Me, Mom & Sydney

Afghanistan:Graveyard of Empires

Afghanistan used to be a relatively peaceful country with a centralized but weak government. Problems arose with the boundary with Pakistan demarcated by the British. The disputed border -- the Durand Line (after the foreign secretary of British India who established it) -- divided the Pushtuns between two countries. That left the world's largest tribal group (over 40 million strong) without a politically unified homeland.

If the war is winnable, the answer lies with the Pushtuns ....

David Isby

KEEPS ME GOING EACH DAY!

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

John 14:2-3

Thermostats

There are two types of people: There are those who are thermometers - they record the temperature. There are those who are thermostats - they change the temperature. A true leader is a thermostat - changes the temperature to where it should be.

Dr. Martin Luther King

History

"If you do not know your history, others will provide it for you, often in a version that is wrong, belittling, and misleading."

Don West (cofounder of the Highlander Folk School)

Great concert opportunity

Go to www.musicsavesmountains.org

Aunt Nell

My Aunt Nell passed away on Saturday, January 16, 2010. Her services will be held on Monday, January 25, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'll be traveling there on Saturday, January 23rd to finalize the arrangements.

I had to cancel my trip to Montana and Yellowstone -- I'll put that gig back on the bucket list!!

Mildred the Cougar

Before I forget, I need to tell the funny story about Mildred the Cougar. I had taken Mom to the doctor and, afterward, we were scoping out eating places for dinner. I remembered that Mom had won a Ruby Tuesday's gift card about six months ago, so I suggested that we use it before it starts losing its value. It was still early and the location we selected was nearly empty. The bartender was doing double duty as a waitress, so she put us in a booth by the bar. Two guys were at the bar -- one working busily on a laptop and another -- 30ish -- getting more tipsy by the minute. After Mr. Tipsy grew tired of annoying Mr. Laptop, he started talking to me and Mom. Eventually Nature called and he ran to the restroom like one of those Flomax commercials!! Upon returning to his stool, Mr. Tipsy apparently became distracted by someone else and let us eat in peace.

I kept waiting for the bill. The bartender eventually made her way over to refresh our drinks, at which time I requested our ticket. She replies, "Oh, the gentleman at the bar paid for your meals!" So we quickly thanked him -- Mom telling him that she would have eaten more if she had know that he was going to pay for it -- and left before he sobered up!! lol Mom swears that he winked at her throughout the meal!! So just call her Cougar!!

Welcome New Year!

Well, it is a new year finally. The old one was very interesting. I hope 2010 will be a good one for us all. It ended on a bang -- we sold Nell's house in Arizona and I bought a new pickup truck!!! Bright fire engine red!!!! What can I say - a country girl needs a truck!!!



On January 17, I'm heading out to Montana for a big adventure. It was an item on Sandra's "bucket list" to go to Montana. She never made it. So here I go in the dead of winter!!! I'm going to Gardiner, Montana -- Yellowstone N.P. If I don't freeze to death, I'll be home a week later!!!