Scripted Inspirational Newsletter Summer 2021

SCRIPTED

an inspirational newsletter by JC Gardner

Summer 2021

SCRIPTED AN INSPIRATIONAL NEWSLETTER

BY JC GARDNER

DISCUSSION TOPICS

Vax Dilemmna

Cash-less

Blue Bonnet

A Lifetime of Lessons

JC's Favorite Things

To Vax or Not to Vax? That Seems to be the Question!

Waz up my fellow readers? I hope you have been enjoying your summer thus far. Now, while everyone else seems to think summer is over the same day Labor Day arrives, summer actually ends September 21st...so my sandals, shorts, and WHITE CLOTHES will be here to

In record time, a vaccine was produced. I'm no scientist, so everything from this point on is from me doing my own research, speaking with experts, and just my own observations so if you plan on coming for me, please reconsider. Can't we all just get along?

stay well past Labor Day, yes indeed.

And somebody needs to tell these stores to PUT AWAY the Christmas trees!! Can we have some turkey first? Geesh! LOL. Speaking of turkey and Thanksgiving, I was hoping that Thanksgiving 2021 would be "back to normal." Clearly, that is not the case. COVID is still making the rounds in all of its various forms. I've never seen anything like it in my

Fast forward to today. I have NEVER seen so much resistance to something that may keep you from dying. Okay, I admit I was not the first one in line either. In fact, it took me several months, along with prayer and discernment about just what to do. I had to make sure we weren't going to turn into some "I Am Legend" zombie mess or worse, wake up with a third eye in the middle of my forehead. That would not be a good look.

lifetime.

I remember when it first "arrived." We were all in a panic and rightfully so. There were -- and still are -- so many unknowns, but I do recall a lot of people saying they wish there was a cure, a vaccine, or something to make it go away.

But I had to consider many things that I wonder if others have taken into consideration. It's no secret I'm over 55. Yep, a bonafide AARP member. (Holla!) That means when I was younger, I got a whole slew of vaccines -- that whole MMR Series, Diptheria, Polio. Then the flu

Scripted - Page 2 shot when I got older. (It's not a vaccine and is LESS effective than the COVID vaccine.) Then HPV vaccine for young people came about, chicken pox vaccine, and the list goes on, right?

I'm still here. I'm still standing. My grown kids are still standing.

Have you ever gotten a prescription for, well,

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anything? There seems to always be a LONG LIST of side effects on the accompanying pamphlet that could maybe happen to you, and I mean that list is super long, FDA approved I might add.

How about going under anesthesia? For that, you have to sign a paper that you understand the risks because there is risk you may have an adverse side effect, like eternal sleep.

You may be thinking I'm trying to convince the unvaxed to get vaxed but actually, I'm not. I'm just saying why I got the Pfizer vaccine. I also love to travel and really hope to do that again soon. And I know or know of soooo many people who have gotten COVID. Some have survived. Sadly, some have not.

I respect everyone's decision on this but...if you decide the vaccine is not for you, kindly consider wearing a mask. Pretty please. This is something I don't get. So people are anti-vax and anti-mask??

Makes me wanna holla and throw up both my hands. And I know the vaccine is not foolproof, but very few things in this life are and that's why I still wear a mask.

For me, the bottom line is if I do get COVID, which I rebuke with all of the Holy Ghost power and might, I pray the vaccine helps me get through it with mild or no complications and no hospitalization so that someone else who really needs a hospital bed can have it. If I do get it, I pray no one else gets it. And lastly, I pray that I have done everything in my power to have a life free of COVID, keeping me and my loved ones safe!

7 POWERFUL TESTIMONIES (ME INCLUDED) OF WOMEN WHO DEFIED THE ODDS AND DECLARED THE VICTORY!

Uh, we don't take cash!

'I've

been shopping lately

,

you know

,

making my normal rounds

.

'

and I ve been shocked at how many retail establishments

'

either say they don t accept cash or they only accept exact change

I know there is a coin shortage

recently was the Dollar Tree

Hmmm

...

Dollar

....

Tree

.

,

.

Now who is walking around with

but since when did cash become obsolete

.

'

After some time

"Ma'am,

,

,

my other past time

'

it s my turn

'

we don t take cash

.

cents

?

.

I gather my

not paying attention to what s going on at the register

thinking about food

73

The one that caught me off guard most

This would indicate that this store accepts DOLLARS made from TREES

DOLLAR items and stand on line with other savvy DOLLAR shoppers

, I'm

and

.

So I mosey on into the DOLLAR TREE with my single DOLLAR bills

Of course

?

$8

.

. I'm

. $9

My purchase was like

and some

-odd

cents

.

'

I count out my singles and she s like

,

."

WHAT IN TARNATION?!?! '

A DOLLAR STORE that doesn t take dollars

I was appalled

.

What if I had

1

or

2

?

items or better yet

,

no credit

/debt

card

?

I would have had to leave my purchase

.

I

'

couldn t even stand on a corner with tin cup because the coins I would have collected from me tap dancing would have

been rejected

.

After getting over my shock

cash for

.

,

I had to swipe my card

Then she asked did I want a receipt

!

.

That just irked me so badly to use my plastic for something I had

Ya darn skippy I want my PAPER receipt

been abandoned and dissed by the swanky DOLLAR TREE

'

'

.

bank account and make sure y all didn t take more than the

have TIME for all of this double

I thought I was over it

.

Clearly

-checking,

, I'm

NOT

monitoring

!!

Hope this true story made you smile

.

,

.

Glad to see ALL PAPER has not

Gimme my receipt so I can now go home and log online to my

$9

and some odd cents you were suppose to take because I

balance reviewing stuff

!!

Scripted - Page 4 I'm about to date myself right here with that ancient jingle...Y'all oldtimers sing it with me...

Everything's better...with Blue Bonnet on it!

Yes, Blue Bonnet is that lovely margarine that actually made its debut in 1942, and as a kid MANY years later (LOL), I was a big fan.

But this story is not about butter or margarine. It's actually about the comedienne, Mo'Nique who came under HEAVY fire from a lot of people who said she was wrong for calling out young ladies and women who walk around wearing their hair bonnets* in public. In her PSA, she was actually coming from a place of concern and love and if you know Mo'Nique, her tongue could cut you like a two-edge sword.

While this has turned into a society of do what you want how you want and why are you worried about my bonnet, I actually thought she had a good point.

Women already have a tough go at it and women of color are still fighting tooth and nail to be recognized, promoted, appreciated, and respected. So why make it that much harder by prancing around in your night clothes?

When the practice started of people walking around stores in their PJs and slippers, it really bothered me, only because I could hear my mother and all my ancestors saying, "You'd betta not even THINK about leaving the house looking like that." I know it's none of my business, but it still made me cringe because y'all know I'm little crazy, right? If they are out here in their PJs, did they wash their face? Brush their teeth? Change their drawers? Drool on the collar?

Do their slippers have street crap on them that's then traipsed into the house and hallway?

Oh boy. My mind just goes all over the place. LOL I'm not judging. A lot of how we think about things and life is related to how we are raised, so I can't help myself.

But...I think people do judge based on outward appearances and you could be a million-dollar Ph.D, but if you look like a bum, sometimes that is all people see and that's all people will remember.

What say you? Do you think Mo'Nique had a good point? Are wearing PJs in the street acceptable? Email authorjcg@yahoo.com, and I'll post your answers in the next newsletter! *For my sisters and brothers who have no idea what a hair bonnet is, it is widely used by women to protect their hair and hair styles while they sleep.

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Scripted - Page 5

Safety Lessons 101 from Watching Lifetime Movies!

If you know me, then you know I LOVE movies, theater, arts and entertainment. I'm sure in my other life I was actually a television set.

I watch Lifetime for a number of reasons. Because I'm a writer, I like to see how the screenplay is written. I like to see the diversity of the actors or how I see the same actors in different roles; I really enjoy finding plot holes or trying to guess how the nemesis will get caught...or how far will they be able to get away with all of their treacherous deeds. All of these movies have a few things in common, like WHY does the psycho, crazed, unstable, coo-coo nutty attacker always have the upper hand?? Here is my take on, "Lifetime Lessons of Survival," even if you're in the movie!

Car Chase...on Foot!: Unless you are a cheetah, you can't outrun a car so stop it please, but if you watch Lifetime, that car lets you RUN REALLY FAR because those 4 wheels and those 6 cylinders just can't catch up to you. Please don't try this at home!

Shoe Heels: If you and the perpetrator are in the house, TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES instead click-clacking across those floors leaving a trail of sounds for him/her to follow.

Knock-out: Okay, great. You managed to knock out the evil doer but...you allow them to lay motionless while STILL holding the weapon! TAKE THE WEAPON and then play whack-a-mole so they don't get up to chase you 2 minutes later.

Confession: Don't tell unstable people you're about to go to the police, news, you're leaving them, and so on.

You already suspect they are "special," so why are you putting yourself in danger? Just DO IT quietly and then find an obscure place to hide!

Free Drinks: Never accept a drink from anyone. Never leave your drink unattended. Take your purse/wallet with you at all times.

Hideaway: So you've called the police, they are on the way, and you THINK the attacker has left the house because it's quiet and you can't wait to come out. Why? What for? Don't you know they're waiting on you to emerge? STAY PUT until the authorities get there.

Photo Proof: If you keep seeing things and they keep disappearing, take a picture and then send it to someone. If the picture disappears after you take it, well, CALL JESUS!

Scripted - Page 6

Millennial Hot News

BY ALEXIS GARDNER

A Millennial's Guide to Moving Out The time has come. You’re ready to take your next step into adulthood and live on your own. Whether you’re moving out of your parent’s house, transitioning from living with roommates to living alone, or getting ready to move with roommates, here are a few tips I learned first hand from living completely on my own for over four months.

What’s your plan?: Knowing you want to move out is the first step, but you have to know where you’re going. Are you staying in the area, will you be living alone, do you want to relocate? If so, do you have a job lined up? Do you want to live in an apartment, condo, or house? These are all questions that need to be answered before any next steps are taken.

I’ve always known that I was going to move out of my parent’s house eventually after college, it was just a matter of when. COVID of course threw everyone for a curveball and while it did alter my plans, it ended up being a blessing in disguise because I was allowed to accomplish my ultimate life goal of moving and working in New York.

Realistic budget: I highly recommend having some type of savings built up before moving.

There are all types of apps, or you can just use an excel sheet to see your monthly expenses and how much you could afford to spend on rent or a mortgage. But don’t forget to also factor in some possible additional costs like gas, electric, water, cable, internet, and renter's insurance; these are all things to factor into your budget when looking for a place to live.

I have two amazing parents who let me live at home until I was ready to move out which let me build my savings. They also informed me of those possible additional costs that helped me establish my budget and determine what I could afford for my monthly rent.

Research, research, research: So now you know you where you want to move, whether it’ll be by yourself or with roommates, and what type of housing you want to pursue. I suggest having at least three nearby surrounding areas for you to explore. Here are some things to look for: are you looking to live in the suburbs or city? How close are you to places like stores, supermarkets, gyms, restaurants, and how important is the proximity to those things to you? If you’re looking to live in an apartment, are the utilities included with your rent? Is parking? Laundry? Don’t forget it’s also important to look at these places in person. Something can look great online but in person, the opposite.

I decided to live in an apartment that was only 20 minutes from my job which was a pro for me. All utilities except for electric are included. I am walking distance from multiple grocery stores, restaurants, and the gym. However, another pro to my building is that there is a gym included as well as my parking spot. I’m very happy with where I live, but it wasn’t easy to find. I went through a lot of vetting and searching multiple sites like apartments.com and rent.com, but with ample research and the help of my family, I was able to find my new home. But where I live now isn’t where I thought I would be. It wasn’t until I came in person and looked at all my options that I realized where I am now was my absolute best option.

Scripted - Page 7 Packing: The time has almost come. The papers are signed, the date is set, you’re moving! But you have to pack. My number 1 piece of advice is DO NOT wait until the last minute to pack. Have a system and pack just a little per day, or a lot!

Are you using boxes, bins, suitcases, all of the above? Also, don’t be afraid to donate to Goodwill! Packing is one of the bane’s of my existence and I put it off until the last minute. Had I known that there were services that pack and move for you, I definitely would’ve looked into that.

Transportation: The time has almost come pt. 2! You’re all packed up and it’s time to go. Are you moving alone? Will friends or family be helping you? Do you have a truck or a moving van to use? Will you be hiring a service? All things to consider. My parents are packing experts and we were somehow able to fit everything in my (not so) little Toyota Corolla and my mom’s Jeep.

Furniture: You need to figure out if you will pre purchase your furniture before or after moving especially if you’re moving to a different state. If you’re looking in person, usually major furniture stores will be able to ship what you want to the closest location to where you will be moving. Depending on the size of your new living space and potential building requirements, the minimum things you will need are a bed, dresser, some type of seating for the living area, and a rug (which can be very expensive!!) Also be mindful that there’s a furniture shortage which is causing major delays.

I did a combination of ordering what I could in advance via Wayfair and only choosing their quickest shipping option. Now this will really lessen your options, but you can find good pieces! So I ordered a few pieces from Wayfair to arrive the day I moved in and I also picked up some things in person from Mom and Pop shops in the surrounding areas and I also got some things cash and carry at Ashley’s Furniture Home Store (mom’s Jeep for the win again!).

Bonus - setting up internet or cable, grocery shopping weekly/meals, maintenance, storage lockers: So now you’re all moved in. But wait, there’s still a few more steps you need to take! Have you set up your internet or cable? Did all of your stuff fit in your new space, or did you need a storage locker? Now that you’re on your own you have to be responsible for your daily meals and doing things like grocery shopping, which is a lot harder than it looks. If you’re living in an apartment and something happens (a personal example is that my AC wasn’t working), then it’s your responsibility to contact your landlord and get it fixed.

Moving out can be a scary, daunting task, but it’s also a fun and exciting time. I hope that some of these tips have helped. I wish you luck if you’re looking to move out soon!

A Few of JC's Favorite Things!

Thought I would share with you just a few of my favs! Enjoy!

This creole seasoning is a staple in my seasoning cabinet. It's great on many things like fish, chicken, potato salad, gumbo and deviled eggs. I really should be their spokesperson.

White Clay deep cleansing foam is by far the best cleanser I've used for acne-prone skin.

Much of the label is in Korean. Bet you didn't know I was bilingual. NOT!

Tree Hut Shea Moisturizing Body Wash Coconut Lime. Nothing like smelling like an island cocktail.

And it doesn't have any of those ingredients folks say are bad for you. Delish!

What y'all know about this cast iron skillet? It has so many uses: cornbread, fries anything, frittatas, oven safe using high temps, and pretty much indestructible. Also great for intruders.

Love these two online resources: Thesaurus: https://www.thesaurus.com/ Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/

Scripted - Page 8

Start your day with this morning prayer. It blessed me so I'm sharing with you!

Good Morning Lord, If we can do some good today; If we can serve along life’s way, If we can something helpful say, Lord, show us how.

If we can right a human wrong, If we can help to make one strong, If we can cheer with smile or song, Lord, show us how!

If we can aid one in distress, If we can make a burden less, If we can spread more happiness, Lord, show us how.

We thank you for this new day.

Amen.

Author Unknown