"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power" -Abraham Lincoln

Lovers Lane, Brownsville,

July 18, 2010

It has been again nearly a year since my last posting I am astonished, I thought surly I had gotten the writing/musing bug since. Time has really slipped by and I have not noted it, how strange.

Where do I start here, first all is well, we are on a whole moving forward and trying to keep a positive attitude in the face of the near annihilation of the Gulf of Mexico. Health care was passed although it was in my opinion put through the shredder, they left out the most important bits.

Barry works harder than ever with one Hurricane and a second Tropical storm under our belt early in the season. He spent a week helping out the much beleaguered Mobile, while they are freed up to forecast for the BP oil spill. We have not seen signs of the oil here, our water remains clean for now, even after Alex swept past us. This is a nightmare there is no waking from. I am speechless that there are still factions demanding that we begin drilling deep water wells immediately damn the consequences. I thought we had heard it all with the lies of our last Administration WMD's and the like. The ruthless waiving of our protections in place and backroom deals, of the King makers. But I am utterly breathless with the Gaul and callousness with witch the CEO etc. of BP have behaved. Rape, annihilation, crass indifference, of our ecology and economy are just a few words to describe what has happened and continues to happen. I have applauded this Administration for all of it's innovation and the alacrity of such, but boy did everybody drop the ball on this one. Even after injunctions to stop the spraying of dispersant's BP blithely ignored all. The loss of life will not be just the 11 souls lost on the platform and the honorable Captain who committed suicide, it will be untold for years to come because of the gross negligence of our overseeing agency, BP out right, and hosts of others who profit hugely from the recovery of oil from the earth. Pass the guilt around and none have stood up and done "the right thing". Read this in your head with a scathing bitter tone of voice and you might approximate the level of anger and disgust I feel.

So I take a deep breath and try to gather up all the news from Brownsville and our far flung friends and family. OK big sigh...

End of September I received the ultimate Happy Birthday gift from the universe. Going through a short cut, near the house I saw in the middle of the road two dogs. The female chihuahua had been hit and died the male mixed breed was protecting her and standing over her body. Frantically trying to get help for her. I pulled over and lifted her off to the grass verge. He followed and tried to nudge her awake, he was signaling me to help. I knew if I left him there he would run back and forth in the street and he would be a casualty as well. I walked a few feet away and called him when he dashed over I loaded him in to my truck and drove him home. He was panting and Mal nourished exhausted and traumatized, and cute. After giving him two doses of feline Frontline and feeding him chicken I spent the next few hours picking ticks and flees off. He let me groom and pick to my hearts content. Dr. Missy after responding to my SOS gave him a clean bill of health shots ET all, and made an appointment for three weeks to neuter him. Collar leash, etc. procured, Barry, Craig and I, came to an agreement he was to be Cesar. I wanted Leal, Loyal but love Cesar Milano the "Dog Whisperer" so...I do call him Cesar Leal in our intimate petting bonding times. Sometimes I see the sadness in his eyes for the pretty female who died. I often look in the area to see if any offspring can be found. He is such a sweet loving dog and he is as quirky as Pablo. They, are the best of friends and play and wrestle between naps. It is so much fun to watch these two interact, Callie also has taken to Cesar, although she achews the horseplay for some licky snoozy time with him. I thank the universe who heard me say more than once to Barry, I would like a dog...

Craig has spent a semester at our local campus of UTB and is working part time at Best Buy. His plans are to register in the Spring in Austin after the fall semester here. I am so very happy that he will continue with his degree process and have enjoyed having Craig again so close. I think he has a love hate relationship with the area, but I think it has been a very good experience all in all. in June Craig flew to London for a week with the Casados' and then to Paris for a week spending time with friends. He brought me home a beautiful gold band that was found in the park and it fits perfectly!

Goli, and Adam built the Town House we had a wonderful party there, ( I swear I wrote a blog all about this but maybe it's Deja vu). On second thought though, the commute has been very hard and they rented it out and may look for something in town. As I write they have left their visit with Margo and Ricki and have headed to Paris. Bon Voyage, and enjoy your Euro trip kids. Tyrion their pup is a delight and I think Sholeh and he are inseparable. I don't think he gets along with the resident cat, he sees her as sport, and she in turn does not like guerrilla warfare.

Margo and Ricki have been travelling between work. On their Christmas holiday they sailed down the Nile and toured Egypt. Thank you Isis. We are expecting a little girl early in September. That makes me a Bubbie and Barry a Zedie, I can't help it, I think it's very funny in this day and age but I am coming to love the monikers more and more. I know Carmen and Mel are over the moon and delighted. I am leaving for London on the 18th of Aug. and coming home tentatively Sept. 22nd Margo's birthday. I hope Carmen can meet me there and we can co-coach and cheerleaders.

Rossana and I have been up to no good as often as we can, and I continue to make lunches so we can gab to our hearts content. It is wild really we talk all day and or text all day and still have things to to share. We often muse what we would get up to if we were back door neighbors, pajama parties and tea in the wee small hours. I have a lot of thanking to do this year Yom Tov.

Barry and I are content, although we miss dancing and food and markets. We, US, are happy and bicker lightly or tease sardonically. And once in a while just to let the air out we have a bit of a toe to toe and it is all good. Because he knows that I am really right, LOL.

Clark, Barry's nephew continues to grow and I think is topping six feet. He is also one of the top students at the Barry school, and his musical prowess grows as he masters several wind instruments, Latin Hebrew and Spanish. I'm tired just thinking about it. All i can say is Kvell.

My nephew Harrison is gearing up for his Bar Mitzvah, and tells me all about the party my sister has planned and wow is it. He ends the description with a wink, this is my mom's idea of just a little something. He cracks me up. I can"t wait and will go dress/gown hunting ASAP. I think I may mail it up to N.Y. just in case...

Since the last posting I think I am even smaller, you can't see but I am now a size small-6. I haven"t been that little since I was a toddler, seriously. I spent about eight hours yesterday finally purging my closet and dresser of stuff, and the last of my big cloths. I made a big commitment here, I have given away the last of it. I think I am shrinking though, not just the weight. We used to kid about my mother being just a wisp of Platinum white hair over the steering wheel, I um think I am going to become a wisp of Strawberry Blond over my steering wheel seriously.

I continue to make Jewelry, selling some. I think in the late fall I will host a tea and show my line. I have a growing stock and as much as I like hording it's time to let go. My pantry will attest to my new non hording venture as I slowly use it up and refill very judicially. Turning over some old habits are hard, but we evolve so...


As always I am greatful for my friends and family for being such loves. And for the brilliant soul who invented spell check.

"It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference." - Tom Brokaw