Just spent two glorious weeks "down under" with my best friend and her family.  It was a whirlwind of a vacation spent cramming in as much as possible in a short period of time.  The day after I arrived, we took a trip along the Great Ocean Road going as far as the 12 Apostles.  Of course there are only about eight of them now, but they are magnificent sculptures that the water and wind have created over hundreds of thousands of years.  Most impressive!

We also took a drive to Maru where we spent much of the day petting Koalas and Roos, Dingos and Ostrich as well as sundry other animals indigenous to the area.  It was great fun for all, especially me and the kiddies!  From there we went to Phillip's Island were we went to the seal lookout (if they were there they were blending with the dark rocks).  I did see a penguin, or rather a penguin's feet...he was hiding under the board walk and wouldn't come out for viewing.  There were lots of gulls and the wind was swift with a real bite.

The big day was CUP DAY, a day in which all of Melbourne take off to attend the big Cup Races (horse races in case you didn't know).  Tezza and Barney had a big bbq in which all of Oz was invited (or so it seemed).  We spent the day eating and socializing and watching the big race.  Imagine my surprise when these people threw me a surprise birthday party right after the race.  I was awestruck, especially considering 1) it wasn't my birthday and 2) it wasn't my birthday!  Tezza etal said it was for all the birthday parties I didn't have growing up (Tezza knew I'd only had 4 birthday parties my whole life).  So it was a wonderful day for me.

Another day was spent walking around and about Melbourne with two very serious guides (Mark and Jeff).  It was a lovely day though by the time it ended (about 11 hours of walking) my legs were barely holding me up...and poor Leanne's heel spurs were giving her fits.  But we saw so much!  And the food was delicious, everything from the cakes in the morning to the italian pasta at night.  YUM!

Spent some pretty fabulous days with the sisters and Carol.  We went up into the Dandenongs and fed the wild birds (even though there were signs everywhere not to do it).  These birds were so tame they flew right to you and took the bird seed out of your hands.  Saw and heard Kookaburrahs too...in the wild, which was wonderful.  Ate in a fun little pub and had ourselves a terrific time. 

Also spent time with friends of Tezza's, which was great.  We read cards and talked until we were blue in the face.

So many memories....the foreign birdsong that awakened me every morning, the upside down moon and the Southern Cross, the nights spent watching the stars and looking for possum in the trees, taking Beau for a walk, horsing around with Ashlee and Kate, everything so wonderful.  Hopefully one day I'll get back because I believe I made some good friends for life plus adopted another family.  It's too bad Australia is halfway around the world!

 

I spent the last week working in Angelo's office.  The desk is situated so that I can look out of the window at the beautiful fall foliage, see the neighbors walking their dogs, watch the cars drive by, or enjoy the frolicking of the squirrels as they gather nuts for winter.  Another little critter decided to make its appearance as well, a cute little chipmunk...but this guy was devious.

As the squirrel would gather an acorn, he would come to the garden and bury it.  Once he was off to look for another one, the chipmunk would scurry out from under the porch, dig up the nut, and escape.  The squirrel would return with another nut and bury it.  And, once again, the chipmunk would steal it.  This happened three or four more times before the squirrel realized that the nuts he'd buried were no longer there.  And, of course, I was snickering at the strange conundrum that the squirrel was facing.  You could see the confusion on his face....the "what the hell happened to my nuts?" question as he scurried around the garden looking for his stash.

And they say squirrels forget where they buried their nuts....well I have news for those who say that.  It's the chipmunks!  Yeah, these little devils sort of remind me of my children when they were younger.  

It amazes me to no end what driver's do when behind the wheel.  It's bad enough talking on the telephone....and using your hands for emphasis.  Texting instead of watching the road is extremely dangerous, and one of my pet peeves.  But in the last week, I have seen drivers doing the most unusual things.

First I saw a woman plucking her eyebrows.  Now tell me this, would you feel comfortable driving down the street with a very sharp object near your eye?  The other morning I watched as a man ate his breakfast....cereal and milk in a bowl.  Then there was the woman who had the dog strapped into the front seat while the children, not in car seats, were not using a safety belt at all.  Of course the mother was strapped in....probably didn't like the incessant dinging of the seat belt alarm.  Then there was the guy who was so intent on shaving his face, he sat through the green light, even with the horns honking all around him.

But what I saw today took the cake.  She was driving a Lexus, one of the smaller, sporty models.  Her hair was perfectly coiffed and she had manicured fingers (her toes probably matched but I couldn't see them).  She was a very attractive woman who was watching the road and shuffling through, what I can only assume was her bag.  She pulls out a magnified mirror.  I know this because, while we were at a stop she flashed it at me, almost blinding me with the sunlight.  She was scrambling in her bag for something else.  Well, she pulls out these rather large shears like sewing scissors.  The light turns green and she eases forward then proceeds to trim her nose hair.  Of course she's only going 2 miles an hour.  I passed her and she never looked up from her mirror, intent on cleaning the forest from her proboscis.  For all I know she's still on the Princeton/Hightstown Road mowing the nasal lawn.

     I cannot help but wonder about the leadership of this country.  I feel, personally, that this administration is leading us down the wrong path.  Here we are trying to get backing to go into Syria when those major countries (who are far better off economically than us) are threatening retaliation if we should get involved in this civil war.

First of all, why would we send troops there in the first place?  We are in debt so deep, in large part due to the last two wars in which we were engaged, that we can't possible afford to enter a new conflict.  How can a man who closed the White House to tourists, put a wage freeze on White House staff (he should've put a wage freeze on Congress!!!), signed an order banning gifts from lobbyists and banning anyone from working in an agency they had lobbied in previous years (he promptly made the order toothless by immediately granting a waiver to a former defense lobbyist), passed a stimulus package that is creating no jobs across the country, (this bill has given more to the rich than every previous President combined!), did not support and protect our people in Benghazi who ended up being tortured to death!, took a very expensive vacation to Africa (spending millions of dollars) at a time when we are trying to cut back government spending, and more, possibly think that we should involve ourselves in another middle eastern war supporting the terrorists who bombed us on 9/11?  It makes no sense to me!

I know it isn't just Obama's fault.  We have a group of Americans that we voted into office that do not know the meaning of compromise and would rather see American's suffer than allow this President to succeed in anything.  And these same leaders are agreeing to send troops to Syria?  I believe they just want to put another major FAIL under the belt of Obama.

 

I was up early this morning to talk to Tezza, but since she had to have coffee with her sister causing our together time to be cut, I chose to read the news.  Of course the Syria crisis and Putin v. Obama held the front page, as did the suicide of Ariel Castro.  But what really caught my eye was the spike in the number of Americans choosing to give up their citizenship.  CNN is saying that some of the rush could be caused by the new disclosure requirements in our tax laws.  But I cannot help but wonder if that's the whole story.  I believe many things are influencing this decision, besides tax laws.  Maybe our government's inability to balance a budget for the last...how many years?  Maybe it's the huge deficit or the shadow of another war.  Then again, maybe it's because we are slowly losing our world leader status in the global view.

I did notice that most of the people giving up their citizenship "for tax purposes" were not just the wealthy few (like one of the founders of Facebook) but ordinary, run-of-the-mill citizens who have tried to save for retirement in offshore accounts or have retirement funds that will be taxed under the new laws.  Some of these people are ex-patriots who have to file in both America and the country in which they find themselves living.  The cost of filing in both countries is dear, and with these new tax laws, they are losing the "breaks" that having these overseas accounts first rendered.  

But this has got to be a real emotional break for some, or I would imagine it would be.  You still sound American, you have the American culture ingrained in you, especially if you were born and raised here.  How can you not be considered American?  I surely don't know if I could do it, though in this day and age with the government as corrupt as it appears to be, with big business running things, where the rich get richer and the poor increase in volume yearly, where we seem to have lost sight of what is important (the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few), where our government doesn't seem to be working for the people anymore....maybe jumping the American ship isn't such a bad option and the only thing some of us can do to survive. 

               Last year I purchased an I Phone 5 and it has become the bane of my existence.  Angelo pointed out just the other day how addicted I am to my phone.  I believe he's right!  I play spades as well as a plethora of other games, check my Facebook page constantly, send texts, but I hardly ever use it to talk on the phone (I hate talking on the phone).  It is next to me at all times.  It is rather embarrassing how it has become an extension of my arm. 

So I'm conducting an experiment.  I am putting the phone away for 24 hours.  I want to see if I can possible go ONE day without answering a text, playing a game, or checking Facebook (however I will still keep it next to me in case someone actually calls...)

....okay it's been five minutes and I can see people have already begun posting but I refuse to acknowledge their existence...at least for the time being.  (This is much harder than I realized it would be!)  Wish me luck!

 

Spent the day yesterday at Monmouth Race Track.  I haven't seen horse racing in years and really enjoyed the day.  Won $25 the first bet and played on that until we left.  Of course I lost it all, but who cares, it was fun placing two dollar bets and reading the funny names of the horses.

I did notice that most of the people there were my age and above so it makes me wonder how much longer horse racing will be around.  The younger generations look at it, I think, as cruelty to animals, but after watching these horses up close, they seem to love the run.  The day was perfect, in the 80's and sunny.  Maybe the youth was at the beach instead of the racetrack as it is right down the road!

So we began at the restaurant behind those windows on the left.  My first horse, Divine Child, had middle of the road statistics but I liked the name and the horse was beautiful so I placed my bet.  Luckily I had a very nice woman help me with that!  The excitement in the restaurant was palpable as the race began.  My horse was way in back, or seemed way in back until the back stretch when the jockey let him have his lead and man he ran.  That horse ran so fast he left the others in the dust.  The table behind us were betting on the same horse because they started yelling, and I started yelling and pretty soon we were all jumping up and down.  I think I won two other races but none was as exciting as that first time.

My favorite part of the entire day was getting to pet the horses.  I am bringing peppermints and carrots next time I go to a raceway.  Angelo said Saratoga is beautiful so maybe will go there next.  Me, I would love that, but petting the horses and giving them treats is the best part of the experience.  Thank you Angelo for such a wonderful birthday present.!!!

Since Mikey went home life has been somewhat dull.  There was the excitement of a stroke that Angelo had the day before Mikey and I got home.  Yes, that's just the kind of excitement that I can live without, thank you very much.  Then, last week, Angelo's knee stopped working and he fell.... twice......in one day!  Went out and bought him a cane and a knee brace.  Thank goodness he starts physical therapy next week. 

Last weekend we took a side trip to Lititz, PA where I went to boarding school.  The campus is absolutely beautiful.  I understand an interim headmaster is coming in this year.  Hope he does something with the alumnae association that went defunct with the last headmaster....I guess he didn't like graduates coming back and asking questions or trying to have a say in the running of the school... not that THAT actually happened....I'm just guessing.  BTW, if you are looking for some good Dutch fare in the Lancaster County area you are out of luck.  There are NO dutch restaurants that we could find.  Very disappointing....

I head to the beach with the Bub and the kids next week.  On a good note Big Mike has signed all the papers and the divorce should be final soon.  It's up to the lawyer and the judge now.  Sad that the marriage fell apart, but understandable considering everything from their diverse background to their ideas on raising children.  We are all happy that Mike signed it without a fuss or an argument as he has been against the divorce since day one.  On a good note, Bub will not be stressed because of it, so the vacation should be less stressful....but how stress-less can it actually be with a five and a three year old?

Speaking of vacations, Australia on October 29th.  I should arrive there the 30th and get home the 15th....CANNOT WAIT TO GET TO THE LAND DOWN UNDER!!!  I could not have done this without the help of my bestest bestie, Tezza.  Of course she's who I am going to see.  It should be a great visit!

So that's the last three weeks in nutshell.  Not feeling the creative juices flowing lately....not good.  Maybe a little wine is needed.  Trying to lose weight I have given up partaking of such things.  But I might stray from the path today......

A day at the beach!

"Is the water cold, Mikey?"
"N-n-n-n-n-n-o" he says stuttering from the cold.  He was afraid I would make him get out of the water....imagine that!

The weather was beautiful; warm but not hot, a slight breeze and a few clouds.  There weren't many people at the beach so we had a pick of the land.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get the umbrella to stay upright, but who needs an umbrella on such a perfect day. Sunscreen applied and to the ocean we went.  Mikey jumped right in but I was cautious and for good reason; that ocean water was FREEZING!  What's with the ocean in New Jersey!?

Once we swam it was time to warm up a bit so we built sand castles and dug holes.  Mikey buried himself which meant it was time to go back into the ocean to get all that sand out of his bathing suit.  He made a friend with a boy named Brandon and they played a long time in the surf with boats and their imaginations.  Brandon kept yelling....if I don't make it back from this mission, tell my wife I love her.  Of course Mikey had to copy him....

Three hours at the ocean was enough for Mimi so we cleaned up our stuff, rinsed off at the spigot and went and played putt-putt golf.  Another new adventure.  Mikey said he'd never played before, but he was pretty good at it.  There were 20 holes and a little girl and her dad were about four holes in front of us.  They were taking the game VERY seriously while we were just having fun.  Luckily they allowed us to pass them or we'd still be at the dang course. 

After putt-putt we went to the big playground.  Unfortunately, the slides were hot so Mikey didn't go down them.  But he climbed the "rock wall" and went up and down the hills and the ladders and had a good time.  We stayed there about a 1/2 hour then got ice cream which melted all over us.

There's nothing like a day at the beach with a sticky 5 year old.  I cant wait to do it again!!!!

 

So, DOMA has been overturned.  It is considered unconstitutional and the Federal Government (to include the military) is scrambling to recognize those that are already married.  And Facebook is bleeding with pro and anti gay marriage opinions.  Every other posting has something to do with it.  Personally, I'm glad it was overturned.  Now if the rest of the states would recognize it, that would be wonderful.  We are all equal in the eyes of the law and for those who are religious in the eyes of God as well.  This is not Animal Farm where some of us are more equal than others, though it sure feels like it sometimes.  Anyway, I'm happy for my son, I'm happy for his gay friends, I am happy for the gay community, and I'm happy that we can begin looking at homosexuality not as an aberration but rather as normal. 

A little old lady bumped into me at the grocery store today.  She was so precious, so sincere in her apology for not watching where she was going.  That's when I saw her tattoo and before I could catch myself I asked "is that what I think it is?"  She smiled and replied..."what do you think it is?" to which I replied "a concentration camp tattoo" as my eyes filled with tears.  She said, "yes, but someone once asked f it was my phone number." We both chuckled at that.  I asked if I could hug her, and she said, of course....and my tears spilled over.  She was a child when she was put into that concentration camp and she said that she thinks about the experience daily.  It has made her a strong woman.  She also told me that she was not a practicing Jew.  I asked why, and she said that a majority of Jews are full of hatred and bigotry.  They dislike and distrust anyone who isn't Jewish, they hate blacks they do not treat women well, just like their brothers the Arabs.  I was surprised by this.  She said the Orthodox are worse than anyone.  Then she asked, "did you know that women can't pray at the wall?  Isn't that ridiculous?  That wall was built thousands of years ago and to prevent anyone from praying there goes against God", at least that was her opinion.

We talked politics and religion, about raising children and how important it is to respect those around you for not only what you have in common but for those differences as well.  It was a wonderful 35 minutes in the cookie aisle.  I finally asked her her name, "Esther, like the queen" she replied.  "mine is Caroline, like the princess" I said.  We laughed then she said "may I kiss you good bye" so I leaned way down (she was about 5 feet tall) and we kissed each others cheeks.  Not those kisses that land somewhere in space by the ear, but right on the skin.  She smelled of lavender.  We said goodbye and she went her way and I went mine.  I wish I had gotten her phone number for that was such a delightful episode in my rather mundane life.  And it reminded me of something my mother used to say.  "A stranger is just friend you haven't met yet."

 

A Country Founded by Geniuses but Run by Idiots

Attributed to Jeff Foxworthy:

If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for entering and remaining in the country illegally — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If you have to get your parents’ permission to go on a field trip or to take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If you MUST show your identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor, or check out a library book and rent a video, but not to vote for who runs the government — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If the government wants to prevent stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines that hold more than ten rounds, but gives twenty F-16 fighter jets to the crazy new leaders in Egypt — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If, in the nation’s largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not one 24-ounce soda, because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If an 80-year-old woman or a three-year-old girl who is confined to a wheelchair can be strip-searched by the TSA at the airport, but a woman in a burka or a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If a seven-year-old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher is “cute,” but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government regulation and intrusion, while not working is rewarded with Food Stamps, WIC checks, Medicaid benefits, subsidized housing, and free cell phones — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If the government’s plan for getting people back to work is to provide incentives for not working, by granting 99 weeks of unemployment checks, without any requirement to prove that gainful employment was diligently sought, but couldn’t be found — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If you pay your mortgage faithfully, denying yourself the newest big-screen TV, while your neighbor buys iPhones, time shares, a wall-sized do-it-all plasma screen TV and new cars, and the government forgives his debt when he defaults on his mortgage — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

If being stripped of your Constitutional right to defend yourself makes you more “safe” according to the government — you might live in a nation that was founded by geniuses but is run by idiots.

What a country!

Jeff Foxworthy makes me laugh.....usually.  This hit the nail on the head in so many way.  I am just disappointed there weren't more.  There should be one about the rich not paying taxes (but Jeff is a wealthy guy so maybe he likes having all the tax breaks...sure wish I could afford some of them).   There should be something about having a President fly all over the world with his family during these hard economic times.  There should also be something about being able to pick on Christianity but not being able to pick on Islam.  Believe it or not I'm a Democrat, but I do not like being taken advantage of by my government, I do not like being spied on by my government, I do not like the fact that here in America, during terrible economic times which I personally feel, that all people aren't willing to give more but the majority who have nothing are expected to give all.  Maybe then Jeff can get back to writing things that make us laugh!

  I'm not sure what to think about this administration anymore.  There are so many rumors flying around about Obama and his cronies that one must feel that there has to be some truth to them.  It started with the birth certificate, then there is the way he keeps cow-towing to the Arabs, the guns sold to the Mexicans, now it's the IRS and NSA.  All of these are serious allegations but nothing is coming of it. Talk about teflon?  I can't help but wonder what happened to the days of Nixon and Watergate, when an administration did something wrong the leader took responsibility.  Not that I wish anything bad for Obama, but please, something's gotta give soon!

What a difference new cabinets and new appliances make.  The frig is a little bigger than we expected it to be, but it's easy to find things in there and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE having all the room inside. Dinner tonight?  Roast chicken, green beans, stuffing, and sliced tomatoes.  Can't wait to start cooking.....

So the kitchen refit has just begun.  Jim was late today, got lost, typical, then he informed me that he was leaving at 2.  Not a very long day from 10 to 2.  But he did get the old broken cabinets down and replaced, he removed all drawers and hung all the new cabinets.  Unfortunately he said it could take 4 days, that's a lot of days but we'll see.  Especially since the new appliances are coming on Thursday.

Jim turned into Mr. Chatterbox.  I was trying to write and he brings in the new cabinets mentioning something about having 2 cats and how he loves cats.  And dogs....and birds........He prattled on for about 15 minutes when I said, "I'm sorry, my chatting has kept you from your work.  Let me let you get back to work."  I turned to my own computer and started typing again.

An hour later he went back out to the truck and brought in some pieces of wood and he started yammering again.  I let him chatter for about 5 minutes before I excused myself and went to the bathroom.  He was busy working when I came back.

He'll be back in tomorrow at 9:00 and leave at 6:00.  Let's hope and pray this doesn't take more than two more days.

Went outside to water my plants and I found something special in my begonias.  I didn't see the bird anywhere and I know this wasn't there yesterday.  I don't know much about birds and their eggs, but shouldn't these have a grown up sitting on them and keeping them warm?  I almost hope it has been abandoned as I have a cat who loves to torture smaller animals.  He's outside in the back right now.  Luckily the cat is terrified of other animals his size and bigger so he's pretty much staying put away from the begonia's and hiding out back as the warm weather has brought out everyone and they all seem to be walking down our street.  Whatever is going on with the nest, I will keep my eye on it and try to keep the cat away from it.

It's been a busy month so far.  Went down to visit the younger sister in Baltimore, and the daughter and grands in Virginia.  My older sister came up north for business but stayed with me (we had a great time)!  Still desperately trying to lose weight and am stuck at 189 pounds, but I'm still walking and dieting!  But what's really kept me busy and away from my blog is my writing.  I'm back to writing my book and the words are flowing.  How great that feels!  The story line is coming together, the premise is set, the characters have been molded and life is getting in the way of my creativity.  All things are good!

Having a wonderful time visiting my daughter and my grandsons.  Unfortunately, a couple night's ago Tommy was at his dad's house and came home with a HUGE forehead.  Bub took him to the emergency room where they discovered that he was having a topical reaction to something such as newly cut grass.  They were gone for three hours which isn't so bad, considering.  In the meantime Mikey and I occupied our time with stories and books, this one being one of my favorites.  It's a Hawaiian version of the three little pigs and the big bad wolf.  When the first little pig bought straw to make a house, my five year old grandson says to me "who in their right mind would build a house of straw?"

     
This Delacroix can be found at The Walter's Art Museum.  It was purchased by Willam T. Walters on May 9, 1883.  Not a particularly well known Delacroix but my sister's favorite.  I spent part of this past weekend with her and art is her passion.  She has a job that she loves at a Museum she respects, is surrounded by friends, and rubs elbows with some of the East Coast's elite.  I know my mother would be so proud of her, for she has become exactly what she planned to be.  Hat's off to you woman, you rock!