Seeing is believing

Let's face it we have all heard the notion that when you reach 40 or so, your eye sight starts to change and you will need reading glasses no matter how much you might rant and rail against the realities of the situation.

I am trying to get through the denial phase of not being able to see clearly so I can get the correct prescription for some reading glasses. Mind you, I am holding out hope that my contact lenses are the wrong prescription and I merely need new lenses for my glasses. However I did purchase two pairs of off the shelf reading glasses with a magnification of 1 and they work very well, in fact, maybe too well.

I keep a pair with my stitching equipment because I definitely wouldn't be able to see the minute details of my work without them. The second pair I have put into my purse because I am concerned that I may be at a client's office and given some important documents to read and I won't be able to see a word.

I had lunch with a friend earlier this week; we are about the same age and I asked her if she was having problems reading, she insisted the writing is getting smaller and fainter. I immediately concurred and so we consoled each other about the failings of the printing industry.

Vanity aside I am seriously grappling with the fact that if it is my eye sight today what else do I have to look forward as my body continues its ceaseless march to old age? I was even hesitant as I wrote 'old age' I was looking for a far more attractive way to phrase it, nothing came to mind.

Recently I was listening to some older people talking and for about 20 minutes straight they each discussed bodily functions and what was considered normal and what issues may be problem areas. I shudder to think that I will one day relish such discussions and knowing me be extremely knowledgeable about intimate details which I will be anxious to share with anyone willing to listen.

I look forward to the day when I can accept my changing eye sight and go to the optometrist so he can tell me what I'm experiencing isn't unusual all people of 'a certain age' experience the same problem.

Until that day I will continue to squint and have to read with the paper a little further away.

A vow of sobriety

I was recently hanging out with some friends who were drinking champagne, having a chat and a good laugh when the name of my latest activity dawned on me. I am currently on a vow of sobriety. Let me add, while they drank the bubbly I sipped ice cold sparkling water liberally laced with Rose's Lime.

How did this start you might ask yourself. I will give you the very abridged version.
My birthday.
Drinks with friends.
Far too many drinks.

Accosting and hugging Cuba Gooding, Jr. - twice.

Dancing and more drinking until the club closed.
Sitting on the steps of Fairmont Southampton and refusing to get up.
Falling into bed at 4am and not being able to get up until 4pm.

Needless to say, my husband was not at all impressed with my behavior. Once sober we exchanged a few terse words which involved vehement denials from me on my ability to control my occasional drinking.

Between a rock and a hard place I finally stated that 'I can stop drinking at any time' and to prove it I won't have another alcoholic beverage until Labor Day - September 1. You may remember that my birthday is May 25. I am now 72 days in and feel wonderful. I will admit I've had a number of challenges during this period.

The book club. I don't think I've ever been to a book club meeting and not had a sip of the great wine the ladies serve. However, I stuck to the fruit juice served and didn't give in to temptation.

Then there were the intimate dinners Mark and I often share ... the glass or two of shiraz went wanting.

Outtings with friends where it is only natural that you have a cocktail of some sort - make mine an appletini.

A pool party on the first day of Cup Match ... everyone, and I mean everyone, was drinking something or the other and yours truly sat back, watched and totally resisted when I would otherwise have sampled at least one of everything. Still your girl didn't crack. I held on strong!

Yesterday afternoon was the most recent test. The champagne came straight from the fridge and as it sat on the coffee table looking extremely tempting I resisted, yet again.

What am I learning from this? I am steadfast and resolute in my vow and not to mention somewhat self righteous - now I am preaching to my friends that if I am not drinking neither should they. This plea seems to be falling totally on deaf ears.

I have 25 days left. I am more than 3/4 of the way there and know I can attain my goal with the worst of temptations behind me.

Who knew sobriety would be this great? Having said that, I already have my first drink planned - a glass of champagne to break the alcohol fast - 5pm September 1, 2008.

Waaay too much time on my hands

Okay, so I just spent the best part of three or four hours on line jumping from website to website. I found Time Magazine's top 50 websites list. Of course I had to investigate the ones that sounded interesting.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1809858_1809957,00.html

The two sites that captured my attention was a family genealogy site. I have already created a family tree with the information I have on my immediate family members. That was exciting; I have since forwarded the site to members of my family asking them to add information to the tree.

If you are interested in starting your own tree go to:

www.geni.com

It is extremely easy to use and in no time you will be building your family tree.

The second site I spent a lot of time at was:

www.freerice.com

I love that site! You test your vocabulary and for each word you get right 20 grains of rice is donated to hungry people. I call it a feel good site because as you are spending time 'playing' you are also making a difference in people's lives.

Now, I need to get back to some work - or play. Whichever is more appealing.

Up the creek without a cell phone

So Mark and I were in NY/NJ recently. We had a wonderful time playing tourists, discovering new eateries, visiting old ones and spending quality time together. I will add we also visited a number of game shops and rooted out stitching retailers.

On this particular day Mark had to dash into the city to take an exam. He was starting at 12noon and we agreed to meet at 5pm outside of Borders at New York's Penn Station.

An excellent arrangement which gave me plenty of time to lounge around the hotel room some more and catch up on my much needed rest. Our hotel, by the way, was near Newark Airport. It was a perfect location to jet around NJ or hop a train to the city.

At the appointed time I left the hotel and made my way to the train station. Mark and I had remarked previously that the train system in the US doesn't seem as efficient as the one in the UK. If a train was posted to leave, say, Paddington station in London, at 5:03pm understand, as the second hand reaches the 12 the train is pulling out of the station. Not so with the trains along the NE Corridor. This is why I wasn't too worried when the 4:40pm train didn't arrive. However as 5pm approached I became concerned.

Then there was an announcement over the loud speaker "Due to limited power supply, all trains are cancelled until further notice!" I instantly turned to the person beside me to get confirmation that what I heard was correct - no trains!!!

I must give a little color commentary at this point. The weather that day in NY and NJ was hot, overcast, humid and severe thunder storms were threatening. Apparently all trains from Virginia to NY were affected which was cold comfort to me standing on the platform with my iPod blasting and my cell phone popping with text messages to family and friends an activity I thought I would partake in to while away my time waiting, when I thought the train's arrival was imminent.

Given the sudden abandonment by New Jersey Transit of its customers I made the decision to jettison my journey to the center of the earth and head back to the cool, climate controlled comfort of my hotel room. However before I did that I had to find a way to contact my husband who would be patiently waiting for me at our appointed location.

I have said to Mark time and time again, you need a cell phone. At the best of times he doesn't like talking on the phone much less carrying one around with him. This was a perfect example of why a cell phone in this day and age is a critical piece of every day equipment.

Given that we were meeting outside of Borders, I figured I would give them a call and ask the person who answered VERY nicely to go out and get him so I could talk to him. Would someone take that on and help a sister out of a bind? It was worth a try.

I got a friend to go on line and look up Borders' phone number and then text it to me. This happened within the space of 60 seconds. So now, armed with the only means of connecting with my husband I was at the whim and mercy of the next person I talked to on the phone. I called Borders and was asked to hold .... and I held and held. Finally gave up and called back. This time I got an obliging lady, who, after I explained my dilemma, agreed to provide assistance.

I described Mark to her but for the life of me could not remember what color shirt or shorts he had on. So much for my powers of observation. I would make an horrendous eye witness if I can't even describe accurately how the man I live with was dressed. I gave a general description (tall, slender, black man with a baseball cap) together with his name and hoped for the best.

An eternity later a voice came on the phone - are you holding for Mark Wilson. "YES! Um, yes, I am." "Hold please." "This is Mark Wilson." I instantly recognised the mellifluous tones of my husband's baritone voice and poured out my tale of woe explaining why at that instant we weren't standing together in front of Borders embracing each other after five hours apart. I ended by saying, "This is exactly why you need a cell phone." Actually those weren't the last words - I also murmured, I love you and ended the conversation.

That taken care of I made my way back to the NJT booth to get my refund for a ticket I know I would never use. The fact that they did not give me a refund and gleefully told me I can use the ticket at any time was no panacea for the entire train system collapsing and spoiling my last evening in the city.

The moral of the lesson? Don't depend on NJ Transit unless you have a cell phone.

Stitching world notoriety

OMG!! I'm famous!

Deep breath - let me start at the beginning. Since I last wrote about my counted cross stitching addiction, I have become a member of the Bermuda Guild of Stitchery. They meet on the first Thursday of each month in a local church hall.

Here is the link to their site: http://www.stitchbermuda.com/

The guild organized a workshop for the last weekend in May. They brought in stitching legend Jane Greenoff. Wow! She was wonderful. I attended the beginner's class because I knew I wasn't ready for the master's lessons. I figured I should learn to crawl before taking off at a full sprint.

I learned so much in that day and a half. In fact I could have been in class for a week and not learned a fraction of what Ms. Greenoff had to impart. During her class she took some pictures of her students and guess who is now on her website - yours truly.

Here is the link --http://janesjournal.thecrossstitchguild.com/

Like I said, I'm famous!!!

I have to admit since learning the new stitching techniques I haven't stopped. I'm going to bed at 11:00pm and midnight in an attempt to continue practicing. (I am usually in bed by 8:30pm).

My casual habit has now become a full fledged addiction and I'm not sure I want to stop!!!

Lost Tribe Revealed in Brazil

Imagine living for generations in isolation with little or no knowledge of the world outside of your immediate environment. I found this article on the Discovery News website. It is truly fascinating. I sincerely hope that these people can continue to live undisturbed which seems highly unlikely given that planes and helicopters have already circled their village to get pictures. Unfortunately, I'm sure more will follow.


May 30, 2008 -- Dramatic images of an isolated Brazilian tribe believed never to have had contact with the outside world were published by officials Friday to draw attention to threats posed to their way of life.

The pictures, released by the Brazilian government's National Indian Foundation (FUNAI), showed alarmed natives pointing bows and arrows at the aircraft carrying photographers.

The head of FUNAI's environmental protection unit responsible for the images, Jose Carlos dos Reis Mereilles, told Brazilian newspapers the foundation had known of the existence of the tribe for years -- located in thick rainforest near the Peruvian border -- and many photos had been taken.

"This time, we decided to reveal the material to prove that there are Indians living in complete isolation, and to call attention to a serious problem that exists, which is the threat of interlopers from the Peruvian side," he told O Estado de S. Paulo.

The pictures were taken from several flights over the apparently sedentary tribe's thatched-roof village in the remote Brazilian state of Acre.

Survival International, a British group lobbying on behalf of indigenous people around the world, said on its Web site there were fears illegal logging in Peru could endanger the Brazilian tribe's habitat, by forcing displaced Peruvian tribes into contact with it.

It said there were an estimated 500 isolated Indians living on the Brazilian side of the border.
"The world needs to wake up to this, and ensure that their territory is protected in accordance with international law. Otherwise, they will soon be made extinct," Survival International director Stephen Corry said.

His group said there were more than 100 uncontacted indigenous tribes worldwide.

Here is the link if you want to see the pictures:
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/05/30/brazilian-tribe.html

The story of me

I don't know how many of you have had a story written about you - by your mother no less.

A few months ago, my mom told my nieces this story about how I was born and decided to put pen to paper. Here it is for your enjoyment. Please note that names were changed to protect the innocent and guilty alike.

Long before your Uncle Oluremi and your father, Abimbola were given to me, there was your Aunt Aderonke.

Now Aderonke was my first child, this is what I tell people, and this is really what I want people to think. If the truth be told, I know the govenment would have to get involved. I haven't mentioned anything about your aunt's birth to any living person. I do not know at this late stage whether or not to reveal the truth to you girls, but I suppose I must.

"Mum" is the word, meaning, I am going to relay to you girls the circumstances of Auntie Aderonke's birth. But you must promise not to tell anyone, not even your pretty teddy bears, nor your dolls.

At 18 years old I was a carefree, happy teenager running around my backyard, swinging from the trees, skating, riding my bike, skipping rope and eating ice cream every day. When my parents called me I always obeyed and went to them. I was a good kid. My neighbor had a large vegetable garden and everyday he gave us vegetables, so we ate very well.

One evening I was outside in my yard disposing of some garbage when I heard a faint cry. I thought nothing of it because in my neighborhood there were plenty of children and kids were always crying so I went indoors, washed up, brushed my teeth and went to bed.

Sometime during the night I was awaken by something soft and furry touching my face. I sat upright in bed and felt my two cats Lightening and Nosey sitting on me. I asked them if they wanted to eat but instead they pushed me onto the floor and tried dragging me to the door. I then understood they wanted me to follow them. So I put on my slippers, opened the door and followed after them. After about ten minutes of huffing and puffing and trying to keep Lightening and Nosey in view we came to the prettiest garden I have ever seen. all around me were roses of every color, daffodils, daisies, carnations and pumpkins. In the center of this beauty were pumpkins. Large, yellowish, orange pumpkins.

WOW! They looked as if they were shining.

I sat near these shining pumpkins and rested. My two companions jumped up onto the largest of these pumpkins, looked at me and I swear Lightening and Nosey were smiling. I sat and looked at them and after a few minutes I heard a noise, a crying sound. I was so scared that I jumped up so fast I fell over some pumpkins and realised that I was listening to a baby crying. But where was it coming from?

Oh no.

Oh no. The pumpkins were shaking now, things were really getting weird. I ran home fast, jumped into bed and pulled the covers over my head. I stayed in bed until the sun came up.

Lightening and Nosey did not come home that night. "It's okay, I thought. When they get hungry they will come begging." But even at supper time they did not appear and I started to worry. What's happening with them. They cannot be lost, they are together and they are cats. They have noses to smell their way home, so they aren't lost.

What if a pumpkin, that large shiny pumpkin toppled over onth them and they are trapped, or even crushed? There they are, sweet, soft Lightening, climbing and jumping from tree to tree so fast, lying hurt under that pumpkin, waiting for me to rescue him with Nosey. There's Nosey so considerate, always bringing me gifts freshly killed, or something still wiggling, like last week he had captured a small bird and presented it to me. Sweet Nosey. Now they need me, and I must go.

I ran all the way to that pretty flower garden, stopping not once and I did not feel tired.

Before me was a sight I could not understand so I fell down on the pumpkin and just looked. Lightening and Nosey came and rubbed against me as if to say, 'don't be afraid'.

I sat up and stretched out my arms because creeping towards mw as the loveliest brown-eyed, baby girl. She smiled and giggled as I held her. She wiggled and hugged me tight and immediately I fell in love with here as she snuggled into my arms, closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

But where did she come from?

Where are her parents?

Why is she out here, in a garden, alone?

And then I understood s I looked closely at her. In her hair were pumpkin seeds and her skin smelled of fresh pumpkin and in her tiny fists were seven little pumpkin seeds.

A pumpkin baby -- a real pumpkin baby. They are rea! Pumpkin babies are real!! I had only read about them in story books, but now I have one. A special precious pumpkin baby has been given to me, entrusted to me.

I am lucky!

I am special!

But can I care for her? Can I?

Of course I can, after all I have cared for Lightening and Nosey all these years and they are just fine.

The difference now is that with a baby I can teach her to speak like me and I shall love her always, my precious pumpkin baby. I will call her Terrylynn. No, that is a little girl's name. She will grow to be a woman - she needs a strong name. Aderonke. I will name her Aderonke. So now Aderonke my precious little girl let's go home so that I could give you a nice warm bath and introduce you to your new family. Ha-ha-ha that will be interesting.

Written by Cynthia Webson Bademosi

March 12, 2008

I need to check my closets and under my bed

Have a look at this story and tell my someone could live in your house and you wouldn't notice. I look forward to reading your comments.



Japan man discovers woman living in his closet
Fri May 30, 2008 1:35pm EDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese man who was mystified when food kept disappearing from his kitchen, set up a hidden camera and found an unknown woman living secretly in his closet, Japanese media said Friday.

The 57-year-old unemployed man of Fukuoka in southern Japan called police Wednesday when the camera sent pictures to his mobile phone of an intruder in his home while he was out on Wednesday, the Asahi newspaper said on its Website.

Officers rushed to the house and found a 58-year-old unemployed woman hiding in an unused closet, where she had secreted a mattress and plastic drink bottles, the Asahi said. Police suspect she may have been there for several months, the paper said.

"I didn't have anywhere to live," the Nikkan Sports tabloid quoted the woman as telling police.
Local police confirmed that they had arrested a woman for trespassing, but would not comment further on the case.

(Reporting by Isabel Reynolds; Editing by David Fox)

Exploding into a midlife crisis

I write this entry a few days before my 44th birthday. Ignore earlier references to being 35 years old. I may have been a bit delusional when I shared that thought.

Despite my constant and chronic denials I will be 44 years old on May 25 which is 528 months old or 16,060 days - give or take a couple of leap days (you can do the maths yourself on the minutes and or seconds.)

I like to think I'm wiser than I was 20 years ago (God, I sincerely hope so). What I still can't get over is the fact that I can say '20 years ago' with authority, I remember what I was doing 20 years ago - I was legally an adult - and had been for several years. Having said that I honestly didn't feel I had truly grown up until I was about 30 years old. What does that say about my view of myself?

In any case I digress - I wanted to share the life lessons I've learned over the years.
Cherish every moment;
Don't take your loved ones for granted;
Don't live with regret; and
Find your passion - whatever that is and make a step towards doing it or striving for it.

Is that it, the sum total of my learnings? I'm sure there is more but that is all I can think of right now.

I guess now that I've shared these truly deep meanings of life with you I can gracefully and graciously become a 44 year old. I have to say I don't look 44 but more importantly I don't feel as though I'm 44 - however I'm supposed to feel.

I will let you know if my perspective on life changes once I make become an official mid-lifer.

Did you participate in Earth Hour

Last night at 8pm I turned off all unnecessary lights and appliances in my house. My husband wasn't on board so he agreed to be in one room of the house while the rest of the house was in darkness. It worked out well.

Just after 8pm I climbed the hill of which my house is at the bottom. I wanted to see how many of my fellow Bermudians were participating. From what I could tell it looked like about 40% of the island was in darkness. My immediate neighbors must have forgotten or not known because most of their houses were ablaze.

When I returned home at about 8:20 I got my iPod and lay on the couch with a flashlight at the ready and a glass of chilled white wine within easy reach. Peacefully I listened to music and played a game on the iPod. I so enjoyed the space I was in I didn't turn my lights on again until 9:20pm.

First of all did you participate and if so what did you do ... tell all.