Thirty Four Years!!

My how time flies when you're having fun!
We had such a fun Thanksgiving weekend at Charlie's house in Chandler. Lots of good food, lots of laughter, lots of incredible video chases and races. Even managed to slip in a movie--Transporter 3. If you liked the first Transporter you'll love this one.
Now we're back home. Today is our 35th Anniversary. Wow. Actually, today is our 34th anniversary. I guess I had time flying a little faster than warp speed for a second there.
Yesterday was Michael's 30th birthday. For those who know and love him, he does not have long distance, and they canceled their cell phones. So just keep calling and eventually someone will answer. Happy B'day Miguel!
It always feels nice to be home. I am going to lay back and put my feet up. I slipped and slid across the wet floor at a Panda Express on the way home today. Now my ankle is swollen and black and blue. Oh well. Have a wonderful week. Hasta luego!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!! I hope you had a wonderful day and plenty of turkey. We spent Thanksgiving with Charlie, Megan, and Graham and with Charlie's girlfriend Leslie. A fun time was had for all. More later. We love you all.

This is not the crown!

Hmmm. Dad got up early and was dressed before I woke up this morning. But, despite my surprise I hopped right up and we went over to the dentist for his crown, and then they did a prep for another tooth that broke yesterday. Came back to the USA and went shopping at Walmart. Isn't that just about as American as apple pie? (Should I say pumpkin pie in November??)

Then went to see the new James Bond movie. I will only say this--if you miss the first 5 minutes you will have to stay and watch it over again to know what is going on. But like any good Bond movie it is full of non-stop action and exotic locations. I liked it both times. And our movie theater sells Finitos. I think it is probably the only theater in America that does. Finitos are Mexican fruit icies with sweetened condensed milk stirred in. They are even more delicious than that sounds.

Congrats to Alon who will finally soon have his permanent residency!! We are so glad. And happy birthday to Nola, Ari, Michael and Charlie whose birthdays have either just passed or are just approaching. What a great time of year!!

We went across the line this morning to the dentist. What a beautiful day. Mike got a temporary crown. Next week he'll get his real crown and you will have to address him as King Martin the Brave. We went and visited a friend who owns a beautiful little shop on Calle Elias. She hadn't been working since the death of her husband, but her doctor told her she had to come back to work. She was getting depressed sitting around the house. She looked better than the last time we saw her. We paid a boy 50 cents to watch our car for ten minutes. An hour later when we got back he was till there, so I gave him 2 dollars--cheap parking!! Coming back the car in line in front of us broke down and people in other cars got out and pushed it to the crossing. The custom's agent immediately closed her booth with us sitting there next in line. But on such a lovely day who could complain. An hour later we crossed back into the good ol USA and bought McDonald's sandwiches for lunch.

Happy Veteran's Day to one and all.

A Change of direction

The following quotes are from a survey of civilizations titled Prehistoric Germanic Europe.

"From the material evidence surveyed, culture appears to be a collective attempt at providing answers to the questions posed by man."

And what are these questions?

". . . a collective attempt to provide answers to the questions about his position in this life and the next life."

Then, what happens to our culture when the answers to these all important questions are no longer clear? Culture falters. Civilization falters.

"As long as a distinct set of answers was satisfactory, the distinctive aspects of the culture remained constant and offered that degree of continuity which made for stability."

"It appears on the other hand, that experiment, innovation, and change are a response to inadequacy in some sector of the culture's general view of the world."

When people lose their faith, when they have no particular plan (concerning the big questions), then they wander and stray off in all possible directions.

It's the answer to the questions of why we are here and where we are going after this life that keep us as a society functional. Otherwise there is only the seeking of power, gain, and influence, or whatever it is that we can get at the moment.

So what is the 'drug culture'? for example, or the culture of 'change'? Why in the last few decades have we collectively (not necessarily individually) begun to accept abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, secularism etc, etc.--abrupt changes from centuries of accepted and acceptable behavior.

I believe that as a culture there are many changes that could and should be made in our ways of thinking and acting. But these changes have to be based on a firm foundation if we are to survive as a viable, stable culture.

I guess what I am wondering is have we as a culture lost our foundation? Are we wondering off, traveling in a leaky boat? And is a change in direction necessarily a good thing if we don't know have any idea where we're headed.

Manana land

Well Mexico is no longer putting off until tomorrow the things that can be done today. Sunday the chief of police in Nogales, Sonora was killed. Tuesday the equivalent of Mexico's vice president died when his Lear Jet crashed into rush hour traffic on Ave Reforma in downtown Mexico City. . . What is happening to our friendly neighbor to the South??

Drug cartels have changed the face of the nation:
Mexican distribution rings supply about 90 percent of the cocaine, 80 percent of the methamphetamine and half of the marijuana used in the United States, and drug cartels are fighting viciously over that trade.

Mexico's most-wanted man, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, head of the Pacific-coast Sinaloa cartel, has declared war on the local drug baron, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, and sent his foot soldiers to drive out the Juarez cartel. The Gulf cartel based around the Gulf of Mexico coast has joined the fight.

Last we heard Shorty was settling in down in Chihuahua.

The continuing waves of violence have "put the country at the top of some of the most infamous lists in the world: the country with the most kidnappings, the most violent crimes, the most journalists killed in the Western Hemisphere."

Vamos a Mexico? Not this winter. Thanks anyway.

Today's the day

The removal of the Jesuists from Mexico, late 1700's: Politics of course, both the Pope and the King agreed that the Jesuits had too much power. The Jesuits had done a great work in the Pimeria--Northern Mexico and Southern Arizona. But, their missions were abandoned, their converts left to their own resources until the Franciscans (with a completely different attitude toward the Indians) came in 40 years later. In the background is the church at Matape, gathering place for the Jesuits who were sent on to Guaymas, then to San Blas and across Mexico to Veracruz. I think about half survived.

Do you think the Democrats and Republicans will be any kinder toward one another??

Today's the day; today is the election. Finally. We voted a couple of weeks ago. So I have tried not to spend 24 hours a day watching pre-election coverage. Which means that there is almost nothing to watch on TV. Not a bad thing. Last night a friend called me to tell her how to fill out her ballot. So much for the secret ballot. All I can give are my opinions. Which are dead on of course.

Meanwhile, I keep watering the garden. I have to plant my apricot tree in the ground today. I am moving my pepper plant inside. I think it will give us bell peppers all winter--too late for the tomatoes. We had a cold windy spell about a month ago and the wild mesquite lost all their leaves. Since then it has been so unseasonably nice and warm that everything is putting out new shoots.

So, what do you think? Do you have a favorite candidate!!!??

Wish us luck here in Amereeka.

The border was closed on Sunday. Apparently the cartel retaliated for the deaths of 10 of its members by killing a number of police officers. There is no end.

On that cheery note, Have a good day!!