Hi Everyone, Sorry to have neglected my blog for so long. I've been putting in some long hours on my new book. I've also reworked my story "Three Quick Shots", increased the length and added to it, and entered it in a contest. My first book is still being considered for publication so I have hopes there. And I've outlined two new stories. So, I haven't been lazing around. I've really been working hard to get something, anything, published.

Like all of the writers on this website, I'm serious about my writing and wanting a career as a 'writer', not just a wannabe writer. Will keep you posted on any success I happen to have.

Well, summer has arrived here in Texas again and it's too hot to get outside much, so I plan on spending my time writing. But, the 'gardener' in me is trying to get out. I keep shoving her down and covering her up in paper, but she is aggravatingly persistant. So, I ordered some seeds to plant. Not ordinary seeds, no, that would be too simple. I ordered coffee, tea, bay leaf tree, two kinds of citrus and even planted some apricot seeds. I do love apricots. I figure the 'gardener' can just keep watching the seeds and transplanting them into bigger pots until they get so big they have to go into the garden, which apparently is going to become a nursery for 'try-out' plants. And, if that doesn't keep 'her' tied down I may just have to glue her gardening shoes to the pantry floor. I can't be a writer and grow a huge garden, too. Besides, my old knees and back are beginning to complain about the work. So, maybe this summer I'll actually get something accepted for publication instead of canning tomatoes and freezing pesto.

Have any of you tried writing articles on the 'Helium' website? It's a lot of fun and great practice for writers.

Will try to keep up better on the blog. Love to hear your comments.



 

You know, life can be so sweet. Last week I decided to go on a shopping spree on EBAY. I really needed some slippers and since I live in a small town where shopping for shoes means WalMart or cowboy boots, Ebay is my shoe shop of choice. So, I logged on Ebay, went to women's shoes and started my shopping. After an hour or so I finally came across a listing that stated that the shoes offered were: 1) the right size, 2) the right price (this means cheap), 3) had leather soles which really hold up to the wear, and 4) were gray (which really didn't thrill me, but hey, I only wear them in the house, right? So, I made a bid and held my breath. Two days later I got an email announcing that I had won them.

Well, today they arrived. And, it turned out to be a good/bad situation. First, they aren't flat, they have a 2 inch heel, and that's not good for slouching around the house in the morning with my wake up cup of coffee. They were gray alright....gray satin! While I was sitting and rumminating over whether to keep them or send them back, my husband picked up one of the shoes and began to look it over. After a few minutes he said a prolonged 'hhmmmm'.

"What?" I asked.

"Have you looked at the bottom of these shoes," he replied.

"No, why?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing...." he mused for a moment. "I guess it's really true," he finally added, his eyes dancing mischievously.

"What's really true," I asked curiously, turning the shoe in my hand over and looking at the bottom. And then I saw it. PRADA MILANO

My eyes flew to his in shock and then they narrowed in warning. "Don't you dare say it," I told him.

He laughed. "The Devil Wears Prada", he hooted and took off at a run for the door.

I threw the shoe at him but missed. I could hear him laughing as he headed toward the living room. "He didn't even like that movie," I fumed silently. But, then I began to smile. Here I was, the proud? owner of a pair of $500 Prada shoes that I paid less than $15.00 for. But, could I ever wear them in front of my husband without sending him into repeated gales of laughter?

Oh, well, laughter is good for the soul, right? Life can be so sweet!




 

For the last few years I have lived next door to my sister and brother in law. Now, right off the bat that tells you that this is going to be a tale of woe, right? Really, no one should ever live next door to family.

Well, brother-in-law got the bright idea to redo his lawn and put in grass. This shocked me out of my shoes as their yard had always looked like a garbage truck had turned over in it. But, he wanted a first rate lawn and hired men to clean it up. Then he decided that he wanted a nice little (or big, who knows) fence to run down the side of the lawn between our properties to grow flowering vines along. Since fences are expensive he decided he had better have the lot surveyed and found that the last few feet of the driveway that separates our two lots (a pie shaped wedge) is actually on his lot.

No trouble, right? Except if he puts his fence up, I will not be able to drive in my driveway. I mentioned this to them and that was when all hell broke loose. Well, everyone in the family thought it was ridiculous to make us put in a whole new driveway for a few feet of grass and said so. That was not received too well by brother-in-law. So, I offered to buy the pie shaped wedge. No dice. I offered to give him an equivalent amount of ground off the back of my lot for it. No deal. I finally gave up and told them to do whatever they wanted.

But, the family pressure was growing and he relented. He hasn't actually agreed to anything but he put in grass on every square inch of his lawn EXCEPT on the pie shaped wedge. Since we are not sure exactly what he's going to do, we are making plans to cut a new entry to the drive as soon as the ground is dry enough. But, in the meantime, we've had lovely soft rains and lots of warm days and his grass has grown and grown.

Today I looked out and there was brother-in-law cranking up his mower. It sputtered and moaned, would cut a few feet and die. After about thirty minutes of this he looked red, hot and sweaty and I could see that the joy of that sea of grass was quickly losing favor with him. I lurked around in the bushes watching as his frustration grew. I swear there must be an evil streak in me, because I could not make myself come back in the house. I planted herbs, cut on vines and picked up non existent litter for over an hour watching the drama unfold. He swore at the lawn mower, then he swore at the weather, and finally he muttered some really 'soap mouth' words at the grass before storming through his front door and out of sight.

I waited around a little while longer but he never did come back out. I guess he can always buy a goat to keep the grass down.
 

Last year one of our outside cats had a litter of two kittens, one of which decided that the outside was for the birds and she wanted to live inside with the other civilized folks. It took her some months of tagging around after my husband, shadowing his every step and insisting that he pick her up to convince him that she should be allowed to come inside for a visit. Soon she was running in and out like one of the grandkids.

Then, four weeks ago she began to act strangely, complaining to him with that gripey meow that slowly runs you up a wall. He finally came to me asking, "What's wrong with her? What should I do?" Since it was after midnight I suggested he put her in the guest bedroom or outside. He put her in the guest room and in a while she stopped meowing and we didn't hear another sound.

The next morning he opened the door to the guest room but she didn't dart out like she usually did. We waited around for awhile, put food in her dish and even called her. No cat came out. After awhile I talked him into peeking under the bed and sure enough she was there. He tried to coax her out but she ignored him. "I think she's mad at me," he said a morosely. "She won't even look at me." This went on for nearly a week, with the cat only appearing briefly for a bite of food and a drink of water, and a quick trip outside. If my husband walked into the kitchen while she was eating, she gave him a contemptous look and turned her back on him. We were both baffled. I peeked under the bed to see if she had kittens but could see nothing except the edge of the bedspread ruffled against the far wall.

Finally she left her home under the bed and came out more and more, only going back occasionally. I decided that she must have kittens, got down and looked again, saw nothing and was about to move the bed when I heard a tiny little squeek. With some very careful exploration I finally found her secret....one tiny white kitten. It was curled into a little ball of white fluff not much bigger than a dust bunny. I carefully checked to be sure it was healthy (it is) and eating enough (it must be because it's plump as a peach) and put it back where Mama had left it.

It now is about four weeks old and mama kitty brings her out frequently for short visits. She wobbles around on little stick legs and gazes up at you out of huge blue eyes. She has just started playing, and having no siblings that makes for a problem. So, she has begun to head right for my husband's feet, especially if he has his socks and shoes off. When she finds them, she rolls over on her back and wraps her little forelegs around his toes and tries to play with them. Her tiny needle sharp claws dig in and he makes plenty of protests against the assault, with 'ouches' and other foreign words that I beg him not to translate.

And her appearance, like the appearance of any baby, has changed our lives. We have to be sure we turn lights on as we move through the house at night lest we step on her. Soon it will be a trip to the doctor (vet) for shots and other necessary things. It will also mean play toys and milk and soft food soon as her mother is already drying up in the milk department. To tell the truth, I'd forgotten how much time and attention a baby, any kind of baby, requires. The outside cats do fine on their on, but this cat thinks like many modern mothers, that the grandparents can raise the kid.

As I told my husband, enjoy this baby, because mama is soon going to vet, too. I'm just too old to be raising any more kids.


 

Well, it's been a long time since I have written anything on my blog. Things got busy and I let my subscription lapse. But, now I'm back. I'm not sure if that is good or bad, but in any case, here goes. I finally got my book finished (Flight of the Soul) and sent it off. Haven't heard back from them yet but hope to. I've also finished a short story that I'm entering in a contest...hopefully I will win something (I'd be happy with 30th place). I've started two new books. I'll be posting most of these on my site here so you can read them and offer up helpful suggestions. And, I'm going to try my hand at a story geared for children. This will be new for me. I've always told stories to my grandchildren and little ones in the family, but I've never taken the time to write them down. But, J.K. Rowling has inspired me. If a children's story (Harry Potter) can make her the second richest woman in the world of entertainment, according to Forbes, then I think I may just try it. Because, like all of you, I write because I love it but it wouldn't hurt my feelings one little bit to make a big bunch of money, too.
I'm happy to be back and sharing with all my writing friends on this wonderful site. Let me hear from you. Katsy
 

For those of you living in colder climes, you probably will think I've gone completely around the bend. But, for those of us who live in the South or Southwest, it is time to plant your garden. So, it's rake, dig in manure and compost, decide where to plant what and then get it planted. If you want broccoli, cabbage, spinach, parsley and peas, you have to plant now or they will burn up before they have time to mature. It's early and we have to play a sort of gardening russian roulette with the weather, but that's what makes it fun. We keep covers and extra mulching hay to cover everything with if a Norther is blowing in. Then, when it warms back up a few days later, we uncover everything. We lose a plant here and there, but for the most part they are tough little buggers and survive and thrive.

In April the warm weather plants will go in and by July most of it will be harvested or burned up, depending on how hot it is this year.

Between gardening and trying to finish the book to get it to the publisher on time, my days fly by. The slowest time of the year for me will be July, August and September, because it is too hot to get out and do much of anything. So, I find that in the winter I work outside and in the summer I stay in for the most part. It's a weird kind of life, but it seems to work.

So, I hope you are all well and happy. I need to get back to my writing. Will post a few more chapters in my portfolio in the next week or so, for those of you who are keeping up with it. Adios.
 

I've always been partial to the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. There is something about a new year that always makes me hopeful and expectant. Exactly what I'm expecting I'm never quite sure of. Maybe winning the lottery or a week at a spa. But, like most people, I just work and play my way through the year and before I know it, the next New Year's Day is approaching.
I've never been one to make New Year's resolutions as I already know that they won't last past February 1st. So this year I decided to make a new year's resolution in November. I resolved to get my book finished and off to a publisher by the end of February. And, you know what, I'm almost finished with it and have begun to write my cover letter and synopsis. So, maybe I have found the secret to making resolutions that you can keep. Just make them before Thanksgiving.
There are a few things I'd like to do this coming year. I want to get my garden in early for a change so the tomatoes won't burn up before I've eaten my fill. I want to get my front closet cleaned out so I can see what's in there and have a place to actually hang coats.
But, the most important thing that I want to do this year is keep in closer contact with all my friends and family. I have a tendency to let time slip by without a note or letter or phone call. As you get older, you realize that you have reached the 'short timer' stage and must make every minute count. So, I'm going to make a list of all the people I want to keep in touch with regularly and no matter how tired or overworked I feel, I'm going to write or call them.
I'm also going to try not to fall off the deck, not to run my bank account into overdraft, not to forget birthdays and most importantly, I'm not going to whine or complain about all the little stuff that I can't do anything about anyway. Like a tee shirt said, "Don't sweat the petty stuff, pet the sweaty stuff". A little suggestive but so true.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!! Katsy
 

Ahhh! Deep sigh. The rush is over. We had everyone over for dinner on Christmas eve. What a nice celebration. I hope you all had a wonderful day with family and friends. My house is very quiet right now. My husband is napping and I am trying to catch up on emails etc. But, I wanted to take the time to wish you all the very best and hope the new year brings you blessings. May it be the best new year you've ever had. Best Regards, Katsy
 

This will be a short blog. My Fridays are always busy but I wanted to thank everyone for their great responses to my blog yesterday. I didn't realize that so many others felt the same way. I guess we all feel a little bruised by the lack of manners evident in people today.

Another pet peeve of mine is the lack of moral fiber in people today. For instance, you take your car to the shop to be repaired. You pay a fortune and when you get it home it still doesn't run. Why? Because no one feels that they have to do the job right the first time. The more times you have to take your car in, the more money they make.

Or you go to the doctor and pay a sum equal to the national debt for tests, which tell the doctor nothing. Finally, several years later sometime, you find out what's wrong with you from your neighbor or a show on TV. Why, because doctors are not taught to diagnose disease in medical school, they are taught to read test results. And, the more times you go to them, the more money they make. Maybe we should be like China, the doctor only gets paid if he keeps you well.

Or, you hire a lawyer to take care of a legal matter for you. Then you have to gather all the information, call him daily to see if he needs anything else, give him a complete outline of what should be included and last, but not least, you point out several glaring oversights to him about his work so you won't get trounced at the hearing. Why is he making the big bucks?

I also get extremely tired of: kids calling me by my first name when I am 50 years older than them, men walking through doors and letting them slam in my face, drivers refusing to let you get across the crosswalk without trying to run you down, and rude,coarse or sexual talk in front of me. I do not appreciate it from anyone of any age.

What can I say? I really miss manners.





 

Ok, here I go about one of my pet peeves. Why are people so rude and thoughtless today? They honk at you if you try to wait until the elderly person gets completely across the street. They practically snatch things out of your hands if they want it. They call you rude names as a matter of course.

I see young people smart off to older people and I just want to smack them. I watched my youngest grandniece slap her mother the other day. This child is three. What will she be doing when she is sixteen?

Young parents have been led to believe by the so-called experts that children have rights. Well, OK, but rights come with responsibilites. Everyone seems to want the rights but not the responsibilites. Kids want their own room and the right to shut the door and forbid their parents to enter unless they knock and are given permission to enter. Not in my house! When you get your own house, and are paying all your own bills, then you have earned that right.

'Experts' tell young parents not to spank their children. Well, I got spanked when I misbehaved and it didn't warp me. But, it did make me understand to respect what my mother and father said to me. And, I was never allowed to misbehave until I had my parents in a rage, so spanking too hard was never a problem. A few good smacks early on and I decided that I'd better behave.

And, I really hate this feeling of entitlement that people have today. They act as if you are being cruel to them if they can't have everything they want. Well, they can have everything they want, just as soon as they get a job and can buy it. They are not entitled to everything just because they are breathing. There's a great line in the movie "The Big Chill" where one guy says to the others, "No one ever said life was going to be easy. At least they never said it to me." I think we need to quit making it so easy on our kids and on people who don't want to work for their living.

Lack of appreciation is really high on my list right now. I'll give you an example. Twenty months ago my EX-daughter-in-law called from California, drunk and nearly incoherent as usual, and told me that I might wake up one morning to find her on my doorstep. I told her to please not come as I had all I could take care of with a sick husband and a son with a brain injury. Did she listen? NOOOO. She came anyway. Two months later she wound up in the hospital with an acute abdominal infection and nearly died. They gave her a 5% chance of survival. After they released her five months later, we brought her into our home to care for her as she had no other place to go. No parents, no siblings and no relatives were alive to take her in. She's now been here for 15 months. And, to date, she has yet to say thank you, or get up in the morning and ask how I'm doing or how my husband is feeling, or can she help me or anything else to indicate she sees me as anything more than a non-paid servant. When people ask why I took her in as she and my son had been divorced for 14 years my only answer is she had no place else to go and she's the mother of two of my grandsons. I wouldn't throw a dog into the street in that condition. But, I would think she could show a little appreciation. But, relief is in sight. Her hearing for SSI is in a week and if she is approved I'm moving her into her own place pronto. It's not that I resent what I've done, it's that I resent her lack of manners.

One of my favorite sayings is "Manners are like air in your tires. It's only air but it makes the ride so much nicer." So, I ask again, where have all the manners gone?
 

Well, like most of you, I spend my days running errands and taking care of business. There was a time when I had to squeeze out an hour to write. Now I just go directly to my computer and start writing. Unless something absolutely has to be done first, everything waits until I've worked for awhile. So, this morning I decided to start with my blog. I have never been much of a journal keeper, so this seems a chore to me. But, it does get me into the writing mode quickly. Guess that means I have to quit grumbling about it and show some appreciation, huh? My book is half way to being done and I am putting together letters, etc. to send out. Soon it will be time to start another one. I'm thinking of doing a rewrite of a story I wrote about six years ago. It still sounds pretty good to me when I read it, so maybe there will be a market for it too.

The answer to my little brain teaser from a few days ago is "nothing". Those are always fun to mull over.

Life is good today. Other than some joint pain, I'm feeling terrific. Everyone is healthy and busy getting ready for Christmas. I got all my 'must do' errands run yesterday and think I am going to my sister's for awhile to visit with my niece and grandniece.

Hope you all have a great day too.
 

If you have read my short story 'Three Quick Shots' you know I love brain teasers. Here's another one for you. Let me know if you come up with the answer.

What is bigger than God, worse than the devil, a poor man has it, a rich man doesn't want it, and if you eat it you die?

If you already know the answer, please don't post it too soon. Let others have a chance to mull it over. Thanks
 

I'm taking a much needed rest today. Yesterday was spent in front of my computer. I have been working on a rough draft of chapter 6 of my story. I also spent several hours researching publishers of this genre and making copies of their submissions guidelines. After such a long day Friday I decided to just rest today.

I baked quiche for breakfast with lots of extra cheese. Then curled up with a good book in front of the fire. There's something very primitive and satisfying about building a wood fire and then watching the flickering flames crawl over the split logs. And, the smell is just wonderful. I must admit to being a little afraid of fire, so I keep it small. A fire, a cup of coffee or hot tea and a slice of cake or pie, sounds like a perfect afternoon to me.

My husband wanders in occasionally and chats, then goes back to whatever he's doing. My grandson called to say how anxious he was to come down for Christmas. What a lovely lazy day.

Hope your day is as nice. Katsy
 

I've been watching the news with trepidation for the last few days. I'm astonished that there are people in this country who think the war on terrorism is wrong, or not being fought right, or unnecessary. We've been attacked at least six times by Al Qaeda, two embassy bombings in Africa, the attack on the USS Cole which killed American sailors, two attacks on the world trade center, the last one bringing down the whole complex killing thousands, and the attack on the Pentagon, a symbol of America's military. The plane they commandeered to crash into the Capitol instead crashed into the Pennsylvania countryside, killing all aboard. How many people have to die before the dissenters realize that we are in a war for our very survival?

Instead of mouthing off like idiots in front of the cameras, why don't they all get their heads together and work with the current elected officials and try to stop the terrorism before more people are killed?

The idea that this can be solved through diplomacy is inaccurate. These people are not attacking the world because they have a legitimate grievance. They have started this intifada because they believe that it is now their time to rule the world. They are serious and they are determined. And, talking will not change them.

If you want to understand this better, read Raphael Patai's book "The Arab Mind". Nearly twenty years ago my husband was invited to lecture two years in a row at the National War College in Washington D.C. (This is where all the top military people go to learn about ongoing problems that they may have to deal with.) He was asked to speak about the problems in the Middle East. After his last lecture, outlining the possibility of an attack on America and why it was inevitable, he was told by the top man there that they were SURE it would never come to war. He was positive it could be solved through diplomacy. My husband suggested he read "The Arab Mind".

I don't know whether he read it or not. And, I guess it doesn't matter to the thousands who died on 9/11. But, if we don't stick together to solve this problem and defeat terrorism now, we will become the cliche, "those who ignore the past are destined to repeat it". (paraphrased)

I hate war. I hate to see our young men and women die. I hated it when the men, women and children died on those airplanes. But, we weren't fighting Al Qaeda then and they killed us anyway. It wasn't the people they wanted to kill. It was our way of life, our country and our freedoms.

They want to rule the world and the western world is in their way. Therefore, all of the western world is their target. They are in this fight for the long haul. If we are not, then we will be defeated.

The Japanese attacked us at Pearl Harbor because, and I quote, "the Americans are too materialistic and lazy to fight and it will be an easy victory". We weren't and we prevailed. But, today I see the liberal left as too materialistic and too lazy to fight. Or perhaps they are just too socialist in their thinking. But, this is not a socialist country. We are a democracy. And people flock from all over the world to this country because it offers them opportunity and freedom. I don't see them flocking to immigrate to Iran or Iraq or Syria or Saudi Arabia.

Pay attention, folks, or we may all be living under a dictatorship that shoots women in the street for allowing a bit of their hair to show, or kills men and children because they dare to voice a different opinion.

This is not a one hour show on TV. And this problem won't be solved quickly. But, it will eventually come to an end. What that end will be is up to us.




 

Today is a dreary winter day. It is cold and damp and even the cats have quit hanging around the back door hoping for a snack. I've been writing all day. I opened a new folder for chapters 5-8 of my story and managed to get half of chapter 5 written. I keep them open for all to read as I love the feedback I get. It's really helpful to me as a writer to get a feel for what people are enjoying about a story. But, anyway, after I finished the first half, I saved it and went to put a couple of logs on the fire. Then the kitchen beckoned to me so I went in and made a chocolate pie. When my husband returns from his class (he teaches Hebrew three times a week to people who want to read the Bible in the original language) we will have coffee and pie. That should hold us until dinner. That's about it from my little corner of the world. Stay happy and warm and keep writing. Katsy
 

Wow, I posted a short story last night and I was amazed at the number of comments I received on it. I love it when people offer positive suggestions on how I can make it better. I never have been a good short story writer. I need more space and words to flesh out my characters and develop my story. So, I was truly grateful for all the help my readers offered. Thanks for your time and your help.

That's what I love about this site. You can write to your heart's content and then have help fixing it. I've been trying to spend more time reading other authors and their blogs, too. I'm amazed at the talent out there! Talk about inspiring me to do better. This is a huge site and there is so much information that I wonder if I will ever get through it all. But, I'm trying.

Well, I still need to start chapter five of my book, so I'd better start writing again. I've decided I really want to sell it and I can't unless I finish it. So, with hope in my heart and dollar signs in my eyes, hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go.
Bye all.
 

Well, I just posted a short story in my portfolio. It appears to be a bit of a departure for me, but actually I have files of mystery stories I have written. Hope you can take a look at it. All the hurrah about travel this Christmas season made me think of it. Travel used to be fun. Now it can be downright scary. I also finished the fourth chapter of my book so I'm about written out. Night all.
 

Well, I seem to have blog block today. I have also had a little writer's block. This usually occurs when I am trying to make the characters in my book do what I want. It never works. My conscious mind simply cannot write a story. I have to let my subconscious mind fly free and then the characters seem to move on their own volition. It's almost as if I am watching a movie...they go about their business and I just write it all down. I've decided that my subconscious mind is where all the good stuff is. You know, the little details and funny situations that you file away somewhere in the back recesses of your brain and then can't remember for the life of you. But, when I just let things move on their own it all seems to come out.

Maybe we make the same mistake in our conscious everyday life. We try to control it all and direct it without really allowing all our senses to come into play. Then we are frustrated because things didn't go right. I'm not much of a control freak, having come of age in the days of the Hippie movement when the byword was 'go with the flow'. I'm not much of a micro-manager either. I pretty much let things happen. And, the only time I really get into a mess is when I try to 'direct' things. Then Murphy's law takes over.

So I guess I need to 'zone out' as the kids say and let my subconsious take over and get the next chapter done so I can get it posted. When I really get into writing I am some times amazed at the twists and turns of the story. The characters surprise me sometimes, too. At times I'll begin the story with a really bad person in it and before long he is a good person. I never have figured out how this happens. But, I am sure that somewhere deep in my subconscious this book and these characters are already completed and are just waiting for me to relax so they can tell their story.

So, I'm going to try to relax now and see if they will get to work so we can sell this book and make some money. Night all!!
 

Ok. It's a short blog tonight. I've got to get the next chapter of my book posted and need to buckle down and get it done. I didn't watch any news today, so am not frustrated about the !&*#@ going on in the world. I didn't have any unexpected company, so I'm not tired. What I'm saying is I have no excuses and need to get writing. So, I'm just going to grab a piece of pie and a cup of coffee and settle down for a long spell at my computer. Have a happy weekend all!
 

As you know if you read Tor's blogs, we have been friends for over 20 years. In fact, when he told me he had met a woman and he was going to get married, my first thought was "is she going to resent our friendship?". Tor had been my writing buddy and friend of both my husband and me for such a long time. But, sweetheart that she is, Mel didn't mind at all and has since become a dear friend also. So, when he commented on my blog about Christmas and freedom and suggested I introduce my husband, I decided maybe he was right.

I met my husband on a blind date, a date I didn't even want to go on. But, I let my friend talk me into it and, as they say, the rest is history. But, the road was a little rocky at first. He wasn't even from this country. He was from Israel, here on business and going back. I am a Texas girl who knows more about horses than about foreign policy so I figured it was just going to be one date. But, he came back and asked me out again. A year and a half later we were married.

He moved to the US and got a job, applied for citizenship and we've been married ever since. He studied American history and soon knew more than I did about it so I had to hit the books to keep up. He loved this country. He found the people industrious, friendly and so easy to work with. My family welcomed him wholeheartedly and he made new friends.

He speaks five languages, which throws me sometimes when he's muttering to himself in one of them. I still have to explain the punch lines of jokes to him at times. He's traveled all over the world selling retaining walls and always came back wanting some kind of different food. So, I've learned to cook chinese, indian, vietnamese, french, german, hungarian, middle eastern and carribean food. This from the girl who grew up on chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes, turnip greens and apple pie.

When we married we agreed that we would accept each other as we were. We would not try to change or coerce the other nor would we make a fuss about holidays, religion, etc. We just do them all!! It's a little more work, but it's all so much fun.

He taught me that our lives are enriched by the diversity in the human race. He also taught me not to complain about the differences but to enjoy the similarities. We all laugh, cry, love and learn the same way. I've learned that skin color is like the paint color of a car, it doesn't matter much...it's what's under the hood that counts. He embraced this country as his own and loved the freedoms it afforded it's citizens. And, it made me appreciate them more.

Now we are grandparents. One thing about getting to be a bonafide 'senior citizen' is that you can sit and reflect on things because you have the time to do so. And, when I reflect on my life, I am thankful for him and the richness he has brought to it.