**A Quick Tip** Boost Existing Moisturizers

Put a little bit of snail mucin into your:

• skin moisturizers 
• hair leave-ins (this is mainly for afro-naturals who use daily moisturizers on their hair)
• anything of a cream or lotion-like texture that you use to hydrate skin or hair.

I don't use a lot of snail mucin solo. I got a bottle of a good brand for Christmas and I have some face masks using mucin. I'm not crazy about the texture, but I have to admit that it is very hydrating. 

Since I will not let a gift go to waste, I needed to use this stuff. So happens I also have a jar of face cream that I cannot return. It's an okay cream but I find that it doesn't do a good job moisturizing my face. So... I doctored it with a few drops of that disgusting mucin. Child.

That mucin was the best thing to happen to the face cream. It really boosted it to max levels. And you know me, I had to see what else I could doctor.

I have now been adding the mucin to every hair moisturizing cream I have. I find that all of my leave-in products are so much better. 

A couple of warnings:

• You might not want to add this to anything that is meant to be watery-textured.
• I make sure to test everything before I end up ruining whole bottles of products.
• The mucin does transfer the "slimy" texture to some products.

Of course, I'm no chemist or pro of any kind so... do your own testing and take your own chances. I'm just telling you that I've loved doctoring some products. I actually have managed to use that whole bottle of mucin instead of letting it go to waste. I also am glad that I've been able to "boost up" some products that were not working out solo.

I think what I like most about this tip is that the mucin doesn't create any more buildup on my hair when I add it to products.

Another bonus is that, while I like the mucin face masks (kind of), I am able to use the "juice" remaining in the containers. I either save them in a bottle for later or add them right away to another product.

Remember - do your own testing and research.

Peace

--Free

**CROSSPOST** The Biggest Distraction

Everyone is aware that the world seems to be more in turmoil lately. Maybe because the worst turmoil is in a place that was once the icon of Western stability - the USA. Initially, I wanted to blame politics and its bad actors, but now I'm thinking we are all to blame. Everything has become so performative. That was only mildly annoying when it was to do with social media - you know, with everyone become an 'influencer' of some sort. I thought it was just another social/cultural phase when people went from simple YouTubing - being serious, being too sharing, being outrageous, being silly, etc. - to making it a lifestyle. Everyone was suddenly a 'content creator'. There were parents putting their family life (for better or for worse) on display. Every day it seemed there was a new family of some specific number in a house, van, or on the road. It wasn't enough to showcase details of the latest mystery or gossip or story, but some people decided to do it all while applying makeup or doing their hair.

I was only annoyed when all the creating and influencing and showboating was to do with meaningless media, but then the shift came for the news. Not that I ever fully trusted the news to be unbiased or untainted by hidden manipulation, but when it became so obviously and purposefully performative...

Every newsperson (I don't know what else to call them) became their own media character. You had your left-wingers, right-wingers, and swing-wingers. There was the highly educated and the questionably educated and so on. I am pretty sure that whoever it is that does manipulate society has a casting department. When the networks need a Rachel Maddow, Greg Gutfeld, or Don Lemon, I imagine a meeting of shadowy people who send out a request to other shadowy people. Suddenly, *we the people/viewers* have a new face to focus on; someone relatable to represent all our frustrations and energy.

What I wonder is if there really are any significant numbers of people left who know their way around the information minefield that is the "news". Does anyone still think critically enough to know that there is really no longer "news" but instead just "approved propaganda"?

The thing is, that this is happening doesn't bother me in the way someone might think. I know that this is what it was all coming down to. Man has been playing to his own destruction since Adam and Eve messed up in the Garden. 

Everything - from the beginning - has been a war. "We the people" have always been the prize. We were never in control of society or culture. The only control we've ever had is over our personal choices.  Everything outside of that is part of the many battles in this war. The only way to win - and we can only win or lose for ourselves - is the make the right choice.

Every struggle and triumph in a person's life are just cobblestones in their whole walk, and everyone will influence that all-important choice. In the end of it all, it's not going to matter how wealthy or poor, healthy or not; no matter what you look like or what talent you have or don't have; what friends and connections you do or don't have. All that is going to matter is the choices you made that led to the most important choice.

There won't be anyone counting their money in Heaven or Hell. No one is going to care that you did or didn't achieve whatever success in your mortal life. Your mortal self won't matter in your immortal eternity. 

So, all this worldly, human STUFF is just distraction to keep your eye from seeing what the shadowy manipulators are doing. They don't want you to see your way to Jesus. They know that if you see the Messiah, he will be your way to God. 

Don't be distracted. Don't let the good or the bad of this world keep you away from eternal salvation.

Peace

--Free

"The more I study science, the more I believe in God." — Albert Einstein

**A Quick Tip** Slow Cooking in the Ninja FD400 series

 Making some collards today, I decided to go old-school and slow cook them instead of being in a hurry. You can see here what inspired me!

I ran into a problem as soon as I finished sautéing my onions and garlic. There is a Sauté button that I use quite a bit, but I couldn't figure out how to set up a slow cook without landing on the Yogurt setting. Thank goodness for this lady (who gets to the point better than I!):

Bless that woman.

Even with her help, I had to toggle a bit to find the 8hr slow (hers landed me on Hi). If I ever meet her, I'll offer to make her some greens and hot water cornbread.

BTW, Now that I'm kind of getting over a month-long vira-crud (that's what I'm calling it), I was inspired to make greens. While I was shopping them, I got some beef bones to make some homemade broth. (Reading this was a comfort of memories.) Between that and the pot "likker", I might feel decent by the time our cold spell thaws a bit.

Anyway, I do hope this helped someone.

Peace

--Free

**UPDATE** The Best Sunscreen. EVER.

A while back, I was reminding/encouraging people to wear sunscreen. I am convinced that wearing sun protection is one the best things one can do for skin health. I have talked about why some sunscreen products are better (or, rather, more effective in certain ways) than others. The past month that fact came to bear in real life.

Some reminder posts... One, Two, and Three. You're welcome!

After using a certain sunscreen for a while, I ran out and wasn't able to replace it right away. I had been using that product consistently for about 2 months when I ran out. I wasn't too bothered at first because I had a backup product that I do like. However, I got a little bothered when I noticed some changes in my skin...

A couple of weeks into using a different product, my skin was drier and kind of irritated, also, I had to re-moisturizer more often. My skin just didn't feel as good as it had been feeling for a while.

Now the reason I wasn't able to replace that better sunscreen was twofold: I was worried about the price and couldn't find a sale. I was really trying to save a Christmas gift card (thank you, lovely family!) for something special but decided that sunscreen was special enough! But it was out of stock everywhere, it seemed. Of course...

That sunscreen is La Roche Posay's Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50+. I'd always been able to score some from a seller I like on eBay, but he was out of stock. I don't trust any other eBay sellers for this particular product (and I don't recommend anyone). The only other site I trust is French Pharmacy, but they are out of stock. 

This particular sunscreen is the Euro version so... not that easy to find. You can't even get it on the US LRP site. And why the heck had my skin become so addicted to it???

Anyway.

Turns, out that there may be a reason or two why my skin loves this stuff. I think it has to do with the key (and proprietary) UVMune ingredient: Mexoryl 400 aka “Methoxypropylamino Cyclohexenylidene Ethoxyethylcyanoacetate”. Say that even once fast or slow! That is owned by L'Oreal and they developed it with a chemical producer. That's why I couldn't find it in any other products brands.

The backup product was not working out for me because, of course... My skin wasn't happy, so I tried to hunt down the UVMune elsewhere (and maybe on sale). I found it a Le French Skincare - what a name, right? I had never heard of the place. Thankfully, I was able to put my gift card on PayPal (because it was more expensive than French Pharmacy - and being a site new to me, it was best to be careful). I then used one of my own cards via PayPal, so I'd have some purchase protection.  Being broke means you have to be more woke about your spending! By the time I post this, you will know how that transaction turned out!

The good thing is that, even though I didn't get a sale price and had to pay over $38, I know from experience that a single bottle of UVMune will last me at least the next 2 1/2 months (or more of I'm not outside. Also, I will be using a lot less of my regular daily moisturizer. 

For sunscreen this good, I will forgo a little food to keep some on hand. I have enough problems without getting skin cancer...

Anyway, this Mexo400, as I call it, happens to be great for aging and sensitive skin. In addition to working on (don't quote me here) "ultra long UV rays", it kind of protects the skin collagen, pigmentation, and a lot of other stuff I can't explain. 

I suggest these links if you really want to dig in:

• On Wikipedia
• A Reddit "Master post" on UVMune
• And this copy/paste from ChatGPT:

Anyway.

Some folks love saying, "Black don't crack", but I happen to know that it does if you don't take care of it. Anyone can get skin cancer. Don't be arrogant about your health in any way. Get all the exams recommended for prevention, eat better foods if you can find them, love you neighbor, and wear good sunscreen.

Peace

--Free

UPDATE on the purchase:

I have received the item from Le French Skincare and... I'm a little shocked (and very happy) to say that my transaction was completely legit. The name of the site worried me because it is too on-the-nose. However, my item arrived on time and well-packaged. The price is higher (almost $9 more) than at French Pharmacy, but they had it in stock, so... Of course, I will repurchase at FP whenever I can, but it is nice to have a backup site in case of emergencies.

BTW - don't buy LRP sunscreen on eBay unless you have had past transactions with a trusted seller. There are not many out there. Some dead giveaways that your LRP UVMune is fake: 

• The texture & color. The real stuff has a slight color tinge and is a bit watery-thin.
• The bottom of a fake bottle is usually absent some of the info/markings. There are also deviations in some printing and some other bottle features.
• Go here to check yours to see if you got a fake. (Thank you, Reddit!)

It's best to be safe & just order from authorized sellers. Or maybe get a pilot/flight crew friend to shop for you when they travel. I have to find more friends that travel!

So Hard to Do the Right Thing…

 Although I no longer do resolutions at the beginning of the year, for the past few months, I have been trying to continue doing better for my all-around health and well-being.  It should not be so difficult!

For a long while there, I thought I was using better products on my hair, skin and body Turns out most of the shampoos, conditioner, and body washes are just full of the wrong stuff. In some cases, the ingredients are just fake and unnecessary, but in other cases, they could have been causing the problems I was trying to solve.

I have completely changed the hair wash and conditioner I use, and I am working on finding better body wash. The problem is that the safest and best products are tricky to find and also usually pricier. If the cost is because of testing and obtaining quality products fine. Although, I almost choked when I checked out one recommended hair care line. It's the Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo/Conditioner from Alterna. I will not be washing my hair with something for which I need to set up installment payments. (Just thinking about it has me using my best grammar!)

What a did settle is something from a brand that has never (yet) let me down: Taliah Waajid. I am going to be trying her Total Body Black Earth Shampoo & Herbal Conditioner. I have been using and just love, love, loving her Black Earth Products African Healing Oyl. I use it mostly on my face but I will probably be using it on my hair a lot more when I shampoo out all this silicone buildup... (And, my ladies of all races, don't shy away from the "African" in the name. This stuff is the truth!)

I had to look for a while to find a few shampoo/conditioner brands that have ingredients I feel better about. You have no idea what kind of hissy fit I had after I saw a video on spices! Oh, my goodness. I have probably been dusting my foods with all kinds of sawdust and who knows what else. I was actually feeling smug because I have been getting most of my spices from Frontier Coop for at least 7 years or so. Then, all of a sudden, that brand popped up. It's one of those "been bought out" situations. (Lord, please don't let Taliah Waajid sell out - or at least not to some evil corporation...)

Back to the food situation. I pulled some Italian sausages out of the freezer last week to thaw. I was going to mix boil then and mix them in with some steamed veggies. Because I was trying to see the date I'd bought them, I was looking closely at the packaging. The front makes bold claims about having no artificial flavors, colors, nitrates, etc. - which is why I chosen them over the cheaper Walmart brand I used to buy. Walmart straight up says on the front that their sausage has BHA and propyl gallate. The Johnsonville meat that I had hid that detail in smaller print higher up on the front. Wow.

By the way, I encourage you to check out Eat This Not That. This page really made me feel some kind of way.

The worst thing about the BHA and friends is that I can't find any sausages without them. I'm going to be going to the local butcher. They don't deliver, but I won't have to worry about what is or isn't in the meat.

You'd think I'd be done crying and whining, right? Nope. We have to talk about beverages. 

• I cannot find any kind of water enhancer drops that does not contain stevia, sucralose, sucra-anything, aspartame, etc.
• there are no decently rated canned or bottled beverage without any of the above ingredients or with allulose or tagatose as a sweetener
• Torani comes closest as a flavor additive but... it is either high in calories or uses one of those dreadful sweeteners

Also, I am really upset that Stevia gets to be listed as "natural". That makes it hard to avoid when you are searching for anything without "artificial" sweeteners. On my tastebuds, it comes off as too sweet - just before it becomes slightly metallic. I hate how popular it is. It's the same thing as with Starbucks - everybody raves about it, and I have no idea why.

source

What I finally found to try out is the Soda Stream drops. I plan to use them in the cheap sparkling water I've been getting since Topo Chico has gotten out range of my budget. I don't know how it will work, but...

When I get to try the drops in the water, I will probably blog about it. The thing is, I had to really hunt around for a Soda Stream flavor that had none of the sweeteners. At least there were a couple, including this one. I wanted the peach or peach/mango, but they had added sweeteners (aka grossness). 

Okay, now, I'm done with my wailing and whining. 

Peace

--Free

P.S.: I will be looking for sites that lists information about foods, beverages, and various consumer goods. I'm looking for directories. I'll work on it as health allows.

Aye Yo 2026 - Already?!?!

 Ain't time a funny thing? It seems to have sped up for me, the older I get. For younger people, it seems to stretch out longer than it is.

Talking with one of the younger family members a while back, they made an observation about "old folks" always talking about "slavery time things". The conversation was about food. I was explaining about "hoe cakes" coming about when slaves (and other poor people) would cook the flour or cornmeal "cake" in a hoe held over hot coals or a fire.

I wasn't mad about the remark because we joke around like that in my family. I was struck (as I sometimes am) by young people thinking of "slavery times" as ancient history.

I asked if the young person remembered us older relatives talk about Grandpa Bud. They did. Did they remember that he was a veteran and lived to be just over 100 years old? They did. Well, did they know that my Grandpa Bud was the child of slaves? See, that's time being funny, I told that "young 'un".

Their jaw dropped. I told them that Grandpa's parents were eventually freed, but they had lived as slaves. They didn't realize that Grandpa (who passed in 1986 or 87) had been born in just over 100 years before. I think I read once that the last known slave was still alive as late as 1970-something.

When my young person got over their shock, I introduced to some of the "old folks" stories about Grandpa Bud. They didn't realize that, unlike Alex Haley, I had not found a way to trace my grandfather's ancestry. His parents being born (or just taken) into slavery meant that their genealogy was a mystery to us.

But, still...

As it is with the beginning of every year, I start tallying anniversaries. How many years since loved ones have been gone, and who is celebrating which year of marriage, and how many years since I last saw talked to or heard about so-and-so.

When I first moved here over 8 years ago (9 years this coming summer), I had more than a few spry old neighbors who told me some stories about their youth. Some of them shared recipes and kitchen tips. One gentleman was the historian at the town library. He told me about some of the local homes and locations.

Just before the end of the years, two of those neighbors - very, very sweet women - were moved into nursing homes. It was no longer safe for them to live on their own and both had children that lived farther away than the ladies wanted to move. One of them, God willing, will be turning 99 this year. She's still mentally sharp, she just doesn't walk well and isn't able to cook and clean the way she did in her own place. I'm ashamed to say that she might have been in better shape a couple of years ago than I am now!

All in all, I tallied up 5 neighbors who have passed and at least that many who have gone into nursing care. And those are just the ones that I chatted with on a regular basis.

So yeah. I've been thinking a lot about time. When my sister was a young woman, Al Green was a favorite singer. Even though one of the tunes she loved most is a love song, the opening lines seems fitting for this post.

Sung by Al Green

Lyrics by Willy Nelson

I hope this a safe and happy year for us all.

Peace

--Free

P.S. Not sure how long the song will stay so here is a link.