FOTO FRIDAY: TIMING IS EVERYTHING

 FOTO FRIDAY: Timing is everything when it comes to weather which can destroy perfection. 

Cherry trees planted a couple years ago on the UALR campus are putting on quite a show... 

                                        HAPPY SPRING !

TBT: WE ARE A FICKLE PEOPLE ,AREN'T WE?

TBT 2021: Ever noticed how our country flips around blaming different races for our ills? Who's next?

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: LIFE LONG LEARNING

 MIDWEEK MUSINGS: Before I left for the Midwest, I registered for  LifeQuest's spring quarter and filled my weekdays with all sorts of new learning possibilities.  It's wonderful to have somebody else plan the lessons.

During my university years with a double major and a minor, there wasn't time to take all the classes I would have enjoyed. In fact, the latest edition of the Iowa magazine reminded me of one such missed experience, taking a religion class taught by the dynamic Jay Holstein.  He was an assistant prof in Religious Studies at that time, and my friends raved about his Judaic studies classes with cultural  references and irreverent humor. Rabbi Holstein served 5 decades on campus and as Professor Emeritus, was still teaching a class upon his passing at 87.

 One teacher who touched so many lives, having taught to an overcrowded MacBride Hall ~1200 students annually, over 60,000 undergrads throughout his career. What a legacy!

 SO, I shall take advantage of Life Quest's retired profs who volunteer their time and knowledge. Classes begin the last Monday of March if you're in town/ check your own cities to see if they offer LifeQuest. Go treat yourself.

tUESDAY tUNES:NOBODY WINS

 tUESDAY tUNES : Facebook introduced me to this angelic tune sung by Cameroonian singer Irma ... easy listening fo' sure... 

NOBODY WINS...

MONDAY MUSINGS: TRAVEL HASSLES

My Midwestern journey was a bit harried to say the least as there are just some things beyond one's control and that biggie was weather. 

Starting off with thunderstorms plaguing my departure, the brief interludes of rain stopping, definitely helped my psyche.  It wasn't pouring at least for the early highway ride to the airport and the plane did depart on time. But the pilot forewarned us our trip would be bumpy and the arrival would be dependent upon Ohare's flow since many regions were suffering stormy weather patterns. We did a not an unusual detour out over Lake Michigan.  And thank goodness, made it in time for my airport brunch rendezvous with Kathy, one of my Costa Rican buddies who would be flying North out of Ohare!

Since it had started snowing, my connecting flight was delayed by half an hour as the plane needed de-icing at the gate. Okay, better safe than sorry. Then, for some reason, on the final approach, the pilot gunned it upon landing. I had never experienced that before. Scary. My nerves got a real workout as the next mode of transport was a rental car in Madison.

For some reason, the folks in the Hertz line were not happy, and after half an hour, I heard the workerbee say they were out of cars. WHAT?  I not only had a car reserved, but I had also done the quick checkout. How would they resolve this faux pas of not having enough cars?

 They could only apologize and point me to another agency.  They would hear from me later because I had 2 hrs to get to a 6pm dinner date with the Happy Bookers so thank goodness, Alamo
had one 4-wheel drive SUV left, a big Ford Bronco. 

 I took it as a snowstorm front was predicted during my stay. (The Coulee region is really hilly.) For once, thank goodness, there was an attendant on the lot to show me how to work the cruise control and other essentials. There was a control 'dial' which was really impractical. Who in the world thought that was a good idea?

I made my dinner date. But weather reports would plague me as a major snowstorm would hit the area by the weekend. My return was supposed to be Tuesday. The amount of snow kept changing throw in rain, sleet, ice and snow up to a possible 20". I was going to be stuck somewhere.

Even lodging plans would change as digging out a car after a snowplow buries it couldn't be my option, nor could an icy drive back to Madison. 

Leaving  Saturday became an option.  My new ticket out of Rochester fell through as within 5 minutes as I tried to get my online boarding  passes for the new ticket, I noticed that flight was now delayed 2 hours, missing the connecting flight in Ohare and the exact time the storm would roll in. NOT GOOD. This option would no longer work. Redialed AA and waited for a return call.

Meanwhile, I rechecked Madison departures and was able to nab a midafternoon flight and use the second part of that new ticket. Off I went,  refilling the gas tank near the Madison airport, returning the rental with a plane that left on time. 

But the adventure wasn't over as on my connecting LR flight after leaving the gate in Ohare, we went to an open part of the field where some 30 service vehicles were awaiting planes for a gigantic car/ plane wash for de-icing. What a system with electronic boards indicating which flight to stop, wait.. amazing.

I made it home and in my bed by 10pm Saturday night. That Midwestern storm is supposed to end today, Monday by 1pm. I am so glad to be back home, safe, even with impending thunderstorms and a cold front moving in...

As I click my heels... there's no place like home.

FOTO FRIDAY: CREATING NEW STORIES

FOTO FRIDAY: Missing 3... The Happy Bookers missing 2  due to traveling, and one under the weather.

What a lovely evening enjoying each other's company!  If the walls could talk...

Six of us Happy Bookers will be traveling to Croatia this spring.

TBT: YE PROTESTH TOO MUCH? NAH...

TBT: PROTESTing? My past feeds from over 15 years ago were filled with protest pics. I had 100's of photos from those days. I am just going to share one today because it encapsulates so many of society's ills...

tUESDAY tUNES: MUSIC TO MY EARS, A DIFFERENT KIND OF SONG

tUESDAY tUNES : MUSIC TO MY EARS, A DIFFERENT KIND OF SONG.

Music comes in different rhythms. This is music to my ears that I must share from LSU Baton Rouge's Women Basketball Hall of Famer. Listen to the entire clip.

SEIMONE AUGUSTUS

Since it was just International Women"s Day so here also is a wonderful interview with Seimone:INTERVIEW 

MONDAY MUSINGS: INT'L WOMEN'S DAY

To help celebrate International Women's Day NETFLIX decided to  point me in the direction of Women in Focus with shows  with strong women like Just Alice, Bridgerton, The Big C, Nurse Jackie, etc... 

So what did I watch of their list which hadn't I seen nor felt would be different and mindless:  Boyfriend on Demand and when I bored with that series, Rizzoli and Isles. Strong women figuring out how to deal with what life deals them.

When I met Natureman, my partner in crime for 20 years, he really didn't watch TV nor movies. But he read a lot. We're talking about reading at least six books all at once per week.  He had a memory to regurgitate all sorts of facts among his many talents, including his knowledge re: people behavior. 

Natureman commented that my art centered on women.  He was right and subconsciously, my choices did center around women.

Look at what came back with me from my month in Costa Rica. My Tico family's uncle painted me a picture to take home. It just returned from the framer and is now joining all the other women in my abode.

FOTO FRIDAY: FAST OR FAMINE?

FOTO FRIDAY : Fasting for Ramadan or Feasting for Purim or in my case this week in Foreign Films the movie Lion, a powerful story i of a lost young boy who's adopted by an Australian couple and in his 20's goes in search of his biological mother.

Heart-wrenching film but we didn't have to watch it on an empty stomach...                          

                             What a spread!

MIDWEEK MUSINGS & TBT: RELIGIOUS TESTS IN AMERICA

 MIDWEEK MUSINGS & TBT: I posted this 2015 clip 10 years ago and ironically watched the Iranian film Separation today in my film class. Not much has changed...

I will post the 10 yr old video clip by Fareed Zacharias 

RELIGIOUS TESTS IN AMERICA

What hit me hard was our class discussion seemed to center on the cultural differences rather than the film's universality. Ironically, this film was chosen before the U.S. decided to convince Israel to join them in bombing Iran. We should be questioning the reasons why we are there. And how will this affect our Muslim brethren here in our country? Conspiracies? Fear mongering. Moral character?

The lines blur...

tUESDAY tUNES; JOY

tUESDAY tUNES  is one with one of my favorite couples, Ariella & Nickolaas, who will be performing on the 5th at the Continental in Houston. 

If they are ever in your 'hood performing, go treat yourself to some easy listening. This tune was on tiny desks...

.JOY

MONDAY MUSINGS: = SENIOR LEARNING

 Musing about my classes this quarter as I was truant for the beginning  couple of weeks as they started during my volunteering in Costa Rica. Most, fortunately, are not dependent upon previous classes.  Also there was a week wo classes due to ice so the quarter will be extended.

This quarter I registered for :

Socialism: HISTORY and Significance is held mostly on Zoom as our instructor lives in Fayetteville. The course synopsis caught my attention I have shared that Natureman's parents are buried in the Socialist Jewish Cemetery in the Twin Cities. I never met them but I lived with their son who ensured his life would embody their socialist thought in protecting our society's socialist programs. He always pointed out how socialism is misunderstood and scandalized in American politics as does the class...

Travel the World through Film Armchair travel through international films with an instructor who not only acts, but creates her own films.  We will travel to Paraguay, Landfill Harmonic.Japan Departures, France The Chorus, India/ Australia Lion... Last week class participants donned berets and we enjoyed gastronomic learning with baguettes, cheeses, marmelades, madelines, etc ...

Socrates Cafe:Exploring  participant's life questions  in a public, non academic dialogue. Last week's class voted for the discussion question  "What is a friend?" 

On Screen with Philip Martin; a film critic who gives us insight and review of themes, actors and their work in various films/ TV series. 

Leisure Sketching with useful skills and techniques for all drawinglevels. This will be Ken's last class for a while and I will miss his informative, well-planned lessons, handouts, PowerPoint presentations and knowledge. This past week was STILL LIFE and he set up the subject matter for us. 

Line Dancing with a variety of genres: country, pop and classics. This class is a terrific way to exercise both the mind and body. It gives my cowboy boots a workout.

LifeQuest is so blessed with teachers who love their subject matter. New brochures arrived for the next quarter. It's wonderful to have the time to participate and learn with seniors 52+ and make new friends too!

FOTO FRIDAY: SOMETHING NEW IN 'DA KITCHEN

 

FOTO FRIDAY: You never know what might come home in your suitcase as a memory but after having eaten GALLO PINTO, dirty rice, the Costa Rican daily staple almost once a day. It now is part of where I spend a lot of time -my kitchen.