Independence Day

I picked these because they speak of what we, as a country, have forgotten.  We have forgotten that we have rights that are guaranteed in the Constitution.  We have forgotten that we are not the savior of the world, and that we are all responsible to keep up this great experiment called America.  We have forgotten that we can destroy ourselves because we gave up our freedoms to be who we were made to be, yet not allowing others to be who they were made to be.  Finally, we have forgotten that someone paid the ultimate price for our freedoms as Americans.

We are a unique nation  for a reason.  We came here to escape tyranny.  Yet now we experience tyranny here from within.  When are we going to stop?  When will we let people be and stop trying to govern every aspect of their lives?  When are we going to be honest and work together instead of bullying and lying?  When are we going to say, "enough is enough."  We have forgotten the sacrifices that too many have made so we could be free.  We are spitting on their graves.

Let us remember that we live in the greatest nation on God's green earth.  It's not perfect, no nation is. But we are unique.  We have freedoms that no other nation has.  We love our country.  We love our military.  We love our flag.  And we love our Declaration of Independence and Constitution.  No other nation with such freedoms are as patriotic as ours.  We are Americans, home of the free, because of the brave!

God bless America!

Father's Day

I find this amusing as I like to think of myself as independent, but I really wouldn't be without my parent's money!  But really, I am eternally thankful to have a dad who was committed to providing for his family, from beginning to end.  I am thankful that he is wise with money, and wise in business.  I respect his opinions and seek them out when it comes to money and politics.

There doesn't seem to be many men like my dad out there these days.  Men who are honest, who don't abuse, who don't cheat, and who aren't an addict.  I don't know why, but it seems that there are a lack of decent men who love their families enough to sacrifice for them.  

I know my dad isn't perfect, but no one is.  But he has the qualities that I look for in a man, an honest man that I know I can count on and trust.   Apparently, that is a rarity these days.  

He may not have much of an education, not throw parties, or dress fancy.  But none of that matters.  At the end of the day, appearance and pedigrees don't matter.

It's honestly. integrity, and commitment that matters.  It is these things that count in the end.  All those other things fade away, but these things last throughout a lifetime.  

I love you dad!  Happy Father's Day!

Arles

Roman arena

steps into arena

Roman theater

Roman theater

Constantine baths

Constantine baths

I didn't know that Arles was a Roman city, but I guess that would make sense as the Roman Empire had surrounded most if not all of the Mediterranean sea.  They still have events in the arena such as bullfights and a Spanish festival, which I also didn't know they had in France.  Therefore, Arles seems to have some Andalusian influence as well.  The theater is hard to make sense of, they have a fence around it so we couldn't go in.  I guess they are still excavating it.  They even had Roman baths, as this was a favorite city of Constantine and his successors.  

Van Gogh in Arles

Roman amphitheater

painting of amphitheater

hospital

cafe

Vincent van Gogh spent about a year in Arles, approximately a year before his death in another Provencal town.  There are Roman ruins throughout Arles, which van Gogh painted.  He spent some time in the hospital due to the ear incident, and his failing health due to smoking and alcohol.  He liked to frequent the cafe in the bottom picture, which is still there today and profiting from van Gogh's fame.  

I enjoyed seeing the real places of these paintings.  Arles is a quaint little town that I was surprised that it had been around at least 2,000 years, and that some of the Roman ruins were still visible.  I didn't know the Romans had colonized France at all, besides Paris.  I knew so little of these towns of southern France.  I feel like I still know so little.  But at least I got a taste of it.

Memorial Day

Two weeks ago I was in Europe.  Now that I am home, I reflect on my own country of America.  Here are a few things I am thankful for:

air conditioning

stores being open

food everywhere

helpful service

Why did I think this?  In Europe I was reminded of stores shutting their doors in the middle of the day, and bars only serving booze and not willing to serve.  A few times I was hot with no escape from the heat.  Maybe I am spoiled, I know I am.  But I am thankful for these simple things.  That I can go anywhere and find food and a/c.

But the greatest thing I am thankful for as I reflect on my travels in Europe is freedom.  Freedom is not free.  Too many men and woman paid the ultimate price for my freedom.  And their loved ones continue to grieve their sacrifice.  

So I am glad to be back on my native soil.  I am thankful to be born in this great nation.  America is unique, we are not like any other nation in the world.  We are freedom-loving rebels.  I hope we never take for granted what we have.  I hope we never give away what so many died for.  What others around the world are dying for everyday.  

God bless America!   

Mother's Day

I just wanted to send a shout out to my mommy for being the best mommy I could have!  She has always been there for me.  At every doctor appointment, at every hospital stay.  She was there every day after school to dry my tears and feed me food I would eat.  She made me go out and about with her, when I would have rather holed up in my room feeling sorry for myself.  She gave me strength and courage to speak up for myself and be the woman I was meant to be.

I think being a mom is the most difficult job in the world.  It is a thankless job.  You can try the best you can but still wind up with a selfish child.  Or you can be the worst and somehow get lucky with a loving child.  Kids don't come with rule books.  We the unruliest lot, more than any animal.  Yet mothers endure a lifetime of pain and heartache to do this thankless job.

Why do they do this?  I don't know, and I am glad I am not a mom!  But I am eternally thankful for the mom I do have.  She always had good treats for us to eat, and wasn't uptight about our eating habits.  She knew I was fussy, and just made me the things that I was willing to eat.

She sewed our clothes, made clothes for our dolls, and made us quilts.  She makes the best food, and of course, still makes the best desserts.

We have fun together, meeting once a week for coffee at Starbucks.  She is most generous when we go shopping.  She read to me when I was little, developing my love for reading for all my life.  

We enjoy playing trivia games and cards, and we have fun in the midst of competition. She shared her love of Hollywood with me, developing my own interest in film.  

She taught my sister and I manners, to write thank you notes, to balance our checkbooks. She taught us to cook and bake, and how to keep clean our homes.  I am amazed at the people I meet that don't know how to do this stuff.  I guess I just assumed.  But she took her job seriously as a mom, rolling up her sleeves and taking on this most monumental task.  

Yet even so, she loves being a mom.  She never stops worrying about us, telling us to watch out for the deer when we drive away.  She is thoughtful in all she does, is the most loving person I know.

I am blessed to have such a mommy.  I don't know what I would do without her.  She is the one who encourages me and keeps me strong.  I love my mommy.

Why I Write

I read a post from a fellow blogger, who was lamenting that he worries about how well or poorly received his new book was.  I know how that feels.  I self-published 3 books last year and got little to show for it.  I did get one response from a publisher who was interested in my memoir, but after having an overpaid lawyer look at the contact, I was advised that it was not good, so I declined.  I don't regret that.  At that time, my dad had fallen and was in the hospital, and I had already decided to get my certificate in teaching ABE/ESL.  

I encouraged this fellow blogger with something I tell myself when I am discouraged about my writing.  As I write my blog, week in and week out, I wonder why I bother when I get so little response.  But once in a while, someone outside my family and friends will thank me for my post, and I am encouraged that although that one person may not seem like much, they are of infinite worth to God.  And I am reminded that I don't write to make money or be famous, although that would be cool. I write to hopefully make a difference in this world, however small.  

So don't feel like what you do doesn't make a difference.  We all have a story to tell, a life to live, a gift to give.  It may not seem like much.  But it matters to God. And it matters to that one person you give to.  So don't give up, don't give in.  Keep doing what you do.  If you love it, and you are good at it.  If it makes you forget all the problems in your life, and you feel like you can rise above it.  Don't stop.  You can make a difference.