Deserved Honors

A highlight of my afternoons at American Legion Valley Post 305 in Malvern, Oh. was the celebration of Dan Bitzel's 65th year as a member. Bitzel, left, was a tail gunner on a B-plane in World War II. He is about to have a birthday, but is still  93.
 Bitzel joined the service when the Army had the Air Corps. Left when it was the Air Force. He's a humble guy: I can't tell you how many missions he flew, how many enemy planes he shot down.
 His anniversary party was a surprise after Saturday Mass. He was walking down the Legion steps with a buddy when he spotted his family along the wall and the commanders along the side. The look on his face was priceless.
 We all enjoyed a buffet that included Cass's lasagna. When we were kids, we enjoyed his pizza at the shop near the Post Office. It's nice having grown up in a small town area and to live in one now!

Rotting little kids

As long as I have started a tangent, I'll add the behavior of kids and their parents. I am in a remote outpost of the world, but I read. I would never feed a toddler candy and be cautious with older kids.
 On my way to Ohio, a woman was feeding her two toddlers Skittles and while visibly pregnant,  wolfing then down herself.
 I have house guests who call this a First World problem. It's something education seems not be be impacting in the least. Here in the Third World, sugar is subsidized and parents give it freely, too, because obesity is considered a sign of prosperity. And the road to early Type 2 diabetes.

Long in the tooth

I'm back from a month in the US and almost recovered. As a multiple sclerosis patient I try to minimize processed foods and do my own cooking.. Most of the people around me were eating processed foods. "We are in the minority," my house guest Kathryn said.
 We like to cook up dried beans or quinoa salads and don't generally use dressings out of the bottle. Why, when we have limes and great oils?
 So this is a backward way to reintroduce my self: I am a 58-year-old woman living in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, a ferry ride from Cancun. I have two rental apartments I provide some extras for so people can enjoy life in a Mexican neighborhood.
 I grow my own greens to supplement the grocery's spotty availability. I put some in the dog food I often make for my dog Punta. At 30 pesos, close to three dollars, canned Pedigree isn't a real option. She likes chicken livers, gizzards and veggies and rice. Sometimes, when the batch is fresh, I'll share a bowl with her!
 So now that I have figured on how to sign on,  going to move along.
 I have lots to write about, from the lazy life here to my 25 years living with multiple sclerosis. I have opinions about the delivery of health care, on immigration, tax codes, Stuff I never covered before. But  it's time to reveal the real me. Hasta pronto!