I am rolling up the mats, pulling the shutters and stacking the chairs.

Will Jo’s Cafe stay closed?  Who knows.  I plan on keeping the domain name, so there is always the possibility.

But for now ….

Being familiar with Nick Chavez via QVC, I knew right away this was an item I was going to try.

The Birchbox breakdown is as follows:

Yucca Shampooing Cream

In a perfect world, we would jump out of bed sporting frizz-free ‘dos and not a single hair would be out of place. This botanical-fortified shampoo helps us get one step closer to achieving our utopian fantasy. The brainchild of Beverly Hills stylist Nick Chavez, the creamy gel is made with plant ingredients to hydrate hair as it gets rid of impurities. Whether you’re battling dry brittleness or wild frizz, it will leave your strands voluminous and full of life.

As you can see from the picture, I received a generous sample (2 fl oz) of the product. I also have short hair, so it went a long way.

My hair is fine to medium weight, highlighted and glossed; no frizz or dryness.  It is more normal when colored, so no issues.  I would say normal.

I used this every day from starting the sample until it ran out on me last Friday.  I can honestly say my hair did not look nor handle any differently, bad or good, compared to the shampoo I was using (a Sauve product).

An 8 fl oz of this product is for sale at $20 on Birchbox and on QVC the same size is $22.

Unless I need something to put an order over a free shipping & handle limit (which I don’t get on QVC), I really cannot see any other reason to buy this product.

If you are buying name only, I would recommend it.  However, if you are like most people I know, your budget wouldn’t include this.

I would give it a thumbs up for working and not destroying my hair, but a thumbs down on cost for size.

Save your money gals.

Visiting articles on Yahoo! News brought more tears as I read comments made by heartless people.

I look around and wonder where happiness went?

The fear I see in many people’s eyes, and hear in their blog posts, makes the tears flow more.

I am afraid.

Many are afraid.

The world as we know it has changed.  We all know at times change is good.  But the change we are seeing and living is not so good.  The fear of the unknown has tripled for many people.  Dreams have turned to nightmares.  We wake from the nightmares to only see we are closer to them coming true than ever before.

Hatred oozes from the pores of many.  At times it appears physical in a black, ugly cloud around them.  They smile an evil grin, not understanding how consumed with hate they are.   Tolerance of the different has vanished.

… and so I weep.

We have one chance to chase the nightmares away.

We have one chance to bring tolerance out of hiding.

We have one chance to bring hope back to the eyes of the elderly and the young.

We have one chance to wrap our arms around this great lady and pull her up out of despair and doom.

We have one chance.

… and so I weep.

For years I’ve watched her cook, laughed at her jokes and simply enjoyed her from my living room couch.

I also wondered how someone who made such beautifully rich food could not have some health issue.  I figured she took care of herself like we all should and was lucky.  Not every person that eats good, rich food gets or has diabetes.  It was one of the things I had to learn to deal with when I was diagnosed.

A week ago, while watching Fox and Friends in the morning, they talked to Paula’s son Bobby who was debuying a new show  “Not My Mama’s Meals” on the The Cooking Channel.  He is taking Paula’s recipes and reworking them with less calories and fat, and all the other bad stuff some of us would cringe at.

The weekend after that show, I was getting a mani and pedi and while sitting there was watching one of Paula’s shows on the television.  I mentioned to Willa (whose husband is a T2 like me) that I really loved all the recipes Paula created, but I couldn’t eat them nor know how to fix them other ways so I could.  We figured that was the reason for Bobby’s new show.

The next week, Fox and Friends reported Ms. Deen had announced she had Type 2 Diabetes and had been dealing with it for three (3) years now.

To say I was floored is an understatement – but not at all surprised.   I don’t wish this condition on anyone and I will not say it is because of her lifestyle with food or anything else.  How you “get” diabetes is still hit and miss.  Yes, there are people who get T2 because of their body issues, but not all of us.

Then a few days later I heard many people, including chefs, were speaking out about how Paula should have told everyone earlier and some people were pretty nasty about it too.

Having dealt with being a PWD for many years now, I was appalled at those sentiments.  When I was first diagnosed to say I was on shock is putting it mildly.  It took at least two years before my doctor and I found the right combination of medication to have it under control.   And as the years have moved forth, the learning and adjusting has never stopped.  You cannot simply take a pill in the morning and that is all you do to keep this condition in line.

So if Paula did  not want to tell us for three years about her T2, so be it.  I can only imagine from experience what she has been going through to bring her to this point.

Here is one ignorant, meant to be hurtful, comment by that idiot Joan Rivers: “Paula Deen and a stick of butter is kind of like Melissa and me. Sooner or later we’re going to kill each other,”.  Joan – butter has nothing to do with it.

This is what ignorance is all about people.  Some of it comes from fear, some from wanting to make a name for themselves  by basking in others misfortunes and most is from jealousy.   Joan Rivers is a has been and we all know it.  This way she can keep her face and ugly mouth in the media.

I saw a lot of similar statements made on Twitter.

I just shake my head and laugh.   I was a size 6 and weighing in at 110 pounds when diagnosed.  My endocrine system had already been damaged with my Thyroid condition years before and a lot of thyroid patients have diabetes and vice verse.

So you ignorant bunch of animals out there, I have one thing to say:  Be careful who and what you  laugh at – karma is a bitch.

I wish Ms. Deen all the best as she travels this new road in her life.   As a diabetic you can still enjoy good ol’ home style southern cooking, but moderation is the key.  Be vigilant and you can live a very long life with T2.

Welcome to the family Paula.  Good Luck!

I grew up in southern Minnesota.  Living mostly in rural communities and on farms where working was something you just did.  There were crops to weed and bring in; cattle, pigs, chickens, horses, etc to feed and take care of.  Machinery had to be cleaned and maintained properly and grass had to be mowed.

I never thought working for a living was wrong.  My grandmother always told me to earn my way.  Mother said the same thing at times.  I’ve worked at pulling weeds from soybean fields, de-tassling corn, and building grain silos.   When I was got older, I starting working as a bus girl, then waitress at a local restaurant.

Being from a farming family, college was never discussed as an option when I left high school.   I never excelled at anything to even think about a scholarship, so what to do after graduation was limited.  What I did know for sure was living in that part of the country for the rest of my life wasn’t going to happen.  One way or another I was getting out of that hole where you either worked in the factory or pumped out babies as a living.

No thanks – I wanted better for myself.

One of my classmates signed up for the delayed entry program for the United States Army.   She too did not want to be part of the dirt that made up that community.  (Unfortunately, she is back there and part of it now – last I heard).  I followed her lead and signed up.  In November after graduation, I left Minnesota for the southern states of the US.

I have been working at one job  or another since that time.  One year out of my life while married to my first husband I did spend seeing what it was like being a stay at home housewife.   I’m surprised I survived that.  Yucko!

I pay my taxes.

I support local charities.

I buy what I can pay for and save for what I want.

My husband served this country for 23 years.

He pays taxes.

He supports local military charities.

He buys what he can pay for and saves for what he wants.

Our debt is only in our home and one vehicle.

Our credit cards are paid off.

We are of the 53%.

We want no hand out from the government.

We want our freedom to be and do what we want.

We will continue to fight for that freedom.

And in about 20 days, those resolutions will be excuses.

Yes, making lists helps people focus on a goal.   I make lists at work.  Before I go home at night, I jot down what I need to do first thing when I get in the next day.

The biggest resolution heard is people want to lose weight.   They vow to eat better and go to the gym.   Some even say, “I want to lose XX pounds by next Christmas”   These are all well meaning goals, but ones that must be looked at in reality.

Losing 25 pounds for anyone is a mountain when looking at it.  How about instead of putting a mountain in front of you, put a mole hill.   Resolve to lose weight healthily but changing a lifestyle choice that can put you over that hill.   How about instead of losing 25 pounds, you start out with trading out that weekly, or daily, Starbucks triple chocolate latte with a Starbucks skinny vanilla latte?  It is a small, mole hill, goal  but one that can put you on the road to the mountain of 25 pounds lost.

Join a gym is another resolution often heard.  Bravo!  But — cost is a factor now a days.  Research gyms in the area.  You don’t need to go to the brand name gyms to lose weight.   And oft times those gyms are packed and when you walk in the door to work out, you feel intimidated around all those hard bodies, or the equipment you want to use is unavailable.   I use a small, local area gym myself.  It is on the way home from work, or five minutes from my house the other way.   More times than not, when I go in the treadmill I like to use is available.   Start out slow.  Adding just 30 minutes every other day to your normal routine isn’t so daunting you stop after your 3rd visit.

My advice is if you do make resolutions – make them attainable.   Then you won’t quit so fast.  I’m sure when I go to the gym today, there will be new faces hitting all the machines.   They will be so sore tomorrow that soon enough, I won’t see their faces again.

Goals are a good way to keep you focused, but unrealistic goals burn you out.

I do not make resolutions myself.  But I wish you good luck in yours!

Frankly – I’m filled up and over flowing.

Family is the worst place for drama and everyone has a drama queen/king to contend with.  These are people so insecure in their own lives they have to feel good about themselves by causing others pain.  

dra·ma (noun)
1. a composition in prose or verse presenting in dialogue or pantomime a story involving conflict or contrast of character, especially one intended to be acted on the stage; a play.
2. the branch of literature having such compositions as its subject; dramatic art or representation.
3. the art dealing with the writing and production of plays.
4. any situation or series of events having vivid, emotional, conflicting, or striking interest or results: the drama of a murder trial.
5. the quality of being dramatic.

Of course you can tell which one I’m talking about (if not, look at #4 and #5).  Normally, if people around me start putting on their drama queen hat, I just turn and walk away.   But  when dealing with a drama queen or king in your family, walking away a lot of times has more ramifications than dealing with stranger drama.

I have no contact with my family – period.  This is because I shut off access to myself because of mother’s drama.  Clearly my sisters have sided with her, as they have made little attempt to stay in contact with me.   This saddens me, but sanity is paramount in my life.

Please, if you have to be the center of attention, head on over to your nearest psychiatrists office and beg for help.

Carry on…

There is no valid reason they can spin for the below.  Monitoring blogs, websites, Twitter, Facebook, etc in the name of security bleeds into the same complaints the liberals have about the Patriot Act.

Privacy Group Sues DHS Over Social Media Monitoring Program
A privacy advocacy group is suing the Department of Homeland Security for information about an emerging program designed to monitor social media activity. The Electronic Privacy Information Center, claiming the “legal authority for the DHS program remains unclear,” went to federal court in Washington, D.C., this past week to try and compel the department to turn over documents on the initiative.

Read more: Source

I would remind those liberals who try to justify away the above that their President has renewed the Patriot Act while in office, as recently as May 2011.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,

25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.  And he called His name JESUS.

I have taken up with Google+ and really enjoy being able to put my thoughts out there and get instant reaction.

No having to subscribe to my RSS feed, just put me in a circle.

(sighing)

Maybe one day again I will get hit by the bug.

I’m not closing it down yet.

Thanks for those that keep me in their RSS Reader for hopes sake!

Later …