Yes we should all get off the beaten path in other countries and stay for a while to get to know the way they live. We would all be better humans for it!

I would wish the First Lady a Happy Birthday!
also for another time.. her silent involvement in the health care debate. : (
(Sorry, it’s been on my mind)

That is very interesting, your description of your nation of Denmark. The split you describe exists here as well. There is still one group that still thinks as GWB did -and then the rest of us who just want peace and justice and to stop the Imperial ambitions and devlop our own potential and talents. The Southern and Northern California of my childhood was a friendly, open place. There are still areas like this still, but the overall environment of the politics we live in affects everything! So right you are – in hindsight to realize how great things were. I see it almost as a “Utopian Blip” I call it. It was a moment in time when everything was possible and there was collective wakening to being fair to everyone. The earth was not as polluted and there seemed to be time for everything. Oddly enough now, at the time, it seemed a glimpse into our collective and personal future. Would be great if it were. Thanks, must go now. Nice day : ).

Thanks Grace for the distinguished title you offered me, how honoured I am. . and it makes me think / smile -wow if I were an ambassador – what a place / masion (of a) house i probably would have lived in if that were the case but, sorry, it isn’t.

It seems (weird), to me, that Denmark still is known for being the “happiest places on Earth.” eventhough, I shall not complain, is a society split /cleaved after the 9/11 GWB [either you are with OR you are against] -you canNOT be both!!.

Most of my lifetime in Danmark we have had a socialistic middle minded way of politic and even in between a ‘red’ one (commie) that I (as a ‘capitalist’ with a purse bulging of money ) had to critizise it. One can say, we didn’t quite know how ‘happy’ things were then.
Isn’t it funny how people often, first – afterwards, finds out how happy they were, years ago ?

Since, in the year 2001 Denmark got a bourgeois i.e. a rightwing goverment with the belligerent Anders Fog Rasmussen as primeminister, who throwed Denmark into the illegal war, as a coalition partner to GWB / Tony Blair’s Iraq-war. and as such I do not want to represent Denmark as an ambassador for country perpetrating war crime – and if as that wasn’t enough still we are bogged down in a futile war of nonsense in Afghanistan as a member of NATO.

APROPOS NATO –
who, warcriminal do you think is heading NATO as it’s General-secretary for that entity ?
Grace ?
Yes – IT IS – the war criminal Anders Fog Rasmussen!!!.
no it is indeed a shame to be a Dane now a day. – and I apology to all muslims – herewith.

So as you se Grace, once upon a time there was, but not anymore, much to be proud of, as Dane.
We have to walk very softly ‘with the doors’! when we travel, or better tell that you are a Norwegian or whatever nationality you can ‘escape’ with.

It appears form the comment yours that you are a very loving and caring person with a great heart Grace, the world needs more of you. I love all what you write ( if I am able though to understand it) e.g.
[Between migraines and appointments that “take it all out of me,” ] appointment”s” = fixed / fixtures ?

What (se hell) do you means (between ‘headache and a built-in cupboard ?
=======
Migraine.
I am sorry you have to suffer from this nasty type of heavy headache Grace. It isn’t indeed very funny when its on and I’m happy being able to cheer you up a bit in between these dark thoughts are over you. Thus – my life hasn’t either been completely forfeited.

“I am honored at your invitation”

When should I / do I have to roll the RED carpet out mrs. Grace? Do you come with the AirForceOne?
Of course you are welcome to visit, and I’m glad to have my friends / nobilities on visit as often as possible. but if you appear at this time of the year (for more than one day) you’d/ we probable have to sleep in the same bed, or at least in the same room. as I told you, this house isn’t a mansion to say the least – I’ll detail it a bit.

When I bought it in 2002 it had been left ‘alone’ by the tenant for a couple of years to frost damage in the winter time with frozen waterpipes which had bursted and the water had fossed out over the whole house.
Everything of isolation materials on ceiling, floors and walls had been destroyed.
and that is also the reason why it could be bought to a cheap price.

Now – afterwards, I have removed all this water-soaked / destroyed materials and haven’t yet finished a restauration. For now I have only about 40m2 to live in, better than nothing though, and at least the whole thing is payed – no debt and if not very fine – though mine – it all.

I have a outhouse (250m2), and, by the way also an old camper trailer. so – maybe Grace, if you aren’t too choos(e)y we will easy find a place. but under all circumstances, wait until summertime. ok

excuse , it took so long.

I have two daughters, 33 & 32 year old. Yesterday we celebrated my grandchild, a boy, number three in the row of, ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY. hurra(h) big boy. life goes on.

peace and love

I have been to Iraq, Iran, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, all of Europe, America, Canada, Russia, Africa, Malaysia, Thailand, Panama, Fiji, Noumea, so many countries I’ve lost count. While I’ve travelled, I’ve thought about what I’ve seen, the history, the cycle of life.

The most generous people are often the poorest. The most boring, mindless people are those who have loud voices which compare hotels and the standard of service. They travel but they see nothing!

Regarding my health I’m nearly one third the way through the treatment and doing all right despite an increasing tiredness. I too have a lot to do, and a lot more to say.

I plan on sticking around even if only for you!

I’ve had probably too many long comments on this thread. The subjects flow in and out of the original thread’s meaning. It’s strange really. I sometimes post something that is a bit personal and not on point. Usually these are things that I’ve read about and am now trying to correlate with my real life and share what I’ve learned with others that aren’t opposed to reading or watching a video. Here where I live, no one wants to read or watch a video so I try it out on your blog. (One selfish last chance for me to try it I guess)

I love hearing what John in Denmark is going through.
I love hearing how California is doing practically across our whole nation since I’m in Tennessee.

I love hearing from Kate up north from me.
I love hearing from Adina somewhere in Europe I think? Everyone else too!! (I don’t know where everyone else is from.) But I love people and their stories. I’ll go a little more personal here and then I will try to ease up. I took my children on vacation when they were teenagers and they fussed at me for talking to strangers!!! The first 5 days of vacation were spent at Myrtle Beach South Carolina. The final two days, I wanted to drive down to Charleston SC. I had heard about the rich history, civil war battleground, the horse drawn carriage ride tours of the city, the open air markets…..So I did talk to strangers…to see if they could direct me to where I wanted to go in my short time span there. I decided after that to never travel with my children again!! I could do it now that they aren’t teenagers…especially since my daughter and I want to see some of the same parts of the world….

But I must go long here one last time…In 1995 I remarried….this was husband number 2 and the final husband. He took a job in Saudi Arabia. It took 5 months for him to get family approval for me and my children to come and join him in Saudi. The first 2 months we lived on a compound in Dhahran. (Spelling I would have to go check) All the residents of the compound worked for AT&T or known there as Lucent technologies. The workers were hired to rebuild the phone system into a fiber optics system because their phone towers made easy targets for the Saddam regime when Saddam invaded Kuwait and posed a “threat” to Saudi Arabia. So my second husband was a telecommunications engineer and he designed fiber optics cable routes around the various cities in Saudi. (Buried cable as opposed to towers)

After two months we moved to Riyadh. The main AT&T compound was full so we moved onto the Dutch compound. (AT&T had hired many Dutch people as well as UK and Americans) So we found ourselves living in the arm pit of the world (Saudi Arabia) on a Dutch compound (Most uninhibited people in the world- I think) And the even more weird part of that was that my husband, even tho working for AT&T by day, had a degree in music education and he was a classically trained violinist. So there was a band put together in Riyadh and he was in it. There were no other competing bands so any embassy party or event….they booked our band for the entertainment. Husband could play any instrument, any fashion. They didn’t book the band to be classical music,,,, they booked the band to be rock and roll.. So Americans…living in the arm pit of the world…with Dutch people…playing in a rock and roll band for the various embassy’s parties???? How weird does that make my life? I was there for 7 months, Oct of 1995 thru May of 1996. On the news we hear about the women of Afghanistan and Iraq having to cover up with their Burkas. In Saudi Arabia they were called Abayas. I still have my abaya. I pull it out from time to time to remind myself of how much ‘woman freedom’ I have here in the states compared to the women in Saudi.

But David one of the most fun times I had… was when the Australians booked our band for Australian day out in the desert. They picked a spot, gave us directions, and we showed up! They had so many vans set up to sell us stuff. Pepsi vans for drinks since Coke wasn’t available there. Fosters beer was flown in. I bought a two up game and a jack-a-roo hat!! They passed out leaflets so that the band could play and we could sing along to Waltzing Mathilda and Tie me kangaroo down. It was such fun!!

The guy who was in charge of the Australian embassy then wanted us to come and play for his wedding anniversary. The party was at his villa….not the embassy. Again, we made friends and had a wonderful time. Met a guy there named Peter DeChillas (Australian) who was in charge of the zoo at Riyadh. He told us to come to the zoo on friday while the Saudis were in their holy day and he would open it for us to have the zoo to ourselves. Riyadh has an awesome zoo! We had fun in Saudi with all of our Aussie friends. I wouldn’t change that part for anything!!!

Another weird thing about Saudi…Water table. If they get a little rain everything is flooded instantly. Or at least it was in 1995 – 1996. They had no drainage ditches so the roads would flood. They used to be under the ocean. We went one day to one part of the desert to dig for prehistoric sharks teeth. I found my place in life there!!! We had packed sandwiches and drinks for the whole day. The kids got tired early but I couldn’t go home yet….had to find one more….

David, I go personal here to let you know that the Aussies rock!!! I’m so glad I got to hang out with some of your country men and women!!

I also want to state that this is a dark part of the world….not just for women but for a country with no middle class. There are extremely wealthy and extremely poor. The poor are kept in line by the prayer towers that shout out prayers over loud speakers at different times of day. The wealthy are like us. They show up at the party, the abaya comes off, no one stops the party for prayer time!!!! This is a sample of the indoctrination you speak of.

I am fortunate to have seen this with my own eyes for 7 months of my life. I am fortunate to have met my Aussie friends and my Dutch friends. I am fortunate to realize how many freedoms we still have as women here in America compared to other countries. I am fortunate to see how the rich and powerful use the poor and uneducated. I am fortunate to see how the religion and politics keeps everyone in line.

Because I am a selfish American woman who has just recently found your blog, I will say that you have to stay healthy because I’m not finished talking with you yet!!! Yes and isn’t that selfish?

But truly, I need a voice like yours to see truth and I think I need you for at least two or three more decades!! So get your health back. Okay???? It’s all about my selfish American needs….

Helping each other is an important part of saving the world.

Peace and Love!