Appears part of Maylasian plane found

After a year, it appears that a part of the Maylasian plane has been found off the French Island, Reunion. The piece appears to be a flaperon and it will be flown to France to be investigated. I read that part of a suitcase was found too. I am glad that a piece of the plane has finally washed ashore, and hope that the find leads to more answers to the questions about the disappearance of the plane. Searchers are still looking for the two missing teens lost during a storm off the Florida coast. There is hope that they are floating on a cooler and since it is summer, they are still alive. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those lost on the Maylasian flight and the two young boys.

My Chinese Zodiac Sign

I was born in the Year of the Dragon, my husband in the Year of the Rooster. This came to mind because I was reading the book "Jade Island" (fiction) and the author writes that in Chinese culture a dragon is "immortal, patient, wise and infinintely subtle.' This spurred me to look at the characteristics of my husband's and my birth year. A dragon, a powerful sign, are energetic and warm-hearted, charismatic, lucky at love and egotistic. They're natural born leaders, good at giving orders and doing what's necessary to remain on top. Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the rooster are practical, resourceful, observant, analytical, straight-forward, trusting, honest, perfectionists, neat and conservative. (Information found on a Chinese Zodiac site online).

Another Mass Shooting

I was sickened to hear that a man born in Kuwait went on a shooting rampage. He shot at a military recruiting center in Chattanooga and then drove 7 miles away to shoot through the windows of another military building. After the half hour shooting rampage, 4 military officers were dead, the shooter was dead, a police officer was wounded in the foot, and another military member injured. I guess on social media the shooter wrote that his life "was a prison." Neighbors said the family had lived in their home for 15 years, that the man's younger sister had babysat for them. My heart is sad. Where did this young man get his weapons and what was his motivation? I did some research, still need to do more, but found a chart from the Independent Journal, don't know how reliable it is and it is from 2009-20013. All the countries listed belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. 2009-2013

Country, Total Rampage shooting Fatalies, Total Rampage shooting Incidents, Total Shooting per 1,000,000 People

Norway, 77, 1, 0.19:

Finland, 8, 2, 0.37

Slovakia, 8, 1, 0.19

Israel, 11, 2, 0.25

Switzerland 6, 2, 0.25

US 227, 38, 0.12

Belgium, 7, 1, 0.09

Netherlands, 7, 1, 0.06

Germany, 25, 3, 0.04

UK, 13,1,0.02

Canada, 6,2, 0.06

France, 4,1,0.02

It is easy to see that the UK and France have the lowest total of rampage fatalities per 1,000,000 people. I need to research more articles and more up to date information.

Competition results and party questions

I suspected that things went awry in Texas because my sister did not post any comments about my niece. I ran into my sister on Monday, and she told me that my niece had come out of a turn and taken an extra step to adjust her horse riding stance in her form. This mistake flustered my niece and she forgot about presentation and loud ki yups. Consequently she missed the cut off by .5 of a point and came in 22nd in the country. I'm proud of her for her courage to compete, for her excellent sportsmanship and good attitude. She had fun and made many friends. On Saturday, a couple is hosting a party and their three daughters and their families will be together for the first time in many years. I have slipped bits of paper in balloons and will inflate them on Saturday. Questions such as "Did you get an allowance? How much?" "Your worst habit? Explain." "Best vacation. Why?" "Favorite hobby. Why?" "First date," and "Did you get an allowance and how much was it?" It sounds like every family member gets a turn to hold the floor. I answered these questions, my parents did not give me an allowance. I babysat, shoveled snow and cleaned house to earn money. My worst habit is to get addicted to something--soduko, reading, computers etc. My favorite hobby right now is riding my horse, Hope, and my first date was with the neighbor boy. We went mini golfing and had a pepsi. I enjoyed an anniversary visit this past spring. We stayed on the third floor of a bed and breakfast, and we both enjoyed stopping at the air zoo on the way home.

Niece competes today

My niece has been practicing tae kwon do forms to compete in the National Tae Kwon Do Tournament in Texas. She is fascinating to watch--good hip rotation, high kicks, loud ki ups. She will perform two forms in the initial competition, and to move on, she needs to be in the top 50%, then in the top 8. Her instructor believes she will place in the top 8, but acknowledges that there are some very good competitors in her group. If she places well, she could be on track to be a member of the Olympic Team. I enjoy watching American Ninja Warrior filmed in Pennsylvania. I told my husband that I would like to be a ninja (laugh). I am not tall or strong enough. It is interesting to watch and hear each competitor's story. One woman competed for her young autistic daughter. Another athlete drank too much, but got his life back on track, married, and with his wife's encouragement, went on to win the course. He camped for ten days, washing in the river until he could try out. He practiced the devil steps by hanging from the supports of an underpass. A young woman tried the course for her father who had Alzheimer's and has since passed away. Though she did not complete the course, the announcer said that her father would be proud of her. No matter whether or not the men and women compete the course, they should be proud that they had the opportunity to compete.

Riding Day

I woke up to the sound of raindrops on the roof. A perfect day to ride, since I use an inside arena. I decided to spice up my instructor and horses' lives, by stopping at the Tractor Store and buying oat and carrot treats, oat and apple treats and peppermints. Both the horses and my instructor enjoy the peppermints. When she opened the bag, it split and there were peppermints everywhere, but no worries. She said it would have been a good idea to use scissors. I rode a beautiful quarterhorse named Hope. She is always ready to go, so when I dropped the reins too early, my instructor told me to hang onto them, so she wouldn't lope into a trot. Live and learn. I groomed Hope and then kitted her up--half pad, saddle blanket, foam pad, saddle, tightened the girth. I put the ear net on too early, had to remove it to put the bridle on. Oh, and I adjusted the stirrups to the proper short length (thank you grandmas for the short legs!), Hope and I used the east side of the arena as Kate lunged Talia in the other half. We walked and trotted in half circles and diagonals. Dave was working with a young rider and Cramer so I had to be careful, but it makes me happy to see so much activity in the arena. I walked the horse around the orange cones, in and out. Tried to keep the right stirrup on the ball of my foot, go deep in the corners, hands still and hips forward. When I came home, I put on a rain slicker and the dogs romped around the field. I had to change and towel off the dogs, but just maybe, the next time it rains, the dog won't stand on the threshhold and whine, "Turn off the rain, Mom!" Enjoyed strawberry shortcake with whipped cream for lunch.

From young reader til now

When I was young, my dad varnished a bookcase and set it up in my room. (It is in my daughter's room now.) I can still feel the sunshine on my back and smell the varnish as I perused the shelf for a book to read. I was seven years old, and truth be told, I had a hard time reading the books on the shelf. I realize now that it was because these were not "I can read" books but books that an adult read to a child. Books like "A Child's Book of Ballet" by Violet La Monet 1953 and "A Child's Book of Flowers in woods and Fields" by Irma Wilde 1952. My librarian grandmother gave me these books. Included in this collection was a book with a red cover about coal. Eventually P. D. Eastman wrote "Sam and the Firefly" 1958 and Dr Seus created "The Cat and the Hat. 1957. Finally, books with vocabularies appropriate for young children. My sweet mother went to the library and came back with "Rowena the Sailor" by Ruth Langland Holberg. I laughed my way through it several times before it was due back. I grew up reading the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Bobbsey Twins (though this series was juvenile) and Trixie Belden. I could polish off the Nancy Drew books in a couple hours. I envied Trixie her friendship with Jim and Honey. I wanted to have friends like that too, but alas I was shy and always had my "nose in a book." Later our elderly neighbors gave me Johanna Spryri's "Heidi." Interesting, because I knew the package under the tree was a book and over about a week, I stretched the tissue paper until I could read the title. My aunt gave me "Anne of Green Gables" by Lucy Maud Montgomery some years later. When I was a teen I read "That Certain Girl" by Dorothea J Snow, "When Sarah Smiled," by Kathleen Robinson and "The Defiant Heart" by Florence B Michelson, books published in the early 60s. I got a package from Modess with a pamphlet "Growing Up and Liking It" my mother's approach to menses. I discovered "The Honor Girl" by Grace Livingston Hill and "Girl of the Limberlost" by Gene Stratton Porter. I enjoyed Mary Stewart's early books, the romances--"Nine Coaches Waiting," "My Brother Michael," "The Ivy Tree" and my favorite "This Rough Magic." Stewart was such an accomplished writer. In high school, I read Dickens--"A Tale of Two Cities," "Oliver Twist," "David Copperfield" and "Great Expectations." I studied John Steinbeck's "The Pearl," "Our Town by Thornton Wilder and "The Great Gatsby" by F Scott Fitgerald. We asked our English teacher for happy books and to tell us the meaning of life. At the end of the semester, he read the phone book, the meaning of life. I read "Michael's Wife" which I surmised cost $2.49. Now, I can buy the book on ebay for $50. My grandpa called me on an old paperback I was reading because of course it had a picture of a long gowned, distressed heroine on the front. Have to research the title but it was about a newspaper reporter who headed out to interview Janus who predicted that the world would end in seven days. Back in the early 80's I read Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander." It is well-written and researched but to this day Captain's obsession and lust toward Jamie and Jamie's beating of Claire haunt me. Outlander is a series in England. Though Catherine Marshall's "Christy" is awkward at times, it's an intesting, intriguing read and had some influence on my career choice to be a teacher. I read Rebecca Brandewyne's romance "Love, Cherish Me." Too much ugliness...murder, rape, greed. And of course J. K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book. I wore the book "First Violin" by Jessie Fothergill into two halves. For fun, I tried to write a sequel, but realized that I knew nothing of life in England, so best give the idea up! I have kept a few books in my personal kindle library. Janette Oke's "The Calling of Emily Evans," mainly because of the interesting history of female deaconesses in Canada, "Minnie Chase Makes a Mistake," a well-written book by Helen MacArthur, a fun book "Studs and Stilletos" by Bev Petersen, "Pink Balloons and Other Things" by Nancy Tessler to name a few. I also have come to appreciate the poetry and lyrical verses of the old Bible my grandfather gave me. It seems to me that few authors of today have the writing flair, originality, plot line and character development of the writers of yore. I find an intesting author every once in a great while and enjoy the read, but the books don't hold the same importance in my development as the earlier books.