Monday Morning Moanins On A Wednesday

Last night on the local Detroit tv news they had a story about an 80-something year old woman who got beat down in the parking lot of an upscale Livonia, Michigan produce/specialty market. Her attackers were two young men who wanted, and ultimately got, her purse. Along with her purse (cash, credit cards etc.) they also got her sense of well-being. After she physically recovers from the beating, and she will eventually recover despite the fact that she took one hell of a whupping, my guess is it's going to be a very long time, if ever, before she feels safe enough to get in her car and venture out into the world.


I was talking about this with my Uncle David and, like always, he reminded me to be careful when I'm out and about alone because it's not just the elderly who are considerred prey by todays predators. And I know that. It's not even 'just' women who are being preyed upon, men are being attacked and robbed as well.


I was telling Uncle David that I just didn't understand why, seemingly all of a sudden, this kind of stuff is going on. I mean okay, times are tough. Lots of people without jobs, people losing their homes and cars, etc. But back in the Great Depression people weren't beating down old ladies, stealing copper plumbing from churches, etc.


Uncle David says it's because back in those days we were a nation that believed in God. We, as a people, taught our young manners, codes of ethics, proper behavior, reverence for human life. He says people--mothers and fathers--aren't taking their children to church, aren't teaching them to be respectful of the elderly, to keep their hands to themselves and off of other peoples belongings.


Maybe he's right. Maybe that's what's gone wrong. Maybe that's why as a society we're on the fast track to hell.


Perhaps I'm taking too giant of a leap here, I don't know, but I think all of what Uncle David says also applies to the lousy customer service prevalent in the market place. Surely it's not just my little corner of the world where clerks/cashiers never thank me for shopping at their store when I'm paying at the register. Or never, when they can see I'm searching for an item stop and ask if they can help me. Or…


I've been banking at the same bank for close to fifteen years. No one ever greets me by name when I go inside the bank. No one ever greets me by name when I use the drive-in window. I do believe that I could go in the bank a dozen times a day and they would still look at me as if they'd never seen me before in their life. True enough, I can survive without being treated as a valuable customer. Heck, I've been enduring it this long, right?


But to my way of thinking, right or wrong, the same attitude that causes a clerk or a bank employee or the attendant at the gas station, etc. to not be polite is the same attitude that results in old people being beaten and robbed, buildings being plundered for their copper plumbing or stained glass, schools being vandalized, etc.


What are we going to do about it?


Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.



Hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com

Snowman Sun

When Tallulah sent me this photo she said it was of a snowman sun. If you look closely you should be able to see the three round rings in front of the sun. It does look like a snowman, doesn't it (smile)?!




Speaking of snow, the weather service is calling for snow up in Tallulah's neighborhood. Originally they predicted up to 15 inches of heavy wet snow, now they say less than five. Five is better than 15, but none would be even better.


It's funny to think of them getting snow tonight when we had highs close to 80 over the weekend. It was so nice here that I had all of the windows in the house open and was able to lie out on the back patio and begin working on my tan.


Other bright news to share with you is this: HSM's #1 son, the college student, has a 3.9 average! And, unless something totally bizarre happens, will be on the Dean's List!


Lets' see, what else is new here.


Oh, here's something I bet you've been sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear about (smile)---I finished the purse I was crocheting! And it turned out really nice. I wish I had a digital camera so I could 'show' you. It came out good; it doesn't look homemade at all.


I've been invited to display and sell my work (all the things I sew and crochet) at a local Farmers Market this summer and fall. The invite surprised me; I hadn't submitted an application or anything. I'd like to accept the offer but I don't know if I can. There isn't enough time for me to produce enough goods to keep a 12-foot table stocked. That's something you have to plan way in advance for. At least if you work solo you do.


Well, that's all the news fit to discuss here (smile). You be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.


Hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com

Easter Week Musings

The other day I was flipping channels and ran across a really interesting show/documentary on the Sundance Channel. Do you get the Sundance Channel? Used to be, in order to have that channel on our cable system, you had to purchase a whole package of stations that I cared less than nothing about. And then, out of the blue, BrightHouse just tossed it to us as part of everything else!

So anyway, I don't remember the exact title of the show but it had something to do with the lost years of Jesus. You know, those years when all accounts of his life ceased and he sort of became one of the 'disappeared'.

Normally I don't watch stuff like that on TV because, well, I never learn anything from it. It's always a rehash of stuff I already know. But this was interesting.

See I was raised Roman Catholic. I come from a long line of Roman Catholics, generations of them. And, like my relatives and ancestors, I was educated for most of my school years by nuns.

I can remember whenever we were taught something in religion class that didn't exactly make sense, the nuns, when questioned about it, always replied that it was a Mystery and we must accept it by faith.

I always had a problem with the prayer, the Hail Mary. One of the lines in the prayer is 'Holy Mary Mother of God…'. That has always made me stumble because how in the world could God have a mother? The nuns said God always was. There'd never been a time when He wasn't. But if He had a mother, well, that meant there was a time before He was born that He wasn't. See the dilemma???

They explained that by saying that Jesus was Mary's son. And Jesus was the Son of God. And Jesus was God.

I never bought into that. Never believed it. Just couldn't wrap my brain around it then and still can't.

In the Holy Bible Jesus refers to himself as the Son of God. Son of God, not God Himself. Son of God like you're the son of God, like I'm the daughter of God.

In this documentary on Sundance people living in Tibet and India say that in their traditions it is told that Jesus visited their countries during the years he was on the miss tip from the Holy Bible accounts.

I know lots of people have lots of different ideas about why he's not mentioned for what? Around 17 years? Some say that he wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary those years, just working with Joseph and hanging with his family. Others say that if God had wanted us to know what Jesus was doing then He would have let us know. Others, like the folks from India and Tibet, and others with no affiliation to them, believe that Jesus was on the move, traveling, learning, etc.

I don't know where he was. It wouldn't surprise me if he was traveling, that would make sense. He had work to do. His Father's work.

At some point in the documentary, towards the end, they showed a series of writings, almost like graffiti, on the sides of modern day buildings. I forget which country but not here in the USA.

The gist of the writings was that the same God that Christians believe in is the same God that Muslims believe in.

Years ago I would have said yes, that is so. But it's really not. Why? Because Christians, almost exclusively, believe what the nuns taught me all those years ago---that Jesus is God. Christians believe in a man god.

Muslims believe in the one God, the God that always was and always will be. They believe that Jesus was the Christ, a very special prophet of the one God.

Anyway, if you get Sundance, maybe you'll run across that show. It's worth a watch.


Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.

Hugs, Tawny

Presenting A Pleasant Face

Sort of like the photo here from Tallulah, a very pretty sunrise over Lake Superior, it presents a pleasant face for the city of Marquette, Michigan and, as I'm sure their tourism board crosses their fingers for each night, the sight of it hopefully makes folks want to come and see their own sunrise.


That's how the city of Detroit has been for days, ever since the tourists started flocking in from hither and yon for the Final Four basketball tournament.


The TV news, whether you catch the early morning version, the noon segment, or the evening broadcasts, nothing bad has happened in the entire tri-county area. Nothing. At. All. And certainly NOTHING bad has even been thought about in the city of Detroit, much less occurred.


It's a bona fide hard core Detroit Love Fest.


I listened to a tourist on the news last night exclaiming how people had told him Detroit was a run down city but he hadn't seen anything like that. And I swear, he said it all in capital letters replete with exclamation points.


But if he'd wandered a few blocks from where he was staying and partying in downtown Detroit, if he'd inadvertently made a wrong turn down one of the side streets, well, he'd have told an entirely different story. And probably whimpering as he did.


Contrary to what the TV news is reporting there is a drug war being waged in Detroit. Not the cops against the drug lords. Nope. The bad guys against the other bad guys, fighting for turf and supplies and profits and face; with bodies dropping on both the east side and the west side of Detroit. And stray bullets hitting folks, children and adults, not involved in the drama.


And then there's the car jackings. For months it's been a nerve jerking experience to stop at any gas station in Detroit to fill-up your car. Why? Well, there's been at least one guy preying on those folks. Jacking them at gunpoint and taking their cars.


You didn't hear this on the news the other day but residents living in the area said that the police set up a sting for this jacker. Sure enough, the criminal jumped in the police decoy car. And the police shot him to death. It never made the news.


I understand the concept of putting on a pleasant face. Shoot, we all want to look our best when we're meeting strangers. But it's dangerous to let tourists think that they're in this Happy Land where nothing but milk and honey flows and no one wants to hurt them.


Last week Martha Reeves--you know, Martha of Martha and The Vandellas, the old Motown act-- (now a member of Detroit's City Council) stated on TV, when confronted by a local investigative reporter, that she needed her City paid car and driver, day and night, because it was too dangerous for her to be out and about in Detroit by herself.


Now if it's too dangerous for Martha, who knows the good and bad parts of the city, who's lived in Detroit the bulk of her life and is streetwise and savvy, it's downright treacherous and wicked for the tourists.


Me, I try to keep out of Detroit. My trips are confined to visiting elderly relatives and then it's during the day, never at night. I never stop for gas or a hamburger or anything in Detroit. Yes, crime can happen anywhere, even out here in Farmington Hills where I live, but it's less likely.


If you're coming to Detroit for anything at any time, do not be fooled by the tourism bureau and their 'all is well' crazy mantra. All is not well and you want to make sure you've said your prayers.


Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.


Hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com

Hard Times Help

I don't know about you, but things are a little tight for me right now. No, I don't mean clothes wise (smile); I haven't 'blown up' from too many sweets! I'm talking about trying to maintain a happy, healthy lifestyle despite the fact that every time I go to the grocery store, I swear, prices have increased. Shoot, truth is, prices have skyrocketed everywhere, not just at the grocery store and the gas station, everywhere.

I used to be real good at being frugal. This was back in the day when I didn't really have to be; I just was because, well, I just was. Then things got really good for me and I started slacking off--buying pretty much anything that appealed to me. My self indulgent days are over, time to get back on track.

Maybe I've mentioned this to you before, but it's such a good resource that it deserves another go round - Angel Food Ministries.

www.angelfoodministries.com

I've never used their services, but I've talked to people who have and they rave about them. You don't have to be low income or on assistance or using a Bridge Card (the 'new' food stamps), there's no special qualifying. It's for anyone and everyone who wants to rein in their grocery costs.

Why haven't I used them if they're so great? I don't eat pork and just about every month Angel Food puts some type of pork product in the box. For me it wouldn't be a good deal if I were tossing out some of the food.

Here's a site that aims to help you save money and eat nutritious meals.

www.hillbillyhousewife.com

Yeah, I know, the title is a scream, isn't it (smile)?! But she has a blog and all sorts of stuff on her site, all interesting and helpful if you're looking to make low cost home cooked meals from scratch.

And truth is, cooking from scratch not only saves money but also tastes better. At least it does to me.

This next blog - www.nightstirrings.blogspot.com gives a step-by-step on cooking with as-you-go photos too.


Hope you find some of this helpful.

Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.


Hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com

My Friend Mike

It's been awhile since I've shared with you any of the emails I've received from Michael Moore and so when this one showed up, well…

Friends,

Nothing like it has ever happened. The President of the United States, the elected representative of the people, has just told the head of General Motors -- a company that's spent more years at #1 on the Fortune 500 list than anyone else -- "You're fired!"

I simply can't believe it. This stunning, unprecedented action has left me speechless for the past two days. I keep saying, "Did Obama really fire the chairman of General Motors? The wealthiest and most powerful corporation of the 20th century? Can he do that? Really? Well, damn! What else can he do?!"

This bold move has sent the heads of corporate America spinning and spewing pea soup. Obama has issued this edict: The government of, by, and for the people is in charge here, not big business. John McCain got it. On the floor of the Senate he asked, "What does this signal send to other corporations and financial institutions about whether the federal government will fire them as well?" Senator Bob Corker said it "should send a chill through all Americans who believe in free enterprise." The stock market plunged as the masters of the universe asked themselves, "Am I next?" And they whispered to each other, "What are we going to do about this Obama?"

Not much, fellows. He has the massive will of the American people behind him -- and he has been granted permission by us to do what he sees fit. If you liked this week's all-net 3-pointer, stay tuned.

I write this letter to you in memory of the hundreds of thousands of workers over the past 25+ years who have been tossed into the trash heap by General Motors. Many saw their lives ruined for good. They turned to alcohol or drugs, their marriages fell apart, some took their own lives. Most moved on, moved out, moved over, moved away. They ended up working two jobs for half the pay they were getting at GM. And they cursed the CEO of GM for bringing ruin to their lives.

Not one of them ever thought that one day they would witness the CEO receive the same treatment. Of course Chairman Wagoner will not have to sign up for food stamps or be evicted from his home or tell his kids they'll be going to the community college, not the university. Instead, he will get a $23 million golden parachute. But the slip in his hands is still pink, just like the hundreds of thousands that others received -- except his was issued by us, via the Obama-man. Here's the door, buster. See ya. Don't wanna be ya.

I began my day today in Washington, D.C. I went to the U.S. Senate and got into their Finance Committee's hearing on the Wall Street bailout. The overseers wanted to know how the banks spent the money. And many of these banks won't tell them. They've taken trillions and nobody knows where the money went. It certainly didn't go to create jobs, relieve mortgage holders, or free up loans that people need. It was so shocking to listen to this; I had to leave before it was over. But it gave me an idea for the movie I was shooting.

Later, I stopped by the National Archives to stand in line to see the original copy of our Constitution. I thought about how twenty years ago this month I was just down the street finishing my first film, a personal plea to warn the nation about GM and the deadly economy it ruled. On that March day in 1989 I was broke, having collected the last of my unemployment checks, relying on help from my friends (Bob and Siri would take me out to dinner and always pick up the check, the assistant manager at the movie theater would sneak me in so I could watch an occasional movie, Laurie and Jack bought an old Steenbeck (editing) machine for me, John Richard would slip me an unused plane ticket so I could go home for Christmas, Rod would do anything for me and drive to Flint whenever I needed something for the film). My late mother (she would've turned 88 tomorrow if she were still with us) and my GM autoworker dad told me in the kitchen they wanted to help and handed me a check for an astounding thousand dollars. I didn't know they even had a thousand dollars. I refused it, they insisted I take it -- "No!" -- and then, in that parental voice, told me I was to cash it so I could finish my movie. I did. And I did.

So on that March day in 1989, as I was driving down Pennsylvania Avenue, my 9-year-old car just died. I coasted over to the curb, put my head down on the steering wheel and started to cry. I had no money to take it in to be repaired, and I certainly had nothing to pay the tow truck driver. So I got out, screwed the license plates off so I wouldn't be fined, turned my back and just left it there for good. I looked over at the building next to me. It said "National Archives." What better place to donate my dead car, I thought, as I walked the rest of the way home.

Though it wasn't easy for me, I still never had to suffer what so many of my friends and neighbors went through, thanks to General Motors and an economic system rigged against them. I wonder what they must have all thought when they woke up this Monday morning to read in the Detroit News or the Detroit Free Press the headlines that Obama had fired the CEO of GM. Oh -- wait a minute. They couldn't read that. There was no Free Press or News. Monday was the day that both papers ended home delivery. It was cancelled (as it will be for four days every week) because the daily newspapers, like General Motors, like Detroit, are broke.

I await the President's next superhero move.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com
(Go State!)

P.S. Please know that it has not been lost on any of us from the Rust Belt how our corporate bigwigs were treated (remember, the auto companies wanted a loan, not a handout) compared to how the titans of Wall Street got trillions of free cash, lunch at the White House and a photo op with the Prez. Trust me, we get it. And, if there is a God in heaven, the thieves of Wall Street will soon pay. Also... the sight of our president having to promise that he would back every GM warranty and give consumers a bonus if they trade in their old Grand Am for a hybrid, was alternately sad, hilarious, and just plain weird. This is what it's come to: the Commander in Chief of the Free World is now Mr. Goodwrench. Jeesh.

Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.


Hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com