Happy New Year

Merry Christmas

I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I would like to extend wishes to my brother Beau along with Jessica & Summer in Colorado. We miss you all and hope you have a great Christmas! Also to Christian and Dana and Devin and Shilda!We think of you often and hold you in our hearts. May you have many more blessing in 2009!

Houma Nation Update

Messages from the Principal Chief
Brenda Dardar Robichaux


Each week of our recovery period brings new problems and new challenges.

On a recent trip to Isle de Jean Charles, I noticed a large number of vehicles parked at a home. As I approached the home, I heard church hymns being sung by the approximate 20 family and friends who had gathered. A tribal elder, 87 years old, had evacuated to Baton Rouge from the Island for hurricanes Gustav and Ike. He later returned to a relative’s home in a neighboring town. The gentlemen has life threatening health problems and although his home had been largely destroyed by the storms, he expressed to his family that he wanted to spend his last days in his home on the Island. His grandson worked frantically to remove flooded furnishings from his home and clean it as best he could in order for his grandfather to return. When we arrived, the family was singing his favorite church hymns to comfort him in his last moments. My heart broke as I saw this frail tribal elder laying on a cot surrounded by loved ones. Although there was still marsh grass on the porch and mold on the walls, his final wish had come true. He was home.


Supplies needed to address our immediate recovery:

General Needs:
non perishable food
water
tree and debris removal equipment & supplies
personal hygiene items
ice chest
firstaid kits

clothing

gas gift cards
Wal-mart gift cards
generators

Elderly Needs:
Depends
Ensure

Baby Needs:
formula
diapers
baby wipes

To Each His Own (No Explanation Needed)

Lately I have been hearing alot of false rumors about the new President-elect Barack Obama. It just amazes me that people don't invest any time in reading or trying to find some facts, some people it seems - want to believe the worst.

Here is a link to Snopes. com that address all of the current rumors about the new President.. including the big whoppers -- He's a Muslim, oh, and he wasn't born in America.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/obama.asp

Funny thing is that even if you try to put some "truth" out there - it would actually mean one would have to take the time to click on the link, and read.

I am sorry for all the people who are dissapointed that McCain/Palin lost the election. I guess that is part of the electoral process, and the majority of America chose Obama. No one EVER should be put in a position to defend their choices - escpecailly who you vote for.

As for me - I didn't get the chance to vote due to my TN drivers license. The state of Florida does not recognize TN DL's as the only form of ID and I was not able to cast my ballot for anyone.

Trip to TN

I enjoyed a nice & relaxing 4 day weekend in TN and I made great time during the drive. Jip could hardly stand the long ride and was very anxious to get there. The fall colors were very nice along the way and I soaked in the hot tub after the long drive! It was great to see my friends and we shared a awesome seafood feast that Lyle made from scratch with the seafood I brought with me. Jip was having a great time running around with Major and he made friends with their cat, Nicorette, who strongly resembles PumknJax. We drove out and saw the new cabin on Short Mountain and met a neighbor with a great place and kitchen under construction. I soaked in the hot tub each night and looked up at the stars, and they are much clearer up on the mountain away from all the extra light. I enjoyed the peaceful quiet-quiet, and tried hard not to fall alseep to the sounds of the leaves blowing in the wind.

On The Road Again

I am leaving Thursday to go see my best good friends Lyle & Jerin in Tennessee. I am so ready for a mini vacay!

Not the Usual Saturday night...

Well, last night Jip bolted out of the living room and soon after I heard the loud sounds of fighting, I ran out to see Jip fighting with a Racoon and I jumped in to save my Noonins! I grabbed the racoon off of Jip and flung him, but also in the process fell into the wooden walk way and tore up my legs from the knees down and damaged my toes, tearing a toe nail off. The racoon stood up on two legs and seemed confused but did not leave quickly. I picked up Jip and started yelling at the racoon. Mom heard my yelling and came to our rescue. It happened so fast, I know it's crazy to grab a racoon! Jip had no bites that we could find - amazing!
Jip has been "barky" ever since this incident. He kept me up all night barking and grrring at every little noise.

(*)

I miss my Mammaw.

I miss my Pappaw too. But, today I really miss her.
There are many days I have random thoughts of her. I remember when I poured hot tea from the stove into a green glass pitcher and as she entered the kitchen could not stop me from pouring and the heat cracked it in two. She didn't get upset or show anger about my mistake. I am sure the pitcher meant something to her though and that she was dissapointed.
I also think of her smells in her bedroom and her perfume and smell of her lotions. Making her bed and getting her mail.

When she hugged someone she really hugged them, she pulled them into her body, and when she hugged me the soft skin on her neck would be so comforting, like a pillow.
I think of the way I would put plastic curlers in her hair and watch TV with her, not talking really, just an occasional phrase from her every now and then.
Her romance novels, Bunko nights and secret money.

I think of the way she would say " I love you" inflecting her voice in the love part.

My Day with Lucas

Lucas and I spent the afternoon together and I took him to pick out a new toy. We saw lots of different toys but he picked this one off the shelf himself and knocked it to the floor. He had 2 choices and each time I presented them he chose the Winnie the Pooh phone. Next, we headed to Bayview Park and had a small lunch together in the shade thanks to Mom packing up us a picnic of PB&J and grapes, Turkey Sandwich for me. He then explored the playground and adapted to walking on sand pretty well. He loved steering the wheel and asked for high fives out of the blue! Not sure who has been teaching him that. He loved watching the other kids and made friends with another 1 yr old. After that we went to my house and opened his toy and he explored my house and found & kept the whole time a jar of yellow cupcake sprinkles (*you will notice he is holding them in most of these pics) He also played with the ball with Jip and we went on 3 walks around the neighborhood. It was a great day!

Help the Houma Nation

The Houma Reservation in Louisianna was hard hit by both Hurricane Gustaz and Ike. FEMA is ignoring this community! If you would like to help please click on the link below and donate.

www.unitedhoumanation.org




Reservations across the country - here are the facts:
75% of the population earn less than $7,000 per year
45% live below the poverty level
The average unemployment rate is 45%
Unemployment on some reservations is 90%.
Alcohol mortality is 627% greater for Indian people than all other races combined.
Tuberculosis is 533% greater than all other Americans.
Diabetes is 6.8 times greater than all other Americans.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is 33 times higher than for other Americans
One in six adolescents has attempted suicide - four times that of all other teenagers
Homicide is 63% greater than all other Americans
Navajo Nation 46% of the housing has no electricity
54% has no indoor plumbing and 82% is without a telephone

Barktober 2008

Uncle Larry & I took the dogs to Barktober Fest in Seville Park today. It was fun seeing all the different kinds of dogs and great costumes. We pointed and laughed!! Larry entered PePe in the Best Costume contest as a Lady Bug.

Pale Male & Lola

One of my favorite web sites is www.palemale.com

Pale Male and Lola are a pair of red tailed Hawks living on 5th Ave/Central Park in NYC. I have been enjoying the high-res telephoto pics that Lincoln posts almost daily chroniciling their lives. There is an amazing variety of wild life in Central Park.

Here is a clip from You Tube.

More Banksy

Here are some interesting Banksy videos.

Where stars are born

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope snapped a stellar family portrait showcasing the different generations found in star-forming region W5.

The site lies 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia.

The infrared image backs a star-formation theory in which radiation and winds from massive stars created two large cavities and compressed surrounding gasses to spawn new stars.

The oldest blue stars are seen in the cavity centers, while others become progressively younger with distance from that point

Lucas Video

Acts of Kindness

Every day like clockwork, firemen arrive at the Ellenville, N.Y., home of Marine Sgt. Eddie Ryan. But this not just a social visit -- they're there to work.

Ryan was injured in Iraq in 2005 during his third tour of duty. As part of an elite sniper team known as Reaper 6, Ryan was stationed on a rooftop in Ramadi when there was a breakdown in communication. He took two bullets to the head -- the victim of friendly fire.

The bullet that entered above his right eyebrow ripped through his brain, leaving him in grave condition.

"When we first got there, we did not expect him to survive," said his father, Chris.

"My prayers were, let him hang on," said his mother, Angie.

"Hang on, and we'll get you home to the land that you fought for," his father remembered. "It's amazing the deals you work out with God, but he got through that."


To watch the Video copy the link below:

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5629768



Beginning in March, a group of 13 firemen organized themselves to come to Ryan's home in shifts so that at least two fireman were at Ryan's home each day to help him with his physical therapy. Led by Joe Morstatt, a veteran New York City firefighter and friend of Angie Ryan, the firemen take turns rotating his arms and legs to help him stay moving and to increase his range of motion, strength and flexibility.


THE VA NEEDS TO BE SHUT DOWN AND REBUILT!!!!! HELP OUR VETERANS!!!

2008 Olympics

The 2008 Beijing Opening Ceremony was incredible! If you didn't see it you missed out. I watched about half of it and would love to see it again. I hope NBC will replay it.

Trip to Atlanta

I went to visit Dori last weekend in Atlanta, GA and we had a good time. It was nice just hanging out with her and seeing her neighborhood. Here are some of the pics! I plan to visit again in the fall.

Happy Birthday Anya

Anya turned 28 today!
Here is a happy birthday song for you...


and, this reminds me of one of our funniest memories....:)

Farewell Friend

I had to put Ms. Green Jeans down today. She is a parakeet I rescued while living in Nashville. She cracked her beak a while ago and kept making it worse by chewing on her sticks. I tried all kinds of things to help her but she would just ruin any healing that occured by continuing to chew. Finally her beak was in a condition I didn't feel she should live with and I didn't want her to be in pain.
Mom went with me to the Vet and I said my goodbyes. The Vet administered the injection and it was a peaceful passing. For being such a small bird, she had a huge spot in my heart. She loved Spike so much and lived with him for six years, laying eggs every spring in hopes he would fertilize them. It never happened, but she still loved him.
I hope she is somewhere flying now.

Lucas turns 1 !

Lucas turned one year old on Sunday and the family celebrated with a pool party at the Maguires house. It was a hot day but we had a ball watching the kids. Lucas was laid back as always and got a lot of presents and clothes, along with some cool shoes!
I am having some issues loading the pics, so I will have to try later on when I have a better connection. I can't believe how fast this year has flown by!!

Colorado Visit

Mom & Michael went to visit Beau, Jessica & Summer at their new place in Fairplay, Colorado for 6 days. Their house is high up on the mountain around 10,000 ft. elevation and sits outside of Pike National forest. Mom enjoyed all the pretty flowers and roads and was so happy to have taken the Diamox RX for altitude sickness! Here is a sample of the 300 photos they came home with. I hope to add more later on.

Lucas One Year old this month!

Lucas came over yesterday and played in the pool, we also enjoyed about an hour of peek a boo, he didn't seem to get tired of it - here are some new pics! Lucas turns one year on 7/27!!! He's such a big boy!

UPDATE: Lucas walked yesterday!!!! Lucas took his first steps on 7/10/08. He is just a few weeks away from his Birthday and already taking care of business! YEAH! Anya encouraged him to come to her and he walked on his own!!

Banksy

Some of you may of already heard of Banksy but for those who may of not, he is a graffiti artist from London. His artworks are often-satirical pieces of art that encompass topics such as politics, culture, and ethics. His street art combines graffiti writing with a distinctive stencilling technique. Banksy's stencils feature striking and humorous images occasionally combined with slogans. The message is usually anti-war, anti-capitalist and/or anti-establishment. Subjects include animals such as monkeys and rats, policemen, soldiers, children, and the elderly. Banksy does not sell photos of street graffiti or mount exhibitions of screenprints in commercial galleries. He prefers to be anyomous and does not do interviews.











This type of art form is called "culture jamming" and has started a craze around the world and US. I find small stencils on power boxes , telephone polls and sidewalks all the time (even in Pcola!). Some of them are outstanding in their detail and message. I have always wanted to compile a collection of photos that would make a great coffe table book some day. I think this is awesome and get excited every time I find a new one - I wonder how often others notice these images? It would be great to come across a Banksy piece!

Hide The Torch

The Olympic torch played hide and seek with thousands of demonstrators and spectators crowding the city's waterfront Wednesday before being spirited away without even a formal goodbye on its symbolic stop in the United States.

After its parade was rerouted and shortened to prevent disruptions by massive crowds of anti-China protesters, the planned closing ceremony at the waterfront was canceled and moved to San Francisco International Airport. The flame was put directly on a plane and was not displayed.

The last-minute changes to the route and the site of the closing ceremony were made amid security concerns following chaotic protests in London and Paris of China's human rights record in Tibet and elsewhere, but they effectively prevented many spectators who wanted to see the flame from witnessing the historic moment.

As it made its way through the streets of San Francisco, the flame traveled in switchbacks and left the crowds confused and waiting for a parade that never arrived. Protesters also hurriedly changed plans and chased the rerouted flame.

Mayor Gavin Newsom told The Associated Press that the well-choreographed switch of the site of the closing ceremony was prompted by the size and behavior of the crowds massing outside AT&T Park, where the opening ceremony took place.

There was "a disproportionate concentration of people in and around the start of the relay," he said in a phone interview while traveling in a caravan that accompanied the torch.

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge expressed relief that the San Francisco relay avoided the turmoil at previous events.

"Fortunately, the situation was better ... in San Francisco," Rogge said at an Olympic meeting in Beijing. "It was, however, not the joyous party that we had wished it to be."

Less than an hour before the relay began, officials cut the original six-mile route nearly in half.

Then, at the opening ceremony, the first torchbearer took the flame from a lantern brought to the stage and held it aloft before running into a waterfront warehouse. A motorcycle escort departed, but the torchbearer was nowhere in sight.

Officials drove the Olympic torch about a mile inland and handed it off to two runners away from protesters and media, and they began jogging toward the Golden Gate Bridge, in the opposite direction of the crowds waiting for it. More confusion followed, with the torch convoy apparently stopped near the bridge before heading southward to the airport.

As the flame traveled toward the airport, news dribbled through the crowds of more than 10,000 spectators and protesters gathered at the waterfront that the torch wasn't coming there.

Spectator Dave Dummer said he was disappointed.

"That upsets me," Dummer said. "My back hurts from standing around on this lumpy sidewalk. ... This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and other people messed it up by protesting."

Chinese state media declared the event a success, praising the last-minute route changes as a clever strategy for thwarting "Tibetan separatists."



The activists "ran into a brick wall in San Francisco," the Global Times newspaper, published by the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily, said on its Web site. It called the changes a "brilliant idea."

"Today's relay was full of suspense and drama ... the whole story was like a Hollywood movie," China News Service said, though it also called the San Francisco leg a "harmonious journey."

Jiang Xiayou, executive vice president of the Beijing Olympic torch relay committee, thanked San Francisco.

"Perhaps some of them failed to see the sacred flame today," Jiang said, speaking through a translator at the closing ceremony. "But we all have felt the passion of the Olympic movement."

There were signs of tension even before the torch relay began. Pro-Tibet and pro-China groups were given side-by-side permits to demonstrate, and representatives from both sides spilled from their sanctioned sites across a major street and shouted at each other nose to nose, with no visible police presence to separate them.

Farther along the planned route, about 200 Chinese college students mobbed a car carrying two people waving Tibetan flags in front of the city's Pier 39 tourist destination. The students, who arrived by bus from the University of California, Davis, banged drums and chanted "Go Olympics" in Chinese.

"I'm proud to be Chinese and I'm outraged because there are so many people who are so ignorant they don't know Tibet is part of China," Yi Che said. "It was and is and will forever be part of China."

The torch's 85,000-mile, 20-nation global journey is the longest in Olympic history, and is meant to build excitement for the Beijing Games. But it has also been targeted by activists angered over China's human rights record.

Boober Pics

Hanging with Uncle LarBone....



Drool Monster!


Lucas and his Dad-Bob






Anya's little guy is growing up fast! His christening is at the end of the month I will officially become the God Mother! Lucas has been such a source of love and wonder for me, it has been so interesting watching him learn new things every day and hear him make new sounds and communicating with us so much - in his own way! His drooly kisses are a constant, he loves to be kissed. He is a big time explorer and loves to get into cabinets, drawers, anywhere he thinks needs checking out. It's been a good time for everyone since he was a newborn infant that was so "teeney tiney". Everyday more of his personality emerges and it seems Lucas is especially in a hurry to get on with it.

MardiGras 08