So, here’s the answer to the question. Ultra-processed food items — which aren’t perishable like fresh produce — are becoming cheaper. “Junk food is cheap because you can keep it forever. You can buy it in bulk, you can produce it in bulk, you can deliver it when it’s cheap to deliver it.” Think about the supply chain. Fresh produce, fish and meat need to be refrigerated and restocked, unlike shelf stable items. Those transportation and replenishment costs get passed on to th

I am a very curious person. (In the sense that I wonder about stuff). So I am constantly asking questions about a number of different things. Today I asked the question, "What is the difference between Flair Pens and Sharpie Markers"? This is not an out-of-the-blue type question. I really wanted to know because I tend to do a lot of journaling and 'marking' of boxes and labels and such. So internally I was also asking myself, do I need to buy both? Or does one or the other d

Pretty bad. Thanksgiving often means a table full of rich, carb-heavy dishes that can leave you feeling sluggish and guilty afterward. Cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and dinner rolls are staples, but they pack a surprising amount of sugar and refined carbohydrates. If you want to enjoy the holiday feast without the carb overload or sugar crash, it’s worth exploring healthier alternatives that still capture the spirit and flavor of Thanksgiving. This post explains

Every now and then I get a whiff of something floating past my ski-jump nose and wonder, what was that? Sometimes it's like perfume or cologne. Sometimes it's something appealing like bacon frying (and it really appeals because I don't eat bacon anymore and I miss it), sometimes it's something icky-nasty. I have a somewhat sensitive sniffer so I have to wonder if this is a scent that has wafted in from the neighbor's or something carried on the wind from a few places down? I

Oh yes, I could rag on and on about taxes and the various thoughts I have about them but I will spare you all that dribble and angst and shoot the arrow right at the reality that the time has come to pay. My huge complaint about it (at this time) which I carry-on about every year at this time is why on earth they decided to make the taxes due just a few days before the Holiday? That's when people are selling their gifts from last year to pay for gifts to give this year and th

Many of us have left our communities of origin searching for careers, love, adventure, and more. These communities traditionally supplied us with safety, comfort, and support. When we felt lonely or isolated, we could come back to our center and be soothed, understood, or supported. But this fracture is also being played out in the networks we built around us for the same visceral feeling of connection. We have had to become mobile and flexible to survive. Working from home o

I am starting to see the possibility of accomplishment and the fulfillment of the goal. YAY!!! I am still hovering over that $40 deal for a Thanksgiving dinner. I may still do that. My closet is for sure getting a bit more organized and I do have a better idea (or at least a fresher idea) of what is in there now. I knew, but some things I had forgotten about. So doing this has done more than help me find space for things I needed to get put away somewhere. That's a good thi

Why did the scarecrow receive a Nobel prize? He was outstanding in his field. In a world often overwhelmed by challenges, it’s easy to fall into a spiral of negativity. However, cultivating a positive mindset can transform how we approach our lives and the obstacles we face. This post aims to inspire you and provide practical strategies for developing a positive outlook, especially when tackling habits like hoarding or being a pack-rat. Positive thinking isn’t about ignoring

Well that can of worms I opened spilled out into my entire office, out into my library, out into my living room, and is threatening to crawl into my kitchen. This is a most frustrating affair. Am I a hoarder and not just a pack-rat? Geez. I am trying hard to organize, sort, consolidate, re-box, re-label, donate, toss and make sense of all this stuff. This all in the hope of finding new space in that closet for stuff that needs a home that is not out in sight. Wish me luck. I

No, not literally and no, I do not eat worms. It's an expression meaning I should never have started this, said that, went there, etc. What did I do? I decided (in my campaign to downsize and clear out) to start making room in my office closet for those things I plan to hang onto and use more than what is already in there. Oh my goodness. What have I done? I am struggling big time to find things to get rid of out of there. I have many hobbies and I have supplies in there fo

I fired the shots. I will no longer employ shots. They are retired involuntarily. I hate shots. So from here forward they will be called by another name, not shots. Shots are tiny little glasses filled with alcohol. No longer are shots a poke in the arm that makes your arm sore for days on end. I have decided to call this ritual 'getting armor'. Yes, cladding myself up in armor against a specific foe that might do me harm. In September I was cloaked in armor against the enem

I finally broke down and dug out the sweat pants. I only have two pair and so I alternate. This time of year, where I try to transition from shorts to sweats, is a difficult time. I struggle to stay warm enough to not ache from the cold seeping into me. I turn up the heat and it costs a bunch to run that furnace, it really adds up quick, so I dress like it's only 65 degrees inside, or less. Truth be told, it is probably only 69 degrees (Fahrenheit). Sometimes the thermostat o

It seems people plan for their Holiday dinner, especially Christmas dinners way ahead of time and this year is no exception. For instance, Aldi and Walmart have already rolled out their special Thanksgiving dinner deal: feed 10 people for $40. That sounds like a great bargain to me. That's only $4 per person. (Unless of course you have Uncle Argus coming to dinner, then maybe it will only feed 5 people). I was curious, what do you get for your 40 bucks? At Walmart the bundle

My new doctor recommended an app for the smart phone called YUKA which rates various foods (and some cosmetics). It tells you what the ingredients are and for the most part, tells you why it gave that product the rating that it did. For example, it might say that it is too processed so it got a low rating, or that it has too much sodium added to it but that it's still got some good stuff so it got a medium rating. Somehow, we discovered Zoe, I cannot remember exactly how that

I have the strangest dreams sometimes. Of course, they are often illogical (thanks Spock for that), often filled with nonsense, and now and then they can be somewhat prophetic. Lately though, more than usual, the dreams are about animals. Pets I used to have, pets I would like to have, wild animals finding their way into my yard (this actually does happen) me appearing in a campsite and there appears an animal from another planet looking quite odd and acting overly friendly.

Who are you? Who am I? Well, my name is Star and I am on a journey of many adventures, including the surprising experience of aging. My plan? To age successfully. How about you? Are you questing to improve health? Are you looking for recommendations of tv shows and movies to watch? Are you curious about what other folks are up to in their daily lives? There must be some reason you have chosen to read my blogs which are pretty much about food, tea, tv shows and a bunch of r

Where I live, there are abrupt season changes. Some years we get no Springtime to speak of and some years (like this one) Autumn is elusive shifting from summer to winter without much in between, which would be called Autumn if it were there. This year I am already cold. Indoors. I am already dressing in layers trying to stay warm. I have broken out the long pants and leggings. I have reintroduced the thick, fuzzy socks. I have terminated the use of sandals and gone to sho

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. The way you feel while you are awake depends in part on what...

I am on permanent vacation. I have tried to think of all the things I would do when on a trip, on a vacation excursion, or on an...

There is a film festival going on nearby and I saw a little bit about it on the news. One of the films to be shown is titled "If you...