Casein Protein - - Trying it.

 This will likely be a shorter blog. It's just to let you know that I'm trying a different type of protein drink, one that I will be taking at night rather than during the day. I'm not sure about it, and I haven't done as much research as I probably should have done, but here we go.  It's called CASEIN protein, and it differs from whey protein and others as it is much slower to metabolize in your system, thus giving you a better chance of burning fat and having energy for a longer period of time. Since most people who take it are athletes and need t0 maximize their energy levels, it was suggested and/or recommended by their doctors to take the protein shakes in the evening or nighttime in order to provide their bodies with a longer period of the needed energy-burning source.  Sounds interesting, doesn't it? Burn fat while you sleep?

    So, to be honest with you, I didn't do the required months of study, I merely read about 10 articles on the matter then I talked to a couple of friends and/or people I know who have been doing this.  Seems to be working so far, in that I do feel a bit more energized when I wake up; whereas I would usually wake up and feel tired and even sore from having slept wrong. I find myself moving a bit more in my sleep, and I find myself dreaming rather more sustainable "story" type dreams. I don't know if that's from the Casein or not, but the last two days I've had long dreams that have a story-type beginning, middle, end, and plot. Maybe it's because I'm writing in my waking life, but I'm not writing about going hunting with friends and talking about having voted for which pep club is the better one of a group of high schools that I don't attend, never having attended, and never will attend. I dreamed about a man who needed my assistance walking, and I really wasn't that helpful, he ended up on his face!

    Something I did read about Casein protein is that it is the substance in milk that makes it white. Odd. God uses so many interesting parts to make the whole. It's so delicate and absolutely strong at the same time. Supposedly, in the recorded studies that I've seen, people who use the protein the way it's recommended to use, have lost about two pounds a week when they also include a regular diet and exercise program that assists with even more weight loss. I would be super happy if that was or is the case. I'm not hoping to be a stick by any means, but to lose down to what I feel is the best number or size for my frame -- I'll take it. Let's see if it works. 

I'll list a couple of articles for you read about Casein. You can get it on Amazon for around $20 a canister, and it's good tasting as well. Bonus!

An Article: https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/casein-protein-health-benefits.html

Another Article: https://www.newhealthadvisor.org/best-time-to-take-casein.html

As always, before changing your physical or mental routines, it is always best to consult with a trusted doctor or nutritionist.

Photo Credit: levelsprotein.com

Juice For Two Meals a Day.

 I don't know how long I will keep it up, but for now, the past five days anyway, I have been substituting juice for my breakfast meal and my lunch meal. To be honest with you, and I actually do mean this, I don't miss not eating "food".  I don't snack as much by any means, and by the time I look up and realize it's 6:00 p.m., I think to myself I don't really even have to eat dinner if I don't want to. I've been doing a sort of Greek style dinner lately where I have olives, cheese, a bit of meat, and no bread. I know the Greeks (and all of us) love bread, but I do this sort of thing where I have a small plate and just sort of stack a few things on it for dinner. It's been working.

    I can't tell you if I've lost weight, I think I have. I don't weigh myself and I'm not going to do that again, not until I absolutely KNOW I am where I want to be. The last few times I've thought I was lower than I should be, I weighed, only to see that I am NOT where I thought I would be, and all the hopes and dreams that I had carried in my heart and head went right out the proverbial window! It was just devastating to me, so now I don't actually count the numbers I work on the sizing. If I fit better in my clothes that's enough for me.

    The grocery store that I go to in order to get my fruits and vegetables is Winco. It has an amazing bulk section as well, but I'm going for the produce at this point. I can literally walk in (trying to ignore the sales they have placed up front on deli meats) and I can go straight to the produce section, grab the plastic bags, fill them with goodness from God's Earth and move on over to the self check out. It's so efficient, I approve. Being an ENTJ, I am really all about efficiency. If I can get in, get what I need and get out, I'm good. I do love to shop, don't get me wrong, but there are times when shopping can be scary! I'll end up spending way more than I need to.

    Today's juice for breakfast was cucumber, apple, and parsley. A lot of people have no idea how good parsley is for your health. Google that! It's one of those secret things that can make an incredible difference in your life. It's cheap, it's easy, it's fast to absorb in your body, and the benefits are amazing!  Lunch will be 1/2 a cantaloupe, carrots and probably a bit of spinach. I like to add both fruits and vegetables to the mix, as well as adding my "extras".  If I can balance the world in a cup that's what I'm going to do.

    If you go online and search "Can I lose weight by juicing" you'll find a great number of articles and facts resulting in your head probably spinning in a million directions. There's so many things to read and study. ALWAYS ask your doctor before going into a new routine. Juicing may or may not be good for your personally. It is great for me. Some of the articles boast about people losing 10 pounds a week, 3 pounds a day, that sort of rot! If that is true then the truth is that these people had so very much to lose, and most of it is water weight. You have to use your brain on that one. Juicing is amazing for you, and it is good for losing weight because it's lower in calories and fills you with sustainable fiber so you feel fuller and you don't eat more junk.  Yes, it can and will help you lose weight, but you need to do it correctly, and don't forget to exercise.

    I've got a book to write, so I'll let you go, but I wanted to stop by and let you see that I'm up to yes-good as opposed to no-good. I'm working on a new book, I'm trying to juice and become a healthier person for myself, and if others notice, well, that's good too, right? Woo Hoo!

Photo Credit: Me

Green Power (Breakfast for Champions)

 I get on "kicks" and this one is a good one. It's a type of thing that you do for a while, see if there are any good results and if so you keep it up, but if not you break away. It's a good thing so far. I'm substituting a meal or two every day with a juice. When I say "juice" I literally mean I put fruits and veggies (rarely any water) into the juicer and I let it spin.  Today, I powered up the juicer with a very tart combination of a Granny Smith green apple, a very green lime, and a bunch of fresh spinach. I also add the extras, as I will every day.  I do the protein powders and the other dry extras with the Nutribullet, so what I'll do this afternoon is have a liquid lunch, but it won't be a juice. It will be a milk protein powder drink with those extras.

    Today's bathroom trip (Not too graphic, I promise) was a good "go" and though I did look, and looked really intensely, I didn't see any pinworms, worms, or anything resembling a worm or parasite. I know that parasites can be tiny and some I won't be able to see with my naked eye (why are they naked, is it just because they don't wear tiny kilts?) but I didn't see anything whatsoever which leads me to believe that perhaps I was cleaner than I thought I was. This is both good and bad news because I wanted to have something to blame. (Giggle)  Looks like I'm pretty healthy, just round and fluffy, so that has to stop.

    The Green Power drink, as it is called in one of the recipes I found online, is a very strong drink indeed.  If you think about it, a small lime is rather dense, and it's full of juice, so imagine juicing it, and taking in about 60% of the peel as well when you run it to the supersonically spinning blades. Zoom! It's gone! The silt left over is a sort of damp powder at that point. You can pick it up, and you can run your fingers through it. It's really rather soft and aromatic. In fact, my daughter was in the other room and she commented about being able to smell the lime. It's strong.  The Granny Smith apple is a green powerhouse all on its own as well. Full of juice, and not as frothy as other apples. I like that. The spinach is just that...good, hearty, dense, kickass fiber. It doesn't juice as well, because there isn't much water in spinach, but it did produce some goodness and I did run about 1/8 cup of water through to get as much as I could.

    Adding the extras, stirring, and then drinking it down was not hard to do. It was in fact both energizing and welcomed. I'm trying to go as long as I can without eating in the morning; sort of an intermittent fasting ritual. I'm doing pretty good really, and I like that fact. It's OK to mulipurposely multitask when you're both dieting and just living well. I don't like using words like "diet" as it may have a negative connotation. I live well. I work well. I try to play well, and I know I sleep well.

    Last night I dreamed I was mending a wire fence in my pasture. I looked around and saw a couple of horses, but the one that was "mine" in the dream was a paint horse. He was a gelding, tall, strong, sturdy, maybe 16 hands, and roughly 1300 pounds. He was obviously a taller Quarter Horse and he was just enjoying life as horses do. He wasn't aggressive, he wasn't passive, he was just there eating grass and walking about. The fence didn't need too many patches, and I was finished with my work in good time.  I looked it up and I was happy to find out that the dream indicates that I am well on my way to being satisfied and doing what I want to do. The horse represents my spirit, my inner self and I am content. I really am. I have been going through something, but I'm OK with knowing that I'm not doing this on my own. I have God and that's enough. It's always enough.

    The Green Power juice is something that will lift your emotions as well as your sense of self. You can't smell it, see it, taste it, or even imagine it without seeing that it was fully created by someone other than yourself. You have to give the credit where the credit is due.  Thank you, Jesus!

Photo Credit: Me

Daily Update: Juicing Again

 I'm going to try and do an online diary for now, and if it works out it works out. I'll try to keep it going, and if I mess up and miss a day or so, I apologize in advance. I don't know how many of you are actually reading this. I've had to disable the comments because of some rude things that some have said. I loved the fun comments, and the comments of encouragement, but you always get those people who are just out to be mean and that's just who they are. I don't want my other viewers or readers to be subjected to them, so I have disabled the comments. If you want to write to me you can, my email is: jude.stringfellow1961@gmail.com.  I can try to promise to write back, but with so many emails a day, work, and whatnot, I may be slower than I want to be about responding. Still, I'll try.  You can also follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judestringfellowauthor/  (I don't follow EVERYONE back, but if you're nice and kind, I will.)

    So, today is the first day back on the juicing diet. I'm going to try and substitute at least one meal a day with a juice, and maybe two if I can get my head around it. I need to lose 30 pounds and I want to lose 40 but I know that's not really realistic. I am a woman, not a girl, not a child. I have thicker bones now....dang it. I stand 5'7" tall (almost) and my frame is supposed to be packing on between 137-176 pounds. I am over that. I am around 180, but the really good news is, a lot of it is muscle. The really bad news is, a lot of it isn't! I still have the big boobs, the big belly, and a good amount of back fat as well. I'm a very typical "apple" shaped person, so even when I do lose the weight, I could end up being rounder in the middle than I really want to be. It is what it is, and I'm not going to fight nature. I will complain about it, though.

    Today's morning juice is carrot, apple, beet greens, and my extras. When I say my extras I am going to always add the same things. They are: (about a dropper of each) Black walnut/wormwood with clove, gingerroot, marshmallowroot, D3, gensing, and collagen. I add activated charcoal too, about a tsp of it.  I won't say all the ingredients each day, I'll just say "the add ons" or the "extras" because they will remain the same.  Today I added cinnamon as well since it's a great apple and carrot juice. The beet greens are soooooo good for you. If you haven't studied up on beets you're really going to be surprised just how great they are for your gut and blood.

    This is the first day after taking the black walnut and wormwood complex with clove.  It should be exciting. I'm really hoping to see worms and maggots because that way I can explain my fat! I can say "Yeah, there's the reason!!" and just blame the parasites that have been living inside of me. If there aren't any I would be really surprised. I think we all carry them with us. I want them out, and I want evidence of them being out. I know that's gross, but let me just say "better out than in", right? Right! 

    I'm actually a rather healthy person, and I have been for years. When I was a kid I was sick and that's really the only time in my life I was down for the count for more than just a day or so. I've had Covid, I've had the flu 100 times. I've survived all of that, and living in Oklahoma, I do have allergies. I find that the one thing I can't really get over is the "exercised induced" asthma, that only crops up when I exercise more than I should, and when the bout of Covid hit me. It was the only time in my life I had to use an inhaler. Not fun. I really do pray for those who have to use them on a daily or more often basis. It's not a good thing to not be able to breathe deeply when you want to. Jesus has been so very protective of me and I truly am grateful for that.

    The juice for lunch will be a mix of green apple, carrots, spinach and extras. I may even throw in rosemary for flavor. You just never know. I drink green tea throughout the day, and yes, I had my one cup of coffee in the morning. I drink lemon water from about 5 p.m. to about 11 p.m. and sleep a good full 8 hours. Sleep is so important, it really is.  I may start telling you my dreams too. They've been really good lately.  Enjoy! If you want to follow me on Instagram please do, you can comment there. Bye!!

UPDATE:  (This could be gross, so skip it if you don't want to know about poop)

    The poop was both generous and bulbous. It was full of particles of the nuts and raisins I ate yesterday. I have a homemade trailmix that I eat. There was evidence of either pinworms or specs of something. I don't know if it was pieces of the nuts or if it was in fact parasites. I will continue to monitor, but I will say that the volume of the poop was in fact significant. Again, I apologize if this information is "too much" but this is a blog about my diet and the results of the supplements taken. 

Photo Credit: Me

Juice. Juice. Baby!

 If you have been keeping up with me, and you really should, I'm a lot of fun, then you would know that I am an avid juicer. I like to blend fruits and veggies with supplements and try to force every last stinking stubborn ounce of fat off this frame. I've not been that successful over the past several months and I think maybe it has to do with the fact that I put the juicer away and have been trying to make things happen with just a good diet and exercise program. Those days are gone!

    The juicer was pulled out from under the cabinet today. It was cleaned meticulously, and then I cleaned it again to be sure there were no leftover fruit or veggie particles that could cause bacteria to appear in my gut. That would not be fun. After a good steaming and soaping, the juicer was then run through the motions with the first juice of the year. I choose a very good, sweet yet crisp juice of cucumber, apple, lemon, and supplements. When I say supplements I add things like: gingerroot, marshmallow root, D3, Collagen, black walnut with wormwood and clover, and I even threw in some ginseng just because I can. Ginseng is good for the mind, you know, or maybe didn't know. Yes, ginseng can open up your brain and the colors you thought you saw are now brighter than they were; not joking. 

    I went to Winco last week and picked up about 6 big fat cucumbers because I know I'll drink cucumber juice both day and night. I will have to go back and pick up another package of carrots. I can't believe I forgot my dang carrots. I love the stuffings out of carrots. I may have to even try and juice parsnips too, but add another piece of apple to offset the taste a bit. I bet I could become pretty creative with this if I had to. I'm thinking parsley, celery, cilantro, turnip greens, and beets...wow, I'm going back to the store. I need a few things. I just have to remember not to get so much that it won't fit in my fridge and I don't want it to go bad. The great thing about spinach and kale is that even if it's a bit brown it's still really good for me. I can add another apple or pear...all is well.

    I won't be replacing high tea with my juice, no thank you. Nothing replaces high tea. I will, however, allow myself to have juice for lunch rather than eating lunch, that way I will be more inclined to have a good dinner. I am giving up bread again, which only makes me sad, but it is necessary. I think I read that my blood type, which is O+ can benefit from giving up more carbs than the average person as they tend to stick with me and I really need to unstick what is with me. That's the whole point of this juicing thing, that and I really like the stuff.  I think while I'm at the store I'll pick up more strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and pears. You can do the frozens, and they fit nicely in the fridge, but I find that I can't juice frozens...you have to blend those in the Nutribullet for a smoothy rather than juice, but the best juice out there (besides cucumber) is a cantaloupe! OMG...it's wonderful.

    So there we are. Back to the juicing, back to the trying, back to the hoping, praying, and working it until it happens. I'm finding that wall pilates is fun too. You don't need a full gym to work out people. You can benefit from it, sure, not saying you can't, but you can do a lot of things at home or in a small space that has a wall. I have the big bouncy ball too, but I think the wall pilates and pushups are helping with both balance and toning. Gotta love that. I watched a video podcast vlog thing where a woman was unashamed and videoed herself from start to finish as she went on her journey to lose 110 pounds. She did it!  It took just over a year and she showed her progress.  She's still toning, she's not where she wants to be just yet, but the courage and the passion are so remarkable. I love people with positive outlooks who are both realistic and able to understand that sometimes genetics can't be overlooked. That's what I'm finding in my case. Sad face.

    We are only on this Earth for a while, after this we have eternity. I personally hope that we are all flat-chested, and have no shape at all. That would suit me just fine. I'm OK with looking like a ruler as I run through the moors and glens of Glory!! Sigh...we can hope. For now, I'm taking this body to the produce section and getting done what I can get done.

Photo Credit: Me.

Bands of Resistance.

 As I stand in my living room looking at all the health tech and equipment I've purchased for myself over the years, one would think I would be so svelte and so well-formed! You'd think that by osmosis I would be the stellar fit woman I am in my dreams! Why does reality have to suck so badly? I'm serious. Why can't I be the person I think I am or the person I think I should be by now? It's just a question. I think we all ask ourselves that one from time to time.

    The thing is, I didn't buy all of this stuff at the same time. There were reasons for buying each piece, and over the years I've been collecting or gathering weight training equipment as well as yoga mats, yoga blocks, and the such. Today, I purchased the second of two resistance bands. It always happens that way. I buy one thinking it's going to be the one I need and without fail, almost without fail anyway, I end up either sending it back to the seller through Amazon's prime (wonderful) service, or I just keep it and say I'll use it.  I buy the next level up from what I thought was going to be the end all, but there you go, it wasn't. Sometimes I do end up with three levels, but that's really rare.  That did happen with the weight balls, and it happened with the hand dumbbells. I have several of those.

    The bands are really loops. You stand on them, spread your feet shoulder width, and you pull up (underhanded), and bring the loop to your chest. With the right resistance and pressure, this shouldn't be that easy. The first loop I bought and received today was in fact, is in fact, that easy. It's not hard at all, but it is enough so that I think I'll keep it, and just add to it. There's nothing wrong with having a lighter workout now and again. Something is better than nothing. I tell myself that. You'd think I would be super thin and/or bulging with muscles, but neither fact is true. I'm still average and need to be so much stronger. 

    Let's do the rundown.  I have a vibration plate that is in the middle range. It works well, and I use it 10-15 minutes a day while I do squats. I usually hold a 10, 15, or 20-pound weighted straight bar when I do that. Yes, I have a 20-pound weight bar, and no, I don't do it for 15 minutes. I wish I could. I have a heavy bag on a stand with sand for weight, and I punch it. I love to box. I really do. I may suck at it as far as the world is concerned, but it is the best way to just get that energy out and/or take a face or nose out in my mind while I'm dancing and thinking of ways I can lose another pound or two.  I have weights balls, 8, 10, and 12 pounds. I have no idea why I have the 10 if I have the 8 and 12, but there you go.  I have the aforementioned hand dumbbells, 2, 5, 8, and 12 in sets, and a 15-pound one-off. I have a 10-pound kettle ball which may have to be paired with a 15 or 20-pounder soon, it looks lonely there in the little corner.

    Working out is a choice that I made a few years back, and though I don't do it at the gym (used to) and though I don't do it every day (should) I do it enough to feel pretty good about myself and I do like to read up on the ways and means to do things at my home to become a healthier me. I have ropes too. I was a rope fool for a minute, thinking I could just buy a common jump rope and be done with it. Nope. I don't know what it is, but I am not a jumper. I tried. I don't do well. It could be the big, fat, off-centered gut and breast...maybe? I am not sure. I know that the battle ropes I have are heavy enough that I can only do them if I have friends or family to help me carry them downstairs and back up again. You can't really do that sort of thing inside the apartment. I need another house - - I really do.

    Dancing seems to be the best exercise for me really. I would rather dance than box, and I love boxing. I would rather dance than lift, and I do like lifting. I would rather dance than I would walk and God knows I love to walk. The problem with dancing is my damn knee. I'm fine...the knee should realize that. I have to brace it, I have to baby it, I have to pay attention, and really, who wants to do all that when they're dancing? No one! Still, I would rather dance.  I don't like walking on a treadmill, you don't go anywhere. I don't jog, and I don't run - - same knee.  I would walk 5 miles a day if I could, and with me being home for the next few weeks I may actually get that chance. Maybe it's a good thing. The neighbors probably like me walking rather than dancing. If I had to guess.

    What will the neighbors say when I get the shape and form I'm looking for and I decide to do my aerial hammock exercises outside in front of God and everyone? Yeah! Think about that....or don't, if you don't want to.  The bands of resistance are here for that purpose; to get me to the point that I can stretch when the time(s) come for me to be able to do what I want to do. I think it may be helping with the stretching of the muscles around the knee too...at least that's what the brochure says! We'll see. For now,  I'm just learning the old-fashioned steps and working my way up to the more crazy moves I see online and dream about. I do have my bottle of Aleve close by....nothing says prepared like a bottle of over-the-counter pain meds!

Photo Credit: Walmart.com

Boiled Lemons and Tea...and Stuff.

 Most of you know I'm always watching what I eat except when I'm not, right? I'm back on track, and just because it's the first of the year, I thought to myself, "Why not do what everyone else is doing?"  So, here I am searching the internet for ways to lose belly fat, ways to tone up the body, ways to drop a few pounds (OK, 30), and ways to be the best and the healthiest I can be...right? Yeah, that's me!! That's exactly what I have been doing all day with the possible exceptions of living, breathing, cleaning my apartment, shopping for groceries, making cashew butter, and reading. I have to read. If I don't read I'll shrivel up and die. I must read.

    It just seemed that everyone and their K9 was doing the whole "Drink this at bedtime and you'll wake up thin" sort of thing. I hadn't really put any stock into it. I thought sounded like a bunch of hooey, to use a phrase from Perry Mason. I thought the whole thing was a made-up shenanigan that people liked to post and say they tried it, and they'll be like, "Oh hey, look at me...I lost 50 pounds in a week drinking a tea made up of boiled lemons, ginger, garlic, and apple cider vinegar"....don't forget the honey. If you forget the honey you really will hate yourself.  Since everyone else was doing it I thought I would go ahead and try it, go ahead and do it, and then keep track of it for say a month. I can do anything for a month. If I don't lose at least 10 pounds in the month of January, I may or may not continue to make this "tea".

   So you know, my "tea" has actual tea in it. I boiled the lemons in 2 cups of water for 4 minutes like the recipes all say to do.  Apparently, it's the pectin and the peels that do most of the work here.  I added garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, and honey, but alas...I also added turmeric and then I poured the mix over a tea bag of Yerba Mate tea! Yes, I did!! Oh, you know that's gonna make all the difference in the world now! I'll have to let you know if it does because this is literally Day 1 of this experiment. I was going through a 30-day thing in December where I stopped drinking coffee in the morning and just drank Yerba Mate tea, and well, it lasted 2 days. No, not kidding. I did more research on it and coffee isn't bad for you -- not the one cup I drink anyway.

    I drink a cup of strong coffee in the morning with heavy whipping cream, then I start on the Yerba Mate tea for most of the day. I switch to either green tea or fizzy water, no sugar, just the Buble, LaCroix, or my new buddy, Polar something...found it at Winco.  I drink water with lemon from about 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and now, as it's getting fairly close to 9 p.m., I'm doing the boiled lemon tea with all the stuff I think can help me squeeze off these last blobs of fat that happen to still be attached to my midsection. I'm not going to show you .... not until I'm able and fitting into that Princess Leah costume I bought in the early 80s...then, when it's fairly attractive to do so, I'll either CGI the thing, or actually don one to blow the minds of any and everyone who didn't believe this boiled lemon thing could do the trick! Ha!

    Day 1 folks.  Day 1 is always exciting. It's full of hope. If it really does work I'll be the first to shout it out, educate, and pull people by their earlobes to force them to listen to me. I'm not putting a bunch of stock into it. I just think it may have some effect. I'm hoping it does. I'm really hoping that all these doctors, nutritionists, and other medical folk aren't out there misleading the masses as they so often do. I want this to be real. I want this to be real for me, but I also want this to be real for anyone who can't afford to go to the fancy-schmancy fat farms and be "treated".  I am one of those who simply can't afford it. I have to do this on the go as I go.

    Tomorrow I should have the stretchy figure-8 thing that I bought off Amazon to help me stretch the shoulders and get rid of back flab. I'll post a photo and you can tell me if you have tried them. I'm currently working on weight training, doing the vibration plate, walking, boxing, dancing, and watching my calorie intake. We all know the "secret" is that there is no secret. You take in fewer calories than you burn, and you'll lose weight.  You have a calorie deficit of 3500 calories for one pound lost. It's Math...it's Science. It is what it is, and we all just have to live with it. So what does this boiled lemon water thing do? It's a cleanser. Oh...yeah...that. It gets the poop out.  It's all about the poop...in the end. (hahahaha) It's all about the poop in the beginning too. You have to be clean to be healthy. Wax on, wax off....in this case, lemons in, poop out.

    Let the games begin!  I'll not keep you posted on a day-in and day-out basis. I'll likely go a week and see if I'm still doing it. I'll go a week and see if I'm fitting better in my clothes even before I weigh myself. I don't weigh myself because I think I weigh less than I do, and when I see that I don't I become upset. I will wait until I am literally falling out of my clothes, then I'll weigh myself. If I am still up there, and weighing more than I think I should, I won't cry that much. I'll just say its muscle and move forward. I'm the biggest baby about that. No, really...the worst. I hope to be writing to you in a week to say it's working!!  Cross your fingers, but I don't need luck. I have prayer.

Photo Credit: Renranring.com