The Millers are in an RV Park in Bullhead City, Arizona. Sometimes when I look around at the dessert I feel like I have been dropped on the planet Arrakis from the movie Dune! There is nothing like going from a world of water to a world almost devoid of water.
The dessert is beautiful in a stark way. The shades of tan change with the sun, shadow and moon-glow.
There are mountains that we look at daily. They are across the Colorado river and in the State of Nevada. I find that I am as mesmerized by them as I am by Cerro San Gil in Guatemala. The clouds and other celestial bodies play across them in an ever changing kaleidoscope of shadow and sunlight.
And there are birds. We have a Roadrunner that comes by every day at 4pm. You can almost set your watch by him. He has been as close as a foot away and doesn't run if you approach slowly. It reminds of Edgar Allen Egret from Mario's Marina. We also have quail. Can't get them to approach the motor home, but with enough food we may yet be successful.
It is a little chilly for my tropically thinned blood. I am even wearing long pants and shirts with sleeves! But I find if I stand in the sun and close my eyes I can hear the water lapping against the boat, if just for a moment.
I have always loved the Christmas song by John Lennon. I woke up thinking about it with the lyrics and tune going through my head. Part of it is about war being over. I wish that was true. It is not.
We have troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Korean Peninsula is a tense situation once again. We have troops all over the world. Many are away from home for the first time. Some are war weary and just want to come home. But soldiers today and always are out there doing their job. Securing us from all enemies foreign and domestic. There was a time when SAC (Strategic Air Command) had a B52 in the air twenty-four hours a day to keep us safe.
So this morning when I opened my email there was this poem. I share it with you so that perhaps you will remember just for a moment all those who serve today and wish that they were home with family and friends.
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE, AND TO
SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY,
ALL IS SECURE."
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan. The following is his request. I think it is reasonable.....
PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.
It is Christmas Week and I am in the States. You would think that it would be just what the doctor ordered.
Parts of it are wonderful. You have more shopping options. You are with family. But there are down sides too... You have more shopping options. That means that you have to be out there among them. There are carols playing, but there is pushing and shoving. Shelves are looking a little bare. What you want is sold out. At least in Central America I had a handy excuse. Now it just my own procrastination.
I love being with my family. My sister, Helen, Cynthia, and I spent the day baking cookies. Orin I will apologize right now. I am not sure that I will be able to get any cookies out to mail to you. They have guards on the doors. Rumor has it there will be more baking tomorrow. I am not sure that my feet can take it.
It has been rainy and chilly. Dare I say it, I miss the hot and humid of Guatemala.
I think that it is time to put the chanting Monks on and listen to some soothing Christmas music.
Some of you know that we bought a Kia Soul in August. It was 2010 model and we loved it.
As we were driving, it appeared that there was a little more play in the steering wheel than when we first got the car. While in San Antonio it really got bad. So we figured when we got back to Tucson we would go to the dealer, Jim Click Kia and have it looked at while they did the routine oil change.
The Service Adviser let us know that the bolt that holds the steering shaft in the column was gone! Kia did not want us to drive the car. No problem. We didn't want to drive it. So they called and ordered the bolt. The next thing you know they are calling us and telling us that Kia is going to....drum roll please...replace our Soul with a new 2011 Model. This is at no cost to us.
Not only did they give us a new 2011 model they paid all the fees to transfer our plates, rental car, etc. This all happened in less then 48 hours.
The Service Manager at Jim Click and Kia Motors America really made us believers that some companies really do care about their customers.
Some of you may think that they were just trying to save a law suit. May-be, but they sure made it all painless for us. I don't know of many companies that would step up like this one did.
My daughter, Sarah, recently gave birth to a little girl. As with all new mothers she has questions that she is a little hesitant to ask. I remember those days. You don't want to look like you don't know how to take care of this new little person that is depending on you for everything.
It has been my experience that babies and old men are very similar in their needs and views on life. This is of course a generalization and may not apply to the baby or the old man in your life.
Crashed and burned
asleep on the sofa
I am the most important person in the room, house, street, city, country, and world. PAY ATTENTION TO ME!
I want to eat. Not in 5 minutes. Now if you please.
Both love breasts.
Naps are most important to the happiness of the entire household. If the baby or old man is napping perhaps, you should be napping also.
I do NOT sleep well in my own bed. Swaddling may help with the baby, but be careful swaddling an old man.
I sleep best in my recliner, sofa, bouncer, or your arms. Sending or putting me in bed will only awaken me. I may ask to be fed.
Samantha and Papa holding hands
Sarah has finally had one night when the new baby actually slept in her crib. One night Sarah was so tired that she allowed the baby to sleep in her bed. I warned her that this could start a bad habit. I know I let an old man sleep in my bed one night and haven't been able to get him out yet!
I have always felt that I lived a blessed life.
I have parents who were strict, yet allowed me to explore who I was and who I hoped to be. They were supportive and understanding. They were the steady hand on the tiller when I was tossed in angry seas.
I have amazing siblings. No matter how far apart we are now we are so close that when we get together it seems like yesterday. They have called me out when I screwed up and hugged me when need. They have loved me without condition.
Husbands, well I have had a few of those. They too deserve thanks. They have loved and hated me. They to have comforted me and chastised me. They have filled my heart with love I never would have known otherwise. I have broken some hearts and I am sorry for that.
Children, I have a few of those also. I have always said that I have yours, mine and someone elses. Each child has been a gift. They too have loved and I am sure been displeased with me. I just want them to know that no matter what I will always love you. I may not like what you are doing, but I will always love you.
Grandchildren, hmmmm. Many of you know that I have claimed that I didn't get the Grandmother gene and wasn't to sure about the Mother gene. Well this new generation is wonderful. They are hope that all will be okay. A new baby is a statement that we do believe in the future.
My country is America and I am so thankful that I was born here. Because I was born here I have had opportunities I would never have had otherwise. I have protected it and I have spoken against it's policies at times. But I am thankful that I AM AN AMERICAN!
So as we set down to full tables and hold hands to give thanks, let us not forget those less fortunate, those away from home, those with nothing on the table, those without hands to hold.
Heroes are interesting people.I am not talking about Sports figures or Hollywood elite.We do sometimes get confused and think that they are heroes.They are not.
Most heroes when asked about their heroic action will tell you that they were just doing their job, that there are others who did more, etc.
Recently while reading a wonderful book, Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne, I came across the name of Capt. Nicholas Nolan.I became interested because of my genealogy research.
I still am not sure if I am related to Capt Nolan, but he has touched me.He touched me so much that upon finding that he is buried close to where I am currently, I went to the cemetery and took photos of his headstone.I spent close to 2 hours with the dead that morning.Capt. Nolan is buried in the US National Cemetery in San Antonio, TX.Not the National Cemetery located on Fort Sam Houston, though they have responsibility for the management of the Cemetery.
Nicholas M. Nolan
March 10, 1835(1835-03-10) – October 24, 1883(1883-10-24) (aged 48)
Major Nicholas M. Nolan, 3rd Cavalry, formerly of the 10th Cavalry
As I walked among the headstones I was reminded of all the soldiers that gave their lives in the formation of this country, to keep this country free, and hopefully to bring freedom to others.
They lay next to each other, General and Private, wives, infants, friend and I am sure sometimes foe.Their headstones give glimpses of lives.Some have only dates of birth and death. Some have epithets worn by the rain, sun, and time.
Capt. Nolan’s reads: During the stirring event of a civil war and the hardship of the frontier Major Nolan’s character for honesty and honorable purpose remained untarnished.He was one of the bravest of the young cav. Officers of the Army of the Potomac and was always at the front.
The phrase, always at the front, has made me think.“To always be at the front”, you open yourself up for arrows, bullets, criticism, and praise.It means that you are willing to cross the line and stand up for what you believe is right and just.It means that you put others before yourself.
We have a new National Hero, Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, Medal of Honor Recipient.He was at the front.He carried his fellow soldier on his back through bullets and being wounded himself.He will tell you that the other soldiers there were just as heroic and that he was doing his job.
First off I am not totally without sympathy for the stranded VACATIONERS on the cruise ship, Splendor. I am sure there were some tense moments when the fire in the engine room broke out. It appears that they got it under control.
Of course now they are being towed. They are without power and food or air conditioning. They are being towed in by the USS Reagan and the Coast Guard has been doing all they can, oh and they have had food airlifted in. Okay, it is SPAM, pop-tarts, croissants, and crabmeat. They have cold showers. The weather is good and it looked like they didn't have rough seas. Going 4kts is no fun. That is damn slow. Dragonheart can usually make 5 under engine and we have been know to make 9kts with a good wind!
However, the people of Haiti would probably love being on a disabled cruise ship. The Soldiers that are risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan would love to be on a disabled cruise ship.
How blessed the people on the cruise ship are: They were able to take a vacation on the largest cruise ship in the Carnival Line. They are going to be reimbursed for this trip and they are going to be given another trip free of charge.
The media is making sound like the worst thing that can happen. I can think of several things that are much worse. I am sure that you can too.
This past week was my first time in Vegas. I always fly into Las Vegas, but never stay. I can tell you that I won’t do it again.
If you aren’t into drinking and gambling there isn’t a lot to do. Once you have walked through one Casino and Hotel you pretty much have walked through them all.
I really can’t think of any use for a purse that cost a thousand dollars or a T-Shirt that costs forty dollars.
Las Vegas was merely the backdrop for a small family reunion. We gathered there because my brother, Paul and his family were coming from Alaska to go to the races. Joe flew in from Denver, Mom, Dad, Cynthia, Michael and I drove in from Tucson and Helen drove from Bullhead City.
I must tell you that as Cynthia so aptly put it, “She had more fun with her family than anything that Vegas provided.
No one played a slot. We did walk Fremont Street and people watched. We went to Caesar’s Palace to walk around. We went through the Bellagio and stayed after dark to watch the water shows.
I am told that the slot machines don’t even take coins any more. It is all pushing buttons and tickets. Most of the machines didn’t even have anyone sitting in front of them.
Vegas is surreal…Drive Thru Wedding Chapels. Doesn’t that just say commitment? Of course if it doesn’t work out you can always drive to Reno.
In the harsh light of day Vegas is dirty and ugly. In the neon glow of the night it can look like a fairyland. Trust me Cinderella it isn’t real.
Frankly, we had more fun sitting in a hotel room playing cards and laughing. I personally laughed so hard that I am sure I cracked a rib. My ribs still hurt.
It was a time to reconnect, to laugh and just be together.
It appears that there has been a Y DNA Project for the Bonham Family. I think my Dad will get his cheek swabbed. It is painless and the price keeps coming down.
Not to be left out my Mom is deciding if she wants to do a test. I can't imagine why...Smith isn't a common name or anything. It has been frustrating looking for Smith Ancestors. We will persevere.
Ancestry.com has been invaluable in our research. We have met some wonderful cousins and found living family. Together we are piecing together the history that made us who and what we are. It is our own private detective story.
Everyone we have met has been more than generous. Generous with information, photos, and documents.
Mom and I have laughed and cried. We have shared the magnifying glass so that we can read the ineligible hand writing from 1700 and upward. We have marveled at the internet and how connected it allows us be to others and to documents. It has meant that we don't always need to travel to find an answer. Rind A Grave has been invaluable in getting photos of headstones.
One thing that I have learned by researching my ancestors is that my ancestors were from the South. I have lived most of my life up North and in my head I am a Yankee. South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, and yes...Texas all have claims on me. That is my father's side. On mom's side it is more the Mid-West and Canada!
Reality is that I am a good old American mutt. I am a product of of my environment.
I am happy to report to my many fine British and Welsh friends that this colonist has some pretty significant ties to the UK. I know you will want proof. All the more reason for DNA.
The branches of our tree keep growing and new information is just around the corner. Who knows what the DNA step will bring us. What I do know is that good or bad it is part of who we are. It is the history that we hand to our descendants.
When Michael left the hospital they were happy to give me supplies to do his twice daily wet to dry dressing changes.
Not sure what that means...it means that I will need one bottle of hydrogen peroxide, one bottle of 0.9% saline solution, one sterile cotton swab, one 2x2 gauze square for cleaning, 2 1/2 inches of kerlex for packing the wound, and one abdominal pad and two 12 inch pieces of paper tape. Granted we don't use an entire bottle of hydrogen peroxide or an entire bottle of saline. But let me tell you that they don't last long.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH!
Unfortunately, I have been on the nursing side and always thought that I was giving the patient's family more than enough supplies. What were we thinking? Crap happens people. The swab falls on the floor..it goes in the trash. You need a prescription for that saline solution. I haven't been able to find the long sterile swabs anywhere. Abdominal pads...a 12 pad box cost $7.00.
So every time we went in for a wound check I robbed the room. The doctors laughed eventually because they knew as soon as I came in the door I was scoping out the room for possible supplies.
I know that every doctor, nurse and aide thought that they were being generous and they were, however, it is never enough. And even though I have done more dressing changes than I care to admit to, it is lonely when you are doing them at home and you don't have that change of shift nurse looking at the same wound and confirming what you think. I will admit that every time we went in I was a ball of nerves wondering if they thought the wound looked as good as I thought it did. For the record they agreed with me.
So to all the families that I sent out the door with a bag of supplies and written instructions...I am sorry if I short changed you. I now know it is never enough.
I am sitting inside the RV with the sun shining and wondering if my other home, Dragonheart is okay. It seems that Mathew is sitting over Guatemala and drenching them. I am sure that the 4+ inches of rain won't leak in any where. LOL! A boat always leaks. Everyone tells me she is okay so....
This actually a moth
Here's looking at you
Looking outside this morning I saw that the hummingbirds were out. Coffee and camera in hand I got ready to get some shots. I hope you enjoy them.
Waiting his turn
This tastes good
Me next
Coming in for a taste
What a great way to spend the morning. It sure beats worrying.
Yesterday was spent with my Mom and Dad. We were working on our Genealogy. I know you thought this was going to be "The Sex Talk". Too late for that one.
In 2006 Mom bought the discs for Family Tree Maker. Ancestry.com is the culprit. We bought her a laptop and started filling out what we knew off the tops of our heads. Dad provided some comedy when we asked him his grandmother's name. "Grandma" was the reply. No we wanted her birth name, which we were pretty sure was not Grandma. After some digging and not much help from Dad we found her given name.
My Great-grandma, Adaline
We quickly found that we had hit a brick wall. We had collectively emptied our brains of any family that we knew. Mom thought that she had some information that someone had given her sometime in the past. Who knew if it was even us. We didn't even know how to check at that time. So the paper went back into a folder in a cabinet and set there.
I will admit that living on a sailboat in Guatemala did not lend itself to helping mom much with her search. Life happened and we all just let things sit. Sure I thought about it and wondered if we would start up again, but then my plate was pretty full so nothing happened.
Well things have changed. Mom got the new 2011 edition on Family Tree Maker with all the additions and bells and whistles. Let the adventure begin.
We commandeered the kitchen table, set up her laptop, and printer. Folders came out and we set down for some serious looking. It was hard to start up after our vacation, but we persevered. We watched tutorials. Some of them several times. We set aside time to watch the Webinar that evening hosted by Ancestry.com. Don't we sound like we know what we are doing?
Well THANK YOU for the updates to the program. We found a mother load! People share their trees now and you can get hints. We need hints badly. We are such neophytes at this. We aren't even sure how to get organized. We print out everything.
That leaf means a hint
We had dad making folders, bringing us paper, buying an external hard drive. At one point we talked about a whiteboard and posting the working tree on the wall.
We laughed, we cried, we hooted and hollered. We began to say names like a mantra...Ethelbert, son of William and Mary. Ethelbert married Mary Jane and their children are.....
That paper that has been in a cabinet for years...turns out we are related. It has opened a lot of doors for us. We have barely scratched the surface. We have, however, started.
I like most vegetables.Except for peas, lima beans, and okra (unless it is fried).My kids like vegetables.I really for the life of me can not remember a time when I used trickery to get a kid to eat a vegetable or a fruit. I love fresh fruit.
It is a texture thing
Fry it and I will eat it
Apparently tricking your children, husband or acquaintances to eat vegetables has become a multi-million dollar business.Watching TV commercials proves that out daily.
I once sat all night with peas in my mouth
V8 – fusion or Splash are fruit flavored vegetable juices, one way to get everyone to drink his or her daily requirement.You can have Fusion or Splash and never touch are real fruit or vegetable.But watch out as you drink a counter will appear over your head keeping track of your vegetable intake.
Mott’s Medley juices will do the same thing.As Marcia Cross (actress from Desperate Housewives) the paid promoter will tell you.“Sometimes you just can’t get your kids to eat their fruits and vegetables like they should.It takes a little magic to get them to eat right.Enter Mott’s Medley Juice, just the magic you need to get those kids to drink their daily requirement.
Mom and Dad may not be listening to all this commercial crap, but I bet the kids are listening.The message that they are hearing is that REAL fruits and vegetables are BAD things.
When I started this blog I thought I was the only one concerned.Thank God I am not!There are plenty of mom’s wondering if all our kids are picky eaters.
I understand for some people it is a “texture thing”…trust me, that is me and peas and lima beans.Oh, and slimy okra in soup or gumbo.
May-be we do a poor job of introducing fruit and vegetables to our babies?May-be we are poor role models for our children.If we aren’t eating fruit and vegetables then how can we expect them to eat healthy food?
Most agree that Madison Ave. has hit on marketing to young children to get Moms and Dads to buy replacements for real food.
I agree with Cynthia on Daily Cyn. (This is not me or is it Cynthia)Peel an orange, cut up a carrot, hand them an apple, share a bunch of grapes, or make a salad with them.Kids involved in cooking tend to eat healthier.
Let’s get excited about real food.Last but not least, can we please turn off theTV?
I need purpose.I don’t play well with others unless I have a sense of purpose in my overall life.If Cindy is unhappy with Cindy…well she ain’t happy with nobody else.
So I am on a quest, a quest for purpose.You would think as a daughter, sister, aunt, mother, grandmother, wife, nurse, and counselor that I would be filled with purpose.Well something is missing.I can’t tell you what “it” is that is missing, but I know it.
I figure as long as I am on a quest I should have a good time on the journey.This journey will take some twists and turns.They may not make sense, but I am sure that they will be important.
Lately, partly because I have really great FREE unlimited WIFI I have been surfing the web.Right now it is recipes.I find myself drooling and salivating and talking to myself about ingredients.
I have fallen in love with Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman website.I truly don’t know how she does it all.Blog, home school, photographs, conventions, keep house.I know how she does it.She is a woman.She multi-tasks.She took a passion a purpose and made it work for her.I am sure she is making money at all this.In fact, I know she is because I bought her cookbook on Amazon.
Fortunately for me we currently are in Tucson where my parents live.Michael is now well enough to visit so we set out yesterday with grocery bags full, recipes in hand and took a step on the quest.
Last night was a dinner of Provolone-Apricot-Stuffed Chicken. The recipe was courtesy of the Rachel Ray magazine.One rule of thumb for me is…if there are pictures of the food, then I am more likely to cook it.
Rachel, Ree and all the contributors for all the food sites have great photos.So I also packed my camera when I went to cook.Now if only I would have taken a meat mallet.Never fear, being a cruiser has taught me that you can make do.And make do I did.My dad lent me my grandfather’s hammer to pound that chicken.Worked great.
Dessert was a recipe from The Tasty Kitchen website.Apple Dumplings.The different ingredient in this recipe was a can of Mountain Dew.Yes, Mountain Dew.OMG they were to die for…
Now for the best part of the entire dinner, drum roll please – The Clean-Up Crew!
While visiting with my parents the other day they shared an article about Banned Book Week, Sept. 25-Oct 2. The article was written by Betsy Towner. Betsy got me to thinking about books.
Books have always been some of my best friends. I received the gift of book lover from my Mom. She always has at least a couple of books going. She instilled in me the love of a good book and the rules for taking care of books.
Always use a bookmark
Never lay a book down open- it will break it's spine
Please don't dog-ear a page
Keep the cover on to protect it
Don't write in it
I am sure there were more rules and I know that I must have broken most of them. But, back to Banned Book Week. It is not what you think. The week is to celebrate our right to read what we want. Who are we to judge another's taste? As I read through Ms. Towner's list I realized that I had read all but three of the banned books. This is her list:
Too Political
1. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe
2. All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque 3. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemmingway
4. The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
5. For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemmingway
6. Animal Farm - George Orwell
7. 1984 - George Orwell
8. Doctor Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
9. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
10. In the Spirit of Crazy Horse - Peter Matthiessen
Too Much Sex
Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
Ulysses - James Joyce
The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemmingway
Lady Chatterley's Lover - D.H. Lawrence
Tropic of Cancer - Henry Miller
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
Peyton Place - Grace Metallous
Rabbit, Run - John Updike
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
Jaws - Peter Benchley
Forever - Judy Blume
The Prince of Tides - Pat Conroy
Beloved - Toni Morrion
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents - Julia Alvarez
Irreligious
On the Origin of the Species - Charles Darwin
The Lord of the Rings trilogy - J.R.R. Tolkin
The Last Temptation of Christ - Nikos Kazantzakis
Bless Me, Ultima - Rudolfo Anaya
Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling
Socially Offensive
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Benjamin Franklin
The Scarlet Letter - Nathanial Hawthorne
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner
Brave New Worlds - Aldous Huxley
Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
James and the Giant Peach - Roald Dahl
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
Cujo - Stephen King
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
Ordinary People - Judith Guest
A Thousand Acres - Jane Smiley
Personally I was shocked by all of the above titles. Some were required reading in High School and some in College. I want you to know that I plan on reading the three that I haven't as soon as possible.
If you love books then please:
Visit your library, download a book, read a book, share a book, read a book to someone who can't read, have a child read a book to you.
And please help the American Library Association celebrate, "Banned Book Week".
Earl, the hurricane is moving in the Atlantic Basin in his "cone of uncertainty".
Earl is a big boy that currently is a Cat 4. All this is on the heels of the 5th Anniversary of hurricane Katrina. What I find fascinating is the news reports that, "People aren't boarding up their houses or moving to higher ground. Of course it has been a long time since a major hurricane has passed over the BVI's."
May-be the problem is me. I may not remember the last time a hurricane passed over the BVI's, but I think based on what I have seen I would have; prepared my home, secured food and supplies, and if possible gotten my butt out of the "cone of uncertainty". Human beings are incredible. We have short-term memory issues and some of us think that we are invincible.
As I was watching the reports commemorating Hurricane Katrina and listening to reporters I was struck again at our ability to think..."it won't happen to me". People standing on the roofs of their homes with signs that read, Help Us, Save Us. Didn't we ask them to evacuate? Didn't they stay?
Remember, hurricanes like wibbles wobble. One wobble and now it is heading right for you. If you are in the "cone of uncertainty" get ready, have a plan, be able to execute your plan. I don't want to see any of my friends on the East Coast standing on their roofs with signs that read: Help Me, Save Me.
Sex and lust are for young people. Love is forever. Love is NOT trains crashing in midair. Love is NOT birds singing.
Love IS when you get up for the umpteenth time and wipe up the bathroom floor after your husband’s catheter has leaked blood and urine more times that you can remember or count.
Love is wiping said husband’s back and giving him a back rub because he has been in bed for too long.
Love is walking together, be it hand-in-hand or with you beside a walker, quad cane, or wheelchair.
Love is when you sit in the OR waiting room and wait for someone, anyone to tell you that, yes it is taking longer than expected, but the doctor will be out soon to talk to you.
Love is accepting the reality that an erection is NOT the most important thing in a marriage. Companionship will last a lot longer. A sunset or sunrise will last a lot longer. Sharing a good book will last longer. Almost anything that you can thing of will last longer than an erection!
Love is lying in bed with your Mother and trying not to cry about your Dad, who may not make it through the night. Love is telling your siblings that it will be okay, even when you aren’t sure, but they need you to be strong.
Family is talking about nothing and everything at the same time. Family is quiet when you want to scream, “I can’t handle this!” And then a hug that lets you know you are not alone and yes, you can handle this and so much more.
Family is, “Call me as soon as you hear something. Once we know something we can make a plan.”
Family is looking at black and white photos with your parents and asking, “Who is that? How are we related? Tell me a story about them.”
Family is knowing that even though you haven’t talked in weeks or months, that they are in your corner.
Family remembers; the first Christmas, the first camping trip, the first time you got up on water skis, the time you were told that Santa lives in your heart, when you came out of the closet, when you cried because you disappointed them, and they forgave you before you asked. Family remembers all the firsts and celebrates them.
Family is learning that you have the coolest brother-in-law. That he would do anything for you. And that could include a day at the Spa.
Family is a free massage from a professional and no charge.
Family is rotating to the blow-up bed at the lake when all you desperately want a good night sleep, but it is your turn… so suck it up.
Friendship is sacred and rare. It is the call that says I need you, but please ask no questions. It is acceptance of your warts and the flashes of brilliance that others may miss.
Friendship is taking an hour out of their day to speak Spanish or just listen to you vent when speaking Spanish is the last thing on your mind.
Friendship is an invitation to a lunch of homemade burgers, salad, cold beer or wine and a view of the river that leaves you wanting more.
Friendship is the people that will take your cat for an indeterminate time and make sure that it is loved and cared for while you are doing other things.
Friendship is the quiet touch and, “We’ll be thinking of you.”
A good book can and will take you away from whatever is tearing at your heart. It is a friend that asks nothing of you and yet gives you more than you wished for…
Love is holding a baby for the first time and counting fingers and toes and thanking God that they are all there.
Love is your husband holding you while you identify the body of your child and together you stand and give witness to the life that could have been.
Hope comes in many forms. The unconditional love of your parents. The knowledge that your siblings will stand next to you and never doubt you. Hope is the baby or grandbaby that you hold in your arms and dream about the future. The quiet knowledge that no matter how bad you mess things up it can still turn out all right.
Love is learning to trust a child again after they have broken your trust. It takes small steps. It is a dance, it breaks your heart, and yet it can restore your faith in humankind.
Life is not what you think it will be, but it is more than you could ever imagine. It is full of things that take your breath away and things that make you take an extra breath.
And this I know…I am what I am because of all of you. To all of you who have believed in me, all of you that have questioned me and made me look deeper into myself. To all of you that have held me up when I thought I couldn’t take another step, to all of you that gave me hope when I felt my most hopeless. To all of you who loved me, even when I was my most unlovable. To all of you that told me I could do, whatever, it was that I was sure I couldn’t. Thank you.
I was watching FOX News, Hannity in particular, because that is what Michael watches. I consider myself an independent. I try, sometimes without success to look at both sides.
Well, get ready because I am on my Soapbox. Ms. Leeann Tweeden was on as a member of the "All American Panel." First off her outfit pissed me off. There she is in some sort of Army Green Fatigues that sport a number one in red, white, and blue. There is an emblem that states, "Support The Troops" Under her name is..."Television Personality". Right. As a disabled Vet I am appalled at her outfit. If she supports the troops I can give the address for the nearest Recruiting Center. She then can support the troops standing toe-to-toe with them on the front line.
I have never liked anyone wearing a version of the uniform that I wore with pride.
Yes, according to her MySpace page she has done several USO shows in Iraq. I am sure our young men and women appreciate that she took time out to go and give them some relief from the war.
So I googled Ms. Tweeden. Very interesting. Here is her Wikipedia page. (I copied it)
Leeann Velez Tweeden (born June 13, 1973) is an American model. Tweeden was born in Manassas, Virginia. She graduated from Osbourn Park High School in 1991. Tweeden skipped college altogether and instead pursued a career in modeling. Just two years after leaving her Virginia High school, while working as a hostess at a Hooters restaurant (she was in their 1994 calendar) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she won first place in the Venus International Model Search in 1992. This break led to national exposure. Tweeden modeled for promotional work for Hooters and Venus International along with Frederick's of Hollywood and Playboy.
The March 2007 Issue of FHM (which was the final printed US issue) features Leeann as the cover girl.[1]
Tweeden was a correspondent for Fox Sports Net's Best Damn Sports Show Period from 2000 to 2007. In 2008, Tweeden became the third hostess of the NBC late night television series Poker After Dark.[2] She was a guest on the Sean Hannity Show on 1/20/2010, 02/24/2010, 04/30/2010, 06/21/2010, 07/20/2010 and 8/23/2010 on the Great American Panel.[3]
As part of Hooters' 25th anniversary in 2008, Tweeden was named among "The Top Hooters Girls of all time".[4]
In 2009 she became the public face of the website Rethinking Autism which uses a series of videos to educate the public about autism.[5]
I applaud your support of Autism.
But really, this is who we are listening to for political insight. I have trouble with this when the first thing you see on Google are the photos of Ms. Tweeden in various half dressed poses. And in case you are wondering. FHM...For Him Magazine.
Are we all thinking with our small heads???
Her Quote:
“If it weren’t for those men and women, there’s no way I’d be on TV or be able to do FHM,” Leeann says. “I’d probably be covered in a burka—and what a waste that would be.”[6]
Mr. Hannity...if you want me to take you seriously then please do me the courtesy of having people I can listen to that may actually know what they are talking about.
It has been in the triple digit temps since I arrived in Arizona. There must be some humidity because the locals are complaining. I will try never to say, “It’s a dry heat” again. The a/c runs constantly in the afternoon.
By five pm it is usually down to 100 in the shade and that’s where I have my Happy Hour. I must get outside sometime.
As I sit outside the door and gaze at the Santa Catalina Mountains I watch the dove come out of their cacti homes and fly around the campground. During the week it is a constant flow of cars, trucks, SUV’s, crossovers, and motorcycles leaving the Base headed home.
You can go grocery shopping anytime of the day or any day of the week. It wears me out. There are so many choices for everything. The cereal isle can bring me to tears. So I have simplified that isle…Cheerios. Yes, basic old fashioned Cheerios. And based on the study I read on Yahoo (that font of knowledge) Cheerios are actually good for you and will help you lose weight.
The meat counter leaves me speechless. First off I go into shock at the prices. Then I look at the cuts of meat. I miss the launcha from Casa Guatemala that comes to the marina twice a week and has pork, chicken, yogurt, cheese, butter and occasionally crab or lobster. They even do special orders!
The other problem is that I just plain buy too much stuff when I am shopping in the US. The fridge in the RV isn’t that big and if you want a 6 pack of beer, a ½ gallon of milk and a bottle of chilled white wine then you are asking a lot of it. Of course it doesn’t help that everything is SUPER-SIZED!
I find that I can’t get enough green salad and real tomatoes and lunchmeat. Chicken, turkey, smoked, roasted, deli sliced, shaved and pastrami, roast beef…you name it you can have it. You can have it in over abundance. I haven’t even talked about ice cream. Cynthia and I try and walk by without making eye contact with the Blue Bell, Blue Bunny, Ben & Jerry’s or the other brands that are like sirens at sea calling sailors to their deaths. Vanilla, Rocky Road, Mint Chocolate Chip, Moose Tracks, Bunny Tracks, Banana Split, etc. Don’t’ forget the frozen yogurt and sherbet!
Sushi at every grocery store made daily. They are right next to the bakery. Who knew there were so many kinds of bread, long, short, round, loaf, white, whole wheat, whole grain, sliced, unsliced, rustic, peasant, French, and double fiber.
I am still figuring out where to put stuff. The fall back position usually ends up being the driver and passenger seats up front. We can’t use them while we are parked so they might as well store stuff.
I do like the Dish TV. Please don’t tell Michael. I like that I can tape a show and watch it when I want. I especially like fast forwarding through the commercials and the political ads.
Life is simpler on the boat in Guatemala, but I don’t miss the five-hour bus ride to the city. I love getting into my car and driving 15 minutes to get…beer, wine, lunchmeat, cereal, and potatoes. Oh, you get the idea. It is the land of plenty.
A simple blood test could save the life of man that you love. I know. It saved the life of my father, my husband and several friends.
One of my favorite musicians, Dan Fogelberg died at the age of 56 from prostate cancer. That is too young.
So If there is a man you love please encourage him to have the PSA test done and the Digital Rectal Exam.
What are the key statistics about prostate cancer?
Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. The latest American Cancer Society estimates for prostate cancer in the United States are for 2010:
About 217, 730 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed
About 32,050 men will die of prostate cancer
About 1 man in 6 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. More than 2 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive today. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. About 1 man in 36 will die of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer accounts for about 11% of cancer-related deaths in men. The 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. These rates are used to create a standard way of discussing prognosis (outlook). Of course, many of these patients live much longer than 5 years after diagnosis. Five-year survival rates are based on patients diagnosed and first treated more than 5 years ago. Improvements in treatment since then may result in a better outlook for recently diagnosed patients. Five-year relative survival rates compare the observed survival with that expected for people without the cancer. That means that relative survival only talks about deaths from the cancer in question. This is a more accurate way to describe the outlook for patients with a certain cancer. According to the most recent data, for all men with prostate cancer, the relative 5-year survival rate is nearly100% and the relative 10-year survival rate is 91%. The 15-year relative survival rate is 76%. Keep in mind that 5-year survival rates are based on patients diagnosed and first treated more than 5 years ago, and 10-year survival rates are based on patients diagnosed more than 10 years ago. Modern methods of detection and treatment mean that many prostate cancers are now found earlier and can be treated more effectively. If you are diagnosed this year, your outlook is likely to be better than the numbers reported above.
The above is from the American Cancer Society
Here is a link to the Prostate Cancer Foundation on wikipedia
On our latest flight to the United States there were several occasions when we needed, "Social Police".
I am willing to take on the job. You may be wondering in what occasions would you need Social Police. Let me enlighten you.
Carry on Bags: All the signs tell you the dimensions of the approved size. If you look around there are several people that have bags for carry on that exceed the size limits. That's right...time for the SP. "Excuse me sir/madam you are correct the rules do NOT apply to you. Go right ahead and break the rules."
Sitting in the waiting area. Our carry on bags have been inspected and we have been wanded twice. But we are flying out of Guatemala so 30 minutes prior to boarding you have to get out of your seat and let them go back through your bags and wand you one more time. Oh, and you can't have any drinks in the seating area after that last inspection. Now is when you need a SP. Someone always goes under the radar, gets a drink and sneaks it back in. How can this be? Because the employees are so busy chatting that they are not doing their jobs. I got so upset when I watched two women sneak two drinks in that I went up to the employees and asked why they could have a drink and we could not. It is amazing how fluent my Spanish is when I am pissed off.
Now we are getting ready for take off. The announcement is made that we ALL must turn off our electronic devices. That's right...time for the SP. "Excuse me sir/madam you are correct the rules do NOT apply to you. Go right ahead and break the rules." If we crash because you couldn't wait a couple of minutes to start your movie/music/etc that's okay.
If you must use the forward toilet the Flight Attendants make several announcements that you must line up behind row THREE. It is against the LAW to line up in front of row THREE. Someone call the Social Police! It seems that everyone believes that that rule/law does not apply to them. Even when they are reminded.
I must tell you the final event that really put my panties in a twist, it is as follows:
We land and there is applause. (I am not sure when that started...applauding the landing. In all my working years no one stopped and applauded me when I did a good job. But that is a different Blog.) So we are taxiing down the runway and people are standing up and taking down their luggage. The flight attendants start making the announcements. "You must stay seated we are on an active taxi way. All luggage must be returned to the overhead bins." Someone please call the Social Police. Some people sat down. Not one of them returned their luggage to the overheads. The flight attendants had to do that little job.
Enter the drunk. In the seats behind us was a young family with two small children. One of the children was in the mother's lap so the aisle seat was vacant. The drunk sat down and began to be extremely profane at the top of his voice. The mother asked him to move as she had paid for that seat and now her two year old son was now parroting the "F" word. Half of the plane laughed at this. Now the drunk takes up repeating, "Get back to your seat, you made my little boy say the "F" word. Oh, how horrible." At this point I pushed my attendant light since it appears that they did not want to be involved. Finally he was asked to get back to his seat. In the mean time his buddy came and sat next to me. He is hitting on the girls across the aisle from me and now he is talking loudly about how up tight the young mother was...and he starts up with the chant. At this point I ask him to go back to his seat. I even said please. His response, "You sweet, sweet woman" As he was leaving, my response, "And you young man are a jack ass!"
The first young man again became loud and belligerent for a second time. He was escorted to the front of the plane and I can only hope that he was met by the police. And I am not talking about the Social Police.
I could go on and on, but it is time to get off my soapbox. Cynthia and I are working on our uniforms.
P.S. Before the young mother left the plane I told her that she was the one that deserved the applause. She stood up for her child.
Many cruisers talk about blue jobs and pink jobs. I always scoffed at the notion that there were differences in jobs on a boat, much less categorized by sexual orientation. So now is the time that I eat some humble pie.
Since Michael is in the States, I have learned to change the propane tank (something that Michael takes care of routinely), the fuel filter needs changing ( right Michael, again), and now for one of the most masculine jobs known to all mankind... GRILLING.
The usual when grilling is Michael starts the grill and as I have said on many occasions, " offers up a burnt offering to the gods"...I stay below and cook the accompaniments. Michael is in the States and we had a couple of great Porterhouse Steaks that needed to be eaten. Cynthia took my place and prepared the buttermilk biscuits and I with beer in hand took over the grilling of the steaks.
How many times has Michael asked me are you ready? And I reply just a few minutes...turn down the fire. According to Michael the fire is down as much as it can go and I scoff.
Sorry, you are right Michael, you turn it down and yet it continues to cook. So tonight we had biscuits baked to perfection and steaks that were...well a little more well done than I prefer.
I do have to admit that there is a certain amount of perceived power in sitting in front of a grill, tongs in hand and a chilled beer in the other, yelling down below..."so how are those accompaniments coming?"
