In the late 60's a relative suggested we take our small children camping for a wonderful inexpensive adventure and experience. He suggested Lake George, Bolton Landing, where the water was so clean you could drink from it. As a matter of fact, anyone caught using soap in the water would get a big fine. Dogs were allowed on the lake until recently for which they are now banned.
We followed his instructions on renting camping equipment, sleeping bags, etc and where to rent a boat. After the first time, we purchased our own sleeping bags and equipment. A motor boat was needed to get to the camp site We found a nice mariner where all kinds of boats were available to rent. Motor boats, sail boats, as well as row boats with outboard motors. The mariner had showers and free parking for their customers. I still remember the showers we took at the mariner. We had to insert a coin to start the shower. When the water stopped running we had to take our soapy bodies out of the shower to fetch another coin from our clothes which were laid out on a nearby chair.
At the mariner, we were given a map to the ranger station on Glen Island where we had to register. It was a very interesting site. The ranger station was in the middle of the lake. There was a country store where campers could buy anything from eggs to pots and camping equipment. Rest rooms, telephone booths, and boat docks surrounded the commissary. It was another world to me as I looked at the Appalachian mountains, the beautiful scenery of the trees and little nooks and crannies of different islands on the lake.
Campers were everywhere, however we hardly saw them unless they were out on their boats. The campsites were very private. They were all on different islands, each with their own charm and view. We were given a site that was about an acre or less. The campsite had a platform to pitch a tent, an immaculate well equipped out house, a fireplace, picnic table, and a dock for boats. The campsites were all shady with no mosquitoes or annoying bugs.
Campers were not near us unless we walked through the woods on a man made trail. If we saw campers they were far away from the trail. Most of the neighbors were friendly and respected each others privacy. Occasionally we would acquaint each other by sitting at our campfire or theirs with our children roasting marshmallows, drinking wine, or sharing coffee and cake together.
Every day was glorious. We took our boat and explored the lake. Visiting the little islands and coves were breathtaking. We purchased little rubber boats and explored the coves. The children loved swimming as well. I enjoyed sitting in the little boat sunbathing and watching the kids enjoy themselves.
Every labor day we returned to Glen Island for years to enjoy our camping summer life. We were only allowed to stay on one campsite no more than four days. After that we would go back to the ranger station to pick another campsite. When our boys were older, we rented speed boats and took them water skiing every day.
Being out in nature all day and evening was exhilerating. I loved the smell of the tall pine trees, sitting by the campfire with a cup of coffee in my hand, listening to music from our portable radio and staring onto the beautiful lake.
To add to the fun on Lake George, we took our rented boat to the mariner and hopped into our car for the children's paradise. There was Gas Light Village which consisted of amusement rides, plus many other theme amusement parks for the children. The streets on Lake George were always crowded with families. There were many stores and restaurants for all to enjoy.
Lake George was definitely addictive and it always kept us coming back year after year.
Please come back in a few weeks for a continuation of Lake George and our near tragic experience
Where do you take your family on vacation that you enjoy the most? Please click on the comment box. Lets share some ideas and events!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
THE MOST MEMORABLE THING ABOUT MY DAD
Although my dad passed away 38 years ago, he has always been in my heart and thoughts. Whether a man resembling my dad came into sight, or a voice from a man who sounded like him, I wished it was my dad and not the stranger.
As I watched my husband carrying our children one at a time playing piggy back, galloping and making them laugh, I reflected back in time when my dad did the same thing to me when I was little. Now I see my children playing piggy back with their children.
The endless hours playing Monopoly, scrabble, jig saw puzzles and many more games with my dad, was later repeated when my children became parents and played with their little ones..
The numerous vacations, playing with me in the water, helping with homework and giving me quality attention made my dad very special especially the story telling and the good night kisses.
One remarkable thing I remember when I was a little girl was my father standing on his head just to make me laugh because I was ill and did not want to take my medicine.
Some dads pick unique pet names for their children. My dad used to call me "my little chicken" because I was small and petite. He very rarely called me by my birth name unless he was angry with me.
My dad was always warm and gentle. People liked him, as he always made them feel special. I loved him very much because he made me feel special too.
I miss you Dad!
WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE TIMES YOU HAD WITH YOUR DAD?
Please comment below where it shows the amount of comments
If you are having trouble, please email your comment with permission to post on this site. Thanks iris@pushthewheel.com
As I watched my husband carrying our children one at a time playing piggy back, galloping and making them laugh, I reflected back in time when my dad did the same thing to me when I was little. Now I see my children playing piggy back with their children.
The endless hours playing Monopoly, scrabble, jig saw puzzles and many more games with my dad, was later repeated when my children became parents and played with their little ones..
The numerous vacations, playing with me in the water, helping with homework and giving me quality attention made my dad very special especially the story telling and the good night kisses.
One remarkable thing I remember when I was a little girl was my father standing on his head just to make me laugh because I was ill and did not want to take my medicine.
Some dads pick unique pet names for their children. My dad used to call me "my little chicken" because I was small and petite. He very rarely called me by my birth name unless he was angry with me.
My dad was always warm and gentle. People liked him, as he always made them feel special. I loved him very much because he made me feel special too.
I miss you Dad!
WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE TIMES YOU HAD WITH YOUR DAD?
Please comment below where it shows the amount of comments
If you are having trouble, please email your comment with permission to post on this site. Thanks iris@pushthewheel.com
Sunday, May 9, 2010
A MOTHER'S DAY STORY HOW WE STOPPED OUR CHILD FROM BEING KIDNAPPED AND YEARS LATER OUR GRANDDAUGHTER
Since today is Mother's Day and we are approaching summer, I would like to share a true experience that happened to me and later to my family..
It was a very hot summer day in Colorado. We celebrated our little granddaughter, Jessica's 2nd birthday. Her mommy and daddy made a big deal over their children's birthdays with balloons all over their living room and up the stairway. A dozen presents waiting for little Jessica to open as grandma and grandpa looked on. Gummy is my name which replaced grandma, as it was easy to say when she was a baby and it stuck till this day.
The following day we drove to Water World for a wonderful day of adventure and fun. We parked our belongings at the little kiddie pool which looked like a lake. In the pool was a sliding pond going down to another pool . There were table and chairs for picnicking along one side of the pool,. It was fenced off, so no children could wonder away. It looked very conducive for the safety of children, or so I thought.
Leaving the stroller and our things behind, we left the area for some tube fun. It was the best time of my adult life, feeling like a kid again. I loved sharing the tube with my grandchildren going down the slides. After trying out their other rides, we went back to our table and chairs for some lunch. We stayed there for awhile resting and enjoying watching our little 2 year old play in the water. The others continued playing with the other rides.
Later, they all returned, to get ready to pack up for home. My daughter in law was busy collecting their belongings and collecting the children from the pool. She dried off the wetness from our little granddaughter and instructed me to watch her while she was going to find our grandson Justin who was five years old.
When she got Justin out of the water they returned to my table. I was watching our granddaughter all the time, but my eyes must have been off her when her mother returned to the table. to dry the little guy off.., My husband asked where our little 2 year old Jessica was. I could not believe she was missing right in front of us. My son and husband ran into the kiddie pool and the other side of the big slide but now where was she to be found. We were getting frantic. My daughter in law sat down holding my grandson crying, while I demanded everyone scream for help.
Who cares if we sounded like a low class citizens. I walked out of the gate which was like a maze. It was difficult to get out as you had to walk around a bit. Screaming on top of my lungs, "Jessica, Jessica" I ran out of the gate. A woman heard me yelling and asked me if I was looking for a little blond child. I said yes, and asked where she was. The lady told me that a woman and man were walking with her but when they heard my yelling they walked away. Then another lady followed her to the direction of the refreshment counter It was in an enclave hidden from the walkway with a rest room adjacent to it. There was a long line of people waiting to get in the bathroom. At the refreshment area, I screamed for my granddaughter and yelled for the police. "Please help me someone, police, police, help" But no one came out to say "here is your granddaughter,"
As we were circling the area, we noticed a woman in her 40's holding her in her arms waiting in line to get into the rest room, We grabbed Jessica from her arms and stupidly ran back with her to her parents.We knew they were beside themselves and we wanted to stop their pain as soon as possible. What was so strange, why didn't that lady step out of line to say she found her. Why wasn't Jessica crying when the stranger was holding her? Why didn't she put her arms out to us when she saw us? It was all such a mystery until we returned Jessie to her parents.
A gentleman who was at the next table from us, came over and said " I am sorry to intrude, but I could not help notice the commotion of your missing child, We are so happy for all of you that you found her. You are very lucky especially what is going on in Disney World, or Land.. Could not remember." What do you mean", I said."Didn't you read it in the papers? There was a kidnapping ring that went to Disney world or Disney Land. They take the children into the bathroom, change their clothes, put color on their hair and drug them so they wont cry. They caught the kidnappers because the mother who gave an exact identification of clothing described the sneakers in great detail. The kidnappers forgot to change the child's shoes. Thus, the child was found harmlessly but drugged" Their security system was excellent as they closed the gates making sure no one could enter or leave."
After hearing his story, my son demanded we go back to the ladies room to find that woman. But she was gone,. He was so angry, blaming me, his wife, everyone. I could not blame him. It was horrible. My voice was never the same again and eventually I had a larynectomy It could have been from screaming and perhaps smoking earlier.
Afterwards we put the pieces together. My daughter in law said, she noticed a couple sitting at the table on the other side of us with no children, She was wondering how come they were there if they had no children, Busy having fun with her family, she paid no attention at the time. When we found Jessie, she did not put her hands out to us when she saw us and was not crying. The fact that the lady did not step forward to hand us our child caused further suspicion They must have grabbed her with the confusion of packing up, and carried her over the fence which was about three or four feet tall.
We looked all over for the security guard, police etc. But the only people we found were teenagers manning the first aid shack. They were no help. I could not believe that Water World in Colorado had no security. I tried contacting the company but got no response. We were extremely happy we found her and tried to forget about it.
Until we started hearing about missing children. They were not as lucky as our Jessie. They were found dead. Every missing child reminds me of how lucky we were. I still cry out for all those lost children who suffered before they died. I cried for their parents and family as well.
Perhaps people think I over react when I cry each time I hear the news of a kidnapping. Some do not know my story while others do and understand, This story must not be in a closet. It must be told all the time. Never, never take for granted for one minute that your child will be in the same position you left her. Perhaps 99% for that moment she will stay close. But that 1% can be deadly.
On another occasion many years prior when our daughter, Stacy was about two or three, I took her to a department store. Looking at children clothes for her, she disappeared .She was just beside me. She wanted out of the stroller and was right by me. Screaming on top of my lungs, I yelled her name. She was nowhere in sight.
Our daughter, was afraid of escalators.. Every time I carried her up or down she would cry. So I knew she did not go downstairs by herself. However, I yelled her name anyway down the escalator as it was riding up. just in case because she was nowhere on my floor. I remember my husband always said to me to refrain from screaming out for your children as it sounds very common. I did not care how it sound. After screaming several times, for the police, help and so on, I heard my daughter voice coming from down the escalator as it was going up I didn't care. I ran down the up escalator to her. I did not know if I should hit or kiss her. I chose to hug her tightly. "How did you get downstairs," I asked. "Mommy," she said. "A lady took me by my hand to take me to my mommy. When I saw she was taking me out side, I heard your voice, and broke out of her hand to the escalator. Today my daughter has a three year old and the fear continues...
We are all human and it is difficult to watch with your eyes wide open 100% when you are with your child. You have to be lucky. With a blink of an eye, your child disappears and wanders maybe into the wrong hands. But with what is going on these days, it is wise to try getting to that percentage. Besides little children wandering, there are sick people out there who stalk and watch their routine. They wait for that 1% moment to crab them..
A buddy system is always recommended even in teen years. Never take your siblings, children grandchildren or any child you care for, for granted that they will stay by your side. Not for a moment!
God Bless
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
..
It was a very hot summer day in Colorado. We celebrated our little granddaughter, Jessica's 2nd birthday. Her mommy and daddy made a big deal over their children's birthdays with balloons all over their living room and up the stairway. A dozen presents waiting for little Jessica to open as grandma and grandpa looked on. Gummy is my name which replaced grandma, as it was easy to say when she was a baby and it stuck till this day.
The following day we drove to Water World for a wonderful day of adventure and fun. We parked our belongings at the little kiddie pool which looked like a lake. In the pool was a sliding pond going down to another pool . There were table and chairs for picnicking along one side of the pool,. It was fenced off, so no children could wonder away. It looked very conducive for the safety of children, or so I thought.
Leaving the stroller and our things behind, we left the area for some tube fun. It was the best time of my adult life, feeling like a kid again. I loved sharing the tube with my grandchildren going down the slides. After trying out their other rides, we went back to our table and chairs for some lunch. We stayed there for awhile resting and enjoying watching our little 2 year old play in the water. The others continued playing with the other rides.
Later, they all returned, to get ready to pack up for home. My daughter in law was busy collecting their belongings and collecting the children from the pool. She dried off the wetness from our little granddaughter and instructed me to watch her while she was going to find our grandson Justin who was five years old.
When she got Justin out of the water they returned to my table. I was watching our granddaughter all the time, but my eyes must have been off her when her mother returned to the table. to dry the little guy off.., My husband asked where our little 2 year old Jessica was. I could not believe she was missing right in front of us. My son and husband ran into the kiddie pool and the other side of the big slide but now where was she to be found. We were getting frantic. My daughter in law sat down holding my grandson crying, while I demanded everyone scream for help.
Who cares if we sounded like a low class citizens. I walked out of the gate which was like a maze. It was difficult to get out as you had to walk around a bit. Screaming on top of my lungs, "Jessica, Jessica" I ran out of the gate. A woman heard me yelling and asked me if I was looking for a little blond child. I said yes, and asked where she was. The lady told me that a woman and man were walking with her but when they heard my yelling they walked away. Then another lady followed her to the direction of the refreshment counter It was in an enclave hidden from the walkway with a rest room adjacent to it. There was a long line of people waiting to get in the bathroom. At the refreshment area, I screamed for my granddaughter and yelled for the police. "Please help me someone, police, police, help" But no one came out to say "here is your granddaughter,"
As we were circling the area, we noticed a woman in her 40's holding her in her arms waiting in line to get into the rest room, We grabbed Jessica from her arms and stupidly ran back with her to her parents.We knew they were beside themselves and we wanted to stop their pain as soon as possible. What was so strange, why didn't that lady step out of line to say she found her. Why wasn't Jessica crying when the stranger was holding her? Why didn't she put her arms out to us when she saw us? It was all such a mystery until we returned Jessie to her parents.
A gentleman who was at the next table from us, came over and said " I am sorry to intrude, but I could not help notice the commotion of your missing child, We are so happy for all of you that you found her. You are very lucky especially what is going on in Disney World, or Land.. Could not remember." What do you mean", I said."Didn't you read it in the papers? There was a kidnapping ring that went to Disney world or Disney Land. They take the children into the bathroom, change their clothes, put color on their hair and drug them so they wont cry. They caught the kidnappers because the mother who gave an exact identification of clothing described the sneakers in great detail. The kidnappers forgot to change the child's shoes. Thus, the child was found harmlessly but drugged" Their security system was excellent as they closed the gates making sure no one could enter or leave."
After hearing his story, my son demanded we go back to the ladies room to find that woman. But she was gone,. He was so angry, blaming me, his wife, everyone. I could not blame him. It was horrible. My voice was never the same again and eventually I had a larynectomy It could have been from screaming and perhaps smoking earlier.
Afterwards we put the pieces together. My daughter in law said, she noticed a couple sitting at the table on the other side of us with no children, She was wondering how come they were there if they had no children, Busy having fun with her family, she paid no attention at the time. When we found Jessie, she did not put her hands out to us when she saw us and was not crying. The fact that the lady did not step forward to hand us our child caused further suspicion They must have grabbed her with the confusion of packing up, and carried her over the fence which was about three or four feet tall.
We looked all over for the security guard, police etc. But the only people we found were teenagers manning the first aid shack. They were no help. I could not believe that Water World in Colorado had no security. I tried contacting the company but got no response. We were extremely happy we found her and tried to forget about it.
Until we started hearing about missing children. They were not as lucky as our Jessie. They were found dead. Every missing child reminds me of how lucky we were. I still cry out for all those lost children who suffered before they died. I cried for their parents and family as well.
Perhaps people think I over react when I cry each time I hear the news of a kidnapping. Some do not know my story while others do and understand, This story must not be in a closet. It must be told all the time. Never, never take for granted for one minute that your child will be in the same position you left her. Perhaps 99% for that moment she will stay close. But that 1% can be deadly.
On another occasion many years prior when our daughter, Stacy was about two or three, I took her to a department store. Looking at children clothes for her, she disappeared .She was just beside me. She wanted out of the stroller and was right by me. Screaming on top of my lungs, I yelled her name. She was nowhere in sight.
Our daughter, was afraid of escalators.. Every time I carried her up or down she would cry. So I knew she did not go downstairs by herself. However, I yelled her name anyway down the escalator as it was riding up. just in case because she was nowhere on my floor. I remember my husband always said to me to refrain from screaming out for your children as it sounds very common. I did not care how it sound. After screaming several times, for the police, help and so on, I heard my daughter voice coming from down the escalator as it was going up I didn't care. I ran down the up escalator to her. I did not know if I should hit or kiss her. I chose to hug her tightly. "How did you get downstairs," I asked. "Mommy," she said. "A lady took me by my hand to take me to my mommy. When I saw she was taking me out side, I heard your voice, and broke out of her hand to the escalator. Today my daughter has a three year old and the fear continues...
We are all human and it is difficult to watch with your eyes wide open 100% when you are with your child. You have to be lucky. With a blink of an eye, your child disappears and wanders maybe into the wrong hands. But with what is going on these days, it is wise to try getting to that percentage. Besides little children wandering, there are sick people out there who stalk and watch their routine. They wait for that 1% moment to crab them..
A buddy system is always recommended even in teen years. Never take your siblings, children grandchildren or any child you care for, for granted that they will stay by your side. Not for a moment!
God Bless
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
..
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
THE HORROR OF THE TUMBLING BOUNCE HOUSE
It was about five years ago in May when we visited our granddaughter, Jessica, to celebrate her 6th birthday. We took our adorable Maltese puppy, Mindy with us. She was about three months old and an excellent traveler. We felt very fortunate having her house trained so early.
While my daughter in law was busy preparing for the birthday party, our son was helping with balloon blowing in the house. Sitting out side enjoying the beautiful weather, my husband and I watched the man assemble and blow up the bounce house. All children enjoy bouncing in it.
My husband commented that one stake was not inserted into the ground because the bounce house was mostly on the lawn and partly on the street. The property was not level, as he tried to do the best he could. "I do not think this is secure" my husband said to the man, as he was concerned that the day might get too windy. He assured us that he knew what he was doing and it would be okay to leave one rope unsecured in the ground. He had a huge gasoline driven inflating machine over the unsecured rope holding it down in place.
While my daughter in law was busy preparing for the birthday party, our son was helping with balloon blowing in the house. Sitting out side enjoying the beautiful weather, my husband and I watched the man assemble and blow up the bounce house. All children enjoy bouncing in it.
My husband commented that one stake was not inserted into the ground because the bounce house was mostly on the lawn and partly on the street. The property was not level, as he tried to do the best he could. "I do not think this is secure" my husband said to the man, as he was concerned that the day might get too windy. He assured us that he knew what he was doing and it would be okay to leave one rope unsecured in the ground. He had a huge gasoline driven inflating machine over the unsecured rope holding it down in place.
It was wonderful watching the children arrive with their colorful wrapped presents. They immediately removed their shoes and went on line to jump in the bounce house. "Only 6 children under a certain weight" the man said. So everyone had to take turns going into the house. We felt good about his rules.
Sitting outside watching the children having fun was amusing. Mindy was tied up to the camping chair and we enjoyed the beautiful weather. How wonderful it felt. Coming from Florida where the humidity was high it seemed like we lived in a bubble. The strong sun and cool breeze felt good flowing through me that day The fresh air was exhilarating, making me doze off.
Suddenly a strong gust of wind came in. I was awoken by Mindy's barking, which was the first time I heard her bark so loud. I could not believe my eyes and thought I was still sleeping with a bad dream. The bounce house was rolling over the cars and pickup trucks. Tumbling like a wheel with the wind pushing the wheel. "Oh my God" I yelled. "The children are in the bounce house. Somebody help me catch the house." I ran as fast as I could trying to catch it preventing it from tumbling further down the street. But it was a giant house with the heavy gas blower machine attached to the ropes. All I could think of was the poor children tumbling like clothes in a washing machine but without suds.
"Could they survive" Where are all the neighbors who were just outside?" I cried, as I was running to catch it. But I fell flat on my stomach and was screaming. It was amazing I did not get a heart attack at that moment. I worried about the children being injured or killed. And what if there were children playng in the street. The bounce house would have killed them for sure, expecially with the heavy attached machine flying through the air, hitting the vehicles.
"Could they survive" Where are all the neighbors who were just outside?" I cried, as I was running to catch it. But I fell flat on my stomach and was screaming. It was amazing I did not get a heart attack at that moment. I worried about the children being injured or killed. And what if there were children playng in the street. The bounce house would have killed them for sure, expecially with the heavy attached machine flying through the air, hitting the vehicles.
One of the parents came over to help me stand up. While wiping my tears, he said. "Don't worry," The children are in the house having birthday cake. They are safe. " You were sleeping so peacefully, no one wanted to wake you" My daughter in law was busy with the party, and was unaware that I was napping outside. My husband was inside taking video pictures.
While I was sleeping, the wind started up just after the children went into the house to continue with the birthday party.
The question in my mind was, what would have happened if the six children were in the bounce house when the gust of wind uprooted the bounce house? Would their little weight hold the house down, or would they have tumbled?
After researching in Google, I learned other bounce houses broke loose as well. Unfortunately those incidents were too numerous to mention, including lots of injuries.
In my humble opinion, please don't allow your kids to enter one if it is not on level ground. Check to see that all the stakes around the house are secured in the ground. Make sure the weather is calm with no wind.
After researching in Google, I learned other bounce houses broke loose as well. Unfortunately those incidents were too numerous to mention, including lots of injuries.
In my humble opinion, please don't allow your kids to enter one if it is not on level ground. Check to see that all the stakes around the house are secured in the ground. Make sure the weather is calm with no wind.
Now that the cold weather is behind us, many out door birthday parties will take place. Bounce houses have become very popular and I urge every one to be cautious with your children.
Did you or anyone else you know had similar experiences? Please comment. If you are having a hard time with the comment box, I will be happy to publish it for you if you email your comment to
iris@pushthewheel.com
What do you think?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
POLE DANCING IN THE NEXT OLYMPICS?
Pole Dancing originally started in strip clubs all over the world for many years. Now advocates are circulating petitions for a test event at the 2012 Olympics and a more formal event four years later in Rio de Janeiro.
When I first heard about Pole Dancing, I thought it was a ridiculous attempt to downgrade the Olympics. Taking some time to do research, I found articles where people are going to sport and fitness clubs as a way to tone bodies. Although there are sensual erotic movements in pole dancing, those movements will naturally be eliminated if accepted into the Olympics.
Meanwhile,there are Pole Dancing championships like this one below all over the world
Pole dancer Mai Sato, 29, does her daily workout at a studio in Tokyo, Japan, last week. Sato is the world champion in her sport
As I observed the talented couples ice skating, they too, gave a sensual performance. I loved the romance and drama in which they performed. So why couldn’t Pole Dancing be a sport if done in good taste?
Too be honest, I have never seen Pole Dancing in person. Have you? What do you think? Do you know anyone who is doing this for a fitness program? Do you think it could be cleaned up for the Olympics? Please comment my readers would love to hear about your opinion and experience if any
When I first heard about Pole Dancing, I thought it was a ridiculous attempt to downgrade the Olympics. Taking some time to do research, I found articles where people are going to sport and fitness clubs as a way to tone bodies. Although there are sensual erotic movements in pole dancing, those movements will naturally be eliminated if accepted into the Olympics.
Meanwhile,there are Pole Dancing championships like this one below all over the world
Pole dancer Mai Sato, 29, does her daily workout at a studio in Tokyo, Japan, last week. Sato is the world champion in her sport
Hong Kong-based Ania Przeplasko, the founder of the International Pole Dancing Fitness Association, the sport's fledgling supervisory body, believes Olympic recognition is only a matter of time and would be a victory for underappreciated sports worldwide
Too be honest, I have never seen Pole Dancing in person. Have you? What do you think? Do you know anyone who is doing this for a fitness program? Do you think it could be cleaned up for the Olympics? Please comment my readers would love to hear about your opinion and experience if any
Saturday, January 16, 2010
MY HAITIAN ADVENTURE
In another life back in the late 60’s, I created costume jewelry and hand crochet snoods. In addition, I sold DO IT YOURSELF JEWELRY KITS. Acquiring all the department store accounts in New York State, and some boutiques, my business was growing. Two manufacture representatives represented my line. I had to use different names and labels, selling the same product to two different companies. One represented Jobbers while the other, retail stores. Eventually my line was sold all over the country, including Canada.
When the orders increased to tremendous volume, my husband and I had to fly to Haiti where labor was cheap. In our line of business we had to ship six colors of each style to the retail trade in one delivery
At home, we had a sleep in maid taking care of our 2 and 4 year old boys while we were training Haitians in one of Haiti’s plants.
Arriving into Haiti’s airport we were greeted by soldiers with mirrored sun glasses, holding machine guns staring at us. We had no knowledge about Haiti and the political revolution that had occurred years ago.
Haiti, a small Caribbean nation of about 8 million people was a slave nation up to 1791 when Toussaint’s Overture helped the black slaves’ revolt and became free. After his death, the political turmoil started again and life for the Haitians became unbearable.
Francois Duvalier, a country doctor turned out to be the worst tyrant in history. A sadistic killer and the most frightening man ever was known as Papa Doc. With his thugs, the Ton Ton Macoutes, known as the Boogyman, in Haitian Creole, was feared by the Haitians as they were the security force of his private army. Papa Doc was known as the High Priest.
Not knowing that Haiti was a bizarre dangerous place to live, we bypassed customs quickly as our contractor was politically acceptable to the Ton Ton’s. We thought Haiti was just a poor country, but we never dreamed it was a violent one.
Looking out the window of our escorted Mercedes Benz, I could not believe how primitive the people were. There were women carrying baskets of food on their heads, like the movies we watched. People were running after the Mercedes, begging. I asked the driver what the crime rate was, as I was very frightened and did not know what to expect. He assured me that there was little crime on the island, but don't mess with a Haitian or he will perform Voodoo on you. Thinking it was a joke, I learned later that Voodoo was common practice.
After arriving at the El Rancho in Port Au Prince, a modest motel to my standards, but deluxe in Haiti. There were only two motels in Haiti. We met some white people whom we thought were guests. After introducing each other, I learned they liked to hang around the motel looking to meet the new guests. They lived in Haiti all year round, as they had their manufacturing business there.They lived like kings in a big haciendas with maids, servants, drivers, cooks and everything else you could possibly imagine. Their wives were miserable, wishing they had a bagel and some nova lox. They occasionally flew to Miami to break up the monotony visiting family and friends, and of course shopping.
It was about seven in the evening when I tried calling home to see if our boys were okay. To our frustration, we could not get service. Haiti shut down their phone system every day for a couple of hours. I hated the fact that we were helpless not knowing what was going on at home. In those days, cell phones were not available.
The following day, we were driven to the plant where I had to show the workers how to crochet the snoods to my styles. The plant was brightly lit with huge windows bringing in the light. One by one the workers piled in until they shut the doors. Hundreds more were peering into the windows begging for work. In no time flat you could not see day light because of all the Haitians covering the windows hoping to be picked for the second shift. It was pitiful. Then the air condition went off at noon, as electricity was being rationed.
The next day our contractor took us to the Iron Market which was similar to a flee market for the cruise ships. As he was driving on the road with no traffic lights, anyone in the way would get run over. It was that simple. The only thing that was respected was a funeral procession..
People were running after our car begging. When we got out of the car, it was a hassle passing all the beggars. When we finally got into the Iron Market, there were all kinds of gifts and novelties to buy. It was their only tourist store in Haiti. One Haitian tried to sell my husband a pair of shoes. He said he did not want it. But they picked him up anyway and made him try on the shoe as one person put the shoe on him. “Get me out of here," he yelled As he disappeared for a moment, I yelled out to him, “Lenny, Lenny, and the whole place yelled out his name, following him, anxiously awaiting him to buy something. After making a few purchases, our contractor ushered us out of the building into the car. All the Haitians ran after us. Once we got into the car, the beggars covered the windows, where we could not see day light. One old man took off his glasses to show us he had no eyes. I thought we were going to faint. There were many people lamed with no feet, arms, and other deformities, too gory to describe.
When we arrived back at our motel, we started to pack for home. Needing something at the drug store, the hotel sent a man to do the errand. When he returned to our motel room, we gave him a $2.00 tip. The man stayed outside our room and would not leave.
We called the manager complaining that the man was not leaving. We were told that the errand boy was afraid of being reprimanded for taking advantage of us because he took too much money. He was terrified and did not know what to do.
That evening we were invited to a night club by our contractor and his executives. We were introduced to a journalist, like the Walter Winchell.of Haiti. He was a dapper dressed gentleman with spats covering his shoes, carrying a swagger stick under his arm. My husband noticed a wire coming out of it when he was secretly recording what we were saying to our contractor. When we told our contractor about the secret wire, he got very concerned and shook nervously as his brother was a political prisoner.
We were extremely ecstatic about leaving Haiti and going home. While we were waiting for the plane to let us board, we attempted to speak politics to our contractor. He was literally shaken and urged us not to speak about politics to him as he feared for his life. He said there were microphones all around us. As I looked around, I could not tell. But later, when we came home, and after kissing the ground of our country, we saw the movie “The Comedians the book was written by Graham Green. Everything in the movie was true.
Although our buyers were extremely patient with us extending their delivery dates, it did not take long to find out that our materials were missing. Our merchandise was stolen and not being delivered on time. When a carton was delivered, it came in with one color. The following month another color. We needed assorted colors of six, which was what was contracted. Eventually our orders got canceled.
One thing I learned from this experience; it is impossible to contract work to Haiti unless you are physically working there every day. That is why the American people we met living and working in Haiti had businesses that needed to be watched. The people steal whatever they can to survive. The whole country in Haiti was corrupt.
It is such a shame about all the corruption, as Haiti is beautiful. That place if turned around could be a money pit. The developers and venture people would have a field day, making it a paradise place to live, work and vacation.
Haiti has two classes of people. the poverty stricken and the educated upper crust. Those who were professionals and business people thrived, but still live in fear. Every day the Ton Ton's arrest someone for political reasons, and there is no freedom of speech.
Is it any wonder these poor Haitians flee for their lives in unstable boats to come to our country for a better life? Very few made it and survived. Others who made it were sent back to Haiti.
Who made this statement? "For every bad thing something good follows." It took a disaster like this recent earthquake to allow 150,000 children and their families to finally come into our country legally to house, feed and educate them. My heart goes out to all these poor people. We should welcome them with open arms for the way they lived. However, I do have one question; if we are running in such a steep deficit, how, and where will we get the money to take care of them?
Do you have the answer? Please comment below as this is a very important issue and our readers would like your opinion
If you wish to leave a comment or read other comments, click on the comment tab at the bottom of this blog.
Some people are complaining they cannot make a comment because of a glitch with either their browser or our site. In that case, please email me your comment and I will publish it. Just mention if you want it to be anonymous an/or if you wish me to publish it. We are trying to fix my comment tab. Thanks everyone for your interest in my blog.
Please email to: iris@pushthewheel.com
When the orders increased to tremendous volume, my husband and I had to fly to Haiti where labor was cheap. In our line of business we had to ship six colors of each style to the retail trade in one delivery
At home, we had a sleep in maid taking care of our 2 and 4 year old boys while we were training Haitians in one of Haiti’s plants.
Arriving into Haiti’s airport we were greeted by soldiers with mirrored sun glasses, holding machine guns staring at us. We had no knowledge about Haiti and the political revolution that had occurred years ago.
Haiti, a small Caribbean nation of about 8 million people was a slave nation up to 1791 when Toussaint’s Overture helped the black slaves’ revolt and became free. After his death, the political turmoil started again and life for the Haitians became unbearable.
Francois Duvalier, a country doctor turned out to be the worst tyrant in history. A sadistic killer and the most frightening man ever was known as Papa Doc. With his thugs, the Ton Ton Macoutes, known as the Boogyman, in Haitian Creole, was feared by the Haitians as they were the security force of his private army. Papa Doc was known as the High Priest.
Not knowing that Haiti was a bizarre dangerous place to live, we bypassed customs quickly as our contractor was politically acceptable to the Ton Ton’s. We thought Haiti was just a poor country, but we never dreamed it was a violent one.
Looking out the window of our escorted Mercedes Benz, I could not believe how primitive the people were. There were women carrying baskets of food on their heads, like the movies we watched. People were running after the Mercedes, begging. I asked the driver what the crime rate was, as I was very frightened and did not know what to expect. He assured me that there was little crime on the island, but don't mess with a Haitian or he will perform Voodoo on you. Thinking it was a joke, I learned later that Voodoo was common practice.
After arriving at the El Rancho in Port Au Prince, a modest motel to my standards, but deluxe in Haiti. There were only two motels in Haiti. We met some white people whom we thought were guests. After introducing each other, I learned they liked to hang around the motel looking to meet the new guests. They lived in Haiti all year round, as they had their manufacturing business there.They lived like kings in a big haciendas with maids, servants, drivers, cooks and everything else you could possibly imagine. Their wives were miserable, wishing they had a bagel and some nova lox. They occasionally flew to Miami to break up the monotony visiting family and friends, and of course shopping.
It was about seven in the evening when I tried calling home to see if our boys were okay. To our frustration, we could not get service. Haiti shut down their phone system every day for a couple of hours. I hated the fact that we were helpless not knowing what was going on at home. In those days, cell phones were not available.
The following day, we were driven to the plant where I had to show the workers how to crochet the snoods to my styles. The plant was brightly lit with huge windows bringing in the light. One by one the workers piled in until they shut the doors. Hundreds more were peering into the windows begging for work. In no time flat you could not see day light because of all the Haitians covering the windows hoping to be picked for the second shift. It was pitiful. Then the air condition went off at noon, as electricity was being rationed.
The next day our contractor took us to the Iron Market which was similar to a flee market for the cruise ships. As he was driving on the road with no traffic lights, anyone in the way would get run over. It was that simple. The only thing that was respected was a funeral procession..
People were running after our car begging. When we got out of the car, it was a hassle passing all the beggars. When we finally got into the Iron Market, there were all kinds of gifts and novelties to buy. It was their only tourist store in Haiti. One Haitian tried to sell my husband a pair of shoes. He said he did not want it. But they picked him up anyway and made him try on the shoe as one person put the shoe on him. “Get me out of here," he yelled As he disappeared for a moment, I yelled out to him, “Lenny, Lenny, and the whole place yelled out his name, following him, anxiously awaiting him to buy something. After making a few purchases, our contractor ushered us out of the building into the car. All the Haitians ran after us. Once we got into the car, the beggars covered the windows, where we could not see day light. One old man took off his glasses to show us he had no eyes. I thought we were going to faint. There were many people lamed with no feet, arms, and other deformities, too gory to describe.
When we arrived back at our motel, we started to pack for home. Needing something at the drug store, the hotel sent a man to do the errand. When he returned to our motel room, we gave him a $2.00 tip. The man stayed outside our room and would not leave.
We called the manager complaining that the man was not leaving. We were told that the errand boy was afraid of being reprimanded for taking advantage of us because he took too much money. He was terrified and did not know what to do.
That evening we were invited to a night club by our contractor and his executives. We were introduced to a journalist, like the Walter Winchell.of Haiti. He was a dapper dressed gentleman with spats covering his shoes, carrying a swagger stick under his arm. My husband noticed a wire coming out of it when he was secretly recording what we were saying to our contractor. When we told our contractor about the secret wire, he got very concerned and shook nervously as his brother was a political prisoner.
We were extremely ecstatic about leaving Haiti and going home. While we were waiting for the plane to let us board, we attempted to speak politics to our contractor. He was literally shaken and urged us not to speak about politics to him as he feared for his life. He said there were microphones all around us. As I looked around, I could not tell. But later, when we came home, and after kissing the ground of our country, we saw the movie “The Comedians the book was written by Graham Green. Everything in the movie was true.
Although our buyers were extremely patient with us extending their delivery dates, it did not take long to find out that our materials were missing. Our merchandise was stolen and not being delivered on time. When a carton was delivered, it came in with one color. The following month another color. We needed assorted colors of six, which was what was contracted. Eventually our orders got canceled.
One thing I learned from this experience; it is impossible to contract work to Haiti unless you are physically working there every day. That is why the American people we met living and working in Haiti had businesses that needed to be watched. The people steal whatever they can to survive. The whole country in Haiti was corrupt.
It is such a shame about all the corruption, as Haiti is beautiful. That place if turned around could be a money pit. The developers and venture people would have a field day, making it a paradise place to live, work and vacation.
Haiti has two classes of people. the poverty stricken and the educated upper crust. Those who were professionals and business people thrived, but still live in fear. Every day the Ton Ton's arrest someone for political reasons, and there is no freedom of speech.
Is it any wonder these poor Haitians flee for their lives in unstable boats to come to our country for a better life? Very few made it and survived. Others who made it were sent back to Haiti.
Who made this statement? "For every bad thing something good follows." It took a disaster like this recent earthquake to allow 150,000 children and their families to finally come into our country legally to house, feed and educate them. My heart goes out to all these poor people. We should welcome them with open arms for the way they lived. However, I do have one question; if we are running in such a steep deficit, how, and where will we get the money to take care of them?
Do you have the answer? Please comment below as this is a very important issue and our readers would like your opinion
If you wish to leave a comment or read other comments, click on the comment tab at the bottom of this blog.
Some people are complaining they cannot make a comment because of a glitch with either their browser or our site. In that case, please email me your comment and I will publish it. Just mention if you want it to be anonymous an/or if you wish me to publish it. We are trying to fix my comment tab. Thanks everyone for your interest in my blog.
Please email to: iris@pushthewheel.com
Sunday, January 10, 2010
SHOCKING NEWS ABOUT ANOTHER CAUSE OF CANCER
While surfing Face book, I recognized a son of a neighbor of ours whom we have not seen in forty five years. How thrilling to see this once young kid, now a middle aged man with teenage children.
It has been years since we have seen our old neighbors from our first house on Long Island. We always wondered why we never ran into any of them in all the years when we traveled.
Thinking it was time to connect, I invited his mother to our home to reacquaint each other and catch up with all the years missed. She told me her husband had a stroke years ago and was recently admitted into a nursing home for life. To my horror, after asking about old friends and neighbors, I was told that each member of most of the houses on our street passed away from cancer. A couple of people died from heart attacks. Three family members who lived directly across the street from where we lived, died from brain tumors. Someone who lived in our house died of cancer as well.
The news saddend me wondering "why?" I suspected the reason but who was I to predict something like this would happen to each member of a household?
We lived in a community near Kennedy Airport. Our view was awesome, over looking Jamaica Bay. In the evening the airport lit up magnificently. At first we did not notice the noise and fumes from the planes flying so low over our houses. We were busy making friends, decorating our homes, bringing up our little children and enjoying our new community.
Then our sleepless nights occurred often when the noise awoke us. Listening to TV was difficult Our picture frames were always crooked and the house vibrated as well. I remember watching our little kids running out of the house to play, holding their ears as the plane flew over them. It appeared we lived in a flight pattern where the planes flew over several times during the day and evening.
Our son became ill with asthma as soon as we moved in at the age of three. Medications did not help and he was put on a strict diet. It took a few years to sell our home and I can see now, we got out with our lives.
As soon as we moved up state, with no planes in sight, my son never had another asthma attack until our furniture arrived from storage. I washed everything down well and polished all the wood. He has been fine since and is doing well as a young 48 year old.
Still sadness lingers over the news. I researched Google and learned it was definitely confirmed by many studies, living close to airports causes cancer, heart diseases, strokes as well as other conditions. It seems the noise does something to the immune system of the body. It affects people differently. However, fumes from the planes are definitely the cause of cancer.
Researchers who have done studies say, people who live near the airports should get out as fast as they can before it's too late.
It has been years since we have seen our old neighbors from our first house on Long Island. We always wondered why we never ran into any of them in all the years when we traveled.
Thinking it was time to connect, I invited his mother to our home to reacquaint each other and catch up with all the years missed. She told me her husband had a stroke years ago and was recently admitted into a nursing home for life. To my horror, after asking about old friends and neighbors, I was told that each member of most of the houses on our street passed away from cancer. A couple of people died from heart attacks. Three family members who lived directly across the street from where we lived, died from brain tumors. Someone who lived in our house died of cancer as well.
The news saddend me wondering "why?" I suspected the reason but who was I to predict something like this would happen to each member of a household?
We lived in a community near Kennedy Airport. Our view was awesome, over looking Jamaica Bay. In the evening the airport lit up magnificently. At first we did not notice the noise and fumes from the planes flying so low over our houses. We were busy making friends, decorating our homes, bringing up our little children and enjoying our new community.
Then our sleepless nights occurred often when the noise awoke us. Listening to TV was difficult Our picture frames were always crooked and the house vibrated as well. I remember watching our little kids running out of the house to play, holding their ears as the plane flew over them. It appeared we lived in a flight pattern where the planes flew over several times during the day and evening.
Our son became ill with asthma as soon as we moved in at the age of three. Medications did not help and he was put on a strict diet. It took a few years to sell our home and I can see now, we got out with our lives.
As soon as we moved up state, with no planes in sight, my son never had another asthma attack until our furniture arrived from storage. I washed everything down well and polished all the wood. He has been fine since and is doing well as a young 48 year old.
Still sadness lingers over the news. I researched Google and learned it was definitely confirmed by many studies, living close to airports causes cancer, heart diseases, strokes as well as other conditions. It seems the noise does something to the immune system of the body. It affects people differently. However, fumes from the planes are definitely the cause of cancer.
Researchers who have done studies say, people who live near the airports should get out as fast as they can before it's too late.
This is an example of how low planes fly over the houses near airports.
This is how we lived for eight years
Do you know anyone living near the airport?
What are your thoughts in this study?
Please comment below
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