Here we are, approaching half way through another year but a very different year that those we’ve been used to in the past.
Who would have ever thought we, of all people, would be walking into the bank to get money with a mask on our face?
No matter where we go, thanks to the Coronavirus Pandemic we’ve all become what we can only say, old time bank robber look-a-likes. Is that crazy or what?
Sadly enough, at this point we don’t even know of or when the end to this whole thing will be in sight. Worst yet, we are now concerned as to if there could be a whole new type of Pandemic lurking in our near future that may be just as bad if not even more serious that this one we’re in now.
If you come to my house these days you’ll find an entire closet full of packages of toilet paper. Why? Because I will never be caught without toilet paper again.
I remember when the fear set in and everyone rushed to the grocery stores and wiped out the toilet paper supply making it almost impossible for us to wipe our butts as well. Oh No, I’m never going to go thru that again.
We all still live with all that grocery store debacle in the back of our heads and wonder when and if it will happen again at some point so we try to move on. As best we can we try to be as strong as we can be while still being a bit concerned about our future.
 Winter is not that far away and we wonder if the Coronavirus will make come back and threaten us again while infecting a whole news set of our friends, neighbors and relatives? All we can hope and pray is that we’ve learned enough from this bout to be able to break the chain that allows such a monster to prey on us.
Please, stay safe. Keep your social distancing in place and keep wearing your mask around others until the All Clear is sounded, no matter how long that will be. After all, as they say, we’re all in this together.
Just another Point of View. Prayers. Go Bless, GOD Speed.

Today, thanks to a recipe handed down by one of my favorite chefs, Robert Irvine,
we’ll be baking up a quick and yummy Micro-Wave Cake Cup.
So here is what you’ll need for this easy bake:
1 cup almond flour, 4 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tbsp shredded coconut (or a Mushed Banana),
1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt ‘8 tbsp sugar, 1 cup milk,
½ cup coconut or canola oil, 3 tbsp mini chocolate chips, 3 tbsp espresso or coffee beans.
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, coconut or banana, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
In a separate bowl, add the milk and oil together.
Then add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Use a whisk until there are no lumps.
Add batter to microwave-safe coffee cups. Fill ¾ of the way to the top. Add 1 tbsp of chocolate chips and 1 tbsp espresso or coffee beans to each coffee cup and stir in.
Place one coffee cup at a time into the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute and 20 seconds.
Dip a knife or spoon into the center of the cup to make sure the batter is cooked through. If part of the cake is still uncooked, add cook time, 20 seconds at a time, until cooked through.
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Hope you’re going to love these as much as I do. The recipe is thanks to Chef Robert Irvine, Yes, the same Robert Irvine that can be seen on Restaurant Impossible on the Food Network. Check him out when you get a chance and Happy, Healthy Eating !

Pandemic be Damned, the theaters are still all but shut down.

Some new movies are getting released but only thru streams and On Demand.

The latest to be released is The High Note with Tracee Ellis Ross, know to others as the daughter of the one and only, Diana Ross. Co-staring Dakota Johnson and Ice Cube.

From Focus Features, Set in the dazzling world of the LA music scene comes the story of Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross), a superstar whose talent and ego have reached unbelievable heights. Maggie (Dakota Johnson) is Grace’s overworked personal assistant who’s stuck running errands, but still aspires to her childhood dream of becoming a music producer. When Grace’s manager (Ice Cube) presents her with a choice that could alter the course of her career, Maggie and Grace come up with a plan that could change their lives forever.

The High Note is Rated PG-13 and Run Time is 113 Minutes.

From Warner Bros. Pictures, “SCOOB!” reveals how lifelong friends Scooby and Shaggy first met and how they joined with young detectives Fred, Velma and Daphne to form the famous Mystery Inc. Now, with hundreds of cases solved and adventures shared, Scooby and the gang face their biggest, most challenging mystery ever: a plot to unleash the ghost dog Cerberus upon the world. As they race to stop this global “dogpocalypse,” the gang discovers that Scooby has a secret legacy and an epic destiny greater than anyone imagined.

SCOOB is Rated PG.

From Amazon Studios, The Vast of Night In the twilight of the 1950s, on one fateful night in New Mexico, a young, winsome switchboard operator Fay (Sierra McCormick) and charismatic radio DJ Everett (Jake Horowitz) discover a strange audio frequency that could change their small town and the future forever. Dropped phone calls, AM radio signals, secret reels of tape forgotten in a library, switchboards, crossed patched lines and an anonymous phone call lead Fay and Everett on a scavenger hunt toward the unknown.

The Vast of Night is Rated PG-13 and the Run Time is 89 Minutes.

With any luck Theaters will be back open soon and then we’ll see you guys At The Movies.

They say the greatest gift GOD gave to man was the ability to choose.
What people seem to forget all the time is that even though we are free to choose We Are Not Free from the consequences of our choices.
In fact, I saw an article in the Business Insider recently that said; “Coronavirus didn’t bring the economy down — 40 years of greed and corporate malfeasance did”.
So we have to wonder, all these things that are upon us now like this Pandemic, Th Swarms of Locusts in Africa, the destruction of the Amazon Rain Forest, the disappearing Polar Ice Caps, etc, etc, could this be a result of our own making.
Could it be GOD’s way of telling us, Enough is Enough Already. You guys have to straighten up.
Beyond all that, have we learned our lesson? After this Pandemic starts to clear will it be back to Greed and Malfeasance all over again until next time GOD decides we need another reminder? When and if that comes how many people will have to suffer and even die then before we even start to get the hint? We must start to change before we end up like Sodom and Gomorrah.
It is certainly a scary time. I hope and pray that it all teaches us a lesson. That we learn from the situation and realize we need to be better prepared for something like this when and if it comes again.
Have you got that BIG Stimulus Check Yet. Funny, you know as soon as people get it, no matter what bills they have to pay It Will Be Christmas for sure. They’ll be out buying electronics, jewelry, taking trips, etc.
Sadly, another month or two like this and many Mom and Pop, Family Businesses will be D.O.A. and it will take quite some time before they can even try to make a come back, or not.
Most places like that run on a week to week, month to month existence and this Pandemic is killing them, literally. If they have any employees they were the first to loose their jobs and the family suffered next.
With any luck many of them will be able to put some of their Stimulus Check and / or maybe even get one of those small business loans that the government says are available to restart their small restaurant or retail business.
Just Another Point of View.

As the weather warms up most of us will be ready for some cool refreshing summer fare. Nothing I like better during a warm day in Texas that a bowl of one of my favorites, a Cucumber, Onion and Tomato Salad.
It’s quick and easy and very simple to make considering you don’t even have to cook anything. Oh, and did I mention, it’s very healthy too and you can adjust the recipe to fit any diet.
We’re going to need three medium Tomatoes, 3 medium Cucumbers. One medium Onion (your choice, Vidalia, red, yellow or white). Chop everything up to your taste. Some folks like to quarter the tomatoes, slice the cucumbers and slice the onion as well. I personally don’t mind, sometimes I chop everything in small pieces and mix it all up as well.
Proceed by adding a cup of cool water, half a cup of vinegar (I like malt vinegar myself but apple cider is good). Add two table spoons of sugar, two tea spoons of salt (I prefer Sea Salt), add coarse Black Pepper to taste and then top it all off with about a fourth cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Mix it up and stir it real good and viola, your almost ready to enjoy. You’ll want to cover the bowl with some Saran wrap and put it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours and your ready to enjoy a cool, fresh, tasty Cucumber, Onion and Tomato Salad.
Oh but wait. YES, you can add chopped Celery, Bell Peppers, Avocads and even Jalapeno if you’d like after all it’s your salad. Play around with ingredients and no matter what you end up with I’m sure you’re going to love it.
Happy, Healthy Eating !

Even though some restrictions, including one’s pertaining to movie theaters are being relaxed, don’t count on your favorite movie theater to have their own plans especially in California.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Movie Theaters Could Take “Months, Not Weeks” to Reopen, California Gov. Gavin Newsom says”.
Here in Texas, even though Governor Abbott says it’s ok for them to open on a limited occupancy, many theater owners are saying, hold up wait a minute. They want to be absolutely sure that they are doing the right thing and and protecting both the lives of their employees and their customers as well.
So, for now anyway, we are still streaming and renting On Line. Among the most streamed titles is Beastie Boys Story.
Beastie Boys Story from Apple TV+. Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz tell us an intimate, personal story of their band and 40 years of friendship in this live documentary experience directed by their longtime friend and collaborator, and their former grandfather, filmmaker Spike Jonze. Run time is 2 Hours and is Not Yet Rated.
Another Top viewed movies is To the Stars from Samuel Goldwyn Films.
To the Stars takes place In a god-fearing small town in 1960s Oklahoma, bespectacled and reclusive teen Iris endures the booze-induced antics of her mother and daily doses of bullying from her classmates. She finds solace in Maggie, the charismatic and enigmatic new girl at school, who hones in on Iris’s untapped potential and coaxes her out of her shell. When Maggie’s mysterious past can no longer be suppressed, the tiny community is thrown into a state of panic, leaving Maggie to take potentially drastic measures and inciting Iris to stand up for her friend and herself.
Run Time 111 Minutes, this film is Not Yet Rated.
Among Top Views on TV, The Conners, DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow and One Day at A Time.
With any luck and a few prayers theaters across America will be fully open soon and we’ll all be able to get back into a new adventure At The Movies.

Need I say it one more time, because of the pandemic most movie studios have grind to a hault and stopped production on most movies. In fact they also stopped the release of most new movies as well so regular folks like us must turn to Movies On Demand now or go to streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, etcetera, etcetera.
  Big movie theater chains like AMC are now offering Movies On Demand where you can go On Line, Register and then Log In and pay to watch some of the latest movies that have been released. It’s not as cheap as watching a new release but it’s as close as we’re going to get right now.
So, what can you watch right now On Line,
  Birds of Prey, Rated R from Warner Bros. Pictures. “”Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya’s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.”
The Invisible Man from Universal Pictures, Rater R. “What you can’t see can hurt you. Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss stars in a terrifying modern tale of obsession inspired by Universal’s classic monster character.
Trapped in a violent, controlling relationship with a wealthy and brilliant scientist, Cecilia Kass escapes in the dead of night and disappears into hiding, aided by her sister, their childhood friend and his teenage daughter (Storm Reid, HBO’s Euphoria). When Cecilia’s abusive ex commits suicide and leaves her a generous portion of his vast fortune, Cecilia suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of eerie coincidences turns lethal, threatening the lives of those she loves, Cecilia’s sanity begins to unravel as she desperately tries to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.”
  Some of the other movies available On Line are, Onward, 1917, the latest Star Wars and Jumanji, The Hunt, Doolittle, The Gentleman and quite a few more.
  So if you really want to see a new movie you can still do that except, at least for now you’ll have to do it on your smartphone, tablet, computer or Smart Tv.
Stay safe, keep your distance and stay home and away from others if you can. Plus go On Line and absorb yourself in a great adventure At The Movies.

I am not a saint in any way, shape or form and I have, in my past, done many things that others might consider deplorable BUT I Never Did Anything to viciously harm or hurt anyone. In fact at a certain point, when I finally “Got It”, I immediately started doing something everyday to correct my past Bad Behavior in hopes that at some point I would be forgiven for it.
After all, I knew, just like you and everyone else knows when we are doing something wrong. I knew, just like everyone else, when I was making the wrong decision But I Did It Anyway. My GOD Given Choice right? Right.
Until I finally realized there were outside forces influencing me to make those Bad Choices. Some of those choices may not seen like such a bad deal but in the larger scheme of thing they were Horrible.
Now, I’ve never really had a huge amount of money and for that I am so grateful. You probably don’t understand that do you? Well, I am the type of person that would just die from being perplexed on a daily basis about making the wrong choices on how to share those blessing. After all, It Is what we’re supposed to do.
I don’t think I could sleep at night in a house worth $10, 50, $80 Million Dollars or more when there are good people close by who can’t even afford a good meal. Knowing that they don’t have a roof to sleep under tonight or that they will continue to be ill and or even die because they just can’t afford to see a doctor or receive basic healthcare. Oh, and here I am sleeping in my $80 Million Dollar home. That would keep me from sleeping at night wondering just how many people I could personally save or even just make feel better with a good meal or a place to sleep at night.
You see every second of every day that would be heavy on my heart and on my soul that I had that much in Blessings and yet Failed to share with my fellow man. When my time came for me to meet my maker just how would I explain that?
YES, Your So Right, we individually can’t cure the world’s problems BUT we certainly are commanded to help those directly around us who genuinely need help. So how on earth could I sleep or even survive in such wealth and opulence knowing there are those around me in such need and such pain?
Just what kind of a Christian does that make me?

As the cool weather starts fading faster and faster we can still enjoy one of my personal cool weather dishes that is not only good but good for you too.
French Onion Soup. Here is what you’ll need if your going to make some along with me. It’s fairly simple and easy to make.
“Ingredients; Yellow Onions, garlic, regular butter or vegan butter, dry white wine (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Gris), vegetable stock, regular or vegan Worcestershire Sauce, seasonings: bay leaves, sage, thyme, pepper, and salt, baguette slices, regular or vegan cheese.
Our first step prepping and caramelizing the onions. Peel and slice the onions about 1/4 inch thick. Melt vegan butter in a large pot then toss in the onions.
Saute for about 30 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are browned and caramelized. Add in the garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
Add in the vegetable stock, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes. This will allow all the flavors to marry together.
Take a baguette and slice it into 1/2 inch rounds. Brush each side with olive oil, then bake until toasted on each side. Place 4 oven-safe bowls onto a sturdy baking sheet, then ladle the soup into them. Add a toasted baguette to the top of each bowl of soup, then add your vegan cheese on top.
Can it be made with out wine? Yes. Yes, absolutely. While the flavor will be different, the soup will still be very tasty without the wine. Simply substitute an equal amount of vegetable stock. For extra zip, you could also add in a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice as well.
Now enjoy and Happy Healthy Eating.
(Recipe courtesy Karissas Vegan Kitchen.)

 As we get older the years just seen to start flying by. And when we get to a certain point things on our bodies just seem to stop wanting to cooperate as well as they did when we were seventeen.
   I have Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, a Fatty Liver, Liver disease plus a few underlying conditions lurking around in the background that I don’t even know about.
   It seems the older we get the less and less we get to see people it seemed we used to see every day or at least every week. All of the sudden we start to realize that people whom once so readily called us their friend start to disappear. It all of the sudden becomes abundantly clear that we were never their close friend after all. Most of those people were just there because where we were in life at the time.
   As I slowly ease into my 65th year on this earth I awaken to the fact that those whom I can truly call my friends I can now count on one hand. Some are as needy as can be and others are far less pretentious, keeping a distance but truly being there when I need their help the most. Either way I am grateful for each and every one of you.
   I am even more grateful that somewhere along the way I found a partner who loves and cares about me for who I really am. One that stands by me in spite of the fact that I tend to be an ass at times. One who I know ill be there at my bedside when I’m ill just as much as be there by my side when I am victorious in life as well. Finding such a person is a GOD Send in itself.
   There are so many things I have learned along the way and perhaps the most important is that sometimes GOD uses us to reach other people. At times when things are turbulent, we may wonder, why is GOD testing me this way but, we must learn to not be so selfish and realize that GOD may just be using us to test someone else.
   If along the way my light has changed Even One person’s life for the better, Even if by accident I have opened their eyes and their path to salvation, I thank GOD for giving me that opportunity.
   Until our final breath, we must strive to be there for our loved ones, our family, and our friends as GOD intended.
May we all live long, healthy lives and as always GOD Bless and GOD Speed.
Just another Point of View.