Handicap Accessible Frustrations

Everytime I hang out with my friend who is in a wheelchair I come away so frustrated and SAD.  As if it isn't hard enough for her -- The Public is so "Glib" when it comes to "Handicap Accessible."

We drive around a parking lot until we find a handicap parking place large enough for her van and the ramp.   There are few places that give you enough space for a Van.  They are usually marked "Van Accessable".  The stripped area beside these parking places give you plenty of room to let the ramp down and roll down safely.  

If the driver parks over the diagonal stripes -- there is not enough room for the van ramp to fold out and for the wheelchair to get back into the van.

Parking on diagonal stripes

 We have stood in the parking lot waiting for the other driver to return -- we have gone back into the store and reported the problem -- the manager has requested that the driver of Ford Truck License #blablabla to please move their vehicle.  Recently our groceries were melting in the Texas heat while we waited  and when the Truck owner finally showed up they were just "rude" and uncaring about the problem that they had caused.

Resturants who have handicap parking places do not maintain their lot and the ramps.  While traveling last year the resturant did have a handicap space,

however, there was a pot hole at the entrance of the ramp.  Is there someone who inspects these ramps for needed repairs?  Have Called 311 ADA.

Another parking lot had a handicap space but the ramp left the wheelchair into gravel which can be a big problem.  What in the world do people think -- or do they just NOT Think?

This Post will be on-going.  I will update when I hear back from ADA.

The Great Hanging 1862

Keeping you up to date  -- Forgot to publish this post???  

October 10th.  I drove to Gainesville and spent time with my friend June. We enjoyed a good visit and the Depot Day Celebration.  It was a beautiful weekend.      We also attended a Theatrical Reading of "Tainted Breeze"  At the North Central Texas College in Gainesville, Tx.   After this reading we gathered at the Great Hanging Memorial to pay tribute to the 40 people who were hanged in 1862.    My second cousin also wrote a book about this Civil War Event and our anscestor, Nathaniel Miles Clark, that was hanged there.  

The memorial was held in the Pecan Park -- this is the new Memorial Monument. 

Tainted Breeze: The Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas, 1862

In the early morning hours of October 1, 1862, state militia arrested more than two hundred alleged Unionists from five northern Texas counties and brought them to Gainesville, the seat of Cooke County. 

In the ensuing days at least forty-four prisoners were hanged, and several other men were lynched in neighboring communities. This event proved to be the grisly climax of a tradition of violence and vigilantism in North Texas that began before the Civil War and lasted long afterward. For this first full-scale history of the Great Hanging, Richard B. McCaslin has consulted a vast array of manuscript collections and government archives, assembling a trove of information on a remote corner of the Confederacy. He offers an account that is both rich in detail and illuminating of the broader contexts of this dramatic event. The irony of the Great Hanging, McCaslin maintains, is that the vigilantes and their victims shared a concern for order and security. When perennial fears of slave insurrection and hostile Indian attacks in North Texas were exacerbated by the turmoil of the Civil War, those residents who saw a return to Federal rule as the way to restore stability were branded as sowers of discord by those who remained loyal to the Confederacy, the manifest symbol of order through legal authority. McCaslin follows the course of mounting tensions and violence that erupted into the massive, hysterical roundup of suspected Union sympathizers. He provides a virtual day-by-day report of the deliberations of the "Citizens Court", a body that became in effect an instrument for mob violence, which spread far beyond Gainesville. In Tainted Breeze, McCaslin moves past the details of why individualparticipants acted as they did in the Great Hanging and examines the influence of such factors as economic conditions and family relationships. He explores not only the deep division the incident caused in the immediate community but also the reactions of northerners (who were generally appalled) and other southerners (who tended to applaud the lynchings). McCaslin also describes how the policies of Presidential Reconstruction stymied attempts to prosecute those responsible for atrocities like the Great Hanging, and how renewed violence in North Texas in fact contributed to the imposition of Radical Reconstruction. Until relatively recently, a tradition of silence regarding the Great Hanging has restricted historical writing on the subject. Tainted Breeze offers the first systematic treatment of this important event. By placing his compelling tale in such a broad context, McCaslin provides a unique opportunity to study the tensions produced in southern society by the Civil War, the nature of disaffection in the Confederacy, and the American vigilante tradition.

Civil War Recollections of James Lemuel Clark and the Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas, in October 1862

Not all Texans agreed with the decision to secede from the Union in 1860, and many remained outspoken against the laws of the Confederacy. This is the story of one Texas family who suffered more at the hands of their own kind than of any warring enemy, told through the memoirs of James Lemuel Clark, the son of one of the 40 men hanged in 1862 for their Union sympathies. Civil War Recollections recounts the confusion of the Civil War years and events that shaped the lives of war survivors and influenced the reconstruction of Texas.

Hello from Cabo / I have a new home!!!

Hello from Cabo San Lucas,
This title could be very misleading...  No I am not moving to Cabo. :(

  I am enjoying my last two weeks at Playa Grande for 2015.  This may be my last time to visit Playa Grande but I will get into that story later. :)  Such a beautiful place and awesome view.  

Kicking back enjoying the View from Balcony

I get back to DFW on Friday night late.  It has been a great two weeks. My friend Connie came for a few days.  We shopped and walked around the Marina.  We had some great meals at several different resturants.  Most of them free -- more about that blessing later.  

It was nice to have company for a few days.  In recent years I have traveled alone for most of my weeks here in Cabo and it was nice to have company.  

December brings the Whales to Cabo. We didn't take a whale watching cruise as they are not really very large boats and there just isn't enough Draminine to keep me from being miserable.    We were able to see several whales from our balcony.  It was pretty exciting to see them spray into the sky and show out for all who would watch. 

OH, Yes!!  The most important information!!  I found an apartment.  I had been on a waiting list since August -- and am still on that list, with no estimated move in date in sight.  

While staying with Angela after her back surgery, I had an afternoon free and spent some time with my friend JeJuan who also lives in Duncanville.   She is planning a move in mid 2016 and while we had an afternoon, we drove into Dallas to look at a place she had seen last year.  Such a God plan -- it was a great place and they were going to have an apartment opening up before the end of the year.  I filled out the documents and the manager started the process.  

JeJuan is going to move in May and I will begin my MOVE IN on Monday Dec 14th.  It has been an interesting Adventure, staying with friends and traveling for the past 3 months, but it is going to be good to have my own place again.  

I will give you photos and more info about my new place next blog.  I haven't seen the apartment yet -- but the floor plan looks very liveable and the view from the 5th floor should be beautiful.  

A week in Nashville, TN

I was able to spend a week with my friends in Nashville, TN the week before Thanksgiving.  What a blessed trip.

The Elliotts live outside of Nashville in Whites Creek.  They have an awesome log home on top of a mountain.  The timing was Season perfect.  The leaves had turned and there were still a lot of them on the trees.  It was a beautiful week...
In so many ways.  I love the Elliott family.  We don't see each other often, but our friendship spands the absence.  We pickup just like there has been no time lost.  True friendships and relationships.  What a blessing!

It was a girls week as John was in Texas ministering at a meeting. Spending time with Carol and Olivia was so fun.  Olivia was 6 months old when I first met John and Carol.  She went to Israel with us in 1996.   She has grown into a beautiful young woman and talented artist.  We had a lot of artist things in common and it was a blessing to to hang out and get to know her.

Rained all day and then just at sunset the clouds parted and allowed God to paint the most beautiful sunset!!   We were just outside coffee shop.

We enjoyed way too much coffee and the roaring fireplace.  Thank You Lord for such a blessed week.  Please help me make another trip soon.

Four Months without a home

It has been a month since I moved out of my apartment. A month of staying with friends and visiting my storage unit often. :)    To date I have not slept in my car or stayed in a hotel.  God continues to make good plans and I have continued to be flexible as He leads.

First week was at Holly Lake in East Texas. One of my favorite times shares in Texas. Not too far away from Fort Worth, always clean and very peaceful.  A week of rest and lots of time to draw and paint.  No internet or cell phone service.  Not a bad way to really rest.

Back to the city just in time to teach art class. We attempted to draw and watercolor a horse's head.
It was a little harder than I expected -- but the class did a great job and we had a lot of fun.

First class for Gayle. She enjoyed it!  

Larry holding his picture on left and mine on the right.  :) 

Mel's horse was really good.  

Timely house sitting job for a week -- such a blessing!!  Great place to stay and make a little extra money. One dog and four cats -- they pretty much run the show. But we get along good.  Another pretty restful week and more art time.

Gracie loves to chew up everyone's socks.  

The Next week I was blessed to spend time in Weatherford with my brother and sister-in-law.  We had such a good time. Seems like forever since I spent quality time with them. My brother even took vacation this week and we did some marketing strategy for his Decal company. I helped him get started with creating a website for Decalzetc.com. He did a great job. Check out his work -- you may need his services for your company or home.    http://decalzetc.com

Max uses his bowl for a pillow. Everywhere I go -- dogs and cats!
I am beginning to like animals?  They are pretty funny. 

Back to the city... October 3rd -- Vendor Saturday at Retirement Center.  I have been selling Essential Oils on the first Weekend of the month since January. I have such Favor with these lovely residents. Every month I have the opportunity to talk to them about Essential Oils, their health problems and to pray with them for healing.  Sharing the Love of Jesus with them is so much more important than "selling" oils.  Thank You Lord For this open door to Share Your Love!!  

I will be traveling around, visiting some ole friends I haven't seen in a while,  going to hang out with a friend after she has back surgery in late October.  

While there I also visited with another friend who was also looking for a new apartment. She was adamant about this Senior place close t downtown Dallas.  It was a place I had not heard of  before and we went over to check it out. We both filled out an application.  And hopefully there will be an availability soon.   

I was already planning two weeks in Cabo later in November.  Listening to the Lord daily and trying to be flexible to His plan.  Expecting some exciting Adventures and Divine Appointments during this Gypsy phase of my 70th year.

I was able to spend a week with my friends in Nashville, TN the week before Thanksgiving.  What a blessed trip. 

Back to Dallas after two weeks in Cabo -- I got a call from the Manager that an apartment would be available the middle of December.  God has me walking in so much Favor!!  I has planned to go see my friend Eddie in Abilene for a few days and by the time I got back, my new apartment was ready and my movers blessed me by moving me in on Christmas Eve.  What a great Christmas Gift.  

God planted me in this amazing place and it would become the greatest Community ever.   Looking back over those 5 months, I would have to say, these were the best months of my life.   Now I see that those 5 months were just the beginning of a New Adventure.  

I never thought about being old -- or living with a community of old people.  I have to laugh when I think about it now.   Especially when we get together to play bingo, or have Coffee Chat.  And don't forget about the card games, the Mexican Train games and the Rummy Cube marathons.  Life is good and I have a great family here.  It is a very eclectic community.  We are all so diverse, from so many background -- but we are all Vintage and we care about each other.   We have a Prayer Group on Wednesday morning at 8:00 am.  Bible Study on Monday at 6:00 pm.  And we have a church service on Sunday morning.   What a great life.    I am so thankful...for this life and community.  

Now I am teaching 10 art classes a month which is such a blessing!  Doing something I love and getting paid for it.  So Much Favor.  My students are all older than me and they also live in a Retirement facility.  We have so much fun and it is rewarding to see their talents develop.  

Life CHANGES!!!

Last post I talked about turning 70 and how my life was changing......

Well, I did turn 70 on July 17th -- it was a pretty un-eventful birthday.  I did get a lot of wishes from Facebook.

Next Change:
After 12 years of being a Travel Agent for Pets,  I quit my job at Airpets America.

Next:
I've been thinking about moving to Dallas for a while -- my lease was up in September so I took the plunge and gave them my 60 day notice in July.
I started looking for a new place to live and the +55 Communities that I checked out were all nice, but they also had long waiting lists.

I am on a list for an apartment in Farmers Branch.  It is a really nice place and the location is very convenient to both Dallas and Fort Worth.  I moved out of my Euless apartment on September 9th.  Moved everything into Storage and should have an apartment by January or February.

In the meantime -- I will be traveling around, visiting some ole friends I haven't seen in a while,  going to hang out with a friend after she has back surgery in late October and planning two weeks in Cabo later in November.  Listening to the Lord daily and trying to be flexible to His plan.  Expecting some exciting Adventures and Divine Appointments during this Gypsy phase of my 70th year.

I am arranging my travel dates around teaching two Art Classes each month.

July Art Class we created a collage of things that make us happy.  I provided magazines and pictures for them to use.  We had a room full of people in attendance.

This looks like a mess on the table -- but it worked well and they had a great time making their masterpiece -- for themselves or for someone they love.

Louise worked diligently on her New Mexico scene.  She used Catcus pictures.  

Larry chose his favorite car and exotic places.

Next Class:  Picasso - in AUGUST.

 This is my painting from a "Picasso Class" in August.  You can see I am no Picasso. But it was a fun class and below are a couple of my students and their work.  We had 17 in attendance for this class.

 This is Clyde. He loves to learn new things an his Picasso brought a lot of interpretations.
Our favorite was Texas with Rio Grande at the bottom and Oklahoma slipped in at top right.
We had  lot of fun.

Carla had never used watercolor before.  She said this was a face and brain.  Brain is sectioned in such an interesting way.  She signed it Carlasso.

Mendy is my good friend and she went with me to the Class today.
She did a great job -- inspired by one of Picasso's famous paintings.

When I get settled into my own apartment, I plan to try and get some additional Art Classes started at some other Retirement Communities in Dallas or Fort Worth.  God is so good!  What a blessing to get paid for doing something so FUN!

Next:

I have been setting up in their Lobby once a month and selling Essential Oils.

I start the Diffusers when I arrive and they come by to smell the fragrance and ask questions.  The Essential Oils gives me an open door to talk to them about their health problems.  We talk about the oils and then I pray for almost everyone who drops by.  They are so open to the Love of Jesus.  

God has thrown the "Favor Door" wide open for me at this Community. The ministry opportunities are so restoring to my health and faith.  When I get moved to Dallas, I will be only 6 miles from this wonderful community.  

Thank you Lord for your Abundant Favor.  

Thanks for keeping me in your prayers.  

Gypsy Janet Lee 

Life takes an amazing turn

I am walking into a new phase of my amazing life. I am only about three months away from being 70 years young.  2015 has already been an exciting year of new experiences.

I had my First Art Show last month. You probably didn't even know I could draw. Well it was news to me too recently. I was cleaning out some thing and ran across a sketch book.  I wondered whose it might be -- but when I opened it there was my signature at the bottom of the pictures.  

Janet Gant 1987 

I don't remember drawing back in 1987 -- but there was proof. My friend, Linda encouraged me to take up my pencil and try my hand at it again.

Sure enough I surprised myself and the rest is history.  I started to carry a sketch book around and to date have filled up about 8 or 9 of them.  Pencil drawings turned into trying new things with colored pencils and Pointillism.

What an awesome way to relax.

Pointillism 10/1/14

Chocolate is Good for you!!

Chocolate is good for you!!!

I am so glad to see articles coming into my email about How AWESOME Chocolate is for us!!   It is about time.

My granddaughter introduced me to Cacao.  So many advances in making things
that we love better for us.

Cacao butter and powder are different from cocoa butter and powder because they have been cultivated and processed in a way that maintains the nutrients and antioxidants present in the beans. For example, the best type of cacao is sun dried and dehydrated (never heated above 110 degrees). Then the cacao is either cold pressed into cacao butter or slowly stone milled into a raw powder. Cacao nibs are simply cacao bean pieces that either broke off during the sun drying process or were crushed into pieces called nibs.

If you are a chocolate lover like me -- it is good news that there are options that are Good for us!!    I personally like the spicy hot pepper chocolate, and fortunately every chocolate maker has included a little hot in their line.  

This is my latest FAVORITE! You can find it at the Organic Grocery stores for sure.

Taza Chocolate Taza Guajillo Chili Chocolate 

Taza Guajillo Chili Chocolate Mexicano is made by hand in small batches from single source, sustainably grown cacao. To season this chocolate, we use a small amount of locally grown guajillo chili, a spice traditionally paired with cocoa in Mexico. Our Guajillo Chili Chocolate Mexicano has a rustic texture and powerful notes of citrus and smoke, with a slow-to-develop heat that's assertive but not overwhelming. 100% USDA certified organic.

50% Dark Chocolate. Ingredients: Organic roasted cacao beans, organic cane sugar, and organic guajillo chili powder.

Final thoughts: 

Chocolate represents love! When you give someone chocolate, you are giving them love. When you eat chocolate, you are eating love.  Choose wisely! Choose organic.

How could that be bad?