My Friend, Guerline...Remembered

I'm posting once more today on a sad note.
My beautiful and dear friend , Guerline Damas,
32, along with her 5 young children ,
were mercilessly murdered Thursday in her
home here in North Naples.
Her husband, Mesac Damas has fled to Haiti,
and is considered a definite person of interest.

Guerline worked at our Publix supermarket.
She was sweet and always wore a smile
for everyone. She exuded warmth to all,
and was especially interested in knowing how
my family was doing.

I spoke to Guerline Thursday as she left
the store to go home. She gave me one of
her loving hugs and wished me a happy weekend.
I'll miss her so much.

The Great Bowl Beyond...

Not only have I not had a green thumb over the years,
but my track record with pet longevity has been just so-so--
especially with goldfish.

When Paul was about 8, he wanted two gold fish.
So off we went and bought a couple of very cute fish,
which Paul named Junior and Goldie.
We wanted to do things up right to give Junior and
Goldie the best advantage of a long life.

After paying the cashier for Junior and Goldie,
a proper size bowl, food, and a water filtration system,
we got home and set everything up.
Junior and Goldie were as happy as two fishes could be…
for a couple of days.

The fish either didn’t like their existing accommodations,
or we were lacking something in the care and feeding
department. Paul thought a toy in the bowl would give
the fish something to swim in and out of.
A diver and a piece of coral later, Junior and Goldie
sort of perked up…
for a couple of days.

The glint in Junior's and Goldie's eyes had dimmed.
What was wrong? Had we failed as fish caregivers?
Paul tried his best to get his fish back in the swim of things…
But they were out of one bowl and into another…

It's To Die For...

I have 2-for-1 quarts of devilishly delicious sugar
free ice cream in my freezer.
I usually don't buy ice cream, or sweets, for that matter.
Paul gives me the evil eye when I open the freezer door.
“Shame on you, Mom--don’t eat that stuff.”
He’s pinching an ever-so-slight bit of my waistline.

Doesn’t that make you want to eat it even more,
with long, enjoyable mouth-watering and melting bitefuls?
it's yummy junk food and tastes good when it's
been so hot.

Paul is right, though. He's lean, tall and muscular,
and thoughtful about what he eats.
Paul goes for raw organic and salt-free peanuts and
sunflower seeds, along with raisins.

You’ll find few goodies in my kitchen cabinets--
that’s because I hide them in my bedroom closet--ha!
I love candy fruit slices. You know the ones with
sprinkled sugar on them? They’re fat free, so that
lamely justifies an occasional indulgence.

Tom’s idea of a snack is pumpernickel bread
with a spread of plain hummus or plain yogurt.
He hasn’t seen a lick of sugar in eons.
Maybe a microscopic amount…
He has great resistance and fortitude when it comes
to his diet.

I figure I had to watch what I ate and drank for
9 months, twice.
I know-- that was back in prehistoric times--
but I’m making up for it now.
Heh-heh...

It Was A Dark And Stormy Night...

I love to read books.
Scenes, words from the page, become images.
Characters jump off the page.
Like a movie, images run through my mind.
There's nothing like a book in my hands.
What can take the place of being quietly and comfortably
cozy and snug reading a good book?

I wouldn't care to listen to an audio book, or have an electronic book reader.
When I was a child, books were what transported me.
I was whisked away to fantasy worlds.
I shared the mysterious adventures of the Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew.
Ballet books fascinated me.
All I could think of was becoming a ballet dancer.

I bought books for my children and read to them.
Beautifully illustrated, the colorful pages held
their interest, as well as the story.
I wanted to give them the joy of reading.

I'm sure that reading develops creativity and imagination.
It could be one reason why I enjoy
painting and mixed media, as well as photography.
It's an electronic age, but not all of it's for me...