WELCOME TO MY CRAZY LIFE

Sunday, November 30, 2025

HAPPINESS IS NOT LINEAR; Coalinga-CA


Today was a lazy Day; neither of us did very much beyond the bare minimum.

Holland napped off and on.

I snipped Minerva's spent flower stalk, worked on my WIP, and watched vintage movies.

I cut the spent Amaryllis stem back, with a hope & a prayer for new blossoms.

Watching this Hedy Lamarr movie today, from start to finish, was introspective: not because Holland & I struggle with the ailment behind the suggestion of the movie's backstory - it was introspective because it highlights that struggles are complex, and truthfulness can be tricky when there is a gamble involved.

It also highlights the dicey position of unconditional love - in the best of situations, love struggles to overlook and accept flaws we see clearly in others, and tend to ignore in our own lives.

Dishonored Lady ~1947: 
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBguxB2Fo10)

Thankfully, as the end of 2025 draws near, Holland has decided to stick tight despite his inner struggles. I'm glad. He really is a good guy, and we are good for each other 99% of the time. That truth is what keeps us together.

As our 3rd Anniversary approaches, we are finally getting down to building a solid foundation to establish a companiable Home, on.

We are working through our individual problems … together. It isn't easy because my husband still keeps secrets - and I insist on honest openness, & a spouse first relationship  policy. He is not used to openness; not because he is a male, but because the redmills are sketchy people engaged in sketchy behaviors. Behaviors he is ashamed of, yet behaviors he vehemently defends with 101 ridiculous excuses for ridiculous people. "Don't upset the family" & "take care of the family" is how he was raised, and he staunchly stands by that misguided creed. MPO is that it is not Holland's sole responsibility to sacrifice his own life's stability or happiness to keep shiftless, aimless, soul sick relatives afloat in their poisonous gene pool fed by a cultish religion that bears no healthy fruit; and is unrecognizable to actual Christians. And I'm fairly certain Elohim agrees with me. Holland disagrees with me - and Elohim's view of marriage: that makes our homelife difficult … even though he is sticking.

Holland insists on more submissiveness - and I admit I struggle with that. I am not used to handing the reins of my Life over to another so completely. Even Elohim allows me a fair amount of freedom to "come around" in my own time, in my own way. I am not used to an overbearing male, pickled to the -nth with exaggerated sense of machismo. I am understanding that this trait runs through both sides of his family tree; though the Harris branch is more relaxed in testosterone rush than the redmill branch.

The crux of our relational situation is that becoming who we are is not a steady, linear ascent into happiness: no one … and no healthy relationship, grows in one direction only.

When our lives get bigger, it expands outward.

We touch more.

We feel more.

We come to know more.

We tend to see more.

We become more.

The reality is that spicing 2 lives together to become 1, is not glamorous - real life marriages do not follow a lovey-dovey hollywood movie script. Real life marriages are not a 24/7/365 hollywood star cake walk. Real life marriages require diverging from the the well-worn path we know and have been comfortable treading. It will lead us to leave the safe trajectory of our well laid plans to risk everything, by trying anything that will bring a compatible balance.

The reality is that couples wanting to keep each other will blossom in the moments we are most convinced we are failing; and falling behind.


The reality is that when we are jolted awake by our own life's journey, we’re on the brink of a revolution. And the truth is that it won’t be easy, and it won’t be beautiful, but we’ll get to the other side and realize, that all along, there was a reason, there was a rhythm, there was a plan, there was a destination.

The reality of the situation is, as we come to find out, "it is what it is": and that realization gives us the freedom to enjoy the relationship we find ourselves in; it balances our expectations and gives us the blessedness of experiencing unconditional love … and that stabilizes our marriage.

Saturday, November 29, 2025

APPRECIABLE ORDINARY THINGS; Coalinga-CA

Cold this morning … BRRR

I got a text yesterday afternoon that my new frames were ready for pick up - so, we made plans to drive into Hanford to get them, in the morning.


It was cold ๐Ÿ˜ฑ this morning when we woke up; hot coffee ☕️ was more than welcome … and I pulled my big, heavy, Carhart coat on before walking out the door.

The cold is playing havoc with both our bodies: Holland's knee was burning & my lower back area was on fire, but we needed to get the glasses and grab a couple items ๐Ÿ›’ ๐Ÿ›️ while in Wal*Mart - so, we went ๐Ÿš˜ Aside from the frames pick up ๐Ÿ‘“, the rest of the pick up's was ridiculous ๐Ÿ™„

We got most ๐Ÿ“of what was on the list, but we were feeling so much pain ๐Ÿ˜Ÿ we just wanted to get back home and enjoy the warm, easy-paced comfort of our little house on wheels ๐Ÿ‘

While standing in a long line, a floor walker redirected us to cashier #27 who had just started her shift: we walked that way and started unloading the cart … immediately it seemed, the computerized side-panel card reader literally fell off the item monitor screen ๐Ÿ˜ณ so, she dinked around with that for about 20 minutes trying to keep it in place until it reconnected and stayed put. Then while bagging groceries, the garlic bread ๐Ÿฅ– slid out of it's bag - and thankfully landed in our grocery bag; I slid it back into it's original wrapper. While all this was happening, our pain levels were escalating the longer we stood.

Gimping our way across the parking lot to Betsy, I fancied I could smell holiday spirit ๐ŸŽ„ in the air. Groceries stashed in Betsy's back seat area, we drove across the parking lot and nipped into In-N-Out Burger drive through, for a lunch treat. Then we drove back across the parking lot to munch on our burgers and fries. While eating, I admired the turning tree leaves decked out in holiday season colors ๐Ÿ˜‰

Walked around Wal-Mart shopping …
Festive-looking trees in Wal*Mart Parking lot; Hanford-CA

Most people chase big moments thinking that’s what makes life meaningful, but the real magic is usually in the small things we overlook: a quiet morning, a good companiable conversation, a simple meal, time spent next to someone you love. When you start paying attention to those everyday moments, life opens up in a way that feels richer and more peaceful ๐Ÿค— Ordinary things don’t stay ordinary ๐Ÿ’ once you learn how to appreciate them.


Back home, purchases put away and relaxing comfortably in Independence … a cozy appreciation for ordinary things settled over us as bodies were eased, blessings were counted, and relaxation began in earnest ๐Ÿ˜‰

Holland spied this Snickers flavored coffee … so, it came home with us ๐Ÿ˜˜
He also bought this prepaid Money Card for, "your vintage movies, Baby" ๐Ÿ‘ฉ‍❤️‍๐Ÿ’‹‍๐Ÿ‘จ
I bought this cheetah print case to match my new frames ๐Ÿ˜Š
My new glasses frames.
Scrolling movies, I decided on a vintage mystery movie to watch while working more rows on my WIP.
The Door With Seven Locks~1940: 
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw6b6V_Gulw)

HEDY LAMARR~The Big Screen Beauty Genius Behind Wireless Communication

Hedy Lamarr

I like old movies - I've seen many of Hedy Lamarr's movies.

Hedy was probably my mother's favorite Big Screen Actress.

Hedy was a beautiful Genius … and the thrust behind the modern age wireless communication ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ‘

********************

People noticed her beauty long before they realized what her mind was capable of.

In 1933, a young Austrian actress shocked the world. Running naked through the woods in a film called Ecstasy, she became an instant scandal. Audiences whispered. Hollywood gasped. Entire countries banned the film.

MGM’s Louis B. Mayer called her “the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Even Mussolini refused to sell his personal copy.

Her name then was Hedwig Kiesler—a woman so breathtaking that rooms fell silent when she entered.

But behind that face was a mind sharper than anyone imagined.

She grew up the only child of a Jewish banker. Math came naturally. Engineering concepts made sense to her long before she ever saw a script. She watched. Listened. Calculated. And she learned quickly that being beautiful made men careless around her.

Including dictators.

She married Friedrich Mandl, one of Austria’s richest arms manufacturers—controlling, paranoid, and deeply connected to the rising Nazi regime. Mandl dragged her to dinners with Hitler and Mussolini. She sat quietly, pretending to be bored by their talk of radio-controlled weapons.

She wasn’t bored.

She was absorbing every word.

Mandl tried to imprison her in his castle-like estate. But Hedwig Kiesler was no prisoner. In 1937, wearing her maid’s clothes, she escaped—using her jewelry to fund her flight to London. There she met Louis B. Mayer, sailed to America, and was reborn under a name that would define Hollywood’s Golden Age: Hedy Lamarr.

She became a star.

She dazzled the world.

She shared screens with Clark Gable, Judy Garland, and Bob Hope.

But behind the glamour, she was haunted by the rise of the regime she had fled—haunted by those dinners with dictators. And she decided to fight back.

1942: While the world saw her as a beauty icon, she sat at a table working on a way to outsmart the Nazis. She wanted to create a radio communication system that couldn’t be jammed—a way to guide Allied torpedoes reliably to their targets.

She already knew the problem: A single radio signal was too easy for the enemy to intercept or block.

Her solution? Spread the signal across many frequencies. Hop between them so quickly that no one could jam it.

One challenge remained: How could the transmitter and receiver switch frequencies at the exact same time?

So she turned to George Antheil—a composer who once synchronized twelve player pianos in perfect unison. Together, they built a frequency-hopping blueprint using piano-roll mechanisms.

On August 11, 1942, the U.S. Patent Office awarded Patent No. 2,292,387 to George Antheil and Hedy Kiesler Markey—Hedy Lamarr’s legal name.

The world had no idea.

One of Hollywood’s most glamorous women had just invented the foundation of modern wireless communication.

Her design became the basis for spread-spectrum technology, the backbone of:

• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• GPS
• Modern cell phones

Every time you connect to your home Wi-Fi or slip in your wireless earbuds, you’re using the idea she sketched out while the world fixated on her beauty.

She once said, “Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.”

But she never stood still.

And she was never stupid.

History called her many things:

A scandal.
A beauty.
A movie star.

The truth is far greater: Hedy Lamarr helped invent the wireless future we live in today — while the world was too busy staring at her face to notice her genius.

✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨

My mother was a 5-foot, curvy city girl, before marrying my bio-father: before she cut her hair in the 1970's & poodle-permed it … she styled her dark auburn (so dark, it looked black - my granddaughter Alyna was born with the same color hair) hair like Hedy Lamarr's iconic hairstyle. My mother was a very good looking woman with her dark hair, her dark skin, and her lips tinted with Montezuma Red Lipstick; the official color for women in America's Armed Forces … as well as the wives of the men serving. My father served in ALL branches of America's Military; my mother wore Montezuma Red Lipstick as long as they were married (14 years).

My mother liked wearing tailored skirt suits with heels/short button-wrist gloves/veiled hats, a fox throw (complete with head, paws & tail), fancy gowns with/without gloves, & fancy pant suits: all that ended when we moved to WA State, but I remember her glamour days.

And I like Hedy's movies too. I think tonight will be a Hedy movies marathon ๐Ÿ™‚

Hollywood's Brightest Bombshell - The Hedy Lamarr Story: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghc6uab1EX4)

DARWIN vs WOMAN'S INTELLIGENCE

Antoinette Brown Blackwell

In 1871, Charles Darwin declared—under the banner of science—that women were intellectually inferior to men. Four years later, one woman dismantled his argument so completely that he never dared respond.

Her name was Antoinette Brown Blackwell, and by the time she challenged Darwin, she’d already made history. In 1853, at 28, she became the first woman ordained as a minister in the United States, stepping into a pulpit that centuries of theology insisted belonged only to men.

But Antoinette was never content to stay in one lane. Her mind ranged across philosophy, theology, and science—especially the emerging theory of evolution. When Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, she read it closely. In 1869 she published Studies in General Science, one of the first serious engagements with evolutionary theory by any American thinker, let alone a self-taught woman scientist. Darwin himself wrote to thank her for her insight.

Then came The Descent of Man in 1871—and with it, Darwin’s claim that women were biologically and intellectually inferior. He argued that evolution had produced men who were more courageous, inventive, and intelligent, while women had evolved to be emotional, nurturing, and limited in abstract thought. These weren’t cultural beliefs, he insisted—they were scientific fact.

Victorian society accepted his conclusions immediately. Scholars cited him. Doctors invoked him. Politicians used him as ammunition against women’s education and suffrage. Darwin’s authority turned old prejudice into “proof.”

Antoinette refused to let that stand.

For four years, she gathered evidence, dissected Darwin’s logic, and built a counterargument stronger than anything the scientific establishment expected from a woman. In 1875, she published The Sexes Throughout Nature—a direct, devastating refutation of Darwin’s claims about male superiority.

She demonstrated that Darwin had cherry-picked species where males were larger or more ornamented, then treated those cases as universal. She showed that in many species—spiders, birds of prey, insects—the females were larger, stronger, or more complex. She exposed Darwin’s unexamined Victorian assumptions, revealing how he’d mistaken cultural bias for biological law.

Most importantly, she argued that women’s limited opportunities—not evolutionary destiny—explained the differences Darwin called “natural.” Denied education, barred from universities, and excluded from scientific societies, women had been systematically prevented from developing the very qualities Darwin claimed they naturally lacked.

“It is the special philosophic problem of the ages,” she wrote, “to account for anomalies in human society created not by nature, but by the artificial conditions imposed on women.”

Her critique hit the foundation of evolutionary sexism: male scientists had assumed male superiority, interpreted the natural world through that lens, and then declared nature confirmed what they already believed.

Darwin never wrote a word in response.

But Antoinette’s book circulated among suffragists, educators, and early women scientists. She proved that even the most towering scientific figure could be challenged—if the evidence was sound and the reasoning airtight. The male scientific establishment ignored her not because she was wrong, but because she was a woman who had proven them wrong.

Still, Antoinette kept going. She wrote widely on science, philosophy, and women’s rights. She traveled the country lecturing. She raised five children while sustaining a formidable intellectual life. She became not only a critic of sexist science but a pioneer of women’s suffrage.

Born in 1825, she attended the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls in 1850. Seventy years later—in 1920, at age 95—she cast her first vote. She was the only woman from that convention still alive to see the movement’s victory.

Antoinette Brown Blackwell lived 96 years proving that women’s intellect was not limited by nature, but by the barriers men built around it. And when Darwin tried to claim otherwise, she didn’t just say he was wrong.

She proved it.

Methodically.

Brilliantly.

Irrefutably.

MAINE COURT RULES MOTHER CANNOT RAISE DAUGHTER IN CHRISTIAN FAITH

Thanksgivinghttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/court-rules-12-year-old-s-mother-cannot-read-her-the-bible-take-her-to-church/ar-AA1RnQ7c?ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=a82a127747434004b2302b833a720a57&ei=8

The Maine Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments concerning the case of Emily Bickford, who was blocked from taking her 12-year-old daughter to church.

Bickford received a custody order from a lower court forbidding her from taking the girl to services for Calvary Chapel, an evangelical Protestant fellowship of churches centered on expository Bible preaching.

The order also "allows prohibiting the daughter from reading the Bible," according to a Nov. 12 release from Liberty Counsel, a legal advocacy group assisting Bickford in court.

The custody order gave Matthew Bradeen, the girl's biological father, the "sole right to decide about whether his daughter" attends any Calvary Chapel services, whether she can review video messages or literature from the denomination, or even whether she can communicate with any members, according to Liberty Counsel.

The order indeed encompasses “any other church or religious organization, or exposure to the teachings of any religious philosophy or of the Bible in general.”

Bradeen hired Dr. Janja Lalich, a California sociology professor and "expert on cults," to convince Maine District Judge Jennifer Nofsinger that Calvary Chapel is a cult because of its biblical teachings on hell, demons, and spiritual warfare.

"Dr. Lalich told the judge that cults usually have a charismatic, authoritarian leader who teaches about a 'transcendent belief system' that offers answers, and 'promises some sort of salvation,'" Liberty Counsel said.

"She further testified that she had 'studied' Calvary Chapel Church and found that the church’s pastor was a 'charismatic' speaker, spoke 'authoritatively' in his messages, and that he asserted his messages were objective truth."

Lalich therefore concluded that the girl could experience psychological harm by attending the church.

This was despite the fact that all true Christian churches affirm that the gospel is the only means to receive salvation and that the Bible is the source of truth.

Liberty Counsel noted that Nofsinger repeatedly wrote "god" rather than "God" in her order, and that Bradeen did the same in his complaint.

The legal nonprofit is therefore seeking "a reversal of this unlawful custody order and restoration of the mother’s First Amendment right to pass on her religious beliefs to her child."

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver affirmed that the custody order "banning Emily Bickford from taking her child to a Christian church because of its biblical teachings violates the First Amendment."

"The breadth of this court order is breathtaking because it even prohibits contact with the Bible, religious literature, or religious philosophy," Staver added.

"The custody order cannot prohibit Bickford from taking her daughter to church. The implications of this order pose a serious threat to religious freedom.”

*************************

This order by an obamanite judge in Maine, IS ILLEGAL ... and puts ALL Christians who adhere to Biblical living at risk of losing parental rights. It is also another example of WHY Christians should not marry outside of thier Faith.

barak hussain obama, & joe biden were the WORST THINGS to happen to America. And Maine is just off the charts across the board, in defying American Law.

Constitution of the United States First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Thursday, November 27, 2025

THANKSGIVING DAY 2025; Coalinga-CA


Thanksgiving this year was low-key simple, laid-back lazy, and quietly enjoyable ๐Ÿ‘ฉ‍❤️‍๐Ÿ’‹‍๐Ÿ‘จ

The turkey had been purchased & precooked/packaged/frozen weeks ago … all I had to do this morning, was pull a quick & tasty casserole together; this works for the 2 of us road gypsies.

Thanksgiving  Supper this year, was very simple; no Holiday madness ๐Ÿ˜‰
Val's Thanksgiving Turkey & Gravy Casserole (recipe follows) with canned Butter-Honey Biscuits.

VAL'S THANKSGIVING TURKEY & GRAVY CASSEROLE ~serves 6

1 pkg. Stove Top Stuffing Mix, dry * 1-1/2 c. Water * 4 TBSP. Butter (or margarine) * 3 c. chopped Turkey, cooked * 1 ct. 10-oz. frozen Vegetable Mix, thawed * 2 jars Turkey Gravy * 3 c. Mashed Potatoes (instant, or left-over) * 1 large saucepan * 2-qt. Casserole Dish * Cooking Spray (I used Butter flavor) * 1 Whisk & 1 ct. lrg. Cooking Spoon

1) Preheat oven to 375-degrees.

2) Prepare stuffing according to package directions.

3) Prepare mashed potatoes - if using leftover potatoes, warm them up a little in the microwave; if using instant potato flakes, prepare according to instructions.

4) Combine turkey, vegetables, 1-1/2 c. prepared potatoes, 1/2 the prepared stuffing, 1-1/2 jars of gravy: spray casserole dish with cooking spray - then add this mixture to the dish.

5) Combine remaining potatoes & stuffing & spread over meat & vegetable mixture; spoon remaining gravy over entire casserole (it won't cover the entire topping, so spread it judiciously overtop).

6) Place casserole in preheated oven & bake for 35 minutes (or until heated all the way through in center of casserole).

Remove from oven and serve - YUM!

After supper was finished, & the kitchen set to rights again with dishes done and drying … Holland went upstairs for a siesta  ๐Ÿ›Œ๐Ÿ˜ด, and I went into the spare room to do some light exercises: burning calories was not today's main goal - toning my arms for those sleeveless tops in my closet begging to get out and about, was ๐Ÿ˜‰

Above Head Stretch~12 to 15 rpts.
Raising your arms above your head improves posture, stimulates circulation and lymphatic flow, and can boost confidence. It engages core muscles for stability, expands the lungs for better breathing, and stretches tight chest and shoulder tissues. This movement can also reduce stress and invigorate the nervous system. Overhead stretches can benefit senior women by increasing their reaching ability through an improved range of motion in their shoulders and upper body.
Arm Scissors Exercise is generally considered safe for a senior woman, provided she has no specific shoulder injuries or chronic conditions that make the movement painful. It's a low-impact exercise that helps maintain arm strength and shoulder flexibility. Arm Circles are generally safe for a senior woman and can be beneficial for improving shoulder flexibility, mobility, and circulation. To ensure safety, start with small circles, avoid pushing through pain, and be mindful of any pre-existing conditions.
Bodyweight Diagonal Bend Hold~12 to 15 rpts.
The position engages multiple muscle groups, including the obliques, lower back, and glutes, making it an ideal addition to your workout regimen. This exercise is not only great for building strength but also helps improve balance and coordination.

Then, I went online ๐Ÿ’ป to give Victor more ear time ๐Ÿ‘‚; while picking up where I left off last night on my current WIP … and appreciating the lingering burst of floral color ๐ŸŒธ in my little domestic bubble ๐Ÿ’ž

Victor Davis Hanson: The Fallacy at the Heart of Ken Burns' 'American Revolution' Documentary: 
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQNDunSNVOw)

And here, in America, we have the obamanite demonrat cartel - whose only goal is to behave like 3rd world countries to destroy anything they can't control; to reroute actual History & rewrite it in the now, to sow division, dissention, and chaos. The morally bankrupt & socially backward obamanites, want the power to force you to do what they want, and the power to destroy you when you disagree with them - as happens in socialist, communist, radically racist, and islamic countries. Two distinct, exclusive ideologies now exist on United States soil. Only one can remain: America is headed towards another civil war.

Victor Davis Hanson's DIRE WARNING About America's Collapse Into Chaos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi3yBwXCuuM

Politics aside … I am feeling gratefully ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿ•Š️ blessed this Thanksgiving ๐Ÿ’“

Despite the world feeling a little too loud at the moment with the obamanite ๐Ÿ‘น demonrat ๐Ÿ˜ˆ hijinks' ๐Ÿ‘บ nonsense, always infringing on our private space with too many biased media sources crowding us in an aggressive manner ๐Ÿ˜ค; leaving good-willed & upright hearts feeling a little too pinched ๐Ÿ˜Ÿ with media overload ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿป‍♀️ and personal globalized ๐ŸŒŽ issues … that have absolutely nothing at all ๐Ÿคท‍♀️ to do with actual realities ๐Ÿค” in the moment (hysterical hypotheticals with a clearly biased bent, are not realized facts unfolding) - please remember that goodness ๐Ÿ˜‡ still has a way of rising ๐Ÿฆ‹ to the surface ✌️

Elohim ☝️ is good all the time.

And, all the time, Elohim is good ๐Ÿ˜Š

We don’t have to have it all together ๐Ÿ˜’ … we just have to stand tall ๐Ÿ’ฅ, stay tender ๐Ÿ˜˜ towards each other, and trust that Elohim’s steady peace ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿ•Š️ will meet us right where we are; which brings me to this morning's text (that I just noticed while relaxing), & last night's contact - which will continue to be held at arm's length until her healing is complete and an apology with real changes following, takes place (her healing will not be complete until she recognizes the damage she has done, and sets about rectifying it) with a heart-felt revelation & Christ-like action; until then she's just blowing smoke as she has done all her life to date, and that is meaningless to everyone else but her. Feeling sorry for yourself and ignoring ownership of damaging actions, is not healing taking place:

Morning text.
Last night's PM.
Happy for me does not excuse the way she and her family treated me when I needed her the most that horrible Winter of 2018 … happy for me does not excuse the inexcusable hellish fallout she and her devilish grand-daughter threw my way IN FB COMMENTS ON A COUSIN'S PAGE the Thanksgiving of 2019. Nothing short of a true repentant apology and a real change in her life's direction will ever induce me to allow her close, again. I can be cordial; but trust has seriously been broken. An actual Elohim encounter with a true Yeshua reformation will have to take place on her end. And right now, that is not happening.

I hope you all enjoyed a good and satisfactory holiday vibe ๐Ÿ˜ - and if you've read this post to this ending ๐Ÿ‘€ … I hope you feel the big hug ❤️ I'm sending you through this post this Thanksgiving, sweet friends ๐Ÿ˜˜

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

BREAKING EVEN; Coalinga-CA


We are having a Thanksgiving casserole tomorrow for the holiday - but this afternoon, we decided to try the "New China" chinese restaurant, in Coalinga, for a special treat ๐Ÿ˜˜ to kick off the holiday season.

While drinking my morning coffee ☕️, I noticed that my Minerva is really pumping out the blossoms; when all is done, the spendy flowering bulb will have paid for itself with the breaking even steady bloom ๐ŸŒธ๐Ÿ˜Š

The bonus Minerva Amaryllis blossoms, do not last as long as the 1st burst of color. The subsequent blossoms fade & wither away, in 2 day's time.
I removed the spent blossom & snipped out the throat stamens, to stave off allergies.
It looks like a future plant is thrusting up from the bulb base … time will tell.

I also had time to spend time toning up ๐Ÿ’ช before Holland was fully woke and alert: working muscles while streamlining my weight is a smart way to break even while staying healthy. Skin loses it's elasticity with each passing year ๐Ÿค” - I do not want to be thinner with hanging skin that resembles marsh moss on mature bayou trees due to poor muscle tone.

YUK!

I'm doing intermediate fasting with the toning exercises; eating smaller portions of normal Homestyle meals & an occasional out0of-home meal. Crash diets ๐Ÿ™„ and lose skin ๐Ÿ˜’ is not for me

Bodyweight Side Toe Touch exercise.
Bicep Extensions: 
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5dfkW6w5qI)
Knee Cross To Elbow exercise.

On our way to collect supper, I scratched my scratch cards; and broke even. I'm okay with that - it's a fun anticipation, and at least the $ spent to purchase them was recouped ๐Ÿ˜‰

I broke even - it takes so little to make me happy ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿคฃ

Holland turned the scratch cards in, in town … and came back to Betsy with more cheap thrills for me ๐Ÿ‘Œ I don't need to have a lot of money spent on me to be happy ๐Ÿ‘ฉ‍❤️‍๐Ÿ’‹‍๐Ÿ‘จ

Back home, we ate our special treat supper; it was okay, but I think it had preservatives in it that caused me a bit of stomach trouble - Holland didn't suffer an ill effects, so I told him he can finish the rest of it all off by himself, later on tonight ๐Ÿค

Chinese supper was okay; I don't think we'll go back though.

It was good,  just have a very fickle digestive system ๐Ÿ˜Ÿ and have to be careful with what I eat. I love chinese food, and most of the time it loves me back: but, there are times like tonight ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿป‍♀️, where the love is not reciprocated ๐Ÿ˜”

Before getting back to work on my WIP, I scratched off my new scratch card - and will get a free card instead of cash, next time. That's okay, too; I'm just having fun. If I manage to win big, I'll whoop with excitement … if not, breaking even is not a disappointing loss ๐Ÿ‘

Again, I just broke even …
Victor Davis Hanson Podcast.

I slipped my meager winning card into my purse, tuned into the Victor Davis Podcast ๐Ÿ’ป, & picked up my newest project ✅

Victor Davis Hanson: What Six Democrats Didn’t Say in Their Anti-Trump Message to US Soldiers: 
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWD2RHPkx-c)

The rest of the evening is going to pass in slo-mo mode ๐ŸŒ as relaxation and staying informed ๐Ÿ“ฃ breaks even ๐Ÿ˜Š