Light A Candle For Kate Puzey

As most of my readers know, my daughter lived in Togo, West Africa for over two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching HIV/AIDS education and helping to build wells for clean water. She lived in the country during a time when over 40,000 people literally walked out when the president of the country died. She lived by a border and witnessed child trafficking on a daily basis and was unable to stop it. Kate Puzey lived in Benin, West Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer after my daughter's term was up. She tried to stop child trafficking and it cost Kate her life. Please read my post, light a candle and complete a day's service in honor of Kate. Please do this for yourself, in honor of Kate and her friends and family, and for children all over the world who are not safe in their own homes.




Peace Corps Family,

One year ago we lost Kate Puzey, a volunteer serving in Badjoude to a senseless act of violence. As we mourn her death on March 11th we need to also celebrate her life and what it stood for.

At Kate's funeral, many were moved at how amazing her family was and even in her death how they still stressed the importance of her service.

As PCVs it is now our obligation to continue in her honor. Pick a day or even, an hour, in or around the 11th and commit to continue the legacy Kate did her entire life. Please feel free to mention how and where you will be making such a commitment on the wall below.

Also, if you would like to make a monetary donation, please consider her commemorative fund through Peace Corps Benin. You will find further instructions on the wall as well.

Finally, Kate's family is also planning a way for us to memorialize her around the world. Please take a look at the youtube video linked below.

From Facebook


Light A Candle For Kate Puzey





Slain Peace Corps Volunteer's Family Speaks

Atlanta Peace Corps Volunteer Killed In Africa

CUMMING, Ga. -- Kate Puzey’s parents have endured a year of heartache. They lost their daughter under tremendously difficult circumstances, and felt they couldn’t get the answers they needed about her death.

Kate was the kind of daughter any family would be proud of: positive in spirit, a quiet leader (student council president twice), and a citizen of the world who wanted to affect change by helping people hand in hand. She chose the Peace Corps and committed to two years as an English teacher in the west African nation of Benin.
Her connection to her students was evident in the photographs her family shared with Channel 2 Action News reporter Linda Stouffer. Harry Puzey, her father, told Stouffer, “They loved her, and she loved them.”
But two months before her homecoming, on March 11, 2009, she was killed.

For the past year the Puzey’s have struggled to understand the circumstances. They have also kept details quiet, out of tremendous respect for the Peace Corps and the legal process underway in Benin. However, now they are speaking out, to draw attention to her courage and life of service.
Lois Puzey said Kate believed several students had been sexually exploited by a local national employee. Kate apparently struggled with how best to handle the situation, then decided to anonymously report her suspicious. Lois told Stouffer, “The students and the teachers came to her and said can you help us here to try to do something, and in doing that, she put herself in harm’s way. Within a few days of her anonymously trying to get the word out to the right authorities, she was murdered.”
Kate’s parents are just back from a whirlwind series of meetings in Washington, D.C. They are trying to be “Kate’s voice” through a difficult process. They hope to see a conviction in local courts in Benin, but they also want the Peace Corps to be, in Lois’ words: “The Peace Corps Kate believed in: one that’s transparent, efficient and respects and protects and empowers their volunteers.”
The Peace Corps would not provide details of the death of their volunteer. They told Stouffer in an e-mail “The investigation into the death of Kate Puzey is ongoing. The Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Beninese government are collaborating on this investigation.”
Kate’s parents believe several men are in custody, including the man she anonymously accused. Lois Puzey plans to attend the trial in Benin, which she thinks will take place in November.
In the meantime, Kate’s friends and family are circulating loving tributes… through YouTube and Facebook. Several hundred people have committed to a day of service in her honor.
“She was an absolute joy for us from the day she was born until the day she died. I called her my sunshine girl,” Lois Puzey said.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/22798759/detail.html

While I'm Getting Ready For The Travel Channel To Find Me....

I believe in signs. Not just the usual "OMG! You are headed into snake skin curves!" or "Yo! Look out for crazy falling rocks that might hit your car and send you careening off into a ditch" signs. No, I believe in signs from God! or The Universe... whichever you prefer. I believe that if you pay attention or listen hard enough, you will be given answers to your questions. Now, these answers don't always come in ways that you would expect them and they don't always come when you want them, but sooner or later.... you get your answer.



I was sitting at my dining room table yesterday, thinking of my poor deceased mother. "Damn you! You secretly knew Dad was going to turn out like this so you died first," I berated her, even though I couldn't see her. I pondered this statement as I looked out my window and BAM! A cardinal flew into the bushes and stared at me for a good 5 minutes. I knew it was her! Or at least her spirit come to haunt me. She had a thing about cardinals and redbirds. "The first sign of Spring," she always said.

My phone rang. My good friend and life coach, Tori, invited me to her yoga class, reminding me that I need a break and I knew a few deep breaths would do me good. Let's face it, if one is going to be the star of a new travel show, (read previous post) they should probably be in good traveling shape! Please, sit back and let me share this wonderful experience with you.



Heading Om Yoga Studio



















Our fabulous yoga instructor, Tammy Mitchell


All relaxed now! Sorry, Mom..... oh, and thanks for the invite, Tori! (I think Mom must have whispered in her ear, don't you?)

I Want a Job Like Rick Steves!!!

I can soooo do this job! You've watched Rick on PBS, right? He travels all over Europe filming his adventures, giving us travel tips and hints. I'm thinkin' "Middle Aged Woman Traveling!" Yes, I know there is that one travel show with that little, petite thing with the short hair whose name escapes me right now, but honestly, she is just too damned perky! We want a real woman traveler. Not so bubbly, but more realistic, damn it! Sort of like an older Sex in The City woman who can show you where to find the really good bargains on shoes, scarves and handbags in Rome, where to find great sex without getting STDs in Paris, how to spot royalty in Gstaad, and how to tell which Australian men are really hung. This would be a show for after 9 PM when the kiddies are in bed. A modern day Sex and The Single Woman! Only, probably a lot less sex.

Let's face it, late night television needs a pick me up! And there are no women anywhere to be found on late night unless you have cable TV and have access to raunchy (and often hilarious) and crude, Chelsea Handler. She's made it work for herself but she doesn't travel the world! Women of a certain age want excitement! They know this may be their last chance to get out there and live life like there is no tomorrow, but they don't want to lose their divorce settlements doing it! And we can't all be Elizabeth Gilbert, running around beaches in Bali hooking up with middle-aged men who have been living in a hut for years.

I could interview all the interesting people while visiting different countries. I would love to find out what the French President's ex-wives really thinks of Carla Bruni. Granted, Carla seems like a perfectly beautiful and charming young woman, but Nicky's exes just have to want to flatten her sometimes. Now, his first ex has to share her grandchildren with her! Wouldn't you love to hear from her? And how about the guy that runs Toyota? Hello!!! What were you thinking? Or even women in our own country, like David Letterman's wife. "How much is he paying you to stay exactly?"

Travel Channel!! Come and get me!!! I am so ready!!

The Winter Blues Have Set In

Good morning heartache, you old gloomy sight
Good morning heartache
Thought we said goodbye last night
I turned and tossed until it seems you had gone
But here you are with the dawn

Wish I’d forget you, but you're here to stay
It seems I met you, when my love went away
Now everyday I start by saying to you
Good morning heartache… what's new

Stop haunting me now, can't shake you no how
Just leave me alone
I've got those Monday blues
Straight through Sunday blues

Good morning heartache, here we go again
Good morning heartache
You're the one who knew me when
Might as well get used to you hangin’ around
Good morning heartache, sit down

I Will Survive! I Will Survive! Come on, sing it with me! Did You Think I'd Crumble? Did You Think I'd Lay Down & Die? Oh No Not I, I Will Survive!

I must confess that lately, I've not been happy with my bad self! Since quitting smoking about a month ago, I also made the decision to get back into shape! You know the routine... exercise, eat right, stay positive, etc. etc. I started thinking about the last time I felt like I was in really great shape and sadly, I think it was after I had my first child. This was 1982 mind you. I would plug Jane Fonda videos into my television and try to orgasmically (is that a word?) breathe and donkey kick. You can now watch all these videos on Youtube. Here's an example for your viewing enjoyment. "This is a very isolated movement of the buttocks. Resist bringing those knees together, make it burn!" (some of us don't care to be reminded! Oh, Jane, what were you thinking? and what was I thinking?) My husband, at the time, loved these videos. After all, it was the first time you could legally watch scantily clad women on your television without it being call pornography.



Anyway, enough about Jane and back to me. I am beginning to believe there is a devil! I quit smoking, which is great! I grocery shopped and only bought healthy foods, which is great. I started exercising, which is great.. This lasted for less than a week and, then I get sick with the pseudo H1N1 flu thing from Hell. I continue eating healthy foods, but exercise went out the window. This week I felt sooooo much better. I walked the long walk into the bowels of my home, deep into my basement where I keep all the wondrous exercise equipment, sweaters hanging nicely from the stationary bicycle, treadmill, climbing machine and the ballet bar. I put in the Nia DVD. (if you haven't tried Nia, I highly recommend it!)




I walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes while watching the Nia DVD. Then I plug in "Body by Jake" for my free weight workout.



I do ALL the exercises and feel wonderful!! I record them all, just like Jake recommends. I did it!! I am so damn proud of myself! I am back in the groove! By Spring I will look amazing again! YEAH me!!! I am motivated! I am strong! I am woman!!
Well, friends, that was three days ago and I haven't exercised since. All that enthusiasm went out the window when I could not get my arse out of bed. Well, I take that back. I got my arse out of bed, but it promptly landed on my bedroom floor. My back was out!! My back is still out! But, I will not give up! Damn it! I will survive! (singing) I will survive! (Thank you, Gloria Gaynor!)



Leave me a message and tell me your exercise routine. Did you ever quit for years and start again? Are you starting again for the New Year? I know some of you are, because I've read your blogs!! What keeps you motivated?

I'm In Love!

Me and my neti pot.... we're best friends now. Whodathunk? I've seen these silly looking things on either Oprah or the new Dr. Oz show and thought, "No Way!"

I was even rummaging around my sister's medicine cabinet one day looking for an antacid, any antacid, but found her neti pot instead, "OMG! Do you actually use this thing?"

She did. She loved it. Highly recommended it! Bleh! Have you ever seen anyone use a neti pot? Well, I watched Dr. Oz stick this spout up his nose and run water from this tea pot looking thing up into his brain and out the other side. Let me tell you, it gave me pause. It was like a magic trick one of your idiot classmates would pull in third grade science class. You know the one. Billy Bonkers who's always gettin' himself in trouble. Yes, in 1962, if Billy Bonkers brought a neti pot to school, run water up into his brain and out the other side, touting medicinal purposes, his ass would have been tossed down to the principal's office in less that 5 minutes and everyone in school would have heard about it in less than 10 minutes and in about 12 minutes everyone in town could hear, "Eeeeeeeeewwwwe!!!" coming from about 350 kids.

So, here's the low down. Ever since my return from wonderful, beautiful and sunny Los Angeles, I've been sick with what I was sure was a mild case of swine flu. Low grade fever, stuffed nose, cough, tired... you name it (but not that thank God!) I had it! I even googled, "quit smoking get sick" and found soooo many others who had the same symptoms after quitting smoking. Apparently, your body really knows how to fight back when it wants it's fix! Finally, Friday I went to the doctor and I have the sinus infection from Hell! He gives me an antibiotic and suggests I get a neti pot!

"WHAT??!!"

Well, after one use of that silly looking thing, I am in love! I can breath! I plan on having an ongoing relationship with neti for the rest of my born days. I actually felt well enough to leave my humble abode and go eat some sushi with a friend. Thank you, Janet, for suggesting I might not actually have H1N1 and may only have a sinus infection and that I should see my doctor! Who knew that pouring water into your brain would be good for you? Makes me wonder where Billy Bonkers is today.

Maybe, next, I'll even try yoga!!

More Fun Reasons to Return to LA!!!

My new favorite place for dessert!! If you haven't been there, you are truly missing out! It's quite the experience!

Cute LAPD!!!!! Hubba! Hubba!!

The Getty Museum!! Wonderful views of LA and the ocean, along with great art!

See!! Great art! Do yourself a favor, click and enlarge! LMAO

Comedy Club in Hermosa Beach where Jay Leno plays every Sunday.

I had such fun! It was so beautiful and sunny in California, it made you want to get outside every day and exercise! And that's what I did and that's when I realized, I had to quit smoking for good! I quit for over 23 yrs once, but started again about 5 yrs ago. I've quit off and on during this last year, but I realized while riding my bike from Redondo to Venice Beach (since I could hardly breath) that I absolutely had to stop now. And that's what I did! I haven't had a cigarette now in over 3 weeks! Came home to a deep freeze! Supposed to get 6 to 11 more inches of snow tonight and tomorrow.

Seeing the sights was great, but the best reason to return to LA is love!!!

My daughter and her hubby!!