A while back I wrote a post, Top 15 Things Money Can’t Buy based on a quotation by Roy T. Bennett.

That post was full of wisdom. Nothing on the list above can be purchased, but anyone can possess each item shown.

Today, I thought I'd add to the list if I could.

This is today's list of things you cannot buy, but you can possess.

Knowledge. Resilience. Wisdom. Friends. Self-Confidence. Sense of Humor. Good Judgment. Generosity. Creativity. True Success. Compassion. Empathy. Innate Talent. Optimism. Gratitude.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

That's my list. Do you have some qualities to add to my list or Mr. Bennett's list in my original post? If so, leave them in comments.

Today's review is a little different because it's not for a movie, TV series, book, or  music album.

It's for a Podcast viewable on YouTube. Dropping Names With Brent and Jonny is hosted by Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes.

The episode I watched on Dropping Names was Once We Were All Spacemen, and it's funny, smart, and a great showcase for the personalities of all involved as they swap war stories on their respective careers.

The delightful episode I stumbled across and stopped on was because the guests were Alan Tudyk, currently starring in Resident Alien, and Nathan Fillion, currently starring in The Rookie. Both Tudyk and Fillion are not only wonderful actors but also highly entertaining in their own personas.

I'd seen the teasers featuring the cast of Firefly but didn't really know what they were pitching. I was delighted to discover it was Fillion's and Tudyk's own podcast, Once We Were Spacemen which debuted in November 2025.

The hour-long conversation, which is what it seemed like rather than a podcast, was a nice afternoon break with NO political or other divisive hot-button issues discussed or argued—just a free-ranging conversation with people who genuinely seemed to like each other.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Check out both podcasts if you're looking for something intelligent and entertaining.

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Today I'm going back to my roots again and sharing a recipe for what we called Creole Sauce.

I love sharing recipes for the food my family ate when I was growing up.

This is easy to make, and it's good on just about everything from scrambled eggs to pork chops to hamburger steak to anything you want to try.

This receipt makes about 2 cups. It's easy to make and stores in the fridge about a week.

It also freezes well if you want to make a big batch. Simply defrost however much you need when you wish to serve it.

CREOLE SAUCE

Ingredients

1/2 cup finely diced bell pepper, any color 

I always choose the Original

1/4 cup finely diced onion

1/4 cup chopped green olives

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons butter (or extra virgin olive oil if you prefer)

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can tomato sauce

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 bay leaf crushed

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Salt to taste

For extra spicy, add a few drops of Tabasco Sauce.

Directions

1. Saute the bell pepper, onion, olives, and garlic in the butter until they are translucent and soft.

2. Add the other ingredients to the sauteed vegetables and stir. Simmer 20 minutes on low.

3. Serve hot.

4. Store any leftover sauce in refrigerator or freeze until needed.

Why do I always choose McIlhenney Tabasco Sauce? Probably because that's what my Mom and all the othr home cooks used. The sauce is still made at Avery Island, a little dot on the map off the coast of New Iberia, Louisiana, where I lived when I was a kid.

We toured Avery Island and the factory long ago. I don't know if that is still allowed in today's world, but it was exciting and memorable to me. The air would nearly singe your eyeballs and nasal cavities.

So I choose it because it tastes better than any of the other hot sauces, and because it's rooted in tradition and memories of my Mom.  

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

 My mother was an amazing home chef, and I love sharing her recipes with the world.

I visited with a local book club recently and enjoyed it very much. They had read my book, Heat Lightning, and we talked about it.

As usual, they asked what inspired me to write that book, and what inspired me just to write books.

I told them that writing was one of the best jobs in the world—and it is. 

What I didn't tell them is something I'll tell you today—what a professional writer learns when she or he is lucky enough to establish a writing career.

7 TRUTHS ABOUT BEING A PROFESSIONAL WRITER.

1. Perfecctly good books get written but never get published.

I once believed that you could write a book about anything that struck your fancy, and if it was a good book it would get published. 

The traditional publishing business doesn't work that way. There  are budgets and quotas that prevent publishing just any book no mattter how beautifully written it may be. Editors can only acquire so many books.

Today, for Hump Day, I'm reflecting on recent events and on something that happened many years ago.

In the wake of wildfires, blizzards, senseless shootings, and other life tragedies, I think of a spring day many yeras ago when tornadoes cut a swath through the South.

My mother was afraid of storms and especially fearful when spring seemed to bring the worst of them. I remember trying to soothe her anxiety.

Later, I told my husband about this, and I quipped, "If it's your time to go, then there's not much you can do about it."

He said, "It may not be your time, but if you're hanging out with someone whose number is up then you're just screwed, and you'll go too."

For some reason, that whole incident really made me think. You never know when your number is up. I'm sure all those people killed in natural disasters and senseless violence thought they had plenty of time to do all the things they wanted to do.

Just like me, they probably had plans and dreams about what they wanted to do with their lives.  Maybe they talked about it, thought about it, dreamed about it, but hadn't yet done anything about it. They thought they had plenty of time.

I was like that. Big dreams. I talked about it, dreamed about it, but I hadn't really done much to turn a dream into reality. 

 

Flipped - BluRay from Amazon

If you look in vain for a family friendly movie, you can relax. I have one for you, and it's a true gem.

FLIPPED, a Rob Reiner film, is on Netflix now, and I loved it. If you don't have Netflix, I included a link to Amazon where you can pick up a Blu-ray copy for a low price. It's good enough that you may want to watch it again and again.

BLURB

When Juli Baker lays eyes on her new neighbor Bryce, she falls in love with him at first sight.

Bryce does not reciprocate that feeling. In fact, he doesn't like her at all. From that day forward, Bryce (Callan McAuliffe) tries his best to avoid her, but Juli (Madeline Carroll) is persistent in everything she undertakes.

Eventually, Juli realizes that Bryce does not return her feelings. Just as Bryce begins to see Juli's true worth, she decides he's an unfeeling jerk who isn't worth her time.

Billed as a young adult—the story begins at second grade and moves to junior high—the movie is based on Flipped, the book by Wendelin Van Draanen.

By Wendelin Van Draanen

Like the book, the movie is told in alternating viewpoints showing how each of the 2 protagonists viewed every interaction they had.

THE CAST 

The main cast is composed of Madeline Carroll as Julianna "Juli" Baker with Morgan Lily as young Juli, and Callan McAuliffe as Bryce Loski with Ryan Ketzner as young Bryce.

Rebecca De Mornay is Patsy Loski, Bryce's mother; Anthony Edwards is Steven Loski, Bryce's father; and John Mahoney is Chet Duncan, Bryce's grandfather. (Flipped was Mr.  Mahoney's final film before his death in 2018.)

Penelope Ann Miller is Trina Baker, Juli's mom; Aidan Quinn is Richard Baker, Juli's dad; and Kevin Weisman is Daniel Baker, Juli's uncle.

THE DETAILS

The movie was obviously a labor of love for Rob Reiner who served as Director, Screenplay writer along with Andrew Scheinman, and Producer with Alan Greisman also producing.

Cinematography was by Thomas Del Ruth. Editing by Robert Leighton, and Music by Marc Shaiman.

The companies involved were Castle Rock Entertainment and Reiner/Greisman Productions with distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures.

The movie was released September 10, 2010 in the USA. It had a budget of $14M, but brought in only $4.3M at the box office. 

I read this today and thought it was very appropriate.

"If January is the month of change, February is the month of lasting change. January is for dreamers… February is for doers." — Marc Parent

Change requires action. Taking action proves you really want to change something in the status quo.

This week. Figure out all the steps needed to make the change you desire.

Then take that first step

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Quit dreaming. Take action. I believe you can do it.

Welcome back.

Did Part 1, 26 for 2026, Change Your Life, speak to you?

I hope you found one or two of the suggestions compelling. If you did, take action, no matter how small the first step may be.

Part 2, 26 for 2026, Change Your Life

14. If you want to succeed faster and be more satisfied with life, find someone who is doing exactly that. Are they compassionate, smart, friendly, hard working, and successful? If so, learn what they're doing and how they're doing it. What do they know that you need to know. Model their behavior. Find out how all the details of how they did it and adapt their method to your efforts.

15. Avoid modeling the behavior of people who got what they want by dishonesty. Never change your morals and beliefs to be like someone else. You can't model negative behavior without it having far-reaching consequences in your life.

16. Integrity—honesty in all things and strong moral beliefs—is everything in business and in your personal life. Make that a core belief.

17. Learn the difference between working hard and working effectively. Working effectively often means learning how to prioritize your tasks so you get better results, accomplish more, and feel more fulfilled.

18. Analyze how you spend your working hours. Are you actually being productive or just giving lip service to the idea of working hard? When you're supposed to be working, are you sneaking in time on your cell phone? Seeing Facebook updates or the latest TikTok video? Be honest in your assessment.

21. Enjoy yourself more. Too many people have lost the capacity for the simple pleasures in life.  They rush from one thing to another and say they're relaxing when they're watching YouTube or television or checking social media. None of those things will give you the kind of  relaxation you need. 

When I was a child, my brothers and I took turns "saying the blessing" before meals.

My Pretend Chimichanga recipe hits all the taste markers: cheesy,  hot, delicous, easy to make, and flexible.

For the last 2 years, I've posted a list of "things" that I wanted to do in the year. For 2026, I thought I'd do something a little different.

Instead of focusing on what I want to do, I thought I'd put the focus on 26 things anyone can do that can have a positive effect on you and your world.

By positive effect, I mean these have the ability to make you happier, more satisfied with your life, more optimistic, and more successful.

These of course are my opinion. You may agree or disagree with some or with the entire list because you know what's needed in your own life. Perhaps this list will inspire you to make your own list.

In no particular order, just what comes out of my brain and onto my typing fingers, here are my suggestions.

1. Get a journal you can write in because it's the greatest emotional outlet you can find for such a low cost.

If you're upset about someone or some thing in your life, write about it in your journal. Analyze it. Ask yourself if you are right to be upset or are you really upset about something else.

Identify what the real issue is and then write down ways to handle it. Journaling is like a release valve on a pressure cooker. It forces you to really think about interactions and situations rather than fly into a rage and say things you may later wish you could unsay.

2. At the beginning of each day, watch or listeen to nothing on your phone, computer, or TV that is upsetting. Far better to listen to music designed to stimulate your brain and/or create a feeling of peace within you.

3. Hate separates people. Hate ruins lives. No one should hate another person because of political or religious beliefs or sexual identity. Tolerance does not mean weakness. Tolerance does not mean you must believe as others. Tolerance makes room for everyone. Learn to be tolerant.

4. In my United States of America, we have the Bill of Rights. It covers all of our citizens so don't try to pick and choose who gets to live under those protocols.

5. Live and let live is a good philosophy so don't do things that can harm others whether that's violent diatribes online or physical assault. Just like you, everyone has the right to live without fear of violence so embrace that concept.

6. Never take advice from anyone who's more screwed up than you. When anyone gives you advice, always ask yourself if the person dishing out the advice is living life more effectively with less hiccups than you. If not, smile and nod and feel free to ignore what they say.

7. Even when someone offers advice based upon their own bad experience, you need to be cautious because their own personality, attitudes, and actions may have played a part in their bad experience.

8. Learn to think for yourself instead of accepting the opinions of others whether that's online influencers, social media TikTokers, co-workers, or relatives. There's great value in learning to think for yourself. How do you do that? Question what you hear. Do your best to research at objective websites that offer facts—not opinions, not political rhetoric, but information that is backed up by fact.

9. Learn to recognize click bait titles and avoid giving those channels your time and attention. Anything with a click bait title is designed to create chaos and turmoil in the viewer.

10. Realize that much of the videos online now are peopled by Artificial Intelligence creations, not real people. For exmple, avoid accepting as truth what some elderly doctor may be telling you. He's probably an AI construct. Fact check everything before accepting it as truth and acting on it.

11. Realize that anyone online who is holding forth on a subject filters their thoughts through all of their life experiences and attitudes. Are they speaking truth or offering an opinion based on their emotions, memories, and attitudes. Analyze what you hear and see and check it for truth.

12. In this world of Artificial Intelligence, seeing is not necessarily believing. Deep Fake makes it possible to present the image of real people doing things they have never done and saying things they have never said.

Beware of trusting what you see. Fact check. Do searches for queries like: "Did the Gen Z Influencer really say, 'I think anyone over 60 should be laid off so we can have their jobs.' Or whatever shocking statement you may have heard.

13. If you work for a living in whatever capacity, be proud of that. You're supporting yourself and probably a family. Take pride in that. If others try to belittle you and/or your occupation, it's because they are lacking something and think that by devaluing you, that elevates them.