A LOVE AFFAIR WITH FRANCE

A series of essays.....



MY FIRST VIEW OF MONT SAINT-MICHEL ~ TAKEN IN 2003
I FINALLY MADE IT!

.....as seen through my eyes!



By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

This is not a 'simple' love affair. No. However, it is one that is destined to withstand the test of time......and so much more.

Through the eyes of a small child, his Princely ways light-up her world; they charge it with the electricity of a foreign language so strange to her yet beautiful, at the same time. Today, many years later, she forgets who introduced "The Little Prince," written by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry, to her.....she is forever grateful. "There are a few stories which in some way, in some degree, change the world forever for their readers. This is one," claims Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc. They are correct.

 

THE LITTLE PRINCE ON
ASTEROID B-612

The little girl had changed her way of thinking, forever! Her life was filled with visions of the Eiffel Tower looming large just beyond the window of her imagined, Paris walk-up. She shared this flat with a 'million possibilities' and not another living soul. Not yet, anyway. Life was young; she was young.

She was going to become a writer and she just knew this to be true. Instinct, desire, love of words all factored into her equation of life and she began writing in her very own journal. It really was just a lined notebook held together with thin, spiral metal at its spine. It was a 'blank canvas' waiting to be filled with childhood memories, hopes and desires. She decorated the pink cover by adding sleek stickers marking the continuum of experience in which events pass from the future through the present to the past.....time. Life for her was coming around full cycle for she truly believed that her past was soon to collide, in a good way, with her future.

 

The 1960's brought new ideas and high expectations for so many young, vulnerable 'ones.' After all, early into the decade, a handsome man named Kennedy became her Prince and Knight in Shining Armor. She remembers how Jack would bend his arm in a princely manner and his beautiful, young wife would slip her delicate arm through his. Her name was Jacqueline. Jacqueline Bouvier. The girl was ecstatic to be sharing her moniker.

Ultimately.....her prince was only human. And, when his smile was taken away, his spirit remained for all of those who truly believed. The girl did believe that 'man' was innately good and life goes on and we would travel to the moon and back! She understood so much more than she even thought she did at such an early age.

Rhinie, Hoosier, "The Abominables," all a feast for the creative mind of Eva Ibbotson. Imagination ruled her days now and the growing stack of journals were kept safely hidden from her brother's prying eyes. "French 8" and Ms. Clementz became her new heroes as the words she had always known began to blend into sweeter versions studded with accents and gravelly beginnings! Irregular verbs danced in her head like sugarplums at Christmastime and year after year after year she studied and memorized their conjugation by voice, tense, number, and person.

 

CHATEAU DE CHENONCEAU IN THE LOIRE VALLEY

 

Ms. Clementz introduced the girl to possibilities!

Paris, of course, but, also,....the island of Mont Saint-Michel....surrounded by the cold, clear sea at the mouth of Le Couesnon.  Sipping a pastis in Marseille while waiting for the bouillabaisse (de fruits de mer) to finally arrive at the table. Roaming freely through the ancient castles majestically dotting the Loire Valley knowing a crisp Vouvray is chilling to accompany the evening meal. Museum after museum awaiting perusal and each guaranteed to enlighten the senses and open the mind to the past. The history that encompasses every fiber of human consciousness while walking in the footsteps of the Greeks, Romans and Carthaginians who established themselves deep into the rich soil eons ago.

The young girl can hardly wait to feel this soil beneath her own feet.

France becomes her 'comfort zone.' She envisions thriving among the gaiety and richness of the French way of life, the people and culture, while fluently speaking their romantic language. Learning so much more about their habits, desires and expectations. Understanding the blending of old and new, past and present, and how this culture plays into one's every day life. Whether it's Boules or Pétanque in France or Bocce in Italy....the game is the same. She knows how it is played. It's not just a man's world anymore and she will learn to make her way among the skeptics and naysayers as best she can.

 

LA PARTIE DE PETANQUE
BY CHARLES HOMUALK DE LILLE

The little girl has grown into a young woman. She owns her own copy of "Le Petit Prince" printed in French and waits to place it on the bookshelf in her first apartment. She digs deeply trying to remember who first read this book to her. She still cannot.

Sadly, she has not maintained communications with Ms. Clementz throughout the years. She does recall the young teaching associate that enlivened her French studies at Michigan State University by inviting her small, French Language class to her apartment for a wine tasting experience. Everyone was to speak only in French. They did.

 

THE CITY OF HONFLEUR
AT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER SEINE

As she slides the slim volume into position on the shelf, she knows that the box of journals on the floor, kept neat and alive, will feed her soul and take flight someday as the basis for stories yet to be told.

She could still remember conversations between the author and the Little Prince:

"Indeed, as I learned, there were on the planet where the little prince lived....as on all planets....good plants and bad plants. In consequence, there were good seeds and bad seeds from each. But seeds are invisible. They sleep deep in the heart of the earth's darkness....

Now there were some terrible seeds on the planet that was the home of the little prince; and these were the seeds of the baobab.

And one day he said to me: 'You ought to make a beautiful drawing, so that the children where you live can see exactly how all this is. That would be very useful to them if they were to travel some day.' "

In the back of her mind, she knew she would always be aware of the baobab tree and its seeds sleeping deep within the earth's darkness. But, this was her time to shine and.....the good prospects before her seemed endless.....indeed!

 

 

ALONG THE COAST OF NORMANDY

 

 

 

Copyright © 2015 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

"WHEN I PAINT MY MASTERPIECE"

A series of essays.....

BOB DYLAN AROUND 1971

.....as seen through my eyes!





By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


Upon my return home after ten fabulous days in Michigan with my children and five amazing grandchildren, I discover that our Bright House DVR (Digital Video Recorder) has reached an all time high of eighty-three percent!! What? How can that be?

I know that we record many good shows each week and tend to watch them within twenty-four hours so as not to collect them for extended periods of time. With my absence, those hours filled our seemingly controlled void rather quickly. The Voice was the main culprit and, considering this season was soon to wrap-up, there were several taped hours to catch-up on before the finale on Tuesday evening.

One of my favorite contestants, a home-grown Michigan boy who attended Michigan State University and now lives in Traverse City, Michigan, Joshua Davis, performed a song written by Bob Dylan in 1971 entitled "When I Paint My Masterpiece." Dan and I have retained all of our albums from "back in the day" and I vividly recalled this particular cut off of Bob's Greatest Hits, Volume II album. It was first released by the group The Band who covered the song on their album Cahoots. This song has always held a soft spot in my heart because it represented a young, aspiring, female writer who had nothing but the entire world to roam around, play in and write about in her future. The world was a blank canvas and she was going to make sure it didn't stay that way for very long.....

I was just out of college, single, and the world truly was my oyster.

BEAUTIFUL DYLAN

Listening to Joshua sing the lyrics so beautifully brought back memories of people attempting to second guess Dylan's intentions specifying his conspiracy implications, witch hunts, and turning the Spanish Steps in Rome into code for more clandestine operations. Okay. Our minds can translate almost anything into whatever we want them to be. I never bought into it. I like to think my explanation reached a more personal and straight-forward dimension called....reality.  Hopes, dreams, and the power and sadness of love, for me, inspired Bob Dylan's words in "When I Paint My Masterpiece":


"Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble
Ancient footprints are everywhere
You can almost think that you're seein' double
On a cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs

Got to hurry on back to my hotel room
Where I've got me a date with Botticelli's niece
She promised that she'd be right there with me
When I paint my masterpiece

Oh, the hours I've spent inside the Coliseum
Dodging lions and wastin' time
Oh, those mighty kings of the jungle, I could hardly stand to see 'em
Yes, it sure has been a long, hard climb

Train wheels runnin' through the back of my memory
As the daylight hours do retreat
Someday, everything is gonna be smooth like a rhapsody
When I paint my masterpiece

I left Rome and landed in Brussels
With a picture of a tall oak tree by my side
Clergymen in uniform and young girls pullin' muscles
Everyone was there but nobody tried to hide

Newspapermen eating candy
Had to be held down by big police
Someday, everything is gonna be diff'rent
When I paint my masterpiece"

Lyrics © BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO



Listening to this song again, after so many years have passed, brought me back into the present. I thought about the trip I had just returned from and all of my interactions with the five young lives that teach me more about life, love, and myself than anything else could on a daily basis. Five bright stars out-shining the billions of others as they float dream-like in the heavens above. Their light is so bright it hurts my heart and brings tears to my eyes. Arms hug me so tight, my muscles ache and sweet, sugary kisses bless my lips with a thousand calories of loving deliciousness. Heaven.

MEMORIES FROM THE FARM

Thanks to a very dear friend of mine and her gracious husband, Farmer Fred, my children, grandchildren and I discovered the daily workings of an active sheep farm that was surrounded by lush, forested, and rolling Michigan acreage. The 'little ones' took turns steering the enormous John Deere as their small shapes were comfortably ensconced within the distinct glow of green and yellow paint, and Cheshire Cat smiles. The quintessential white Amish farmhouse rose high above the sweet lambs hopping in the green meadow below. And, the cherry on top was the huge, multi-level barn, home to the mighty rams and celebrated 'ancient ones.'  It was built by hand decades upon decades before, painted barn-red over and over again and houses unimaginable treasures, unpublished memories, from within its dusty, shadowy nooks and crevices. Truly a writer's delight!

"HOME TO THE MIGHTY RAMS AND
CELEBRATED ANCIENT ONES"

A simple trip to the Mall to ride the double-decker carousel over and over again turns into a journey. Pretending to capture a jungle excursion on the back of a giant gorilla, one grandson straddles the 'giant beast' as the other rides his zebra along the vast Serengeti Plain while the sun sets over a Masai village in Tanzania.




SERENGETI PLAIN



A ROMP THROUGH THE JUNGLE

Our imagination is captured by the miracle of flight when we visit the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo. My youngest granddaughter harnesses her inner Amelia Earhart in order to fly solo across the concrete floor in her shiny, blue machine.

SOLO FLIGHT

Mother's Day memories are captured on three smart phones while fingers and toes are painted bright, Easter egg colors at a nearby Spa.  Three amazing women can only just sit now while their bodies imbibe delight through every pore as they enjoy one another's company.  Relax my beautiful Daughters and Mothers in your own right. Relax because the world often just gets in the way.

CELEBRATING MOTHER'S DAY

Birthday celebrations were in order for my oldest granddaughter who turned eight years old during my visit. Oh, and did I happen to mention that she lost yet another tooth on her birthday eve? What a busy, wonderful time!

 

Bob Dylan wrote his song about all of the above....and, a little bit more.

He wrote about the struggles and emotional journey we all endure in order to find what makes us whole....our own masterpiece called 'True Love.'

He wrote about the artist striving to create his 'masterpiece' while self-doubt, disillusionment, and time nips at his heels. It's about filling a hole in our soul and discovering the power of faith, hope, and love.

He wrote about feeling the disappointment of allowing time to slip through our fingers while our masterpiece sits, incomplete. The awakening is when we realize, after all this time, that along each journey we decide to take, every story our life writes, and all the people we meet and love along the way, each one helps to complete our masterpiece. In the end, our personal masterpiece is our own legacy handed down to each life we have touched; each life that has touched us in return.

In Dylan's case, it was about the task of growing-up and simply observing his own maturity. He stopped talking strictly about his 'social world' and began speaking in terms of personal growth. "Yes, it sure has been a long, hard climb," he writes.

His whirlwind tour of Europe among a post-religious era fills him with a strong sense of the practical secularism sweeping through Europe at the time. A new Enlightenment looms on the horizon and this 'golden thread' weaves its way into Dylan's new world. He anticipates his future, at home, when the time will come for the hero to finally take the time to paint his masterpiece.

For myself.....  As I grow more comfortable in my own new world of Enlightenment, self-love and respect for the Earth and all of mankind that walks her fragrant meadows and dusty trails alike, I am that much closer to achieving all of my goals in this lifetime; my personal masterpiece.

My favorite line of this song has to be, "Someday, everything is gonna be smooth like a rhapsody when I paint my masterpiece." I wonder if Dylan has achieved this goal yet. As long as we are breathing, everything remains possible.



Copyright © 2015 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

THE NEW COLORS OF PHILANTHROPY: Red, White, and Blue

 A series of essays.....

"PATRIOTIC PHILANTHROPY"

.....as seen through my eyes!


By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

When I was very young I sometimes heard the word philanthropist spoken in conversations by the adults around me. It was one of those long, undefined words that made me stumble over its pronunciation several times before almost getting it right while sounding like a needle skipping over a scratch on an LP (Long Play), 33 1/3 rpm microgroove vinyl record. Sometimes I would make it through to the next syllable, note or lyric. But, usually, I did not and I'd inevitably be stuck in the middle of the word trying to spit it out.

Today, of course, I can speak, spell and define the word  philanthropist, along with all of its derivatives. But, I do remember asking my Mother one day what that long, curious word meant. Her reply went something like this, "When a man has been blessed with having so much money he decides to share it with those who have far less than he has, and his heart is large....because he has great love for his fellow man. Oh......., and I really wish we knew one!!"

How many of us have said at one time or another that if we were fortunate enough to win BIG in the lottery, we would give some of our winnings away to charities and to others who might benefit from it, as well? In today's terminology, this way of thinking would be called 'paying it forward' and a good many of us do our part with this admirable philosophy whether we're loaded with  bundles of cash or simply possess an abundance of good intentions. Either way....we are all winners! Our time is precious to each and every one of us and to donate even a little of it towards benefiting those in need constitutes a magnanimous contribution to the world.

I am talking about Big Bucks here and the philanthropic benevolence and good will shown by the likes of Bill Gates in the fields of science and medicine in the hopes of enlightening third world countries to the importance of vaccines and good health. In the U.S., his foundation's main initiative is education with teacher training in particular as the main project. 

Standing side-by-side and, initially bolstered by Microsoft stock, Bill and his wife, Melinda Gates, have become the preeminent philanthropic institution in the world. So far they have donated over $28 billion in their lifetime making them likely the most generous givers in the world, according to the online publication, The Chronicle of PHILANTHROPY.



"THE GOSPEL OF WEALTH"

Warren Buffett has succeeded in giving away over $8.3 billion. Buffett is an American business magnate, investor and philanthropist and has been called the most successful investor of the 20th century. As CEO of the diversified holding company, Berkshire-Hathaway, he announced in 2006 that he would be committing 85 percent of his fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

If all of these monetary sums appear staggering to you, well.....they should. Not many of us will see the likes of them in our own lifetime. However, I can almost guarantee that each of us will eventually reap the benefits from every dollar that is invested into the betterment of mankind around the world. One example might be the act of educating all nations on how clean, drinkable water for the masses is a prudent step in the direction of better health and the future wellbeing of everyone.

Recently, philanthropic banners fly overhead emblazoned by dollar signs and sporting a striking background of red, white, and blue and all due to one man, David Rubenstein, billionaire investor and founder of The Carlyle Group, a global asset management firm. Eleanor Clift of The Daily BEAST quotes Mr. Rubenstein as saying, "I have made more money than I can consume intelligently or than my children should ever have, so I decided to give it away. A large part of my philanthropy goes back to this country."


According to Clift, "He calls it patriotic philanthropy and he defines it as giving money to projects that government would be doing if it had the resources." His multi-million dollar gifts include the restoration of the home of James Madison, the refurbishing of the Virginia home of Robert E. Lee, half of the $15 million tab to rebuild the Washington Monument after the 2011 earthquake, and his copy of the Emancipation Proclamation that is on loan to the White House. Mr. Rubenstein has recently placed on loan to the National Archives the only copy of the 1297 document of the Magna Carta in existence in the United States which he purchased to save it from being sold and taken out of the country.

Clift writes that as though to reassure skeptics that good can come from unbridled capitalism, Rubenstein says when he hires he looks for people "who don't think there is anything wrong with making money, and know what to do with it when they have it."

He has taken the "Giving Pledge," under which billionaires like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg and others dedicate more than half their wealth to philanthropy.

Instead of helping to create new monuments....it appears that the goal of Mr. Rubenstein is to protect and maintain existing monuments and documents located throughout our nation and keep them safe for every generation to enjoy.  This is something I find quite admirable.
Born from humble beginnings in Baltimore with parents who encouraged his education but could give him only their unconditional love, he worked hard. And, via scholarships to Duke University and the University of Chicago Law School, he paved his own way into the corporate world. He doesn't give money to politicians and he is profoundly grateful to the country that gave him so much opportunity, writes Clift.

PHILANTHROPIST DAVID RUBENSTEIN GIVES
NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION $5 MILLION
TO REFURBISH IWO JIMA STATUE

Even though Rubenstein gives generously to medical research and education, recently, patriotic philanthropy has gotten the most attention in this multi-million dollar gift bag of generosity and 'paying it forward.' This is most probably because not many people are doing it. I, for one, hope it catches on and filters over to other areas that have been greatly plaguing this country of late such as our nation's infrastructure! Wouldn't you agree?

I leave you with a quote by David Rubenstein that, for him, defines the word philanthropy. "Philanthropy is a Greek word that means 'love of humanity,' not rich people writing checks."

In the end, I believe that everyone comes out a winner!

After all......Anything is possible.

Copyright © 2015 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

EMBRACING SOLITUDE AND MINDFULNESS

 

A series of essays.....

~~~ SOLITUDE IN THE MORNING ~~~

.....as seen through my eyes!



By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

I have waffled in-and-out between requiring a 'needy' life and one filled with freedom and solitude ever since I can remember. Even as a small child, alone time with my toys surrendered a feeling of complete contentment and joy. Today I embrace my downtime and gratefully add up all of the benefits it has afforded me.

When my husband decided to take his mini-trip up north recently to be with our children I, admittedly, anticipated his absence. Yes, I did!  I don't believe I have ever embraced the old adage, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," simply because love should have no boundaries in time and space. Although, in truth, his gentleness was missed.....

The simple fact behind my feelings lies within the belief that I enjoy being alone, alive within my own thoughts and mentally independent from the mundane, day-by-day 'stuff.' And, schedules be damned.....! Funny how I just conjured up an image of Greta Garbo from the classic 1932 movie "Grand Hotel."  Vicki Baum, author of the book which this movie was based on, wrote that the MGM producer, E. Goulding, purposely changed the original line, "I wish to be alone" to "I want to be alone," which sounded very like something that Garbo would say in real life. Garbo made the word 'alone' sound like an entire line of dialogue and he had her say it not once, but three times.

DO YOU HAVE A "GARBO COMPLEX?"

Thank you, but I will own my 'Garbo Complex' and move on now, if you please.

Being a slave to office politics and corporate ladder climbs is a theory that defies all logic for me. The deep desire to 'be my own boss' has been with me since the solitude and comfort of playing alone with those toys as a child. Numerous times as an adult, this feeling of solitude has gotten me into trouble within the corporate arena, however. Like I always say, another story and another time.

Let's be honest, the world we live in can be volatile most of the time and it is up to us to adapt to our surroundings, make positive changes where we can or, sink with the ship. Between natural disasters and simple human frailty with the lack of 'common sense' in general, our Earth is getting very annoyed with all of us humans right now. Life has become the Chiliean Calbuco Volcano covering us in ash; a family of five living out of their car and hoping to see a light at the end of the dark tunnel; the ground shaking devastation of the Kathmandu earthquake; a mother attempting to cope with a sick child and avoid missing work at the same time; political unrest and religious intolerance; and a young, Black male afraid to walk down his own street in the light of day or darkness of night. Shall I go on?

I know that each generation harbors doubts about the wisdom of their particular journey in life. Unless you happen to be blessed with a peaceful heart and are the healthiest person ever known to walk the planet, your transgressions in this life will always find a way of catching-up to you. Guilt is generally the most transparent emotion we allow to haunt us even when questioning our own bravery by surviving conflict when fellow soldiers may not have. We will all experience the black hammer of guilt pounding rhythmically over our heads at one time or another within our lifetime.

The beloved Vietnamese monk, scholar and activist, Thich Nhat Hanh has enlightened many of us with his pure, poignant thoughts about peace, love and compassion and how they are central to the teachings of both Buddha and Christ. He tells us how we must be aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life and vow to cultivate compassion and learn ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. We must be determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in our thinking and in our way of life.

THE VIETNAMESE MONK, THICH NHAT HANH

After all, if we rightfully believe that we are all connected in body and spirit....killing others would truly be like killing a part of ourselves. Why would we do that?

Returning to my desire to experience solitude in my life, allow me to introduce, in case you haven't heard of this belief already, the effort to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the energy to be here and to witness deeply everything that happens in the present moment, and be aware of what is going on within and without, as per one of the Five Precepts of Buddhist Philosophy.

Mindfulness, a basic and more simple root structure of meditation itself, urges us to find wholesome, spiritual nourishment for ourselves and everyone who touches our lives. It can be found by looking up at the blue sky, down at the colorful spring blossoms, or into the eyes of a child.... Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that "The most basic meditation practice of becoming aware of our bodies, minds and the world around us can lead us into a far richer and more fulfilling state than any drug ever could." This is only one example of what we used to call, 'back in the day,' achieving a natural high.

All I really know is that when I am absolutely alone, in a state of quiet and bliss, I am able to see the world in a softer, more beautiful light with strong hints of hope and love all around me. So, for me, being alone is truly never a problem. As the 'white noise' in my mind dissipates to unmask the 'vibrations of potential' and my outlook on life reaches momentous levels, the prospect of creative thought flows strong and free like Yosemite Falls on a crisp day in winter. I think every one of us knows where to find our solitude and joy. Knowing how to and wanting to find it is certainly a large part of this journey we are all on.

CORINNE, BRENNA, GAVIN AND PAPA
"BEING SILLY"

May I conclude by saying that my husband thoroughly enjoyed his time away from me, as well, and is back home safe, sound and remains a most appreciative Papa, indeed! Considering my deep connection with the power and healing prospects of Love, I leave you with another quote by Thich Nhat Hanh from his beautifully written work entitled "Living Buddha, Living Christ."

 

       
            "Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing. Love instructs
            us not to act in ways that will cause suffering now or
            in the future. We can discern when something that
            seems to be joyful has the capacity to destroy future
            happiness, so we do not abuse alcohol, ingest unhealthy
            foods or hurt others by our words. Real love never ends.
            It will be reborn and reborn."


AUTHOR'S NOTE: May Love and Happiness shine down upon your beautiful face my sweet daughter, Corinne. Gentle Birthday Wishes for you today from my happy heart to yours.....always.

YOSEMITE FALLS

Copyright © 2015 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

"UBER-URBAN COYOTES"

A series of essays.....





Photo Courtesy Living Green Magazine: Coyote In Chicago

.....as seen through my eyes!



By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


Whenever I leave the house, especially this time of year in Florida, I carry my trusty umbrella with me. I reason that it will either protect me from the rain or deter precipitation for the duration of my outside activities. I am now discovering that another weapon must be added to my arsenal....a golf club or walking stick.....and, for a very good reason!

Fortunately, I do play golf and I own several 'walking sticks' for climbing up in the Great Smoky Mountains. So, I am good to go. Well, on second thought, my sturdy umbrella might be just enough to fend off an approaching coyote thus saving my other arm for waving wildly in the air out of unmitigated fear!

Yes, the coyote population is alive and strong and has been increasing within the 'urban jungles' more than ever lately.



Coyote In An Urban Setting

To better realize what is happening within the coyote population, you must get to know more about the coyote himself. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, coyotes are medium-sized mammals in the same family as dogs, wolves and foxes. Coyotes are highly adaptable and smart. They may live in wooded or other habitats in your neighborhood. They are opportunistic and generalist feeders who are most active at dawn and dusk but can be seen almost anytime during the day or night. They have strong family bonds and pairs typically mate for life.

Whether we like it or not, the coyote has become our neighbor no matter where we live. Experts say that in Cook County Illinois, home of The Windy City, coyotes inhabit virtually every available territory in the county, so most of us have a coyote neighbor, even if we haven't seen it yet. That's comforting....!

With more and more coyotes willing to mate and survive within the cemented urban jungle of the inner city, they are making the city their home and quickly learning to adapt right alongside the human inhabitants. One of the worst things we can do is feed them, and we do this inadvertently by leaving food outside for our own  pets. Stanley D. Gehrt is an assistant professor of environmental and natural resources at Ohio State University and is carrying on a multi-year study of coyote behavior in urban Chicago. Even though his research is concentrated in Chicago, the results likely apply to most major metropolitan areas in North America, he explains.

This study was originally slated to last for only one year! It has been going on now for almost fifteen years.

Stanley Gehrt Holds Female Captured in Chicago Metro Area
Photo Courtesy of Stanley Gehrt

"We couldn't find an area in Chicago where there weren't coyotes," Gehrt said. "They've learned to exploit all parts of their landscape. Nine million people live in the greater Chicago area and we didn't think very many coyotes could thrive in such a highly urbanized area. We also thought that the few animals that were causing problems were probably used to living around people."

Today, Gehrt and his team estimate that anywhere from several hundred upwards to two-thousand coyotes live among the parks, apartment and commercial buildings and industrial parks within the greater Chicago area.

Courtesy: Chicago Magazine ~ Coyote On Metro Tracks

Gehrt and his colleagues have placed GPS tracker collars on several of the coyotes in the Windy City and have found that even under cover of darkness, urban coyotes still have to dodge people and vehicles.....and the GPS data reveal they do it deftly. Chicago coyotes have learned to negotiate roads, sidewalks, and railroads usually without being seen or hit, despite tremendous traffic volume.

My husband has recently returned from Michigan after visiting with our children and grandchildren who live in the southwest corner of the state and just across Lake Michigan from the Chicago area. When he takes these 'solo' trips up to see the kids, I am usually entertained by several cute stories about what they did and where they visited during their long weekend together upon his return. This particular story, however, still finds me with sweaty palms and shaking with fear of the unknown....

Our son-in-law, Matt, has been nicknamed "The Great White Hunter" and for good reason.  Given his prolific prowess with rifle, bow and arrow, and fishing in the deep blue depths of the chilly Lake Michigan waters, in one season alone, Matt could provide a small town with enough food to last the entire winter. Hunting and fishing are definitely his great passions in life.

In addition, Matt is a good father and loves his three children, Lydia and the twins, Brendan and Kerrington, very much!

"Did you see it? Did you see it? It walked past me not more than thirty seconds ago!" exclaimed our son-in-law as he came flying out of the sliding glass door and into the backyard nearly out of breath with excitement and a healthy dose of fear in his eyes.

"It came through your neighbor's side yard right between the two houses and walked right down the side of the driveway! At first I thought it was a neighborhood dog or something and then I got a closer look at it and knew...."


Matt and Lydia

Matt had been watching Lydia, his seven-year-old daughter, ride her scooter around the long, wide driveway of the house which sits in a highly populated subdivision in Portage, Michigan. He had been sitting on the front porch as the afternoon sun poured down all around them on this glorious spring day. He looked up just in time to see what he initially believed to be a dog walking out from the side yard of our oldest daughter's house.

"It was too long and narrow to be a dog," Matt said. "Its fur was natty and matted down. Instinct told me it was a coyote! It walked not more than a foot away from Lydia, crossed the street and then ran into the backyard of the neighbor's house across the road. I don't know exactly where it's at right now!"

The four adults stood on the back patio wide-eyed and awestruck. Even the "Great White Hunter" was capable of being totally blown-away by the sight of a wild animal walking between himself and his daughter in such an inhabited environment in broad daylight!

Dan told me this had all transpired in the matter a few short moments and Matt's impressive figure remained silhouetted in the doorway when suddenly a mother's instinct or her 'voice of reason' loudly kicked into gear and inquired, "So, Matt.....where is Lydia right now??"

Dan said you never saw so many adults fly through the house and out into the front yard as swiftly as they did at that moment!

Lydia was still standing alone at the end of the driveway, scooter in hand, with her eyes drifting off into the shadowy yard of the people who live across the street. I believe she knew it wasn't a dog.

Among the skyscrapers of downtown Chicago and the busy Lake Shore Drive to the open spaces and woods that still surround the greater Orlando, Florida area to a large and densely populated subdivision in Portage, Michigan.....these versatile carnivores, native to Middle America, roam wild and free. The coyotes are "pushing their ecological envelope," said Stan Gehrt. "The coyotes have altered their natural behavior to accommodate living in close quarters with people."



Florida Wildlife Officials
Attempt to Increase Awareness

From here on out I think it's going to be extremely difficult to just let small children (grandchildren?) out to play in the yard without supervision. I know that I would certainly rather be safe than sorry.

If coyotes have altered their natural behavior to accommodate living in close proximity with people like in Chicago as Stanley Gehrt claims, shall we assume that Matt's coyote has, as well? Or not....?!  No matter how we look at this, now or in the future, I think it's highly important to learn to never underestimate the basic instincts of the coyote.

Photo: CBS Chicago Files ~ Coyote Wedged in Bumper

Copyright © 2015 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

DAYCARE BLUES.....REVISITED IN 2015

A series of essays.....

BRENNA BAKING COOKIES WITH 'GWANDMA'

.....as seen through my eyes!


By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


Several years ago, when our oldest grandchild was three years old, I sat down and wrote my original Blog entitled, "Daycare Blues." Unfortunately, the story I am about to relate is as sad yet prevalent today as it was in May of 2010......and, regretfully, has been for so many years before this time.

Just as we should always embrace our young sons to respect all girls and treat them as equals, the continuing focus of instructing our young children to acknowledge, respect and accept everyone on this planet as mirror images of themselves is vital to our future existence. Hate, bigotry, disrespect all evolve from one emotion...Fear. Let us advocate Love instead and help alleviate the pain endured by so many families that lose a son or a daughter, husband or wife, all because someone is afraid of the color of their skin.

My story should definitely be a wake-up call for all of us......

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DAYCARE BLUES.....REVISITED IN 2015

Each Wednesday of my rich and wonderful life I am privileged to be with my beautiful granddaughter, Brenna. With the exception of an occasional vacation or two, we have bonded each week for over three years and my Wednesdays are special for me in many ways.

Brenna has recently turned the ripe, old age of three and is participating in her fourth classroom and level of challenges offered by her daycare experience. I have been privy to observing pertinent changes within her personality during this time. Her bastion has actually strengthened with each move she makes so that by the time she enters the public school system, her defenses will be fortified to their highest degree.

She has had to learn to hold her own against the best of them, as well as learn that 'the best of them' can be her very good friends, too. I believe the world better be ready for all of these strong, opinionated and highly motivated children who will be responsible for, hopefully, a better and more loving world in the future.

Her loving spirit, the sweet center of this amazing child, consists of rich and decadent French butter creme piped into the cutest little being I know. When she melts into my arms around eight o'clock in the morning, I know my life is complete and the planets are aligned. My petite cream puff and I are ready for whatever the day has to offer us. Heading the list is a good, hardy breakfast!

 

 

"Gwandma, eggies please!?" Upon her request, I proceed to make them with a flourish, accompanied by blueberries or strawberries, wheat toast and milk. She munches away with gusto as I settle down beside her with my tub of Greek yogurt, cup of black coffee and conversation. I ask her how her time at daycare has been so far this week and if she is prepared to tackle the rigors of dance class facing her Saturday morning. Ah, the life of a three-year old!

As I sit here now, I wonder about my own daughters at such a vulnerable young age and if we weren't constantly missing out on some of the underlying factors that contributed towards the adults they had yet to become. Certainly we listened for improper use of the English language and corrected them. We taught them not to chase the ball out into the busy street or talk to strangers. We encouraged the five-steps to advanced learning which included being able to wink, recognizing up from down, whistling, snapping one's fingers and blowing sweet bubble gum bubbles. Naturally, we reinforced the constant progression of coordination and talent all taught within the confines of their highchair during meals. Everyone loves a captive audience!

Is it possible to even recall being three years old again ourselves? It can be quite a stretch for most of us until we are reintroduced in time by our own children and grandchildren. We conjure-up the wonderful memories of a distant Christmas morning surrounded by so many presents to open or, the more painful times of when an older brother would bend your arm behind your back and make you cry while your parents were off in another room. Ah, the interesting life of a three-year old!

It is precisely because I can recall many of the pivotal yet innocent moments of my own early childhood that what I was about to hear from Brenna affected me so deeply. Brenna told me during breakfast that morning that she didn't like Shout anymore. Shout is one of the main characters in her new favorite television show called Fresh Beat on the Nick Jr. channel. I was a bit confused by this because this show was what she and I had been watching and talking about for the past few weeks. She never takes her 'Nick' characters lightly so, out of curiosity, I asked her why she was discounting Shout all of a sudden. "I don't like his hair," was her instant reply. His hair, being short, a bit kinky in texture and black in color aroused my suspicions even more. I held my tongue and allowed her to say what was on her mind.

"He's black and I'm white and I don't like him anymore," came rolling out of her tiny mouth mingled with as much innocence and sincerity as a small child can muster. Her words floated across the table at me as if I were in a dream state and I tried to contain my composure as my 'baby' was now pointing at her thin, white arm while instructing me in the knowledge of opposite skin tones between her tiny appendage and Shout's similar one. Yes, similar but not exactly the same.




INNOCENCE
Picture Courtesy: pixshark.com

Are children her age even supposed to care if their arm is a different color from someone else's arm? Does society reach out to our very young and infuse such striking negativity into their young hearts and minds? I now know that the answer to this is a resounding.....yes! Somehow, someway my granddaughter had been told by persons unknown to myself that her skin color was superior to other skin tones. My heart was encased within a fragile shell of fine glass and ready to break into a million pieces..... This conversation should not be happening already and yet, it was.

The best tact I could take at this point was not to question the root of this assumption, but rather to help dispel it by offering her as many positive alternatives as I could come up with. I asked if she had black children in her daycare class. She did. I asked her if she played with them and if they all got along well together. They did. I asked if the character named Shout on television ever said or did anything to upset her. He had not. I asked her to name some of the good things she thought of when seeing Shout and she immediately replied that he sings and dances and makes pretty music. Good.

Then, once again, with a small finger pointing to her arm she reiterated, "My arm is white and Shout's arm is black!" She was most emphatic about the difference in color between their arms, coupled with a negative emphasis regarding the character of Shout himself. Was it time to ask her who, if anyone, might have pointed this explicit difference out to her? Oh, how my poor heart was ready to crash and burn!

We continued to discuss other personages in her life who might have positive influences on her whether they were black, white, tan, red or blue.....thinking of Elmo and Grover in the latter two cases, respectively. She cited many good qualities in all of them and even included some black characters from other shows we had never mentioned before. This was encouraging.

This all transpired within a span of four minutes or less. All the while, eggies, toast and sweet, fresh fruit was being consumed along with a wash of cold, white milk. 'White' milk........as opposed to what, brown or chocolate milk? Could something as nondescript as the type of milk she was drinking contribute to such isolated beliefs? I knew better. Someone outside of this house had been talking to her, not with her. The stark realization that someone had been coaching my little granddaughter about any imagined differences between white skin and black skin and the superiority of one color over the other cut me to the bone. Somebody was attempting to get inside her head early enough to create a negative influence upon her via the impeccable innocence of her youth!

I could not and did not allow Brenna to see my anger. That would only serve as yet another negative in her life. Instead, I smiled on the outside and spoke highly of all God's creatures but cried within because even the above mentioned "someone" fell into this category, too. Sadder still, I could only imagine the culprit being a sweet, young innocent him or herself.

We spend valuable time encouraging our children to do the right thing because we love them beyond anything else and want them to grow-up strong and with a positive attitude. Part of this process includes giving them enough slack or room to grow in order for them to move about with ease and learn to make decisions of their own, good and bad, along the way. Sadly, there will always be situations where children and young adults lack a positive roll model in their lives allowing weakness and negativity to corrupt them....disallowing the chances for their true potential to blossom and grow.

Brenna's parents are excellent role models who have allowed her to grow like a young sapling in a forest of ancient cedars. Their love for her is strong and binding with the desire for their 'sapling' to be able to sample life in every way while she grows straight and tall towards the sun. As long as Brenna has such positive influences in her life she will have the freedom to choose right from wrong and be able to navigate all of the gray areas in between. Every child learns by example and, with any luck, can gradually ease into the art of important decision making. Soon enough they learn the power of each decision they make, as well as the consequences rendered by those decisions and via this process they become stronger human beings.

I wholeheartedly believe that this "someone" is actually helping Brenna grow stronger and taller by pointing out the wickedness that is harbored deep within our society today......bigotry in its most loathsome form. My grandchild is a 'blank canvas' right now and this represents the opportunity she has to hear both sides, think about each one as time goes on, and decide for herself what is right or wrong. If the positive influences outweigh the negative....she has a fighting chance.

This is only the beginning. She will make it through this trial and continue to grow stronger in order to meet the next one head-on. I must have faith and believe, not only in Brenna, but in good overpowering evil. This beautiful child of mine needs, no, deserves the right to know the difference between them and be capable of embracing what are the right decisions for her. Ah, the not so simple, but should be, life of a three-year old today!

***LOVE***

Copyright © 2015 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

PHOTOS © Jacqueline E. Hughes

BALANCE

A series of journeys.....

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes




BALANCE

is a means of maintaining a state of equilibrium within our life. We balance the pros and cons before making our final choices in everything we do. By asking ourselves the right questions, the final answers may determine many incredible life changing decisions. We consider, compare and assess until what is right for us peaks from around the heavy velvet curtains that have been blocking our view of reality and we are reasonably able to come out on to the open stage and perform in front of the world....for better or worse.

To have achieved true balance in your life is to have attained the proper definition of freedom......unrestricted and able to move, think, speak, imagine and believe without constant fear of rejection or malice. With this achievement comes responsibility. We become guides or role models, if you will, for others to look upon with hope mixed with a measure of envy....in a way....for to have reached such enormous heights, become stable in one's mind about personal feelings and obtain pure peace in our hearts, is indeed enviable. We now become the teachers and it is our responsibility and duty to guide others along the paths that will, hopefully, lead them to a destination of true balance in their own lives, if their desire for it is genuine and honest.

As in design, a harmonious arrangement or proportion of elements within it serves to please and heighten the senses, may it be in nature, art, decor, architecture, landscape.....we see a purpose to flatter and exhibit shapes and forms, collections and colors in such a way as to achieve a balance of nature in a world filled with, otherwise, human imbalance. A world often overshadowed by bias, lopsidedness, unfairness and inequality....human elements that only serve to corrupt the beautiful, natural design generously offered to each of us as we enter and re-enter this world. To eventually alter this gift of balance or to keep it intact is a decision we humans end up having to make....an exercise in free will. Wrong or right, through thick and thin, with contempt or respectfulness for others, these are for us to choose between no matter how fierce or practical outside influences can be.

If love be a counterpoise to hate, shall we reason that both emotions are needed to strike a balance? To be able to absorb one emotion, it is necessary to experience, breathe-in and feel the opposite one and embrace each with every fiber of our being allowing time itself to become champion of the cause. Look into the symmetrical energy of the face in front of you, your child, your partner, your friend and even your  enemy. See first hand the beauty and harmony combined to form a proportionate arrangement that is pleasing to the eye and the senses. Encounter the unique power we have to discern by way of our own values and emotions the measure of our hearts and strike that balance needed to push us forward; make us stronger, more understanding and, ultimately, whole.

Listen to the rhythm of your beating heart. Drink in the beauty that surrounds you with open eyes and challenge yourself each day to extract pure joy from a mundane, earthly existence.....absolute love from a life of spiritual well-being. Combine them, stir them together to create a potent elixir and drink deeply from this cup for its contents is certain to provide you with an abundance of happiness; a life crafted and creatively balanced by personal experience and conviction.





Copyright © 2015 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

SCULPTURE: Caracole ~ 2014
ARTIST: Nadine Fourré
PHOTO © Jacqueline E. Hughes