Learning From Grandchildren

Mason Matzek is my grandson, age 14, handsome and intelligent. When he and his brother were little, they could do things on my computer that I couldn't do. Now that I have a blog, it shouldn't have surprised me that Mason adeptly located my "boy friend's" blog. We see those emails that make the rounds reminding us of how our current generation has never lived in a world without computers, cell phones, DVD's and a technical array of things that didn't exist when our generation was well into middle age. In fact, I am currently at Brownie's Cafe in Yuma, where they provide internet service to communicate. Another unheard of service just a few short years ago. I once stayed with the boys in Washington and couldn't watch the television set without getting them up from their beds to show me how to turn it on and use the remote. Am I dating myself? I am! And you, and you, and you, too!
Ah, but it is so much fun to have grandsons. Thank you Mason for the opportunity to say hello on my blog. And, P.S. Send me a picture by email so I can post it. Lvgram

MORE RUMMAGING THROUGH THE PAST YEAR

My house burned down to the ground while I was at school in 1947. The bus driver drove up to the still smoking coals of what had been a two room log cabin in Hardwood, Michigan, looked at it from his driver's seat, than drove back to the bus stop at a cross road, about a half mile in the direction we had just come. He dropped myself and my siblings off on the road, and drove away. Neighbors Bernice Cousineau and Patsy Robinson were also dropped at that stop and I flew down the road to Cousineau's, bravely ignoring their bull, which terrified me, waiting for no one. My siblings opted for Robinson's house. It was a traumatic time and we soon removed a couple days later to Massey's place, a tiny two room shack with a chicken coup my dad turned into a bedroom. From there, he sold our land and got a job in the city of Escanaba and I never saw my childhood friends, Bernice and Patsy again. However, after several years of trying to find me, out of the blue several months ago, I received a call from Patsy Robinson Whitfield. She and Bernice were determined to track me down and finally succeeded. What joy and happiness that call gave me. We will meet again in September of 2009. What they conveyed to me is that the event was traumatic to them as well, for they had a friend and it was as though I had disappeared, as I truly did, and they always wondered what ever happened to me and my family. Interestingly, I had never considered the perspective of my young friends. I imagine there was a bond to this event that kept them considering after 60 plus years. And I, too, thought many times of them. Our friendship can pick up where it left off, those many years and miles ago.

On the ramblin front, Jim and I biked on the canal now that the weather is clement and we spot these peacocks along the road periodically. Beautiful, aren't they?

Rummaging Through The Year

The mind has a way of flashing from subject to subject. That agility is envious when one is applying memory to the task. What challenge for memory than rummaging over the previous year searching for kernels of significance and, woe be me, those kernels were scant or sorrow filled as in niece Kim's untimely death and the loss of dear friends from long ago; the economy affecting people we love negatively. Some years are like that, only the mundane moves you from point A to point B. Then, something wonderful happened, Jim Jaillet rambled into my life. Significance? Unknown!
For the time being, such a major distraction takes on a disproportional importance and I must ask forgiveness if I overburden everyone with my current passion. But, you will have to admit he has great power to make me laugh as he squeezes the last drop of New Year's champagne from the bottle. We share date shakes after visiting a date farm. We had a date with dates?

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

A new year importunes new beginnings and that auspicious promise is most meaningful as Jim and I open the cover to a new life with each other and a new book just begun.

HAPPY
HAPPY
NEW
YEAR

2008 in review and Toasts and rhyme to the future-2009

Ah, friends, it is a marvelous feeling to look back on a year and find good things among the inevitable sorrows. I can say with certainty that good health is a giant totem along with meeting a new love; children who live and learn well that life is what you put into it brings me great joy. Grandchildren are the frosting to match the silver in my hair. Friends are gold without which life would be tarnished. I can truthfully say my cup runneth over.


Tonight we celebrate the turn over to a new year in which we determine to look ahead to some things new and wonderful and say, I'm alive and well and happy. I toast all of you tonight as I hoist a glass-

In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, but never in want. (Traditional.)

Stir the eggnog, lift the toddy, Happy New Year, everybody. ~ Phyllis McGinley

Here's a toast to the future, A toast to the past, And a toast to our friends, far and near. May the future be pleasant; The past a bright dream; May our friends remain faithful and dear. ~ Anonymous

Each age has deemed the new-born year The fittest time for festal cheer. ~ Sir Walter Scott

New Year's Eve

Play a thin tune
on a paper horn
Old is dying
New is born

Scatter confetti
over the floor
Sweep an old year
Out the door

Blow up a wish
in a bright balloon
Whisper dreams
To a midnight moon

Play a loud tune
on a paper horn
Old is dying
New is born

by Myra Cohn Livingson

Hummingbirds, New Years Traditions

The weather is warming, but the previous weeks cold didn't discourage the hummingbirds. We hung a feeder in the grapefruit tree and true to form, they found it even though it is located on the North side of the motorhome, in the shade, without sun. They are pretty and cheering. I do my yoga on a mat on the cement "patio" cushioned by a rug and it feels good to look up at my new little friends.
Doing the internet in the library can be quite irritating because their filter is so judicious. For instance, some days my Van Gogh post will not show because some Van Gogh's are apparently offensive? Hum Bug! It happens more often than you'd think with some of the simplest subjects, none of which I can remember off hand.
I'm taking Amoxicillan for my dental surgery and have opted not to drink. But, I'm making an exception for the New Year. Grandma Moore liked to have fresh cracked crab for the New Year. She and Doug enjoyed it as a favorite. Many people eat black eyed peas for the New Year. Since Jim has no New Year tradition, we are going for the Crab. That, a bit of champagne and good company.How could anyone ask for more?

Roosters,Virginia Adair, Salt Free Drinking Water

We wake to roosters every morning, a condition I adore. I once had a rooster named Fat King Crow. He was a magnificent specimen of all colors having Buff Orphington, Road Island Red and who knows what else? The turquoise feathers juxtaposed with the black and buff present a fine cowl, a proud tail; add to that a thick attractive comb and wattles. Handsome as a prize. His picture is not available from Yuma, but I promise to dig it up when I return home. On another subject, locally, Brownie’s Restaurant, (opened in 1946) is a hot spot. They offer internet which is soooo nice for the traveler. They have a local sausage, (I hope I spell this correctly,) called a Kamanan Sausage. I decided to try it. A winner!!. The waitresses are personable, efficient and have a sense of humor, besides.
An anomaly about Yuma is the many stations to buy salt free water. I’m assuming the ground water here has salt intrusion. Just over the hill is the inland sea and vast sand dunes. I haven’t researched it for accuracy yet.
I’ve a book of poems by Virginia Adair that I love. Consider the following in the wake of the recent Santa Ana Fires that destroyed so much of Southern California-

In September
The Sant’Ana

Makes dogs tremble
Arsonists go mad
Lovers bite in bed

At all hours
sirens howling
Into the foothills

Along the ridges
Rows of hideous suns
At midnight

Trees burst

Insane deer
Run with the horses

She writes with a hard, true edge.

Smoke filled rooms, and recycling, nyet, Rabbit Sculpture, si'

Karaoke was a great idea, doncha know, but smoke filled rooms are a thing of the past in California. Not so in Arizona. Walked in, spent two minutes, and Karaoke or not, couldn't stay. In those quick minutes, my sweatshirt and hair were already stinkin' Can't believe I used to be a pack-a-day woman!!
Recycling is nearly unheard of in Yuma. We found two boxes in the whole town that fund raise for Habitat For Humanity. They only collect plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Something has to change. Me be the one woman crusader and I am planning a few protest phone calls and a letter writing campaign. You can't keep a good activist down.
When I was young Ron Sigrist used to call me "Little Mother Mary Matzek", as a tease. I guess the name still fits, only my cause is not children these days but the environment. I'm a green through and through.
Also a wanna-be artist. I admired this rabbit sculpture that marks the border returning to the United States from Mexico. Enjoy.

Weather Cheated and Tamale Rich

Jim is feeling cheated because his winter home, Yuna, (he's a snowbird) is cold instead of warm. He is tired of wearing sweats and wants to get into sleeveless t-shirts and shorts for the duration, especially since he is skewing his winter to return to (brrrr!) cold Murphys while I have surgery in February. We all have our comfort levels and 65 degrees is definitely not for Jim.
But, its okay, the friendly weatherman is forecasting 70 degrees in a few more days and then the Rambler will be out and about without shivering. I keep telling him I've got weather Karma. Its a fact, wherever I go, I bring the sun shine with me. Well, sort of. I know we've been smiling a lot. I guess that qualifies for sunshine.
Dental work yesterday gave me a new smile and if that isn't a reason to celebrate, I don't know what is.
So tonight, we'll spend happy hour at the America Legion so I can try my smiling voice on Karioke. But, not before eating another wonderful dinner of home made tamales via Lydia. If you are in Yuma, you should call her and she'll make them special for you. The best I ever tasted, really. Call 928 388-1577

Philosophy, psychology and new friends

Jim has a bunch of RV friends that are members of the WINs. WIN stands for Wandering Individuals Network. They share holidays, excursions, all types of gatherings. Many belong to more than one group, such as LOWs, Loners On Wheels, ESCAPEEs, self explanatory. It amazes me how many people love the RV lifestyle. Jim was featured on a television program about single RV'ers on the AARP channel last year. We decided to interview some of the unusual characters we've met in the RV world and see if they won't make a book.
Consider Randy Vining, an intelligent fellow who likes to leave as small a footprint as possible. He calls himself the stealth RVer. He lives in about 100 square feet, uses about two gallons of water for a shower, he uses only solar power, (some rigs have wind generators as well.) He made his own RV which he calls a stealth RV because you could never tell by looking at it that it is a domicile. He can park it on a city street and basically live anywhere he wants without arousing anyone's curiosity. Randy, the Stealth RV-er, is a member of WINs. He has a relationship philosophy that kind of defines people who have this wanderlust. A big part of their make up is to have a great sense of fun and humor.
Randy drew two figures, one resembles a snowman the second one resembles an upside-down snowman. The woman he desires is represented by the upside down snowman. Strong (lg. circle on top,) represents a strong parent relationship, middle circle, represents responsibility, (ie can support herself and balance a check book) small circle on the bottom, has a small sense of the child. He on the other hand has a weak (small circle on top) parent script, his center is equally responsible, can take care of himself and balance a check book, large strong circle on bottom has a large sense of the inner child. Does that make a balanced couple? Hmmmm. Jim says he never pays attention to such stuff. Hmmmmm! Randy and Jim are both fascinating characters. We've set up two interviews and have two more in mind.
Today, the day after Christmas, was another dental day. Feeling a bit bruised but my smile looks great. The French meat pie, by the way, was supreme, and, yes, I give out recipes.