Desert Messenger

22 www.DesertMessenger.com November 16, 2016 Traveling with Gypsy Jane I walked into Silly Al's Pizza, found a seat at the counter, and from my perch on a bar stool looked around the restaurant to see who I knew. As I scanned the crowd, my eyes fi xed on one particular person. "Is that Willie Nelson?" I asked a friend -- in disbelief that Willie Nelson would actually be at Silly Al's Restaurant in Quartzsite, Arizona. "Almost," he replied. My friend said the guy was a Willie Nelson look alike who performed in Quartzsite during "the season" which lasts anywhere from November to March. January is the biggest draw offering the "mother " of all swap meets and the gem and mineral show where people come from all over the world. In January, Quartzsite is a happening time! Now, after several years in and out of Quartzsite, Arizona, I am quite fa- miliar with Almost Willie, having at- tended his performances a few times. I'd been curious about him ever since I saw him that fi rst time, and as luck would have it, one night I found a couple of free $5.00 tickets to his show on the fl oor at Silly Al's. Almost Willie puts on a traveling show wher- ever he happens to be, telling jokes, relating anecdotes about his life, and singing. And, he's good -- not quite as good as the real Willie Nelson but ALMOST -- hence his name. During his show, "Almost Willie" tells about his start in show busi- ness. One Halloween, he entered and won a look-alike contest -- ban- danna, long braids, and all. He was an undertaker for 14 years he says with a slight smile, coroner for four, and a car salesman for a while. Soon after the contest he bought a guitar, learned to play it, scratched it up like the real Willie's, practiced sing- ing Willie's songs (with the requi- site nasal twang), and Almost Willie was born. On his website (www.al- mostwillie.com), Almost Willie says his dream was not to become too famous, and so far his dream has come true. He tells the story that one time he met the real Willie. They hit it off so well that Willie invited him to ac- company him on his bus to Austin. At one stop, Willie asked Almost Willie if he would mind going out and signing a few autographs for the gathering crowd. Almost Willie complied, and no one was the wis- er. That's how much they resemble each other. Almost Willie travels in a big bus, which has seen a few years and is covered with signs and paintings. He is very laid back and pleas- ant, mingling with the crowd dur- ing his breaks and welcoming re- quests. That's also when he sells autographed photographs and the T-shirts he got at a big motor cycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota in lieu of pay (when the guy ran out of money). Last time I saw Almost Willie was in February 2007. He was headed for performances in Texas, but he'll be back, and I'll be listening to the closest I'll ever get to Willie Nelson. ~*~*~*~*~*~ "A fellow billing himself as Almost Willie showed up in an almost new tour bus, playing an almost Martin guitar and singing songs almost like Willie Nelson. We could say we almost enjoyed the perfor- mance, but the fact is we enjoyed it very much! Especially his fresh jokes. One dollar from each ticket was donated to the Tsunami Flood Relief Fund." ~quote from the Voyager RV Resort in Tucson, AZ. ~*~*~*~*~*~ Jane's book is WANDERINGS: Living the Ordinary Extraordinarily (Sto- ries from the Road). For an update on Jane's travels and writing, visit her website (janefi nley.com) and/or read "Traveling with Gypsy Jane" and "Poems from the Road" in The Desert Messenger (desertmessenger. com) beginning March 5, 2014 (con- tact: janefi nley@yahoo.com). by Jane Finley writer * artist * teacher (stretching, exercise, relaxation, meditation) Almost Willie Tumeric Amazing Health Benefi ts!!!! Turmeric is one of those spices that have an incredible array of health benefi ts that go well beyond just their nutritional value and has been labeled a super-food. Tur- meric is a spice that is native to Southeast Asia and has been shown to have remarkable healing and anti-infl ammatory properties that are just now being discovered. The Oxford English Dictionary says a super food in the general sense is a type of food considered especially nutritious or otherwise benefi cial to health and well-being. Others have stated that it's no more than a mar- keting ploy. With that being said…. 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In a recent study con- ducted at Michigan University, it was found that curcumin can help boost cell health by improving the behavior of their membranes which can contribute to the cell's resis- tance to infection & malignancy. "The cell membrane goes from be- ing crazy and fl oppy to being more disciplined and ordered, so that information fl ow through the cell be controlled," that study leader Professor Ramamoorthy wrote in the Journal of the American Chem- ical Society. So basically…turmeric works & heals at the cellular level. How awesome is that!!??? Breaking down all the technical terminology the curcumin in tur- meric has been shown to pull the body out of an infl ammatory state and it does all this AT the cellular level which is phenomenal. So tur- meric can inhibit oxidative stress which can help with anti-aging, has been shown to reverse diabetes & and improve blood vessel elasticity. This stabilizes blood pressure and improves cardiovascular function. Additionally, by helping to prevent infl ammation, it can become a powerful cancer cell inhibitor. Turmeric improves blood fl ow and reduces brain infl ammation, thus making you cognitively sharper while protecting against Dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative disorder and studies have shown that it could stop the progression as well. Studies have been shown to help with the treatment of boils, staph infections, and the hard-to-treat MRSA virus. Turmeric is said to help boost appetite, lower blood pressure & improve bile secretion as well. All this in that one little spice... amazing huh??! For more information contact Herbmama (580-490-1770). 'Like' us on FB at Herbs 4 Health. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to cure or treat any type of illness or disease.

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