Thursday 12th June

As usual this morning I was out early at Kiwanis, and midday I went to the hospital chapel.  Chaplain Bill had to go to the City but was hoping to be back in time but he rang my cell phone just after I got there, asked me to relay the message that he wouldn't be able to make it.    So the 9 of us who were there organised ourselves into a little Prayer Service.

Afterwards went home and glued myself to the television news, and there is so much of it.
I am sure you have seen this yourself....

Is this Armageddon, I ask myself.   As of this minute we don't know what the US is going to do, but it has to do something.  If it doesn't hurry to fill the vacuum in Iraq, then Iran will, and Iran has nuclear weapons.  And although no one has said this, I think the first will be dropped on Israel  And that WILL be Armageddon.

And predictably, in the light of this crisis fuel prices have shot up.

Yesterday in Shawnee it was about $3.20 something a gallon.   Passing a filling station this afternoon it had gone up to $3.62 a gallon, £2.13.   And I know it is about £10 a gallon at home so I am not asking for your sympathy.

I was also looking at fuel prices in California and Hawaii, the two most expensive states in the nation, comparing them with Oklahoma - because this is what you do when you haven't got anything approaching a real life - in CA the average is $4.87.   In HI it was $4.14, but in the last ten hours has gone up to $4.50. 

 

The deserter is on his way back to the US - not that anyone else is calling him that, but I don't have to be politically correct.  Of course, when he is in the White House, receiving a Purple Heart, because all the time he was really a double agent, carrying out acts of extreme heroism, I'll have egg on my face won't I.

 

 

His comrades - who have come on television and confirmed he walked off the base and deserted, because they were sent to look for him - are all being rubbished by the left wing media, who say it was a very ill disciplined, raggedy unit.  They wore cut off tee shirts and bandanas.  Well, that's a crime against humanity.

 He is expected to land very shortly from Germany, and will be taken to a psychiatric military hospital in Texas.  Usually, when prisoners are handed over they are returned very quickly to be reunited with their families, and people were demanding to know why this guy was still languishing in Germany, not wanting to see his parents.

It has been disclosed that he was formerly in the Coast Guard (which over here is a branch of the armed services) and he was discharged because of psychiatric problems.   So he joined the army - which has provoked a great deal of amazement, it is very unusual for another branch of the military to take someone who had been discharged - and they sent him to Afghanistan.   Did they think that would cure his psychiatric problems, I wondered.

I can hardly wait for it all to come out.

This is another scandal that is going from bad to much worse.  Very widespread corruption and cover up, involving the department of Veterans Affairs, I mentioned it last week.

It has nothing to do with Mitt Romney, by the way.  He was being interviewed because he is hosting a conference of top Republicans.  And he is not going to run for President, he is busy with his 22 grandchildren.

I know we complain at times about our government, but looking at this I can't help thinking how much better our Parliamentary system is.   There would be a vote of 'no confidence' in the House, the government would be out, and we'd be setting a date for a General Election.   But this is just going to drag on, and on, and on, until the end of Obama's Presidency.  

So, let's have some light relief.

It is called a Strawberry Full Moon because in north America June is the peak time for harvesting strawberries.

I thought this was quite interesting -

Full Moon names have been used by many cultures to describe the full moon throughout the year. Specifically, Native American tribes used moon phases and cycles to keep track of the seasons by giving a distinctive name to each recurring full moon, including the Strawberry Moon. The unique full moon names were used to identify the entire month during which each occurred.

Although many Native American tribes gave distinct names to the full moon, the most well known full moon names come from the Algonquin tribes who lived in the area of New England and westward to Lake Superior. The Algonquin tribes had perhaps the greatest effect on the early European settlers in America, and the settlers adopted the Native American habit of naming the full moons.

Tuesday 10th June

I haven't got the car back yet, Terry has been working on it all day.   He thinks he has resolved the problem but wants to keep it overnight to see how it starts in the morning.

So I have been indoors watching the news, and my word, there is plenty of it.

This was being broadcast live for most of the morning.  There has been YET another shooting in a school.   The 74th school shooting since Newtown CT in December 2012.   Schools are so dangerous here I don't know how parents say goodbye to their kids in the morning.

I don't know if the student was randomly shot, or if the gunman deliberately shot him, we haven't heard yet what the motive was.   A member of staff was hit too, but I gather it just grazed his hip.  The gunman turned the gun on himself.

And this shooting happened at the end of last week at a University in Seattle, with one dead and three injured.

 

 

And this row is not about to abate anytime soon.



 

 



 

She was signing books in New York's Barnes & Noble.   It is being said she wants to get  'awkward' questions about Benghazi out of the way before she runs for President.  

This is a major humanitarian crisis at the moment on the southern border, thousands of unaccompanied children are streaming across escaping from the violence going on in Central America; El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala.    Refugee camps are being set up for them in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma in military bases.    It would be getting a lot more coverage if there wasn't so much else happening too.

And finally..............Pattisue rang this evening and suggested seeing 'Driving Miss Daisy'.    It was on at the cinema, but it was a film of a stage show, and the worst of both worlds. If I see a film I want action, and good sets.  I really didn't like it,  there were only three people in it, and I had a hard time following it because of the accents (like people here have a hard time with mine) so I don't really know what it was about.   And we assumed it would be the normal cinema price of $5.75, so were aghast at being charged $23.    Unsurprisingly, there were only four of us in the auditorium.

Coming out of the cinema the sun was going down.........................

Monday 9th June

Oh Woe is Me.   Things have not gone well today.   We had a power failure which lasted several hours, I could feel the house getting hotter and hotter.     Eventually - when I was really wanting a cup of tea - I got out my little propane gas stove, and was looking at it nervously.    I feel that with all the emergencies I am subject to, living here, I have to have these things even if I don't know how to operate them.

 

But then the power suddenly came back on before I was desperate enough to try and light it.

 

Then I couldn't start the car, which is really beginning to worry me.   It is only a couple or so weeks ago I had a similar problem and Terry had to come out to the hospital.   This time he came out to the house but couldn't start it, so had to send a tow truck to take it to his place.   It all happened a bit late in the afternoon, so I don't yet know what the problem is, but am just hoping it is nothing too expensively serious.   

 

The news item of the day is Hilary Clinton's book which is published on Tuesday.   And her announcement that she and Bill left the White House 'dead broke', and it was a struggle to get the resources together for the mortgages they needed (note the plural here, it is not a typing error) for the houses they had to buy.

 

I heard about, and subsequently went to the BBC website, to read up on the row between the Home and Education Secretaries.    I was aware that taxpayers were funding schools for Muslims, and I gather they are now being taken over by radical extremists.

 

I don't know what is worse.   The radical Muslims and Taliban launching 9/11 style assaults on the US, or coming in the back door, as they are doing in Britain.     I remember, shortly before I came here, when all crosses had to be removed from our hospital chapels.   I still haven't got over that.

 

Let us hope for a better day tomorrow.

 

Day of Pentecost - and the news

Yesterday, Saturday, I was out all day.   In the  morning I went to a Hispanic Episcopal church in the City where there was a Cursillo reunion/get-together.   I was a little disappointed to be the only person there from Shawnee.    In England I loved going to the reunions, both those on a local and a diocesan level, there was always a big crowd, like a couple of hundred, but although there are several Cursillistas in Emmanuel, I don't think they are really very interested.    

 

But the few people who were there, and the Spanish hosts, were friendly and welcoming. Mostly they were from McAlester, which is about 130 miles away from the City, over in the south east of the state.

 

 



From there I went on to Barnes and Noble, the bookshop I love in Norman, totally  forgetting - until I was in the middle of it - that negotiating busy lanes of traffic in the City is not for little old (faint hearted) English ladies, who haven't grown up used to it.    But as I tell myself in difficult situations, the only way through is to keep going.   Bought another Bill Bryson book.

 

Got home shortly after 5, expecting to find Bubbles suffering from cabin fever and waiting to dash outside, but her latest place to sit is on the bedroom rocking chair, and she was comfortably curled up in that, in no hurry to get up.

 

This morning, Sunday, was pottering on the computer at 8.30, looked at the date and realised it was the 2nd Sunday and my turn to get the donuts for Emmanuel, so had to get a hustle on and dash out the door, the service was at 9.30.

 

I might have said this before but there is nothing in this country that makes me want to scream with frustration, more than Asians, Hispanics and African Americans in shops and restaurants who just stare at me uncomprehendingly when I speak to them.   I then carefully asked the girl in the donut shop if she speaks English, but she continued to just stare at me, like I'd parachuted in from Mars.   A white American in the shop stepped in and interpreted, and told her what I wanted.    I don't get it, I just don't, I am speaking the same language as the white American who knew what I wanted and was able to convey it to the Asian who didn't have a clue.

 

Anyway, back to Emmanuel and Pentecost.

The cake is in honour of the fact that it is the 'birthday' of the Church, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and they founded the church.

 

 

That was a very nice chilled drink being served there, with sliced strawberries in it.

 

 

I don't know what it is but there is some connection over here between Pentecost and ladybirds.  After the service the children run around the garden (although it might have been a bit wet this morning) and try to catch them.

 

The person responsible for the table settings is brilliant at them, I've suggested to her that she write a book, and the little musical instruments shown here brings me to my next point.

 

Rosalyn retired this morning as organist and choir master at Emmanuel, and there was a little presentation for her.

 

 

This is a prayer shawl, woven for her by one of the church members.

 

I will publish this, and might come back this evening with something on the news.  And what a lot of news there is here at the moment.

And in the news................

 

I don't think it is looking good for Obama.   It has been suggested that if any of the released Taliban orders another 9/11 style attack on the US - and one of them has vowed to do so - it is going to jeopardise his Presidency.

 

He also seems to be under the delusion that when all the US soldiers are withdrawn from Afghanistan it is going to be the end of the war.    But in the 21st century wars don't end like that - the Taliban have nothing else to do, they have no intention of stopping their war on the US.    What a mess.........

 

 

This horrifying story happened two or three days ago.   Two twelve year girls pinned down another 12 year old, and as it says stabbed her 19 times.   Miraculously she survived,  one of the stab wounds was 1mm away from a main artery.   Obviously, the twelve year olds who did the stabbing are very seriously disturbed and they were acting out some kind of black magic fantasy they had got into.

 

But horrific and disturbing as this is, what I just can't get my head around is the fact that these children are not being sent away for psychiatric evaluation and care, the prosecution are insisting they be charged and stand trial in an adult court, and if convicted will be sentenced to 62 years in an adult prison.

 

It more than beggars belief............................

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

Thursday 5th June

My desktop pc was slowing down, and at the same time my virus protection was coming up for renewal.   So I went to the AVG website, and there was a wonderful looking programme for $54.99 that sounded as if it would also give me a super fast - practically new - computer, as well as virus protection, including  Firewall.......... the Works.   So I get out the credit card and download it.

Now I don't know how many times I have been told I don't need to pay for virus protection, there are plenty of free programmes.    But what can I say?    I know I am a sucker.     The programme downloaded and to my dismay, consternation, chagrin, panic, the computer went from rather slow to practically crashing.    However, it was able to display all sorts of packages which, in addition to my $54.99, would give me the fast, practically new, computer I was craving.     But I am not that much of a sucker.

 

I had noted that I could get a refund of my virus protection if I applied within 30 days.   So thought I would probably do that, but first would take it to my best friend James, at Staples.   

 

I asked James to download a free virus protection when he'd finished tuning it up, explaining I had paid for the AVG virus protection, and now had their fee to pay as well    He murmured that their fee wouldn't be very much, and when I picked it up he had left the  virus protection I'd paid for and said he wasn't charging me for what he did, as it really wasn't much work, there weren't any viruses.   I think there is a little pity, or compassion, going on here. 

 

I've discovered there are two kinds of Americans here in the south.   Overwhelmingly, there are those like James, or Kevin, or Terry, who are kind, and will go the extra mile for this little old, English woman, and there's the minority who are bigoted and prejudiced towards gays, blacks and foreigners alike, who give me short shrift, but I encounter them mainly when I am making phone calls, which I don't very often, and not if I can help it.

 

Our Kiwanis speaker this morning was the Chief of the Citizen Pottawatomie Tribe who talked about their history.   Which was a relief as their war with the City over sales tax is still ongoing, and we really didn't want to hear any more about it.   He couldn't resist adding a little bit at the end though.

 

This week's scandal on the freed pow (or whatever he is) is ongoing and getting worse for Obama, especially as Democrats are also beginning to join in the outrage.  Six of this guy's former comrades - back in the States, so are no longer serving and having to keep their mouths shut - have been on television saying there was no doubt he deserted, he was opposed to the war they were fighting and walked off the base.    Democrats are desperately trying to deny it, insisting he had served with 'distinction and honour' and had been captured.   But the people around him at the time, like former comrades, obviously have a better idea of the truth, I would have thought, than anyone else.

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday

I was mistaken thinking this was Bubbles' mama, it is her learning disabled sister, Friday (she was born on a Good Friday).  I was introduced to all the next door cats when I first came here, but I've forgotten.  She was laying on those bricks on my back porch all day, and I thought she was breathing funnily, with a kind of twitch, I thought the heat was getting to her so I fetched Donna, who said she always breathes like that.

 

Friday had a very difficult birth and 'died' two or three times, Donna had to keep resuscitating her because her daughter was screaming at her to save her.  So as I say, she is learning disabled,  I think Donna calls her something else, she is not as politically correct as me.

 

I think their mother stays indoors, she is getting too old to be out and about.

 

I was out at the hospital today, then had lunch with Chaplain Bill.  We were discussing the news and I was telling him my theory about Obama and Benghazi.  He wasn't impressed with it either.

 

And on the subject of news............Every week there is a new scandal.  Last week it concerned the Department for Veterans Affairs, which administers - I gather - free health care for veterans, or retired military, regardless of age.  Anyway, waiting lists at their hospitals are way too long, and veterans on the list have been dying waiting for their appointments (of course they are, they are all coming back in droves from these foreign wars they've been fighting, and I just wonder why no one seemed to foresee this).    But worse than the long waiting lists, and veterans who have died waiting, is the cover up, and attempts to hide it all.   Republicans have got their teeth into this (and I'm not blaming them) and heads have started rolling all over the place.  

 

Republicans are also saying darkly, that the Department of Veterans Affairs is what Obama Care is going to be like - ie scandalous and inefficient, to say the least. 

 

This week's scandal concerns the guy/deserter/pow who has just been exchanged for five top level Taliban leaders.   Protestors are saying that it wasn't a fair exchange and the five will go back and  plot more evil deeds against the US.   Someone said - and I think I go along with this - that the Prime Minister of Israel is the toughest leader, and leads the toughest government in the world, and he exchanged 1000 prisoners for a single Israeli, knowing they would be back in the fight,  because "sometimes it is just what you have to do".

 

Video has just been released today of this pow (for want of a better word at the moment) being handed over to the US.   Until today the American public had been given to understand that he was so sick it was a matter of life and death that he be exchanged as quickly as possible. and for that reason Obama didn't seek the required approval from Congress (more chagrin from the Republicans) but as the video shows, he is hardly on his death bed.   He is standing up there, looking perfectly fit, watching the Black Hawk helicopter come down. and he climbed aboard with no problem at all.

 

His father is trying to say that he wanted to help the Afghan people, but as someone rightly pointed out, there are plenty of other agencies who do that, you don't join the US military.  

 

So my theory - here I go again, second guessing the news before it happens - is that that will be his defence when he is court martialled.    And a court martial is almost certainly where he is headed.  Even the balloons have come down, and celebrations have been cancelled in his home town.  And for all my tongue-in-cheek sarcasm my heart does go out to his poor mother.

Monday 2nd June

The weather is getting hotter.   101 on Wednesday, SIGH.   I try to stay indoors and keep cool.  The cats are happy to sunbathe though, Bubbles on the front porch, her mama on the back.

 

I had a phone call this evening from Linda, a neighbour behind me, her mother lives in the house next door to the pitbulls and she lives across the road from her.   She is, understandably, distressed at the conditions under which the dogs are tied up.  One of the smaller dogs is on a particularly heavy chain and looking very pathetic, and she thinks one of the dogs has pink eye - can a dog owner tell me what ' pink eye' is.  And what exactly is a 'choke' chain?    Also one of them is very pregnant I'm told.   Linda obviously has a better view of them than I do, but in my garden bushes are growing up obscuring them.

 

In the news.......  The major news story you have probably heard about is the exchange of five 'hardest of the hard core' Taliban leaders for a US sergeant  who deserted in Afghanistan.   It is only just being confirmed though that he deserted - for the past five years they were saying he was 'captured' by the Taliban.   As the day has worn on however, his offence has progressed from deserting to collaborating with the Taliban.  Before his disappearance he sent his father some very anti American e-mails, which have just been broadcast today.

 

In his home town however they are planning a hero's welcome, with banners and balloons which  I think is going to fall a bit flat by the time he gets back and is extensively de-briefed, charged and court marshalled.    At the moment he is in hospital in Germany,

 

The whole scenario is bizarre.   His parents are appearing with Obama in the Rose Garden, heaven knows why.    And I hardly believed it when I heard his weird looking father quoting in Arabic from the Koran as he stepped up to the podium .   There is a lot more in this than is meeting the eye.

 

And while we are on the subject of there being more in the news than meets the eye......I have been shot down in flames for the absurd notion that Obama was  in Benghazi, meeting with the Ambassador - whose presence there is shrouded in secrecy.   

 

In the unlikely scenario that he was there, don't forget you heard it first from me.

 

And finally.........

 

And they call US a nanny state!!!