Merry Christmas and Happy Hannakah

Hi Andy and anyone else out there! Andy, thanks for the link aboout the economy. I'm not sure anyone understands what is going on. The problems seem to be world-wide. Thank heavens Obama was elected! At least he is intelligent enough to maybe lead us out of the mess we are in. Ron actually got us tickets to the inauguration. He may still go but I decided that I did not want to be in the middle of 4 million people. I am claustraphobic ( is this how you spell it?) and I don't think I would do well in such a crowd of people. Also it is not a good time to be asking off work at school. So I guess I will be watching it all on TV like everyone else. I just received a Christmas card from Katie and it was so good to hear from her. She said that her DAd is doing pretty well. He is 89, the same as my Mom. Katie says she hopes we can get together soon. When? I'm ready!! Hope everyone has a great holiday. I know I am just looking forward to a little time off from school. Take care!


Lois

Economic crisis

Loise -- I should write this as a commentary on your entry but since we haven't refined our blog behavior seems better to just enter it in the main blog. First off congratulations on becoming a Grandmother. I have made it to great uncle but not yet grandfatherhood though I surely stand at that horizone. Secondly I wanted to recommend a program from Ira Glass's "This American Life" on the nature of the economic crisis -- it is really clear and offers a pretty good explanation of the main factors and give a very good idea of just how devastating the collapse of Lemands (I never could spell proper names) was. The web site is

http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=12

October greetings

Hi Andy and everyone - I'm sorry I haven't been on the blog as much as I had hoped. Andy you are right that everyone is busy and has a hard time finding time to write. However, I am not yet ready to give up on the blog. A reunion is a great idea! Let's talk about it. I don't know what has happened to Mike. He was posting at first. As always, I have been very busy at school, with my Mom, and also I am now a grandmother! Ron's daughter, Erica, had a darling little girl on September 22! Her name is Sasha. Sasha is my excuse for not writing recently. The gas shortage in Atlanta has been miserable. We have been through several weeks of sitting in hour long lines to fill up. No one even worries about the price; they are just thrilled when they find a station with gas. This weekend has been better. The lines are not as long and more stations have gas. No one has been able to explain to me exactly what the problem is. It is NOT all because of hurricane Ike. It was definitely not this bad after Katrina which was a much worse huricane and shut down more refineries. I think our whole country is in bad shape. People don't seem to want to face reality and try to solve problems. The financial crisis makes me so mad. All of the geniuses who run these financial institutions didn't see this coming? Why not? Maybe we are all too greedy. Does anyone know how to get us out of the mess? I wish Mike would give us his perspective on the situation. Oh well, one thing for sure is I don't understand it. I just know I have lost a lot of money. Will we ever be able to retire? On that cheerful note, I will sign off for now. Take care!

Lois

October

Its the end of September and I don't have much to tell. Lots of work but, alas, no closure. I am fascinated and concerned by what is happening in the States which will impact on all of us. But then that also reminds me that we all go back to 1972 and in 36 years (a lifetime by anyone's standards) so much has happened to change us and also compromise us, that maybe a blog site wasn't a good idea. Not only because we could all have very different views on things (seems that was also there in 1972) but also obligations both private and public that make this not a very perfect medium for communication. The modern public sphere is for me fascinating and, I confess, a source of optimism, but it does have it's risks and now days anyone (potential client, employer, investor, political adversary) can just google and find you hanging out with old friends who have been living totally autonomously for 36 years and so are capable of "who knows". Maybe the best idea is to use this blog to organize a reunion sometime.

end of August

So its the last day of August. Not much to report here. I'm basically living alone in Jacona while Cristina and Emilio and Andrea are in Mexico City where Cristina must take care of her mom for the next year. Leo, the eldest, continues in Brooklyn. I visit Mexico City about twice a month and otherwise am either working at home or appearing at work for office hours or classes. Work at home is nice. Our house is on the sloop of a hill and has a view of about 50 kilometers since below are is an ancient lake bed that Jacona and Zamora were built on. This used to be part of the Chapala Lake that lies between Zamora and Guadalajara but it was converted into irrigated agricultural lands. Now several US producers have relocated here. That way their former migrant labors can continue to help them produce berries (strawberries, black berries and so on) without the hassle from the US authorities -- seems relocating on rented land here was more economically feasible that trying to continue with production in California without Mexican workers.
Enjoyed listening to the Democratic primary on the internet. Great speeches, especially appreciated Bill Clinton's and Obama's acceptance speech was quite eloquent and clear. Reasons to be cheerful.

School Begins!

Hi Everyone - Well I am back at school. Last week was pre-planning (teachers only) and tomorrow the real fun begins with the kids! My summers keep getting shorter and shorter. This one seemed especially short since Ron and I did not get to go on a vacation. Ron lost his election but he gave it a good shot. The candidate he then endorsed will most likely win in Novemer so that is good. I am glad the whole thing is over. My Mom got a pacemaker 2 weeks ago, so taking care of her has kept me very busy. We hope that it is going to make her feel better and give her a little more energy. Only time will tell. Is anyone doing anything exciting? Mike, are you at the Olympics in China? Everyone take care!

Lois

Last Day of July

Boy these new years resolutions are demanding. But its the last day of July and as always the month has past. I'm still behind on everything with nothing news worthn to report. And anyways, now blogging is beginning to feel a bit like Stoppard's point in "Rosenkranz and Guilderstien are Dead" when he has the traveling theater director reflect on what it feels like to give a show and then realize you no longer have any audiance. Or better that great line in the movie, "The Ruling Class", when Peter O'Tool is interviewed by a psychiatrist in order to establish whether he is fit to enter the House of Lords. He comes from a long line of crazy aristocrats and his father has just commited suicide. The psychiatrist asks him how is it that he knows he is Jesus Christ. He answers, "It simple, I was praying and I realized I was talking to myself."