Kay Buena's Blog

 As a “Military Brat”, a positive term used to describe children of parents in the Armed Forces of the United States of America, I have a strange but (I think) interesting point of view of what is considered normal. (Well, it is certainly a  different normal than most.) I went to 10 schools and 4 different high schools. This gives one the ability to adjust quickly and make new friends and meat unusually interesting people from all walks of life; many of whom were united in protecting our country. Sometimes, to get through this erratic life-style we developed an unusual sense of humour, that helped us to NOT focus on the danger that filled our daily lives. My Father is a retired Air Force Officer, and a WWII Veteran, he was with the Space program from the very beginning with project Mercury. After he retired from the Air Force, he worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a private contractor until and after the Lunar Landing. As his children, we were part of a sort of a ‘packaged-deal’; although, I am sure there were times in his life when he was less than pleased with this troublesome lot.

I am a “civilian” now. But this childhood that I shared with my brother and our many friends, has built a solid base for a creative person. This I continue to strive to be, even in my senior years. I love my country and I love Texas. For an artist, these days and times, that is pretty strange.What I criticise in my art, is meant in humour- not to offend. And I am an equal opportunity offender.

I have Virginian, Powhatan Indian Blood in my veins,from my father’s side of my genetics, several generations have diluted this, but it comes out more times than it rationally should.

Remind me that FaceBook clings to your hands and won’t let go if you have a “smart” phone, but is full of generation X,Y and Z-ers, people too involved with anything and everything except realitiy, history,or logic- to pay alot of attention to anything but his or her navel. Yet I had a really good ‘rant’ going and I didn’t want to waste it. Here is or was my point: the “War” in the Middle East, in which our troops have been involved since Bush 43’s Administration, has really been going on for thousands of years. But what all these “sit- ins” (or what ever they call it these days) & these purposeful protesters are missing, as yet again they take over yet another building is: This war is about too many people (an ever growing population) fighting over Terrorism,Territory, Power,and Supremacy, to say nothing of natural resources. But first and foremost, our Allies, although I am betting that some of the these Facebookers, the younger crew, are not even aware of what that means (and these days the status of who are the USA Allies? is a complex issue); but many of these Countries are yet again fighting for their very lives and homes, and we (the USA) are obligated to help them do that in some form. Afghanistan, Egypt,Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq,and Jordon are among our Allies: are they not? ‘Search that, I did, and what I discovered was different than what I had though.

Yes, this war we are helping to fight has been going on for thousands of years in that same part of the World. Yet now, we hope and pray. that our presence there, along with our advanced technological weaponry and our truly finely trained soldiers might effect that area of Planet Earth in a way that the last couple of thousands of years could not do.

WWII had clearly defined enemies: the German Nazis and the Japanese.That it did not last longer than it did was due to the tenacity and the “sheer-D” guts of our American Troops and our Allies, and the deterrents provided by  a couple of Humongous Bombs in Japan.You may think of this as a cliche, however our true enemies in both of these long lasting Wars have been the same: Terror and Tyranny, and how do we stop those.

Please note that many of my best friends are young, street smart, and self-educated and/or curious as to History and Governmental issues. That’s a lot different than the group I inadvertainly described in the first of this blog. Also, as I have become somewhat of a “Facebook addict”, that is prof that many users of Facebook certainly are not young.

Although Betty Jane had had a troubled and lengthy childhood (that would be 63 years), I am thinking shes not long for this world. She must have had a stroke which left her paralysed: It was sad, yet every one and thing faces the end when the road is blocked, the clock has stopped and they no longer walk.
She has taken to spewing out strange and obscene comments from time to time, and it is hard to tell if that’s due to brain damage or she just likes to hold a grudge and be nasty. The bit with the postal service was hard on her self confidence and she started complaining that her rubber band was fixing to unsnap. It certainly was loose, no question about that. But Betty Jane was a Christian Scientist. Problem there was she was also an atheist too.
She wouldn’t let me take her to the Doll hospital cause ‘they don’t under stand her accent.’

She started cursing and calling me names when I tried to take her picture, so I’ll remember her from my real childhood as the Doll who was my true best friend. She said she was tired of watching the birds with Elmo…and just wanted to sit around. Her Head hangs strangely to the side. But she still has that little all-knowing smile.

Betty Jane

When last we left Kay Buena’s favorite doll from her first childhood, Betty Jane she had been chastised with great disdain for her meddling with the Postal Service.  This kind of thing tends to happen, but as we later figured out, She really held no guilt in the interference with the Postal Services routine.  And although, there are those among us with limited senses of humour about life’s daily occurrences, and those who want to hang out and complain about them and their place or situation in this world, these types need to be taken outside and made to form a line in the backyard starting right behind my person.  Note this sartorial statement from yours truly who complained that I was not able to play the piano easily anymore.  Well, “Big Deal”. How many people get to hang out with a cool piano like Rubin anyway? How many people even know how to play the piano.  Betty Jane was never much of a student of the Fine Arts, and as she commented “it should be enough to get to stay here” and notice that “when one is surrounded by too much to do, and not enough physical ability to get every thing done (perfectly), perhaps the best plan is to lower one”s standards”. Things could be a whole lot worse for us all.

Anyway, as noted, Betty Jane worked herself out of her box, after which she promptly stated ‘there were doll stands on sale at the discount store,so why could she not have a benign role in our lives,as after all she was just as much of a disabled dweeb as I was?’  (Good point,I agree) She refused to cease and desist with her demand, until a stand she could lean on was obtained for her comfort. She had more than made up for her offenses,if any, as a ‘rebel rouser’,and so what if she’s an old Doll?  Who in Hell is “Vampire Barbie”, or the latest ‘American Idol’ Doll, anyway? They should just wait for their 15 minutes of fame to vanish and move aside. I must admit Betty Jane was a classic, and she probably deserved the “stand” suitable for a toppling older Doll and one of those new weird Barbie-like doll’s as well.  For all is to the better with this new set-up and attitude in the study now. There are still many interesting things going on in this world and Betty Jane took to her  new look-out on Elmo the cat’s nook, overlooking the bird-feeder with great dignity and a secret smirk on her little mouth.

Thanks to her perseverance and patience,we have all enjoyed watching Elmo’s outside world.  And It is true that we still have Morning Doves here, but the black capped vitreos are supposedly already passed through to the South.  Too bad that, they have been seen to get tipsy on the fermented pyracantha berries and make a mad display in the bird bath. Always a good show indeed.  We have had some cold nights but no freezes yet. The Star Trek Action figures have taken a hike, but we now enjoy watching the real people outside as they frantically try to obtain physical fitness by walking, running and cycling outdoors by our curbside. All this before the Holidays eat the year away and a new one begins!

We have a new mail personage. Now that Mr.Miller, our infamous mail man of 18 years superlative service in our neighborhood, has been promoted.

As strange as this seems: His (the new mail personage’s) replacement’s name is Mr. Miller.

This we take as a sign,  a good one.

Caroline Abbitt Sauer  aka  Kay Buena  (Chief Birdwatcher, Managing Personal Assistant of things going awry in the night) 11-30-2011