Walmart. I wasn't all stressed out when I left, nor was I checking my purse to make sure I had my wallet. It was so easy, that it felt like cheating.

In contrast, my SIL took way longer to finish shopping for 3 things than I did for 6 things. The checkout line is where you save time.

Like I said, there is a little bit of room for improvement but I really was pleased. The main thing that bugged me was not having a designated checkout scanner. All I needed to do was get to a checkout register and scan the barcode on the screen. That basically completed my checkout and triggered the Exit Pass on my phone.  NOTE: This could be a real pain if the self-checkouts are all crowded... Designated registers will be a huge improvement...

Overall, Walmart is killing it with the Scan & Go app. It wasn't buggy or irritating to use. Next time I will try to remember to take screenshots at different stages of the process.

Peace
--Free

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Making Green Tea Taste Good

 I've been making some changes in my diet for the last couple of years. I've cut back on salt and sugar; I try to do IF every so often (haha); and I have cut back on my coffee intake.

Coffee is supposed to be good for you, but I drink mine with sweetened creamer. That's not good. I have only managed to drink particular brands of coffee black-no-sugar - Luzianne (red bag, dark roasted is one - but I have trouble finding the brands I like. So I have just cut back to one 10-11oz cup first thing in the morning. Sometimes I don't even finish it off.

Tea is my replacement beverage. I found one I love so much that I splurge with a regular subscription via Walmart. I have backup teas because it's too pricey for me to drink too often - I need to use far less per cup! I like anything peach- or mango-flavored.

$9/5.5oz
40-50 cups
(I drink too much of it!)

Green tea is supposed to be good for the body. Okay, but it's not the tastiest tea I've had - at least without some help. I have tried all kinds of brands and types of green tea and just cannot deal with the flat and bitter flavor. I absolutely cannot tolerate Matcha unless it's whipped into some too-sweet Starbucks-like concoction. So I have found a way to drink at least 3 to 4 cups of green tea a day. 

(By the way, I am going to be asking my nephrologist about green tea at my coming appointment. There is a lot of conflicting info online regarding the effects of green tea on patients with CKD. On the one hand, I've heard that it's great because of the antioxidants and, on the other hand, I've heard that it has compounds that could be harmful to compromised kidneys. This is with I don't use Google for my medical issues! I am hoping that my doc will say the tea is okay. I do expect that there might be some limitations or other suggestions from him.)

Here is how I get my green tea fix... I get the affordable Bigelow green tea from Walmart, along with some Bigelow Chamomile Vanilla, and  Twinings' Peach & Orange. Anytime I drink green tea, I add a bag of the Peach & Orange or a tiny bit of the pricey Tiesta Maui Mango. I use a some of the raw mountain honey as a sweetener. The difference is incredible.

Least fave: the Chamo-Vanilla Honey

The Peach & Orange tea is not one I normally would have chosen but I was in a hurry and using Walmart's Scan & Go app (yes, I will be doing a little review on that!  I did a review of that) for the first time. I haven't even had it without the green tea yet. Turns out, I kind of dig the Peach & Orange.

I definitely use too much of the Tiesta! 
🤣

I already have some Hibiscus tea, but I blogged about why I need to limit my intake...

So I have been drinking 2 cups of green tea (sometimes 3) almost every day. What I have noticed is that it's an appetite suppressant. Interesting. I should have (and may have) known that before now but it surprised me.

I might try drinking one of my green tea concoctions with no honey. I think I might be able to if there is some Hibiscus or strongly-flavored fruit tea in the mix. Even so, the honey has to be better than all the sugar in those yummy creamers I love. 

 I don't know if this will help anyone else who has been struggling to like green tea but it works for me. I actually have come to really enjoy the drinks. I'm not sure if I will ever completely be off the coffee but I am certainly drinking a lot less of it these days.

Peace

--Free



DISCLAIMER: I am not a healthcare professional. This is just a personal blog, not a healthcare source. Talk with your healthcare team before you start consuming regular amounts of anything. I do know that, for me, hibiscus tea lowers my BP so I have to be careful!

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Hot News, Not News, Hot Mess, You Lose

It's official. I am now at an age where too many things irritate me. I wake up in a decent mood and, after 2 minutes of scanning the news, I'm grouchy. News is no longer informative as it is irritating, rabble-rousing, divisive, and stupidly out together. 

I have assigned personalities to certain news sources and their followers. I can truly almost see them as actual persons.

Right Wing Ricky & Ruthie - the schoolyard instigators that stand on the sidelines yelling "Fight, fight". Sometimes they taunt the scariest bullies with "You're going to let him talk about you like that?" They scurry around the school, spreading salacious rumors to get everyone more riled up. They have a side hustle selling snacks and trinkets during the dustups so the bigger the crowds...

Left Wing Luke & Lucy - the irritating kids who want to invite every underdog and weirdo to their birthday parties. The underdogs and weirdos are always the folks who are picked on by Fox. Instead of taking the high road, they will pick on their bullies, just using a better dictionary so they can claim to be morally and intellectually superior.

Pete & Patti Progressive - the stoner kids. Sometimes, they are really laid back and mellow and just want us all to get along but they can swing right or left, depending on who is where in the schoolyard fight. Stoner that they are, they do have a mean streak. It's hidden but there and can be lethal when unleashed.

Spectator Sam & Sally - the ones who copy and paste everyone else's personalities as needed. They play whichever side they can. They just want to be popular and noticed. They are the kids hoping to parlay whatever they can into a high Instagram following so they can make the big bucks without working too hard.

Then there is most of the rest of the crowd - call them Dave & Daisy Dullard - the kids on the sidelines. We usually pick one kid to idolize and support, no matter what. Even if they ignore us or hate us, we will be there, supporting them to the end. Or until another kid comes along who "gets us" better than the old kid. We get really loud and start flexing when someone comes along who says out loud all the curse words we have only been whispering.

Meanwhile, over in the library, there are a few of us - Critical Kate & Kwami -  who are hitting the books hard. We mostly ignore the playground madness because we are busy studying the history of the school system. We are busy trying to understand where everything went so wrong. Of course, we don't matter much during our school days but we are hoping to someday make a difference in the "real world". We are going to need a bigger bullhorn though.

Finally, there's Ivan & Ilsa InstaInfluencer. They gave up on the schoolyard and are taking an indefinite break from reality by focusing on brawns, beauty, and booze. They hang near the outer perimeter, fangirling and bromancing each other. This crowd's pretty exclusive. You need money, looks, makeup magic, or Photoshop skills to break in. They don't really care too much about the real world because they have created their own "imageverse" where relevance is based on Likes, following, dollars, and other trickery.

The biggest problem I have with most news sources is that they are in it for the money, ratings, and personal popularity. I have a niece who is straight and married but I do think she'd switch to be with Rachel Maddow. She calls Maddow a "rock star" and that's just about how she treats the newswoman...

I find it weird and scary that there are so many reports of news "personalities" becoming more important to our society than they should be. They are news presenters, not heroes.

On that same track, it annoys me about the news is that the presenters are getting to be more important than the news itself. I should not know or care about the presenters' sexual, political, or religious leanings. I should not know or care about who they are dating, divorcing, or cheating on and with.

When I watch the news, I don't want to have to question whether it's biased because of the personal feelings of the news reader. 

And why is it that some news sites spend so much time letting readers/watchers know about news media ratings? Do they want to be presenting us with news and information or do they want our Facebook likes and popularity vote?

See? This is why I have to drink hibiscus tea and take pills to keep my blood pressure under control.

When we talk about the U.S. being in a collective state of road rage, we blame each other. No one is looking at the media. They started this smoking dumpster fire that is spreading toxic fumes throughout the nation.

The crazy politicians - Right, Left, Loony, etc. - wouldn't have so much power to play us for fools if the media wasn't playing them for ratings.  Most of the nuts that are sitting in Washington - wielding power of varying degrees - would not be there if the Media hadn't turned all of us into InstaNews junkies.

I want to get back to the days of reading (mostly) impartial news reports and having to think about what it all means. When my nieces were in school and claimed to have no homework, I would assign them to watch the news and write a summary. I couldn't do that now - not unless I wanted them having to edit out all the madness.

While I am on this rant, I want to throw some shade at some of the supposed "trusted" news sources. The other day, I was perusing the AP site. One of the hot-button stories had to do with Taylor Swift. No offense meant toward Miss Swift, but I don't think that a pop singer should be in "serious" news for being a pop singer. I didn't screenshot the site that day but here is a recent screenshot:

If this is in order of importance...SMH

Google News also sucks in its own way. On the one hand, there is a browser extension that allows readers to edit out mentions of anything they don't want to see. The problem is, by the time I block out the nonsense, there's apparently no news left to read.

Just 1 week of blocking...

I gave up. Now, I rarely bother to look at Google News - unless I'm looking for the latest Amazon deals. These days, I'm checking several sites and realize that almost all news has a bias.

Here are my daily stops for news (in no particular order):

My challenge is to not think about news as anything other than information. It's not meant to shape my personal beliefs or my character. It's just information. Period. After reading the news I have an idea of what is currently being reported on. I have to take into account that there are a lot of things not being reported on. This is why I sometimes steel myself and go take a peek at The Artist Site Formerly Known as Prince Twitter. And, I have no shame in admitting that I also check Cracked as a palate cleanser.

Whichever news sources you look to for information, don't forget to use your critical thinking skills. If one is not careful, the news can be dangerous propaganda. 

Peace

--Free