Caramel aka - "Le Petit Price"

Dear Caramel,


I think this will one of the most difficult things I will write in my life thus far in my 51 years on earth. 
You left us on 2 - 12 - 12, when what started out as another weekend for us to Florida, to connect with old friends and connect with nature and to have a much needed break from our jobs; we would learn less than 24 hours later that you had died. We were told that your heart stopped beating and you were gone. 
Our world turned upside down, everything possible stopped, we were trapped in a world of nothingness &  confusion. 


When we left, it was like any other vacation. There was nothing wrong with you as far as we knew and it was just another weekend away, not ever thinking the worse could happen. I told you that we would be gone only for a few days and then we would be home. 


Since you left our world, as we knew it, life has changed with you not being a part of our lives anymore. My daily routine is now different. You are missing from it. 

Even the trees didn't stop you....

As I sit on the terrace at 4:30am drinking my coffee, I look at the spot where you once would lay, the tears flow without even realizing it. Piccola and Frida bring me back to the present when I realize they are near me patting me with their paws not understanding why I'm crying. I wake up some nights and my pillow is wet from tears dreaming of you when you used to be so close to me during the night. You used to lay with your head on my foot at night while watching tv. 


I still feel your presence on the beach when I walk, I feel you close when I am in the house or in my car, I feel you close when I am alone; no matter where I am. 

Always the protector

I don't know how Frida has picked up certain patterns &  habits that you once had. We find this amazing. It's almost as if you are still near living through her. 


When I come home each day, I miss your presence by the gate wagging your tale and your barking of excitement that I'm home; always meeting me with your squeak squeak in your mouth waiting to play. I miss you jumping and the excitement that you always greeted me with each day. The rides in the car with you by my side is missed each time I drive down the road. Your excitement and eagerness to see what is around the next corner will always be a reminder.  The walks on the beach or in the hills will always be remembered. The arrival home from vacation and entering the house with you immediately sitting in front of the suitcase, waiting to see what we brought you from our travels will forever be etched on our memories. 
My wonderful little friend, my confidant, the one I shared my secrets, the one who was always there with unconditional love and loyalty. I didn't see you growing old, I didn't see
you having any problems to know if anything was wrong. Your unconditional love & loyalty to us will always be remembered. 


You were the Little Puppy found on the side of the road near Baie Rouge and I immediately made the statement that  didn't want another dog. Within a mile, you had a name, a date was set for your vaccinations, and a bath was scheduled for the arrival home within a few minutes. You , Caramel became our baby, our little buddy, and our friend for 12+ years. How is it possible that you are no longer with us now but only in memory.  We never saw the future without you. The thought of you not being with us never entered our minds.  


We visit your grave everyday where you once ran and played on the beach. I have photos of where you played and where we placed you for eternity. Each day I visit, the tears come to my eyes and the reality of you not being here replays itself all over again. 


You visited both of our homelands in America and France with Piccola. Your paws touched foreign seas, beaches, rivers and lakes You stepped back in time with us through the things we saw and visited. Your name & Piccola from the Mohegan Tribe became "Travelling Dogs".

France on a Dolmen

You walked on the Champs Elyse, stood below the Eiffel Tower, sat on the steps of Sacre Coure in Paris, You stood below the Arc de Triumph, You went in the freezing cold of Mount Mougel, high on the French Mountain, how cold it was that day, You walked on an old Roman Road where the tracks of the coaches were present. You bit a porcupine and had more quills than I could count when I removed them in upstate New York.  You were with us always.

Le Petit Prince - Caramel

You had a wonderful life and we were thankful for having you in our life. 


My wonderful Little Dog, My Little Prince, My Baby...I will always have a void in my heart where you had so much a part of it. If there is a life after death, I hope that we will be together again. Until then,  I will miss you forever & everMy Little Caramel, My Baby.

My Little Buddy and Piccola

Talking with Phil on the Webcam

The Yucatan has carved its Spirit in my heart forever....

It's been a long time, almost a year since my last post. Alot has happened in my life. Travels to new lands, new home purchases, moving, additional job responsibilities and advancement in position, blah blah blah...

To start, after watching HGTV International on tv, we saw an episode of 2 guys buying a home in the Yucatan Penninsula in a wonderful colonial city hundreds of years old. We fell in love with the architecture, the style of life that was portrayed, the culture and the old colonial homes. Well, after much research we were off to the Yucatan to buy a home. First time there other than watching the tv show. We found the perfect retirement home which is 200+ years old, 16 foot high ceilings, rooms to get lost in and a wonderful internal courtyard. It needs some updating, but it will be a magnificent home when it is completed. The plan is to retire there in a few years. The culture is alive, it is the 3rd safest city in the world and within an hour in any direction there are 1000's of year old Mayan Ruins, pyramids, ceynotes - underwater caves to swim in and explore, temples 125-140 feet high that we climbed to overlook the jungles to see for miles.

I now tell people that "the Yucatan has carved it's Spirit on my heart forever." If a person hasn't experienced the Yucatan and what it has to offer, then you have missed a part of the past that was meant for us to experience.

The Mayan Ruins are each unique in their own way. One doesn't compare to another. Each one has something else to explore with its own history as to why the Mayans spent years building these magnificent sculptures. We climbed to the top of each one and each one had its own spirit. We had travelled to the Yucatan twice in 2 months and both times we climbed the different pyramids.

The Yucatan has beaches of white sand and the weather is over 100 degrees fareinheit each day. The heat is intense! I won't deny myself about the temperatures. The culture is alive, the people are friendly, the food is great and there is so much to see and do each day.

I can write on and on about our experiences in the Yucatan. I look forward to our trip again in April. It will be the first time we spend our vacation in our new home which we named;

"La Mansion del Eterno Amore", which means: "The Mansion of Eternal Love"

We thought the name to be fitting for what it is and our love for each other. One day in the future, it will be our full time home to live out the Eternal Days of Our Love.....

Christmas Time Again....

It's Christmas time again. Wow! A time for celebrations and a time to prepare for another year. Where did this year go? As I reflect on the year, I can't complain. Phil & I are staying positive as always; even with our busy work schedules. The bulk of our "together" time is usually at Captain Oliver's in the evenings. I usually venture to the restaurant to spend time with Phil because Captain Ollie's, (as I call it), has become a big part of our lives. Phil loves what he does and I continue to have my focus and passion on education. Education is where I have always received the greatest joys and rewards. We both have our careers; finally doing what we both enjoy in life.

We travelled together a few times this year to Florida. (Hard to believe I know...lol) Our vacations have allowed us to have fun, laugh, spend time with friends as well as much needed time together. We are learning about our new "home away from home" - Florida. We learned about the Everglades this year going on an Airboat at top speeds, (what a rush!) seeing wildlife including Aligators and exotic plants. We tried typical Floridian Everglades dishes that included: Frog, aligator, shrimp, chicken with chips-fries while we were visiting the Everglades which is superb! We acquired another home in Ft. Myers which is in the historic district, built in 1925. We think the bank left off a few 0's or numbers on the price, but we didn't bring it to their attention...lol
We started furnishing and decorating the first home in Lehigh Acres together. Even though I had been back to the house numerous times after we bought it, I waited for Phil to be with me before even thinking about buying furniture alone. I managed to finally bring the things by truck from NY, driving the entire 1500 miles alone in 2 days to make sure that I would be there to meet Phil on arrival in Ft. Myers back in April.

A purchase of the first of many (I hope) collector cars, this one being an XJ6 Jaguar with 69,000 original miles. Timing wasn't right for the Rolls Royce for Phil, but I'm keeping my eyes out for the perfect one for him. Maybe this year?

Changes in St. Martin this year as well. Phil's dad at 80 years old made a big change in his life by moving to St. Martin full time from France to be closer to Phil and his sister and grandchildren. It's nice to have him closer to us.

As for changes in my family life....it doesn't end! Words cannot describe the noncense. My sister that cannot and doesn't get along with Phil managed to find our location in Florida through People Search and purchased a home 1 mile away. WHY? Her obsession with where my location is doesn't stop to amaze me. I had to tell her to STAY AWAY from our home to prevent her from fighting with Phil and me. Fights would be inevitable with her. She never liked Phil (for her own reasons) and she managed to deliberately buy a home 1 mile away? Strange! Yes! So, I had to make a descision rather strongly to cut myself off from my entire family. Yes, the entire family. Why? Because when one of my family members knows my business, everybody knows my business. Then the trouble begins. The turmoil, fighting, dissagreements, disruptions in my (our) life on and on....So, since I made the choice, our life is quiet, no problems, no fighting, no butting into our life. Basically CALM. Finally. Sad as it sounds, I needed to break away to keep peace in my life. Phil and I don't have problems between us, we have our dissagreements, but, they are minor and the love always wins. With my family, there are always problems and meddling and verbal harassments.

So, here I am with another Christmas when family is suppose to be present in ones life, happiness, love, sharing memories as well as making memories, but, in my life with my family, it is not possible. Am I at a loss? No, my family is at a loss because they don't know how to behave properly and need to learn the meaning of love and family. My family has forced me to separate myself from them due to their inappropriate behaviors. I have come to the descision that they are the ones who will not know my life now or in the future. I don't want to see them, hear from them at all. One would say I am cold, cruel, unforgiving, blah blah blah, but if people knew what they put me as well as us through over the years, there is no place for forgiveness any more. I'm tired. Life is so important to me and when I see people wasting their time to be miserable, I can't be a part of that as sad as it sounds.

Phil and I are together since 1996 and starting another year in our life, another year for adventure, another year to journey through our life. Another year of the unknown. Another year of the unexpected and the unknown. Love always wins in my life. I am the luckiest person to be alive because of Phil entering my life. He's the most important person in this world to me. He's my shining star. Il est l'amour de ma vie, mon étoile qui brille!

Good Bye, "Our Little Piglet"

When I left St. Maarten on the 6th of July, it never entered my
mind that I would never see you again. You were a little dog that
came into our lives when we didn't need the responsibility of another "little mouth to feed". But, we took you in and how I grew attached to you. You became my little admiration because you were always within the reach of my hand. When I would lay on the couch reading, your head was always on my shoulder, looking at me with love in your eyes. When I was in the pool, your head would always be overhanging the ledge of the pool staring at me. When you ate with your paws around your dish, you would always look left or right to see if I were close to you. You were always by my side when it was time for the 3-4 walks each day into the nights and early mornings before the sun came up over the ocean. You did your "business" and was always first to return to my side while the others were doing their thing. How you would get so excited for the treats and special food on Sunday nights when Phil was off from work. You would eat so much, it was hard for you to breath and you would snort like a little pig which is how you got the name "our little piglet". You were never demanding.
How I wish I could turn the clock back to the 6th of July. I'm so sorry my little friend and I will miss you so much. I am sad today and my heart is hurting and will be for a long time. My tears fall for you unexpectedly and today, I had to leave the room 3 times so nobody would see my pain and my tears. As I write this tribute to you, my face is wet with tears because you are gone and will be missed forever.
I have your collar in the glove compartment of my truck and it will stay there so I have a part of you along side of me, even in death.
"Daddy Phil" is hurting my little friend because his pain and hurt for you is strong. He blames himself for making the descision of taking you to the vet for safe keeping while he joined me in Florida. He didn't know that the veternarian would be so careless with your safety. He didn't mean it. His intentions were good! You were afraid, and ran away, I think. You were lost and in the process, someone chose to NOT care and you were hit. I can only hope that the end was quick and you didn't suffer. I believe in Destiny and I also believe that Destiny is not always fair.
You are gone forever and I will miss you so much my little friend.
You were and always will be, "Our Little Piglet" Rest in Peace My Little Bobby Lee, I'm sorry!

Bobby Lee, aka-Piglet, aka-Little Baloon

I don't know where to start. I decided to go to Florida for the month of July and the first week of August. I felt after the long school year that I had, I just needed some down time. I can honestly say, even though I was alone for most of the time other than when our friend Jane joined me for 9 days of fun and sun, and then Phil joined me unexectedly for 1 week of more fun and sun. We finally found someone to watch our house and pups which allowed Phil some time to get away also. Phil thought that it would be easier for the person to only watch 2 dogs rather than 4 and decided to take Happy and Bobby Lee to the vet for the week that he would join me in Florida, leaving Caramel and Piccola at home. Bobby Lee is and never was a problem for anybody, but, 2 dogs are easier to take care of than 3.
We arrived home on Sunday the 9th of August and I went to pick up Bobby Lee and Happy at the vet on Monday, 10th of August where they had been boarded for the week. I was told by the vet that he "had some bad news for me, that Bobby Lee had been stolen from the front of the vet office while they were cleaning the cages". Apparently, the vet attaches the dogs in the sun to spikes in the ground while his staff cleans the cages. Nobody was watching the dogs in the front. I told Phil and the search has begun. We have put flyers on both the Dutch and French sides of the island, a good and dear friend Barbara has contacted her friends on Facebook as well as here on the island to inform them of what happened and they are all searching for Bobby Lee also. Phil has gone on the radio to explain the situation on air, over 100 flyers have been posted publically, newspaper has posted photos and info about Bobby Lee. I've even gone to "gang members" today in French Quarter to ask them for help in finding her. We are offering a reward as well.
I'm not a woos by no means, but, my heart is broken. I've cried unexpectedly during the days and the tears have fallen down my cheeks more than they have in 5 years. I cry myself to sleep hoping that whoever has her or had her hasn't hurt her in any way or if they still have her that they are not abusing her. This is a beautiful island, but, there are people who don't like dogs and dogs have been taken to never be seen again. I try not to think of the worst, but, the thoughts do enter my mind. At times, I am optimistic and other times, I feel as though I have done something terribly wrong to have lost this animal for no reason.
The last time I saw "My Little Piglet" (because when it is hot, she snorts like a pig to breath), was on Monday, the 6th of July. I'm sure that she was already confused that I wasn't around to walk her, feed her play with her and just be there when she lays her head on my arm while I am reading a book.
I am sad, my heart is breaking and I want her back at home where she belongs. I feel as though I too, have abandonned her.
I don't know how people can cope losing something they love so much to people who will never take care of her as we did. Already she has been through so much in her short life of already being abandonned 2 years ago when we found her. Now stolen just for the sake of having a beautiful dog, not caring of what these thieves are doing to the dog or to us emotionally. There are so many dogs & puppies that need homes on this island, why do people continue to steal dogs that are already owned by others?
We hope and wish each day that we get her back safely and as soon as possible. I will never forget this vacation of July 2009 with the memories and loss of My Little Piglet. I am so sorry Bobby Lee. If there is a God, please make sure that the person or persons that have her will find it in their hearts to call us and bring her back to us where she belongs.

Dilemmas, Descisions, Regrets, how to proceed....?

I'm Blogging again in the same week. Wow! This time, I write because of dilemmas, possible regrets, once a descision has been made. We try to make our loved ones happy in the process of giving something up, making concessions, as well as "sometimes" leaving others behind and moving on. The old saying goes, "we can choose our friends, but, we can't choose our families." My family isn't perfect by no means and we have certainly pissed each other off, fought, got angry with each other over the years, but, we always manage to move on, forget and most of the time forgive. My problem is a serious one this time...My sister Millie, (left in the picture) my other sister Kathy, (right in the picture) have this "thing" about Phil. They are not sure of him since I met him and believe me, if people in my family were going to judge people, it would be these two. Kathy, on right, is not trustworthy and she has the ability to smile, make believe, and give the impression she likes you, when deep down judgements are racing through her head about you. NOT very nice qualities in a "human being" if I were to judge. Millie on the other hand, on left, let's you know straight up that she doesn't like you or she will do her best to "inconvience you" to the utmost to her potential. She has certainly inconvienced Phil & myself over the 14 years that Phil & I have been together. We had a home next door to Millie in upstate NY when we realized afterwards that we had made a mistake being so close to family. Interference, trouble, name dropping, fighting, dissagreements, sarcasm, inuendos, verbal harassment, usually addressed to Phil never wanting to accept him in my life no matter my happiness with him. (blinded) So, Phil & I made the descision to go back to St. Martin after the 8 month break. Things were never the same between them anymore. So, Phil & I decided years later to buy homes in Florida, away from everybody, mostly my family and mainly my two sisters. We chose Lee County where neither one of us had ever been, never visited, not knowing a single person in this area. We found a small community outside of Ft. Myers where we wouldn't be bothered. However, thanks to people search, my sister Millie, on left, mangaged to find us, our home address, community etc. Guess What....? She bought a home 1 mile away on the golf course. Well, there goes our "safe haven". The thoughts of anticipation of what she is capable of, is already over-whelming. A repeat of upstate New York is the fear more than anything. Our secret garden has been violated which is not a good feeling. The obsession she has to interfere in our life is unbearable! Crazy? Obsessed? Me? I have no idea. So, a descision has to be made. If I talk with her if she comes around, does that violate my love for Phil & does that leave the door open for possible future harassment when Phil is here? or Will she respect our space when we are here together and avoid the house and our time here? or Do I avoid her, tell her to stay away that I want nothing to do with her anymore? My dilemma is that because she is my sister 62, almost 63, do I keep contact with her, keep her in my life and put my foot down that she HAS NO CHOICE, but to STAY AWAY from both of us? Regrets are and will be what they are in the future and we all have them. I explained the situation with my very dear friend and neighbor, Fran here in Florida. She was walking her dog yesterday morning and our morning routine is to drink our coffee on the street every morning while she walks her dog, Amodeus. She was in tears and told me that she would "give her life to have just 5 minutes back with her mom, brother, sister and husband" who all died within the last 3 years. She told me that I was a fool to give family up to avoid having a problem with Phil. She told me that "he needs to adjust, not deal with my family if he doesn't want to and to let me see my family on my terms."
So, I'm confronted with a situation that needs to be rectified so nobody will be hurt emotionally, keep the peace in my house and life with Phil, and make sure that I don't say in the future, "what if I had done this differently & how should I have handled this problem?" Our families are what they are, but, Phil is my life and I don't want to hurt anybody......What to do, What to do.....? We can choose our friends, but we can't choose our families! I've been dealing with this for years and I'M TIRED of trying to make everybody happy! I'M TIRED, DAMN IT, I'M TIRED!!!!!!!! Any advise to help me to proceed?

July in Florida

Well, here I am again in Florida Blogging. It seems that as time goes on, the only time I have to Blog is in Florida. The last time was April. Am I busy or what...? LOL

I'm here alone this trip working "primarily" on house #2. It was going to be a "joint project", but, Phil's schedule doesn't allow him to get away this time being that his assistant went back to France unexpectedly? I think it was planned for her to work 2 months and earn money for her transportation back to France. But, that's just my idea of what she did to Phil. He's inconvienienced once again due to irresponsible people. I've been here a week already and haven't seen the time pass. In Florida, the state only issues one plate, so I had to decide what to put on the front of the Jaguar that I also refer to as "The Kitty". I put "St. Martin Boys" on the front plate.

Two days ago, I e-mailed Phil after he tried to call me. I told him, "I was outside washing The Kitty". He thought I adopted another cat and was bringing it back to St. Martin to add to our already large collection of family pets. lol lol lol I was hysterical laughing. The he realized I was washing the car. Oh well, it's not easy being me or being with me.....LOL LOL Is Phil lucky or what...? After 14 years of being together, you would think that he'd be use to me.....ha ha ha

So, What has been happening and what has transprired in my life.......? Here we go.......

--I've finished work for another year and on vacation for 5 weeks in Florida.

--A brother I hadn't spoken to in 24 years has re-entered my life.

--A sister that doesn't like Phil (for whatever her reason) other than ignorance has found out where Phil & I bought our house in Florida and bought a house 1 mile away. ugh!

--Phil & I gave up our favorite drink for now....wine.....ugh!

--I bought an Isuzu Amigo in Avon Park, Florida that I'm shipping back to St. Martin at the end of the month.

--Old Friends and Classmates from High School have re-contacted me through Facebook. Even my high school principal has contacted me asking me how my life is....I was impressed.

--My friend Sherry & I are having fun!

Blah Blah Blah

First, my brother George has contacted me through Facebook. We hadn't spoken since my mom died 24 years ago because of words that should never had been spoken as well as other things going on during that terrible time in our lives. As a kid, he was my "big brother" who I loved so much. He was the guy I looked up to, he was the guy who always made sure that I was the first one to ride in all of his new cars, he was the guy who always took me for Carvel Ice Cream to get the cone with sprinkles, he was the guy who always watched out for me when I was in the pool learning how to swim, he was the one who taught me to shoot a bow & arrow into the target, he was the one who taught me how to catch a baseball, "He Was The One....." After my mom died, things were said inappropriately & I silently drifted away from family members, mainly George. The days turned into weeks, the weeks to months and the months to 24 years. We're both stubborn and neither one would budge an inch to make an effort to try to be close again. Well, he made the effort after all of these years and we're catching up on lost time if that is possible. We're learning about each other's lives again and what we've done during the last 1/4 of a century. Time lost, Yes! Time gained now, Maybe! The important thing is that we're speaking again and if all goes well, we should see each other for the first time in August in Florida while I am here.

Second, Since I met Phil, my sister Millie hasn't like Phil from the first day even though she tried to pass it off as she did...yeah right! I think it has to do with the fact that she blames Phil for (in her mind), taking me out of the country. It also has to do with the fact that we live near Phil's sisterin St. Martin and I think she's jealous! Who knows what she thinks? I don't. All I know is that she makes our life difficult when she is around. We moved away from the house we had next door to her upstate NY because it wasn't possible for Phil or myself to go to the house without her tormenting both of us daily. It's sick! We searched Florida where we wouldn't be found and thanks to "People Search" for $19.99 you can find anybody you want to find. Well, she found us here in Florida, and what did she do.....she bought a house 1 mile away. Is that sick or what? We don't understand the obsession as to why she WON'T allow us to live our lives without her being present? So now, the tormenting "might" return. We're both disgusted as to why she followed us here?

Third, Phil & I were eating & drinking too much wine each day. So, for now, the wine is done and the food is less and more healthy.....! This is true for both of us.

Forth, I needed a new car for the island. My Land Cruiser mechanically is perfect, but the salt air has destroyed my trucks body and it's not worth the expense to repair it.

So, I found this Isuzu Amigo in Avon Park, Florida which is about 2 hours from here. I drove it on Saturday and I'm sending it back to St. Martin at the end of the month so it's there when I get home.

Fifth, Facebook has brought so many highschool friends and childhood friends into my life again. I wasn't too impressed with Facebook at the beginning, but, now I am glad that I signed onto it because of getting back in touch with people.

My friend Sherry are in touch "almost" on a daily basis catching up on years also and enjoying each other's stories and funny moments that we shared years ago. We went to school together and ended up working in the same school teaching. We became closer as time went on and were inseparable and was always there to help each other stand up when times were down. It's Great!

I'm here in Florida for 5 weeks, so I'm sure there will be more to Blog about....LOL

April in Florida

It's been a long time since I've blogged because my computer was throwing a hissy fit with allowing me to move from screen to screen. For some reason, yesterday, I was experimenting and I was once again able to move around on the computer.
Phil & I vacationed in Florida at the house in April. Yes, finally together in the same place at the same time...Can you imagine?
Before going to Florida, I flew into Albany, NY to pick up a UHaul truck that would move our NY House things to Florida. I picked up the truck the next morning, drove to our previous house which is an hour from Albany in the Catskills, packed & loaded the truck with my sister & her husband, had lunch with them and started out for the 1500 mile trip that lay ahead of me. This was on a Thrusday and Phil would be flying into Ft. Myers at 10pm on Saturday so I knew I had to keep a schedule. I had less than 2 days to get to Ft. Myers. I left at 2pm on Thursday and I made it to Fredericksburg, Virginia on the first night. I thought, on Friday morning at 5:30am when I started out, that I would make Ft. Myers by nightfall. I made it as far as Orlando pulling off the road at 9pm that night. I called Phil in St. Martin and told him that I was checking into a hotel for the night because I had travelled almost 900 miles in 1 day and couldn't go on. He looked on google map and found that I was only 3 hours from Ft. Myers. As I was driving south from NY, Phil would call me along the way on my cell and ask where I was so that he could look on google map and see where I was at that time. It was a nice way to travel knowing that he was following my path on computer. Saturday morning at 10:30am, I pulled up in front of our house with the truck after 1 1/2 days of travelling over 1500 miles. I made it! Phil would arrive at 10pm and I would be able to pick him up with our car at the airport. I unloaded the truck by myself during the day except for the piano, which was impossible to move alone.
We had a wonderful time travelling around seeing the sights and spending time with friends who live in Venice, Florida-Michael & Janet. Michael and Janet have been friends for a very long time. Michael & Janet were customers of ours in our first restaurant in St. Maarten and we've been friends ever since. We had lunch with them on Ft. Myers Beach laughing and joking almost all day.
Phil & I painted rooms in the house, went furniture shopping, went swimming in our pool. We worked on the second house we recently purchased in the city of Ft. Myers. We travelled and hiked throughout the Natural Preserves in our area as well as on the islands of Sanibel & Captiva which is absolutely beautiful. Finally a place in the US where you can hike without a guide and just take your time and be free. We spent our evenings having dinners out and drinking lots of beer & wine and then home to drink some more wine. We were able to talk & catch up on things that we don't have time to do in St. Martin.
I'll be going back to Florida from the 6th of July until the 9th of August to vacation as well as work on the houses. I hope that we can find a house-sitter again to watch the pups and the kittys so that Phil can join me again. The schedule always has to revolve around the pets, because we don't know alot of people willing to take on that kind of responsibility. We've adjusted, but, it's not easy now with both of our work schedules. It's nice to be able to spend some quality time with each other because we don't have that luxury anymore. Before, we spent too much time together and now, we look forward to having time together to have fun and travel. Well, I think the computer is up and running again, so I'll be posting more now....I Hope! Until the next time.

A New Beginning for America

Today, I wll say that I am a Happy American. Why one might ask? Well, I will share my views and opinions as to why I am happy or maybe the word Ecstatic would be more appropriate.

America has a new President named Barack Hussein Obama. Those of you who are Republicans I mean no disrespect to you. Remember, America is a Democracy and I can share my political views if I choose.

America has proven that the color of a person's skin is no longer the criteria for choosing a leader. The people have proven that a man's name is no longer an issue as to who can lead the country into the future. The people of America have a shown and proved to the world that a change was necessary. The respect that Americans once had from the world will now return. The world is witness to the eye opening of the American Citizens; that change was necessary! In order for the people of America to move into the future, as well as people of other countries to proceed through life in a positive way, change was inevitable.

Any American, as well as any person from around the world who listened and listens to Barack Obama, the conclusion would be that the President has a plan that will change the lives of people within America as well as those living outside of America. Finally, we have a person with intelligence, a dream, and a person who is going to include everybody in his plan. When he speaks, he doesn't leave anybody out when speaking of the future. For me, it is a pleasure to listen to him speak and I hang on every word, waiting and wondering what he will say next.

His staff also appears to be following his plan, his goals, and his philosophy on what he wants America to be. He is keeping people informed of what he is doing "almost" on a daily basis.

Phil bought me his latest book called "The Audacity of Hope" and it informs the reader about where he came from, what he had to endure in his political career and where he wants America and it's people to go in the future. It also informs the reader of his trials and errors to get to this point in his life. It's a book about him and who he is as a person.

Through this election as well as the days that led up to his innaugaration, I found myself for the first time in my life getting involved in Politics and staying up to date on a daily basis as to what was happening and transpiring. I have become more involved and will continue to stay aware of issues that affect peoples lives.

I see a positive change coming to America for all of us. A bright future where maybe one day my dream will become a reality. What is the dream I have.....My dream is that I will one day have a CHOICE to live in America with my French partner if I choose to live there again. Right now, I don't have that choice because of the laws preventing my French Born Partner from living in the US. Do I think that it "might happen", might is the key word here; now under President Obama's Presidency? Yes! Maybe one day, WE can live in America if we choose! America, Keep your eyes open into the Future!

The "Back" is out!

Those of you who don't have back problems, hope that you never will. I've had back problems for years due to shovelling snow years ago after a NY snow storm. Since then, if I move the wrong way or lift something using my back instead of using my legs for strength, my back can go out without warning. There are months where I never have problems and one careless move and out it goes, sometimes knocking me right off my feet and onto the ground.

This time I learned the hidden powers and strengths that is contained within the body. The pain through my nerve endings being pinched as well as locked vertebraes that I experienced this time was excruciating. I couldn't sit or stand straight up at times. An attempt to stand or an attempt to move when the nerve endings touched sent electric shocks through my back & spine to the point where I couldn't move forward, back or even make an attempt to go down to the floor and try to get the pressure off of my spine.

I was locked and experienced the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. I could not move at all. Luckily for Phil being close, he was able to come running and prevent me from falling down the stairs of the house, pick me up from the floor very carefully, or even had to guide me slowly to the floor so that I could get the pressure off of my spine. There seemed to be no position that would allow me to be free from the pain.

At night, one wrong move to lie flat on my back or lay sideways would cause the back to go out again even after going to a Vertebraeologists-Back Doctor during the day to attempt to reset my spine and back. I've been going to Jean Francois since arriving on the island after the original back doctor, Gerald left for France. Jean Francois knows how to reset my back. Normally, when I throw my back out, I can walk in in pain and walk out standing up. So far, I have had to go to him 6 times and it's still not over. Today was the first time I heard a pop after days and hours of his attempts to massage and manipulate the back into position.

Today was my 4th day out of work because of my back and the law requires government employees to go to SVB which is one of the government offices for people who are out of work due to illness, accidents, injuries etc. It was confirmed by the government doctor that I definately had a serious back problem and I will need to go back on the 22nd of January to do a followup visit to see my progress back to health. I have to stay out of work until he tells me that it is alright to go back to work. Social Laws as in Europe are very different than those laws in the US.

I am getting better, but, the pain and sometimes quick electric shocks comes and goes now. I have to sit on a hard chair all day long sitting straight up without moving around. This is boring not being able to move around. When Phil is here, he has to get me and bring me everything which I hate. ummmmmmmm No Really, I hate being catered to and waited on. Phil hasn't been getting much rest because my morning schedule for getting up early hasn't changed. When I'm awake, I'm awake and cannot stay in bed. My attempts to get up on my own have been a joke. The morning wake up call for Phil now is: "PHIL, HELP ME, I'M LOCKED AND THE PAIN IS BACK! I'M GOING TO FALL, HELP ME QUIIIIIIIICK, QUIIIIIIICK!" You get the idea. He's not a happy camper since the back is out for almost a week now. Isn't Love wonderful!

Well, the living room has become command central for me now. My laptop is on the coffee table, my novel and glasses are to the left of the computer, tv remotes are on the sofa to my right, phone is near the remotes, bottle of water is on the floor near the chair and my bamboo cane is leaning on the chair next to me for when I try to move. Today I had a good day. I got off the chair 2 times to let the dogs out. YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAA!

Hopefully the days to come will be better. I HOPE!

Shooting Stars & Making Wishes

I'm writing about "shooting stars" or "falling stars" because I see them everyday & every night when I walk the pups on their early morning walks or evening walks on the beach. I usually walk them around 8:30-9:00pm and sometimes as early as 5:00am prior to leaving for work. Obviously our walks are in the darkness. These walks are different than those during the day when I'm home. I don't recall seeing such beautiful falling stars at anytime when I lived in the states. For me, living on St. Maarten, I know that with every walk, for the most part, I will see at least one falling from the sky. Most of the time, I can see up to 4 or 5 during one walk.
Why am I writing about stars one might ask because it is a strange topic to write about some might say. Well, with the New Year almost here, we have a tendency to make New Year's Resolutions; "out with the old and in with the new". Making wishes for dreams to come true.
As children, we're taught that everytime you see a falling star, you have to make a wish & someday your wish will come true.

I guess I make hundreds of wishes during the year because I see so many falling stars during the year. Lucky me? I'm not sure yet! But, I know that I have what I've always wished for during my life. I guess maybe my wishes do come true and have come true over the years or maybe I'm just fortunate.

I've known people to make wishes for money, prosperity & material things that money can buy. People have a tendency to wish for a "good life" and an "easy life". duh duh!

I guess I fell into that when I lived in the states. For me now....I wish for my health, my happiness, my security with Phil as a couple, my life with Phil for the future, and the happiness of our families & friends as well. I don't wish for "the things" that people think will make our lives happier or more money that will buy us a "better life". That is not what wishes are for in my opinion. Wishes for me; are for Dreams, Life, Future Expectations, Anticipations of the unknown, Simplicity, Wishing for Peace, Security and Happiness of a Couple, Good Health, and most of all, Wishing for the Best of our Family & Friends! This New Year 2009, I have so many wishes already. I won't reveal them, but a little advise for all of us. When we wish upon a star, we all need to stay positive when we are down, keep our dreams close, have few expecatations so we are not dissappointed if they don't happen, wish for other people rather than for ourselves and hold our wishes close. I will say that I Always wish for positive things to happen in our lives & I wish for good things to happen to people. I end my Blog today in this way:

Starlight star bright poem

Star Light Star bright,
The first star I see tonight,
I wish I may,
I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.

To all who read my Blog & to All those who don't, I wish a Happy and Healthy New Year 2009.

"Le Petit Prince" - A Story about Life.

This time of the year, I become sentimental to things in life that I've encountered, What I've been taught, What I have learned through my life's experiences, the people that have come into my life; one way or another, the way I see the world including the people.

I can't help but think of a wonderful story that I read as a child, which may have been one of my mom's favorite stories as I think was passed onto her from my grandpa also and she passed it onto me so long ago. It was more than a bedtime story; I realize that now. At the time, I didn't analyze the story, but through memories as well as going through life and getting older, I now understand that there was a reason behind the story.

The story, "Le Petit Prince" or "The Little Prince" was written in 1943 by Antoine de Saint-Exupery in a small town on Long Island, New York close to where I grew up called Asharoken in a home that was rented by the author called The Bevin House. The book has been translated into 180 languages and has sold more than 80 million copies.

It's a story about a Little Prince from another planet who meets a pilot who has crashed in the Sahara Desert that has 8 days of water and has to try to fix his plane.

The Little Prince makes several profound and idealistic points about life and human nature. Saint-Exupéry tells of meeting a young prince in the middle of the Sahara. The essence of the book is contained in the famous lines uttered by the fox to the Little Prince: "On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (One cannot see well except with the heart, the essential is invisible to the eyes). Other key thematic messages are articulated by the fox, such as: "You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed" and "It is the time you have spent with your rose that makes your rose so important."

The Characters:

The King who can "control" the stars by ordering them to do what they would anyway. He then relates this to human subjects; it is the citizen's duty to obey, but only if the king's demands are reasonable. He orders the Prince to leave as his ambassador.

The Conceited Man who wants to be admired by everyone, but lives alone on his planet. He cannot hear anything that is not a compliment.

The Drunkard/Tippler who drinks to forget that he is ashamed of drinking.

The Businessman who is constantly busy counting the stars he thinks he owns. He wishes to use them to buy more stars. The Prince then goes on to define property. The Prince owns the flower and volcanoes on his planet because he cares for them and they care for him. Because one cannot maintain the stars, he argues, the Businessman cannot own them.

The Lamplighter who lives on an asteroid which rotates once a minute. Long ago, he was charged with the task of lighting the lamp at night and extinguishing it in the morning. At that point, the asteroid revolved at a reasonable rate, and he had time to rest. As time went on, the rotation sped up. Refusing to turn his back on his work, he now lights and extinguishes the lamp once a minute, getting no rest. The Prince actually empathizes with the Lamplighter, who is the only adult to care about something other than himself.

The Geographer who spends all of his time making maps, but never leaves his desk to explore (even his own planet), going on the pretext that it is the job of an explorer to do so. Even if an explorer were to visit the Geographer, the Geographer is very doubting of any explorer's character and would most likely disregard the report. He does not trust things he has not seen with his own eyes, yet will not leave his desk. Out of professional interest, the geographer asks the Prince to describe his asteroid. The Prince describes the volcanoes and the rose. "We don't record flowers", says the geographer, because they are only ephemeral. The Prince is shocked and hurt to learn that his flower will someday be gone. The geographer then recommends that he visit the Earth.

We can learn a lot about life if we read this book carefully & understand the message behind the writer. As adults, we sometimes forget what it was like to see the world through a child's eyes. The beauty, the naivete', the trust in people, the love that we knew so innocently as a child, the aspirations and the inspirations we knew & wanted, the joys of who we are and who we wanted to become as adults.

During this time of the year, I think back to all of the memories I had as a child, the values and teachings of my parents as well as my grandparents. My grandpa mostly because I loved him so much. (my mom's dad) He loved life and people and he always told me to "Believe". He left that open as to what he wanted me to "believe", but, maybe his message was like that of Antoine de Saint-Exupery; "To never forget what it is like to see the world through a child's eyes". He taught me so much as a child. I was even named after him.

I end this Blog Posting today so that we never forget what life is, don't take it for granted and that we remember that we have a limited time on earth and that we need to make the most of it while we are here. I wish everybody a Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays & Remember how Important & Prescious Life is to ALL of us!

Fun with the kids.

Today was a day with the kids on a trip. We went Kayakking in the Simpson Bay Lagoon and then out into the ocean. It was a calm day to be on the water;very little wind, the sea was flat like a lake. It was a great day for the kids. Not all of them showed up today for some strange reason, but, overall, we had a great time. Kyakking was first and then to the beach & then I treated them to lunch at Marc's Place Restaurant. It was my gift for the holidays to them. I'm going to "eventually" buy myself a Kyak so that I can enjoy the water on the weekends when I have time to enjoy the sea. It's quiet & tranquil as well as see the island from the water.

This week was a long week for me due to meetings, preparing for next week parent meetings and the list goes on & on....In any event, today was a nice way to end the week for the kids as well as myself. A few more days & I'll be on vacation for almost 2 weeks. I'm tired, so it'll be well deserved to just sit back & relax & read some books.

Here's a piece of my Daily Paradise...

I just wanted to share a piece of my Daily Paradise with those of you who think that Island Life is "just peachy". Believe it or not, I wouldn't change my life right now for anything. Yesterday, we decided it was time to see what the students carried on them to school. So, the Police were invited in to conduct a search on both boys & girls because most people "assume" that only "the boys" are the problems. Below you will be able to read about what was found & what was taken by the Police to get the things out of the hands of these kids.
Remember, I'm dealing with 14-21 year old students each day and there are 220 students enrolled at my school. The students were not informed that the Police were going to arrive, enter every classroom and search bodies as well as back packs that the kids use to carry their ummmm, books! Weapons were found, (no guns) mostly knives, machetes, double edge knives used for "slicing" in both directions-left & right on the swing up and then down.
Why would the kids carry these weapons you might be asking yourself? Alot of these kids have Societal Pressures that if they aren't fighters, then they become the Victims of the Stronger Ones. We do have gangs on the island and I know that I have Gang Members in class. I've been confronted a few times, challenged, had a student put his chest up to mine and was looking for a reaction. He was suprised to see that I actually put more pressure on his chest with mine and advanced towards him rather than him advance on me. We stared each other in the eyes for about 1 minute, (it felt like and hour & felt it wouldn't end positively) still maintaining the pressure on each other's chest. Eventually, through (I think) Respect that the other one wasn't going to back down, he sat down and kept his respect as I did mine. Had I backed down, eventually I would have had to deal with the other 12 boys in that class at some point in the future. The last thing I could do was to not back back down and lose all of their respect. On the way out, he shook my hand and patted me on the shoulder. Since then, no probem and he started to work on the assignments.
I can honestly say that I have "almost" ALL of those kids Respect in the entire school. There are a few who still want to challenge, but, most of the kids warn the individual that I won't back down from them if they start something.
I am not a bulley by any means and I am certainly not stupid. But, I do know that these kids need somebody to watch out for them, show them that I care by a pat on the back and a Good Morning at the gate and entrance Everyday! These kids now shake my hand, give me a Boop, (which is where the kids touch knuckles to your hand in a closed fist). Some kids will even give me a hug around the shoulders and ask me if I'm doing okay?
I honestly care about these kids and I think, (I hope) they know it through my actions. They know that my door is Always Open for them, to come in and speak to me if they have something to talk about because most of the time, nobody listens at home. They know what is said, stays with me unless it involves something where they could get hurt or somebody else. I've even had kids that I know are in gangs, come in and cried like a baby because someboy at home told him outright that he was "worth nothing in life" the night before.
I Love these kids believe it or not. I'm learning about what these kids have to deal with in their private lives at home and what they have to deal with each day.
Weapons is NOT the answer. We've had discussions about the weapons in school and hopefully they will choose another path, rather than a path of aggression and crime. I can only try my best to let them know they have "other options" in Life!

Trivial Pursuit

Last night the satellite was down for some reason, possibly a storm interfering with reception. Here it was another Sunday night, Phil is off and the satellite is down. ugh! So, we decided to play Trivial Pursuit 25th Year Aniversary Editionthat we ordered a few weeks ago from Hasbro Toy Company. Those of you who played the Old Version of Trivial Pursuit are in for a BIG surprise as to the rules of the new game. Questions are well thought out and a lot of research went into the making of this game, questions as well as the rules. We played for a few hours, laughing and joking about some of the questions & their answers. I'm not a Wings Band fan, so of course I answered those wrong. Phil, not knowing who Axel Rose is from Guns & Roses answered those questions wrong. on and on, laugh and laugh....Did you know the World's Top Ten Largest Mountain Ranges are ALL located in China? Questions range from 1-6; 1 being the easiest & 6 being the "more challenging" questions. Of course, after rolling the dice, most of mine landed on a 5 or a 6 giving me the more difficult questions. Overall, there are a few hundred cards and thousands of questions. The end result is that Phil won the game on a question from the 1 category. lol
Those of you who like games, challenges and a night of laughs, go out and get yourself the new edition of Trivial Pursuit 25th Aniversary Edition. It's a good night to share with your best buddy! lol

Travelling Dogs

Being an American Indian, throughout the Mohegan Tribe, our dogs are known as "The Travelling Dogs." They've made the front page of the Mohegan Newspaper. (click on the pictures to enlarge)

Caramel as you can see from the picture was a puppy when we found him on the side of the road near Baie Rouge, a beach on the island of St. Martin. He had a strong character as a puppy & it carried over into his adulthood. Piccola was found abandonned on another beach called Cupecoy as an adult dog. When we found her, we didn't even know what color her hair was because the mainge was taking over her body to the point of "almost death". Well, as you can see, both are doing well and have been on both sides of the ocean as well as the states. .

Caramel & Piccola (to the right) on a river
in Upstate New York.

Phil with Piccola & Caramel on the Champs Elyses

Paris, France

For me, Paris is a special place, the magic, romance, history. It is absolutely magic. (to the right)
Me, Phil, Piccola & Caramel at the Eiffel Tower, Paris,

France.

Me, Piccola, Caramel sitting on top of a 7,000 year old Dolmen, which was used as a temple before the Middle Ages. Located in the Cevenne Region in the south of France.

Beach is La Grande Motte on the Mediterranean

Sea in the south of France. (to the right) One of my favorite beaches.

Me sitting on a wall with the pups in the Cevenne Region Southern France above the town of Florac on the way to the plateau called The Causse Mejean. It is divided by a canyon going through the middle.

On Phil's family property dating back to the Middle Ages. The river runs through the property that flows under a bridge from the Middle Ages that was made with no cement or concrete of any kind. The bricks fit together like a puzzle and is still standing. The bridge is arched in the center. (below)

Le Pond du Gard Bridge-Aquaduct that dates
back to over 7,000 years built by Augustus. It
carried 1 million gallons of water per day to the
city of Nimes to water the gardens & for drinking.

This is Caramel on the Via Domitia which is the Roman Antique Road built about 118 BC between Rome and what is now Barcelona. If you look closely, you can see the indentation of the horse carts in the stone. Did we step back in time for this or what? Caramel & Piccola had a great time in this area this day. Built in the south of France above Montpellier.

Notice that we spend alot of time in the south of France because Phil's family is from this area.