A Bus Trip in the South

In 1959, a friend and I decided to move to Miami, Fl for the winter. We boarded a Greyhound bus in Indianapolis, IN. My friend's sister told us that if we wanted to drink, watch for service men sitting at the back of the bus. We saw two sailors go to the back of the bus and so did we!

It didn't take us long to become friendly, share their bottle and pair up. A boy named Chuck on his way home to Georgia with two weeks' leave sat with me and by dark we were cuddling and getting to know each other. A little later our privacy was interrupted by a "colored" man squatting down next to us even though there was a seat available in front of us next to an older "white" woman. We two couples had taken up seats in the back and he wasn't allowed up front. I asked the woman in front of us would it be alright with her if he sat next to her and she said it was fine with her. I'm sure she must have been a northerner or she would not have agreed.

What happened later shocked me to the core! At about daylight, the bus pulled into the next bus stop and the driver walked through the bus counting heads. When he saw the "colored" man sitting next to the "white" woman, he ran the man off the bus, shouting. "You know better than that, nigger, now, get off this bus!" I was outraged! After all, the man had paid the same fare as the rest of us and now he would have to pay again and get on another bus to make it to wherever he was going. Partly that, but mostly the inhumanity of the treatment he received.

So I do understand the tears shed at the Obama celebration election night. What a validation for all people of color that in the USA we have finally gotten past race, at least for one day.

I still don't like Obama's politics, but we'll see. By the way, that boy Chuck and I married 7 days later and had two daughters before divorcing. Until next time----

Patriotism

A piece on CBS News This Morning started me thinking about how I feel about patriotism. Part of it is being proud of my country. The liberals would have you believe that the USA is a terrible country, it's not! We Americans care more for people all over the world than all the other countries put together.

The liberals would have you think that pride of country is a bad thing and that we shouldn't put ourselves and our country first above all others. Why not? This is the country that people all over the world are striving to come to and when they become citizens they are proud to wear a flag pin, recite the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag and sing the National Anthem. They are not worried that they might hurt some other country's feelings if they are patriotic to the USA. They are living their dream.

I'm proud to be an American, sing the National Anthem and salute the flag. I love my country and I think that's being patriotic. I can't imagine living anywhere else.

Until next time----

Palin's Clothes

On Sunday I was watching "CBS News Sunday Morning" and the outspoken Nancy Giles did a piece on how we women love shopping for sales. But the piece somehow only talked about Sara Palin's clothes--the $150,000 that the Republican Party spent to dress Governor Palin and her family. Only she didn't talk about the family only Governor Palin. It turns out that the next day on the CBS early show they interviewed the proprietor of the consignment store in Alaska where Governor Palin does most of her shopping. Consignment! That's not sale shopping?

I have absolutely no problem with the Republican party using my $25.00 donation for Governor Palin's wardrobe. She hasn't been around national politics long enough to have amassed a fortune like the majority of the Washington insiders. I wonder where the Obama's got all their clothes?

Nancy Giles manages to come up with pieces every week or so that knock Republicans, whites, conservatives, and Bush in particular in the guise of something else. Apparently CBS approves of this. I don't!

Until next time...Please forward. I welcome all comments.

Joe Biden

On Sunday, speaking to a crowd, Joe Biden brought up the scenario that within six months of being elected, Obama would be tested by the international community. He said, "Mark my words it will not be six months before the world tests him." Also, he said, "Watch, we're going to have an international crisis to test the mettle of this guy!" And he begged the crowd to remember what he said and remain standing with Obama when it happens.

Folks, this is scaring me. What's going to happen? A dirty bomb? Russia forcing us to support one of our allies in Europe? Chavez in Venezuela? Cutting off our oil imports? Bombings in this country by terrorists? You fill in the blanks. Is this what we should expect after Obama is elected? Is he going to say, "Oh, please, can't we just sit down and talk it out?" Those are the statements he's made. He'll sit down with our enemies who want to kill us all. It begs the question--where do his loyalties really lie?

Please think long and hard about what is best for this country before you vote. You will be getting CHANGE and it won't be what you expect.

Until next time....

Grit and Determination

This Tuesday on my way to work, I drove past a neighbor down the street as she pulling weeds in her yard. On Wednesday, I saw her washing clothes in her shed. This neighbor is quite active entertaining her friends for cards, spending time on her computer, tending to her finances and keeping a spotless house and person.

The thing you need to know about this neighbor is that eight years ago she had a devastating stroke that left her paralyzed on her right side. She does all the cleaning, weeding, laundry, cooking, and taking care of her personal habits with the use of her left arm only and sitting in a wheelchair. Other than her daughter and son-in-law helping with shopping and hairdo needs she may have, she does everything by herself.

This woman is my mother and I can't tell you how much I admire her grit and determination to remain independent at the age of 87 and handicapped. Her spirit is ageless and unfettered! Everyone should have a role model like her.

Economy

Where should I begin... Am I not remembering right? The only problem we had just a few months ago was the high price of gas and that was causing a downswing in the market, and now all of a sudden we are headed for a depression unless we legislate a ginormous bail out of the entire mortgage industry. Can't we step back, take a breath and just take a longer look at the problem before we get into a huge new government program. We all know how well the government does things--the only thing government is good for is spending more money than it brings in. I am very opposed to bailing out every new homeowner that bought more than they could afford or the new homeowners who's credit and financial standing were so bad they should not have been given a mortgage to start with.

Until a few years ago, we all worked hard, saved our money and built up our credit to gain approval for a mortgage. When did it all change? Now its every person's right to own their own home whether they can make the payments or not. And now the democrats are talking about bailing them all out. We will be making their payments for them through government programs.

I reread the blogs before I send them out and don't see any grammar or spelling problems at the time, but later when I read them again after they've been published, I always find one. How about you, have your seen my goofs? I have more thoughts, but have run out of space--til next time.

Oprah Winfrey

During the 2000 presidential election campaign, Winfrey had both Gore and Bush on her show. Gore was first and it was such a love fest. They talked about how they knew each other in Kentucky working at the same TV station. It was a "goo goo, and gah gah". And then Bush came on and she was polite but spent the entire time asking him tough question. I didn't have a problem with that, but I did have a problem with the difference in how the two candidates were treated. Since that time I've rarely watched her show and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Now, she says she not going to have candidates on her show before the election after she had Obama on twice before he declared. If she really cared about women and women's issues she would be first in line to interview Sarah Palin. What a phony!

I went to a card party last night and our host needed help programming his cell phone voicemail. A call to a friend's granddaughter solved the problem. For kids these newfangled things are easy, for us not so much. Til next time-----

Sarah Palin

Govenor Palin arrived in Orlando by plane two hours ago and was met by her family. The media was shocked that she was not met by any dignitaries and also, that her family was already here and they didn't know about it. Oh! Glory! They didn't have the opportunity to hound her children.

They mentioned that she was coming to The Villages (where I live) on Sunday afternoon to speak. They said that she was having a free day tomorrow, but they didn't know where she and her family would be staying. I'll bet their going to Disney World.

The tickets to her speech are going fast especially since they are free and we all know what that means in The Villages--a stampede. I'm not being snide, I've just been here for a long time and I've seen it all.

Hubby made minestrone for supper tonight. "Yummo!" as Rachel Ray says. I took a video of him on our cruise walking around our tiny cabin and finally showed it to him today . It was a giggle. I was trying to film our cabin (and him) but the space was so tight, everytime he moved the camera jiggled. When I would get dressed, I'd make him leave the cabin so I could move around. It was a squeeze by myself.

I'm dithering as usual, but at least you can delete anytime it gets to be too much for you.

Until next time--

This and that

I heard on the radio today that some vicious person(s) hacked into Sarah Palin's personal email and posted it on the web. No doubt a rabid Obama supporter trying to slime the governor. They are very afraid. She has tipped the scales in favor of McCain and they are wetting themselves. How often did you see screaming crazy conservatives outside Obama's convention. None?! But nutsy liberals were in attendance at the McCain convention.

I've recently talked to an Obama supporter and he brought up something confusing to him. He said he didn't understand his Republican friends--they were spending so much time and money on needy causes. I remarked that maybe it's because they were republican and conservative that they behaved that way. He stopped and thought for a moment and then said I might be right because liberals want government to do it all. Bingo! I hope he thought it over and raised his opinion of us conservative republicans a little.

I'm supporting a good cause by sewing Christmas stockings and donating money to Operation Shoebox in the Villages. Maybe next time I'll figure out how to send a link. The boys and girls fighting in Iraq and Afganistan so appreciate anything we can send them. I'm honored to do my small part in making their life a little more comfortable.

Hubby is taking me on a hot date tonight. We are going out for salad, entree, and dessert at Cici's Pizza. He's lucky because I'm such a cheap date--I don't drink and don't care much for meat dishes. Cici's is good for me, how about you?

Until next time---