Life after 60 – Adventure

This is a serious and heartening subject to watch and learn about, but you can help and make a difference. You can do this by volunteering in your community or even with a donation. There are many venues to help just do a search for sex trafficking. One organization that is dedicated to helping eradicate trafficking is Shared Hope. Stop by their site for a visit.

Something important to know is that the “prostitute” on the street or “illegal” working in construction, factories, restaurants or even the runaway may not be who you think, but may actually be a slave of human trafficking.

If you know about Voodoo Village, then you must have lived in Memphis, TN. I took a road trip this week with a colleague who used to be a police office for Memphis PD. She asked me if I had ever heard of Voodoo Village and my mouth opened so wide that my bottom lip hit the gas pedal and the car went into G-force mode. I had not heard Voodoo Village mentioned since leaving Memphis in 1973. I grew up in Memphis and not only knew of Voodoo Village, but had visited several times as a teenager because I one of the lucky ones to have a car.

Voodoo Village is a very strange place and there were many tales told in the 1960’s and 70’s about this place. I remember this as being one of those infamous dark roads. It is located at the end of Mary Angela Rd and is now alleged to be haunted. I can’t tell you how many times I was told to “be sure to back down the street to Voodoo Village because you’ll be surrounded and they won’t let you leave.” Well, that was enough of an incentive for me to check it out.

Voodoo Village is a fenced in compound that consisted of very colorful buildings.  The building are unique and have all kinds of odd things nailed into or attached to them. We visited Voodoo Village as teenagers to try and see the people who lived on that road. The people were unique to Memphis and no one could figure out who the were or why they were there.

After I was asked if I know about Voodoo Village and told my colleague “Why yes I know about it,” we became very interested in knowing if it was still there or if anyone else know of the place. Curiosity almost killed me so here I am writing this blog post and looking up Voodoo Village on Internet. Both of us were about ready to change our McAllen, TX road trip into a Memphis, TN road trip so we could try and find Voodoo Village once again.

I remember the thrill and chills we got as teenage daredevils plunging down Mary Angela Rd in drive and not in reverse. We never were surrounded, but I have never seen any place like Voodoo Village. Even then it was a place that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This place has its own “feel” and it’s one that is hard to describe. My colleague talked about seeing old people waling around with goats when she would get a call from the area. She drove in with a patrol car and remembers no one would talk to her. She also got that “creeped out” feeling when she went to Voodoo Village. At the time I heard a lot of stories and of it as a haunted place. It was not a place I went to alone.

Instead I chose to Google it and was surprised to find out there is a lot of Voodoo Village online. I have added some of the links to my post should you decide to look for the information.

HauntedAmericaTours.com calls Voodoo Village “A MYSTERIOUS LITTLE CORNER OF HAUNTED MEMPHIS.” They describe Voodoo Village on their website as, “The hoodoo empire of Walsh Harris’ Voodoo Village, (a fenced compound of brightly colored houses and signs in deep South Memphis) Home to a variety of artistic and intellectual practitioners. ” HauntedAmericaTours.com also says on its website, “It first gained attention in the early 1960’s when conflicts between gangs of white youths and the black residents of Voodoo Village made headlines. Ever since, Voodoo Village has been a site of many teen dares and initiations, and its reputation for weirdness has only grown over the years.”

I don’t remember much about gangs of youths having conflicts there in the 1960’s, which is when I was visiting, but maybe this is why we were told to back in so we could drive out if we were surrounded. I have slept a few nights since then and only remember bits and pieces about the place. Some things you never forget and this place is one of those memories I will never forget. I rarely think about the place, but now I may have to visit it and see if I get the same odd feelings I did as a teenager.

What really got me is that there were several places in Memphis with nuttsy stories that were just too wild to believe – except for Voodoo Village. You can find out more be reading the Voodoo Village information at Urban Legends.

I know this is a late posting, but with all the talk lately about the Tea Party becoming a real party I thought now might be a good tme to post the photographs that I never got around to posting last Fourth of July. This Tea Party to place in a retirement community in Henderson County and in Gun Barrel City. I spent many years covering politics and governments in large and small cities. The Cedar Creek larea area is about 60 miles S/E of Dallas and a lot of people here get involved in their communities and even attend council meetings. The photos below are of some local residents and their children. What I always liked about the City of Gun Barrel City is that their city motto was “We shoot straight with you.”

I am curious

 – what do YOU think –

should the Tea Party become an officially recognized party like the Republican and Democratic?

Do you think it would survive or go the way of Ross Perot’s party?

Please post a comment

Last month I received an e-mail from HotelsCombined.com with information on their Spread the Word for Charity campaign.

Note from Mardeck – this post is provided by Laurie. Be sure to visit her blog La Vie de Laurie for more information. This is not her first year on the Three Day walk for breast cancer and is commended for all her hard work.

By letting your friends know about their awesome site, they will make a monetary donation to your choice of three very worthy charities. Currently they are supporting the World Wildlife Federation, Make A Wish, and World Vision. I immediately took to Twitter and Facebook and helped spread the word.

They were also kind enough to offer to sponsor my Susan G. Komen for the Cure 3-Day walk in November by contributing donations for friends and family that I refer to their website and program. It is easy to help and costs you absolutely nothing except a few minutes of your time and clicks of your mouse! Here is how you can help me and Susan G. Komen for the Cure:

Become a fan of HotelsCombined on Facebook, and they will donate $5. You can mention in their comments that you are supporting me and Susan G. Komen.

Tweet the following message from your Twitter account and they will donate $10:
Please RT @laurie_pooh: Check out HotelsCombined.com! I’m spreading the word and supporting Susan G Komen http://tinyurl.com/ao2rgj

Write a quick blog post like this one about HotelsCombined and their charity program (you can mention me and my walk too), and they will donate $20.

The best part? You can do one, two, or all three of the above. So won’t you help me spread the word and help me earn more donations to end breast cancer forever?

I love that HotelsCombined.com is a green and socially conscious company. What do they do? I am so glad you asked! They are a search engine that consumers can use to find hotel availability and rates. Their site allows their users to compare prices and offers from multiple merchants which means you don’t have to go to any other websites to find the best deal on your next hotel stay. Once you find the supplier suitable for your needs, they link you through to the supplier website to book directly. They offer a “complete picture” for any hotel that can be booked on the Internet, and are not paid to promote any particular website or hotel.

Go check them out for yourself. I plan on booking my next hotel through them (I found a ridiculously great rate on a room at the Paris hotel in Las Vegas!), and you should too. Want to help spread the word? You can get a nifty badge (like the one below) on their website. It couldn’t be more easy to make a donation to a wonderful charity and not even have to open your own wallet.

Thank you to those of you who have already helped, and especially to HotelsCombined for this wonderful opportunity!

Monday, February 1, 2010
The Power of a Quickie
Posted by craftyGAgal “Meredith”

Not that kind of QUICKIE… a crafting quickie. All you crafting junkies know exactly what I am talking about. That quick crafting fix… just something you can SEE pretty quick.
I have been missing due to personal circumstances such as moving and a few other things….but no more. I am back, back online and back creating.

I had stopped making jewelry and stopped crocheting due to having to move and pack up all my supplies and stash… but recently I went digging and found enough to get my creative juices flowing. I started a new project of a pattern I made up for iPhone cases that are super cute. They are cool, bright and funky colors with neat matching buttons and some I put silver word plates on- you will see. I love them and they were the best kind of craft project… one that you can start and finish in a few hours giving that instant creative gratification! I made a dozen in a matter of a couple days. After that I got the bead itch and got out my goodies and made a necklace that is so awesome I am seriously debating even selling it- it has a big silver circle pendant that says on it “Be True to Yourself”… and I paired it with my favorite color- GREEN! It turned out super!

Another “Quickie”…. crafting bliss! It is almost like an addiction… just needed a ‘fix’ to get my craft mojo flowing and get that satisfied feeling- AHHH.

Be back soon… promise. I am back to stay and continue on my way…. Watch out! I am super motivated and super happy to be back blogging and networking.
SMILE

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To see more of her blog use the link above. Meredith is one of the “craftiest” people I know. She makes the coolest jewelry and sells it on Esty.

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I think this video speaks for itself. Blu Frog is a tasty and healthy energy drink. Tested and tasted by Courtney Benefiel. She is one of the most energetic people I have ever met. If one could bottle Courtney, they would be a billionare! We got to  know each other face to face this year at in Orlando at Izeafest which was one of the wildest and craziest conferences I have ever attened. Can’t wait for next year. I first made contact with Courtney, who is RideToRemedy, while wandering about Twitter.

Courtney is a strong competitor in the bicycle field. Lance Armstrong better look out. Her web site Ride to Remedy is chalk full of info about racing. It is also about breaking the chains of diabetes, which she has. Courtney describes her mission on her website like this, “A year ago (May 2006), I decided that I was going to take care of my diabetes because I wanted to go skydiving and couldn’t do so without proper care of this hideous disease. With that goal obtained, my next goal was getting on the insulin pump, I had to show that I was capable of 7-10 blood checks a day, that I was going to watch my carb intake, that I was going to take insulin when I was supposed to (I have a history of not doing so). Being on the insulin pump gave me the power to be athletic and with that power I set out to prove that I have control.

When I completed my first ride in Southern, CA I was immediately craving my next ride. I had proven my point; I could control my diabetes and within that control, be athletic. What I spent the better part of 15 years missing out on, I wanted others not to miss. There’s no reason why diabetes should restrict anyone at anytime and while controlling it is an answer, it isn’t the answer. And that is why I ride and want to ride. I ride to find the cure, the answer to diabetes.” There is a ton of information about diabetes on her website.

We got together when I visited her home town and I brought her a six pack of Blu Frog. It’s healthy energy drink with no artificial sweenters or sugar other than that provided by the fruit. For more info on Blu Frog as a drink or as a way to make money be sure to click on the Blu Frog on the top right of the page.

While I was at Izeafest I met this very interesting person, Azim Jamal. He was once a corporate employee, but discovered the power of giving. Now he is trying to spread the word around the world. He explains this in the book “the power of giving.” Mr. Jamal and Harvey McKinnon collaborated together together on the book. They completed it and it was published by Penguin Group. I was not the only person interviewed at Izeafest. Other interviews can be found on Viddler and at YouTube with other conference attendees.

The idea of Mr. Jamal’s book is to teach you how giving back enriches everyone and how to create abundance at home, work and in your community. What I enjoyed while reading the book is that it shows the reader how to give back without spending money. There is much more information about the power of giving on the website. Mr. Jamal has his own website for information about him. This is a really interesting book and one to give friend or family. Especially if they are not one to give of themselves!

If even half the people who read the book follow some of the advice within its pages, the world would be richer and a much quieter and safer place.

Mr. Jamal and Mr McKinnon come from Canada. Mr Jamal has been volunteering an average of 20 hours a week for the last 25 years. Mr McKinnon has been a fundraiser or organizations such as UNICEF and Amnesty International. You can find out more about Mr McKinnon at his website.

I can tell you there are many ways to help within your community. You don’t have to go around the world or have a lot of money to help. There are shelters, soup kitchens, volunteer fire departments, libraries, schools, museums, nursing homes and many other places you can help and make a difference. Then there are plenty of service organizations that continually welcome new members. Some of these are the Lion’s Club, Kiwanis and so on.

I have volunteered for years and it has made my life rich and given me peace within when something good happens to another person or family. Through the years I have been involved with my children’s school. I was a room mother and on the Parent Teacher Association. I have been with the Kiwanis. We had several programs to serve the community. Getting up early in the morning to put together Thanksgiving boxes and Christmas baskets is an experience that is rewarding. I have received a lot in life and have always believed I should give back to my community wherever I live. I was on a Board of Adjustment in one city and on the Planning and Zoning Commission in another. These are volunteer positions and can help the community in a variety of ways. I spent years as a rescue diver and firefighter with my local volunteer fire department. While often it was sad seeing other people loose homes or property, it was a wonderful feeling when we were able to save the homes. I even spent several years as a reserve police officer. While working side by side with paid officers, I did it without pay. In Texas a reserve police office has the same training and is identical to the paid officer, except there are no benefits or pay involved. Some people join the armed forces for the same reason, to contribute to society and make the world a better and safer place for everyone.

While I was in law enforcement as a paid officer (I made the switch years ago and am now retired) one of my passions were kids at risk. I had a policy of making myself available 24/7 if the child needed help or to talk. They would call dispatch who would then locate me and I would call the child back. Texas Department of Criminal Justice has an interesting program that many of these kids participated in while I was with the police department. It is called Operation Outreach. While many children ages of 10-17 were ordered by juvenile court to attend, our police department took many children through the program at the request of concerned parents. The kids and I would go toa state prison for the day. They would go through a day similar to one of an inmate and some would come back changed for the better. One of my favorite successes is a girl I had known since she was in diapers. Her family background is one of drinking, fighting and jail. That went back several generations. Her mother wanted to break the cycle and her dughter started to run with gang memebrs in high school. On the day she whent throug the program I asked her mother to let her bring her “colors” with her. I let her bring it to the prison and she spent the day treated like a gang member. It was not pleasant. Ofcourse when she was searched befor entering the prison her “colors” were removed. (I had talked to the sergeant who runs the program before we came about her bringing the bandana) Seemed as thoug the entire prison knew what gang she was trying to run with and treated her accordingly, albiet from a distance. The success came after we left. She got her bandana back and hung it up in her room to remind herself of why she did not want to go this way. She graduated from high school while many in her family did not, got into the medical field, married a paramedic and is living a good life. That makes you feel good when you realize how one day can make such a difference. She stayed in contact through the years so we would know how well she is doing and  yes, I received a few phone calls from her or her mother when they hit rough patches.

I know quite a few Y generation individuals who have told me, “If I don’t get paid for it, then I’m not doing anything.” Of course I’ve heard it from my generation too. It can be quite difficult to put into words the satisfaction that comes from giving. Maybe if a person like this gets a gift of this book their mind can be changed enough to try at least once to give of themselves.

Mr. Jamal’s and Mr. McKinnon’s “power of giving” can be found on Amazon from $10.04 to $4.86 . To learn more about Mr. Jamal on Amazom you can visit his Amazom page.

I Understand Pain ~ Pain is Relative
Posted on November 04th, 2009 in chronic pain

Pain is something that is relative. I have nonstop pain, but that is my pain. People often during the course of a conversation will be talking about their pain and say “well it is nothing like you deal with” but I disagree, where I do not know, I do know my pain, I know that it is relative. Someone else’s pain is just as as mine. It is all in relation to the worst pain each individual has felt. For example, before my surgery I was in constant pain, I knew the surgery could not guarantee my pain to be resolved, I remember thinking, well if I do not do the surgery I am pretty much guaranteed to hurt like this forever so I decided to go ahead with it. Well the surgery Did take care of the pain I had but caused a pain exponentially worse, and way more intense. So where as before tat was the worse pain I know, and now I know a worse pain. But being that it is relative, the pain I felt before was the worse so I could not imagine any more. I now know different, I also know that the pain I felt when I opened my eyes after being filleted open for hours and muscles detached, torqued with a torque wrench, two rods bolted down either side of my spine , the middle part of 5 ribs removed and left broken and then having to lay flat on my back on a fresh incision for 6 hours before I could be sat up, was Absolutely By Far the worst pain I have ever known. When my pain spikes now some days it is so intense that I wonder how my body does just not pass out, yet I am able to push on, or sometimes just crawl on, but move forward nevertheless.
My point is that pain is an individual thing, it is personal, it depends on so many things…

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This is a very interesting article by a good friend of mine relating to living with pain. We met on Twitter a couple weeks before we both were to attend IZEAfest in Orlando. I helped get her hooked up with a few friends and we both had a blast while in Orlando. It was supercharged and included a lot of physical activities. I could hardly keep up with Meredith. She was so upbeat every day even when she was working through severe pain.

My pain is minor compared to her pain. Mine came about as a result of a career in law enforcement. In fact, I can tell a story for just about every pain I have  – which will be about an encounter with a suspect.

Visit Meredith’s blog by using the above link. I think it will be well worth your time.

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