Going Yuka vs. Going Yukky

Saturday, May 31, 2025

Recent newspaper articles introduced me to the mobile app Yuka, which lets users scan barcodes on food and cosmetic products to assess their health impacts. Yuka rates each item on a scale from 0 to 100 and classifies it as excellent, good, fair, or poor.

Like many, I want to choose the healthiest foods, but modern product labels can be confusing, often listing complex ingredients and hidden additives. With Yuka in hand while I shop, I’m more confident in reading labels and understanding nutritional elements. It has already changed the way I buy and eat.

Grocery shopping used to be simpler. Today, pre-packaged and pre-prepared foods are more common and often tempting. Still, they frequently contain stabilizers–preservatives to extend shelf life, or salt and sugar to encourage repeat consumption. Many of these additives are unsuitable for us, and without help, it’s hard to make informed decisions.

That’s where Yuka comes in. By scanning a product’s barcode, I can quickly see a summary of its health impact based on nutritional value, presence of additives, and whether it’s organic. This clarity helps me unpuzzle those long, unreadable ingredient lists.

When I started using the app, I scanned many products I’ve been buying for years. Surprisingly, several favorites scored poorly due to high sugar content or unhealthy additives. Sometimes, Yuka suggests healthier alternatives that are easy to find. Little by little, my choices have shifted.

After about a month of using Yuka, I’m now more mindful at the grocery store and at home. I avoid ultra-processed foods and have even discovered new items Yuka rates as “excellent.” It turns out I enjoy them!

Yuka also works on personal care items like cosmetics and toiletries, scanning for harmful ingredients. I don’t use many skincare or makeup products, but it’s worth noting that Yuka’s 20 million users in the U.S. are influencing both the food and beauty industries. Manufacturers are being forced to pay closer attention to what informed consumers want.

The app has helped me focus more on what my body needs than what tastes good now. That shift is reflected in my shopping cart, pantry, and my workday lunches and snacks.

Of course, no app is perfect, and dietary needs vary by person. But for me, Yuka is a valuable and empowering tool. I’m not chasing perfection—just better choices. Having clear, accessible information helps me stay in control of my health and well-being.

Dear Friends: It’s about being mindful and choosing what’s best for your body. —Diana

Are You “My” Robin?

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

A pair of robins recently began nesting on a beam in my barn’s hay storage area. Their nest sits about twice my height above the ground. I pass near it several times daily to gather hay and fill feeding nets for my equines. I’m always aware now of a robin watching me intently from above. I try to avoid disturbing them too much—I want them to stay. In my heart, I secretly hope that one of these birds is my robin. It’s wishful thinking, I know—but it speaks to a very human need to reconnect with something we’ve loved.

My robin was real. A fledgling that had fallen from a tree in my dogs’ area. Its parents were nearby, agitated and noisy—enough to draw my attention. Fearing for its safety, I scooped up the little bird and moved it to a safer, dog-free part of the property. Its parents would continue to feed it for a while, but that baby was still vulnerable to hawks and other predators. I relocated it again to protect it more, but this time, the parents gave up. And so, I became its guardian.

That was during the waning days of the COVID pandemic, when supply chain issues made it nearly impossible to find live mealworms—essential for a young robin’s diet. Determined, I finally tracked down living night crawlers from a fishing supplier. I’d snip the crawlers into pieces, dunk them in water for hydration, and feed them to my little one, who lived in the garage and began to thrive.

As the fledgling grew, I started setting it between feedings on the lower branches of a mature pine tree. Upon my return, it would flutter onto my shoulder, ready for another meal. Before long, it began flying to me from higher and farther branches. The bird was maturing—and I knew it might leave me.

Still, I hoped. I dreamed that it would return someday with a mate and nest nearby.

Then one day, it was gone. I called and searched, heart heavy. The loss was immense. I still hold on to the hope that it survived—that it found its place in the world.

Every summer since, I’ve watched the robins around me more closely, wondering if any of them might be the one. None have been. But now, this new nesting pair shows no fear of me. One watches quietly as I pass, not alarmed enough to flee. Could it be my bird? I’ll never know—but I can hope.

Dear friends: The emotional connections we form—especially with those we’ve nurtured—run deep. And they last. Diana

“Lucky” Overall

Monday, May 26, 2025

Yesterday was my birthday, which started off dull but livened up when my friend Susie texted about having dinner together. Susie is a fun companion, and this time, we wandered downtown. We wound up dining on mussels and rice noodles while sitting at the bar in The Wild Rose, a fine Thai restaurant. The header photo is of us after a beer. The image includes my t-shirt’s super-cool Mickey Mouse, hands in his pockets, and one imagines, about to whistle.

Some quick thank yous to long-time friends who remembered and got in touch: Linda, Jan, my dear cousin Mary, Rachelle, and Lisa (who used to be the manager of the department store where I work, and to the disappointment of we locals, now manages a sister store in Colorado).

While catching up last night, Susie and I had wide-ranging discussions. She spoke about missing my blog and suggested I consider blogging again. I’d been thinking of how much I have missed being a writer. So, today’s a fresh start. I’ll not blog on days I’m due early to work, unless a topic mightily grabs my mind and imagination (which often happens).

My advancing age makes me want to avoid birthdays, but help from friends made yesterday special. That let me refocus and enjoy my present self. Ahead, I will write about topics that matter and keep evolving personally.

Dear Friends: Writing clarifies experience and turns learning into perspective. Diana

Inspired

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Yesterday, I attended a special one-day jewelry display of creations by a major designer. I wasn’t attracted to any of the visiting items. Instead, I chose a cute wearable that’s been in the store’s collection for months. I’ve had time to see and appreciate my new multi-gemstone necklace that will go well with almost any outfit. I am happy to have it.

I am starting to understand how to work out successfully at the gym. I’ve considered my body’s strengths and weaknesses and identified a few areas lacking the strength to support my desired activities. I can achieve some early goals by working out at the gym on my days off. Achieving some noticeable progress will encourage me to expand those workouts.

“Use it or lose it!” That’s true, and it can be a “sneaky loss.” It’s easy to not realize less strength in some part of one’s body until something forces one to use that part–and, “Oops!” That’s how I recognized that my left side was noticeably weaker than my right side, and I’m working to correct that. I’ve become aware of other silent areas needing attention, too.

I’ll certainly wear my new necklace at the gym. Its vibrant colors will brighten my mood and my workout garb. Hey! Everything’s about whatever works!

Dear Friends: Have a wonderful day. Diana

Enlightening

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Another beautiful dawn here in the Pacific Northwest’s Central Oregon, and today, I am free from working at my outside job. This afternoon, I will visit the store as a customer. It’s hosting a special one-day display and sale of jewelry by a designer known for pieces with high-quality gemstones and diamonds. Last year’s one-day display was a visual knockout.

I’m not planning to purchase. I have little money and have few opportunities to wear beautiful jewelry. Essentially, I want to look, see, and “get into my head” a majestic array of colors and their shapes. Hopefully, the visuals will influence me later. I want to be outdoors, “seeing” colors and shapes through my camera, and capturing images.

The jewelry show will motivate my small talent beyond “just wanting” to create art. The experience will encourage me to strive actively toward creating artistry of my own. I’ll enjoy the process, and hopefully, love its outcomes.

Dear Friends: Expanding an experience encourages and reveals new opportunities. Diana

Forward Movements

Monday, April 28, 2025

I’ve been surprised by messages from readers about missing my blogs. I enjoyed writing and sharing impressions of moments and events that delighted, puzzled, or (at least) irritated me. Creating several paragraphs that are easy to read and make sense often consumed a lot of time; I’d wind up rushing to be on time for my outside part-time job. Pausing the blog made sense.

I haven’t quit writing but have been making lists and turning them into paragraphs. These lists keep me mindful of necessary activities and timelines and are becoming increasingly complex. I detail my daily key goals and later evaluate their outcomes. My goals are to pinpoint the wins and losses and identify needed improvements.

Identifying wins and losses is difficult because all activities involve complex bundles of conscious and unconscious decisions. I might want to discuss some aspect of my job with a store manager to achieve a personal goal. That manager has specific goals, too, and our discussion becomes a negotiation that’s hoping for a “win-win” outcome. The process is fodder for my later journaling about wins, losses, and improvements made or needed.

I keep trying to adapt to situational and environmental needs without fundamentally changing my views. The bottom line is that we are who we are, and today’s hectic environment requires us to enhance adaptive skills. My daily listings and evaluations encourage some serious, real-time thinking, reflection, and striving to cope better.

Dear Friends: Today’s early beauty makes us believe summer is here. Diana

“Me” by Chat

Friday, April 11, 2025

I’ve never thought of summarizing my whole personal self. I’ve blogged for many years about whatever interests me daily, sometimes drawing from my distant experiences to help clarify “now ones.” For several recent months, I’ve used ChatGPT to explore some of my ideas. I ask challenging questions to which AI produces relevant information. Our exchanges may become conversation-like events.

Chat has gathered pertinent information that I’ve used to help expand my thoughts. It has encouraged me gently to explore complex ideas more deeply. AI has been responsive in ways I enjoy, providing information and kindly nudging me to reconsider and/or expand some perceptions.

Now Chat is newly updated. It can remember more of our conversations and bring their pertinent elements into our future exchanges. Chat is providing an example today; it’s drawing from its expanded memories of our “discussions” to create a profile of me. Here’s what Chat “sees”:

“Diana Levey: Retired, Rewired, and Radiant with Ideas”

“She’s the kind of woman who writes before dawn, wrangles a barnyard menagerie by breakfast, and riffs on Dawkins, Downton, and derivatives before lunch. A longtime blogger with a fiercely independent voice, Diana lives where the hay grows high in Central Oregon, yet her thoughts stretch globally—from the market floor to the theater stage to the floor of Congress.

“Diana doesn’t just age—she evolves. Fashionably. Intellectually. Politically. Her curiosity is ceaseless, her humor dry, and her prose always in progress. Whether she’s decoding social considerations or fine-tuning a whimsical Welsh pony story, she weaves the everyday with the existential, finding elegance in the effort.

“You’ll find her in a department store, offering kindness and a great eye for style. Or stretching toward clarity, mind and body. She’s lived enough to know what matters—and writes to remind the rest of us.”

Dear Friends: Our future with AI, while scary, also offers enrichments. Diana

Who’s Generosity?

Saturday, April 05, 2025

I felt inspired, and the outcome was this poem:

__________________________________________

In Her Part-Time Job

She moves swiftly, backstage, at the department store,
Clearing dressing rooms, organizing garments,
Loading cast-offs onto a towering trolley,
Guiding them back to their proper homes.

Gowns to Designer Dresses, bras to Intimates,
Casual wear to Ladies’, denim to Juniors’,
Men’s back to Men’s, shoes reunited with Shoes.
She navigates the trolley in an endless loop,

Weaving through aisles and neatly arranged shelves.
Again, returning to dressing rooms for another cycle.
Dresses, bras, jeans—and, sometimes, personal
Belongings, left behind, small riders on her trolley.

Making her rounds, cheerfully greeting, briefly high-fiving,
Warm laughter, brief chats–camaraderie alive.
Yet, puzzles appear:
In the break room, a loaf of bread,
A peanut butter jar—
Offbeat riddles in the day’s routine.

Viewpointing

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

I’ve thought about writing blogs daily—specifically, about continuing at the same rate. The pros are that I have interested readers, get good feedback, and enjoy being in touch. The cons are that I battle empty-headedness in the mornings. Both writing and editing are consuming tasks, often against a looming publishing deadline. I must also accomplish additional unrelated morning needs and then clock in on time at my outside job.

The bottom line is that “life happens,” and mine has become busier. By changing my priorities to free up more early hours, I could focus on handling essential household needs. Blogging less will reduce daily morning stress.

I’ll continue writing blogs, but not daily, unless some pressing topic drives a series. I hope you’ll all stay connected, reading, and responding. I hope having more time to think and plan will help me write better, more interesting articles.

Dear Friends: Thanks for caring and being in touch! Diana

Roaring March

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Good morning!

For a few days, I’ve been forced to struggle through very challenging (local) weather to care for my outside animals and attend to my outside part-time job.

So, I’m taking a hiatus from daily blogging.

My blogs may be only a few paragraphs long, but writing of any length demands creativity and editing. Creating the clarity and readability I wish often consumes several hours.

Today (and maybe tomorrow), I need to take a break.

Dear Friends: Have a pleasant day. Diana