Heart

Seen along the Jersey shore
Courtesy of the men and women working to clean up and rebuild

Ready for a new season ...

... regardless of the surroundings

Looking out to the horizon wearing a little Red Cross cap

Waving to NY

At the base there is a tiny bandage that says "bent not broken"

You've gotta have heart

All you really need is heart

When the odds are sayin' you'll never win

That's when the grin should start

You've gotta have hope

Musn't sit around and mope

Nuthin' half as bad as it may appear

Wait'll next year and hope …

By Adler and Ross

Written for the musical ‘Damn Yankees’

Our World Tuesday

I'm With Brilliant

I've mentioned before that my friends Jay and Matt-Man host a show called "I'm With Stupid" on Blog Talk Radio.

On yesterday's show Jay and Matt took a fork off their usual road of hilarity and irreverence to help aid awareness of the horrible problem of Human Trafficking. Their guest Katherine is an activist in the fight against human trafficking and shared a lot of interesting and surprising information and experiences.

Please go to the official site of  I’M WITH STUPID   and check out today's post. There are links to 3 major organizations dealing with human trafficking. You can also listen to yesterday's show. I was honored to call in and ask Katherine some questions.

You can change - maybe even save - the life of an exploited person, often a child.

I have shared here that I grew up in an abusive and neglectful home. From as early as 8 or 9 I can remember knowing that I had to take care of myself and, as the oldest, look out for my siblings.

I found myself in many situations where I was vulnerable to those who prey on at risk children. It is a lost and empty feeling.

As humans sharing the same air we need to reach out to those most in danger.

Comfort

I was watching CNN's coverage of the memorial service in Newtown, CT when a group of dogs arrived outside the high school.

They are from ...Lutheran Charities Comfort Dogs Program
Recently they have visited victims of Hurricane Sandy. They go wherever comfort is needed.

Later, dogs from Hudson Valley Golden Retriever Club also arrived.

The dogs will stay as long as needed; they will help ease the fears of returning to school and will distract people from the endless heartbreak of 26 funerals.

"Dogs are nonjudgmental. They are loving. They are accepting of anyone," Hetzner (head of the Lutheran Charities group) said. "It creates the atmosphere for people to share."

Being a Person

"it's so hard to just be a person, a good person" my Nana would tell me, "don't make it too complicated, just keep an open heart".

Yesterday was my birthday and I was in a mood. The mood of all moods.
Too many things up in the air; money issues, family drama, worry and stress.

I was determined to be grateful and open hearted. I fed the birds and squirrels. It was a cloudy and misty morning and I love that. Sunny days are so freakin' perky.

I brought coffee and doughnuts to "the old guys" at the marina. They were talking about Pearl Harbor and wars. "It's a sad day" one of them tells me. "It's my birthday" I respond without thinking, I had been hell bent on ignoring that fact. "It's your birthday!" he shouts out, a smile enhancing every beautiful line on his wonderful face. "Hey! you divas, it's the gal's birthday". They all know my name but prefer to call me gal, girlie, sweetie, sweetheart, and so on, Oh yeah, and kid. "It's the kid's birthday?" another repeats, "well that calls for the silver flask".

We all had spiked coffee and sang bits and pieces of old songs while the gulls fled to open water.

I got home and had a two hour fun talk with my baby brother. Right before we hung up he told me to check his Facebook.

He wrote this :

happy birthday to my big sister Dianne who took me in as a teenager
when living with my father became unbearable. if not for her my life
today would be different. we don't talk or see each other often but it
doesn't change that fact. remember where you came from and how you got
where you are today. no doubt someone helped you along the way.

Like · · Promote · a few seconds ago near Brooklyn ·

Baby bro and his daughters

In the evening Hope gave me a brownie she made in 'Kindegarden Cafe' cooking class and we played with the Ballerina Barbie I gave her for the first night of Chanukah. She'll be in Brooklyn tonight so we celebrated early.

"I get a Chanukah present because your Nana is Jewish?"
"Well sort of, you really get it just because I love you and my Nana would have loved you too"
"That's a good reason"


Have a good weekend everyone
Just be a person

In The Details

Sunday morning I took a big thermos of coffee and some doughnuts over to the marina. I knew some of the "old guys" would be there; it was sunny and they've been hanging out there talking about their homes and boats and all that's been lost or saved in the aftermath of Sandy.

For the first time since the storm I took my camera with me.

the gulls watch over the scene

there used to be a building attached to that ramp

boats have been pushed up onto the front lawns of private homes that were once separated from the marina by a fence

I've been told that some of these restaurant chairs have been found across town

I stopped at what is left of a favorite restaurant.

That bit of fence you see standing is all there is of the railway that led to the terrace dining area.

The owner of this restaurant has been travelling around town in a bus handing out food and supplies.
She is an exceptional person.
Star-Ledger made a video that can be Viewed Here

This house has been seen on just about every news broadcast and in every newspaper.
It amazes everyone that half of it is still standing.
The owner says she intends to re-build it.
She calls it her "Tara"

it is details like these shirts that make the photos real to me

It took me from Sunday to today to take these shots off the camera and decide to share them. It felt ghoulish and depressing. I feel a deep sense of loss over the destruction of so many of the places I love yet I am so grateful that my home is OK.

When I went to the firehouse to drop off some supplies a woman told me she felt "survivor's guilt".

Someone else said that if you drive just two miles it is as if nothing happened and that feels surreal. He's right.

I promise you a happier post soon. I felt the need to share with you all how I'm feeling and what I'm seeing.

And on we go ...

Bipartisan Fun

My Governor and My President got together during Hurricane Sandy to be leaders, not politicians.

Governor Christie took a lot of heat for that from his Republican "friends", but that's for a more political post.

 I came upon these two stories in my wanderings through the internet tubes. The lighter side of politicians ...

Governor Christie is a favorite for late night comedy. Saturday Night Live loves him.

The Governor showed up in person recently.

You can see the clip HERE

Mckayla Maroney, Olympic gymnast known for her "I'm not impressed" expression, visited the White House.

A smile goes a long way.

Thanksgiving

After my town survived Hurricane Sandy it seems even more important to be grateful.

I'm grateful for the safety of my family.

I'm grateful for the people who always show up to help

I'm grateful for Siren and Isadora. They brighten any day and love unconditionally.
In their own way of course - they are cats.

I'm grateful for all of you. I realized it again when I couldn't share the storm with you and I worried about you worrying about me.

Most of all I'm grateful for Hope.

And on we go ...

I'll Hook Ya Up

During Hurricane Sandy my son did all he could to take care of his family and his neighbors.

He hooked up 4 other homes and created a schedule where everyone could have enough power to cook and warm the house or charge their electronics.

The kitchen was power central.

Cords then went down to the basement for the sump pump and out the basement window for a neighbor behind us. More cords went out the kitchen window and across the street or over the fence to the house next door.

The guy across the street created a secondary hub and taped it to the trash can so that it wouldn't get pulled into the street and run over.

We also told people to far to reach by cords to come by to charge stuff or use our stove to cook something.

The generator itself is missing from the photos because twice a day Jeffrey would take it over to his friend's house in a nearby town so they too could do what we were doing. It was easier to take these photos when the generator was gone since the noise and smell are horrid.

A week after power came back my son said he thought he still smelled like gasoline.

Speaking of gasoline. During one of the long waits on a gasoline line my son and Hope (who loves going anywhere with Daddy) witnessed the start of a fight between two men over position in line. Just as it looked as though it was going to get ugly my son started to pull away so that Hope didn't have to see this side of folks. As he began to back up Hope shouted out of the window "That is just not nice. It is not nice at all. Do you know how to share?"

People in other cars started laughing at the two men and with Hope. They tooted their horns and gave her thumbs up while she smiled from ear to ear and waved.

Two guys walked away with heads down.

I'm proud of my boy and his girl.

Dear Candidate Romney

I read what you are quoted as telling a group of $50,000 a plate donors about people like me. (see bottom of post) I read it several times. I scoured the internet looking for places where someone at the closed door gathering might be offering a different recollection.


Then I came to the conclusion that you said what you said and meant what you said.

You claim you were quoted out of context – uh, there’s a video – and that your comments were not “elegantly stated”.

Not elegantly stated? Were you wearing the wrong tuxedo when you said them?

As a member of your 47% I’d like to share some thoughts and facts (those are things that are true) with you.

Go fuck yourself and the rich Daddy you rode in on.

I have worked since I was 13 years old.
I was raised by an alcoholic Father and a clinically depressed Mother.
My siblings and I were neglected and abused all of our childhood.
We went to school. We studied. We worked hard to get out.
We got out.

I have paid taxes since my very first “real” job.

When I was promoted to EVP and board member of a large international firm I paid more in taxes than many people earn in a year. I never once cheated. I never once loopholed. I had enough money to live comfortably; why shouldn’t I pay taxes.

When the once private firm where I had worked diligently for years was sold and then sold again and then cut up into pieces and decimated by a firm similar to your Bain Capital I lost my job. Hundreds of people lost their jobs.
The people who bought and sold us got very rich.
I sat in on board meetings where laws were laughed at and where intricate plans were made to get around regulations.
I regret not trying to be a whistle blower but I had a child to care for.
And the people who were taking the company apart scared me.

I was much younger then; they wouldn’t scare me today.
Today I’m scared of dying from lack of proper healthcare.
Today I'm scared of losing my home.

After losing my job I started my own business.

Yes, I started it on my own but it was on a street that was built and maintained by city road crews.
When I worked late I felt safe because there were police officers paid by the government.
That’s what President Obama meant when he said no one does it alone.

Not the bullshit you tried to spin his comments into.

As a small business owner I paid my taxes.
I insured myself and my workers.
I treated them fairly and respected their talents and their humanity.

I had healthcare insurance at $1500 a month and Disability insurance at $200 a month.
From the same insurance carrier who loved me and cared about me for the 20 years that I was a paying customer.

Then I got hurt.
Then a chronic health issue that I had managed all my life took a nasty turn.
It was hard to work and I decided to apply for some of the benefits I had been sold.

Guess what? Insurance companies don’t like keeping promises.
Four years later I am still fighting for full coverage.

I’m also still paying my bills and paying taxes.

I am not fodder for you and your richie rich pals to laugh at.

I am not a sound byte for your pathetic campaign.

Next we'll talk about how you really feel about the Palestinians and Isreal.I'll be writing again soon Mitt. Have a nice day.

From the Mother Jones website - and everywhere else in the universe.
Mitt said ...

There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax.

My job is is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.

All They Are Saying ...

The people of Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Tunisia did not trade the tyranny of a dictator for the tyranny of a mob

~ Secretary of State Clinton