Sounds of Silence Amid the Wails from Katrina

In Biloxi, Miss., seven-year-old Dillan Chancey rode out the hurricane with his mother and father. The family lost everything they had. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)

The photo above is from the Los Angeles Times. It is one of many images of souls who've lost everything; yet, it is one that tugged at my heart strings. To see a young innocent so broken in the Land of the Free, the Land of Plenty, the land of Sesame Street and Barney... it's heart breaking. This, indeed, is our tsunami, this is our natural disaster. Each time a natural disaster happens around the world, be it drought and famine in Africa, tsunami in Asia, earthquakes in Europe, etc., the American pocket book is opened and generosity pours from American homes to those that are affected. In the last few days since Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast, news coverage of local aid efforts are reported, but I haven't yet heard or read anything from the International community. The silence is deafening. I haven't seen Tony Blair of Great Britain, our "big" ally, on tv offering a statement of mere condolence. Haven't heard the UN say they'll be donating something to help that poor woman stealing diapers for her kid, or the other one looting the store for formula. Haven't heard the Saudis say they'll be increasing production of oil and lowering the prices to help Americans out, the least they could do, right? Oh, wait, I did read somewhere that President Hugo Chavez of Venezuala (the one that Pat Robertson called a Fatwa or a religious killing on...yeah, that one) offered to do what the Saudi's have not. Isn't it ironic?

If you haven't already donated, here's How You Can Help The Victims Of Hurricane Katrina. If you haven't yet prayed for them, please say a silent prayer for them now.

A Little Love Poetry

When You are Old
by W. B. Yeats
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

I just love watching these two grow up. Even as infants they were huggy/kissy...it's so cute. I hope that their friendship will last a lifetime.

Miracles Happen

Calvin and Eva

Their son, Armand and (my)JAG

Calvin and Eva are one of the coolest friends I have. Eva is my best-friend and we've been through some fun times and not-so fun times. Calvin was one of my neighbors when I was single and living in a Koreatown apartment called the Sir Francis Drake apartments (I'll have to post some stories about that). When I first met Calvin I knew he was perfect for Eva. I tried to convince him (and her) to meet but both were wary and life moves on. Calvin and I moved out of the apartments when he bought a house in Palmdale, Ca. and I bought a condo in San Pedro. We still remained friends and would hang out on occasions. Since he lived so far away I spoke with him on the phone more than I would see him and when he did come into town to hang-out I was always worried about him driving his motorcycle home so late at night and would tell him to just crash in my place. He would ask me about Eva and see if she was still available. I'd tell him yes, even though she had a boyfriend (whom I didn't like very much).

It took two years from my initial suggestion for them to meet for the meeting to actualize. Eva's BF at the time was just a loathesome creature to me and I was determined to wrench her out of that relationship. One day, I asked them if they could help me find furniture for my new condo. I asked Cal to spend the weekend with me so he could help me carry the stuff. I asked Eva to come shop with us so she can give me feedback and advise on the type of furniture to get. Of course I didn't need either one of them to find suitable furniture but is was a great excuse to finally set them up together. As soon as I introduced them to each other, I knew I was right two years before in thinking that they were suitable for each other. Eva says it was "love-at-first-sight" , I told her so. Eva is a nurturer and Calvin (having just survived cancer) needed nurturing. A year and a half later they married and I was in the wedding. A year after that I got married, too. One of the coolest things was that we got pregnant 20 days from each other...her Armand and my JAG.

Fast-forward to August 10,2005. Eva calls me from her cell phone around 1pm, she was crying hysterically. She said that Calvin got into a car accident and had to be airlifted to the hospital and that she was told to expect the worst! She was on her way to the hospital with Armand...I couldn't believe what I was hearing...dire visions of Eva and Armand without Calvin was too much to think about. After hanging up the phone with Eva, I was left thinking of all the shared experiences with the both of them and all the things that Calvin and I used to do and talk about. I cried at the thought that Calvin might not make it. When I went to the hospital the next day I was afraid to see him but Eva wanted me to see the damage done. He looked horrible with tubes and things stuck to him. Dried blood that the nurses hadn't cleaned crusted his head, neck and hands. I told Eva we should clean him up a bit. I watched as she lovingly wiped his face and hands, all the while crying. I couldn't help but cry with her.

She showed me the newspaper article explaining what supposedly happened, here's a copy:

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Thursday, August 11, 2005.
By CHRIS AMICO Valley Press Staff Writer

LANCASTER - The president of the Antelope Valley Union High School District was critically injured around 11 a.m. Wednesday when a big rig slammed into the driver's side of the sport utility vehicle he was driving.
Calvin Robinson and 15-year-old passenger, were airlifted to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, arriving at 1:30 p.m.
The teenage passenger suffered minor injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Family, friends and colleagues converged on the trauma center to support Robinson's family amid a grim outlook early on.
"He hasn't talked to anybody yet," fellow school board trustee Donita Winn said of Robinson. "I don't know if he can."
Dan Boyle, a spokesman for the hospital, said Robinson was listed in critical condition.
Robinson was eastbound on Avenue H and stopped at a stop sign at 50th Street East. According to a CHP report, Robinson apparently did not see an approaching Freightliner semi-truck and pulled into the intersection.
The driver of the big rig braked and swerved left, but couldn't stop in time to avoid impact.
The Freightliner's front end plowed into Robinson's SUV, hitting the 2000 Nissan Xterra on the driver's side door.
Robinson's wife was the only one who saw him before he was transferred to the intensive care unit just after 4 p.m.
Winn said the mood was quiet but hopeful.
"I don't know that we're going to get to see him, but I just wanted to be here for the family," she said. Winn spent most of the afternoon keeping Robinson's toddler son entertained and occupied.
"We're all encouraged that he's going into intensive care," Winn added. "It may be a while, but that's OK. He's going to get better."
Robinson's wife declined to speak to reporters, but Winn said Eva Robinson extended the family's thanks for prayers and encouragement.
Trustee James T. Lott said he spoke to Robinson on Tuesday night.
"He told me he was liking his new job and that he was not going to run for the board again," Lott said.
Robinson was up for re-election, but just took a job as assistant principal of Gifford C. Cole Middle School in the Eastside School District. He wanted to focus on being a school administrator, Lott said.
Robinson was elected to the high school board in 2001 and has served as board president for a year.
Lott and Winn dropped everything when the superintendent's secretary, Betty Van de Mark, told them of the collision.
"I was devastated, not only because he's a board member, but because he's a friend of mine," Lott said.
Lott said Eva Robinson told the gathered supporters that her husband was conscious by midafternoon. "He couldn't talk," Lott said, "but she was convinced he could hear her talking.
"He's a great person, knowledgeable in a lot of areas in education. He's a hard worker and happy to get this new assignment because he wanted to be a school administrator," Lott said.
Information came slowly to the high school district office, and staff members feared the worst. Tim Azevedo, assistant superintendent of personnel, spent the afternoon calling contacts at the Sheriff's Department and CHP for updates.
"At that point, all the info we had was bad," Azevedo said. "The thought of his wife and child being left if he passed on, that's a horrible thought."
Word of the crash spread quickly.
"We were all shocked," area Democratic leader Robert Alvarado said. "We were so caught off guard. Calvin is such a perfect gentleman."
Robinson is secretary of the Democratic Club of the High Desert, and, like many who know him, club members are appealing to a higher power.
"We believe in the power of prayer," Alvarado said, "and I know all of his friends pray with real intent. I know God heard our prayers."
Upon hearing of Robinson's condition, Palmdale School District trustee Tom Lackey, a CHP sergeant, called the investigating officer. What he heard chilled him.
"How the officer described it, he is very lucky that he's alive," Lackey said. "All these incidents have families. It reminds us that there's a human aspect to all this."
Lackey said he has seen countless crashes involving big rigs and smaller vehicles in his years with the CHP, but knowing someone who was involved in one made the cold facts more unnerving.
"The game it plays with your mind, whenever you get reports of these crashes, you just hope you don't know the people," he said. "It sure adds a whole new dimension when you know the folks."
Eastside Superintendent Greg Riccio and Cole Middle School Principal Michele Bowers also visited the hospital, but were not available for comment. (end of article)

So imagine my surprise, glee and absolute relief when Eva called yesterday. She said, "Someone wants to speak with you" and hands the phone to Calvin! He says, "I understand you've been kinda worried...I'm ok." 7 days after being hit by a semi-truck and to hear his voice, well, I just started bawling again, so did he. Though his recovery will be painful and all the details that need to be attended to like insurance, car replacements, etc., are inconvenient, he will still be around for birthdays, holidays and get-togethers. He's still going to be around to watch Armand grow-up. Miracles do happen, I believe it.

Tall Ships and Mickey, too!

There are so many things to love about where we live. Taste in San Pedro (see previous post) is one, the other is the proximity to the port. This past weekend the tall ships came in. Here's a media blurb on the 2005 Tall SHips LA Challenge:

"The Tall Ships Challenge® is a three-year cycle of tall ship races and port festivals held along the Atlantic, Great Lakes and Pacific coasts of North America designed to celebrate the rich maritime heritage, nautical traditions, the marine environment, international goodwill and character building adventure under sail.
Starting in Victoria, British Columbia in June, the fleet of ships is racing down the Pacific West Coast making port stops in various cities while on their way to Los Angeles where the Tall Ships Challenge® Race will finish just outside the Port of Los Angeles.
Midday on August 11, the fleet will launch TallShipsLA! with a grand parade of sail down the Port of Los Angeles’ main channel, bringing four days of exciting maritime events to the San Pedro waterfront. "

So last Saturday the hubby, kids and I went down to the harbor to check them out. On the way there, the kids spotted the "Mickey" Cruise ship and wanted to get an up-close look. The city just built a new "Bridge-toBreaker" park where people can go to use the bocci ball court, play chess, checkers or just wave goodbye to the cruise passengers as they set sail to exotic locales; that's where we stopped to get these pics:


Disney cruises just started docking at Port of L.A. (POLA) earlier this year and it's so neat to watch it sail away with Goofy hanging from the rear of the ship. The kids enjoy watching the big Mickey blow-up balloon in-front of the terminal and listening to the music from the deck of the ship. Someday when the kids are older and more manageable hubby and I want to take them on a cruise. I think they'll enjoy it.

We were going to view the tall ships where they dock and take on passengers but it was such a zoo and parking was too much to bear, so I took the family to one of the fishing berths and watched the race from there. It was a lot better than the crowded venue plus we were able to catch up with Mickey's ship as it passed by the in-coming tall ship racers.

All in all, it was a picture perfect day to just relax and watch our ships pass by.

Taste in San Pedro

Sunday, August 7th was spent at the Point Fermin Park in San Pedro for the 17th annual Taste in San Pedro(See link to see where "Pedro" is, I hope it's there, hehe).

I used to live in San Pedro (a short drive down the hill from our house) and loved going to this event. It's a combination of gourmet foods from the area's finest restaurants, beer and wine, rides for the kiddies and a carnival like feel. They had live entertainment throughout the entire weekend and the bands that we listened to were pretty good. We joined up with my best-friend, Eva and her extended family. Eva is the one pictured above holding her son, Armand (wearing red shirt). Armand is JAG's "boyfriend" ;-)

They all live "in-land" and were grateful for the respite from heat where it's soared to the triple digit marks. The park is on a bluff over looking the Pacific Ocean, it has huge shade trees, a view of the Catalina Islands and, of course, a historic lighthouse. It's a five minute drive from our house so it's convenient and fun, to boot! Wish the NC girls were still here, I know Jmom and Jade would have loved it all.

My Black-Eyed Pea

A mother's nightmare is to watch her child get hurt in any way. Last Thursday night, after coming home late from their G'ma's house, GG was still pretty hyped up. She was doing her silly "monkey dance" on one of the kitchen chairs and when she tried to sit back down she missed her mark and came tumbling face down. She landed on the base of our wrought iron table, face first and almost hit her eye on the corner of the base. It was quite a scare for everyone, especially for GG. One would think that she would slow down after that incident...not a chance. She's still defying the laws of gravity and wants to climb and jump all over the place. Time to enroll the babes in gymnastic class. Poor thing, I'm so glad that she seems to be doing well. Her older sis, JAG, has been extra nice to her lately...there's always a silver lining in everything, I guess. Now only if my heart would go back to its normal rythm all will be well...

Home Alone

Aaah, to be alone again. Time is such a precious commodity for me these days...much of it spent with other people and my babies, of course. One of the things that I miss from my single life is my time alone. Today hubby is giving me a break and took the babies with him to visit his mother who lives in an assisted-living facility. I have a good two hours to myself to do what ever I want or not do anything at all. Yippeeee! As a single woman I enjoyed my PJ days as I used to call it. A day where I didn't bother getting out of my pajamas, read every printed word in the paper (including the ads), listen to my collection of Billy Holiday cd's and just laze around; then I would order take-out food and eat while I watched whatever mindless show was on tv. Those were the days... Well, I better not waste too much of my precious time blogging, I better go dye my hair, manicure my nails or meditate on a koan...anything to lift my spirits. What is the sound of one hand clapping? Tata!

Just hanging out with my sister, Jmom, her children Asi, Jade and the Clone; our cousin E's kids Stef and Dave and, of course, my two beauties JAG and GG. That's our lola next to Asi.

My parents divorced when my sisters and I were elementary age. Though it was a difficult and confusing time of our life it was eased by the efforts our mother made to ensure that we never lost contact with the numerous relatives on our father's side of the family. Every summer she would drive us to Northern California so we could spend some time with our cousins. She would leave us there for a week to two weeks, sometimes almost a month. Those summers spent with cousins formed the basis for my want of the same type of bonding for our children now. Ever since my sister moved to North Carolina (six years ago, I think), our mom made sure that my sister's children spent every summer vacation in LA. It's been a tradition of sorts. But every year when they have to go back to NC, everyone in LA is left feeling a little down in the dumps. I never liked the idea of my sister moving so far away from the family, I hate the idea even more when she leaves after their visits. Whoda thunk it! When we were growing up I made every effort not to hang out with her. We had different friends, different styles in clothes, just different...typical teen-age/sibling rivalries and animosities. Now that we're in our forty-somethings, when she's not around I feel like I have a limb missing. And now that I have children of my own, I really wish that they lived in LA again. I feel like my kids will be missing out on the special bonding that cousins are supposed to have. I guess I'll have to follow mom's footsteps and make every effort to ensure that my kids know their cousins, too. I miss them so much already.

My First post...not much to say just an intro

Here I am with my two beauties. GG (on my left) is 1 year 9 mos. and JAG is 2 years 10 mos. and I'm 40. My niece, Jade, who's here on vacation from Durham, NC urged me to start a blog and created this site just for me. Isn't that special of her? Thus, I am forced to start blogging away. Read if it interest you, go elsewhere if it doesn't. I don't know how often I'll be able to post since I have my hands full but I'll give it a go.