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.

Rusty & Bobby Lee

I was reading through my Blog and realized that I didn't include two of the "little ones." The two that I hadn't added to my Blog are Rusty & Bobby Lee. (if you click on all of the photos on this Blog, you can enlarge them.)

To start out, Rusty (a cat), imposed himself on us. One night, we were having dinner, watching tv and this little rusty colored cat came onto the terrace having no regard for Caramel or the other animals. We had never seen him before, never heard him; he just arrived from somewhere. Meow, Meow, Meow and he was basically telling us that he was adopting us rather than us adopting him. Caramel being the Sheik of the Animal Kingdom of our house was a bit confused with the situation because normally animals sense Caramel's presence and go the other way. But, not this little cat. He stayed at the house & the next day he rubbed himself against Caramel, grabbed Caramel's neck, (Caramel still confused as to what was taking place), played with Caramel and even Caramel had no choice in the matter that this cat was here to stay. Well, his name became Rusty, (so original) & he became part of the family. He loves Phil & even speaks to Phil when Phil is home. The interesting thing is that when I come home from work, Rusty is nowhere to be seen or heard of. As soon as Phil arrives & Rusty hears his voice, this cat comes running, meow, meow, meow. He loves Phil, and is just starting to take to me, (almost a year later). Phil & I always say that he must have been born around the time that our cat Clyde died. He has a very similar character as Clyde. Clyde was the only animal that Caramel would allow to be so close to him. Caramel lets Rusty do whatever he wants to do and they are very close. Caramel, I think, knows that Rusty will do whatever he wants so he's adjusted. He's with us since 12th Sept. 07

The next little one that I didn't include in my Blog is Bobby Lee, AKA-(also known as): "Piglet". Why Piglet? She loves to eat and makes the sound of a pig. When she runs, she sounds like a pig. When she is dreaming, she sound slike a pig. It's true!

Bobby Lee was another abandoned dog that was left in Oyster Pond, where we live. I had seen her on and off, but thought that she belonged to somebody because she's a Britney Spaniel. After about 2 weeks, because she was surviving and seemed to be alright, I realized that she was abandoned. One night she came to the restaurant to eat. Well, she too imposed herself on us because she followed us home and never left. The next day, we took her to the vet, gave her shots, some medicine for the beginning stages of mainge, and an ear infection.

We didn't plan on another animal, but, island life doesn't give you a choice if you love animals. She's been with us a year this Nov. 9th 07. She has this fascination for the sea and she loves to chase birds and crabs on the beach. In all of the years that we live here, (10 plus years), I will never get use to the neglect, mistreatment and abandonment of animals. It has gotten better, but, still exists. I can honestly say that I don't want to adopt anymore animals, but, if I need to intervene to help out for the short term, I will. But, in all honesty, I've done my part in my life in adopting animals. So, above you see recent pictures of the little ones. In order: Bobby Lee (name comes from the movie; "To Wong Fu, Thanks Julie Newmar"), Happy, Caramel & Piccola. The picture was taken on the beach in front of the house 2 weeks ago.

Friends Forever!

So, the mysterious' Sherry's & my past. Somewhere we were inseparable. We were friends outside of work & we had a professional part also, being that we had worked together in the same school district as well as the same school. School outsings; we were there day & night. We were even the bride & groom at one of the fashion shows to raise money for the kids. (If the kids or our collegues knew about my personal life) The weekends were another story. We would have dinner someplace & then go to the clubs afterwards, practically all night, if friends weren't having parties at their houses. I remember one year for Thanksgiving, we even made an attempt at 9pm to drive to Atlantic City. The traffic was too heavy so we decided to turn around and go home and party. (of course in these days we didn't have mapquest.com, it was all maps in hand)

I went off on an exit into some Bronx neighborhood & thought we were going to be killed. Two white people in a fancy car in a gang neighborhood getting stares. You can't imagine what we were thinking.... Somewhere, luckily it was Thanksgiving & maybe the people in the street felt sorry for us suspecting we were lost. lol Parties at family get together for birthdays & holidays were special. After I bought the house on Long Island, I had offered Sherry & Jen (her daughter) to move in with me. Sherry had a 1 bedroom apartment & Jen had the only bedroom & Sherry opted to sleep on her pull out sofa. After considering the option, Sherry thought that it would be best for Jen & her to stay alone as a family. The offer always remained open if Sherry & Jen ever changed their minds.

We're picking up from where we left off through e-mails & Facebook (when I learn how to use it & not remove or add something that shouldn't be there), and plan to get together in the spring when I go back to the states to "finally" move the NY house contents to the Florida house. It will be great to be together again.

Sherry & Jen; My Friends from so long ago....

I am very Happy Today.
I thought that our contact was lost forever! I managed to locate my friend Sherry through a school bulletin I found on line. I e-mailed & she e-mailed back. We worked together in the same school years after high school graduation. Sherry was my "party buddy" on weekends & I was hers.
Oh how I remember the Jagermeister Shots at the bars. The partying would go on into the night & the fun & laughs & secrets we had. We were each other's Confidant & always watched out for each other.
We haven't been in touch since I left New York over 10 years ago.
Today, I was reminising of those days so long ago of the "special friendship" we shared. We were always there for each other & we were only a phone call away or a 10 minute car drive to each other's homes. During the 10 plus years, I never forgot Sherry or her daughter Jen who is now 16 years old. I saw pictures of her today & the reality of time passed, has hit home.
We have so much to catch up on & I can't wait! I e-mailed Sherry back, but, 10 plus years of being absent in each other's life can't be sumized in one e-mail.
I'll update the progression of our rekindled friendship. Wow!

We the People...

We the People, has become a reality for me. Through the voting process, the open mindedness of Americans, the particpation of the election process, the determination for change and to be counted has been proven. Through the Incompetances of the Former Administration, has allowed for Americans to see the Realities of Failed Leadership. The economic hardships that American People have encountered and the new way of having to look at the Future of America.
Maybe, and I hope, that the American People will wake up, change the way in which they live because of this horrendous episode in our history. I hope that Americans look at life more seriously, change the priorities and take more time for themselves and enjoy what life has to offer; then looking at the money as the key that rules their daily lives.
I've learned, since living outside of my country, to look at America from the outside rather than from the inside.
I saw & realize what I was. My life revolved around the material possessions which meant alot of hours away from home to earn the money that was required to pay for "those things".
If I think back to my NY days,
I must have been a Fucking Nut Case!!!!!!
The best part is, is that I was single during all of these financial obligations. I chose to have the "things" rather than a relationship because "the things" were the "REWARDS" for living the "AMERICAN DREAM" (get real!)
I had no time for myself or anybody else for that matter. I was rarely home, other than to sleep & time to do the yard work on weekends before going to the second job.
Times are far worse now for the American People and must be even harder for those with families.
How did priorities change in America? Why did we allow ourselves to WANT rather than be WANTED? Why is IMAGE so important now? Why is it necessary to "Keep up with the Jones or to get the things before the Jones' do?" Why did we or do we allow ourselves to "Live Beyond our Means?" Why do we move to another home, rather than to "Just Add On to our existing homes?" Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah The questions go on and on for me......Now, it's confusing as to why I allowed myself to go THAT FAR! Is EXCESS really necessary? What about, "just the basics to enjoy life?"

So now, living outside of the US for the last 10 plus years, I can see where I was, where America is and I don't want to ever change my ways of thinking again.
I've learned that you can be successful, live discreetly & simple, have time to party, spend Quality Time with The Love of Your Life, Travel, not live beyond your means, have friends who like & respect you truly for who you are, rather than what you have in the pocket, where or how you live, & most of all, Respect & Cherish the person you chose to be your life partner and, "HOPEFULLY, that person will do th esame for you.....!" and, have Dreams for Tomorrow.....
I hope that America changes back to a more simple life & not put the emphasis on "the things" anymore after this economic crisis. I hope that America looks at the "important" things in life; which is our precious time of life & our companion in life. (you can define what is important to you)
We the People have spoken. Let's think about how we will use this chance we have to live a better life in America & around the world. Change is not only with the Government's Administration. We the People have to define our Priorities for ourselves.

Today, I Wait with Anticipation...

Today, I think most people with any intelligence & a functioning brain, sits, paces nervously, glued to the TV sets, listening to the radios or conversing with friends & collegues anticipating our next President of the United States.

I would also like to include the next "First Family" of America. When I see photos of this True American Family, I can only feel Strength & Comfort knowing that this family will make us proud that they are representing millions of Americans, giving us hope for a brighter & better tomorrow & future.

For me, they represent all of us in their determination, confidence and dreams that: "We can seek the Impossible"; take a stand in what WE believe to be our own successes; no matter how large or small. For me, they represent that "keeping life simple", and not living beyond our means, allows us to keep the dreams real & within reach. For me, they represent that through personal experiences allows us

or (should show us) to NOT forget where they/we came from and where they/we want to go in life. For ALL of us, they proved that "Anything is Possible" as long as we don't give up on ourselves.

For me, they represent that: We have to take a stand in what we believe to be of value, importance and what is cherished most in our lives. We have to learn from our mistakes & not repeat them. We need to look forward & not back if we are to have productive & healthy lives. We need to advance by thinking of others & not ourselves. We need to reach out, help & say hello as often as possible; even to people we don't know. In the end, those people will feel important & will hopefully pass on the hello or lend a helping hand to others as well.

Since teaching & dealing with the people of St. Maarten more on a daily basis, (professionally & personally), I find myself reaching out more to people & I especially reach out to my students & their family members. I try to understand their daily lives, struggles & hardships and what they do each day to survive. Through their struggles, they still laugh & enjoy life. They make the best of what they have & proud of what they accomplish. When a mom or dad sees me in public or even at the school, they are not shy to give me a hug. I even had one dad last week give me a hug & a kiss on the cheek because I prevented his son from being kicked out of school after an incident that could have been prevented, had a teacher been present & doing his job.

(remember the teacher who was spying on the computer to see what I was doing?)

I find myself enjoying life more now, then I did prior to teaching. I feel productive & giving back to St. Maarten & contributing to the future of these kids & the island. I'm even more sensitive now and find it easier to overlook things that were once or could have been a crisis.

Through Obama & his family, I have hope & feel positive for a brighter tomorrow for the people of America, the people of the world and the future of good things to come under his Presidency.

Again I will say, "I have found a New Role Model in My Life!" His Inspiration moves me to being a better person each day!

Today, I have hope for America & The World

Today, I have hope for America & The World after watching the Infomercial of Obama. I watched it today because the TV Satelite was down last night.

During the 30 minute Ad for Obama, I will be honest with you, I had tears in my eyes. His ad portrayed people from different parts of America who had "everyday issues" that they had to live with making concessions, changing their daily routines and come to reality with what they thought their retirement was going to be after retirement.

When Phil & I travel throughout America, we always observe people; who as American Senior Citizens, are working in fast food restaurants, Walmart, Sam's Club etc. When we travel throughout Europe, we don't see Senior Citizens working anywhere.

Barack Obama talks about the goals, policies and dreams He has for America & The People.

His personal crisis' & personal experiences allows him to understand; what ALL of US go through at some point in our lives. He can relate to what the "average American" is going through and hasn't forgotten about his youth, his family upbringing, his hardships. He understands what hard work is and what it means to get to a point in ones life. Nothing was given to him, except the "Drive to keep going to reach your dreams through the encouragement of his mom & grandmother & grandfather."

His encouragement for parents to take an active role in their children's lives as his mother did with him starting at 4:30am every morning. As a teacher, I too, can relate to the early mornings waking up in my childhood home with my dad & mom also encouraging me to study hard & learn. Good morals & values helped me to be who I am today and I encourage my students to "do the same."

Barack Obama is a "People Person" who, in my opinion, will change America for the better. The people will now have a better chance at a better life. People will have (I hope) a new feeling & beliefs in each other and stand together to make America what it was meant to be.

A place for ALL People, no matter what the socio-economic background is, what neighborhood you grew up in, what your skin color is, what type of job you do, what country your ancestors came from, what language you speak, what religion you believe in, etc.

Barack seems to be a sensitive person & knowledgeable.

I believe, the people will have a New Leader to look up to and Respect his accomplishments and the road He travelled, to get to where He is today.

I told my students today in class this: "If I had to ask myself who I admired most; I would have to say: Barack Obama. A man who is doing something what was believed to be Impossible. We should ALL take a lesson from him." If there is a God, God Bless Obama!