Weekend Assignment #30

As I was reading the assignment, I began to remember the shows that were important to me when I was younger.  We didn't have a color T.V. for some time, so the characters were in black and white.  My mom was a TV sleeper.  She would fall asleep on the couch with the television on.  I would get up in the night and watch for a while.  One of my favorite movies came out of this time.  I loved Captiain Blood with Errol Flynn!

My best friend Becky loved Ben Casey, while all of my heart circled around Dr. Kildare.  Richard Chamberlain was young and very handsome.  I wouldn't miss the show.  Then one Thursday aternoon while at choir practice - there he was!  Dr. Kildare (oops, Richard Chamberlain) right there in the basement of out church.  We has a radio station and he and a woman were singing into a microphone.  I couldn't stop looking and finally he cme out, signed an autograph for me and kissed my forehead.  I thought I would pass out!  His partner in song came to retrieve him.  She was scandalous to me.  She had on a tight black dress and had taken off her shoes and was walking around in her nylons.  I didn't want to wash my face.  I kept that slip of paper for what seems like forever. 

It's hard to pick any other favorite when you have been kissed on the forehead by Richard Chamberlain, but I must say that as much as I loved Dr. Kildare, Columbo has always been my #1 favorite of the old shows.  Even today, when I see that he's on cable, I'll switch over.  His series came on Sunday at first, rotating the time spot with McCloud, McMillan & Wife and another that seems to slip my mind at the moment.  They all had a mystery theme, but Columbo was so popular that his show soon became a regular ater the others died out.  "Just one more thing . . ." he'd say as he was leaving the suspect's house.  Wonderful!

I would love to be on the game show Jeopardy.  When I watch at home I get about 90% of the answers befor the buzzer.  I wonder if I'd choke uner the pressure.  Probably.  Give me something simple and multiple choice like Hollywood Squares.

All Hallow's Eve

We just got back from a trip to the store.  It's kind of cool that we can go whenever we want and don't have to slog through the mud to get there.  I just talked to the ministry in Mexico and the rain has made a true mess for them.  If it weren't for the donation of a couple of 4 wheel-drive vehicles (old but trustworthy), they wouldn't get in or out at all.  And there's more rain and wind on the way.

About the store.  I'm still not used to all of this yet.  Supermarkets have so many things.  But what I want to know is this:  have I had my head in the sand for all these years?  When did Halloween become a major holiday?  There is a huge section of Halloween cards, special and high-priced decorations (that we used to make at home), Halloween cake, cookies, ice cream, bread.  What's up here?  Every ad flyer for every store has spooky writing and Halloween specials. 

Now I'm probably going to get in trouble here, but we don't even celebrate Halloween.  Our reasons are personal and I won't go into them.  Suffice it to say that even if I had the money right now to go to a theme park, I couldn't take my kid there.  I don't mind that others celebrate the day.  I just think a little restraint is in order.  I know I'm a humbug, but I like me that way! 

In Mexico, they celebrate the Day of the Dead and Halloween.  But at least there, the whole city isn't lit up like Halloweentown.  We never let the kids participate in either of them.  The Day of the Dead is interesting culturally, but a little tough for grade-schoolers to understand.  They cut out snowflakes, get flowers and candles and build an altar to their dead relative.  On the altar, the place all his or her favorite food and drink and wait for him to come back and eat it.  Last year, we saw a huge procession of cars go to the cemetary and lots of dinking, etc., going on.  The real die-hards even stayed after the rain started.

I guess we're lucky here.  Halloween isn't actually forced on us even if it's everywhere we look.  Andrea is home schooled, so she doesn't have to go each day into a classroom filled with witches, ghosts, goblins and skeletons. 

I like Thanksgiving, however, and do celebrate Christmas, though not with as much flair as the stores and some homes.  This will be our first Christmas away from the ministry.  It should be a bit quieter and different.  I also like Valentine's Day, Easter, 4th of July.  We're not anti-holiday, you see, just anti-commercialism.

Just thinkin'

Went to the doctor yesterday for x-rays and a new cast.  This time I let Andrea choose the color.  She chose pink, but they didn't have enough, so I'm purple now.  Actually it's kind of pretty.  Nicer than those old heavy plaster things they used to have. 

I had a chance to ask the doc why the pain didn't stop when the cast went on.  He smiled.  He's young enough to be my son and he grinned "that" grin.  He was probably thinking, "Silly old woman - still believes in old wives' tales."  Well, personally, I'd like to find a few of those old wives and strangle them.  It still hurts, darn it! 

We had a lot of waiting to do while there.  Orthopedists are busy people.  Andrea and I were reading the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia.  She's actually intersted!  Praise God!  She loses interest in everything quickly and our advisor said she might read better if read to.  I'm trying it.  I tried a couple very trendy children's books, but she just got up and walked away.  This book is catching her.  I don't know what the difference is, but I'm grateful.  It's very hard homeschooling a kid who should be at a higher level and having to go back to basics.  Part of it is the language barrier, but also the fact the the schools in Mexico just reek.  Only very naturally smart kids will do well there, because the teachers don't teach - they assign.  And they don't care who does your homework as long as its turned in.  Since our kids studied in groups at the ministry, Andrea always managed to get someone else to do hers.  Maybe she used leverage as the directors' daughter, I don't know, but what ever, she's really struggling now.

This morning we are doing math again.  She's getting ready to take a test.  She thinks she can sweet-talk me into letting her slide and I feel like an ogre, but that's something I will have to deal with.  Word math is the worst.  I always hated that, too.  At least I understood all the words.  The workbook rushes the kid through and we have to do a lot of board work for her to get a good understanding.  I know now why I was never a teacher.  I'm figuring it out, though

When the test is over, we are going to read again.  Good mother-daughter time as well.  I like that.

Shoes, schmooz

These may be my favorite all-time shoes.  Up until I found these, my favorites were a pair of Uggh boots that I ware nearly all year 'round.  I have really beaten them up, but they are currently very close as my second choice. 

I am a comfort creature and my feet are always cold.  And if they are cold, I am cold and everyone around me is miserable.  Or at least they think so.  So, several years ago, the pair of Uggh boots came in our donations to the ministry.  After assuring myself they were clean, I slipped my feet in and I swear I hear an audible "thank you" from inside the boots.  Beautiful they are not, but they have been my mainstay for years. 

My second choice (now third) would be a slip-on shoe that I don have to bend down to put my foot in.  I'm not big on lace-ups, although I will wear them when the situation warrants.  I never wear heels.  Not that they don't look nice and all, but 15 years on bumpy turf makes for a "flats" decision hands-down.  Even now, I am not too comfortable in heels - actually afraid of them.  With good reason, too.  I recently tangled myself up and broke my wrist without the aid of heels. 

So, about a month ago, the pastor's wife and I go out to get our nails painted.  It was fun.  All the gals speak Vietnamese and Dora was having trouble understanding.  I don't speak Vietnamese, but am accustomed to listening to "pidgen" English, so was able to help her out.  When we were finished, we wandered around a bit and went into the shoe store.  Now, I don't need shoes.  I have my comfy slip-on sandals, a pair of slip-on churchy shoes and my Ugghs.  But as we were looking, Dora spotted these.  "Don't you wear some boots like this?" she asked.  Do I ever!  She had found what could possibly have been the buy  of the century for me.  And on sale!

These little shoes are furry inside like my Ugghs, but have the ease and comfort of being slip-ons.  My toes are snuggly warm and I am happy as I can be.  I'm trying to figure out how to dress them up for church. 

We live in the greatest country in the world!

I am so happy and proud to be an American!  There's a lot to be said for living in the United States.  I'm not saying this just because I recently returned from15 years in Mexico, though that makes my feelings all that much stronger. 

Day by day, I see political stuff on the television.  I'll be so glad when the election is over and the voters have taken their stand to choose a president, officials and local issues.  I do tire of listening to the rhetoric.  But more than that. There are still many countries that have no free and fair elections.  The process away from here is quite watered-down.  The candidates in Mexico, for example, put posters up and go out and stump a little, but for the most part, depend on hired young people to plaster bumper stickers on cars.  It's difficult for them to choose the best one for the job, because the average citizen doesn't get to hear the plat form.

Well, I digress.  I went to the market a few minutes ago to get a few things.  On the way out, we realized I had forgotten the very thing I went to the store for.  Don't say it!  I'm not old!  Just some things tend to leak out through the gray hairs (I only have about 10).  Anyway, I went back in, got in the express line to pay for my item and the lady in front of me was harrassing the checker. I'd quote, but I would never get the words perfect.  The gist of it was this - We have to get rid of this government!  It is US, our government, who are the terrorists.  It has all been created by our messed up country.  WE keep third world countries that way because it's to our advantage. - It went on and on.  This lady was angry.  She said we wouldn't get the truth on the news unless we studied international news.  It's all propaganda.  Poor checker.  The customer is always right.  Don't argue politics, subversive stuff, religion or anything else sensitive.  Just nod your head and smile.  I know she had an opinion.  I could read her eyes.

Still, that exchange is what makes the U.S.A. the greatest country in the world.  In many countries, that lady would have been executed on the spot. Not here.  She is free not only to have that opinion, but to express it where ever she goes as long as she doesn't try to express it with a weapon. 

Folks, we have RIGHTS!  We have the right to disagree with our government.  We can peacefully (or loudly) demonstrate to exercise our rights and tell our opinions.  We have so many rights it's almost disgusting.  And although I don't agree with them all, I am proud to be in a country where our rights are protected.

I mean it.  Go spend some time away from the U.S.  Little things we take for granted disappear.  If you are arrested, you are guilty until proven innocent.  Bail may never be set.  I have a friend whose son has been in jail without charges for over 12 years.  Why?  Since no one in the family can pay the bribe, they won't let him out. 

I know there are places right here at home where there is corruption, illegal financing and all that stuff.  I didn't say we lived in a perfect country, just the best.  Anyone who doubts that can go live somewhere else. 

As for me, I'm home.

That's over . . .

Well, the debates are finally over.  Against my better judgement, I watched most of the final one tonite.  I wonder how much good they did?  Any reasonable person is not going to use these as a basis for decision.  Of course, I know there are a lot of unreasonable people out there. For a country full of very educated people, there are a lot of them who haven't ever had a single original thought.  Like lambs led to the slaughter, they go for the mildest, least offensive answer.  Personally, I don't care what your answer is.  I read and watch and study and use the brain that God gave me to make up my own mind.

My best friend and I disagree on almost every issue.  We disagree on candidates.  I heard her candidate say nearly word for word something she said to me yesterday.  Do you think they've been chatting?  I love her, but am so very glad that I haven't fallen for the line she has.

A very dear person to me was very fond of stating, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."  I say that all the time now.  I got my absentee ballot and took my stand. 

Will you?

Movie Queen

Whoo-hoo!  Another in a long line of firsts for us and for Andrea!  We went shopping this morning, out to grab a bite and on the way home, I say the Century 16 theater from the freeway.  I told Robert to get off at the next off ramp.  We were going to check the movies showing and the prices.  Talk about sticker shock!  Movies in Mexico cost about $2.00 to get in.  Thank the good Lord it was matinee time (do they even say matinee anymore?) 

Andrea looked at us and said, "What is this place?"  I looked at Robert and he looked at me . . .thinking, thinking, accessing memory banks.  Nope, we had never taken her to a movie in Mexico, nor had anyone else to our knowledge.  As broke as we were, we just had to do it.  After hitting the ATM inside, we also bought a king's ransom of goodies: 3 drinks, 1 popcorn, 1 candy: $18.  What's that MasterCard commercial?  The look on her face whenshe saw the movie screen:  priceless!

We sat in a nearly empty theater to watch Shark Tales - not bad as cartoons go, and Andrea absolutely loved it.  She munched on popcorn and sat in wonder in a place we have by now taken for granted.  Oh, what a blessing it is to have brought her here from a third world country to experience the American dream.

I had forgotten the how cool movie theaters could be.  I so seldom attend that I can count the number of times in the past 10 years on one hand and possibly have change.  Videos and DVD's have become a way of life for us.  Anything we actually want to see waits for the home version.  Boy, have we been missing the good stuff!

Well, there's always matinee tickets, senior and kid discounts, a backpack to carry our own snacks and a little girl with bright black eyes to encourage us.  Who are we kidding?  More movies comin' up.