Greg Budell

THE 35 CENT MIRACLE

"A true story from the Greg files"

I don’t live in luxury’s lap, but I have experienced it. lawnmower. I mean the clippers.

I’ve owned many fine cars. I have had hot stone massages at The Breakers in Palm Beach. I’ve flown first class dozens of times including a flight to Paris during which I was allowed a brief moment in the co-pilot’s seat on a Boeing 747. That was frickin’ amazing! I looked out the right-side cockpit window and all you can see is endless wing. It is then, and only then, that Greg protects the family dog and sister Jody from "The Clippers" you can appreciate the skill required to bring tons of jet, plus the experience in an otherwise happy souls on board, to a smooth landing childhood. on a relatively small strip of concrete. If Saturday night began as he watched The co-pilot’s seat itself is not Lawrence Welk on TV, my brother and particularly luxurious. The view from it I were safe for that week. If he pulled is, and rather humbling at that. The Chair out in our basement rec area, we were doomed.Yet (in honor of Father’s Day) I’m First, The Clippers. My Dad owned the writing about my first rendezvous with only gasoline powered hair clippers in regal treatment- my first experience in Chicago. They smelled like a confused a real, professional barber shop. fossil fuel, a cross between gasoline and motor oil. I swear they had a My Dad was no cheapskate. A product pull starter, too. The only appliance of the Great Depression, he knew in our home that was louder was our poverty growing up. Real poverty. lawnmower. After serving in the Navy through 4 years of hellish Pacific campaigns, he For maximum cutting leverage The joined Chicago’s building department Chair was topped by The Box. The after the war. He stayed at the job wooden, splintery box. For easy post until retiring in 1982. He made a very haircut cleanup, we climbed on top nice living. My three siblings and I of the box wearing only our tighty-wanted for nothing. However, if he whities. could save a buck by becoming Yoric the Home Barber, why not? At the stroke of 6, just as Lawrence Welk and his bubble machine were His haircuts were a dreadful making happy on TV, Dad started the

I missed a step! Before the clippers roared to life, he wrapped The Sheet around our necks. It was an old bed sheet, blue in color, with a thread count of 12. When Dad shook out The Sheet, it would hang stiffly in mid-air before giving in to gravity. I forgot The Light! The Chair was placed under an open bulb, probably salvaged from a Japanese POW camp- a bulb that could MAKE YOU TALK! Dad supplied the rest of the fun with The Grip. As a do-it-yourselfer, he must have feared shearing off one of our ears if we moved the slightest while his clippers roared about our heads. I’m sure one of these tormentuous haircuts lasted no more than 15-20 minutes. When Pops would announce “almost done” that meant “almost halfway”. On a hot Saturday night in Summer, (no AC in our house at the time) 20 minutes on The Box, under The Sheet, with the roar of The Clippers while enduring The Grip, well it just seemed like forever. The finishing touch was provided by The Brush. Since a shower after the haircut was mandatory, I never understood why Pops would insist on brushing the fallen hairs off our shoulders, but he did. Our family rake had softer bristles. Vit-vit-vit-vit! So, with raw shoulders, I’d gain my

release and relish knowing my brother was next. NEXT! It was my favorite word on Saturday nights. arrived. From that day forward, all my haircuts were professional. I had tasted luxury!

Tell Your Friends

I was about 12 or 13, already anxious about a forthcoming Saturday night when Dad came up to me and handed me a couple singles. “You need a haircut, son”. Go up to Len’s Barber Shop and get one”.

Excited at first, as I walked to Len’s anxieties flared up. At least with Dad I knew what to expect. What if Len used louder clippers, stiffer sheets, a chair with nails and actually used his family rake to brush my shoulders?

My fears evaporated the moment I entered Len’s Barber Shop on Pulaski Road in Chicago. It. Was. AIR CONDITIONED! There were comic books to read. The chair was leather, and Len pumped it up to the height he needed! Best of all, his clippers purred. The sheet around my neck was soft and draped gently down my body. It was over all too quicky.

Len said the haircut was 35 cents. Dad said, “tip him”, so I gave him a nickel and dime. I floated home. Gregory Benjamin Budell had Years later, visiting my folks, I recounted those haircut memories with Mom and Dad. My Father laughed so hard I thought he’d choke, but he did laugh. I dug into my pocket and handed him $1.50. “I never told you, Dad, but that haircut was only 35 cents and I tipped him 15 cents. I forgot to give you the rest”.

Pops smiled and said, “keep it, son, The Story was worth it”.

I miss him so much. Happy Father’s Day!

(If you have a comment on this column, email me at gregbudell@aol.com. It's still fun to hear from new people!)

Greg Budell lives in Montgomery with his wife, Roz, Stepson, Sho, and dogs Hershey and Briscoe. He’s been in radio since 1970, and has marked 16 years in the River Region. He hosts the Newstalk 93.1FM Morning Show with Rich Thomas, Jay Scott & Jessie Lynn, 6-9 AM Monday-Friday. He returns weekday afternoons from 3-6 PM for Happy Hour with sidekick Rosie Brock. Greg can be reached at gregbudell@aol.com.

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Food & Skin Oils

There are many different and healthy options of oils to use that can double up as both cooking oils and oils to use on your skin.

The following is a list of oils you can cook with and their relevant heat applications – this in itself tells you how stable (or not) the oil is. The higher the heat can be applied the more stable the oil. This knowledge is important when considering applying them on your skin, as unstable oils have a greater tendency to go rancid – and you don’t want rancid oil on your skin.

HIGH HEAT: OILS FOR FRYING, STIR-FRYING, AND BROILING

Avocado oil (refined) 480-520°F Safflower oil 450-500°F Canola oil 460-475°F Soybean oil 450°F Sunflower oil (refined) 450°F Peanut oil (refined) 450°F Coconut oil (refined) 400-450°F

The temperature given by each oil in the list is an indicator of the point at which the oil will start smoking. In general, the more refined an oil is, the higher its smoke point will be. A higher smoke point gives an oil a wide range of uses because you can use it at higher temperatures to fry, grill, deep-fry, and more. The refined oils most recommended for high-heat cooking, grilling, and deep-frying are “high oleic,” which means they are high in monounsaturated fats. Some oils, like olive oil, are naturally high in monounsaturated fat but are also high in polyunsaturated fats which makes them less stable for both super-high-heat cooking and longterm storage. Interestingly, food scientists have been working with sunflower seeds to develop an unrefined oil that is high in monounsaturated fats but low in polyunsaturated fats in hopes of creating a more shelf-stable unrefined oil that will be appropriate for a variety of uses.

MEDIUM HEAT: OILS FOR BAKING AND SAUTEEING

Hazelnut oil 425°F Grapeseed oil 390-420°F Sesame oil (refined) 410°F Macadamia oil 400°F Extra virgin olive oil (unrefined) 325-400°F Avocado oil (unrefined) 350-400°F Vegetable oil 400°F Canola oil 400°F

LOW HEAT: OILS FOR GENTLE SAUTEEING

Unrefined coconut oil 350-380°F Sesame oil (unrefined) 350 Sunflower oil (unrefined) 320°F Peanut oil (unrefined) 320°F Walnut oil (unrefined) 320°F Hemp Seed oil 300-330°F

NO HEAT: FINISHING AND SALAD OILS

Almond oil (unrefined) 225°F Flax seed oil (unrefined) 225°F

Of this whole list, there are only 3 that I would not be recommended to use on your skin. Can you guess which three? If you guessed Canola oil, vegetable oil and soybean oil give yourself a pat on the back.

Every single one of the other oils has benefits for your skin as well as for your nutrition.

Let’s look at a few of my favorites. -Almond oil is full of vitamin E, and it’s a great source of magnesium, phosphorus, and copper. It is antioxidant-rich oil and is known for its free radical fighting abilities. It’s also anti-inflammatory and boosts immunity. Used internally – in cooking - almond oil might help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels and improve your memory, due to the high level of omega-3 fatty acids. It also may help lower your risk for diseases like cancer and heart disease. -Hemp Seed oil is perfect for most skin types as it can moisturize without clogging your pores. It can even help to balance out oily skin, hydrating it and regulating the skin’s oil production. One of the omega-6 fatty acids that hemp oil contains is gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory while simultaneously encouraging skin growth and new cell generation. It can help to calm inflammation and irritation on the skin, including acne and some conditions like psoriasis, while keeping the skin nourished and moisturized. It should also be noticed that it does not contain THC the psychoactive component in cannabis. -Avocado oil is extremely skin nourishing and calms inflammation; it is great for mature skin as it can help restore skins elasticity. The antioxidants in avocado oil may help to ease the symptoms of a sunburn. According to a 2011 Review Trusted Source, the vitamin E, beta carotene, vitamin D, protein, lecithin, and essential fatty acids in the oil can support healing and soothe the skin.

So, to conclude, there are some awesome oils out there that you can do double duty with, both in the kitchen and on your skin, so why buy more than you need? Pick your favorites and use just those. That way you don’t run into the danger of them going rancid as you will use them up faster. Sounds like a plan to me!

email: nyrbhalla@gmail.com I web: us.nyrorganic.com/shop/tracybhalla I www. LogHouseAromatics.com

Tracy Bhalla, independent consultant with NYR Organics and founder of LogHouseAromatics.com; after 25 years of using homeopathic remedies, it was time to take charge and complete my Aromatherapy Certification, which I achieved April 2020 and since founded LogHouseAromatics.com as a source for useful essential oil and general natural health information and a place to purchase certain products. email: nyrbhalla@gmail.com I am here to answer any questions you may have. 60 BOOM! June 2022