Gypsy Child

He creeps down the hallway late at night.

Tammy is my next door neighbor.

Tammy is my best friend.

We are sent to bed way past our normal bedtime.

We whisper and giggle.

Suddenly Tammy pulls me close and says, “Here he comes.”

I swiftly move the covers over our heads.

I grab Tammy’s arm.

We wait. We peek out to see if it is all clear.

I do not trust it yet. For good reason.

There he is…the shadow man. He is tall and lean. He walks slow and deliberate.

I about pee my pants.

I whisper to Tammy as I crawl back into the sheet…”I saw him, I saw the shadow man. Is he gone yet?”

“Hide”, Tammy squeals, “he’s coming”.

We hid for so long that our breathing slows down along with our brain activity.

Sleep finds its way somewhere along the fear and the friendship.

This is repeated many more nights over the years.

Tammy relays to me, when we are almost grown, that the shadow man was her father and she knew all along.

I think she thought I was playing along. I wasn’t.

To me, the Shadow Man was very real.

If you are a female then Barbie entered your world when imagination and playtime consumed you. The name of this popular doll has been said so many times throughout women’s life that it automatically makes them reminisce about their childhood. It reminds them of the good times they had playing with Barbie, the time they cut off her hair then regretted it later, and the Barbie play-dates with their friends. However, to some cynical women, the memories they have might be disappointing ones of how they did not grow up to be as skinny and pretty as Barbie is. The classical argument regarding Barbie is that she is degrading and detrimental to the young female’s later view of herself. On the contrary, if examined closer it is apparent that Barbie is empowering and gives women the feeling of self worth.

That feeling began in 1959 when Barbie was debuted in the New York Toy Fair by toy manufacturer Mattel. The creator of Barbie and part owner of Mattel, Ruth Handler, says, “Every little girl needed a doll through which to project herself into her dream of herself in the future” (D’Amato 14). Barbie was the gateway doll for this type of self-expression. Handler came up with the idea of Barbie after watching her daughter cast aside her baby dolls in preference to paper dolls that she tirelessly attempted to keep upright and standing (D’Amato 14). Barbie was modeled after adults and allowed young girls to interact and imagine what it was like in the “grown-up” world. In the 50 years that Barbie has been around she has had a multitude of careers ranging anywhere from teenage fashion model to astronaut. The success of Barbie has been demonstrated by her ability to sell out instantly when she was first introduced and to maintain a top seller to this day.

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Women of Africa

Here’s a passage that talks about the human spirit.

It struck a cord with me so I thought I would share it.

It is sweet and short.

I read this in the National Geographic Vol 27, No. 4.

It’s called Kenya Passage, by Christopher Vourlias

The woman’s eyes are soft, sorrowful, resigned, but it’s my own fleeting misfortune that trougles her. Of all the things you expect to find in Africa, sympathy isn’t one of them. Earlier I’d watched a parade of women trudging on the side of the road, infants bundled on their backs, firewood balanced on their heads, I imagined that every day brought with it some fresh hardship; but maybe all those trails didn’t harden the spirit so much as soften the heart. They made you more eloquent in the language of sorrow.

You can find his blog here at postcard junkie.

Ponijao lives in Namibia with her family, including her parents and eight older brothers and sisters. Ponijao’s family is part of the Himba tribe, and lives in a small village with other families.

Mari lives with her mother and father in Shibuya, a busy metropolitan area within Tokyo, at the center of all of the city’s noise and excitement. Mari is an only child and lives a contemporary urban lifestyle.

Born in Mongolia, Bayarjargal, usually called “Bayar” for short, lives with his mother, father, and older brother Delgerjargal (“Degi”) on their small family farm.

Hattie lives in San Francisco, born to very ecological, “green” parents.  Both of Hattie’s parents are equally involved in her day-to-day life, fixing her meals, taking her to play groups, and spending time with her around the house.

What am I talking about?

Why “Babies” of course.

Breastmilk squirted on the babies face to wash the eyes.

A mother licking the babies face then spiting sharply.

A jacuzzi with mother and baby. Baby is not happy.

A river to play in.

A metal bath tub to sit in while a goat drinks from it.

These are all scenes you get to be a part of for a breif hour and 20 minutes.

Some of you might say yuk or gross. I say you need to see the film to understand how it is not gross. In fact is is very amusing.

For me, I would love it to just keep going and going.  I’m looking foward to the DVD with all the extras.

Here’s my take on the above.

Breastmilk has antibiotic properties that helps get rid of infection and also help prevent infection in the first place.

All animals clean their babies by licking them. It is the most natural thing. It is not uncommon in most cultures for a parent to suck out the mucus from an infants nose and spit it out when they are sick. I have been told this from some people I know that lived in Jamaica and other Islands. I know, Yuk you say. But this is normal for them.

My babies bath tub in St John was a metal tub we bought from the hardware store. You see people wash their laundry in them. The tub would sit on the deck and they would bathe outside in the fresh warm air.

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Babies-Loved it, laughed a lot. Soo damn cute with as much depth as you care to give to it. We cared alot and talked about it all day long.

Director Thomas Balmés and producer Alain Chabat – released the Focus Features Film called ‘Babies’.

Balmés and Chabat  worked over  four-years  making of the film.

There is no narration. It leaves it up to you to decide your own thought about what is going on. No conversations either.

There are some songs and dada, mama words.

I am so glad Balmé and Chabat were passionate about this movie. It brought so much joy and laughter to my heart and soul today.

My mother (72) and sister (53) and daughter (15) and son (18) all shared in the joy.

We were all smiling, laughing and I was brought to happy tears.

Juma,

When I ask you to pay attention to the route we were taking on our trip to the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando it was not simply to learn where we were going, it was more than that. It was to be awake to what is happening in your life when it is happening. Take advantage of the moments where life is teaching you a lesson.

Life doesn’t always have lessons for you. Some moments are truly there just for the moment. That moment my come with laughter, joy, pain, love, first love, old love. The list goes on.

Right now I am just talking about being in the moment where life is presenting you with an opportunity to move forward in love.

I am also talking about life presenting you with an easy lesson. Like for instance your mom learning an easy way to get somewhere near the college you are going to but if you don’t pay attention you might end up getting lost and having to find your own way.

All this while you are in the same car with her and she tries to explain to you what just happened but you say “Don’t try to tell me because I will not remember any of it.” and I say, “But if you would just try to listen, the next time you hear it, it will be that much easier to understand.”

This is the tug of war that goes on between most children and their parents.

When will children learn life could be easier if they would just pay attention and when will adults learn their kids need to learn it in their own time in their own way.

But for now we will go forward with the message of moving-forward-in-love thing.

Story number 1

Getting lost on my way to Orlando today, I went in the gas station to buy a new Florida map. Mine dated back in the 80’s. I knew I was also going to ask for directions from whomever was working.

Two women were working. On first appearance, life did not look like it had swung many dollars their way. They were southern women who had probably lived many a years working long hours and minimum wage. Exercise and diet were not a high priority nor was dental.

“Hi, My map is pretty old so I want to buy this map but could you also tell me how to get to I-4,” pointing on the new map I also ask, “Is this toll road around Orlando better than going thru the center?”

The woman behind the counter, looking befuddled, calls the other women over, “Sandy, you want to help her, your much better with directions.”

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Great documentary. I went to a showing today at the Nature Conservatory in Naples, Florida. I recommend all to buy it. Here’s the web site. http://whatsorganicmovie.org/

Raina shows the way to Key West

There is going to be a reunion in Key West, Florida.

Cayo Hueso Lovers is the name in Facebook

Description:

For those interested in a reunion in Key West, Florida this Jan 22, 23, 24,2010… who lived,played,danced,sailed,performed and loved living in Cayo Hueso in the 80′s and 90′s…and who remember the magic of Mallory @ sunset…dancing to the Survivors…sailing and swimming the crystal waters all round…those who want to re-unite with old friends made in those days and who now live elsewhere or still on the island…

Go to facebook and sign up.

‘Where The Wild Thing Are’. a movie review

Where the Wild Things Are

I happen to feel like Kenneth Turan, who did the review on NPR News, did not get the movie. He said neither parents nor children are going to like it.

Somehow this movie completely missed his frontal lobe, slithered past his heart and gut and landed in a pool of (no imagination); taking everything exactly how it is presented with no creative thought process of his own.

I cannot imagine watching a movie waiting for everything to slap me in the face crying “look at me, listen to me.” I watched the details alongside the clatter and the silent depth of emotion sprinkled with the folly allowing my mental juices to go along with the imaginative ride I was taken on.

I loved this movie. I get this movie. I easily flowed along the lines of his mother’s toes hiding behind her stockings to the stacking up of limbs, heartbeats and knarly toes; resting in the comfort of loved ones in one big monster lump.

I get the moods of each character. Tell me you couldn’t relate to the selfish, out of line, dysfunction every character relayed and I will say you are not looking very close at yourself. People do things and say thing that are not always who they truly want to be, then out of nowhere people will say the perfect thing, do the most noble thing. This is human nature.

This boy’s eyes show anger, confusion, compassion, hope and love. Max Records couldn’t be more perfect.

In the end he returned to what was familiar. He decides he could rest easily in a house full of chaos and love. He could accept all these traits and still find comfort in the mist of his mothers love. She falls asleep at the end not out of neglect, but out of release; release of anger that turned into fear that thankfully lead to relief.   The boy understands his mother is as human as he is.

She is simply exhausted from a night of no sleep.

The simplicity of the moment is enough.

The movie captured Maurice Sendak’s sense of adventure and content for what this journey called life is all about.

…he sailed off through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where the wild things are…

…and sailed back over a year and in and out of weeks and through a day and into the night of his very own room where he found supper waiting for him.

 Sept 20th. I buy 2 baby pumpkins.

So excited to carve them and set them out for Halloween.

Opps, not Halloween month yet. My bad.

Thats what happens when you live in Florida and the seasons are defined by hot and hotter, Green and Brown depending on how much rain you get. Watching the weather channel everyday (hurrican season) to hardly ever.

My mother signed me up for a year of Family Circle magazine.  They have the cutest carved pumpkins on the cover. The cover is often all I ever see. Not my favorite magazine but I must admit to some good tips I found inside.

So I’m at the grocery store and I see these cute little pumpkins and am instantly drawn to them, then I remembered the magazine cover and thought, “This will be something fun to do with the kids.”

The kids got a good laugh at my mistake. Glad to make someone laugh.

The green one is still around but the orange one colapsed after a few days.

  This is not a leaf dying but actually a leaf being born. It reminded me of fall so I took its first newborn picture.

BOO!

 My son’s lame attempt at a mouth. We decided it was a scary ghost pumpkin. The powers-to-be can not stop the knife.