FOTO FRIDAY: A PORCH GUEST

FOTO FRIDAY : A new critter decided to take up residence under the front porch. Take a look.

Lasr FOTO FRIDAY was:THE GREENING OF AMERICA

TBT:LADY LUCK

TBT: LADY LUCK shone upon me in letting me know what unconditional love IS. Seven years ago we went for a Family photo to be taken in the La Crosse Public Library. 

I met my Natureman z"l in '02 and our furry Balto z"l after the flooding in Texas when so many dogs lost their homes.

 I am so lucky to have had these 2 Baltos in my life. I am so glad we  went to take a family pic... 

 

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: RIDVAN

 MIDWEEK MUSINGS this week is extra special on my path of learning more about world religions, which unite us all... Yesterday I was invited to join a program of readings, music, movement and of course, food at Central Arkansas's BaHa'i  Center as part of their 12 days of celebrating Ridvan from April 21st to May 2nd.

Ridvan is the holiest and most joyous of the Ba' Hai faith as it marks when Baha'u'llah declared his mission as G-d's messenger. 

Slides and readings shared the story of beautiful rose gardens and bird song as perhaps Baha'u'llah had seen and heard near Baghdad's Tigiris River and named Ridvan  (Paradise). This holiday's first, ninth, and twelfth days are especially holy as believers don't go to work on those days

.

Although the community is much smaller in Little Rock now than in the '70's when this Baha'i community began here, in larger cities like Chicago's suburb of Wilmette, there's a huge Temple. But the size of their lovely gathering place here in Hillcrest is welcoming as its believers' hearts are large and welcoming to all.

There were 6 of us visiting from our international film class. What a treat!  I so appreciate being able to spend time enjoying their holiday on the first day of Ridvan.

                               Thank you so much for sharing...

tUESDAY tUNES: A NEW FLAME

 tUESDAY tUNES made it happen. It's about time.  You are the first to know I have a new boyfriend and his name is Marco Ferrero.  How can one not fall in love with a guy with this voice? I fell hard.Listen and you'll know why...

TU BOCA Y MI BOCA

Here is a COMPILATION of his, in case you, like me, want more...

MONDAY MUSING: THE SOUND OF FREEDOM?

MONDAY MUSING reflects on a new musical program, FREEDOM, in Little Rock presented by the River City Men's Choir, which has a lot of very talented male, mostly senior musicians who use their vocal cords as their instrument- 

Some have been participants for over 3 decades as you can see...

"Freedom" features a female guest soloist, Satia Spencer,  who truly delivered the soul. Even the choir let loose as much as they could. It was awkward. As I scoured those enjoying the free concert in St James sancturary, most had white hair and as you can guess, were white. The only black male in the balcony around me was Satia's big brother. 

It still amazes me that such a large choir in the South has perhaps one member who is not a white man.  Little Rock is the capital of Arkansas with a large black population. How are there not black males who'd try out for the choir? 

After the concert, I commented on how ironic to have black gospel songs in the program with only one minority member.  My friend commented that one of their black choir members had moved, but he was often featured. Whoa! 

THIS is 2026 and we are sitting in a program about freedom and the faces definitely don't reflect the country we live in... We can usurp others' music yet truly reflect the political climate of those white, protestant men running the White House... G-d help us.

More performances: Monday the 20th at 7pm

                                  Thursday the 23rd.  7pm

St James United Methodist Church

321 Pleasany Valley Dr.

Little Rock, Ar 72212

FOTO FRIDAY : THE GREENING OF AMERICA

FOTO FRIDAY: The day of all our greenhouse efforts has come to fruition as the annual Pulaski County Master Gardeners Plant sale today and tomorrow (MAY 17&18  2026)

Did you know that upon leaving office every President is able to take cuttings from their favorite plant to give to friends. 

Now adding green at my address will be one of those many cuttings from President Obama...

(Greenhouse is located off of Markham between War Memorial Stadium & UAMS  on 7th & Palm Streets. Signs posted...  )

Proceeds go to support Master Garadener projects throughout the city.

TBT: THE JOURNEY OF LIFE

 TBT:  Last year at this time my Wisconsin book club was visiting my new home here in Arkansas. We had a wonderful time making new memories. FYI it's strawberry shortcake time again here... 

Last night I joined a ZOOM call with 4 of the Happy Bookers as we discussed our upcoming trip to Croatia. Yes, Croatia.

 I am truly blessed...

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: ZAHOR- REMEMBER

Yesterday our community had the opportunity to hear Dr. Andras Lacko's, a Holocaust survivor's story, and also to commemorate the 6 million Jews who did not survive and those who did. 

This transplanted Hungarian-Canadian now Texan biochemist, shared his story with a brief geography and history lesson of Hungary, interspersing his family's and Jewish community's fate as a result of the German and Russian tactics. 

One of the occupation tactics was to move all the Jews into a 6 block radius, a Jewish ghetto, to be burned, but this was foiled with the arrival of the Russians.

We listened to what our speaker's Mom lived through as the youngest in her family having to move in and share a 2-bedroom apartment with 17 other family members. Then, when it was time for the family to evacuate and go to the train station where trains awaited to take them to the camps, his Mom, a secretary, ran into an acquaintance who invited her to lunch. This woman, living in the apartment, was the maid of the apartment's owner, a Jewish doctor who had been taken away.  She offered false papers to help his Mom escape. 

Andras, her 15-year-old son, had been left in an orphanage for a week and his Grandparents got him out. He and another boy contacted scarlet fever and were isolated. Surprisingly, when the soldiers opened the door where the 2 kids were being kept, they didn't go inside  not wanting to contact the disease. The boys were left there until they were transported to a military hospital, where they were given 3 hot meals/day. It was such a gift in a dark time. When the Russians were getting closer, the Germans left in a hurry. The 15-year-old boys awoke one morning to an empty hospital.  The temps were 20 below, and they headed to the basement of a nearby factory, hiding out there for a bit. They, then found his childhood home's street and his home, where there was no electricity or wood. 

 The Russians took about 3 weeks to occupy the city in 1945. 

 Andras and his Mom were reunited.

 700,000 Hungarian Jewish lives were taken.  Dr. Lacko's family amazingly had a high survival rate of  80% , albeit with some close calls. Dr. Lacko now lives in Dallas, but he immigrated to Canada from Hungary at age 17.  

Dr Lacko and 5 congregants lit candles to remember family members who either perished or survived in Hungary, Belarus, Germany and Poland. May the memories of those who perished always be for a blessing and may we also give thanks to those who survived to tell their stories...

tUESDAY tUNES: ARENA Y PROMESA

tUESDAY tUNES this week is another steamy one. 

Take a listen to ARENA Y PROMESA (Sand & Promise) 

by the Velvet label under Spanish Soul Blues.  Short and poetic. 

Who hasn't written in the sand at some time?

Sand and Promise...

"I wrote your name in the sand before the wave arrived

The words lasted seven seconds.

The promise remains whole.

The water erased what I said

the salt kept what I feel ..."

"Every tide brings your name written in another language of foam"

What the sea takes, the heart keeps..."

MONDAY MUSINGS: EVIDENCE

MONDAY MUSINGS: On Thursday about 5:30 am, the Atlanta crew pulled out of the driveway and left me with evidence they had been here... 

Upon starting the first of 3 loads of linens, including furniture covers, ( Yes, my granddog insists on making himself at home on the living room furniture ), I discovered a grand's Pikachu pillow, a light machine, and a pair of footies so far.  

These items can be returned, and the leftover foodstuff can be eaten, but there are a couple of other things. Things one can not buy, like the new family memories and a very undeniable 'quiet'...

This Bubbe is having withdrawal..

FOTO FRIDAY: RESTLESS?

FOTO FRIDAY: RESTLESSness can occur at any time, but it's pretty obvious when you see this little guy all tangled up in his blankies that he is working hard in his sleep.

 

TBT: CHAD :GADYO, AN ONLY KID

 TBT: 2017 There was a new Kid on the block on this day in the End of the Rainbow Valley since this birth happened while I was on the phone with daughter Lori Sinapellido and her hubby Evan Lee, they got to choose the name. Drum roll, please: And the final answer is: Alex Tribek. ( I know, good luck to their Baby Tater Tot's eventual name.)

Chad Gad Yo... Looks like "an only kid" for Jacqueline.

Alex Trebek sure was cute...

My daughter reminded me that Alex Trebek got an infection (It was almost a decade ago perhaps helping my selective memory blur his death but he was 'the only kid' to not make it to adulthood in 20 years.)  I posted on Facebook announcing Alex Trebek had died. There was an outcry from all sorts of Facebookers reacting in horror and sadness thinking it was the game show host who had died.

 Ooops- A disclaimer was posted immediately.

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: HOLIDAYS & LOSS

 MIDWEEK MUSINGS: Now that I have lived 7 decades, I am really seeing a correlation about life. Perhaps you also have heard it said that folks nearing death hold on until - a loved one can arrive/ a special occasion occurs.

Special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and holidays. For our extended family (machatunim- family of in-laws) we experienced it here this year in Little Rock. My brother married into this extended family and we have spent many holidays including special birthdays together.

Trudy and Jerry Jacobson, together for 65 years, were quite social and I don't remember a time when I didn't see them holding hands. They were present at our last family Chanuka party this  December at my brother Marc's house. Jerry, 91, was using a cane and walker but since then suffered more strokes and had become even more withdrawn. 

Every stroke had been robbing him of his loves, first golf and then piano playing. Jerry was a man of many talents, although he couldn't read music, he composed and wrote songs. One made famous even by Jerry Vale! Those royalties went to the purchase of a car, another of his passions. He also followed the Trojans, our local basketball team and the state's Razorbacks. He coached Junior League Baseball and even one of his grandson's baseball teams. 

Jerry sat at the Passover table, Thursday, celebrating what no one knew would be their last Passover seder together. He will be missed by many besides his wife, daughter, son, their spouses and an adoring set of grandchildren, who called him Pops, along with a community where he was a hypnotherapist, musically present, and even a voice in the paper's opinion page. We will miss him...

/

tUeSDAY tUNeS: SIN TI, SIN Mí

 tUESDAY tUNES : SIN TI , SIN Mí (Without You, Without Me) by Los Miranda, a Mexican vocal group made up of four siblings. They have a wonderful, tight sound and a great repertoire of boleros and other Latin styles."

Every time I hear them, I wonder what it must have been like to grow up in such a musical family...

SIN TI, SIN Mí

MONDAY MUSINGS :FOILED AGAIN...

MONDAY MUSINGS of "Foiled Again" should have been last week's entry, as it is exactly why I didn't have time to write. I wouldn't say I'm a procrastinator until it's time for really deep cleaning.  Fortunately, Spring cleaning coincides with Passover when I have no other choice. 

Passover has many more storage bins than Chanuka because I do use different dishes and storage containers. They all need to be brought in from their home in the storage area behind the carport. Then, cabinet shelves need to be cleared for all the Kosher for Passover dry foodstuff. Rearranging freezer and fridge space is also part of the process, add to that cleaning out silverware drawers,  ( How do those food crumbs get in those drawers when only clean silverware is ever put in there? )

Anyhoo, I was behind. My counters needed to be prepped if the week's food prep was going to happen. Yes, Passover actually lasts an entire week. Some folks cover their countertops with contact paper but I still use the old way of using aluminum foil. I upcycle it afterwards for the grill, oven, and toaster oven catch trays, etc...

Everything has to come off the counters in order to apply the foil. But the finished result is very fulfilling. It has gotten a workout already and it will take a lot less time to remove it Thursday.  So you see "foiled again" takes on a whole new meaning in my household. 

   

FOTO FRIDAY: FOR THE BIRDS

 

FOTO FRIDAY this week is for the birds...

Have you stopped recently and listened to how spring has sprung? 

     The birds are really making a lot of noise...

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was Tshirts in their Perfect Settingg

TBT: PROOF 'S IN THE PUDDING

 TBT: 7 years ago, my next-door neighbor caught this pic... Here are his words: Patrick Bosley Beausoleil is with Karen Sherman.

·"And now you see the meteorological support for Karen Sherman's moniker of The Rainbow Valley! This is Gail Hartel Beausoleil's and my backyard. Just caught this six minutes ago before it dissipated. The right side of this rainbow terminates at the Balto/Sherman domicile! Love this stuff!

And also additional proof that a lot can happen in our lifetime...