Patricia - Student of Life

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2011-06-14T06:14:00.001-07:00

France Blog 22 This is no vacation, This is my Life.

2009-06-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

While here in France when asked “Why are you here?” I am never quite sure what my response should be. I am asked this by British people I am meeting. The few French who engage in conversation mostly ask if I am English. There are few Americans even visiting let alone living in these parts.“I am having a midlife crisis.” has been my response lately. I usually laugh while I say it because

Fance Blog 21 Symphony at Sunset

2009-06-18T04:53:00.000-07:00

Walking along the road by Jenny's house towards the sunset I am in the middle of gentle hills, a quilt made of farmers fields stitched together. Each evening whether I am there to hear it or not there is a Symphony at Sunset. The crickets screech their high notes in the tall weeds closest to me, just behind them some birds nesting in the grasses chirp the same melody as I pass them. I try but I

France Blog 20 Lessons from the Garden:Getting Rid of Your Weeds

2009-06-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

You learn by doingI don't care how many gardening books you read or plans you draw up. If you want to get the weeds out of your life you have to just do it. It's like Math. No matter how much reading you do about math, you have to actually do the problems (repeatedly).You can only get rid of your own weeds.Last Labor day I worked for hours. I thought I'd surprise Richard when he came back

Chapter 11 Because I Said So! (An excerpt from:My Life as a Tumbleweed;a memoir of my life misadventure).

2009-06-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

I was so mad I could hardly see straight. After a couple of seconds I asked with a forced smile “You saw them at school?” Unable to wait for her response I continued “You realize this is a very small town. Everyone knows everyone and this is hardly something my kids should have to deal with, especially on their first day at school, a new school at that, in a community that we haven’t even had

France Blog 19 A Giant Helping

2009-06-15T04:29:00.000-07:00

I am babysitting on this Saturday night for a British friend, Sarah (also known as the cricket tea lady). When she told her kids I was coming over the middle child exclaimed “Isn't that the lady who beats her children?” I couldn't have asked for a better intro as clearly this indicated at least some level of fear. My belief with kids is that you have to establish credibility right from the

France Blog 18 Yard Rage or How to Tame a Jungle

2009-06-13T03:11:00.000-07:00

1.Wait till later in the day when the sun is not so strong (If you are like me and will only drag your sorry ass out of bed early if you are forced).2.Choose your outfit carefully- cover arms, legs, wear gloves (I prefer my peasant skirt...looks nifty with my gardening boots. Not a time to be topless), wear sunscreen if necessary (this is gonna take a while at least 2 hours, her lawn is huge!)

France Blog 17 This Ain't no Bed and Breakfast!

2009-06-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

Many seem to have gotten the impression that I am over here in France having a great time, stuffing my face with enough pattiserie to easily put me into a diabetic coma, guzzling enough local vin rouge to guarantee I will end up a toothless wonder like the old French man I bought it from, and all while prancing around topless not knowing what day of the week it is.Okay so they are right.But

France blog 16 Settling in

2009-06-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

I have been here in France now for exactly 4 weeks and I am just beginning to settle in. This makes perfect sense to me. Whenever I have ever started a new job, moved to a new town or even had a new address, it seems to take about four weeks to begin to relax a little and adjust to the changes. In another culture where the differences are more pronounced these adjustments are more

Franc Blog 15 It is a small world after all!

2009-06-07T08:03:00.000-07:00

On what would turn out to be the fateful day of the plague by insects bike ride home, before leaving the village I pause for a water break in the village square. Soon a family-a mom, dad and 3 children pass by me saying bon soir. I respond in kind. I then realize the mom is talking to her kids in English and she is American. They have headed over to a café. I follow them and approach the

France blog 14 A Lesson Learned

2009-06-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

I decide to ride the bike into Masseube, the closest village. I am on my way to see a little circus that is in town tonight. By bike it takes about twenty minutes on a small two lane main road to get to get there. I am giving myself a pep talk because the ride is very scary. I consciously will myself to stay on the road and stay calm as French cars and trucks zoom very closely by me at

France Blog 13 Cricket Anyone?

2009-06-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

Barreling down the narrow winding country roads at an incredibly fast rate of speed (a la francais) I hold on tight trying to show no fear and hope I will not have to deal with motion sickness. The driver is Jenny’s friend Sarah, also English, who has invited me to go with her to her husband and son’s cricket match where she is going to be the tea lady. We arrive about twenty minutes before

France blog 12 To Be

2009-06-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

I just cannot get myself to focus on anything because the day is just too beautiful. The strong winds and rain of the last few days have finally dissipated and today it is sunny and warm.Wearing my pants tucked into my knee high gardening boots, before I know it I cannot help myself and I am soon topless or a la francaise as I like to call it and walking around the gardens in front and in back

France blog 11 Meeting of my minds

2009-06-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

Having spent a day when I felt lonely and somewhat depressed I knew it was time for a meeting of my minds. I’ve found Sunday afternoon is usually a good time to get all of my personalities (or at least most of them) together for a little chat. It seems prudent to start the week with all of us on the same page.I knew why that day had caught me unaware. Usually focusing on a task will keep my

France blog 10 Tractor drill

2009-06-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

I have this exercise I perform everyday that I like to call “tractor drill”. Ahh, but let me tell you how it all started…Jenny’s friend Andrew came by the other day. He comes by once a month to mow Jenny’s lawn on her riding tractor lawn mower and keeps the place from being swallowed up completely by the ravenous foliage. He eagerly showed me how to start it and I rode it around for a little

France Blog 9 Things that make me feel really stupid so far as a foreigner in France

2009-06-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

• Responding with gracios instead of merci (French, not Spanish you moron!)• Nearly riding my bicycle into the side of a passing car for no apparent reason.• Being unable to figure out how to open a door to enter a building (the banks have these doors where you have to push buttons etc) while others around me are entering and exiting with no problem.• Still going to the passenger side of the car

France Blog 8 Name your poison

2009-06-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

WineThe wine here is really good and cheap. In fact I could buy a whole gallon of the nectar for less than it will cost me to send this e mail (about$7 for an hour at an internet cafe). On a market day I bought a liter and a half of homemade red wine for about $3, in a recycled plastic water bottle from an old French man after he assured me the wine was good and gave me a big toothless smile.

France blog 7 Against all odds

2009-06-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

I woke up late this morning (after being up until the early morning hours thinking about my laundry) by the phone ringing-a call from a friend who woke up in the middle of the night and knew that some exciting conversation with me would no doubt alleviate any insomnia he was experiencing.After I successfully bored him back to sleep I got up and reluctantly went out to the clothesline. Imagine my

France Blog 6 I see London I see France…

2009-06-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

Lying in bed in the middle of the night listening to the howling of the wind I realize I may have made a flawed decision earlier in the evening...… I had been sitting at the kitchen table writing on Richard’s old laptop that he let me borrow when I noticed the drops of water on the window.Here, the rain is so fine that you don’t even notice it’s raining until the whole place is soaked. Also the

France blog 5 What I did today...

2009-06-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

1. Had a staring contest with a little green frog. It won.2. Thought about going topless while I was outside but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it yet. There’s always tomorrow. We are in the middle of nowhere. The only possibility of anyone seeing me would be the farmers on the field right next to the house. 3. Rescued a hummingbird sized hornetI heard a flapping of wings in the kitchen.

France blog 4 Market Day

2009-06-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

Market Days in France are big. Every village posts on a sign entering the village the day of the week it takes place. It’s the day when everyone not only shops at the outside market, but also when the people socialize and catch up on events of the last week. Panassac is not a village or even a ville but just a speck on the map and doesn’t boast it’s own market. Masseube, the closest ville isn’

France Blog 3 My first transaction

2009-06-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

I have been in France since Thursday pm. It is now Saturday and Jenny will be returning back to her other life in England and her job tomorrow. She will be back in about a month. She has had me practice driving already as she is going to leave me the use of her car. Her car is an English style Volvo which means the driver drives on the passenger side. But the cars here do not drive on the

France blog 2 You're doing what?

2009-05-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

I suppose I need to back up and answer the most frequent questions I'm asked...Why are you going to France?What I've been up toAfter searching for jobs everywhere since graduating with my Masters degree in 2007 and not being able to find one (or one I wouldn't absolutely hate anyway) one day I inally deleted the 30+ versions of myself from my computer. Looking at all these resumes I was

France blog 1 Bienvenue!

2009-05-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

I arrived in France yesterday. Jenny picked me up and it was nearly an hour by car to her house, Aux Vignaux no.2 in Panassac a village in southern France near Spain. Bordered by farms her house is out in the middle of nowhere. Taking me on a tour of her house and gardens I became suspicious when in between telling me her ideas she had for home improvement and/or garden "projects" she laughed.

Flying with Cupid: My favorite true Valentine LimoTale

2009-02-15T06:43:00.000-08:00

I picked up the group of women of various ages and drove in the funeral procession. I heard them talking about their Nana and how she had lived such a great, long life. I thought about the amazing last 24 hours I had experienced with this limo and decided to share it with this family… ….It started with a wedding yesterday in the afternoon, a couple beginning their lives together. After the

The Difference Between Being a Jackass and a Dumbass in Relationships:

2009-02-14T16:40:00.000-08:00

While I did not write this specifically for Valentines Day, it seems like the perfect time to reflect on lessons learned either by me or by my closest friends. I was talking to someone the other day who surprised me by not knowing the difference between being a JackAss and a DumbAss (and yes, predictably it was a man)!Although online definitions I found for JackAss and DumbAss were the same (

Really folks!

2009-02-03T16:03:00.001-08:00

Come on. Is it just me who thinks this country is made up of a bunch of friggin morons?While I am perched on my daughter's couch writing brilliant essays that will no doubt benefit all of humankind I like to have the sprawling 13 inch TV on so I can see what America is watching.I cannot handle too much bad news these days so I like to keep it light. I also have temporarily abandoned my love of

A Couch of My Own

2009-01-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

Mariah and I chillin' on the couch!Months ago I had a dream….. I was walking on the beach along the shoreline. It seemed like I was somewhere around South Florida, maybe near Key West. Walking the opposite way along the shoreline I encountered a woman with her partner, a woman. She had short hair and was wearing pants rolled up to the knees and a man’s white collared long sleeved shirt with the

What This Inauguration Means to Me

2009-01-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

Personal problems are political problems. There are no personal solutions at this time. There is only collective action for a collective solution- Carol Hanisch, 1969Hands of strangers reached out and helped me climb over barricades that could no longer keep out this sea of people any more than they could hold back an inevitable tidal wave. Soon Johnson Field flooded with an estimated 50,000

Stimulus?

2009-01-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

Stimulate this!I am trying not to pay much attention to all of the blah blah blah about the economy. I figure since I am already at the very bottom of the food chain I don’t have much to worry about. The only point lower I could go would include a shovel and dirt. With my present occupation as a jobless wanderer/couch surfer the only way that my position could come to a screeching halt at this

Conversation with a Stranger

2008-12-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

I sat down in my aisle seat on the plane. I was feeling rather low. Sometimes it's not easy being Me and living such a nontraditional life. This guy came and said something like "Sorry, but unfortunately that's my seat" gesturing to the seat next to me. I said "Hey I'm not such a bad person to have to sit next to. It could be worse." Before he even sat down I felt like I was supposed to have a

Letter to My Younger Self

2008-11-10T15:59:00.000-08:00

My much younger self going to prom in 1974!My friend Melissa, told me about a book she bought, a compilation of letters that well-known people wrote to their younger selves. She asked me what I would write to my younger self….Dear Patricia Ann,Remember who you were when you were five years old. That little girl who could see fairies and could see right up into heaven is who you really are. The

Erin Hickok: Portrait of an Activist

2008-11-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

Erin the "Obamanator" with her countless volunteer hours at the shuttle bus to take students to early vote. Me as Palin? Well...it's all about the photo op,don't ya know?Mustafa bin Beyyette and Erin Hickok at the Democratic National Convention election of Obama Celebration in Albuquerque, NMNever doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the

The Search for my First Dude

2008-10-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I definitely don't want this guy to be my first dude! He would always be trying to steal my thunder!So many dudes...only one can be my first dude!Wow, Tom sure is hugging me all mavericky!Can I say No to Noah?Maybe Devon should be my first dude! You can tell a lot about a guy by the number of buttons on his hat!Mustafa is still my first choice so far!Maybe Al from Senegal should be my first

Sometimes You Just Have to Show Up

2008-10-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

The Democratic Trilogy for Change persuading the crowd; Tom Udall, Martin Heinrich and Governor Richardson!Governor Richardson and IToo bad he's taken!Quisiera Hector por mi novio!my muslim first dude Mustafa?my first dude?Today as I was putting on my Palin face I gave myself a little pep talk and said “Yes, you are getting sick of doing this, but whatever you are doing you need to do it

It Ain’t Easy Being Palin

2008-10-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Cindy McF@#ked and Me Downtown Albuquerque, NMMaybe this hottie should be my first dude...he was all over me!or maybe this guy, KY (yes that's his real name! A grandma's dream!) should be my first dude?!.....Oh sure, she makes it look easy!There’s no gotcha news journalism way that I can describe my schizophrenic journey I am descending into from being Palin. Her voice echoes in my head and even

Being Palin; Lessons Learned on the Street

2008-10-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

Erin, the Obamanator and I! NMblogspot.com/_moHt_OsCTKo/SP_QrRPbfusarah and I at the shuttle to the early voting poll at CNM, AlbuquerqueCampaigners for early voting for Obama at CNM in Albuquerque, NMTrevor...my first dude!Lesson #1: By dressing up like an idiot and going out and acting like one I can makenew friends. (Why didn’t I think of this until now? It has always worked for me before).

A True Story of What Having No Choice Might Look Like

2008-10-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

It’s very easy and tempting to see issues as black/white and right or wrong but seldom is life ever that simple. The issue of choice is also very complex. Saying that one is “Pro Life” implies that if you are “Pro Choice” then you are “Pro Death, which is simply not the case. The abortion issue, Roe v Wade, affects more than abortion and seriously affects Women’s Human rights including the

Watch my parody of SNL Tina Fey's Palin talent competition video

2008-10-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

Hitting the Campaign Trail as Palin for Obama on the streets of Albuquerque

2008-10-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to go pick Richard up at the airport. I had decided that since I don’t have a job, and since I have already shown how I am more qualified to be VP than Sarah Palin (see Dare to Compare in previous posts or e mail me (pmckinnes@gmail.com) to see the original format which looks much better and is more complete), I decided that I might as well be Palin all the way.So, there I was

The Debates? More of the same...

2008-10-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

Does anyone besides me get the feeling that they are watching a bad movie that you want to walk out on but instead find yourself staying, hoping against hope that in the nick of time the ending will somehow justify your decision to shell out ridiculous amounts of money and waste your time for something totally predictable and unsatisfying? In other words, I really don’t want to feel stupid.I

The Elephant in the Room.

2008-10-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

I am stunned. I just finished watching the vice presidential debate.As a communication specialist I immediately sensed that Sarah Palin was off to a stronger start by more clearly engaging with the audience through her communication style: she looked directly at the camera and in fact appeared to be getting up close and personal and coming into the living room for a visit, she was very

W.W.J.D.?

2008-09-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

Those who do not understand their enemy's point of view do not completely understand their own-Preconditions? Even if the War in Iraq was really a "Mission from God" some fundamentalists like to proclaim (similar to....hhmm..I don't know...maybe Jihad!) if I was to profess such devout christianity and faith, it seems that consistency in my beliefs would insist I acknowledge the notion that a

Debate?

2008-09-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

I missed the riveting economic section of the debate where I was hoping to hear how McCain, should he become president, might offer incentives to Corporations to McSenior Size their hiring policies and hire other senior citizens like him, which would hopefully improve my increasingly slim chances of ever finding a job. But these are my impressions (no doubt extremely valuable as an unemployed

The Dreaded Question

2008-09-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

I thought I had mentally prepared myself. Richard and I were out having dinner with some new friends. The conversation was lively and amiable. We talked with them about their careers, likes and dislikes etc. It was Richards turn and he spoke intelligently about the film he is working on etc. and then pausing, in between bites of delicious Indian food, Julie glanced at me for a moment and

Dare to Compare

2008-09-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

Why I should be Vice President

2008-09-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

Patricia McKinnes 50 yrs old Sarah Palin 44 yrs old Born October 21, 1957 Born in Paterson, NJ Born 2nd of 4 children English, Scottish (?) heritage Nicknamed “Fatty Patty” because……well… French horn player Squirrel, bird and other small creature rescuer

Is it just me?

2008-09-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

"The power to question is the basis of all human progress." Indira GhandiI am looking online (again!). My search for employment, The Never Ending Story continues. I need a break from the barrage of returned phone calls, the unending requests for interviews…but then the pain in my neck from constant gazing into this computer distracts me from this wishful thinking and I realize that my

Always the Last to Know

2008-09-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

I feel foolish. I didn’t see it coming (and yes I am aware and thank you for noticing this recurring theme in my life.) I guess the signs were there all along. I just didn’t want to see them.I knew our conversations of late had been less frequent and had become more superficial. But the reasons, which I can now clearly detect with my x ray hindsight vision as being excuses, were plausible; I am

The Bet

2008-09-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

The BetSo many difficult situations have presented themselves in my life and the lives of my children and now my grandchildren especially in the last few months that it has been overwhelming and difficult to withstand. Each singular event would be enough but the sum of the cumulative blows to my psyche and spirit have left me physically feeling like I just encountered the playground bully and

I admit it. I have E.D.

2008-08-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

Nobody likes to acknowledge that they have a problem, especially one so personal and embarrassing. Well, at least that is how I feel. I feel shame for being in this predicament. But I realized (as I was laying in a fetal position all weekend in the dark, suffering from delusions and a migraine induced by heat exhaustion brought on by trying to sell my salt scrubs outside in 95 degree New

Chapter: A Day with Sister Angela in Gaborone, Botswana Part II.

2008-08-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

On the way to go have some lunch, we spy someone on the side of the side of the road selling some Botswana flags. We express an interest in checking them out so Sister Angela pulls over. We discover three young mothers sitting on blankets to protect their fabric from the red dust, sewing flags on their sewing machines. While waiting for tourists to stop by, they nurse and take care of their

Weeds or Strawberries in Summer in Ohio?

2008-08-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

I looked out the sliding glass door. The tall grass being choked out by small blue wildflowers, assorted weeds and dandelions dancing in the breeze, resembled a jungle more than a yard. Something caught my eye and I looked a little closer. Underneath this heady potpourri of greenery that my sinuses certainly don’t have an appreciation for, I noticed tiny, red, wild strawberries growing all over

Magical Fruit

2008-08-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

Magical FruitI go for a walk nearly every early evening here in Albuquerque. Around 7 pm the scorching sun begins to relinquish its firm grip in this high desert community and people everywhere leave their houses to walk their dogs, ride their bikes and wander the streets like I do. I go for walks to clear my head, to release the endorphins that will make me fell happy, and to try to slow the

Coincidence? I don't think so!

2008-08-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events which occur in a meaningful manner, but which are causally unrelated (wikipedia).In my life when something happens that is clearly more than coincidence or chance, it lets me know that I am not in this game of life by myself. This is what happened to me yesterday….After attending the hiring session for substitutes (which I have already made

Disappearing.......

2008-08-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to a hiring session to be a substitute teacher for the public school system. This is the last job I want to do. Remember how mean kids were to the sub when you were in school? During the session I was informed that if you even give a kid the “high-five” hand slapping gesture, you could find yourself under a lengthy investigation because that same child could turn you in for

Life is a mystery, not to be understood, but to be lived- Deepak Chopra The return of Merlin

2008-08-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I must be really living then because I don't understood anything that is going on in my life! Events in the lives of my children and grandchildren have been so painful that for weeks the first thought when I have woken up has been "Oh no, I have to make it through another whole day." Despair is the word I would use to describe the depth of my depression. But then....you wait. You keep

Looking for a tennis partner

2008-07-09T14:12:00.000-07:00

50 year old educated, unemployed, brilliant, yet surprisingly unaccomplished grandmother seeks tennis partner. I'm petite and in pretty good shape except for a bad back and neck, I can't run very fast so I have trouble chasing the ball, I get dehydrated very easily and can't handle this New Mexico sun so I can't play during the day. I have difficulty getting up real early because I often have

Life4sale...what a great idea!

2008-06-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

O.K. so my friend Melissa told me about this guy who is selling his life on e bay. His house, car, friends everything to start his life over. http://www.alife4sale.comThe bids are already over $300k! She said she thought it would be a good idea for me to do the same thing so I am taking inventory of what I have to sell:a totalled car2 bad cats, both with eating disorders(1 is anorexic, one is

Conclusion: Probably Benign

2008-06-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

I have felt depressed ever since I got back to Albuquerque, a deep melancholy that I haven't felt for years. I can't seem to shake it.It's probably a combination of factors. The physical reasons could be adjusting to the time difference (2 hours earlier) and the altitude changes (high desert). Also, the fact that it is so incredibly hot that I feel I can hardly function.The emotional ones could

Fathers Day

2008-06-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

I got an e mail from my sister shortly before Fathers Day telling me that the hospital had called her. My father had been found wandering the Florida Turnpike and was in the psychiatric unit. They were finally going to get a court order and place him in an Alzheimers facility.As I read the details of her e mail I had the strangest feeling of detachment, like I was reading about someone else.

My Life as a Tumbleweed: Part 3 But I Want to be a Rock Star!

2008-06-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

I was in the ambulance listening to the siren as I was finally being moved to a much larger (and hopefully better) hospital. Soon after I arrived, a urologist came in to talk to me before I went in to surgery. He was going to stop the bleeding and take out the long dead left kidney. Although he never mentioned the C word (cancer) he told me that they were going to do a biopsy on my kidney. I

My Life as a Tumbleweed: Part 2 I Don't Want to Die, and You are Letting Me Die!

2008-05-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

After screaming in pain for what seemed like forever I was finally given morphine and moved into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). And for the next 6 days they "watched" me bleed from my left kidney artery, I mean literally, by taking repeat CAT scans and telling me "Yes, you are bleeding from your kidney artery." Meanwhile, I was getting morphine constantly because of the unbearable pain and while

My Life as a Tumbleweed: Part 1 Did You Get Kicked by a Horse?

2008-05-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

I had just finished playing my French horn when the first sharp pain happened. I was playing with Swansinger, the alternative rock band I played in. We had just finished a show on a Friday night. The pain was on my left side of my abdomen and it was quite strong. I had difficulty putting my horn in it's case, saying goodbye, and making my way out to my car. I thought that maybe it was gas

My Life as a Tumbleweed: Introduction

2008-05-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

"We are healed of a suffering only by expressing it to the full"~Marcel ProustWhen telling a story it usually seems like the most logical place to start is at the beginning. But sometimes an event happens in your life that is so defining that everything else that transpires is described in terms relative to that event and the discussion of any incident or experience ends up being labeled as "

Journal: Be careful what you wish for

2008-05-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

My friend Alexa in Albuquerque called me the other day. She told me that I had been on her mind. Alexa is an artist,a sculptor, by trade (did I say that right?)and she was finishing something that I started, namely, painting her kitchen.Alexa is going through a messy divorce and I had told her about some years ago when my friend Melissa was going through the same thing and had redecorated her

Mexico Musings: Fall 2006

2008-05-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

Written while studying in Puebla, Mexico Fall 2006It is garbage pick up day today in Puebla, Mexico. I am walking to Universidad Iberoamericana, where I am attending university for one semester. I notice a mother and her two small children searching through the bags of trash. I see them a few times a week, trying to glean whatever they might be able to make use of, and I notice that they have

Development Studies: Critique of Oprah's Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa

2008-05-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Written March 1, 2007 "The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding.”~Albert CamusForward: In light of the readings, the conversations in class, the comments and encouragement on my previous papers to share my opinion, and the resulting conflicting feelings that I have experienced, for this paper

Development Studies: Those Who do not Learn From the Past are Condemned to Repeat it

2008-05-27T06:50:00.000-07:00

I was greatly disturbed as I was reading King Leopold’s Ghost for my development class. I had nightmares. And I wondered if others had also not heard this account about colonialism in Africa. The history lessons I learned in school told of benevolent colonial masters who were helping people who really needed their help. I really could hardly believe that I had never heard of all of the

Journal: My Taste of the Big Apple

2008-05-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

I began my adventure with my friend, Melissa Forte, who shot and edited my video, driving me to the Columbus airport on Tuesday morning. Since we were on route and wouldn’t get to see the airing of the video, our cell phones were ringing as friends were calling, giving us their opinions, describing my video in comparison to the other contestants, and speculating on the voting outcome.I had gotten

LimoTale: Counting Deer

2008-05-27T06:31:00.000-07:00

It had been a very long day and night for me. The world of limo driving can be described as feast or famine, where there is almost more work than you can handle and you end up burning the candle at both ends, or there is hardly any work at all, and you are scrambling to find a driving job. Because of the nature of the job, there was little choice in which run you would accept or reject . There

LimoTale: Flying With Cupid

2008-05-27T06:29:00.001-07:00

I picked up the group of women of various ages and drove in the funeral procession. I heard them talking about their Nana and how she had lived such a great, long life. I thought about the amazing last 24 hours I had experienced with this limo and decided to share it with this family…It started with a wedding yesterday in the afternoon, a couple beginning their lives together. After the

LimoTale : Well, Albee

2008-05-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

I drove the limo down the unpaved bumpy road and pulled into the dirt yard. I looked around at the broken down cars, the rickety house and the refrigerator long ago discarded and thought “Great, it’s going to be one of those kind of nights.” A couple of hungry, mangy looking dogs came running up to the car barking furiously. The only things that seemed to be missing from this scene were some

Short Story: Picking My Seat

2008-05-27T06:19:00.000-07:00

I strained without my glasses to bring the seat number printed on my boarding pass I was clutching into focus, banging my new pink carry on wheeled bag into every other row of seats as I made my way down the aisle. After struggling to shove it into the overhead bin I hastily fell into my seat, glancing at the line of people I had kept impatiently waiting behind me. As I searched to find my seat

Botswana: Introduction to the book I am writing about Sister Angela

2008-05-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

Introduction “Where is your father?” she asked, looking at the child. The small boy of about eight years old sitting on a bench stared at his right foot as he swung it back and forth. After several seconds of silence she asked him again. As he started to stammer an answer she firmly but gently stopped him and said “No. Sit up, look at me, and tell me clearly.” He raised his head, glanced

Mexico Musings: The last day in San Cristobal April 30, 2008

2008-05-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

The last day, Monday April 28Hola Muchachas y Muchachos!Well, it's really hard to believe that we are leaving already. Weleave at 6 am tomorrow and I arrive in Orlando at 10:30 pm. I havemade so many friends and feel like I am really used to being here.A few last things…Sounds in MexicoI don't think I told you about the sounds here. This place is notnearly as noisy as when I studied in Puebla

Mexico Musings: Characters worth mentioning April 30, 2008

2008-05-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

Hola!What is really interesting about traveling and meeting people isrealizing that despite our differences we are all the same withsimilar fears, anxieties, dreams and desires. Often we think that weshould only be made up of the good qualities but we are complex beingsand cannot separate or erase our negative characteristics. At best canonly hope to be aware of our dark sides, and try to harness

Mexico Musings:The trip home April 30, 2008

2008-05-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

Hola mis amigoas y amigos!This trip home is worth mentioning because it was so miserable. Thenight before we left my stomach hurt all night. In the early morningI knew that I needed to fast for a few days ( I often have troublew/food....souvenirs of past medical problems) but I also knew that Ineeded to take the motion sickness medicine before I rode for morethan an hour in a taxi, and needed

Mexico Musings: Buenas Tardes April 26, 2008

2008-05-26T06:49:00.002-07:00

Hola! I forgot to mention yesterday before we moved out of Chip´s house yesterday that the gardener and the woman who cleans his house had shown up before Chips explosion and were discussing whether or not to keep working for him because he owes them money too. They decided that they would, in the hopes that he will get money and then catch up on what he owes them, rather than quit and for sure

Mexico Musings: Rats again April 24, 2008

2008-05-26T06:49:00.001-07:00

Hola mis amigas y mi amigos! First, just as I was leaving the internet place I walked by a french man and woman who were in the middle street arguing very loudly. They were middle aged ( or around my age if I manage to live to be 100 ). I felt pretty happy about choosing to take the high road and instead of yelling my frustration at him in the middle of the street in a foreign country in front

Mexico Musings: Un dia mas April 22, 2008

2008-05-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hola! I woke up the other morning and my first thought was that I wished that I wasn´t here. I guess the rather primitive conditions were getting to me. My legs hurt at night and often keep me awake because they are so cold. While sleeping ( usually like a baby, how irritating, )Richard is getting eaten up by something (somebodies? I don´t want to think about it. But they don´t like me

Mexico Musings: In Hot Water in Mexico April 23, 2008

2008-05-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

Okay....so here´s today´s drama...or should I say last nights´? I told you that our gas is out (turned off due to lack of payment) which means no hot water, right? or cooking (which we have not been doing anyway). So last night the owner of the house, Chip ( the recipient of the MacArthur "genius" award) returns home. When Richard asks him about the gas, he says, or rather yells something about

Mexico Musings: Hola from Mexico April 21, 2008

2008-05-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

Hola todos!, Being here in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, makes me wonder about things like like: Why can a person not buy fresh squeezed orange juice in the states? or even worse, in florida? And if you can, why does it cost at least $4 a glass? What does it say about me as a person if I can already fell myself hardening to the small children trying to sell me stuff everyday on the streets

Mexico Musings: April 19, 2008

2008-05-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hola muchachos y muchachas! I saw something the other day that really made me cry. On the side of the road in the middle of a tourist section was a little boy who was blind, singing as loud as he could for pesos. Here, no matter your age you need to bring in money however you can for your family. I gave him some and kept going but when I swa a young woman blind, holding her baby and singing as

Mexico Musings: Hoy en Mexico April 17

2008-05-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

Hola todos!I must say that it feels really great to be able to speak enough spanish to be able to have actual conversations, even though I only studied spanish for 4 months last year! Amazing! Its a shame if people don´t try because they are afraid they will say the wrong thing. People are very willing to listen. They love it that you try to speak their language, that you respect them enough

Mexico Musings: April 16, 2008

2008-05-26T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hola! I´m here in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico. Some reflections... The first thing I notice about women in Mexico (not so much in the small towns but in Mexico City) is their eyebrows! Beauty is definitely a socially constructed standard. Here most modern women shave off and then draw on their eyebrows. Does this make much sense? I know they do it in the U.S. too, but almost everyone

Mexico Musings: April 14, 2008

2008-05-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

Hola muchachos y muchachas, After a few cancelled flights and a few delayed flights, a busride and a taxi ride, we made it here to San Cristobal de las Casas in Mexico (very south and not very far from Guatemala). The house that we are staying in (a friend of Richards) is really nice with incredible gardens. His friend is an artist who designs these amazing mobiles, when he is not doing his

Botswana: Projects in the Works....

2008-02-04T17:27:00.000-08:00

Right now I am in finishing a book proposal to tell the story of Sister Angela, a nun in Botswana who, despite very limited resources, makes a difference in the lives of HIV/AIDS patients and their families, while inspiring others to do the same. This book will be followed by a film. Please contact me at pmckinnes@gmail.com to find out more details and also how you can support the project and be

Development Studies: Hospital Campaign Happy Hour at the Main Entrance

2007-06-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

“We are healed of a suffering only by expressing it to the full”~ Marcel ProustFlorida Hospital, Orlando, 2001 During the afternoons at the hospital, I noticed there were chronic patients (elderly men), who, after receiving medical treatments, were left sitting in their wheelchairs for long periods of time, lined up next to each other outside the hospital doors, while they waited for their rides

Botswana: Help Me Fill a Suitcase Campaign!

2007-06-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

Realizing just 3 days before leaving for a summer study program with OU in Botswana that this was a great opportunity to take school supplies to the orphan day care centers that we were going to visit, I acted quickly to get the word out through emails, word of mouth etc. By using a slogan that people could visualize achieving (Help me fill a suitcase!), and by making it easy for people to give (

Development Studies: Condom Project, Halloween 2005

2007-06-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

Take this and May the Force be with you….Condom Project, Halloween 2005Realizing that the famous Halloween celebration at Ohio University provided a great opportunity to implement a project for health awareness, I used Entertainment Education as the framework, and decided to promote safer sex practices, by passing out condoms to the partying students. My strategy was simple: Dress in a