My paternal grandmother's house in Claremore, Oklahoma was a lovely old house and I have good memories of childhood days there. It was built during the turn of the century; yellow brick, one story, high ceilings, stone stairs, a screened-in front porch with a swing, a large central diningroom with a floor gas heater, a parlour with another gas heater, a breakfast room and large kitchen in the back of the house, three bedrooms, one bath - clawfoot tub. It was given as a gift to my grandmother from her parents. The address was 500 N Muskogee, walking distance to downtown.
My grandfather had died in an oil field accident when my father was seven years old. My grandmother never married again. She went to school and got a teacher's certificate and worked as an elementary schoolteacher for most of the rest of her life.
There were fun times at my grandmother's: lightning bugs were in abundance during those days, running and jumping and playing while my parents and grandmother sat on the porch talking. Later my brother joined me in the fun. We'd go to my grandmother's church occasionally. My grandmother was a great cook ~ her specialty being fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, pie and tea. She would always buy me six Baby Ruth candy bars for 25 cents and meter them out to me over a few weeks when I would stay with her sometimes. She was born in El Reno, Oklahoma during the second Oklahoma land rush. She died in her ninetys.
Now the old house is being torn down as well as all of the others in the neighborhood for a new development. That's a shame.
May 31, 2009
Sunday, Sunday
Call me lucky, fortunate, born under a good star, you name it. I have a wonderful husband. I remember putting out a prayer to the power that is in the universe, that I marry someone very similar to me and who loves to travel. God heard my prayer. My husband was born in Houston, TX; raised in Livingston, TX; LaFourche Parish, LA and Tucson, AZ. His mother was Cajun. He is the oldest of four boys. He is retired from the Department of Defense.
He is my best friend; he is to whom I go for answers when I can't figure out something; I trust him. We make a great team. He has strengths that I don't have and vice verse. I was the oldest born of three (six years for one and twelve years for the other one). I am traditionally like most oldest borns : used to being in charge, managing, protective, working hard, persistent, energetic and an eternal optimist.
Yesterday my husband was curious about the Blacktower cemetery and went out to help in the cleaning up. We both found it interesting that there was this covered-over cemetery of this old community fairly close to Clovis. He and I are history buffs and are both interested in the developing story of Blacktower. There is alot of history in this state. We have Billy the Kid's grave thirty miles away in Fort Sumner.
Last night I noticed on my calendar that there was a sockhop so Greg and I got ready and proceeded to go to the senior center. Not to be. Somehow I made a mistake in entering this ~ not sure where I got the info. We thought about going to the drive-inn movie in Lubbock but it was too late. We then went to the County Center where a western music concert was being held. We decided that we weren't going to do that. We ended up at home with two rental movies.
He is my best friend; he is to whom I go for answers when I can't figure out something; I trust him. We make a great team. He has strengths that I don't have and vice verse. I was the oldest born of three (six years for one and twelve years for the other one). I am traditionally like most oldest borns : used to being in charge, managing, protective, working hard, persistent, energetic and an eternal optimist.
Yesterday my husband was curious about the Blacktower cemetery and went out to help in the cleaning up. We both found it interesting that there was this covered-over cemetery of this old community fairly close to Clovis. He and I are history buffs and are both interested in the developing story of Blacktower. There is alot of history in this state. We have Billy the Kid's grave thirty miles away in Fort Sumner.
Last night I noticed on my calendar that there was a sockhop so Greg and I got ready and proceeded to go to the senior center. Not to be. Somehow I made a mistake in entering this ~ not sure where I got the info. We thought about going to the drive-inn movie in Lubbock but it was too late. We then went to the County Center where a western music concert was being held. We decided that we weren't going to do that. We ended up at home with two rental movies.
May 28, 2009
Women's Groups and their Impact on my Life
I have long been an active part in women's groups. I'm not sure why; but I find them very educational and fun. It could be that since early on, I hung out with my mother and my grandmother and learned to feel comfortable and at home with even a couple of women. It could be the kind of person I am (being tested at a Human Resources class at UAA, I came out ENFJ on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). Extroversion, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging. Or it could have been growing up with my three female cousins.
Hanging out with my mother and grandmother while they went on shopping trips, buying things that my Mom couldn't find in Oklahoma. They would hobnob all over east Texas shopping for bras to shoe-stretchers. In the same area, my three female cousins lived conveniently close to the same town as my grandmother and we'd get together and dress up in our mothers' dresses and put on what they called 'ear screws', high heels and lipstick.
During my growing up years, I'd stay the summer with my aunt Margie & uncle Jack & my three female cousins. I seemed to be the ring leader in getting them to laugh at night, getting all of us in trouble. We went swimming together at the local pool. This relationship continued as we got older. I would spend summers with them in St Louis, MO: Jonesboro, ARK; and Kansas City.
I remember my aunt & uncle took us to a teen concert (The Gentrys "Keep on Dancing") and at that time we were also going to their coun
try club for dances. By the time we were attending college, my oldest cousin would be showing me a dance called the 'hitchhiker' and telling me about beer busts and good times. I'm sure that I shared my experience with those subjects too!
I left college after seven semesters, mostly because I was too busy socializing and partying. My roommates at Central State in Edmond,OK were alot of fun to be with and we all hung out together. I had to leave school because of my grades and my mother found me a job. I, of course, was still communicating with my friends at school. They wanted to pick me up and go to Norman, OK for a party one weekend and they wanted to fix me up with a blind date. I got no permission to go from my stern father.
So we friends arranged for them to pick me up at work and we'd go to Norman and have fun. They fixed me up with a nerdy but cute guy who had a new Barracuda. It was a great weekend! We all had a bla
st together. So they brought me home and thank goodness we had company (to get the attention off of me) and my grandparents were there. The guy I met on the blind date called to ask me out and he picked me up in Shawnee, OK and took me to Norman, OK for the date and then take me back home to Shawnee. He took me to his mother's house to live until we got married; and then we got engaged and got married. We went to Carlsbad Caverns for our honeymoon. So I will always be appreciative of these friends for extending themselves for me!
Hanging out with my mother and grandmother while they went on shopping trips, buying things that my Mom couldn't find in Oklahoma. They would hobnob all over east Texas shopping for bras to shoe-stretchers. In the same area, my three female cousins lived conveniently close to the same town as my grandmother and we'd get together and dress up in our mothers' dresses and put on what they called 'ear screws', high heels and lipstick.
During my growing up years, I'd stay the summer with my aunt Margie & uncle Jack & my three female cousins. I seemed to be the ring leader in getting them to laugh at night, getting all of us in trouble. We went swimming together at the local pool. This relationship continued as we got older. I would spend summers with them in St Louis, MO: Jonesboro, ARK; and Kansas City.
I remember my aunt & uncle took us to a teen concert (The Gentrys "Keep on Dancing") and at that time we were also going to their coun
try club for dances. By the time we were attending college, my oldest cousin would be showing me a dance called the 'hitchhiker' and telling me about beer busts and good times. I'm sure that I shared my experience with those subjects too!I left college after seven semesters, mostly because I was too busy socializing and partying. My roommates at Central State in Edmond,OK were alot of fun to be with and we all hung out together. I had to leave school because of my grades and my mother found me a job. I, of course, was still communicating with my friends at school. They wanted to pick me up and go to Norman, OK for a party one weekend and they wanted to fix me up with a blind date. I got no permission to go from my stern father.
So we friends arranged for them to pick me up at work and we'd go to Norman and have fun. They fixed me up with a nerdy but cute guy who had a new Barracuda. It was a great weekend! We all had a bla
st together. So they brought me home and thank goodness we had company (to get the attention off of me) and my grandparents were there. The guy I met on the blind date called to ask me out and he picked me up in Shawnee, OK and took me to Norman, OK for the date and then take me back home to Shawnee. He took me to his mother's house to live until we got married; and then we got engaged and got married. We went to Carlsbad Caverns for our honeymoon. So I will always be appreciative of these friends for extending themselves for me!May 23, 2009
Discovering Taos
Over the week of my husband's vacation, we set out to discover a part of New Mexico. We had taken hurried weekend trips in the past for a day in Taos, a day here, a day there ~ but this trip was aimed at saturating our spirits with the true nature of the mountain community. Though we have been to Taos twice before; this time we wanted to take in museums, local culture, history, etc. We found all of those things and more. Taos is 248 miles from Clovis. The route we took was up through Logan, over to Las Vegas and up through Angel Fire to Taos. We did not have reservations made for a hotel and we had our black lab with us ~ neither of those turned out to be a problem. I had researched motels ahead of time and located five in which the price was right and took pets. We were quite pleased with the motel (Hotel Don Fernando de Taos - www.donfernandodetaos.com).
There is so much to see (museums : history and art), mountain vistas, Spanish architecture, indian historic pueblo, etc. A description published by Southern Living says it all, "Taos feels like a comfortable Navajo blank, wrapping you with coziness and color. This town, which sits on a mesa at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, magically speaks to the soul. This isnt Santa Fe. There's no rat race here. It's tranquil, laid-back and low-key. American Indian culture blends with Spanish and Anglo, embracing you and providing a weekend of discovery and a step outisde your everyday zone. Sociable Taosenos make the town a welcoming place to explore." Reading their weekly newspaper (www.taosnews.com), I discovered that there was alot going on that would fit very well with me. I will have to say that I yearn to live in such a liberal place. I talked to the manager of the Mabel Dodge Luhan museum and was telling her how I was a liberal and lived in Clovis and she spoke in a very compassionate way that I probably felt bereft and spiritually bankrupt living in such a conservative enclave. Her compassion touched me.
We planned on seeing the museums of the town. Our first museum was seeing the lovely Mabel Dodge Luhan home, small convention hall and inn. In the convention hall, I walked in and was told that there would soon be a seminar taught
by Natalie Goldberg. An interesting bit of synchronicity, I had read Natalie Goldberg's memoir and had planned to read more of her books!
The Luhan house is a two story adobe with many interesting additions of Mexican tile and ceramic roosters. The house had a huge flagstone patio with adobe and Mexican tiles inset. Of everything we saw in Taos, we were most impressed with the Mabel Dodge Luhan museum. When Mabel Luhan lived in the home; her guests included Margaret Sanger, Georgia O'Keeffe, Willa Cather, Ansel Adams, Carl Jung, D. H. Lawrence, Martha Graham and other notables. For more information, see at www.mabeldodgeluhan.com
We went next to the Kit Carson Home & Museum. Kit Carson's home is a low-slung 12-room adobe home that was built in 1843 for his wife, Josefa. For a cumulative history of Kit Carson's life, see http://www.sangres.com/history/kitcarson.htm. Three of the rooms are furnished as they were when the Carson family lived here. Carson gained notoriety for his role as John C. Fremont's guide in the American West. During the Civil War, he helped organize the NM volunteer infantry and fought against Navajo Indians, against his will, but by order of the U.S. Army. When the Civil War ended and with the Indian campaigns successfully concluded, Carson left the army and took up ranching near Las Animas in Colorado. Carson died at age 58 from an abdominal aortic aneurysm in the surgeon's quarters in Fort Lyon, Colorado (east of Las Animas). He is buried in Taos, alonside his wife, Josefa, who died a month earlier of complications following child birth.
Our next stop was the St Francis of Assisi Church in Ranchos de Taos built in 1772. Adobe chu
rches were built during Spanish colonialism. The Ranchos de Taos church has been the subject matter of art done by Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams. The church has adobe walls four feet thick and enormous buttresses. The feast of St Francis is celebrated in the church and village on October 4th. During our time of residence in southeastern Arizona (1993-95), we have seen other adobe missions and churches such as the one in Tumacacori, Arizona. http://www.toursantacruz.tom/tumacacori.asp and http://www.santacruzvalley.com/tumacacori_arizona.htm What is so striking about the Ranchos church is the four square crosses and the color of the adobe placed up against the robin egg blue of the New Mexico sky. For photography buffs, there is a house next to the church with blue doors and windows. According to Pueblo Indian legend, the color blue keeps evil spirits out and good spirits in.
We went to the Millicent Rogers museum which consisted of collections of art, jewelry and textiles. Millicent Rogers was the granddaughter of a founder of Standard Oil. In 1947, after living around the world, she moved to Taos, drawn by the peace and grandeur of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Her collections were opened to the public in 1953.
We drove into the Taos Pueblo.
We were waved away as they were closing public entrances at 4:30 pm. Taos Pueblo is open daily Monday - Saturday 8:00am-4:30pm and Sunday 8:30am-4:30pm. Guided tours are available. They have trade fairs, ceremonial dances and powwows during the year http://www.taospueblo.com/calendar.php . The people have lived on the land area there for over 1,000 years. The Taos Pueblo speak an unwritten Tiwa language. As I understand from the blog of "As the White Crow Flies", the original St. Jerome Church (which is now crumbling) inside the Pueblo is a tragic picture. History annotates that the church was built in 1619 by the Spanish colonization. It was destroyed in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 when the native americans threw the Spanish out of New Mexico. Unfortunately, the Spanish returned in 1692, reconquered the area and rebuilt the church. The church stood until 1847 when the U. S. Army attacked the Taos Pueblo because t
hey thought that the Taos Pueblo indians had taken part in the murder of Taos Governor Charles Bent. The Taos Pueblo native americans hid inside the church. The church with the people inside was destroyed. The courtyard 
surrounding the ruins of the original church is now a burial ground. Only the bell tower is still standing. The people of the Taos Pueblo do not allow anyone to cross over the walls onto the church grounds. Historical housing buildings are still being lived in at present. Homes are passed down through families in addition to upkeep. The pueblo is divided into two parts (the North House or "Hlaumma is five stories tall); (the South House or "Hlaukwima" is four stories tall. Both houses are by Red Willow Creek which they use for their drinking water.
There is so much to see (museums : history and art), mountain vistas, Spanish architecture, indian historic pueblo, etc. A description published by Southern Living says it all, "Taos feels like a comfortable Navajo blank, wrapping you with coziness and color. This town, which sits on a mesa at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, magically speaks to the soul. This isnt Santa Fe. There's no rat race here. It's tranquil, laid-back and low-key. American Indian culture blends with Spanish and Anglo, embracing you and providing a weekend of discovery and a step outisde your everyday zone. Sociable Taosenos make the town a welcoming place to explore." Reading their weekly newspaper (www.taosnews.com), I discovered that there was alot going on that would fit very well with me. I will have to say that I yearn to live in such a liberal place. I talked to the manager of the Mabel Dodge Luhan museum and was telling her how I was a liberal and lived in Clovis and she spoke in a very compassionate way that I probably felt bereft and spiritually bankrupt living in such a conservative enclave. Her compassion touched me.
We planned on seeing the museums of the town. Our first museum was seeing the lovely Mabel Dodge Luhan home, small convention hall and inn. In the convention hall, I walked in and was told that there would soon be a seminar taught
by Natalie Goldberg. An interesting bit of synchronicity, I had read Natalie Goldberg's memoir and had planned to read more of her books!The Luhan house is a two story adobe with many interesting additions of Mexican tile and ceramic roosters. The house had a huge flagstone patio with adobe and Mexican tiles inset. Of everything we saw in Taos, we were most impressed with the Mabel Dodge Luhan museum. When Mabel Luhan lived in the home; her guests included Margaret Sanger, Georgia O'Keeffe, Willa Cather, Ansel Adams, Carl Jung, D. H. Lawrence, Martha Graham and other notables. For more information, see at www.mabeldodgeluhan.com
We went next to the Kit Carson Home & Museum. Kit Carson's home is a low-slung 12-room adobe home that was built in 1843 for his wife, Josefa. For a cumulative history of Kit Carson's life, see http://www.sangres.com/history/kitcarson.htm. Three of the rooms are furnished as they were when the Carson family lived here. Carson gained notoriety for his role as John C. Fremont's guide in the American West. During the Civil War, he helped organize the NM volunteer infantry and fought against Navajo Indians, against his will, but by order of the U.S. Army. When the Civil War ended and with the Indian campaigns successfully concluded, Carson left the army and took up ranching near Las Animas in Colorado. Carson died at age 58 from an abdominal aortic aneurysm in the surgeon's quarters in Fort Lyon, Colorado (east of Las Animas). He is buried in Taos, alonside his wife, Josefa, who died a month earlier of complications following child birth.
Our next stop was the St Francis of Assisi Church in Ranchos de Taos built in 1772. Adobe chu
rches were built during Spanish colonialism. The Ranchos de Taos church has been the subject matter of art done by Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams. The church has adobe walls four feet thick and enormous buttresses. The feast of St Francis is celebrated in the church and village on October 4th. During our time of residence in southeastern Arizona (1993-95), we have seen other adobe missions and churches such as the one in Tumacacori, Arizona. http://www.toursantacruz.tom/tumacacori.asp and http://www.santacruzvalley.com/tumacacori_arizona.htm What is so striking about the Ranchos church is the four square crosses and the color of the adobe placed up against the robin egg blue of the New Mexico sky. For photography buffs, there is a house next to the church with blue doors and windows. According to Pueblo Indian legend, the color blue keeps evil spirits out and good spirits in.We went to the Millicent Rogers museum which consisted of collections of art, jewelry and textiles. Millicent Rogers was the granddaughter of a founder of Standard Oil. In 1947, after living around the world, she moved to Taos, drawn by the peace and grandeur of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Her collections were opened to the public in 1953.
We drove into the Taos Pueblo.
We were waved away as they were closing public entrances at 4:30 pm. Taos Pueblo is open daily Monday - Saturday 8:00am-4:30pm and Sunday 8:30am-4:30pm. Guided tours are available. They have trade fairs, ceremonial dances and powwows during the year http://www.taospueblo.com/calendar.php . The people have lived on the land area there for over 1,000 years. The Taos Pueblo speak an unwritten Tiwa language. As I understand from the blog of "As the White Crow Flies", the original St. Jerome Church (which is now crumbling) inside the Pueblo is a tragic picture. History annotates that the church was built in 1619 by the Spanish colonization. It was destroyed in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 when the native americans threw the Spanish out of New Mexico. Unfortunately, the Spanish returned in 1692, reconquered the area and rebuilt the church. The church stood until 1847 when the U. S. Army attacked the Taos Pueblo because t
hey thought that the Taos Pueblo indians had taken part in the murder of Taos Governor Charles Bent. The Taos Pueblo native americans hid inside the church. The church with the people inside was destroyed. The courtyard 
surrounding the ruins of the original church is now a burial ground. Only the bell tower is still standing. The people of the Taos Pueblo do not allow anyone to cross over the walls onto the church grounds. Historical housing buildings are still being lived in at present. Homes are passed down through families in addition to upkeep. The pueblo is divided into two parts (the North House or "Hlaumma is five stories tall); (the South House or "Hlaukwima" is four stories tall. Both houses are by Red Willow Creek which they use for their drinking water. May 17, 2009
Aloha~~~~~~
My fondest memory of the places I've been to in the Hawaiian Isles..... Greg and I had made reservations to go to Maui for a week around Veterans Day. We were flying on Hawaiian Airlines and Greg had insisted on bring his big, thick Alaska coat. He put it in the area below his seat. Meanwhile, I'm dreaming that I'm in Sing Sing prison and I'm dreaming my feet are tied only to awaken with my feet all tangled up in Greg's coat. I then am trying to free my feet from the coat and making faces at Greg while attempting to do so. We arrived in Maui and the air was slightly humid and fragrant as we walked off the airline. We pointed our rental car in the direction of Wailea. During our drive, we kept commenting on how dark the road was (we later found out we had been driving in the middle of sugar cane fields). We found our hotel and were very pleased with it. It was right on a beach and had a linai, palm trees and a restaurant. I had identified a safe beach (with no undertows) for us that had excellent snorkeling (many beautiful fish). On our second trip to Maui (this time renting a lovely condo near our favorite beach)through vrbo.com; we were on a boat and I had a 10 minute lesson in scuba diving. The boat had taken us to the most murky water (near Sugar Beach). I'm standing on the diving board of the boat and I have my oxygen tank on and flotation devices & weight belt. I thought to myself, "I'm going straight down to the bottom and I'll die. What have I done?" Trusting that I'll be fine, I jump off and sure as shooting, I come to the top. To my disappointment, I had trouble with my eye mask(?). It kept filling with water. I adjusted my ears and swallowed. I went down in the water. I started to just take off and swim down. The young teacher caught up with me and motioned for me to rise and said, "where are you going?". I told her that I wanted to go down and take a look at what was down there. I don't think she had been around people that were very comfortable in the water. I was raised to be very comfortable in water. My mother taught swimming and water ballet and I learned well. In any case, a friend of mine who has lived in the Hawaiian Islands, told me that the best way to get swimming eye wear is to buy your own, fitted for you. We had a wonderful time in our travels in Hawaii. We have stayed in Waikiki several times (not the real Hawaii as most people think of it). We stayed in a house near an Air Base on a beach; and then the two times on Maui.
May 11, 2009
Coming to Clovis
We had just flown in from Anchorage with our dog and we drove in to Clovis, using a rental car as our cars were being shipped down from Alaska. We had stayed overnight in Albuquerque at a Comfort Inn. As we drove into Clovis, I can't say that I was impressed by the first visual sight of Clovis (coming east from Fort Sumner). It didn't give me the greatest impression; but after we had seen more of the town, I felt that Clovis might be a nice place (perhaps similar to my beloved Sierra Vista, AZ where I had enjoyed the camaraderie of women friends who I met on Post and in women's groups).
After being here for four years and going through a number of ups and downs, I can say that there are many things I like about Clovis. I can't say at this point, that we will retire here. I am looking for a more liberal place to live, in which there would be more opportunities for self growth and job opportunities. While I opened my mind up to see what Christianity had to say (coming from my original beliefs as a Buddhist), I found many of the beliefs conceivable. Perhaps I may have an idealized view of a Christian ~ how such a person would conduct their lives .... showing the evidence of their beliefs, in their lives. Going to church with this acquaintance, I found gossip and the presence of ego which was disheartening to me.
What I do like about Clovis is the great weather, my house, the college I go to, how close it is to beautiful scenery (Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos). I had met some delightful people of late in a place I would have never thought of before. I do like the sound of the train late at night, my neighborhood, not too far from I-40 where I can drive out to Las Vegas to see a good friend; or go to Arizona for a road trip!
Even though I wouldn't qualify as a senior quite yet (I am 60); I have investigated going to a senior center here and I found it delightful! While I will be busy in school starting in June; nevertheless, I'll always be there to enjoy the groups that meet on Wednesday and Friday.
A wonderful honor that I received while being active here in the Democratic Party, was being elected state delegate in the summer of 2008. I went to Albuquerque for the Democratic State Convention and went to Taos as well for a District Convention. After reading all I could about Barack Obama, I worked very hard for him canvassing and calling. I also was in charge of manning the County Fair Democrat booth with workers; and I was there non-stop from start of the fair to finish. It was a great election night thatI spent with fellow Democrats at the Judge's house, when we all saw the landslide of voters that voted our candidate in! Every night I read at least seven newspapers across the country on both candidates for President. I got to know the platforms well. So that when I went out to canvass, I had some dearth of knowledge to share with the public as to what would happen if the Republican candidate was elected. As a people person, I enjoyed this work alot.
After being here for four years and going through a number of ups and downs, I can say that there are many things I like about Clovis. I can't say at this point, that we will retire here. I am looking for a more liberal place to live, in which there would be more opportunities for self growth and job opportunities. While I opened my mind up to see what Christianity had to say (coming from my original beliefs as a Buddhist), I found many of the beliefs conceivable. Perhaps I may have an idealized view of a Christian ~ how such a person would conduct their lives .... showing the evidence of their beliefs, in their lives. Going to church with this acquaintance, I found gossip and the presence of ego which was disheartening to me.
What I do like about Clovis is the great weather, my house, the college I go to, how close it is to beautiful scenery (Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos). I had met some delightful people of late in a place I would have never thought of before. I do like the sound of the train late at night, my neighborhood, not too far from I-40 where I can drive out to Las Vegas to see a good friend; or go to Arizona for a road trip!
Even though I wouldn't qualify as a senior quite yet (I am 60); I have investigated going to a senior center here and I found it delightful! While I will be busy in school starting in June; nevertheless, I'll always be there to enjoy the groups that meet on Wednesday and Friday.
A wonderful honor that I received while being active here in the Democratic Party, was being elected state delegate in the summer of 2008. I went to Albuquerque for the Democratic State Convention and went to Taos as well for a District Convention. After reading all I could about Barack Obama, I worked very hard for him canvassing and calling. I also was in charge of manning the County Fair Democrat booth with workers; and I was there non-stop from start of the fair to finish. It was a great election night thatI spent with fellow Democrats at the Judge's house, when we all saw the landslide of voters that voted our candidate in! Every night I read at least seven newspapers across the country on both candidates for President. I got to know the platforms well. So that when I went out to canvass, I had some dearth of knowledge to share with the public as to what would happen if the Republican candidate was elected. As a people person, I enjoyed this work alot.
May 7, 2009
Alaska ~ The Good - The Bad
A synopsis of what I judged to be the good & the bad from a baby boomer who grew up in Oklahoma and
East Texas (i.e. from the perspective [socialization/biology] of an older southern woman):The great things about Anchorage: the beauty of the mountains and water surrounding the city, the moose who wandered through the neighborhoods, how beautifully green Anchorage was in the summers, the well-paying positions that were plentiful, the light in the summer, a totally different culture with its own language, being able to fly to Hawaii in the winter, the Nordstrom cafe, the great restaurants, the skiing in the city limits, loved my job with the Army, looking out in the Inlet and seeing the beluga whales, working with great people, interesting state politics, the geese that would fly around in V formations in September, .
The things about Anchorage that I didn't like: as a person acculturated in the deep south, I found it challenging to relate to the mostly Scandinavian people who were attracted to Alaska. As a culture, Scandinavians from the northern U.S. tend to be very reserved and stoic; I got tired of going to the same old Alaska vacation places again and again; up there when it's winter, it's winter all over the state; when I started to look older, I had a difficult time finding a job; the non-productive 12 step meetings (OA); I could feel the sun going away in November; the dark winter months of Nov., Dec., Jan., Feb. d e p r e s s i n g; .
May 4, 2009
The Changes of Aging and Assorted Thoughts
I guess what started me down this venue was today, while at the Clovis (NM State) Motor Vehicle Division, I was walking out after finishing my business and happened upon an elderly lady. She spoke to me and I couldn't understand her. She must have turned her hearing aids up because she was more intelligible the second time. She said something about, 'is this where you renew handicapped stickers'. I told her I would ask someone at the desk and come back and tell her. I did that and then I walked in with her and she said, 'there are no seats'. I indicated one close by and everyone on that row moved to make an available seat for her. She was holding on to things as she made her way to the seat. It was a shock to me to see someone that appeared very elderly.
Then I got to thinking about it. She was once 20 years old, 40 years old and at my age, 60 years old. While I am still energetic, I see some abilities that have faded in my self. While I try not to think about Greg and I ever getting elderly, seeing that lady today made me think. And the fairly automatic result is a thought, "Seize the Day!". Do it now. Don't wait. Don't put it off. And probably most importantly, prepare financially. As long as one is a young 'elder', prepare.
Because I have never had children, it has been hard for me to keep track of time. I continue to have alot of energy (thank God for genetics + diet) but small abilities gradually go by the wayside. When I was a kid, I used to mow the lawn - not a problem. I tried to mow our lawn some time ago and I thought I was going to faint. I say that I'm going to fight age all the way ~ with exercise and diet; but I never get on the stationary bike and I have a weakness for sugar (which I'm sure has done my body no good biochemically at all).
I used to live at 9,000 feet at 40 years of age with my husband, Greg (in Colorado). I cannot go beyond 7,000 feet without taking an herb to keep me from getting altitude illness. I discovered on a trip to Colorado wherein we stayed at 9,000 ft (Woodland Park, CO) that I had an ongoing headache. Denying to myself that my discomfort was all that bad; we went on to Cripple Creek and Victor (10,000 ft +). I had a very hard time. I thought about going to a doctor up there and getting oxygen. However, I didn't. When we came back down to Divide, CO, I was sick at my stomach. Once we got to around 8,000 feet; I began to feel comfortable again. Why do we not believe ourselves or should I say why didn't I believe that I was having altitude illness!
Now that I take a herbal remedy (ginko biloba), I do just fine with heights. Ginkgo Biloba helps one's body absorb much more oxygen. So I take one or two tablets before we go and one each day I'm in elevation well over 9,000 ft and I'm fine. I found this remedy by researching travel websites.
Looking at pictures of happy older ladies for this blog, I queried google with 'old lady'. I was shocked to see the pictures of the women that Google considered old ladies; perhaps that is another indication of sliding into third base. I saw a number of "older ladies" wherein they appeared sad. That also got me thinking about why the majority of the older ladies appeared sad; and how I could make sure that the causes of that sadness would not be a permanent part of our lives as we become senior citizens in years to come.
Thoughtful preparation is the byword to follow.
Then I got to thinking about it. She was once 20 years old, 40 years old and at my age, 60 years old. While I am still energetic, I see some abilities that have faded in my self. While I try not to think about Greg and I ever getting elderly, seeing that lady today made me think. And the fairly automatic result is a thought, "Seize the Day!". Do it now. Don't wait. Don't put it off. And probably most importantly, prepare financially. As long as one is a young 'elder', prepare.
Because I have never had children, it has been hard for me to keep track of time. I continue to have alot of energy (thank God for genetics + diet) but small abilities gradually go by the wayside. When I was a kid, I used to mow the lawn - not a problem. I tried to mow our lawn some time ago and I thought I was going to faint. I say that I'm going to fight age all the way ~ with exercise and diet; but I never get on the stationary bike and I have a weakness for sugar (which I'm sure has done my body no good biochemically at all).
I used to live at 9,000 feet at 40 years of age with my husband, Greg (in Colorado). I cannot go beyond 7,000 feet without taking an herb to keep me from getting altitude illness. I discovered on a trip to Colorado wherein we stayed at 9,000 ft (Woodland Park, CO) that I had an ongoing headache. Denying to myself that my discomfort was all that bad; we went on to Cripple Creek and Victor (10,000 ft +). I had a very hard time. I thought about going to a doctor up there and getting oxygen. However, I didn't. When we came back down to Divide, CO, I was sick at my stomach. Once we got to around 8,000 feet; I began to feel comfortable again. Why do we not believe ourselves or should I say why didn't I believe that I was having altitude illness!
Now that I take a herbal remedy (ginko biloba), I do just fine with heights. Ginkgo Biloba helps one's body absorb much more oxygen. So I take one or two tablets before we go and one each day I'm in elevation well over 9,000 ft and I'm fine. I found this remedy by researching travel websites.
Looking at pictures of happy older ladies for this blog, I queried google with 'old lady'. I was shocked to see the pictures of the women that Google considered old ladies; perhaps that is another indication of sliding into third base. I saw a number of "older ladies" wherein they appeared sad. That also got me thinking about why the majority of the older ladies appeared sad; and how I could make sure that the causes of that sadness would not be a permanent part of our lives as we become senior citizens in years to come.
Thoughtful preparation is the byword to follow.
The Old West & Other Thoughts
I have a fascination with the Old West. The interest started when we lived in Sierra Vista, Arizona ~ conveniently over the mountain from Tombstone, Arizona. This is where I let my imagination fly as to how it was back then. There are many times I wish I could go back in time and observe like a fly on the wall. Just to see how it was.
Tonight Greg & I watched The American Experience through our local PBS channel at ENMU in Portales. The show was about Geronimo and the Chiracahua Apache tribe. They had lived in the Chiracahua Mountains when escaping the U.S. Cavalry in the 1800s. The show brought the Indian experience being driven from Florida (their home) to the western United States and that labeled it very appropo .... ethnic cleansing.
The other night I had started out surfing the internet, looking for pictures of Clovis. I went through many pages of Google. Found alot of appropriate images for my web page. Then I saw a picture of Clovis in the 1800s (curry.nmgenweb.us). My imagination took off. I could see Billy the Kid riding through as well as the cowboys. The first visible sign on a building was the Saloon. I want to see alot more history around New Mexico. I'd like to go to Cimarron and Las Vegas; I believe that there was the Santa Fe trail in that area.
During the time we were in Sierra Vista, Arizona; we would take off to ghost towns. Most of the ghost towns were on dirt roads and we had a four wheel drive. We went in one old house (being dark inside) and a couple of bats flew out. Then I went walking over to an indention in the ground to take a good look and I chanced upon a snake. It appeared non-venomous; had round eyes but it saw me and took off surprisingly fast.
When Greg and I lived in Colorado Springs, we would go up into the areas of Cripple Creek and Victor and drive all around looking at old silver mills and old buildings. It was a great adventure. In a cow field one time just outside of Cripple Creek; there sat a street car. I don't think the cows were bothered by our going in. The inside was beautiful wood and velvet and brass. All of this was before limited stakes gambling hit Cripple Creek.
While in the Victor area one weekend, we went to a garage sale. The gentleman was selling old bottles in all shapes and sizes for a $1 a piece. He said he had heard that 'interesting things' could be found in the bottom of former 'outhouses'; so he started digging and found many old bottles. I have given some of the bottles away with potpourri inside, covered at the top with lace and satin ribbon; but I do have about 8 of the old bottles from Victor, CO in our house on display.
Down the road is Billy the Kid's museum and grave. That is still 'on the list' to see; just as Cimarron and the older area of Las Vegas is and Silver City and ..... The curiousity never ends.
Tonight Greg & I watched The American Experience through our local PBS channel at ENMU in Portales. The show was about Geronimo and the Chiracahua Apache tribe. They had lived in the Chiracahua Mountains when escaping the U.S. Cavalry in the 1800s. The show brought the Indian experience being driven from Florida (their home) to the western United States and that labeled it very appropo .... ethnic cleansing.
The other night I had started out surfing the internet, looking for pictures of Clovis. I went through many pages of Google. Found alot of appropriate images for my web page. Then I saw a picture of Clovis in the 1800s (curry.nmgenweb.us). My imagination took off. I could see Billy the Kid riding through as well as the cowboys. The first visible sign on a building was the Saloon. I want to see alot more history around New Mexico. I'd like to go to Cimarron and Las Vegas; I believe that there was the Santa Fe trail in that area.
During the time we were in Sierra Vista, Arizona; we would take off to ghost towns. Most of the ghost towns were on dirt roads and we had a four wheel drive. We went in one old house (being dark inside) and a couple of bats flew out. Then I went walking over to an indention in the ground to take a good look and I chanced upon a snake. It appeared non-venomous; had round eyes but it saw me and took off surprisingly fast.
When Greg and I lived in Colorado Springs, we would go up into the areas of Cripple Creek and Victor and drive all around looking at old silver mills and old buildings. It was a great adventure. In a cow field one time just outside of Cripple Creek; there sat a street car. I don't think the cows were bothered by our going in. The inside was beautiful wood and velvet and brass. All of this was before limited stakes gambling hit Cripple Creek.
While in the Victor area one weekend, we went to a garage sale. The gentleman was selling old bottles in all shapes and sizes for a $1 a piece. He said he had heard that 'interesting things' could be found in the bottom of former 'outhouses'; so he started digging and found many old bottles. I have given some of the bottles away with potpourri inside, covered at the top with lace and satin ribbon; but I do have about 8 of the old bottles from Victor, CO in our house on display.
Down the road is Billy the Kid's museum and grave. That is still 'on the list' to see; just as Cimarron and the older area of Las Vegas is and Silver City and ..... The curiousity never ends.
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