Go to GRANDMA'S WORLD
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- Go to Snapshots of a Wild Gringo fisherman in Mexico and his wild dog Waterboy.
Temple, thanks for your enthusiam. I am also trying hard to cut down on the
number of stray dogs and unwanted puppies, but Waterdog was in Mexico where this happens daily.....I also have a piece that I wrote about Sayulitas, Mexico, where all the dogs are Shar Pei because of some visiting Shar Pei.....maybe you'd like that posting....
Glad to turn you onto grandmothers and Australia. Thanks for visiting, reading and commenting.
posted by
benzinha
on March 14, 2004 at 8:46 PM
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I love this!
I love all that I've read of yours, but this is my favorite. I laughed outloud when you talked about Waterdog's alpha day in town and the resulting puppies, and I usually get all political and icky on that topic! Lovely writing, and thank you for helping me to experience things I never have like Australia and grandmothers.
posted by
Temple
on March 14, 2004 at 4:23 AM
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maj, I do have psychic moments, but some Pepto Bismol usually helps me out
of them. We are connected, mentally and that is frightening, I think maybe, perhaps, perchance......or not.
posted by
benzinha
on March 12, 2004 at 1:50 PM
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decshak, The story reminds you of your mother?? Does she fish with dogs,
too? What a mom, is all that I have to say...!! Or, do you mean that I remind you of your mother??
And Hemmingway with two m's just doesn't look right to me....dunno. Should look it up, but I'm lazy this week, which is why I'm re-posting old blog entries. LadyKenobi is usually right about most things, except politics however, and so I tend to believe in her spelling of his name. Thanks for reading me again.
posted by
benzinha
on March 12, 2004 at 12:29 PM
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Sometimes I look at my favorites list, and there your are,
Benzina! Thanks for reminding me of my mother and of Hemmingway, too. Two M's? It doesn't look right, I swear.
posted by
WindTapper
on March 12, 2004 at 10:05 AM
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You read my mind. Read my new blog!
posted by
majroj
on March 11, 2004 at 10:13 PM
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Maj, it itsn't always the ex-pats who are fascinating, but some of the
natives, also. Know tons and tons, don't I?? Okay, you like character studies, especially wild ones like Miguel's, got it.
Not only the elderly take out others ( per your WWW post comment, which was funny), teens and cell phone concentrators and and and and and, all do. Don'd just blame us ancient, slow driving ones.....better to be hit by slow assed us than fast and furious assed youngsters, I say.....
posted by
benzinha
on March 11, 2004 at 9:36 PM
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Tell us about American expatriates. Know many?
(Like you didn't!).
I made a good comment to WWW's Donna Reed piece. What say?
posted by
majroj
on March 11, 2004 at 9:29 PM
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WWW, thanks, I do like my voice in this one.....some work pleases us more
than other work, and this one does that....pleases me. It's why I re-posted it....not much in my blogs worth re-posting, but this one is. Thanks.
posted by
benzinha
on March 11, 2004 at 8:55 PM
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benzinha:
Even better the second time around...I absolutely love your writing voice - such a storyteller, you draw the reader in right away and keep them hooked the whole time...yours is a rare talent for sure...and these two certainly sound like quite the pair! Wonderful tale!
posted by
WonkyWordsMistress
on March 11, 2004 at 8:45 PM
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wiley, thanks for all the roses, so kind, so very kind.
Sorry about your prostate aches and swellings. Ever tried the saw palmetto capsules that so many say do wonders for them? I dunno anything, rats.
If only a story can help you to feel better, then I shall never stop writing....just for you.
posted by
benzinha
on March 11, 2004 at 7:48 PM
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tapsel-teerie, my two grandmothers were both so different.....I knew one
better than the other. My British grandmother made tea and cookies and soft eggs in egg cups and served them all on lovely place settings. She made Christmas gingerbread, candy and sugar villages.....and baked lots.
My independent olde American grandmother raised fences full of climbing sweet peas in the desert, had fluffy cobalt blue bed slippers, gospel music on her stereo, had secret lovers and lived life to the max. Diabetes killed her, tho' she fought it off for decades and decades.
Nana got me interested in the Bristish faery gardens and myths and legends of the islands and their forests. Granny told us all Uncle Remus stories with her Carolina accent and made books come alive with her reading techniques.
I try to get the grandchildren to dress the parts of story books and stories and live them out as much as is possible. We put on costumes, cook the foods and dance to the music of strangers, welcoming their differences into that day and our hearts. My dad was the family storyteller, he gave birth to six young storytellers who listened at his knee and today try to imitate him. Mom read to us and made books live....
I found it easy to write about Miguel and Waterdog because their lives are just so big, you make nothing up and the story is great. Thanks for reading me and commenting.
posted by
benzinha
on March 11, 2004 at 7:45 PM
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shavonne, thanks for stopping by and commenting.....gracias.
posted by
benzinha
on March 11, 2004 at 7:34 PM
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benzinha,
Just when the grey of winter comes back chasing away this morning's sun, I feel the grey depression coming on to match the weather I suppose.
Or I feel the weight of the meds I'm on for this old swollen prostate. 
Then I clicked on your blog, and your magic took me away to another place, and I just sat back and soaked myself in your magic, bless ya.
I am in humble admiration of the talent which you possess, and am grateful to you for just, "being."
Thank youGet the vase girl
posted by
WileyJohn
on March 11, 2004 at 3:28 PM
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READING YOU
Reading your articles always make me think of my Baba, my little Czechoslovakian grandmother. How we loved her and her laugh. How we loved her folksongs and her folktales. She helped me to know what kind of a Granny I wanted to be to my grandchildren.
posted by
TAPS.
on March 11, 2004 at 5:21 AM
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What a great story! Thanks for republishing it.
shavonne
posted by
Shavonne
on March 11, 2004 at 4:31 AM
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did I just misspell poobah??
posted by
benzinha
on March 10, 2004 at 6:23 PM
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LadyK, grand poohbah of opening lines or not, I misspelled Hemmingway is
what you're saying!!! Does it have two m's? We old people lose our spelling first......
posted by
benzinha
on March 10, 2004 at 6:22 PM
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Tamara, we all know someone like him, wild and free and writing......
Thanks for reading me. And for commenting.
posted by
benzinha
on March 10, 2004 at 6:21 PM
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beachie, you go off to make the tea and then get distracted away from
the return to read!!!! Happens every time. Such is the life of moms and wives and writers!!! Maybe you'll read it when I re-post it again three months from now!!!
posted by
benzinha
on March 10, 2004 at 6:19 PM
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you are so totally the grand poobah of opening lines
One of my grad school professors had a Hemmingway complex, so I thought this was just grand!!
posted by
LadyKenobi
on March 10, 2004 at 3:11 PM
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Funny....
if it weren't for the 8 kids and the dog, I'd think this was someone I know.
Then again....maybe it is.
--T99
posted by
Tamara99
on March 10, 2004 at 3:28 AM
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I am going to get some tea ready so I can settle in for this
posted by
beachbelle
on March 10, 2004 at 2:35 AM
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