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The article, as appearing in The Blog Times, written by Tint is quoted below:

"This year has been one of many changes. For us, here in Blogworld, there have been very dramatic changes. The demise of our beloved 360 and the discovery of new worlds beyond - Multiply, Blogger, Live Spaces, and many more.

What has struck me is the friendships that have stayed strong through the changes. Friendship is indeed without borders. Then there are all the new friendships that have been established and cemented.

New skills have been learnt. Creativity explored. Minds have been broadened. We learnt new ways to explore our inner artist. We learnt of new countries and cultures and how the 'other half' lives.

There have been many personal changes too. Many have lost loved ones and faced incredible challenges, though not all the changes have been bad. The year has also been embroidered with amazing good. There are those who have moved home to better places, those who went into business, those who rediscovered old friends and family. Hopes and dreams live on and thrive.

It is my wish that those hopes and dreams you have will come true for each and every one of you this coming year. I raise my glass and toast to you... my friends... *Cheers!*"

It's traditional here.... rain over the New Year and tradition has stood us proud yet again. Ok, for half the city it has. Watch the video and weep with me... not a drop of that rain has fallen here!!! We are still hot and sweaty and sticky. Granted, I don't wish the flooding on anyone, but if we could at least get a little of that. Our skies here are clear and, yes, it is the same city. The temperature has been around 35°C (95°F). The rains you see here have fallen in the area where we used to live two years ago. I'm rather glad we're not there anymore. That house leaked so badly, we'd have to bail ship every time.

 

 

I opened the news to a rather startling news report....

Fri Dec 28, 10:41 PM ET

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. - Local police said it was a typical holiday Grinch tale: A home was broken into on Christmas Eve, and wrapped presents were stolen off a kitchen table.
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Little did they know the culprits were kids.

Authorities said Friday that a 9-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy used a gift card to pick the lock on the back door of a home a block away. They then took about $200 in wrapped presents that were located on a kitchen table, including Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers CDs.

The couple who lived in the home returned from some Christmas Eve shopping to find the house broken into, and the presents gone, South Brunswick police Detective Jim Ryan said.

One of the children's relatives who also lived in the neighborhood spoke with the couple and realized the gifts matched some mysterious extra presents the children appeared to receive on Christmas.

The relative contacted the children's mother, who got the truth out of them on Wednesday, and then contacted police.

"A 9- and 5-year-old would never be on our suspect list. For a burglary? Maybe for taking a bike or something like that, but not for a burglary," Ryan said.

The children's names were not released, and charges are not planned.

******************

These are kidlets!!! Where do kids that age learn to pick locks on doors?? Am I really that out of it? I am stunned!

 

 

 bright light
long shadows
silver waves
shimmer
on gray ribbons
of concrete  

 

shards of light
from city glass
stab my eyes
sidewalk heat
claws my feet
burning below  

 

sharp shadows
reach long arms
across my path
tripping me up
with sudden
change of light  

 

windscreens glaring
as they push
their way past
impatient
to get out of
the heat  

 

Tint ©  

 

 

We have basically been draping ourselves wherever we could, trying to cope with the heat. The humidity has been incredibly high too. We have two fans going in this room. Stepping outside doesn't bear thinking of. I've had a 3 day headache from the heat. It rained for a full half hour tonight. The air cooled for about half an hour after that, but the heat is back. It's the kind of heat where you can't bear anything touching your skin. The south of Brazil in Santa Caterina, they've declared a state of emergency with the floods happening there. Our weather travels up from that end, so we're headed for some big rain. I'm selfishly hoping for rain on New Year to cut down on the fireworks. Besides, rain on New Year is traditional here. Above all, though, I'm hoping it cools somewhat... really, really hoping...

Today, for me, was a day of ordinary miracles. We expected Christmas to be tough this year, as there were no gifts to be given and none of us were finding it easy to get into the Christmas spirit.

Last night, Tatiana gave Jorge and I the most beautiful snowflakes she quilled. I know the amount of love that went into those flakes. Attached was a note, "Happy white Christmas." Every year, we try to add to our Christmas ornaments with something special and meaningful. I had bought two stone ornaments, with amazonite, rose quartz and agate, but they're simply pretty. They don't have a story attached to them. Those two snow flakes are now my most treasured Christmas ornaments. Oh you should see them sparkle! Tat also gave us each a birth stone. She had done a lot of research into each stone. The stones and snowflakes came in an origami box and with it was an origami lilly and one of her paper cranes.

Jorge got Tat and I each some chocolates. He was so proud of himself for bringing the chocolates into the house without us noticing. What I had planned to give was unfortunately not ready, but I'll leave comment on that for a later date.

We had a beautiful day! It was overcast and pretty hot. We had occasional rain with a minor thunder storm late afternoon. We were all in and around the kitchen during the meal preparation. We laughed, we played, I chased Jorge out at least a dozen times... we had fun! During lunch, we sat in the lounge alongside our little tree and spoke of what Christmas was like for Jorge as a child and for me. Jorge tormented us with threats to grow a real Prussian mustache (don't ask me 'why Prussian') and wax it. It drives Tat crazy when he messes up his eyebrows and mustache : )

After lunch, we sleepily came back to our computers and played a little Runescape, chatting off and on and making phone calls to folk far away. Jorge spoke to his brother in South Africa, his cousins in Lithuania. Anne called while I was making lunch, so I called her back. I spoke to Fel in Alaska and Tat called Philly in California. Jorge spoke to the cousins in Florida. Bob was there too. In one way or another, we made contact with the people who are important to us and remembered those we could not contact. As I sit here, I am so grateful for the internet, which enabled us to speak to folk all over the world.

As I mentioned to Tat tonight.... it was an understated Christmas... no bells and whistles. We didn't even play any carols.... but I do believe it will stand out in our minds as one of the most memorable.... for its simplicity and contentment. I think we will pack the Christmas decor away earlier than usual this year. We are ready to move on. It is a good feeling.

 

"It seems so exceptional That things just work out after all. It’s just another ordinary miracle today."

 
Ordinary Miracle Lyrics

This week's Picture Perfect theme is "Festive". I held off, thinking I may take a photo or two today. It was raining when we left home, so the 'cowardly lion', aka Jorge, decided the camera would stay at home. It turned out to be blistering hot and humid.

The shops and streets were jam-packed. There was a notable absence of Christmas trees and Christmas decorations in town. If it weren't for my calendar (and Multiply), we'd hardly have noticed it was Christmas at all!

We went in and got the stuff for the animals (a calmant for the fire crackers that have already started), and some herbs for a friend. We did a bit of window shopping, ended up buying a set of glasses (in fairness to the last set, it lasted 2 years), had a cup of coffee and a small empadinha (little pie.... really 'little'), then headed for home. Our bus broke down halfway in a not-so-delightful area, but luckily (I'm grateful), the second bus had ample seating, which isn't usually the case with replacement buses.

So that was my oh-so-very-exciting day. Oh yes, this blog post was meant to be for Picture Perfect. I went through my more recent photos and found little that was festive looking. After all, you don't want the photo I took of Jorge's feet while he was putting up our Christmas lights, now do you? ; ) There were other photo options, but I felt that they were blog subjects of their own and put them to one side. Besides... this is rather festive, is it not? This home is a few blocks away from me. I think they really put effort into being festive, don't you?

We have a tax here on every cent we withdraw from the bank. Regardless of how much you draw, write a cheque for, or spend on credit, if it comes out of your bank account, it is taxed. No one minded this tax, as it was meant to go purely into healthcare. The thing is, they have proved that less than 20% of those funds made it into healthcare.

 

The senate has voted that this tax be dropped. The government is upset, as the gravy train is being flushed. So far, they've said that they can reinstitute that tax any time they want to and assign the taxes however they want to. Charming.

 

On health care. Do we have a good health system here? Let's just say that my experience of the health care system here hasn't been that favourable, but I won't judge by that. There is public health here. You go to the clinic in your neighbourhood and wait to see a doctor. Depending on your neighbourhood and how sickly everyone is, the wait is anything from half an hour to most of the day. He then refers you to a specialist. Somehow, nothing gets done here without a specialist. The appointment is made often months in advance. Some specialists are harder to get into than others. The waiting list to get into the dentist is almost a year long. Once you have seen the specialist, you get your meds and/or tests. The tests don't usually involve too much waiting, but that also depends on what tests there are. Meds can be collected at the clinic's own pharmacies or at govt discount farmacies - if you're lucky. The rest you go to a regular pharmacy for and like anywhere else in the world, that hurts the pocket. Private medical care goes two routes... the medical insurance route or pay your own way.

 

My first medical experiences here weren't good. Tat has had ear issues for a large part of her life, so when she had ear infection, we took her off to the private hospital (we had taken out health insurance for her) to be seen to. She was ushered into a cubicle, which served as the doctor's surgery. That swing a cat thing is a joke. You couldn't swing a goldfish in there. She was given a prescription and we went off to the pharmacy. Five pharmacies later, it was confirmed... the medication that was prescribed did not exist... at all! Some time later, I went to the clinic with the aim of seeing a skin specialist. I saw the gp who waxed lyrical (actually, not that lyrical... she was nasty) about my weight. I'm no smallfry, but next to the miniscule Brazilians, I'm a giant... well, almost. Anyhow, she packed me off to the skin specialist (the reason I was seeing her). Another day, another month, I went to the location given, another clinic in a neighbouring suburb. I waited to be signed up - you get to sign up at each location... what fun. I then offered my card with the appointment written down, which sent them into a frenzy. Apparently that skin specialist hadn't been at that location in two years. I was miffed. I had lost a day's work for that, so I put it off for another few years before trying again now. Needless to say, not all medical experiences here are like this, but...

 

That isn't the point of this blog. It was just to give you an idea why I prefer to stay away from the medical profession here as much as possible. The point of this blog is how R$10 (about $6) killed a girl.

 

In the news tonight...

A girl went to the government pharmacy ('Farmacia Popular'), which is specifically set up to give meds at discounted rates with the premise that everyone deserves cheap healthcare. Her medication cost R$22 ($12). She only had R$12 ($6) on her. Her need for the medicine was urgent. It after hours, no other pharmacies open and she was having an asthma attack. Her father offered the title deeds to his car as surety that they'd come back with the remaining money, but they were turned down. The girl died from that asthma attack.

 

Something is very wrong with this system.

This week's Picture Perfect theme is "One".

The vine was hanging over the sidewalk. We nearly walked into it. I'm glad we didn't. We may have knocked Mr Ladybug off his perch. Yes, we decided it was a mister. How on earth does one know the difference anyway?

One leaf... one bug...

nineteen years
is a long time
longer than long
longer than forever

i hear
your thumping
down the passage
on wooden floors

chuckle as you
watch the dog
trying to get to you
through the window

i had to learn
too many lessons
too hard, too fast
when you went

nineteen years
is but a day
when passing words
scratch at old wounds

© tint

Today I will remember.... just today... just a little while