Sanows & Schulzes & Windows....OH MY!!

I haven't been here since April. My attention has been focused on the sturm und drang of the world and its myriad technological glitches. More about glitches later.

In June my siblings and I attended the SANOW -- SCHULZ reunion in Iowa. We met relatives from around the country and enjoyed the visit despite 100-plus degree temps and tornadoes around the area at night. Our grandma, the heroine of My Name is Esther Clara, was a Sanow. Some people find no importance in knowing their ancestors. I discover truths about myself by exploring my ancestry. I'd like to explore the SCHULZ side of the family now, especially the family of my great grandmother's brother who lived in Cincinnati OH. If anyone out there is a relative of EMELIE ANNA SCHULZ SANOW, leave me a message here.

Windows of the Microsoft variety has almost driven me bonkers since April. My Windows updates stopped working in April for some unknown reason. Yeah, I troubleshoot within my limited capabilities but every hint at a fix leads to an ever more complicated Microsoft maze of possible non-answers. Yes, I have plenty of disc space. Yes, I've tried to download the updates manually, to no avail. My mother told me I was born a hundred years too late and computer technology has proven her right on many occasions.

I have no patience with computer programs that don't work, with viruses and worms and spyware, and email that takes so long to load I've forgotten what I was planning to say by the time I'm able to read the messages. Computers are wonderful tools......when they work properly. Imagine our outrage if we didn't have access to electricity half the time when we turn on the switch. But computer owners just have to accept the failures and glitches and keep on paying for services that don't work. At least snail mail works, most of the time.

thoughts about TV

I read an article on the internet news today about 800,000 US subscribers who dumped cable or satellite. Some of them watch their favorite TV shows for free online. Others subscribe to Netflix or Hulu. Still others returned to capturing TV signals by antenna like we did in the good old days when I was a kid.

Out here in the boonies where I live, we wouldn't gain much by using an antenna. And I can't see subscribing to a bunch of other programs to get the shows we watch. Having said that, if I were tech savvy enough, I'd replace my current TV situation with something cheaper. I'm frustrated by how my provider raises prices arbitrarily without warning, and how we have to pay for the 100 junk channels we don't watch in order to get the few we do.

A few years ago when we exchanged cable for satellite TV, the cable company offered me a monthly fee that was 40 dollars cheaper than what we had been paying as an enticement not to cancel. I refused. My thinking was that if they could give me a more reasonable fee to stay with cable, they should be offering that fee to everyone all the time. Now I'm in the same boat with satellite, seeing fees rise and having few options to lower our monthly bill. We have the basic service. No DVR, no HD, no premium channels, no sports packages.

I admire the 800,000 people who refuse to pay big prices for channels they don't want and services that are unreliable in any kind of bad weather. If that number increases, maybe I'll get my wish and be allowed to cherry pick what channels I want for half the cost of what I'm paying now for a hundred channels I don't watch.

Thoughts on a snowy day in March

The world is white outside my windows today. Last year at this time, the temps were more like summer here. To compound this wintry surprise, the sidewalks and porch are slick so we had fun ice skating our way out to the garage this morning to feed outdoor cats.

I read an interesting book recently. Angels are Watching Over Us by Niki Behrikis Shanahan is a comforting Bible-based book about the many types of angels we humans encounter in our everyday lives. She also writes books about our pets and what the Bible says about animals in heaven. Anyone who ever wondered about angels, or grieved the loss of a beloved pet, might find comfort in Ms. Shanahan's books.

My last post sparked interest in a way I didn't expect. I expected comments about the banking and Wall Street bailouts but got feedback about school cuts and closings instead. I admit my comments here are "knee jerk" reactions based on personal emotional responses and not always hard facts. I even admit to knowing that everything I see on the news may not be hard, proven facts. (Imagine that!!) I'd like to address both sides of this little tempest in a teapot:

• Yes, I'm firmly convinced that in some cases schools fail because of mismanagement or even fraud. And I know that educating students is a far more complex job than it used to be back in the dark ages when I was a student. In most cases, it isn't teachers who cause schools to fail. That fault lies with management, or state and federal influences that hamstring classroom educators. I've seen first hand stupid practices that drove a school system into the red despite taxpayer opinion.
• On the other hand, the school system where I live is a shining example of how education can thrive in a hostile economic environment. When it became apparent that teachers were spending their own money to purchase school supplies, shoes, socks, gloves, coats, food for students, local church groups and private citizens stepped in to lend ongoing assistance. Locals volunteer their time to ensure that track meets or the arts continue to be part of school curriculum. Such support is common practice in rural school systems.
• I know several excellent long-time teachers who left the profession because they felt that their hands were tied and they could no longer make a difference in the lives of students. Yes, there are more than enough heart breaking stories to go around on both sides of this topic.

One thing is obvious to me: when it comes to government and politics, my opinion is worth less than nothing. So I'll go have a cuppa coffee and watch cardinals eating at the bird feeder.

I recently read an interesting book, The Law of Distraction and Interruption by Joe Carroccio. Life's distractions can keep us from achieving our goals and dreams. Interruptions can slow us down or stop us from accomplishing what we set out do do. Carroccio's book came along at the ideal time because I've been distracted and interrupted for years!!!

Some of my distractions are beneficial, like watching colorful birds eating together at our feeder against a snowy backdrop, or glimpsing a bald eagle perched in a tree behind our house. Most of my distractions, however, are not so soothing or kindly.

Some days, I make the big mistake of watching the news on TV. Watching news begins the distraction, but then I compound the problem by thinking about what I see. Two recent stories started the distraction process. One story involved Wall Street and how -- despite being "bailed out" by taxpayers -- they continue to do their business in the same old greedy, wasteful, destructive ways. Since I thought at the time that bailing out banks was saving the wrong bacon, I tend to go bananas with every new story about continuing fraud and waste. Yes, it drives me to distraction, which leads me to my next story.

Closing down schools to save money for bankrupted city and states and cutting education related services, laying off educators? Are they serious? This is especially distracting since I suspect some of our cities and states are going bankrupt for the same reasons the federal government is in the deep red: fraud, waste, greed, mismanagement, and refusing to acknowledge the voices of the taxpayers who fund all follies. I fear the foxes have been in charge of the hen house for too long.

None of us want necessary services cut. We want our infrastructure maintained, for example, by repairing roads and upgrading utility systems so our electric, gas, and water service works without glitches. But closing schools and cutting education services seems particularly short-sighted to me. I have no kids in school and may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even I can see the awful long term effect of putting education on the back burner.

Hubby says I shouldn't think so much about problems I didn't cause and can't change. But I can't help thinking that maybe in some small way I DID contribute to this problem. During all those years when I worked and focused on earning a living and ignored everything going on in the world around me, I was a part of the problem. Every time I voted in a less-than-stellar incumbent at the polls, I was a part of the problem. Every time I allowed political smoke screens or flowery rhetoric to lull me to complacency without question, I was a part of the problem. Now I'm reaping that bitter harvest of my past neglects.

Yep. Now I'm distracted and interrupted by the news and thoroughly disgusted by what I see.

Thoughts on a Winter Day......

The sun is shining brightly today with nary a cloud in sight. Most people love the sun and suffer with Seasonal Affective Disorder in long spells of cloudy weather, but I'm just the opposite. I love clouds, rain, and snow and thrive when sun is hidden by a thick gray cover. Yeah, guess that makes me weird.

I dread my old nemesis, summer. Such dread is not a new development in my dotage. No, I dreaded summer's arrival in childhood too. A flaming red face and sweat-plastered hair was never my preferred condition. So yes, I played outside with the siblings and neighbor kids but only because Mom hooked the screen doors and refused to let me sneak back in the house. The oscillating fan called my name back then. Now it's the central air.

For awhile in nursing school I tried to fit in with my tan-loving classmates. But that brief chapter ended with a trip to the emergency room sporting humongous blisters that waved as I walked. Any dream of being a blonde, tanned goddess ended as I stripped down to my underpants in front of a grinning E.R. doctor armed with sunburn spray. The sunburn spray didn't help, by the way, and I stayed sick for days with what he called "sun poisoning."

Hubby loves the sun and summer so our vacationing activities were geared to his preference. Wherever we are, he basks from sun up to sun down, energized by solar rays. Meanwhile, I'm gasping like a sick chicken, light headed and hotter than usual because I keep every square inch of my body covered with long sleeves, long pants, and a big hat. Me, I'd prefer vacationing in the winter, snowed in somewhere in the Rockies or maybe Iceland. But hubby shivers in the house in winter with the thermostat set at 74 degrees, so guess he'd never survive Iceland.

This has been a hard winter with big snows and harsh winds blowing out of the north driving wind chills way below zero. I've treasured every frigid moment because I know hot weather will be here soon, along with ticks, mosquitoes, flies, and endless days of blazing sunshine.

Hopes for 2010

Can it really be 2010 already? Seems like only a week ago that we welcomed in 1965.

My hopes and wishes for this new year and decade are simple ones. I'm not asking for World Peace or to win the 100 million dollar lottery. Such things rest with God. And yes, even my few hopes are probably beyond my control but here they are anyway:

• I hope my family, friends, and acquaintances -- everyone I know -- stays healthy and safe;
• I hope the interest on my home loan goes as low as the interest on my savings account. Barring that miracle, I hope the interest on my savings account increases to that of my home loan. See, I'm flexible.
• I hope the satellite and cable TV services allow us to cherry pick what channels we want and adjust their pricing accordingly. No more taking away one great channel we watch and replacing it with 15 or 20 junk channels we've never heard of. What good are 150 channels if we don't watch 125 of them? Let me keep all the good channels and cut my bill in half.
• I hope the political games played and special favors granted behind closed doors in Washington DC become a millstone around the necks of those guilty of same.

For all of you reading this, I wish you a happy, healthy, safe, prosperous new year.

Some thoughts on a winter day.....

My success as a writer has not been grand, but I do have a few die-hard fans scattered around the country. Once in awhile, I hear from a new fan whose curiosity about me spills over into an email. Fans ask me questions that take me outside my familiar routine, which in turn keeps the old brain cells active. Usually I have to ponder the answers for awhile before answering. For example, the new fan asked which of my five books is my favorite, and why. The answer to that one is threefold.

The Alley of Wishes is the book of my heart and a labor of love because I wrote it for my mother, who died long before it was published. My Name is Esther Clara is probably my best and most challenging book because I wrote it in first person, in my grandmother's voice. The Grass Dance was my first book and remains a fan favorite eight years after its release. However, it is not my favorite and I'd rewrite it if I could.

The second question asked by this new fan really sparked my imagination!! "If you could go back in time and visit any past era, when would it be?" Hmmmm......

At first I thought it would be wonderful to visit Israel during the time of Christ, to see him during his ministry on earth. But the politics and powers during Christ's time were as messy and discouraging as they are today so I eliminated that option. Next I thought about my lifelong fascination with ancient Egypt and seeing the building of the Sphinx and pyramids with my own eyes. But then I thought about the horrible conditions that surely must have existed then, with laborers driven like cattle to complete their tasks. I wanted to see something pristine, a time that, in my mind at least, would be less chaotic.

My answer to the fan was that I'd like to see my homeland -- America -- 500 to 1000 years ago before politics, before machines, before pollution. I want to see primeval forests east of the Mississippi River and the untouched grasslands of the plains as they were before the axe and plow changed their faces forever. I want to smell the air as it must have been back then, fresh with pure, rich, untainted oxygen. I want to see rivers and streams as they were before our modern actions muddied them -- so clear I can see the fish and fresh water clam beds in the depths. I want to see beaches along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf, before hotels, condos, and sprawling estates lined them. And most of all, I'd like to see the native people in their original habitat, before European diseases, politics, and "eminent domain" wrecked their beautiful world.

I've been hiding in the background......

....wondering what I could possibly blog about that would make a difference in the grand scheme of things. We all have a lot to think about. Today I'll share a few random thoughts that range from the ridiculous to the sublime.

Politics & Politicians: I grew up listening to my grandparents argue and discuss politics and politicians. Maybe their mostly negative views influenced mine, because I find myself thinking more and more like they did 50 or 60 years ago: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. So see? Nothing changes but the date and our age where politics are concerned.

Afghanistan & Iraq: I read a newspaper op ed that said Russia bankrupted itself fighting in Afghanistan. Well hey, the US had already been bankrupted by Wall Street, big business moving overseas, and fiscal mismanagement at every level, so guess we're good to go. I believe in our military forces and hold citizen soldiers in the highest esteem, but I don't believe in spending money on wars when schools and infrastructure are in such sad shape, and taxpayers are losing their jobs and homes.

Fame vs. Reality: Michael Jackson died and even our politicians acknowledged his passing with a moment of silence while in session. Where were the moments of silence for the soldiers and marines lost in Iraq and Afghanistan? Tiger Woods wrecked his car and refused to talk to the police, was fined $164. A young man I know did a slow-tap-on-pedal at a stop sign and had to do many hours of community service and pay a huge fine. Politicians that don't pay their taxes for years get no kind of punishment whatsoever. If Joe Public doesn't pay HIS taxes, the wrath of the IRS comes down on him with a vengeance. Can you see a pattern here?

Health Care: I've said all I have to say about health care in a previous blog. Pres. Obama has pushed the possibility of a health care plan farther than any other president, but my opinion has not changed. The House and Senate have over-complicated the issue with thousands of pages of rules and regs, none of which will control the real problems. As long as insurance companies and lawyers provide huge support and perks to politicians, we won't have a plan that really helps the American people.

So that was the ridiculous and discouraging. For the sublime, here are some links you might enjoy:
http://www.squidoo.com/hollenbergstation
http://www.squidoo.com/sandhillscranes
http://www.squidoo.com/kentuckymountains

Cap & trade? Health care reform?

I try to avoid watching the news lately. I surf through the channels and stop when something besides endless murmuring about health care reform is droning on and on. You'd think a retired Registered Nurse would be hanging on every word, but the writing is on the wall as far as I'm concerned. And those blurry heiroglyphics don't translate to "health care reform."

Why so skeptical? you ask. Well, first of all, I don't believe there will be any sort of meaningful health care reform. Our politicians are too busy feuding along party lines to reform anything except new perks to benefit themselves and bankers. I know that's harsh, but it's what I think so why not say it. Second, unless the insurance companies are held on a short leash, reform will be difficult. No more denying of claims due to pre-existing conditions. No more telling doctors what tests they can and cannot do. No more huge profits taken from people who paid their dues and got no service in return from their insurance company of choice. Our politicians will not be delivering ultimatums or wrist slaps to insurance companies in my lifetime. Nor will they be controlling the lawyers who file law suits that drive up malpractice insurance and health care costs.

I'd like to know more about cap and trade -- and odd name that disguises what our politicians are ramming through behind our backs while we're being fed "health care reform" 24/7. What I've learned about cap and trade comes mainly in the form of education through our local electric co op and a few small town paper op eds. Anyone with low income or fixed income is already struggling to pay for gasoline and groceries. (Even that famous store that will not be undersold has raised prices so high I can't afford to shop there.) So what's gonna happen when the politicians cap and trade utility bills into the stratosphere? Will we have to choose between buying food and paying our utility bills? I fully expect that to be the case.

My suggestion to the media and politicians is to stop droning on and on about health care reform unless you truly intend to work towards that goal. Stop creating smoke screens of all kinds and tell us what legislation you have planned that will drive our utility bills up. I'd like to know what my options are before winter sets in.

One final word to our politicians: We can't continue to be a world power when you allow businesses and jobs to go overseas or when your tax paying citizens can't find work, afford food, or pay utility bills. A true world power sees to its own country's strength and stability first.

I'm baa-aaa-ccc-kkk

Did anybody miss me? I'm not sure if it's the summer doldrums, internet lag (like jet lag only worse), my age, or political aggravation that has dragged me down.

Summer came too early this year, along with its bugs and ghastly heat. We had a lovely fall like cool down in July that tortured me into believing we might have an early fall. But I was wrong. My brain goes on hiatus in summer. I hope it (my brain) returns when cold weather sets it.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I reluctantly joined Twitter and Facebook. For awhile I bravely struggled on and tried to tweet and do my Facebook thing. Even though I was a minimal participant, it took WAY too much of my time, time that would have been better spent doing other things. Following up on Mafia wars and Farmtown requests is a full time, unpaid job!! Maybe I'm just an old poop, but playing games online seems like a waste of time and energy to me. For now I'm trying to pay attention to my email people and write an occasional book review. Oh yeah, and make a Squidoo lens once in awhile.

The health care issue would be almost humorous if it wasn't so discouraging. I'm getting more like my grandma every day because my tolerance of politics is riding a thin thread. She would have said, "How do politicians who voted themselves every perk in the book, including free health care, have the nerve to whine about providing health care to citizens?" I second that, Grandma. She would have said, "Maybe if the politicians hadn't allowed so many American businesses to move outside the country, our economy would be strong enough to support a health care plan." I second that, Grandma. She would have said, "Maybe if the politicians weren't trying to fund wars around the world, we'd have the money to spend on health care." I second that, Grandma. In my younger years I didn't pay much attention to wasteful politicians. Now I'm old enough to see the political foolishness for what it is -- brazenly wasteful and arrogantly focused on helping themselves first.

The one bright point in an otherwise dismal TV news time is that Pres. Clinton successfully went to N. Korea and brought the two women home. What a joy it must have been for those two women to walk into a room and see Pres. Clinton standing there!!

So now you know why I haven't been around lately. Maybe this fall I'll perk up.

Aston West Rocks!!

One of my favorite fictional heroes is Aston West, created by sci fi writer T.M. Hunter. Now, I'm not a sci fi fan but Hunter converted me, and that took some doing!! I'm creating this shout out because I'm a die hard fan. Read the blurb and excerpt below. Check the links to Aston's website, and the book on Amazon and Fictionwise to learn more about West and his adventures.

BLURB:

Space pirate Aston West stumbles upon a derelict freighter, fresh from a recent battle, and can’t fight the urge to pilfer a valuable cache of highly illegal weapons. While on-board, however, one last stowaway fights back, thinking him part of an earlier boarding crew. Attack craft return to finish the ship off and Aston has no choice but to save her from certain destruction.

Who is she? What are the weapons for? Why was the freighter destroyed?

Aston discovers more questions than answers, and his life is put in jeopardy every time he stops to catch his breath. His life motto of never getting involved is put to the test, and he must decide whether to become a hero for people in need, or continue his path of self-preservation.

Find out more about my hero Aston West here:
http://astonwest.com

Here is Aston's story on Amaon:
http://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Die-Young-T-Hunter/dp/1897445784/

Or find the book on Fictionwise:
http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook74975.htm

READ THIS EXCERPT:

I awoke to a seductive female voice. “Aston...”

Too bad for me, it belonged to Jeanie, my ship’s computer. A cruel joke designed for mostly male pilots spending long periods alone. It was even worse when I ignored the fact she was simply a machine programmed to think.

“What?”

“We’re entering the Toris system.”

Our current destination was my gateway to temporary financial security. I sat up from the hard, low-lying bunk, stood, and walked to the bridge. It was a short distance, nonetheless painful, as metallic floor panels clanked under my feet louder than normal.

As I walked onto my bridge, the hyper-speed engines disengaged and slowly wound down. I held onto my captain’s chair to steady myself until the ship reached a constant velocity. I sat down in my chair, reached into the side pocket, and pulled out the same bottle of Vladirian liquor that put me down.

“How are we doing on time?”

“Far ahead of schedule,” responded Jeanie. The second of my four cargo hatches held a cargo container full of blue organic crystals. When I picked it up, the seller told me to take it to Toris, the outer planet in the system of the same name. I didn’t know why, but I’d double my pay if I made it to Toris fast enough ahead of schedule. They didn’t have to tell me twice.

“Let me know when we reach the station.” I took a small taste of the light yellow liquid in the bottle. The storekeeper peddling the stuff at my last stop had filled me in with the full story behind the drink. A small animal called a Roshtu secreted the liquid as a defensive measure when attacked. The sweet smell and taste caused the attacking predator to lap it up and become intoxicated, while the Roshtu escaped unharmed. I took another drink, this one longer.

“So, Jeanie, what would you like me to buy you once I get paid?”

“I am currently running at peak performance, and have no requirements.”

I smiled and leaned back in my chair. I usually found scuttled and abandoned cargo, then sold it for profit. Scavenging was a less aggressive form of piracy, and usually safer, since you didn’t have to carry out threats of violence. Unfortunately, such cargo tended to be scarce, and had been more so lately. So, when I’d stumbled into an opportunity to carry cargo, I jumped at the chance. An extra bonus for speedy delivery didn’t hurt matters.

I took another sip of the Vladirian liquor and put it away. There needed to be something left to celebrate my fortune.

“ETA?”

Jeanie ignored my question. “I’m picking up a ship on medium range sensors.”

The hair on the back of my neck rose. “Show me.”

My view screen lit up along the front wall of my bridge. A couple kilpars in length, the lines of the ship were smooth, tapering from the nose to a constant, rectangular cross-section around the first quarter of the hull. Near the back of the ship, I could see bell-shaped nozzles behind four embedded engines, darkened against the starfield. I recognized the configuration, but wanted some confirmation.

“Rulusian freighter?”

She gave the designation. “Green Three.”

I took another look at the sensor screen over my left armrest. “I don’t see any other ships out there.”

“There are none in the vicinity.”

A Rulusian freighter in an alien system, all by itself, made no sense. They often stuck together in vast convoys, to give themselves a better defensive position through sheer numbers.

“Status of the freighter?”

“Engines and main power are down, backup systems are in effect. No shields, no weapons charged.” She paused a moment. “No life signs.”

With the condition of the ship and no crew, I wondered what happened. Then a smile crossed my lips. I was a scavenger pirate at heart and wasn’t about to let a prime opportunity escape.

“Any cargo in the bays?”

Jeanie was hesitant. “Yes.”

“Well,” I chuckled, “what is it?”

“I’m picking up signs of cargo without accompanying records in the transport manifest.”

Contraband.

My smile grew. Rulusians were usually law-abiding. I had no idea why one of their ships would be hauling illegal cargo, but with three open bays on my ship and plenty of time to spare, there was only one thing on my mind.

Jeanie was too smart for her own good. “The logic of this situation does not compute.”

“It’s nice you worry about me, but I’ll be fine.” I nearly laughed at the thought of a machine with feelings.

She remained silent.

“Access their computer, and drop their cargo.”

“Unable to comply.”

If she wasn’t programmed to obey, I would have been upset. There had to be something wrong.

“Explain.”

“The on-board systems were placed under a command-level lockout by the Captain of the vessel. Only the Captain can remove it.”

I clasped my hands behind my head and sighed as Green Three grew larger in the view screen. Finding the freighter made me think my luck was turning for the better. Now, the situation was tougher than it first seemed. My thoughts drifted to the state of the ship.

“Looks like they didn’t want anyone else gaining control. Maybe they abandoned her.”

“That theory appears plausible.”

I ran my hands through my dark brown, wavy locks, then massaged the tension out of the back of my neck. “I guess I’ll just have to go over and drop it manually. Move us to the starboard docking port.”

******

I've read the book so know what happens next. Poor Jeanie just can't keep Aston out of trouble. And he won't be sipping Vladirian liquor where he's headed!!

Memorial Day 2009

Yesterday we four siblings decorated our family graves. By our presence and floral offerings, we honored the people who raised, fed, and nurtured us. Among our ancestors are two veterans of World War Two and one of World War One.

As we placed our flowers and reminisced among ourselves, I thought of the America I knew as a child in the World War Two era. I was very young, but understood that everything my family did was to help the war effort and soldiers any way they could.

• we saved our pennies and bought war bonds
• we raised Victory gardens
• we pooled our ration tickets with family and friends
• we ate that awful early version of margarine -- the gloppy white stuff with an orange color bead in it that we had to mix into the white glop -- so our soldiers overseas could have the butter.
• we hung flags on our porches and put stars in our windows.

I'm sure there were many more ways Americans sacrificed back then, but those are the efforts I remember. Grandpa spent a lot of time explaining to me why we had to economize:

• our boys overseas needed nourishing food and special vehicles and equipment to survive;
• Planes, tanks, weapons, warships cost a lot of money to make and that money had to come from citizens like us;
• buying war bonds helped keep the country strong during war time;
• what few little sacrifices we made were nothing compared to what our soldiers had to face in battle far away from home.

Today I'm thinking about how awful it must be to be a military person in a strange country. I'm thinking I don't mind if tax money is spent on protective equipment, whatever that might cost, to keep them as safe as possible.

The men and women in harm's way around the world deserve at least as much support as our country has given failed banks. That's what I'm thinking this Memorial Day 2009.

Reading, writing, and garden -- OH MY

Our Victory Garden is looking healthy and the vegetable plants growing like weeds. From the sound of the news -- why can't I learn to stop listening to the news? -- we'll need every veggie that comes of our efforts. We're substituting meatless meals a couple evenings a week, and may have to do more of that. Not long ago we discovered our local stores were selling meat from Mexico, beef raised by American growers with their operation in Mexico now. That may explain why beef has not tasted as good as it used to. Why would stores in Kansas and Nebraska have to import beef from Mexico or other countries? Must have something to do with NAFTA. Not sure what we will do about it, other than to stop buying meat unless it's been processed at our local locker plant. As for the veggies, those grown in our organic backyard garden we KNOW are not laced with pesticides and god knows what else.

We decided to take a lesson from friends in the UK. They plant tomatoes and green peppers in five gallon buckets, so that's an experiment we tried this year with a couple tomato plants and green pepper plants. We're eagerly anticipating the first peas from our garden. My mother-in-law always planted peas with edible pods so we planted the same.

Reading and writing? I barely have enough concentration to read very often anymore. No, I don't have dementia or some other condition causing my lack of concentration. I can't explain this turn of events in a woman who has loved reading since kindergarten. Writing has suffered the same fate. I have nothing more to say to the world. Two major writing projects are patiently waiting for my muse to return. Somehow, I feel that won't happen. I have six books in my resume. That's enough for me.....unless I change my mind.

Right now I keep my writing muscles flexed a bit by making Squidoo lenses. Some recent topics include:
http://www.squidoo.com/dissociativedisorder-me
http://www.squidoo.com/maydaymemories
http://www.squidoo.com/laurelspoetry
http://www.squidoo.com/laurelsheroes

So if any of my fans out there get lonesome for my writing, you'll have to check out Squidoo. Meanwhile, I'll dream of a garden overflowing with veggies.

Victory Gardens, War Bonds, and Patriotism

I grew up during World War 2 when even the poorest among us raised a Victory Garden and bought war bonds.

I've often wondered while watching the news today

why the government no longer sells war bonds. Is it

ingenuous of me to think that would be one way to

decrease the U.S. budget deficit? Granted, movie

stars and famous folks hawked war bonds in that

era instead of protesting and taking pot shots like

they do now.

I know these are very different times, and that during World War 2 the war bonds were

affordable for just about everyone. We put pennies,

nickels and dimes in a jar and whenever enough

coins were accumulated, we bought a war bond.

This week my husband and I planted a Victory Garden. It isn't necessarily

dedicated to war victory, more like victory over ever increasing grocery prices

for the vegetables we prize. Even the famous store that will not be undersold

has raised prices so high we can barely afford to shop there on a fixed income.

Our garden is a raised bed organic garden, 10' X 10'. Potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, and peas will be planted in it. We learned from past experience that a garden that size will produce a LOT of veggies if the soil is prepared right.

Maybe it's my age, but it seems to me that America has forgotten what patriotism is and is not. I don't believe our country is always right, but we're blessed

here in ways that every country everywhere can see and understand. No matter how spoiled and weak we Americans seem to be, we rise to overcome whatever problem presents itself. That's why people come here legally, illegally, and any other way they can. They want a small piece of our blessings as a country. They want freedoms like the ones we enjoy and the ability to earn a living wage.

Our little Victory Garden behind the garage is a small gesture we make to show how we feel. Like my grandparents before me, I help with the labor of bringing our garden to fruition. We do it because we can, because we're free to use our property as we see fit, within legal parameters. Our garden represents

our support of American soldiers everywhere, and our willingness to sacrifice to better our lives and our country.

Now, if we could just buy war bonds, life will have come full circle for me, back to the years when Americans were hopeful, self-reliant, and proud.

An Exceptional Two Weeks For Me

First, I tied for first place in the New Squid category of the International Friendship Day contest on Squidoo with my Friends of the Heart lens. My prize is a Twitter page background created by a skilled graphic artist. Can't wait to see it!! You can view my page at http://www.squidoo.com/friendsoftheheart.

Second, I've been gone a week visiting the Rowe Sanctuary in central Nebraska, seeing Sand Hill Cranes up close and personal. The Platte River has always fascinated me. I get a sense there

of ancient times and places. Sand Hill Cranes have been on earth for millions of years. One 12 mile area of the Platte is now their migration flyway. They spend the day eating waste corn in harvested fields adjacent to the Platte. At sunrise they fly out to the fields. At sunset they return to the river to roost. The sight of thousands of cranes in flight or roosting on the river is beyond my ability to desribe.

Now I'm home, trying to document my thoughts before they fade. For more pictures and thoughts you can visit http://www.squidoo.com/sandhillcranes

I'm Just an Old Country Girl....

....So I realize politicians don't give a hoot what I think. The nice thing about this country is that I can say what I think whether anyone listens or not.

I find humorous the recent wailing and gnashing of teeth by Republicans re: Obama's stimulus plan. Now, I come from a long LONG line of die hard Republicans. I'm not defending either party here, just saying what I think. Now back to the GOP wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Where was all their wailing when Pres. Bush ramrodded the country into the Iraqui war? Or when he proposed the Wallstreet Bailout and they approved it with no oversight whatsoever? Where was their teeth gnashing when the Bush-sponsored bailout produced no results, other than already rich bankers having our tax money to take trips, grab big bonuses, and remodel offices. Do the House and Senate Republicans think our memories are that short? If so, they need to guess again.

I'm sick of hearing Republican politicians whine about Obama and the Dems when they share the guilt for what happened in this country equally with their Democratic peers. Maybe part of their problem is that they allow Rush Limbaugh to be a Republican spokesperson. They should let the CITIZENS be their spokespersons and no one else. After all, it is the citizens of this country who provide their privileged life style.

Not to let the Dems off the hook, they helped create this economic hell right along with the GOP. They allowed big business to ship jobs outside the country, and supported said big business every step of the way. They helped allow trade deficits to grow and prosper, to the detriment of their homeland. And they expect the common man to pull in his or her belt and sacrifice, while they continue to receive free health care, a pension fund for life, and continue to take non-essential trips on the taxpayer nickel in the midst of economic chaos. (a recent trip to Italy comes to mind.) Dems and Republicans alike are guilty of feathering their nests while expecting citizens to sacrifice everything so they can continue to live large.

Before retirement, we paid, paid, paid our taxes. One April the IRS made a mistake and said we owed them $500. They came down on us like ugly on an ape by May and threatened dire consequences if full payment was not forthcoming immediately. Our tax prep person said we did not owe the money but we needed to pay it or the IRS would red flag us. We paid it, and by July the IRS returned our money, sans interest of course. I want to know how politicians get away with not paying their taxes? Is this yet another case of Rank Has Its Privileges? I suspect so. Common citizens have to pay their taxes or suffer bad consequences but politicians can do anything and come out smelling like a rose.

My point is, I'm willing to sacrifice. Most Americans are willing to sacrifice. So when do our politicians join in the sacrificial process? Cut their salaries, limit the pension fund for life to years served, or pay for their own health insurance??

I'm just asking.

A Strange New Day for Me.....

I started out by BLOGGING here. No one could have ever convinced me I'd BLOG anything anywhere, but here I am.

Then I became a Squidlet over on SQUIDOO. No one could have ever convinced me I'd be making SQUIDOO lenses, but at latest count I've made ten.

Hmmmm. Then someone invited me to join FACEBOOK. I thought no way, no how, but now I'm on Facebook gathering friends and joining groups.

I said in a previous blog post that I don't TWITTER. Never say never cause now I'm a TWEEP on TWITTER.

Slowly and gradually, people I like have been dragging me kicking and screaming into the 21st century. You can hunt me up on FACEBOOK or TWITTER if the mood strikes. And I'd really be thrilled if you'd leave comments in the guestbooks on my lenses on SQUIDOO. I'm not a very accomplished lensmaster but my heart is in each Squidoo lens I make. The topics vary:

• http://www.squidoo.com/economylessons is about my grandparents and their life as documented in My Name is Esther Clara.
• http://www.squidoo.com/beckslovelessons is written from Beck's point of view. Beck is the main character in The Alley of Wishes.
• http://www.squidoo.com/friendsoftheheart is a testament to my long time friends. (This one is mentioned above as part of a contest to commemorate International Friendship Month.)
• http://www.squidoo.com/laurelspersonal-philosophy is just what the title implies.
• http://www.squidoo.com/kentuckymountains features photos and prose about the years I lived in the Kentucky mountains.
• http://www.squidoo.com/litbits tells about my writing experience from first book to last.
• http://www.squidoo.com/homelessinamerica features personal experience with and concerns about the homeless population.

OK enough of blowing my own horn. I'm not sure if blogging, squidooing, facebooking, and twittering has helped enhance my reputation as a person or a writer, but they've been interesting and new experiences.

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP MONTH

I decided to join the International Friendship Month contest sponsored by Gypsy Owl over on Squidoo. I thought this was a wonderful way to memorialize my friends. My friends are a blessing, every single one of them whether new friends or old. The main problem was whittling down the list. I have long time friends and computer friends, writer friends and relatives who are friends. For the purpose of this contest, I decided to focus on long time friends.

Anyone not registered with a username and password on Squidoo won't be able to vote for me in the contest. But you can go to my page and leave a message if you want to. No pressure. :)) You can find my friendship page at the following link:

http://www.squidoo.com/friendsoftheheart.

Gypsy Owl is a kindly and helpful Giant Squid over on Squidoo. Giant Squids have 50 or more lenses (pages). This is a designation I'll never reach. I'm happy being what I call a Squidlet, making lenses about the people, places, and things that bring joy and meaning to my life. The friendship contest lens can be found at the following link:

http://www.squidoo.com/Lens-Contest. You'll find some interesting and heartwarming lens links there.

With all the bad, awful, unbelievable news we see around us, heartwarming and kind lenses in this contest are a welcome change.

Thoughts for a New Year

When I was a kid in kindergarten, I used to think I'd die in the year 2000. Don't ask me why I thought that. Guess it was just a wrinkle in my childlike reasoning because here it is 2009 and I'm still kicking.

Sinking into discouragement at the outset of this new year would be easy. Who would blame us for our dark thoughts? Discouraging news is everywhere. Yes, we have the promise of hope from a new President, but even that has its downside. The new broom has to work with the same old dust and cobwebs. Can he sweep them clean? Forgive my doubts that a strong, young, determined broom can clean the Beltway's focus on "rescuing" already wealthy bankers and cohorts from the mess they've made for someone else to scrub. I'm not alone in thinking that even millionaires and billionaires who mismanaged the funds of investors should not be on house arrest, living in luxury or waiting for a tiny slap on the wrist for their misdeeds. To clean up and paraphrase Al Pacino's famous line: They belong in freaking JAIL.

I'm no economist, but my thought is if our politicians want to grant billions and trillions of dollars to anyone in hopes of jump starting our economy, that largesse should go to the citizens and taxpayers. Give every citizen of legal age $100,000, or even $10,000 and we'll spend it on things we've needed or wanted but are afraid to buy right now. Give us enough and we'll pay off our credit cards or our homes and start fresh. We'll shop til we drop. Yeah, I know I'm stupid for even having such a thought. Such a "bail out" might lift some people out of poverty and our politicians certainly would not want THAT. However, the Congress, Senate, and American people have seen no results from the first gift to our big banks so perhaps it's time to change focus.

Like most Americans, I don't expect my government to give me anything. I set my budget and live within it. If a few extra bucks accumulate, I might splurge and buy that new toaster I've been needing. If not, I'll do without. Too bad our elected politicians don't spend taxpayer money with the same thought in mind. They expect us to sacrifice, but are not willing to give up anything from their own benefits. They'll keep their health care and pension fund for life while citizens are losing theirs. Something is wrong with that picture. No politician should have entitlements for life, especially if they do nothing to earn such benefits.

Still, I am in charge of my own destiny. I am the one who determines how my life proceeds, so I'll continue what works for me and mine. Meanwhile, I'll entertain a small modicum of hope that our new broom will actually make inroads into the glutted mess our government has become.

Merry Christmas!!!

Back in those olden days when I was a child, Christmas had a very different meaning than it does now. Christmastime was magic then, with twinkling lights reflecting in the eyes of children, and stories of the Christ Child keeping our focus off the presents under our tree. Mom and Grandma made sure we understood the Baby Jesus was the reason for all the gaiety, presents, and colored lights.

Now, in my golden years, reminiscence is the Christmas I celebrate in mind and spirit. No Grinches or Scrooges or Humbugs can discourage me. I remember the glory days of Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's, days when all their children and grandchildren gathered in their small house. The scents and sounds of Christmas come back to me like a gift of memory: turkey cooking in Grandma's well used Westinghouse roaster; her secret recipe stuffing baking in the oven; frosted molasses squares resting fragrant amidst a cookie tray so loaded down with hand decorated treasures that the mind boggles now just thinking about it; a cacaphony of chatter and laughter while relatives talked at once in every corner of the house.

No Christmas is complete without recalling Mother's decorated packages. Even the most humble pair of socks came in a package so beautifully decorated that children hated to disturb the wrapping. Mom labored over wrapping every present for hours.
She created breathtaking winter scenes -- drawn first by hand, then finished with colored glitters. Santa Claus with his sleigh and reindeer flying through a night sky, a family of deer drinking from a stream meandering through snow drifts, a nativity scene so glorious it should have hung in the Louvre.

Mom's Christmas cookies were the same. No simple cookies ever graced her trays. Santas with white frosting beards and red candy sprinkle suits, Rudolphs with red sprinkle noses and colored lights hung around his neck, Christmas trees loaded down with lights and gifts, and Angels, stars, candy canes so beautiful that recipients were hesitant to bite into the creations.

No matter what my situation now, I never feel isolated, lonely, or blue at Christmas time. My mind takes me to those gentle places in the past where Mom and Grandma and Grandpa and family celebrated the Christ Child's birth by sharing their gifts of good food and decorated cookies. Merry Christmas and God bless us, every one.