Safe in the Fire Swamp

A First Name and a Birthday

2009-02-22T18:47:00.007-06:00

Twenty seven years ago last Friday, I gave birth to a baby girl. There is a long, rather uninteresting story that led up to this event. Suffice it to say, at age twenty, I was in no position or in any way prepared to raise a child, regardless of how much I wanted to keep her.

So after much soul searching and many tears, I knew what I had to do. Giving her up was the only option that was best for her - for everyone. My family doctor knew a couple who had been waiting to adopt for many years. They had their attorney. I had mine - they paid for everything. I crocheted a blanket and a hat for the baby, but have no idea if she ever saw them. Otherwise, all I had to do was keep myself and the baby healthy and show up. Then I held her for a little while before they came to get her. She was so beautiful.

Shortly afterwards, my mom came home with some interesting news. One of the women she worked with knew the family. She said they'd named the baby Nicole. Later, when mom asked if she knew anything else, she hemmed and hawed and said little. Apparently she'd been told to keep quiet on the subject.

So, for the past 27 years, I've only had a first name and a birthday. I hired a hobby PI three years ago to see if he could find her. He was no help. During the past month or so I've started to frequent Facebook. Her birthday was last Friday, so she's been in my thoughts more often. Last night I took a chance - and did a profile search with a first name and a birthday. I knew it was a long shot...

I believe I've found her. She's still beautiful and looks very happy. According to her profile, she's very well educated, employed, popular, and appears to be thriving. It's all I ever hoped for - and couldn't have given her. Maybe that's all I really need to know...

There's more, actually. She's got a nose like Hayley's and my eyes. She likes historical fiction and a doesn't seem to think anything of driving halfway across the country for a weekend vacation. It doesn't seem possible that it's not her.

Of course, there is the possibility that the first name, the birthday and the rest are coincidence.

But, since I've found this young woman, my gut is telling me that it would be too much of a coincidence - that maybe, just maybe - a missing piece of my life - of my heart - has been found.

Tee hee....and I thought I was out of work for a long time!!

2009-02-04T20:08:00.005-06:00

So Much Drama.....

2009-01-31T19:47:00.018-06:00

As you may have seen, since Stevie's been quicker on the blog than I, we have come up with the seed of a plan (and said it out loud!). A celebration of Springtime in New York 2013, a first 'reunion' of those of us whose lives have touched through Blogger.

Considerable cultural drama has been growing up around the idea that the world as we know it will come to an end on December 21, 2012 - Cults are starting and it's not hard to find people posting their plans on the internet, as if they had been told by their doctors that their lives would end on that day! Cowards, I say.

Headlines say "Scientists Predict" and "The End is Near", but nobody knows what form this 'end' may take, how it may come about, or how much of an 'end' it will be - if anything happens at all. Much of the speculation combines a lot of different manmade and climatic phenomena that would change world geography - things like pole shifts, global warming, increased vulcanism, nuclear holocaust or rogue asteroids - the usual suspects. Others believe this 'end' will involve paradigm shifts of some kind and/or revolutions in religion or governments. Regardless of the form of the change, it is generally agreed that civilization will enter into a new era after 12/21/12. We'll see.

The crux of all of this speculation revolves around the historically accurate, astronomically based Mayan calendar. A major segment of which ends every 256 years, usually with some type of paradigm shift, cataclysm or disaster. This is what all the 'end of the world' fuss is about. Actually, the majority of said cataclysms or disasters have occurred on a local scale, as civilizations go, ie. the fall of the Aztecs to Cortez.

Frankly, I think there are Mayan astronomers looking down on all this drama and ROFL at all of us - to think their little calendar is causing all this drama in the 21st century!

So, the current segment ends December 21, 2012; and assuming that New York City is still there afterwards - let's get together to finally meet, and celebrate the beginning of the new era!

...still...maybe we should keep Toronto or Chicago on standby....

...and now for something completely different

2008-08-18T20:28:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the Iowa State Fair!

You just can't write this stuff!!!

Enjoy.

Hayley's Home!!!

2008-07-17T17:06:00.035-05:00

And she loves her room...

(which is, by the way, now finished... finally)

...and her lamp...

...and her dog, poor thing (Honeybear, I mean)
She is also enjoying having her computer in her room, but she does venture out. The girl is wasting no time and has a boyfriend now, her first 'official' one. Donovan's a good kid and she's known him for about three years. Yes, he knows about Mellow Yellow. He has also walked the approximately eight miles from his house to ours to see her! They don't 'date', but they 'hang out' and go to movies with other friends, one of whom has guitars and a theater size tv in his basement!

Hayley and her friend Lindy went 'cos-playing' last Friday. Lindy's parents presided over that evening's activities. An explanation of cosplay may require its own blog, and I'm bad enough about maintaining this one! Suffice it to say that they dress up like characters in anime shows and go out in public. They're such geeks! (but in such a good way)

It just does my heart good to see her happy and having some summer fun with her friends. Hayley hasn't spent most of a summer here.....ever. She's usually with Ian for six to eight weeks of the 11-12 weeks between school's out and school's in, so this is new for us, and much more normal for her, I think.

Anyway, she's been home for two weeks now and so far, so good! It's absolutely wonderful to have her back! There was a great big empty in my soul while she was gone and now it's been filled.

It also appears that my evil plan has succeeded. Hayley definitely seems much more emotionally mature and grounded than she was before - more so than can be explained by simply being a year older...and a couple of inches taller...

Remodeling Progress...

2008-01-13T22:24:00.000-06:00

Just a few photos to share our progress. Blogger isn't cooperating very well and I can't seem to upload any more!

The popcorn is off all four walls now. We stripped off the last of the underlying paint today.

A few patches and a lot of sanding and these last two walls will be ready to primer, too. Then the ceiling...I painted those clouds myself about six years ago. You can see them better in the first picture on my Happy Holidays post.

You can't really tell in these before & after photos, but the formerly white walls had the texture of (very hard) cottage cheese.

The brown (?) walls sure are ugly, but they're very smooth!

Happy Holidays...

2007-12-30T16:38:00.000-06:00

Just in case any of you were wondering how Randy and I have been spending our (mostly) childless holiday season, here's your answer.

We also spent time with family and friends and we did go see National Treasure and we have just taken time out to relax, so it's all good, but we have this humongous task to tackle; and I made a promise to a certain fourteen-year-old with purple hair who shall remain nameless. So we've been up to our butts in plaster dust for the last couple of days. We tackled one of the big walls this afternoon.
Our house was built in 1942 and has slateboard walls. Lovely aren't they? (Yes, that's a towel on the door. That's another story that I may need permission to tell....)

One of the former owners decided that it was too much work to patch up a few holes in the bedroom that is now Hayley's (oops!). The solution they chose was to spray ceiling popcorn on all four walls... I just thank our lucky stars that they didn't put it on the ceiling too!

Anyway, our task is now to take it off the walls. We would have started sooner, but I had to have the stuff tested for asbestos first. The test was negative, so off we went. Some of it got done before Christmas, but unfortunately it's not quite as simple as just taking off the popcorn. Underneath the popcorn is a hodgepodge of finishes - most of which have to come off so we can properly prepare the walls for paint.

I can only imagine what this room has looked like in the past....yuk.

Christmas Tag...

2007-12-19T19:40:00.000-06:00

1) Best present ever as a child: They're all good when you're a kid...Spirograph was pretty cool...and Rockem Sockem Robots...and my brother's train set.

2) Best present ever as an adult: A proposal (marriage, that is :) There was no knee involved, but it was nice.

3) The one gift you've always hoped for and not yet received: a new car (this will never happen...:(

4) Your favourite part of Christmas dinner: Spending time with family.

5) Favourite Christmas movie: Scrooged with Bill Murray and It's a Wonderful Life. It's a tie.

6) Most lusciously shameful holiday indulgence(s): Divinity when I can get it, peppermint bark, and soft, gooey, smooth dark chocolate fudge. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

7) Pictured above is the best present I got last Christmas.

Strange But Vivid Dream...

2007-11-11T11:07:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to figure out this dream I had last night.

Randy and I were out doing something and I wanted to go and look at a house I'd seen that was for sale. I knew it had some plumbing problems, but I'd heard it was in a beautiful spot and that overall it was a really cool house.

In my dream, the house was in Maxwell, Iowa. I don't know where Maxwell, Iowa is, but in my dream there was a sign that said Maxwell, 11 miles. So we went south. When we were almost there, there was a parking lot. So we parked and walked on a wide, paved path through a strange tropical forest. The trees were very odd and there were several different kinds. A woman along the path through it said that the tree she was looking at didn't exist anywhere else.

On the other side of this forest was the house. It was smaller than I thought it would be. We went in and there were quite a few other people looking at it. Upstairs, there was water leaking everywhere and it was difficult to tell where it was coming from. It was leaking through the ceilings on the main level and raining down into the hallway. Nobody else seemed to mind or notice.

Randy thought I was nuts to even be looking at the place when I was very much aware of its problems. We went down to the lowest level, a rec room with windows all around and a gorgeous view - really nice room. There was a bar, where the owners were passing out lemonade and cookies. There was no water there yet, but Randy pointed out a place on the ceiling and floor where a leak had just started.

I said something like I could handle a plumbing problem, but water dripping everywhere I can't handle. And we left.

Dream interpreters out there....please give me your thoughts...

Camelot!

2007-10-25T19:57:00.000-05:00

King Arthur came to Des Moines last night, along with Guenevere, Lancelot and the knigits of the round table.

Mom and a couple of her friends have season tickets to the Des Moines Civic Center. One of her friends couldn't go this time, so an extra seat was available!

I've never been to a broadway show before - the Branson revues don't count - so this was a new experience for me. I've always loved Arthurian stories so the story and the music were familiar. Great music, too - and they were true to the original score!

I never pegged Lou Diamond Phillips as the King Arthur type - or as a singer, but he was great in the role. There was great chemistry between him and Rachel de Benedet's Guenevere, whose voice and range are amazing! The chemistry between Guenevere and Lancelot, played by Matt Bogart,- who can also belt out a tune, was excellent as well. There was a wonderful balance of comedy, drama and romance. I actually had tears during the final act.

So, overall the show was highly entertaining. It was one brief shining moment, and an evening well spent.

On a more serious note, it occurred to me while driving home, that the ideals of Camelot seem especially relevant now, with all the senseless violence and war in the world. Arthur wanted the strong to to stop persecuting and killing the weak because they could; and instead, use their status and strength to defend the weak and to stand up for good and justice. Not too much to ask....is it?

Ghostly Reflections

2007-10-19T21:57:00.000-05:00

1. How old do you think you'll be when you die?
As old as I will get

2. How will you die?
Um...dead.

3. What will your last words be?
Oh shit!

4. What will your epitaph read?
Am I there yet?

5. Any parts of your body you wouldn't donate?
My knees. Who would want them?

6. What song will be played at your funeral?
Freewill by Rush

7. Cremated, buried or "other"?
Cremated. Ashes scattered from the summit of Harney Peak in the Black Hills.

8. If you could take one thing with you to the "next life", what would it be?
All I need is love

9. If you could take one person with you, whether they like it or not, who would it be?
I would never...

10. Supposing they existed, do you think you'd end up in heaven or hell?
My vision of heaven...with no pain, fear, care or worry, a stopover after purgatory and before the next life...but no angels sitting about on clouds, pearly gates or saints...much too boring.

11. If you could haunt any one place, where would it be?
Black Hills

12. If you could haunt any one person, who would it be?
Hayley

13. What type of ghost would you be?
Beautiful invisible

14. You've been given the chance to send one message back to the land of the living. What does it say?
Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty

Of Covered Bridges & Castles

2007-10-14T20:48:00.000-05:00

It's been two weekends ago now that Randy and I celebrated our fifth anniversary (on October 5!) with a weekend getaway to a lovely Bed & Breakfast about an hour west of home.

On Saturday, a warm, windy, gorgeous day, we managed to pry ourselves away from the swimming pool and lovely accommodations long enough to go sightseeing around Winterset and Madison County, Iowa, as the fall color here was just getting started.

You may have heard of a movie made back in the mid-nineties called The Bridges of Madison County, starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. I'm afraid I've not seen the movie, but I did read the book(!).

It is a classic film for the mature hopeless romantic - and a real tear jerker. People are still deeply affected by the story nearly thirteen years later. In fact, the other couple staying at our B&B travelled all the way from Philadelphia to be married on this bridge, the Roseman Bridge - which played third fiddle to Clint and Meryl in the movie. That movie, and this bridge, put Madison County and its five other remaining covered bridges on the map.

The bridge Randy & I are pictured on above is the Cutler-Donahoe bridge near the entrance to the city park. Winterset has one of the prettiest city parks I've ever seen that doesn't have water or mountains in it. I suppose having a covered bridge and a medieval castle type tower makes up somewhat for those shortcomings. This is the Clark tower.

Something possessed the descendents of these Madison County pioneers named Clark to build this landmark in their honor. Quite fabulous though, really, and high on a hill overlooking a river valley. I was actually reminded of being in the mountains a couple of times on the (very bumpy) drive up.

While we were out, we encountered some of the local wildlife.This herd of Cooper Minis was sighted several times. There were about a dozen of them all told. They appear to be quite harmless, but it was difficult to imagine them travelling on that road up to the tower...

Random Facts...

2007-09-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

Just got home from a birthday party at my brother's house - mine (belated) and my mother's (end of September). Great food and a fun time was had by all.

Now, I did make a promise to do this over the weekend, didn't I? Here goes.

-Post rules before you give your facts (the rules are these).
-List 8 random facts about yourself (random is good).
-At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them (not sure I'll follow through on this one. Pretty much everyone's already been tagged - some twice)
-Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they've been tagged (depends on #3)

1) I have a condition called prosopagnosia, or "face blindness". It causes me to not be able to recall faces well; and while it is a relief to know it is a real disorder and not a personality flaw, it has caused a great deal of embarassment as well as social and professional difficulties for me.

2) I got a tattoo in 1981 while in the military. It was very badly done by a tattooist with very little experience. As of a week and a half ago, it is now covered with beautiful purple clematis blooms.

3) I hope that if/when I have to find a new job that it is with a not-for-profit. I find it refreshing and worthwhile to work for a good cause instead of working to make someone else wealthier.

4) I miss my daughter terribly, but know in my heart that I did right by her in sending her to live with her dad for the school year.

5) I believe very strongly in karma and that we live many times in order to complete ours.

6) I believe that a paradigm change is necessary in order to ensure our grandchildren's quality of life is at least as good as ours. Our global civilization has to come to terms with the fact that we have over-used our planets non-renewable resources for too long and must learn very soon how to decrease demand for those and increase awareness and availability of sustainable energy sources and technologies.

7) On Saturday afternoons, Randy and I do our weekly shopping together.

8) I often feel misunderstood.

Aha! Caught with the Evidence!

2007-08-31T21:20:00.000-05:00

If you deduced from this photo that there have been s'mores in my life recently - you would be correct!

FINALLY, we opened up the Foxfire and went camping at our favorite county park last weekend.

The campground is quite literally 'down the road'.

There is a lovely loop trail.....

....and very LARGE mushrooms.

All in all a wonderful way to spend a birthday.

Seems Like I Ought to Have Something to Say.....

2007-05-27T19:18:00.000-05:00

It's summer!

As much as I miss everyone here in Blogland (and I do think of all of you often), life seems to have gotten the upper hand and my computer time has fallen off considerably. The chick in the photo is me with my iPod stuck in my head. Didn't know he was taking it, the sneak!

All is well. Home and family are sound and healthy. Hayley's excited that school is nearly out and is looking forward to the first summer in memory that she can stick around here and 'hang' with her friends - at least until August, when she's headed north for the winter (tee hee). She might have to actually wear a coat. It was uncool or something this past winter....a teenage thing, I'm sure.

My job is more of a challenge than I could ever have asked for. And I did ask for it! I have stepped outside the Fireswamp on this one. Earthpark is an amazing project with the potential to be every bit as successful as the Eden Project in Cornwall, England. It would be a heartbreaking shame if it didn't come to fruition. Not to mention I'll be out of a job again. A lot has been happening on the development front, tho; and much more could and may well happen very quickly. I promise that when I have something to tell, I will - like when we get funded....

In the meantime, visit our website. I did much of the writing in the FAQ and Project Facts pages and am working on a lot more material for the site.

I'm going to sign off for now. I'll be lurking and will post when I can. Everyone have a wonderful summer!

Meez Freezing - But Tossing out Some Warm Spring Thoughts with the Snowballs....

2007-04-03T20:43:00.000-05:00

Hi all! Yes, I'm back and I really have been working! Mostly nine hour days. It's minus 15 here tonight and my tulips are freezing as I type. What happened to Spring?!?!?

So here is a travelog of tropical images - of the ship, Fort Lauderdale, Costa Maya, Costa Rica and Panama. They're not in any particular order - and they are by no means all, but hey, suffice it to say we had a fabulous time!

I don't seem to be able to get captions to go where I want them.......anyway, enjoy my photo bytes of the Caribbean!

Wish You Were Here.....

2007-03-14T09:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, so we haven't left yet...

I have wonderful news!!! I have finally found a job!

I am the Office Manager for a non-profit called Earthpark, starting on the day we get back from our cruise! We are working to raise funds and break ground for an Ecological Education center that includes a three acre indoor rainforest and 600,000 gallon aquarium. The main purpose of all this is education. There will be galleries and exhibits about all sorts of renewable energy sources and green things. It's not about global warming and alarmist environmentalism, but it is about educating the public about natural systems and what we can do to find the balance between living in the way in which we have become accustomed and living in and preserving the natural world. Check out the new link in my sidebar for more info.

Well, there's a mouthful and I've said it. It's so me! I'm quite excited really - could you tell?

"See" you all in a couple of weeks!

Tag

2007-03-02T22:24:00.000-06:00

I seem to have been literarily tagged. I'm afraid the book that is physically nearest to me isn't perhaps the glimpse into my soul that I would choose, but here goes...

Although Watery Ways is at arms length, I don't know which printed page might contain page 123, so I must move on.

The book nearest to me is one that I've referenced on many occasions during the past couple of years - and one I wish I'd had much earlier.

1. Name the book title and author: 'The Middle School Years: Achieving the Best Education For Your Child Grades 5-8' by Michele A. Hernandez.

2. Turn to page 123: Done deed.

3. Go to the 5th sentence on the page and then copy the next 3 sentences on your blog.

"I think this point cannot be overemphasized, especiallly for parents, who often are reluctant to get their children tested for LDs because they think they will be stigmatized forever. This is just not the case; you will be doing your child a favor to get his LD diagnosed because otherwise he will assume he is not smart when, in fact, he probably is having a very specific problem that can be addressed once it is identified. The real stigma develops for students who are doing poorly in their classes and have done so for as long as they have been in school."

So true....

Tags to Dale, Stevie and Chantal....

Winter in the Fire Swamp

2007-02-26T19:33:00.000-06:00

About an inch of ice and seven or so inches of snow from Friday night through Sunday morning equals a winter wonderland in the fire swamp.

Underneath it all are many broken trees and downed power lines. We, and most folks we know, managed to keep the lights on, but there were several thousand people who weren't so lucky. Many of them are still out of their homes tonight, mainly east of the city where the worst damage seems to have occurred. I hope they will all be able go home very soon.

In the meantime, the ice and snow still cling to the trees like diamonds against brilliant blue skies on Monday morning.

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T21:55:00.000-06:00

Valentines day at our house is very low key. Randy and I exchange cards, he usually gives me roses and I manage to find him a token as well. Some years we go out to dinner, but not this year. The kids get some candy, but mostly from Grandma.

At the grocery store this afternoon, I couldn't help but notice several men - and a couple of women who were intent on buying elaborate flower arrangements and/or candy at the last minute. Some seemed quite stressed out about the whole thing. Selection was pretty picked over by this time. I was there to buy a valentine, too; but I was thankful that I knew I didn't have to spend a lot for it to be appreciated.

It's so sad that so many feel such obligation to show someone their love by buying expensive flowers or gifts. Sure those things are nice, but I believe we should let our loved ones know we love them frequently in all the most important, simple ways there are to show respect, support and tenderness.

My niece, Maya, was legally adopted into our family on Valentines Day one year ago. My brother and sister-in-law held an open house this evening in honor of the occasion. No gifts (except some cards and candy for the kids) just family getting together. Nice.

Happy Valentines Day.

Skiing In A Winter Wonderland

2007-01-21T19:40:00.000-06:00

A thick blanket of snow does absolute wonders for a formerly dreary landscape.

Randy and I spent a couple of hours this afternoon breaking a trail through new snow on the same trail where we often go biking during the summer. Today was the first time in three winters that there was enough snow on a weekend to go skiing! Temps were in the upper 20's and the snow was a bit sticky, but we had a great outing and I really feel like I got a great workout!

We found out as we got back to the truck that the city usually plows the bike trails in the winter. So next time we'll have to go someplace else. We got lucky today and got there before the plow. The only other people we saw were two intrepid joggers and evidence of at least one more.

While I skied through this landscape, I was listening to Rachel Fuller's Cigarettes and Housework and the Shine EP.
Somehow her music seemed appropriate to these peaceful scenes.

All in all it was a very nice outing. The trees and creek are so beautiful with their new blanket of snow. I love the contrast of dark and light in the landscape. I hope you do too.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

2007-01-11T20:56:00.000-06:00

2007 has been busy for me so far. The job search is now easier. I've started at a temporary position that's right up my alley and will last until the first or second week of March. As you can see, I'm training my new assistant on telephone skills (I have to keep pushing the 'off' button so she doesn't accidentally make a long distance connection!)

Now I can relax and keep looking for something permanent - preferably something that starts immediately after we come home from eight fun filled days and nights on the Carnival Liberty! Yay! We're actually going!

I think I've been putting off posting until I found work. I can so relate to Koos and his need to focus absolutely on a 'project'.

I've been lurking a bit lately, but inspiration has been elusive. I believe I'm beginning to come out of the doldrums now, though. Winter has arrived in Iowa and we're in the deep freeze with -25 windchills and high temps in the teens (F).

Been fighting with the photo posting but finally got my profile photo changed. It's a new year - time to get back in color!

One of My Favorite Carols....

2006-12-15T21:12:00.000-06:00

Enjoy!

Once again.....Not many TV commercials make me laugh out loud. This one did!

Happy Holidays to all!

Love,
Rachel

Sunday Telegraph Article

2006-12-05T17:05:00.001-06:00

Usually I make it a point not to wax political. I'm bending my rule today. My ex, a Canadian journalist, e-mailed me this article today. I have always thought it was a terrible shame how the Canadian contribution to peace, freedom and culture is either ignored or taken for granted by the rest of the world -- especially by the US. Sparked by yet another tragedy, Kevin Myers has spoken out...I promise to return to lighter fare soon!

Sunday Telegraph Article
From today's UK wires: Salute to a brave and modest nation
Kevin Myers, The Sunday Telegraph

LONDON - Until the deaths last week of four Canadian soldiers accidentally killed by a U.S. warplane in Afghanistan, probably almost no one outside their home country had been aware that Canadian troops were deployed in the region. And as always, Canada will now bury its dead, just as the rest of the world as always will forget its sacrifice, just as it always forgets nearly everything Canada ever does.

It seems that Canada's historic mission is to come to the selfless aid both of its friends and of complete strangers, and then, once the crisis is over, to be well and truly ignored. Canada is the perpetual wallflower that stands on the edge of the hall, waiting for someone to come and ask her for a dance. A fire breaks out, she risks life and limb to rescue her fellow dance-goers, and suffers serious injuries. But when the hall is repaired and the dancing resumes, there is Canada, the wallflower still, while those she once helped glamorously cavort across the floor, blithely neglecting her yet again.

That is the price Canada pays for sharing the North American continent with the United States, and for being a selfless friend of Britain in two global conflicts. For much of the 20th century, Canada was torn in two different directions: It seemed to be a part of the old world, yet had an address in the new one, and that divided identity ensured that it never fully got the gratitude it deserved.

Yet its purely voluntary contribution to the cause of freedom in two world wars was perhaps the greatest of any democracy. Almost 10% of Canada's entire population of seven million people served in the armed forces during the First World War, and nearly 60,000 died. The great Allied victories of 1918 were spearheaded by Canadian troops, perhaps the most capable soldiers in the entire British order of battle.

Canada was repaid for its enormous sacrifice by downright neglect, its unique contribution to victory being absorbed into the popular Memory as somehow or other the work of the "British." The Second World War provided a re-run. The Canadian navy began the war with a half dozen vessels, and ended up policing nearly half of the Atlantic against U-boat attack. More than 120 Canadian warships participated in the Normandy landings, during which 15,000 Canadian soldiers went ashore on D-Day alone. Canada finished the war with the third-largest navy and the fourth-largest air force in the world.

The world thanked Canada with the same sublime indifference as it had the previous time. Canadian participation in the war was acknowledged in film only if it was necessary to give an American actor a part in a campaign in which the United States had clearly not participated - a touching scrupulousness which, of course, Hollywood has since abandoned, as it hasn't any notion of a separate Canadian identity.

So it is a general rule that actors and filmmakers arriving in Hollywood keep their nationality - unless, that is, they are Canadian. Thus Mary Pickford, Walter Huston, Donald Sutherland, Michael J. Fox, William Shatner, Norman Jewison, David Cronenberg, Alex Trebek, Art Linkletter and Dan Aykroyd have in the popular perception become American, and Christopher Plummer, British. It is as if, in the very act of becoming famous, a Canadian ceases to be Canadian, unless she is Margaret Atwood, who is as unshakably Canadian as a moose, or Celine Dion.

Moreover, Canada is every bit as querulously alert to the achievements of its sons and daughters as the rest of the world is completely unaware of them. The Canadians proudly say of themselves - and are unheard by anyone else - that 1% of the world's population has provided 10% of the world's peacekeeping forces. Canadian soldiers in the past half century have been the greatest peacekeepers on Earth - in 39 missions on UN mandates, and six on non-UN peacekeeping duties, from Vietnam to East Timor, from Sinai to Bosnia.

Yet the only foreign engagement that has entered the popular non-Canadian imagination was the sorry affair in Somalia, in which out-of-control paratroopers murdered two Somali infiltrators. Their regiment was then disbanded in disgrace - a uniquely Canadian act of self-abasement for which, naturally, the Canadians received no international credit.

So who today in the United States knows about the stoic and selfless friendship its northern neighbour has given it in Afghanistan? Rather like Cyrano de Bergerac, Canada repeatedly does honourable things for honourable motives, but instead of being thanked for it, it remains something of a figure of fun.

It is the Canadian way, for which Canadians should be proud, yet such honour comes at a high cost. This week, four more grieving Canadian families knew that cost all too tragically well.
____________________

Don't forget Bryan Adams, Jim Carrey, Shania Twain, Nelly Furtado, Keanu Reeves, Pamela Anderson, Neil Young, Alanis Morissette, Sarah McLachlan, Reginald A. Fessenden and Trivial Pursuit....

Be Thankful

2006-11-17T11:18:00.000-06:00

Here is what I am most thankful for. But sometimes I forget how much.

I found the following in my e-mail this morning. It has reminded me to not only be thankful for what I have, but also for what I don't. Lately I have felt that my work life has been spinning out of control. I've been trying with difficulty to stay positive, but I realize even more now that my situation really is an opportunity to grow, learn and improve.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends on Blogspot. You, too, have been a blessing and I love you all.

BE THANKFUL
By Author Unknown

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary, because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

Nine Weird Things About Me (Lannio's Tag)

2006-11-15T19:10:00.000-06:00

1) I talk to myself. I have entire conversations with someone who is not there. It helps me sort out my thoughts....So far, I don't answer myself....Oh you do too! Oops.

2) I spar with my dog.

3) Sometimes I send flowers to my husband at work. The other guys at the shop get jealous.

4) I can fall asleep in my recliner in front of the TV, but once in bed, if there's a radio or TV or any discernable noise at all, I can't sleep. So I have to have a fan running to block noise. Fortunately, Randy is weird this way, too.

5) I used to have a crush on Weird Al Yankovic...okay, I still think he's kind of cute. But Jeff Goldblum is hot.

6) I secretly enjoy watching InuYasha (my daughter is hooked on this anime series). Some of the stories are pretty good.

7) When I leave my (soon to be former) office to pull out on the street, I don't use my signal because I don't know which way I'm going to turn. If I can turn left before I can turn right, I will. If not, I turn right. I can get home either way.

8) I can't stand to wear anything when I sleep. I get all tangled up in nightclothes.

9) When I play Trivial Pursuit Classic Rock Edition with my brother, the answers are always Brian Ferry and Ian Anderson when I don't know the answer (often).

10) I tend to adopt unique, new religions involving peculiar origins, abductions, derelicte chic hotties, mod wolves and hair gel.

There now. There's ten.....

Brigid of Kildare

2006-11-12T22:35:00.000-06:00

As those of you who have read my posts and comments on other blogs, I have a deep faith in 'god' as nature, but I don't put much stock in modern religion. On the other hand, I find that I have an affinity for certain 'Christian' ideals. Although I think there are far too many of them, I've adopted a patron saint - St. Brigid of Kildare, because she is ancient, with clear ties to early Celtic spirituality and she is truly unique and eclectic - plus my cousin's pub is named after her.

Most of Brigid's stories and 'miracles' have their source in early Christian/pagan Irish folklore and her history is often disputed and mixed with stories and myths of the pre-Christian Celtic goddess who was her namesake. Both were patrons of agriculture and craftsmen. The goddess Brigid was also an ancient Mother goddess associated with fertility and fire. Both Brigids are associated with feeding the hungry and protecting the weak and needy; and many attributes are often cross-associated between them.

St. Brigid is the patron saint of Ireland, cattle, farmers, newborn babies, blacksmiths, boatmen, mariners, midwives, poets, Irish nuns, dairy and poultry workers, travellers, printing presses and children whose parents were not married. One of the most famous miracles associated with St. Brigid was turning water into beer for unexpected guests. That's my kind of saint!

As a girl, Brigid was said to be happy, gifted and generous to a fault. The daughter of a pagan king and a Christian slave in the mid 5th century, her mother was sold to a Druid landowner before she was born and she stayed with her mother until she was old enough to serve her legal owner, her father. She kept giving his possessions away to the poor and afflicted in the name of God and he ultimately freed her to make her stop. She went back to be with her mother and gained her mother's freedom in pretty much the same way.

She was unique and unafraid of breaking the rules - even those of the church - if it meant helping someone in need or bringing someone closer to God in some way. A true original, she founded many convents across Ireland and was ordained in the church with the powers of a Bishop - unheard of for women. In Kildare, she is believed to have even acted as a Druid high priestess who brought that entire community into the Christian faith. In this way she was said to bridge the gap between the pagan and the Christian by accentuating the power of God in all of nature as the Druids knew it and blending it with the foundation of that power in Christian beliefs focused on nature, brotherly love and kindness. There are, of course, others who believe things happened differently - and who's to say they're wrong? It is known that Brigid was loved and respected throughout Ireland for her kindness, generosity, hard work and selflessness.

Her most recognizable symbol is the Brigid's cross, another direct link to the Goddess. Representing the cycles of the four seasons, the cross is usually woven from reeds and hung above doorways as protection for the home and hearth.

My cousin's pub is Brigid's Cross Irish Pub & Restaurant, located in Bimidji, MN. Stop by and tell her I sent you. It's logo is the woven cross. As it says on her website,"What better patron saint could a neighborhood pub have but one associated with feeding the hungry, protecting the family, and turning water into beer?"

Dia de los Muertos

2006-10-29T19:11:00.000-06:00

In Spanish class last week, I learned that there was an exhibit at the Des Moines Art Center celebrating Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. With my fascination for the pagan, you all know that I just couldn't resist! I took my daughters with me and one of Hayley's friends. I would have taken my camera, but casual photography isn't allowed at the Art Center. So once again, I nicked a few photos from the net to illustrate.

Dia de los Muertos is one of the most important festivals in Latin America. It originated at least 3,000 years before Cortez showed up and has changed very little since then in spite of the Catholic church's early and intensive efforts to eradicate it.

The only substantial changes the church managed to acheive was moving the time and shortening the duration of the festival. Originally, Dia de los Muertos was celebrated for a month beginning the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, or about the first of August. It was moved to fall on All Saints and All Souls Days, November first and second. In this way it was integrated into Catholic theology. Ritually and substantially, however, Dia de los Muertos tradition has come directly from the ancient Aztecs.

The Aztecs saw death as a continuation of life. At Dia de los Muertos, families take picnics to cemetaries and spend the day visiting with their dead relatives as if they were present. The dead's favorite foods are prepared and their favorite music is played. Life is seen as a dream and it is believed that one does not become fully awake until they die. As such, the atmosphere is one of feista and celebration!

As we arrived at the Art Center today, the initial impression was wow, there are a lot of people here! The Center doesn't often see such crowds. Today was a gorgeous indian summer day, though - seventy degrees with a brilliant clear blue sky. Plus the exhibit was free!

In the main foyer, there were two altars set up back to back celebrating prominent members of the Hispanic community here in Des Moines. The altars were elaborate and colorful, including objects that both belonged to and helped define each person's life. Photographs, military insignia, a bicycle helmet, food and many other objects were placed among sugar skulls, paper flowers, skull masks and papier mache skeletons to honor the lives of these men. The altar in this photo is similar to those, but less elaborate.

Hayley and her friend immediately took off. They're far too cool to be seen with an adult, especially while in search of 'hot' boys (said they found only four). Teenagers.

Tiffany and I found a workshop where we made paper flowers from tissue paper. After that, Tiff found the other girls and they explored for a while while I took in some sunshine and enjoyed the mariachi band in the courtyard. Everyone there was very positive and friendly. Overall it was interesting and educational time well spent. Maybe the girls soaked up a little culture, too? Maybe.

Happy Samhain!

2006-10-24T22:18:00.000-05:00

I love Halloween. I'm not the one who gets dressed up all scary to pass out treats on beggars night and I don't decorate the house very much. A couple of jack-o-lanterns if I know we're going to be home.

Today's extreme commercialism around holidays really just makes me angry. Meanings and origins are completely lost in the quest for the consumer dollar. I think it's much worse here in the US than in Canada or Europe - and maybe I see it more clearly because I've lived outside the US.

What I love is the original idea of Halloween. It is a very ancient and much-maligned holiday acknowledging that in an ordered world we need occasional chaos. We need a time when it's okay to be someone or something else, eat, drink and be merry, get crazy and do things that we wouldn't normally do (within reason, ahem, of course!)

Among the ancient Celts this time was called Samhain (pronounced Sow' an) or summer end. Samhain marked the end of summer and the beginning of the new year, or winter. It was celebrated for three days during the full moon closest to November 1. These people were farmers, herders and warriors whose lives were closesly entwined with nature and the cycles of the seasons. They understood that a strong community was necessary for survival and that after the hard work of harvest everyone needed to let down their hair, so to speak. Samhain was celebrated after the harvest so the work was done and there was plenty of food and drink. The herds had been culled of animals that would not have survived the winter, so there was lots of meat to go around even with the need to conserve for the winter.

Feasts and festivals were the order of the three days. All war and hostilities ceased. Mead and ale flowed aplenty. Markets thrived. Political assemblies were held at this time as well as martial competitions and religious rituals of all kinds. At this time of the year and again in the Spring at Beltane (first of summer) it was believed that the boundaries between the natural and supernatural could be easily crossed.

Divination and fortune telling were common and thought to be most accurate during this time. With the veil between worlds so thin, it was said that you could find out when and who you would marry as well as who would prosper or die in the next year.

One with all of the revelry was Samhain's association with the death and darkness of winter. On All Hallows Eve, the mounds of the dead were believed to open and the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead disappears. The living might be lured over and become unable to return and evil spirits roamed among the good. I've read that one reason for the elaborate festivals was to keep good folks among the living for the duration.

Some of the customs that have come to us in various forms from the Celtic tradition are:

Costuming: In Scotland, boys dressed as girls and girls dresses as boys. In Ireland a procession was led by an individual wearing a horse head mask. The early Celts would rub soot on their faces and wear animal skins to confuse any evil spirits. Chaos was embodied by the mixing of genders and humans becoming animals.

Trick or Treating: Food and treats were left out to placate any spirits who might be roaming about looking for mischief. In some areas, children would run from house to house begging treats, coins or favors. This, presumably, they weren't allowed to do at any other time.

Jack-o-Lanterns: The ancient Celts did not have pumpkins, but they did hollow out and carve faces in large turnips that were placed in windows and doorways to ward off evil spirits. The yellow white glow looked a lot more like a skull than a jack-o-lantern does!

Bobbing for apples: Apples and nuts were common treats for children. Many games were played with these, including floating apples in a barrel and 'dunking' for them.

Ghost stories: Druid priests are said to have read burnt animal entrails and divined prophecies involving such topics as death and tragedy that were told and retold by the villagers.

Another tradition that I have enjoyed is the bonfire. Unfortunately, these have become less popular, at least where I live.
Bonfires were a very important aspect of the Samhain celebration. In addition to providing a means for priests to sacrifice animals and warmth for the revelers, a communal bonfire provided the light for every individual household's fire for the coming year. It was customary for each household to extinguish their hearth and relight it from the bonfire. This symbolized the community pulling together to make it through the dead of winter. It also served as reassurance that the light and warmth of summer would come again.

All images are from the internet

Some Thoughts on the Number 13

2006-10-13T09:54:00.000-05:00

On Friday the 13th, I thought it would be fun to blog about the number 13. The poor thing has so many negative connotations in popular culture. Maybe people simply are not aware of its prominence in nature. Nature, of course, encompasses the balance of positive and negative forces, so what is the opposite of thirteen anyway? That's a subject for another blog!
The number thirteen is the first two digit Fibonacci number. The Fibonacci number sequence begins 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21...., etc., and continues by adding the previous two numbers together ad infinitum. In nature, particularly in biology, these numbers appear prominently and almost exclusively. Everything from patterns of animal reproduction to leaf development on plants to the spiral patterns on a pinecone or a seashell can be described by using this seqence of numbers. It is extremely unusual for a flower to have 4, 6, 10, 11 or 12 petals, for example. For more information check out: http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/fibslide/jbfibslide.htm

There are thirteen lunar months in a year plus one day. Native north american indian calendars were based on the thirteen scales on the shell of an ancient turtle. In their mythology, the turtle represents the Earth Mother who taught them to mark the passing of time by the moon. Lots more at: http://www.13moon.com

According to the Torah, God has thirteen attributes of mercy. Thirteen was also once associated with the visit of child Jesus by the Magi (on the thirteenth day of his life).

And finally, although by no means all, the number thirteen Tarot card is the 'Death' card. When tarot is read, however, that card is generally interpreted not as death, but as change. Change can be bad or change can be good, but life is always what you make it!

Happy Friday the 13th!

What a Beautiful Day!

2006-10-08T20:29:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning feeling relaxed instead of tired. I actually lingered over breakfast for a while!

After breakfast I went outside and did some cleanup work in the yard and just sat on my swing and enjoyed the crisp, sunny morning with Pumpkin for a while before going inside to make brunch for the kids, who slept in today. Chris and Tiffany, our kids from Randy's first marriage, were with us this weekend.

Today actually had several highlights for me (more blogs later!), but the best one had to be that we all, as a family, went for a bike ride! The trail we ride on is wooded and runs along a lovely creek. It is eleven miles total with a Casey's General Store at the turnaround point. We ride mountain bikes but have no mountains - sad but true.

Randy and I ride every chance we get. I had a hysterectomy in early August, so I couldn't do much of anything for exercise until about three weeks ago. Last Sunday was the first time I could go all the way to Casey's and back since my surgery. Hayley came with us for that ride.

But today's ride with all three kids was extra special. When Randy and I were dating, we would ride, skate or rollerblade with the kids on a fairly regular basis. We so seldom get to do things like that as a family anymore, so there's a need to truly treasure these moments. I know they will become fewer and fewer as the kids grow older. They drive me crazy at times but they really are great kids. As we were riding it occurred to me how lucky we are to have a family that can and does do this together.

In the photo, the young lady on the left is Hayley, our daughter from my first marriage. She's thirteen, in grade seven and can draw anime, write stories and put her feet behind her head while licking her elbow (among other things!) She is also a black belt in taekwondo and plays basketball.

Chris is the tall one. He is seventeen and a senior in high school this year. He plans to become an automotive tech like his dad. He likes the Dallas Cowboys and 'Pimp My Ride'

Tiffany is fourteen and a freshman. She's a junior manager of the Varsity football team and helps out at practices. Her first homecoming was last weekend. She was so excited that she had to bring her dress for the dance over here to show us the weekend before! Her date was one of the football players. She says it was fun but she had to chew out another girl for flirting with her date - always a high point!

These three are about as different from each other as kids can be and when Randy and I brought them together as brother and sisters, the adjustment was quite difficult for all of us. Now, though, they get along great and really look out for each other.

I realized today just how far we've come. After four years of marriage and adjustments, our blended family has overcome its major obstacles and complications and is feeling much more like a complete family when we are together. I'll take this day and treasure it. A very special day indeed.

Her Highness

2006-09-27T19:52:00.000-05:00

What is a new home, or any home, without a pet?

On June 24 1998 I moved into my first house. On July 3, My daughter Hayley and I toodled over to the SPCA animal shelter and came home with Her Highness. I had to sign a paper that said we'd keep her indoors, but she had obviously been an outdoor cat for the first year of her life and that just wasn't going to happen!

Her jailers at the shelter called her Pumpkin, and being the original thinkers that we are, we kept the name. She's a very loving and cuddly cat when, of course, she wants to be.

She loves to be outside and rules the neighborhood with a furry paw (her back ones still have claws) keeping all errant critters on their toes. Errant means within her line of sight, naturally. I scold her for stalking the birds at my feeder, but she does it anyway.

She amuses herself by watching Honeybear, her court jester, hunt the squinties that live under our deck - as if she could EVER catch one.

The Rainstorm

2006-09-27T17:36:00.000-05:00

There is something to be learned from a rainstorm.

When meeting with a sudden shower,
you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road.

But doing such things as running under the eaves of houses,
you still get wet.

When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you will get the same soaking.

This understanding extends to all things.

Hagakure - The Way of the Samurai

Too Cute!

2006-09-25T14:44:00.000-05:00

Lannio, this will look familiar!

My dog, Honeybear, is crashed on my left leg while my laptop is on my right. She's a mixed breed - mainly chow (we're told) and fox terrier. But tonight she's worn out from a very busy evening.

My 17-month-old neice was here tonight. Honeybear is never quite sure what to make of Maya and now that she's walking the poor dog is even more confused! Maya, of course, is absolutly fascinated by Honeybear. She followed her around most of the evening.

One of Honeybear's favorite pastimes is begging - she's actually quite good at it. While meals are being prepared and/or cleaned up after, she will get up on her hind legs and dance around to make sure we know she's there and on the very brink of starvation! (No, she really isn't very well trained:)

Anyway, tonight Maya thought the dancing doggie was just the funniest thing in the world. She grinned, giggled and 'danced' with honeybear in the kitchen. Too cute!

My First Blog!

2006-09-23T20:18:00.000-05:00

Today I am blogging for the first time. I have to say I feel a little awkward directing my thoughts out into the blogisphere. I have quite a few interests so I doubt I'll be blogging on the same subject all the time, though I do tend to go through phases. I used to be a decent writer, but until now I've found few opportunities to do so since college. Hopefully it won't be boring! Well, here goes.

Today I brought in the last of the summer's tomatoes. I put in one tomato plant every year and that provides more than enough for my family and to help Mom make her awesome homemade salsa. It was a crisp, sunny morning and there were a few ready to pick. The rest are not getting ripe and I'll likely have to throw most of them out. It's just been too cool too early this year.

My perennials are mostly still blooming and the trees I planted this year and last are doing well. I watered my Japanese Maples (three so far) and the new Serviceberry and Thuja. Everything will have to be mulched next month in preparation for winter. They say an El Nino is going to keep the winter mild this year, but the Farmer's Almanac says it's going to be a cold one. I guess we'll find out when it gets here.

Autumn is my second favorite season (Spring being first). I love the cool, crisp dry air after the summer's heat and humidity. There's a sense of new beginnings with school starting for the kids and in that it's easier to get outside and do things when its not so hot. Also, I always seem to have a little more energy when the weather is cooler. I know winter is coming soon and I really don't like the cold and snow; but there is no stopping it so we do what we can to keep cozy and warm.

It's even possible that my husband and I may be looking forward to a Caribbean cruise next Spring! Fingers and toes are all crossed for that. We'll find out early in January if we get to go. Neither one of us has ever been before!