Flavored Chips

     I love to snack, you love to snack, people all over the world love to snack. Chips are often the snack of choice but lately the flavors have gotten crazy. Recently I heard there was a Thanksgiving chip, which tasted like turkey, dressing and gravy. That sounds disgusting. I love turkey, dressing and gravy but in it's natural form, not in a chip. I guess I'm just a traditionalist.

     This made me think. If there is a Thanksgiving chip there must be many other flavors that are just as surprising. So I did an Internet search and here's some flavors found. Chocolate, garlic Caesar salad, beet soup, pig in a blanket, grilled cheese and catsup sandwich, mac n cheese, wasabi ginger, butter garlic scallop, mint, chicken and waffle, cappuccino, blueberry, sausage, whiskey and some I couldn't pronounce.

     I guess you could have chips for every meal instead of the traditional food. Maybe chicken and waffle chips for breakfast with a cappuccino chip to get your day started. Of course you could choose a healthier breakfast with a blueberry (brain food) chip.

     There are many choices for lunch grilled cheese sandwich chip or a mac n cheese chip or a just a simple garlic Caesar salad chip. Dinner could be a butter garlic scallop chip (seafood is always a healthy choice) or maybe simply soup, like a beet soup chip. Not sure, why anyone would choose beet soup even the traditional style.

     Then in the evening after a long difficult day you might want to kick back with a whiskey chip to take the edge off. I guess it would have to be straight up not over the rocks.

     A few years ago while on the way to Wisconsin we stopped at the Jelly Belly factory for a tour and they had more flavors of jellybeans than I had ever imagined. Some flavors didn't even make sense like vomit, booger, dirt, earthworm and rotten egg. I'm sure any flavor could be made into a chip or a jelly bean, like mango, chutney and burnt hair but, why?

     So next time you see someone eating a chip and they say "Holy Cow, this taste like crap!" Maybe they aren't exaggerating but merely describing the flavor.  "Just Saying...."

Just across the street but a world apart

I see people that I know by sight but are blind to their life

We live worlds apart despite walking the same roads

The physical distance is immeasurably close

But the internal connection is remote and distant

Our lives connect and disconnect like freight cars

Without any permanence

We travel the same rail but see different things

Our problems are similar but we don't ask

My eyes are blind to others lives

As they are blind to mine

Oh! What we could learn if we only ask

Problems shared are problems solved

If only we could open our eyes to others lives
They may never close again

Manufactured Fears

     Life is interesting and it gets more interesting by the day. You and you alone can determine your future as long as you don't let manufactured fears rule your life. The results of the recent Presidential election has self-promoted experts force-feeding the pubic with irrational fears. Don't fall prey to these so-called experts promoting negativity.

     These experts look for problems because they are promoting their agenda. They may believe they are the experts but they fuel their pre-determined opinions by manufacturing fear. Forming opinions based on fear only will not lead to rational decisions.

     No one wants to be judged but those same people are now judging President Elect Donald Trump before he has been given a chance. The recent campaign was not one that made Americans proud. Both candidates said or did dishonorable things but this has happened many times before. That's not to justify it but to recognize it as a fact. Politics is not a clean fight. It never was and likely never will be.

     The election was fair and in the end the American public chose Donald Trump as our next President. To the Clinton supporters it's time to get over the loss and support our next leader and to the Trump supporters it's time to stop belittling Clinton supporters. Let's not make life harder by being hateful to each other.

     Every situation can have both positive and negative proponents. I am choosing to look at the positive as I have my entire life. You can call me naive if you like I don't care. Looking for the positive and steering clear of the manufactured negative fears has made my life better so that's what I'm sticking with. "Just Saying...."

Friend or Unfriend

     The last few months have been interesting to say the least. Each day we came closer to the presidential election passionate opinions heightened and people became agitated with others. Some people on Facebook unfriended others because their opinions differed. Really, what would you learn if you didn't listen to people with opposite viewpoints? It would be like living on an island without access to the world. Progress would be limited or more likely static.

    I'm puzzled as to why anyone would unfriend someone because of a difference of opinion. Maybe you weren't a true friend if you aren't willing to listen. Even more confusing are the meaningless threats heard from some, mainly celebrities, who claim they will leave the country if certain things happen. Guess what, no one believes you or even cares. Where would you go and have a better life than here in the United States?

     I will never unfriend you because you opinion is important to me. I may not agree but I will listen. Why? Because, I may learn something from you. You learn more from someone with differences than someone with similarities. If we're not learning we're decaying.

     I've learned a few things over my 68 years and one thing I know is that in political campaigns, candidates make outrageous claims to get media attention. They are rarely held to these outrageous claims. If you've been around awhile you know that. 

     At the end of the day, the president's job is to represent the American public, so it's important to let it be known what is important to us.

     Today is a sunny day and this country has a bright future. If you don't agree, that's fine because you are a friend and I will always be around to listen to your viewpoint. "Just Saying...."

You might be a Senior if...

You say what you're thinking without filtering your words

You take a nap after breakfast

You dress for comfort instead of style

It's not worth bending down to pick up a penny

You only use your cell phone for telephone calls

You don't understand what's wrong with gluten

You prefer talking to people instead of texting them

You are confused why Zombies are popular

You watch old movies

You think most people are too sensitive

You laugh too easily

You still play board games

You talk to strangers because it's fun

You are not in a hurry

You drink home brewed coffee

Your kids fix all your computer problems

You like your gray hair but call it light black

Your bones creak but that doesn’t stop you

You still have dreams on your bucket list

You are amazed by the progress that has taken place in your lifetime

You have hope for the future because of your children

You stand for the National Anthem

You like “The Three Stooges” & “The Little Rascals” even though it’s not PC

You like technology but you don’t let it run your life

……………

Feel free to add to this list and send me your best ones

Achieving Greatness

     Is it possible that you can achieve greatness? Is the world population limited on how many people can achieve greatness? What exactly is greatness?

     My answer is yes you can achieve greatness and I believe there is no limitation on how many people can reach this goal. The third question is harder to answer because people's perception of greatness is tied to fame and fortune. I don't buy that. People can do great things without being rich and famous. In fact, many rich and famous people are not great and in some cases they are the opposite of great. So, don't tie your achievement of greatness to money or fame.

     There are many people that cross your path throughout the day that have done great things. You may be one. What's interesting is that we are unaware of the great things we have accomplished. We think of them as routine, not deserving of recognition. Let me clear something up. If you are a diligent parent, loyal friend, dedicated worker, socially conscious, volunteer, caregiver, honest and fair-minded, generous in spirit, etc, you are doing great things. The list is endless.

     Be proud of your accomplishments. Don't envy celebrities: they have nothing on you. Celebrate your achievements and be positive about your future. Make everyday a great day with great achievements of your own. Give yourself credit for the positive choices you make, we can't all be rich and famous but we can all do great things. "Just Saying...."