Saturday, December 31, 2011

My Decision on the Iowa Caucus

You may recall I’ve said before in this blog, that Herman Cain stated that all a presidential candidate needs to become a good president is intelligence and character, for he will have all around him men chosen for the right advice on matters of state. I’ve had my eye on a certain candidate who has these two factors in generous supply, plus much more of the knowledge of matters of state.

I cast my vote for Rick Santorum, the one who has the perfect family for the White House—remember my saying that early on too? I heard part of his speech today from Iowa. No teleprompters and spoken from the heart. He quoted Chuck Colson who said most of the inmates in our prisons today are there because of the breakdown of the idea of marriage. [Not a direct quote.] Santorum is a good man for these times. Chuck Colson knows what he’s talking about. He’s a very good man too, whose life work is trying to help prisoners find their way back and not repeat their crimes.

I’m not posting 31 blogs for December, though I could if not for the pain. ♥

Friday, December 30, 2011

Explanation

My “Mostly for Americans” blog wasn’t quite clear. Of course, I knew you could not click on the blog itself. I meant for you to type it in and locate it. I did that to find exactly which rendering of the Hymn it was, and will tell you it’s the one sung by four high school choirs plus a kid’s elementary school choir. I do hope you will listen to it. It’s great. I do have an excuse for my clumsiness, you recall. I am in great pain.

Every month I aim to write the number of blogs that the month has days. There’s one more day this month and I need to write four more blogs. Maybe I should make some more mistakes and then write short apologies! I hope you all have a good sense of humor. Humor aside, my blog has had 46 hits today. ♥
AOL Could Do a Better Job

A different neighbor brought in my mail today. He’s the third man in my block who has done so since my surgery. From him, I learned the first man is not doing so well after his surgery of Wednesday. Just about an hour ago I, learned of another friend who is not doing well after an unusual activity, shooting a woodpecker pecking holes in his house. It’s a story that should be written up, but I’m not the one to do so.

I mention these things, not that they are items for AOL’s daily news on my computer, but partly because of the news AOL does present us with each day. A typical line-up of topics includes: a mansion on sale for a few million, the latest car design or mistakes in auto manufacturing, precious pictures of missing children that break my heart, pictures of missing moms, political facts and gossip, some celebrity couple’s pending divorce, sports often with a fight between players and coaches and even with the crowd watching, the scantiest attire some movie star wore in public, some drug bust or related activity, ad infinitum. What an ugly self-portrait we offer to other countries.

Immediately after 9/11, AOL cleaned up its act a bit. It even sounded patriotic, but that didn’t last long. With the world in its present chaos, we don’t need most of this stuff clouding our screens and our attention. Someone will say, “Oh, it gives us relief to think of those things.” What a thin canvas supporting such thoughts.

AOL, give us something more enlightening, more important to real life, more beneficial, more inspirational. The scanty attire is not news. When you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen it all. Boring!

What can you do for your country? ♥
Mostly for Americans

Somewhere in this blog, is the mention that I cry easily at touching news. I’ve just had a sudden attack of tears from a forward that I hope you can locate. It’s certainly not news but is as old as time itself.


Click here: Battle Hymn ♥♥♥
Here Is More about that Nasty Fall

On Thursday, December 22, as I was about to enter WinCo supermarket I fell, and someone called 911. For once, I heard the siren blowing for me. My spine was fractured but did not require surgery. The silliest thing a doctor can say to a woman living alone is, "Rest, and time will heal it." So, five days later, around 5:30 a. m., I fell again, hitting the same spot on the hip. (I must have strong bones.) This time, I had to press my Watch Dog alert for help, for I couldn't move my body. Believe me, the fire department’s turning metal against metal to get into my house is about the most wonderful sound in the world. Firemen are my heroes, and they were there in about five minutes.

The paramedics were right behind them, of course, and I opted not to go back to Emergency. So, I am living with the pain of recovery and reading anything seems not to delight at the moment.

But I want to tell you what I learned in the process.

The firemen got here first but they did not come to the room where a dim light showed and where I was. In fact, they could actually partially see me from the entryway, and see pictures I had knocked down from the wall, but I could not see them at first. But they went in the other direction.

I think there were two reasons for that: they knew the paramedics had arrived, and in this day of high and weird crimes, they checked out the house. Then they came to me, saw they weren't needed further, and departed. Later, I saw they had left a light burning in my study. Well, I'm glad they do check that way, even in a nice neighborhood. That conclusion goes into my memory for "crime facts." ♥

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Good Report

If you’re keeping up with the progress of my recent accident, let me say I am a little better. It’s easier to get in and out of a chair, and I’ve found an excellent way to sit there for a rest. In a big wing-back chair, one ordinary toss pillow cushions my back. Under each arm stands a fat sofa pillow that rests the arms. Then while the arms rest, they also hold up my head. I can sleep in that position. My feet stay on the floor, and so, I don’t spend the night in that fashion, but must resort to the agony of getting into bed.

It’s such a hurt to function, that I forgot to open my Christmas presents till almost 4:00 this afternoon. What lovely gifts! Seems I’ll be watching some new DVDs while eating banana bread in candlelight, and wearing a new outfit. This pain-killer sends me to sleep at the computer; I’ve had three naps since starting this blog. Time to quit. ♥
’Tis the Season

Every year some singer or singers mar the Christmas carols by mispronouncing the word “Israel.” They sing out clearly and plainly “Is-rye-el.” Where do they get this abomination of the word? Look it up, and you’ll find this is wrong. It may be from their “little knowledge is a dangerous thing” bones. In Latin the “ae” is pronounced like a long “I” in English. But if you pronounce that word that way in this song, then there is no “e” left for the last syllable “el.”

Last night on the program following (I think), the wonderful West Point Holiday special, a young man sang a solo The First Noel, with the line, “Born is the King of Israel.” He seemed to exaggerate the mispronunciation, as if trying to show the audience how to say it. Man, did he goof! As I say, look it up. ♥

Saturday, December 24, 2011

More about Solar Lights

One comment under my blog “Solar Lights and Family’s Doings” offers additional information for practical application of solar energy. I recommend my L&L readers check this out and also spread the word. I may repeat this advice several times, for I think it is important. I don’t understand every bit of this information, but perhaps most of you will. So, let there be light and all the other amenities of life we now pay money for. Wouldn’t you enjoy those free? Merry Christmas! ♥

Friday, December 23, 2011

What a Thursday!

This blog is for my far-flung family and my close friends. For others, it may be boring.

Amy, my driver, and I started out with the regular Thursday appointments and had a quick lunch in the car, for she and Joe were having company that night and they would watch the BSU Bronco game against Arizona State. (BSU creamed them.)

Then we headed for the supermarket to buy fixings for a great Christmas dinner. I got out of the car at the door of WinCo and Amy was going to park. I didn’t get inside the store. I took a spill. My head and shoulders were inches from Amy’s front right tire. I remember hoping she would not run over me. Someone called 911 and soon I was on my way to St. Al’s. Tests later, I got the news that I had a fractured spine, a minor case not suitable for surgery, thank goodness. (I’d hate to experience a major type of this accident.)

In the meantime, Amy took my grocery list and shopped for me and got the groceries into the house, and stowed the cold stuff properly.

After I swallowed a pain pill called Norco, I was able to walk a bit in the hospital, and the doctor decided I could go home, but not in a cab. The nurse called Amy to the rescue with the order for me to rest and let the fracture heal itself. That’s what I’m doing. It’s restful to sit in this chair and type, but getting up and down is often excruciating. I am also half asleep for I took the second pain pill at 9:30 this morning, and none in the night.

This is to alert all readers that I may not be blogging for a few days. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah! ♥

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Catherine Crier Was Wrong

Catherine Crier was wrong last night on Greta’s show, by decrying Gingrich’s idea of Congress’s demanding an explanation from justices of the Supreme Court for their radical, unconstitutional decisions. Not once did she refer to the system of “checks and balances.” Not only should the Supreme Court be subject to this check by Congress, but also, the President should be likewise. As for the check on Congress, this goes on all the time: members are checking each other constantly. The problem with this branch of government is that it’s almost impossible to get one side to listen to the other side well enough. A balance is often lacking.

Although Crier was once a judge, Gingrich is a greater intellect. I’m quite sure he understands the Constitution more clearly than Crier does. ♥

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Solar Lights and Family’s Doings

Now winter has begun, by the calendar. This area hasn’t seen any real winter yet, but we probably will in the next two months. By e-mail I sent quite a number of people the forward about solar lights. Every household should have these in their yard so that when power outages occur, they can be brought into the house to give light, and the next day go back into the yard to “gas up” again for the next night.

Christmas mail has diminished this year at my house, that is, via the Post Office. E-mails galore, however. And as many letters as cards. The new addition is more Christmas telephone calls. The economy isn’t the only reason for the change. So many of my Christmas contacts are as old as I am, and may not be able to handle such mailings. I spent hours composing my first long letter—three big pages—mailed it, and then revised it to fit the next recipient, and continued revising and mailing. It takes a great deal of time for this, and I won’t finish the project till sometime after Christmas. I haven’t heard from two ladies who were my teenage friends, who live in Oklahoma and Kentucky. Perhaps today.

The grandson, who was moving to Texas from California, got his family settled there in the same town as the other two grandchildren who live there. I hope they are located near a public library, for this family is full of readers. In California the library was about a block away from the house. How delicious! So, the family Christmas dinner will obviously be enjoyed in that town without anyone’s needing to drive a distance.

I am enjoying my new 42 –inch HD television, but haven’t memorized all the numbers of the channels I watch. I am considering purchasing a few more channels.

Tomorrow is another Thursday. I may go into a book store. I’m planning to Nook in Dean Koontz’s new novella The Moonlit Mind, but I want to see another book in person before I Nook it. Koontz is one of my favorite authors.

Just think, if you had a few solar lights in your house during a power outage, you might still be able to read!

And now, to watch from a quiet distance as men cut down the huge weeping willow tree in the yard next door. If only the neighbor on the other side of my yard would cut down his willow tree, what a cleaner backyard mine would be. ♥

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Paul and Huntsman Belong in the Just Prior Blog

I meant no slight by forgetting Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman in discussing the GOP candidates. We keep hearing they don’t have a chance; that must have been in the back of my mind. They are also good men. Ron Paul is a medical doctor (OB/GYN, I believe). Why would a doctor leave his practice and go into Congress? Perhaps to change the laws which affect his profession? The talk says Paul may win the Iowa caucus but could not win the nomination. I don’t know enough about Huntsman to have an opinion.

Romney is gathering endorsements, but I think the only one of them who can beat Obama at the polls is Newt Gingrich. ♥
A Woman Can Change Her Mind

If a woman had been in on writing our country’s founding papers, she would have likely included the above sentence somewhere in them. That is, the independent type of female would have. Perhaps such women get the blame or the credit for today’s women of thought. So, I’m preparing you for my changing my mind.

I am not sure which presidential candidate I’m for at the moment. It was news to me, till about an hour ago, that Newt Gingrich created the practice of earmarks! So, why don’t we leave him to write his good history books, and elect someone else. More enlightenment will probably turn up.

I have pointed out two good men, Santorum and Cain. I will add to that list Romney, Perry, and Bachman. But a word about Bachman: If women read what I’m saying here, most of them in the country would surely chastise me. But I really don’t think our president should be a woman who dresses in the current style when that style is a skirt half way up her thigh when she sits. Or a dress that is as form-fitting as Princess Kate’s sister’s dress in the Royal Wedding. When such a president walks across a room, all the male eyes—which dominate the gathering—will not remember what they are there for, but will take in the show. I’m not suggesting Bachman dress like former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, but how about like Nancy Reagan? A female president does not have to live by current styles, but set her own, and let the country follow suit.

Actually, I prefer a male in the presidency, and I won’t go into reasons for that preference. But the above reason is enough. ♥

Friday, December 16, 2011

Dear Lori in Colorado,

You must not be reading your e-mail, for you haven’t answered an important one I sent you several days ago. Here’s hoping to hear soon. ♥♥♥
Thursday Was Yesterday Again

It was a different sort of Thursday. After the hair salon, Amy and I had lunch at Applebee’s, shopped briefly at Target’s, and then she left me at my primary doctor’s office. It was only about 2:30. My appointment was for 4:15. But Amy needed to go to the dance recital of her little granddaughter, age 2, at 3:00 in another town.

So how did I spend my time as I waited to be called? Every now and then the doctor’s large waiting room cleared of patients. At that point I got to my feet and did exercises, looked out the big windows at the hospital compound three floors below, with tiny people constantly on the move, and tried to figure how I could take the big, beautiful Christmas tree home with me in my pocket. Then I was called, right at 4:15.

The doctor said he thought I would live, but he had blood drawn. He’ll mail me the results.

Then I met perhaps the twentieth cab driver I’ve used within the past year. It was almost dark when we reached my house. He left, but I should have had him unlock my front door for me. I could not manage it. Two locks. So, I walked to a neighbor’s and climbed what is to me a steep grade from the road to the house, not knowing if he and his wife were home. I saw no lights through windows, though the yard dazzled with Christmas lights. But they were home, and Stan said he’d put on his shoes and be right there. I started back and he got there the same time I did. He easily got the door opened and wanted to know what gave. So, I gave a recital about the recital, and the rest of it. Lovely neighbors, Stan and Jackie.

I was especially glad I had prepared my supper ahead of time. I took it easy last night and watched the debates in Iowa. Slept in my chair, through the debates the second time, and perhaps the third time, for I awoke at 2:10 and they were still at it. Then I went to bed, and to sleep about 2:30. Awoke at 5:30 and got up for the day. ♥
Merry Christmas to My House

Every year I give a Christmas present to my house. It can be as simple as a decorative waste paper basket or something more expensive. This year it is a big item, not for my vanity’s sake, but for my eyesight’s sake: an HD television screen. It was delivered just before lunch today. The table for it came several days ago and Amy and I moved books to make room for it. I paid the delivery men to move the parts of the wall system from place to place to make room for the table. The next day Grace and I got the books back in place. Then I donated some great books I’ll never read again to the Idaho Youth Ranch store. They could be nice Christmas presents for other readers. I think I may be the last one in the family to have an HD set, for I haven’t desired one till now. Some in the family have more than one in their houses.

Giving presents to others is more enjoyable to me, of course. The problem these days is wrapping them for mailing and getting them to the P. O. Many of us senior citizens have to resort to giving checks. Let’s see now. There are 43 family members for me. Why don’t I send them each a hundred? That’s only $4,300. (Joke.) They have more money than I. (Not a joke.) But if they visit me, I usually have something to give them. Merry Christmas! ♥

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

America, Then and Now

Currently, criticism is aimed at Newt Gingrich for his allegedly suggesting American children learn to clean toilets. His column today located at
NewtGingrich@email.humanevents.com explains what he is actually talking about, the worth ethic that made our country great. His critics left out he also suggested the children work in the school’s cafeteria, the office, the classroom, and not just clean toilets—and for real money.

Can you imagine the nonsense from the Labor Department that says children cannot work on the family farm?! Another American institution that helped make America great. By that equation, probably coming down the road, is the edict that girls cannot help their mothers around the house.

Why should we be like Europe in these respects? Read what has happened to France in a book by Corrine Maier, Hello Laziness: Why Hard Work Doesn’t Pay. Then be glad she singles out America as the exception to her rule. What America really does need now is the right man in the White House who knows how to govern and to lead. ♥

Monday, December 12, 2011

What Really Matters

These days, we hear much about character, particularly with regard to presidential candidates. Voters criticize at the drop of a bit of hearsay, as well as the candidates’ castigating their rivals. Let’s take a moment for checking our own personal inventory of the standards we live by. What is it we see in our fellowman and dislike?

For me, two items: the lack of one’s not keeping his promises, no matter of how unimportant the one who makes the promise sees it. For example, if you promise me you will call, come by in person, answer my letter, be on time, read my blog, and all other such non-earth-shaking actions, I expect you to keep your word. If you break such a promise to me, it always means a waste of my time, as well as possibly loss of money.

Recently, I had to break a promise. However, I called and explained I could not do what I promised. The reason was that I had to go by ambulance to the emergency room at a hospital. That was around 5:00. I came home around 9:00 by cab. I cannot ask for favors from my friends and neighbors, even if they say, “Call me if you need anything anytime.”

The other item—well, it seems to be more of the same—breaking promises. But these are not promises for me, but for the person who makes the promise. Such as: he will read the book I recommended to him, loaned him, or gave him. When I do this, the book means a great deal to me and I want to share it with others. If it’s a loan, I certainly expect the return of the book within a reasonable time period, and I’m not talking about two or three days. Most such books I’ve recommended are on the small side, often less than 200 pages, and are books I’ve read several times. To name a few of my favorites: Man’s Unconquerable Mind (Highet); Fahrenheit 451 (Bradbury); Gift from the Sea (Lindbergh); My Normandy (Dennis); Eats, Shoots & Leaves (Truss); The Silence of the Sea (Vercors); Out of the Silent Planet (Lewis); A Point in Time (Horowitz); The Scapegoat (du Maurier).

Not for only politicians, but for everyone, promises are meant to be kept.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Niall Ferguson

Another great book presented on C-SPAN today: Niall Ferguson’s Civilization: The West and the Rest. This book will air on PBS in 2012. Ferguson has a resume of one publication after another, seemingly all winners of some award or another, and holds several degrees, including a D. of Phil., and also several professorships and research scholarships. He is located on the Internet, of course, and I will not go into what is there for you to read. But I must tell you something that clicked with me from his interview. He said while he was still in his teens, he read Tolstoy’s War and Peace TWICE, and it changed his life.

He also said American society will not be right again till we elect leaders who understand and experience the kind of education he talks about in this book. He even referred to Shakespeare as an example of the sort of education he meant. I agree with that.

I will get this book as soon as I can, but I want to predict now that it will probably prove to be another MUM book, a companion to MUM. I imagine he is quite familiar with that gem of a book. If we liked Man’s Unconquerable Mind, we will surely like this one. ♥

Saturday, December 10, 2011

The Last Word

One of the primary instructions in Public Speaking 101 is pronouncing clearly the last few words of each sentence and not let them fade away. One newsman of the past excelled in this clarity, Edwin Newman. (He is a minor character as a newsman in Grisham’s film “Pelican Brief.”) But currently, this bit of learning seems not important enough for many making speeches or commenting on the news, to make the effort. Many persons on television are “fading away,” if I may put it that way, by forgetting to sound those last words as distinctly as the rest of the sentence. Some culprits are Bill O’Reilly, Barack Obama, and a “star” on our local PBS channel. This characteristic appears in the local man’s recorded DVDs.

Like penmanship in grade school, has public speaking disappeared from the high school curriculum? Not that these names listed belong to the younger generation; they don’t. Perhaps this is a subject O’Reilly should look into. ♠

Friday, December 9, 2011

My Thursday Out, Plus

On my day out yesterday, I greeted several people who served me in the stores with a “Merry Christmas.” They all reciprocated with the same, except one. Behind a counter in the deli department in a very large supermarket, the woman glared at me and said something indistinguishable. She had a foreign accent. I kept smiling at her.

Book buying was at a minimum, only one volume, and it was for someone else.

I purchased one gorgeous pomegranate (at $1.78, I think it was). It is for a guest coming to my house tonight for dinner, my great-grandson Rocco. He is two years old. I never saw a pomegranate when I was a child. He has lived in the Middle East for a good part of his life, and he might have seen pomegranates there, but he will not likely remember them. This will be fun. Also, Rocco will bring his parents, Rob and Melissa.

People have asked me how Rocco got his name. It’s one his dad just liked. I think he met a Rocco in a book series, perhaps in the comics. You never know about my family. We sometimes do odd things. Rocco has a cousin named Philip, who in his early teens is becoming quite a scholar on World War II. And that cousin, Phil, and his family are moving to Texas from California. So, three of my grandchildren and their families will be living in Texas. That part of the clan expects to celebrate Christmas day there. Gooch will be coming from Australia for that. His wife, Shirley, has already arrived, I believe.

Another part of the clan will probably celebrate Christmas in Twin Falls, Idaho, and I’m always invited there. Sometimes I get there, but this year it is questionable. Travel is not easy for me these days.

I’m sure Susan’s three children will be home in Atlanta. Two of them live there, and the oldest will surely come from his senior year at West Point. He will know soon where the Army will post him. How I miss Susan who died in 2006.

Back to work now. ♥

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

How a Dictator Gets Elected

He makes many speeches, tells many lies, sounds good, and throws around money to pay dummies to vote for him, even perhaps more than once. He knows most of his audience doesn’t read, or hear intelligent discussion on television programs or anywhere else, and won’t know the differenve between what he's saying and the truth. It’s that simple. ♠

Monday, December 5, 2011

A Common Sense Question

Why should the press, or anyone else, believe Ginger White and not Herman Cain? ♠
Citizens in Action

The weekend brought a bit more information about and insights into the qualifications and philosophies of the GOP presidential candidates. My choice I arrived at quite a long time ago, actually when he first announced, the real brain among them, with some other highly qualified candidates. But Newt Gingrich stands heads taller than the rest. Without a moment’s hesitation, he answers the questions asked and one can get a glimpse of his mental faculty. Not only does he give the correct answer, but he can add all the footnotes anyone might desire. From the beginning, I felt people would gradually pay attention to his knowledge of history and government and his common sense. I saw the figures climb till now he is ahead of the others.

One thing I heard Newt say days ago was that Rick Santorum would make an excellent Attorney General, that he is a scholar on the Constitution. Indeed, last night, during a debate on the Huckabee show, Santorum pulled a copy of the Constitution from his pocket. He’s my pick too for the Attorney General.

Last shopping day I bought Newt’s latest book, co-authored with William R. Forstchen. It is the best-seller The Battle of the Crater, a novel about the heroic black troops that fought in it, a battle most of us have likely never heard of before. But Newt’s knowledge of history is unusual, and I imagine Forstchen’s is too. I looked over the book, read the Acknowledgments and learned that no memorial exists in honor of these warriors. I’m sure these two authors will see to that, for there should be such a memorial. As I’m still reading John Grisham’s Litigators, I will finish it first, and then this Battle will be next.

Back to Newt now. Watching C-SPAN, I joined a big square-table discussion of a Professor Hart talking about the candidates with about 12 ordinary citizens. In the beginning, their choice of candidates ranged wide and diverse. At the end, Newt was the almost unanimous choice, but only one, I think, said another name, though with a hint of apology, and almost in a cover of silence. He was definitely for the two Mormons running in the race, and they didn’t get anywhere. But the sad tale erupts that these dozen citizens were not up with the news. They didn’t begin to know what I know about this, and I don’t know much. After these people left the room, another set rushed in. This was a group of journalists, and whatever, there to discuss the other set of people who had been there. This discussion was extremely dull. Professor Hart was great and the first bunch interesting. But if these first twelve were a cross section of voters, no wonder we get the wrong people into office sometimes. ♥

Sunday, December 4, 2011

What Followed Vail’s Letter in My Journal

“As the above letter indicates, war is being waged. The Soviets took Budapest several days ago. Five thousand refugees are to come to the United States, but I heard over the radio that 30,000 men from Budapest alone are on boxcars headed for Siberia. Many will die from exposure on the way. Tonight we heard that 40,000 more are to go. It is so terrible I can hardly write of it. On the night (night it was here) the communists took the city, John and I listened to the radio till the wee hours on Sunday morning. Reports were that the Hungarian radio operators left their stations with these words: ‘We are leaving our posts. The Russians are too near. Help us, United /states. The U. N. is too late. God save our souls.’

“It was so sad, hearing this in the night especially. Election news a few nights later, was not nearly so time-stealing.”

I have vividly recalled that night many times, as one of the worst and most important in my life—indeed in the history of the world. Those Hungarians calling for our help seemed to be shedding heart-breaking tears. I was proud, in a sense, that the Hungarians rated the ability of these United States over what the U. N. could do in a positive way. And such has always been the case. Our young people don’t learn about this sort of tragedy in their schools. Not to know history is a guarantee to repeat it. ♥
The Additional Letter from Margaret Vail

“Chateau de Launay
Sigournais
Vendee
France

“November 6, 1956

“My dear Mrs. Rinard,

“Your letter of April 9 was received, and read with such great pleasure. I have been prevented, from many things from answering as soon as I should like to have done, but have not been prevented from thinking of you and your family, so far away.

“As a matter of fact, you were not as far away as this during the first three months if this year—for I was in the United States! I paid a long-hoped for, long deferred visit to my native land, leaving here just before Christmas, returning on Easter Sunday. I had not been home for seven years so you can imagine my joy at seeing my country again, and family and friends there. I went and returned by boat, disliking airplane travel intensely. This got me home a few days late for Rose-Helene’s eighteenth birthday but we celebrated that and Easter, at the same time, she being at home then for her holidays. She would have been in school, in any case, had I returned for March 22.

“Now she is in Switzerland, studying at the Interpreters’ School of the Geneva University. My husband and I drove her to Geneva early in October, spent a few days with her there, to get her happily and comfortably settled. Her letters tell us of her interest in her work—which, however, is very difficult—of her pleasures in the Swiss way of life, her fondness for the Swiss people she has met. She is continuing her studies of the three languages she already knows, but must learn a fourth before she can get a diploma from the Interpreters’ School. She may choose Russian, the most useful language to know today, she has been advised. Whether the world is at war (which we pray it will not be) or at peace, theirs is the language to know if one wants to find an interesting and useful situation. It is such a difficult language, I do not know whether if Rose-Helene could master it, but believe she will try; failing that, she will probably study German.

“Little John Lindsley Rinard has had his first birthday. Now there will be first teeth, first words, first steps to look forward to. How often I think of families without children—which are not families at all. Two people alone, a husband and wife, cannot constitute a family. What a void must be in their hearts, as well as in their lives. We learn much of life’s purpose and meaning through our children, through them comes to us much of life’s joy. They can bring sorrow, too, but knowing and facing trouble is part of understanding the meaning of life, Isn’t it? So far my only child has brought us only joy, and pride, but that may not always be so. If, one day, we should be disappointed in her, I hope I shall remember that, for eighteen years, she was all that we could hope for a daughter to be.

“But tell me about small John, and Susan; I didn’t mean to veer away from the subject of your children. I enjoyed so much hearing about your lives, knowing you and your husband through what you tell me of your daily routine. Today, you are voting, as I wish I could do—it is at times like this that I regret living so far from the country which is so near and so dear to my heart. From where I am, as I view the situation, it would seem that President Eisenhower will be re-elected. If this should be, let us hope his health will stand the strain of another four years in office. They promise to be hard years—the heart-breaking and dramatic events of the past ten days presage that. Oh, if only good could come out of all this turmoil and trouble; if only it could lead to better understanding between countries, between peoples. We must pray that those in whose hands our own small destinies lie, are given wisdom, strength, courage. At the moment, things look so very dark for us all.

“Your husband wanted to know what crops were gown on our farms. Wheat mostly; winter wheat only, no spring planting is done. Beets and cabbage are grown for fodder and food—Vendiens eat a great deal of cabbage. The farmers use oxen for plowing, there are only a few tractors in the whole Department; they talk to their beasts as they work, and give them names like ‘Springtime’ and ‘Rose Garden.’

“I had quite forgotten that I promised to send you a chapter of my new ms. I left for America soon after having written you. I can still send it, if it interests you. Write again, won’t you, when you have time, I enjoy this new acquaintance with you. Kindest thoughts and best wishes to you all.”

[Vail’s name here ]

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Herman Cain’s Suspension Speech

That was the verb he used: suspend. He didn’t say he was “quitting” his campaign. He’s just beginning his Plan B. I will not imitate the newspeople who tell you what he said right after you have heard him say it, but I do want to analyze his words a bit. If viewers awaited a confession of the alleged “affairs,” they were disappointed. He used the words “allegations” and “unproved.” I ask you, did you ever hear the Kennedy men confess their affairs to the public? Or LBJ? Or Jackie O.? One difference between these shenanigans and whatever Cain might have done is the fact that Cain is a Republican and the others were Democrats, as well as most reporters.

While we awaited Cain’s speech in front of his new headquarters in Atlanta, I heard a commentator actually refer to many more complaints that would be coming forth, if Cain stayed in the race! That person should be fired.

Unlike situations in which we see politicians confess their marital infidelities on live television with their wives standing beside them, looking sad and even haggard, perhaps forced to appear as if in support of such a husband, Gloria Cain stood a little farther back (perhaps she knew her husband would be throwing out his arms), smiled, and clapped her hands with her husband’s well-wishers. It appeared to be genuine support of him.

Cain was more forceful with this speech than with any other I’ve heard of his. He might be called “worked up” or even “angry.” But I really think it was a case of loss of sleep but it was a positive result. I believe this speech will go into the history books.

Cain will be announcing soon whom he will support in the presidential race. Any of the candidates would be foolish not to offer Cain a position in their government, if they are elected, but should not mention such a promise before their own success. It must not be a bribe.

I still strongly believe the concentric circles possibility I wrote about earlier is the culprit for this fiasco.♥

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Another Letter from M. V. Found

Early to bed and early to rise, as old Ben said. I awoke shortly after 5:00, allowing time to let my readers know about my find before I head out for the day. I had a strong feeling yesterday that I might have copied M. V.’s letters into my Journal of ever so long ago. I discovered one from 1956, but found no others. I will type it here as soon as I have time, perhaps not until after the weekend.

One reader in another country will be especially interested in this letter from M. V., but I cannot contact him. His e-mail isn’t working for me. If he is reading this, he will know he’s the one I’m referring to, and perhaps can do something about his e-mail address. My machine has said at least a dozen times “an unknown member,” yet his e-mail arrives here.

M. V.’s letter does not contain a great deal of information, but does tell when she visited the States, where her daughter is and what she is doing. She is concerned about the turmoil going on in the world, during the administration of President Eisenhower.

I really enjoy seeing the count of hits on my blog from around the world. One blog has almost 100 hits now, and others are close to that. People everywhere know English and that is great. I appreciate all of you. In this country many readers are involved with face book, but I do not care to participate in it, for it takes too much time from my writing. A writer can spread himself too thin, you know. Surely my readers would rather read a bit of fiction from me, now and then, or a book review, than to read about my daily doings. And especially read about others through my words here. ♥