Mama Always ~ L.A. Brown, Author

Trip three, the totally dedicated to sightseeing and spending probably way too much money trip is almost a part of history. I think that we crammed a month worth of sightseeing into five or six days, but I have to say that I enjoyed (almost) every minute of it. I got to see the wonderful world of Kokusai Street, with more nooks and crannies than an english muffin....got to see my baby granddaughter walk for the first time, well, actually, she ran. I got to hear at least two new words from my oldest granddaughter and we played together more this time than the other two times combined, and I spent probably waaayyy too much money on my grandkids. Oh, well, that's what Grandmas are for, I'm told! The weather here has been almost picture perfect which allowed for some pretty interesting pictures of the locals and some of the surrounding scenery. I wished that we had been able to get up to the northern part of the Island where some of the more spectacular beaches are, but with tw...

We just walked a hundred miles...I'm sure of it! Just kidding, but my hips are screaming that they will have their revenge. I'm in Okinawa (again! Lol!), and we decided to hit the biggest tourist trap on the Island...Kokusai Street. This street is amazing. Not only are there nooks and crannies filled with artisans and little Mom and Pop stores, but there are vegetable stands, fruits stands, street actors, its definitely something worth seeing. While we were there, the local television studio was doing a spot on, well, I don't know, but they were doing a spot on something. There was a little play going on with the Power Rangers. We went by a street actor who caught Andrea's eye...she even went up to him and gave him a high five! I think we went down, oh, I don't know, fifty million side streets and stores in four hours time and didn't even scratch the surface of what's out there. I had the opportunity to wear a kimono for about five minutes, then ditche...

..but I think that this bears stating. If you don't know how to cook without the microwave, then you'd better learn. Seriously, folks. Have you looked at the price of gas lately? How about the cost of a pound of regular  hamburger or chicken? Meat is climbing steadily, a head of lettuce is small and over a dollar a head , potatoes are expensive. Gas has hit over the 3.50 mark again  and we are well on our way to possible 5.00 a gallon by summer. Think that doesn't really mean a lot? Think again. It takes fuel to get the produce to market. It takes fuel to get the cattle, fowl, whatever you eat meat-wise to the slaughter houses and on your table. The price of gas is going to affect everything we do . The time to prepare is now. I have always been a fan of cooking from scratch, this year I've stepped it up exponentially with the concession stand. I have thoroughly enjoyed bringing fresh, home-cooked from scratch desserts to the folks at the auction. My reward is havin...

It occurs to me that as we stumble through life to the other end of it that we don't often stop to realize the impact made on our lives or by the same token the lives that we impact. This journey, with all of its twists and turns, mountain tops and valleys, pits and level ground...well, it seems like it whizzes past us and before we know it, it's time to go Home, wherever that is for some. I had the honor of doing my first interview with a dear friend for the online magazine, Living Faithfully .  It was while I was sitting there and chatting with her and catching up with each other that I realized how much she had impacted me and I her. We talked about how she wrote her book, Antithesis, while we were working and there was down-time, and about how she had encouraged me in my writing. We talked about our kids and how they've grown and good grief, how they won't stop talking for even a nano-second! Some of the things that came to my mind not only during the interview, b...

I was awake a good portion of last night. Not because I watched something that scared the pants off of me, had a late cup of coffee or ate a pound of sugar, no, it's more than that. My mind was pretty much racing about a hundred miles an hour trying to figure out a figure eight. See, I grew up with guns. I learned how to respect them. I learned how to use them and I used them well. I learned how to hunt and I went through a hunter's safety course and was certified. I was on the Rifle Team in High School and with some help from some friends, I made the top 500 Jr. NRA list. I have medals for sharpshooter and expert shooter from JROTC. Up until about twenty six years ago, I had guns in my home. I chose not to have them because of Andrea and the possibility of an accident happening and I think that my decision then was a sound one. I still do. So what's with the impasse? I don't know. Make no mistake, I believe that our Second Amendment Right should never be taken away...

But on the upside, those "cool" Kleenex are really interesting! Lol! I got those because I thought that my nose would be raw from blowing it and wow! What a surprise I got....they really are cool, cold actually. Aside from that, I hate the flu season. We were fairly lucky that we were for the most part unaffected by the flu until about four weeks ago when Chris came home with it and like an uninvited house guest, it overstayed its welcome. He still has the cough part but mostly he's doing well. As for me and Mouse, we thought we dodged the bullet and as the time to depart for Japan came barreling up so did that nasty little bug. So now, we both have the sniffles and sneezes and the hacking cough. With Mouse, well, she seems to be weathering it nicely, me, not so much. I suppose I can say that the body aches are the result of the fibro. For the last four weeks my hips have been seizing up. I told Chris that I thought that I should be carrying an oil can like the Tin Ma...

 Thirty years ago today I gave birth to a little girl who we named Andrea Michelle. We found out shortly after she was born that she had Down Syndrome and we were told to put her in a home and forget about her; that she would never walk, talk or do for herself. We were also told that we were young and that we could have more children. Of course, we rejected the doctor's advice and today, she is thirty years old. Andrea not only walks, but she talks a blue streak. Do for herself? Psh! Of course! This is a girl who walked across the stage to be given her diploma with her class to the thundering applause of her classmates....with 33 credits, one more than needed for graduation. She has been difficult, stubborn and cantankerous, but she is always, always the most loving individual that I have ever met. Do not mess with any of her family or anyone that she cares for because you might just be taken down, as was displayed one day when a supervisor was playing around with me....